I had a little bit of a crazy experience on Friday this week. My district leader told me I'd be spending a few hours in a Latino district that evening. I was immediately pretty nervous, but it was just an experiment to see what I could understand and how I felt about it. But if I wanted to, they would probably let me finish my time here at the MTC with them. So I left my district family and was in a trio with Hermana Ortiz from here in Mexico and Hermana Rios from Kuzco, Peru. Neither of them speak hardly any English. But we taught a lesson together about the restoration and I spent a couple hours in class with them. A couple of their elders speak some english so they helped me out a little. But I really understood almost everything! Except for most of their jokes.. They probably thought I was so pathetic, I just laughed when they laughed and had no idea what they just said.. Haha! And at one point they asked me how I felt and I said "me siento alta y blanca." which means I feel tall and white. I was a little nervous the whole time, but I loved it. When I got back to my district though, our district leader came over and talked to me about how I have the opportunity to learn a lot of things in our American district that I couldn't learn else-where. Spanish will come for me eventually, but I don't have to learn it all now. And I don't want to leave my family here. So anyway, now my teachers are looking for opportunities for me to spend some time with them every once in a while. But I see my Latino district often and it's awesome! The elders call me Hermana Wellington and the sisters still call me their compañera. I'll take a picture with them tonight and send it next week! They're going to the temple today too, but they've already left. It's actually Hna Rios first time through the temple and Hermana Ortiz is her escort! Super cool. Anyway, I'm their hermana adoptiva and it's awesome. Way cool experience.
Check it out, I found a great scripture this week! So ya know how I bought a new Book of Mormon and am color-coding the Christ-like attributes? It's awesome. I love it. Everyone needs to do it. But I was reading in 1 Nephi 18, and verse 16 is amazing. It's when they're on the boat coming to the promised land and Laman and Lemuel tie up Nephi. For three days there's this awful storm and the boat is going crazy, Laman and Lemuel and their families are pretty much partying, Nephi and his other obedient brothers are suffering, and Lehi and Sariah are pretty much dying, but somehow Nephi finds a reason to rejoice. He's humble and grateful despite his awful circumstance. I know we don't have the same trials he did (thank goodness) but life isn't always easy. BUT there is always a reason to rejoice and thank the Lord. Cool example of humility and gratitude right there.
This Book of Mormon project, though, has got me all distracted sometimes! Isn't that a funny thing to say? I know I should be reading my español Libro de Mormon and studying my conjugations and everything, but I just want to read in English and find all the good stuff! I've never been so in love with the scriptures. I could read them all day and be totally happy forever and ever.
My Spanish is coming along! But since my trip to the other district I feel like it's taken a little bit of a nose-dive. But that's okay! I'm still learning and still working and it's all good! As a district we're going "solo español", and whenever someone says something in english in our classroom they have to write it in Spanish 20 times. It's been good for us! That's the only way to really do it. We've just got to do it. Word.
We've also been singing a lot of "Free Fallin" as a district lately, and we tried to translate it, but "libre cayado" doesn't have quite the same ring.. But the other night Elder Follet and I had a little sing-off with some Phantom of the Opera stuff and that was pretty funny! He actually wasn't too bad, I was impressed! I've been blessed with a lot of opportunities to sing here. It rocks. And little Hermana Woll hasn't ever been away from her family before and sometimes she gets really homesick so after we turn of the lights for bed I'll sit on my bed across the room and sing to my hermanas. It's sweet. I love these girls so much. I attached a picture of us at the temple last week! My camera isn't very good, I might try to buy a new one when we get to America.. Almost all the pictures come out blurry.. But it's okay! Some are great, and my hermanas send me some good ones to send to yall too.
Also, sometimes I forget we aren't in America. And sometimes when they have especially good food at the comedor (cafeteria) I'll say "it's a good day in America" and then I remember.. Haha but every day is a good day in America! And Mexico! But this campus is more like America than Mexico.. It's so beautiful and safe and lovely.
We're so lucky to be here at the MTC working hard and being so spiritually uplifted every day. Our teachers are amazing and all the leaders here are just awesome. This is truly a blessed place. There's so much light in everyone's eyes and it's so easy to see the joy that the gospel brings to those who are fully converted. In D&C 90:11 it talks about how the gospel will be preached to everyone in their own tongue. We are really on the Lord's errand here. It isn't easy to learn another language, but I know that the Lord called us all here and to our specific missions because He knows we can do it and He knows the lives we can help change with His Spirit, His strength, His gospel, and His love. And I can't wait! My time here is about half over and it's a little bit of a bummer, but I can't wait to get out there. And good thing my whole district is going with me, I love them way too much to never see them again. And we're already planning epic Utah reunions jamming to John Mayer and eating Graham Canyon ice cream.
But I really am living the dream here.
Thank you for your emails, your love, and your prayers. I love you so so much and I can't wait to be all together forever! But this is the most important work I could be doing right now and I'm thrilled to be here. Life is so good.
Hermana Millington
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