Jun 14, 2016

Week 2 - June 14, 2016

Another week has passed! In some ways it feels like I have been here for 3 days, and in others it feels like I have been here for 3 months. To say that I am enjoying my time here would be a very large understatement. The CCM is wonderful but it is also completely what you make of it. My companions and I are having such a good time together. We work hard and laugh a lot. I couldn't ask for two better girls to be with literally 24/7. They are a huge blessing in my life, and have made this experience much better, and one that I will never forget.

This week we learned a bit more about what is ahead of us. We had some lessons on health, prevention and safety. It wasn't the most settling news, and it sent some girls into a panic. Somehow my companions and I handled it pretty well, but unfortunately one of girls will be returning home to America this week. I have been so sad about it, and just heart broken for her. However, they believe that this will be better for her anxiety and overall health. She is a wonderful person with a lot ahead of her and I pray that she keeps that mindset once she is home. 

We have been teaching mock investigators lessons in Spanish since our second day here. This week however, our teacher decided it would be a good idea to give us a real investigator without telling us until seconds before we walked into the room. I guess our teacher has been impressed with our mock lessons and wanted to see how we would do. She brought her friend who really has no interest in the church. I was terrified. We somehow gave a lesson that this man who speaks no English could completely understand, and we could completely understand him. He cried, we cried, and what was doing his friend a favor turned into some small miracle. He is coming back next week, and we are so excited.

On a more embarrassing note: we taught a mock investigator yesterday, and it was the most terrible thing haha. When you don't understand what someone is saying, as long as they have a smile on their face, you kind of just nod your head and say "Sí" .. Well, we somehow managed to confirm to this man that we were Jehovah's witnesses and worshiped the Virgin Mary in the first five minutes. Later into the lesson Hermana Ashton realized what had happened and whispered it to me and Hermana Speth.. We were dying. We all tried to fix things, but you can't really backtrack from that. Hermano Gomez says that he will never forget that lesson. At least it was fake.

I woke up this morning to a crazy earthquake. Don't worry, there wasn't any damage and it didn't freak me out too much, but it was pretty surreal. The weather here is crazy but I love the thunderstorms. They are so pretty.

There are the sweetest Latina Hermana's here and I love them so much! We sit together at meals and play basketball everyday. One from Santa Ana who always gives me the biggest hug and tells me I am her best friend. They all help me with my Spanish pronunciation, and I can finally roll my tongue! Big accomplishment from this week, haha.

The truth of it is that yes, this is really difficult. This is the hardest thing I have ever done and I have yet to step one foot in El Salvador. It takes almost everything I have to not get discouraged. We have 16 hour days filled with nothing but the Spanish language, something that was completely foreign to me 2 weeks ago. Everyday results in a headache, and the hours couldn't be longer. But, there is always something to smile about, always something to look forward to. I have seen the Lords hand in my life more this week than ever before in my life. I have had prayers answered instantly, and spiritual experiences that I will never forget. I know that the Savior lives, and that he is watching over each of us. 

I send my love to all of you, thank you for your support and prayers.

Hermana Houston

 

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