Week 4 ~ Another Parasite Bites the Dust

Hello everyone!!

This week went by quickly! Last Sunday I was able to play the music in sacrament meeting for our branch. It was a really cool experience to be able to accompany everyone while they were singing in Spanish. I also was randomly called on to give a talk in Spanish, so that was super fun, haha! But really, every time I am asked to pray or speak in my mission language I feel the gift of tongues and see how real it is in my own life. I have come so far from when I first started. 

Hermana Smith left this week on Tuesday, so we were able to take a picture with all of the Murray kids! So fun! It's crazy how many of us are here right now, and we see each other often. It's hard to say goodbye to close friends, but it's cool to know that we are going all over the world to preach the gospel!

Yesterday we were able to teach a lot, and that's probably my favorite part of what we do in the MTC. The Spirit is so strong each time, and it makes me excited to be able to teach the people in Argentina. 

My companion and I are feeling a lot better, the parasites have officially left the building. Thank goodness.

Last week while my companion was brushing her teeth and I was in the shower we realized that the water was brown and almost black. We both screamed and ran out, to find other sisters in the hallway whose water was also black. We went down to tell the Branch President, and apparently it's totally normal, haha. He's like "tell everyone not to brush their teeth with it." So we went door-to-door telling all the sisters what to do, and we all just ended up laughing. Good times in the CCM.

Funny stories:

The Elders have been using this pink bar of soap they bought at the store here for the past five weeks. They told us about it and we informed them that the bar of soap they've been using is actually stain remover called Zote.

The Elders wrote a Dear John song. Shoot me an email if you want a copy of it, it's pretty great.

I tripped down the stairs AGAIN. This time in front of everyone, hahaha.

Spiritual experience this week:

At the devotional, the speaker shared this quote with us by President Uchtdorf: "As missionaries of Christ, you have received the same calling as the apostles." I thought that was so cool and it made me want to try even harder to be a better missionary! During the devotional the other speaker spoke in Spanish and I realized how real the gift of tongues is. I was able to understand most of what she said and it was so cool!

I love and miss you all! I hope school is going well for all those that started this past week!

Love,

Hermana Spackman

All the Murray Kids

Kate and her Companion with Hermanas from Haiti 

All the Hermanas in our District

With the Zone Leaders

The Elders all decided to do Mini Ties

Chatting with Kate

Cannon walked by and jumped on to say, Hi

Week 3 ~ Pets in My Stomach

Hola!!

Wow well this week has been one for the books. Last Thursday we were able to go to the temple and it was so awesome!! Even though I only caught a few words here and there, the Spirit was still so strong. As we were leaving the temple, a man came up to our Elders and said, "I want to be with my family forever!! What time does your church start?" In broken Spanish, they told him a bit about our church and invited him to come. It was so awesome and made me want to learn Spanish so much more so that I can better communicate with these wonderful people!

We also had to opportunity to hear Elder Bednar speak and that was probably one of the best parts. One thing I loved that he said was "You don't have to be perfect, you just have to be good." I really needed to hear that! In his talk he also shared 1 Nephi 4:6-7 "And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do." and verse 7: "Nevertheless, I went forth." Elder Bednar talked about the power of that scripture, and the power of going forth - even when you don't know the work that is ahead of you. I have really felt that in my time at the MTC as I have prepared to go to Argentina. I'm going to a place with new food, people, language and experiences, walking into all of it blind. But despite all that, I know the Lord will be with me and guide me every step I take. I know inspiration will come to me when I am moving and pressing forward. As long as I do my best, It will be okay.

On Saturday night our cute Latina sisters asked Hermana Samano and I to straighten their hair for them before they left. We were able to have a little party in our dorm room with them and get them all ready. It was so sad saying goodbye to them on Sunday, but I know they're off to do big things!! We got some new sisters in our branch and we're excited to spend some time with them too.

Alright so the pets in my stomach...yes it is true. My companion and I got SO sick after the temple last week, and on Monday we finally decided to go to the Infermeria. As soon as we sat down the doctor said, "why didn't you come in earlier?!" That's when we knew it was bad HAHA! My companion and I both have parasites and we've been having to take this nasty medicine for the past week. But, the good news is that we both feel WAY better!! The elders in our district keep making fun of us for the "mascotas in su estomago" which means "pets in your stomach". We think we got the parasites when we were singing Justin Bieber in the shower and accidentally swallowed some water.

Funny experiences:

While doing our service project I stepped on an ant hill and got ant bites all over my ankle. I threw off my shoe and started running around trying to get them off and Hermana and I just kept laughing haha!

Hermana Samano and I accidentally walked into the boys bathroom right in front of our Branch President, he had a good laugh at us.

A guy accidentally said an inappropriate word in Spanish while giving his talk and got laughed off the pulpit. 

Hermano Perez (Our afternoon teacher) spent 30 minutes on Google Maps showing us where his house is. He also showed us around our mission though so that was nice!

Overall I am loving my time in the MTC. Some days are hard and I miss home and my family, but for the most part I am happy and loving the work. I know there's no place I'd rather be right now.

Love and miss you all!!

Hermana Spackman

 Kate in a dress she had us buy from a little local store in Mexico City

Kate with a pouch her cousin made for her. She loves it.

 

Week 2 ~ Hips Don't Lie

Hello Everyone!!

It has been another great week, I feel like the days just seem to keep going by faster and faster.

Earlier this week our district felt like we kind of reached a roadblock in our Spanish progression, we had all been praying really hard to get to know the language better. Our prayers were answered through Hermano Castillo who was our substitute teacher. He started teaching us grammar and spouting off knowledge like no other. After he left, our entire district just sat in silence for like 2 minutes and then one of the Elders said "I think we just met the 3rd Nephite." We all were laughing and just talking about how amazed we are that our prayers were answered through him.

This week Hermana Samano and I were called as Sister Training Leaders! It has already been the biggest blessing and we've been able to get to know the sisters a lot better. When we met with Hermana Garcia for training she said to us "Make sure that you let the sisters know they are loved. I always give the sisters hugs when they get here because I feel like their mission mom and I want them to feel like they're getting a hug from home." It touched my heart when she said that because the first night we got here Hermana Samano's luggage hadn't come and Hermana Garcia came out of her house in her pajamas and gave us a big hug and helped us get what we needed. It was so simple, but it was exactly what I had needed that night!

Funny experiences:

An Elder from Columbia taught us how to say "Hips Don't Lie" in Spanish and so we went around telling all the Elders in our district to say it in their conversations. The Latinos have all just been laughing at them and the Elders still have no idea what they're saying.

My alarm clock got messed up and so yesterday Hermana Samano and I woke up and got all ready, only to realize that it was 5:30 in the morning.

We found a cockroach in the cafeteria and the Elders chased us back to the class trying to put it in our hair. We still ran faster than them in dresses and heels.

It has been a great week and I'm excited to learn more and keep progressing in my Spanish. Missions are so wonderful, it has been one of the greatest experiences of my life.

Pictures this week:

Us with the old sister training leaders!

Me and Brin with my sprained finger. Yes, I sprained my finger playing volleyball with the Elders. My splint is off now though and it's starting to hurt less!

Hermana Samano and I with the newly called Zone leaders

And a few my mom added from Brinley's email. 

Hope you all have a great week!!

Love,

Hermana Spackman

Week 1 ~ Mexico CCM

Hi friends and family!!

I made it through the first week! I am loving it here in the CCM. On my first night here I ran into so many people from home and it made me feel so much better! Brinley and Cambrie Anderson were such a big help to me the first few days getting settled in. I also got to fly in with Taylor Rubacalva and Tyler Shelton. We're all loving it here.

The city is beautiful and every night we can hear fiestas and people playing music outside. We go to class pretty much all day and everything is in Spanish - but the language is coming quickly. Big shoutout to my junior high Spanish teacher, Senor Bravo, for preparing me for this moment lol.

There are 12 of us in the district, Hermana Samano and I are the only sisters but we still have a good time. The elders are all so nice, and they've become like brothers to us. Every day we all play sand volleyball for our gym time and we have lots of jokes. Whenever we complain about the language, Elder Cotter will say "Espanol es muy facil!" and we all just bust up laughing.

Hermana Samano is so cute!! She is from California. I could tell she was hardcore after our first night when she killed a spider with her bare hands. We have a lot of fun together.

One thing that has been surprising to me is that back home I felt like I always would pay attention to when I was feeling the spirit, but now I pay attention to when I'm not - because it is rare to not feel the Spirit here. It has been awesome.

Funny experience:
We do a lot of walking here at the CCM and Elder Ladd got a huge blister on the back of his foot. He peeled it off and put it in the trash and when he wasn't looking the other Elders in our district picked it up and put it in his water bottle - which he drank out of a few seconds later. We were all dying when they told us and now everyone makes fun of him for drinking "foot agua" hahhaha! Now I always check my water before I drink lol!

Spiritual experience:
It rains a lot here in Mexico City and there's always really big lightning storms at night. A few nights ago, Hermana Samano and I forgot our rain jackets. When we went outside after class it was pouring rain and I just stood looking at it. I immediately said a prayer and asked that we would be protected and that the rain would stop. A few seconds later, one of the elders in our district walked up to us and handed us an umbrella for our walk home. Even though my prayer wasn't answered how I expected, it was cool to see how Heavenly Father was paying attention to even my smallest worry!

I am so happy. The CCM is such a spiritual place and every day I feel so lucky to be here. I love learning Spanish and even though it can be hard and I might miss home, I know this is where I'm supposed to be. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. Love and miss you all!

Love,
Hermana Spackman