Week One (CCM) -- ¡Feliz Navidad!

Area: Mexico City MTC
Companion: Hermana Julia Dunne

¡Feliz Navidad!

Hey, Mom! I am really, really, really happy to be emailing you today! There aren´t enough phones in the MTC to call ... but I am seriously so glad to be writing. Thank everyone for their kind notes. We only have a few minutes to write today ... and there is SO MUCH TO SAY. Luckily our first P day is tomorrow. The CCM has been awesome. Everyone says that the first week is the hardest, but I have really really been enjoying it. Time is weird here. I feel like I have been here forever, but I also feel like the week flew. Every day is super packed, but I love it.

The campus here is BEAUTIFUL. It´s nestled right in between two mountains and the sounds of Christmas are awesome. The only way I can really describe the CCM in a way that will do it justice is that it is a little piece of heaven on earth. I am so grateful to be here. The food is alright (also, the keyboards in the labs are super weird still). I haven´t been really sick, but I also haven´t been feeling super stellar. Está bien. 

HERE IS A GREAT SURPRISE. I actually have some of the best Spanish in my district. There is one other Elder that has Spanish speaking parents, but he doesn´t really know the grammar. It is so weird, because as I have been learning the gospel vocabulary, I really have been able to teach by the spirit and get my point across. Understanding is about 95 percent. I pretty much know everything of what is going on, which has been soooo helpful. Heavenly Father has definitely been blessing me with the gift of tongues! Especially when I think about the Spanish I learned before I came out and the Spanish that I can actively call up now. It´s been awesome.

I´ve had soooooo many awesome experiences here. The CCM is just one giant ball of spiritualness. First of all, my zone and district are awesome! We get along sooo well and are a pretty spiritual bunch. Sometimes ... it is a little hard to focus. But I am trying my best to live as a missionary 100%. Like I said, a lot of my time is spent with the language. I read all of the missionary materials in Spanish now, even when I don´t fully understand it. Yesterday, I lost my scriptures and had a freak out ... not because I wanted my English ones, but because I wanted my Spanish ones nearby. It is so weird ... but I am loving this!

We had our first investigator the second day we were here. His name is Rodrigo and I am actually in love with him (in the most appropriate way, of course). Our first lesson wasn´t the best in the world. We were really really worried about our Spanish and the message we were teaching. The next day we taught a better lesson about the restoration and it went so well! We gave him a Book of Mormon and challenged him to read about it and pray to know if it was true. The next day was EVEN BETTER. Holy guacamole. In the beginning, he said "Hermanas ... I have read the book." We pretty much died. After, we gave a lesson about repentance and he told us that his girlfriend was pregnant and that he didn´t think that he was ready to have a family. I just started to bawl. I felt an overwhelming love for him and I testified that I knew that Jesus Christ knows everything that we have ever felt. He knows us and can help us to be forgiven of our sins. He was crying ... Hermana Dunne was crying ... it was just one big cry fest. I felt SOOOO good about it. After that, there was a pause ... and I committed him to be baptized. There was so much power in this statement. I felt the spirit of missionary work as I asked him, "Rodrigo, seguirá el ejemplo de Jesucristo y bautizará el primer día de Febrero?" He said yes!

Wow ... I am excited to be a missionary.

Another interesting experience. Yesterday, during our demonstration time, we were roleplaying with the other elders in our district. They were supposed to pretend to be an investigator that had killed someone in a drunk driving accident, but in the middle of a role play with Hermana G., Elder S. (our DL) and I, Hermana U. (our teacher) came up and asked us to teach Elder S. as Elder S.. We started talking to him and were trying to find out his needs. I had been praying for him because he seemed kind of off before that moment. We shared some scriptures and quotes of comfort and testified that Heavenly Father loved him and knew what he was going through and he shook his head. With a little incredulous smirk he said, "You guys keep saying that he hears us ... but I have prayed and I know he doesn´t. He´s not there." We were FLOORED to say the least. My heart started to pound as I tried to understand what was happening. Again, I felt a sense of overwhelming love and peace as I testified to him that God is there and that he will answer prayers. Again, I started to bawl. It was super startling, but I think Elder S. was just in a dark place. It´s getting better.

Of course, I thought about everyone a lot yesterday ... probably more than I should have. To be honest, it was the first time that I have ever felt homesick at the CCM. I was sad to be missing all of the Christmas Eve rituals and Joseph´s baptism (which actually didn't happen I guess! Send pictures!). But that night, I sat down and memorized DyC 7 in Spanish (I´ve been trying to memorize one every day I´ve been out). Eternal life is God´s greatest gift! I have learned that huge lesson this week. My whole purpose is to try to help others to find that out for themselves. So although I miss you all so much, I am grateful to be out here. I only have a few minutes left today, but just know that I know that the Church is true. I know that Christ lives and that he loves us soooo much! I have felt so much peace and understanding this week.

Tomorrow, we are going to the temple as a district and I am sooo excited! I can´t wait! I´ll make sure that my email tomorrow has some more cultural stuff ... Just know that I love you ALL so very, very much and I want you to have the best Christmas ever! Don´t forget about little old me! Okay, time to go. I will be more personal tomorrow. PS. Dear Elder's take about a week to get here. Also, my clothes situation is weird. I'll tell you tomorrow!

¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡TE AMO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hermana Blau