Week 3 in the CCM

Thank you so much for thinking of sending me a package...I cant wait to get those pictures! Well, it is a wonderful atmosphere to be in, because we are so immersed in Spanish because our teachers are native speakers! My two morning class teachers only speak Spanish and speak very little English...so my district and I are getting more used to listening to Spanish, as long as it is related to the Gospel. It has been really hard for my district lately, I can see it in their bn

a nod to Abbey Road (but no bare feet)

 faces. The Elders don't really break down, but you can kind of see their frustration in their eyes. We are all very tired. We are one of the only few districts who have 3 investigators a day. It really stretches us, because we have 6 hours of classes everyday and we feel like we have barely anytime for our own personal study and companionship study. Hermana Ball and Hermana Spencer had on separate occasions to leave class because they were so stressed out. Hermana Ball had an upset stomach and started puking and ran to the bathroom. (On a more positive note, our teachers said that we were more effective missionaries then their Latin missionaries, I think it is because we empathize,listen, and ask more questions instead of just teaching.) It is stressful, don't get me wrong, but it is a good stress for me. The language isn't as hard for me as it is for other people, but I think the part that is most difficult for me is learning to work with a companion and being with them 24 hours a day. Sometimes I wish that I could do the lesson by myself! I know that is unreasonable and selfish, but I didn't realize how introverted I was back at home and when it came to homework or school, I mostly would work by myself. But, I know that the Lord is helping me become more patient!

Even though I am having very little frustration with the language, I did have one minor set back this week. We were on the 4th lesson of our investigator Julia. She has been progressing along very well and she's eager to learn! She's eager to have her own testimony, but her boyfriend, Carlos (who is an inactive member of the church) will not pray with her about the things we have been teaching her, he will not read the Book of Mormon with her, and he doesn't want to marry her in the temple. At the moment, when we were teaching her about the law of chastity and Temple marriage, she said Carlos

At the Mexico City Temple

does not want any of these things. I really wanted to help her, I just didn't know how and so I said something that was not my place to say. I gave her the opinion of Rachel, not the opinion of the spirit. I said that maybe Carlos is the right thing for you. I said that this gospel isn't only meant to help your relationship with Carlos, but your relationship with the Lord. The Gospel is for you. Then, about 30 minutes later, we had an evaluation from our teacher who was Julia and for the most part we have been doing really well, but what I said was probably not the best idea. Immediately I felt so guilty and I started to cry. I felt so terrible for saying what I said, because it is not the place of a missionary to say those kind of things to investigators. I knew that it wasn't real, but it was one of those moments where all guilt that I have ever felt for doing anything wrong went strait to my shoulders. I sincerely wanted to help this woman, but it wasn't my place to give her an ultimatum, even though I wasn't trying to. The next day,we had another lesson and Julia told us that she didn't think she loved Carlos anymore because he wasn't willing to help her. At that moment, I knew that I had been right, but I was wrong for saying it. She needed to come to that conclusion herself. I realized that missionaries are meant to serve, love, and teach...but there needs to be a balance of things. I repented and I am grateful that I learned this in the MTC.

I am also grateful for my experience at PVCC. I realize now why I felt so good about going there, it was to prepare me for this moment! I learned a lot about myself, I learned about how to live away from my family, I learned to rely on the Lord, I learned to stand my ground even when I stand alone. I now have an experience I can relate with others and I know what stress is! I am so grateful for the stress that I went through at PVCC, because it prepared me for the stress of my mission. I am grateful for the work I had to do to get here, my heart is in the right place and I want to apply everything that I am going to teach my investigators!

Also, some really wonderful news...2 days before our district leaves...The CCM is going to be dedicated! Two of the Seventy are going to be there to speak along with ELDER OAKS! We are so blessed and lucky to be apart of this, and it is going to be a great way to end our experience of the MTC and start our missions! I have always wanted to meet one of the Brethren!

So I hope that everything is okay back at home and I am so excited for the package! ¡Hasta Luego!

Hermana Arnold

January 15-Week 2 CCM

I am so happy to have received this email from you again! I sent a letter about a week ago, I hope you all get it! Also, if you would like to send a packages or letters the quickest and safest way possible, just send it through mydearmissionary.com or dearelder.com. You can write a letter on the site and type in the address of the MTC, and they will print it off and send it in a matter of 3-7 days! That goes the same for packages. My roommate got a bunch of sweets and even floral arrangements from my dear missionary, I was amazed how fast it got to her, and that nothing went bad!

My companion is named Hermana Hieleson, she is from Iowa and she is going to the Boston Massachusetts mission. She likes music just like me and she loves Harry Potter and Dr. Who. She also wants to become a writer. She also attended BYU Provo for a time before she went on her mission. We are very much alike, which is kind of funny, because I prayed that I would have a companion just like me! She is very amiable and easy going, and since the spirit prompts her differently, it helps me to think about things a little differently.

The majority of the missionaries here are going back to the States, only a select few are actually going to South America. I love my roommates Sister Buno and Sister Clement. Sister Buno is from Seattle and Sister Clement is from San Diego. They are both in a different zone, but we love them. The two sisters from our District are named Hermana Ball and Hermana Spencer. They really extroverted and hilarious. They make us all laugh. Both of those sisters are in our casa, so they are friends with sister Clement and Sister Buno. We are already so close and we laugh at just about everything. Heavenly Father has blessed us to be together, to relate with each other and comfort each other in our time together. There have been lots of tears and lots of consoling. I have only cried a little because everyone from my casa was showing their pictures from home and I don't have any. So could you take a good picture with everyone together so I can show everyone? Also all the sisters in my casa have TONS of clothes...I feel like the apostle Paul, I am pretty sure he didn't have any shoes.

I also have been having a lot of anxiety dreams, a lot about home, and one of them I had a dream that bad people were invading the school, I heard sirens and then I woke up attempting to hide in my own closet! Then I had a dream that my roommates were only responding to me if I spoke to them in Spanish, and so I actually said in my sleep," que?" and they told me about it the next morning. I though that was pretty funny and embarrassing at the same time.
The CCM is the most amazing place ever, the people who work here do an amazing job of making everything special for all the missionaries. The food is very good. In Mexico, the biggest and best meal is lunch, so they try extra hard to make it delicious for everyone. I have grown to love their pan dulces and have had tacos almost every day, they have the BEST corn tortillas!

Entonces, (this is a Spanish transition) My schedule consists of getting up at 6:00 AM, having personal study and then starting class with our teachers. We recite the purpose in Spanish with our district in the classroom, sing a hymn, and say a prayer in Spanish. Then we learn a certain verb like Neccessitar out of these workbooks that they give us, and we kind of practice conjugating them with gospel related words or phrases. It helps a lot applicar (to apply) them when we are teaching our investigators. We have classes at night and during the day. What is funny is that our first investigator and is now our teacher! He is so cool because he helps us have eyes to see and ears to hear when we are applying the Idioma (Spanish) and the gospel together.

Sundays are the best. Every week we have to prepare a talk for Sunday in Spanish and I was able to

give one last Sunday. I felt really good about it because I tried to put myself into it even with the little Spanish I did know. It was enduring to the end. and I used preach my gospel and couple scriptures that a lot of people used in their talks. I talked a lot about keeping covenants and commandments, and always having faith in Christ. I also talked about keeping <ones> integrity and character during pruebras (trials). I used a scripture in Job. I talked about how he kept his integrity even when he lost everything. At times he did question the Lord of why he was ever born and why he ever lived. But then he realized that everything was going to be okay. I read the scripture Job 23:10. I only have it written in Spanish and I don't have my English scriptures on me, but basically he said He knows that the Lord knows the way he is taking him, He will be made as gold. I said I know that are trials are meant to strengthen us and the Lord knows the reason we are in that trial. He will truly make us Gold.

The last thing is that, We now have two investigators who are both our teachers. We have 1 in the morning and 1 at night, about twice a week. We are getting a lot better at planning lessons because they taught us about how to start a lesson. They told us to first offer a prayer (a very simple and not very long one); Then to ask them questions about their life, what there expectations are for this visit, and what kind of role does religion play in their life. And sometimes with those questions our lesson will go in a completely different direction. Our last lesson with our morning investigator Julia, had a question about Joseph Smith, and I in the past( with another lesson) tried to memorize the first vision in Spanish , but it didn´t work out so well. But this time, I was able to explain it and later on through the lesson when we explained our expectations for her and our purpose...I recited the entire purpose in Spanish without reading it. It amazed me, because when we say it in class, I can barely remember it! So, The gift of tongues is real and it is amazing!

Yesterday, we had a devotional ( we have a devotional every Tuesday) and it was a live one from Provo and Elder Bednar spoke. Apparently he speaks A LOT at devotionals, but that is okay, I love it! He is an amazing speaker. But, he talked a lot about gifts and specifically about the Gift of Tongues. He said the reason why The Lord gives us these gifts is to bless someone else's life. The reason why we are given the gift of tongues is to testify of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I thought that that was a really cool way to put it. He said that only way we are able to receive the fullness of it is to strip ourselves of pride and turn ourselves outward, just as Christ did. It truly is amazing, that obedience applies to EVERYTHING in the gospel. If we are obedient we will receive all of his blessings!

Me amor este obra y el evangelio de JesuCristo. Este Evangelio esta me cambio. Este obra es mucha para mi como es por todos las personas!  I love this work and the gospel of Jesus Christ. This gospel is changing me. This work is as much for me as anyone else. I was good to hear from hear you! I hope this suffices! Make sure you include, the blog about my mishaps and funny stories! I am not a robot! I love you!

First Week in the CCM (Mexico MTC)

Looks like my P days are only on Wednesdays and can only email on that day. and with mail, the district leader is supposed to distribute letters and mail to all of us .

Hermana Arnold and Hieleson

It has been really amazing the past week but also some of the hardest days. It is difficult to study for 3 hours at a time in the classroom and it is difficult not to have my music, my movies, or my lap top. But I keep on reminding myself why I am here, and that is because I love this gospel and I want others to feel the joy that I feel.

The past week or so, we met our first investigator, Roberto. Hermana Hieleson and I love to teach him, although it is very difficult because he speaks so fast! But from the words we can gather, he says that he lives in Mexico City, teaches Spanish, and lives alone. His family lives in Senora. He told us that he is kind of lonely because he doesn't talk to his family a lot and they dont help him pay for any of his bills. It is hard for him.

Our first lesson, we taught him about the love of God and that he isn't alone. We taught it in the simplest way we could muster, because we do not speak very good Spanish. We talked about the spirit and I wanted to explain to him what it was like, which is warm and a strong feeling, however, at the time, I didn't know those words, all I could do was place my hand over my heart and say es aqui, nuestra corazon, that means it is here in our hearts. I wrote my testimony down in Spanish and I read it with all sincerity in my heart. I know he could feel it.

The past 2 lessons, we felt pretty confident because the spirit was so strong, after we talked about the love of God, we talked to him about the first vision. He didn't seem that amazed, or at least how I thought he would, but he kept on pointing at introduction of the Book of Mormon, and he said that the missionaries who taught him previously said to us that they taught him a little about the introduction and the testimony of Joseph Smith. What is amazing, which has never happened to me before in my life, is that while he was saying that, I had the impression that we needed to invite him to read the Book of Mormon. Then a minute later, MY COMPANION, invites him to read it. It amazed me because the spirit was prompting us the SAME THING! That was such a powerful experience. We were blown away and we just wanted to teach him again.

Inside the CCM

So, that night we had our own personal study, we prayed to know what his needs were. I wrote down my inspirations from what I received from scriptures, and from Our Search for Happiness. the next day we collaborated on our inspirations, and what we soon came to find is that we studied was very similar! We were able to apply each of our ideas. Then I had the idea to pray and ask again what he needed. As soon, as we ended the prayer, I had the impression that he needed the Holy Ghost which applied to everything that we had been teaching him!

The next morning, I was looking for scriptures that emulated the Holy Ghost and then I looked in the Bible Dictionary about it, and I read about how people can feel the Holy Ghost, but when they are baptized they also RECEIVE the gift of the Holy Ghost. I had the prompting to invite him to be baptized. My companion thought that it was too soon, but for some reason I felt that we should.

When we started to teach the third lesson to him, we went about our plan which was explaining to him simply what the Holy Ghost was, and how to feel it by reading the Book of Mormon. But twice now he has not followed up on our invitation, he said he was talking to his girlfriend, and feel asleep or he had a siesta. We weren't surprised but that didn't help him any for him to feel the spirit himself. For about 30 minutes, we were teaching the lesson and something didn't feel right. We weren't giving him something he needed. I could not understand what he wanted I even asked him, ?quires necessitas? what do you need? we were just talking but he wasn't feeling it. He looked sad. This was getting us know where, and I wanted so bad to say everything I needed to in English. I am confident now I can teach the gospel in my own Native language! I wish I could, I really took for granted my language! We kept telling him he wasn't alone and that God loved him and we there to help him. Then he said, "every missionary says they want to help me, but how?" I told him," Gracias!" i was so happy he FINALLY expressed what he needed!

So we started to talk about Baptism, and me and my companion decided to ask him to be baptized. He kind of laughed a little and he said, "right now" "si" He said he didn't know a lot about the church and wants to learn more before he agrees to it. So we promised we would teach him a little more, and he promised to go to church with us on Sunday! After, that our brains hurt...we were so disappointing, we were hoping for another Earth shaking experience, but it wasn't...I am not going to lie, it was extremely hard.  But we learned something that night, its that we needed a purpose to teach: our purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ and be baptized,repent, recieve the gift of the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. We forgot about that purpose, and I think that is what Roberto was trying to teach us. We realized we needed to apply his life to the gospel, he needs his purpose! That is why he is so sad, he is going through his life, not having any goal or desire in life like we do.

Our next lesson we plan to teach him about the Plan of Salvation and apply it to his life so, he can fully understand why he is here and why he is not alone. He is a child of God. He needs to know that. We are excited to teach him, we hope we'll have a good comeback and he will start to have the desire to read the Book of Mormon because if doesn't apply to him, why would he want to be apart of it? He is really cool and we care about him a lot, even though he is a fake investigator...the spirit still prompts us and the spirit is still there!

We tried to express that to him, and that we care about him, but the only way we knew how to say it was we love you. So, I told him in Spanish, we love you but not in a crazy way! It made him laugh.

Hermana Arnold at the CCM

Well, I love you all and miss you dearly. I didn't realize how much I miss you until it started getting hard. But I love it here and I love seeing the city outside the walls of the campus. It is like we are in a Spiritual Haven, we are so protected! I hope everyone is doing okay and I hope that everyone is finding their purpose. I know that we can all find it, it just might seem hard even a midst this dark and strange world, where everyone labels it as something we all need. Our purpose is to find God and through him we can become like Him. I have a strong testimony of the Atonement and that all who use it, will be free of any burden they carry. Thank you for supporting me, I can't wait to receive more emails from you!

Hermana Arnold.

Made It Safe and Sound to Mexico City

Hey, Everyone! I made it safe and sound to the Mexico City MTC!

You would be amazed of the difference in the city and the school, there is so many buildings on top of each other and trash on the ground and when you arrive at the campus, it has a completely different feeling! there is such a spirit here and I havent even begun my training! I feel really safe here! and when I arrived in Mexico City, I felt happy and excited...I guess it hasnt sunk in yet that I will be gone for a year and a half, but I know I am going to really enjoy it! I cant wait to get lost in the gospel! Also, if you noticed that I dont have apostrophes in some words, it is because the key boards here are different and its going to take some getting used to. Also, I am really excited because there is a track, volley ball courts, basketball courts, and other awesome stuff! This just does not feel real, I feel like I am just on a short trip, but it isnt...it is a very long one indeed! Well, I hope you are doing well and I love you all and miss you so much! Thank you for all of your support!

Love Rachel.