Week 2: "The days are like weeks and the weeks are like days"

The days are like weeks, and the weeks are like days - that´s a saying that I am starting to become familiar with. 

As for how my day to day life is - we wake up at 6:30 (somehow) and are ready by 7:15 (ish), have breakfast, have personal study, language study with our teacher, coaching with our teacher - Our morning teacher is Hermano Lara, but we´ve also had a few other teachers because Hno Lara´s wife is expecting a baby soon and he has to leave sometimes. Anyway, we have companion study, we role play and talk about what we will teach our investigators Sometimes we teach in the morning. We have lunch, then TALL (technology assisted language learning) which really is helpful but we´re all just trying not to fall asleep sometimes. Then we have more study, then we go to gym (love it every day, getting better at volleyball and ultimate frisbee) and then we have daily planning, some more time to study for teaching, and then we have dinner. The food here is pretty good - Tuesday nights are pizza, which is the best. Then we have night classes or a devotional, personal time, and then bed at 10:30. 

So that´s a day in the life right now.

Mexico is beautiful, not as hot as I thought it would be. Or as humid. It´s really nice. I really like the CCM, it´s so well-kept up. (¿Se pronuncian la "se se eme," si?)

Ok, now for some experiences this week. 

       Last week I mentioned I was a bit sick. It never got very bad, but one thing that really helped was receiving a priesthood blessing from some of the elders in my district. It really was very comforting, and I know that Heavenly Father is aware of me, and every one of us. I felt strengthened throughout the next few days, even if I wasn´t over being sick yet. I also think it was a good thing that elders could use the priesthood that they hold. I was also blessed with a companion who helped me keep on top of staying hydrated and who always made sure I was doing alright. 

       My companion, Hermana Cook, is from Orange County California. Her mother is a nurse, and she seems to have inherited some of her characteristics. :) I look up to her a lot. Not all of her family supports her going on a mission, but she really is converted to the gospel and what she knows. She´s also a big Lord of the Rings and Avatar the Last Airbender fan, so that´s awesome. We are learning a lot about studying, learning and teaching together. It´s still challenging but we learn from our mistakes and we´re willing to change our approach, which makes a big difference, I think.

       I am growing to love all the members of my district - I don´t have a picture of all of us yet, but it will come, I promise!

 

        We watched a devotional on Tuesday about preparing for conference, and he helped us in how we need to take notes. He pointed out that we all have to find our own pattern. Heavenly Father works in patterns. But this was a pattern that has always helped him, and I am going to try this weekend: during the talk, write down the doctrine/principle, the invitation (make it personal) and the promised blessing. It´s good to have questions, and important to be willing to act on the answer. 

He also pointed out that they aren`t assigned topics, which I knew. He said "They don`t say to us, Ok, Elder Bednar and Elder Ballard, you speak on conversion. Elder Holland, you light it up."

We´ve heard several devotionals by Elder Bednar, and I love how he jokes with the missionaries, and inspires us to forget about ourselves and get to work. 

I hope the Womens´ Broadcast was good, I will get to watch it this Saturday while the Elders watch the priesthood session. 

 

Spanish is coming along. It´s a lot of learning it in the context of the gospel. A lot of studying you just have to learn to do on your own. But that´s good. And it´s also important help others along their way, too. I know that I receive help every day. Our teachers were good to remind us that we were called to speak in the Spanish language. My companion and I have made more of an effort to speak it, but in the casa we relax more. We shared our pictures or our families with each other and everyone always says what a good-looking family i have, and they are right! 

I love you all! keep me posted on things happening in your lives!

Bryan and Annette, thanks for your gift before I left - the scripture tabs have helped a lot!

Dad, I promise I did not completely forget about your birthday, I just remembered at all the wrong times. So, happy Birthday!

Thanks mom and dad, and everyone, for all the help and support you have given me!

One more quote, from Elder Maxwell. "Without the character of Christ, there would have been no Atonement." I have loved learning more about the character of Christ. When we would turn in, he turns out. That´s not something that we can do on our own, but with the Atonement and the power of God, all things are possible. 

Love, Hermana Hogge (a name which is even harder for Spanish speakers to say, I´ve learned  :)