¡Bon Nadal!
Catalan for Merry Christmas.haha Connor likes to say this. It was AMAZING to see and talk to everyone for Christmas-quite possibly the best Christmas so far. It felt so good to see and just know that life goes on without me there. That sounds weird, but it is very comforting.haha There is always so much that I want to say or tell all of you, but I never have time.haha I try to email family and write letters to everyone else when I feel like I really need to tell you something, so hopefully it is often enough and what you need to hear.
It was sunny today so we did some sightseeing and I will attach a bunch of pictures so hold onto your hats ladies and gents because it is B-E-A-UTIFUL here!!!!!!
But first things first--I must tell you about last night. We had to take the "topo" train to a pueblo...missed our stop and had to run from the next one back to find the family´s teenage son and daughter who were waiting for us. Hna Fuentes was very stressed out, but I thought it was funny and laughed the whole time.ahahaha It was freezing, too! Colder than Zaragoza. I just kept thinking..."at least the next stop was only like a mile instead of the next pueblo...at least we are together and I´m not trying to figure this out alone...at least it´s not raining." I finally got her to laugh, too. The family is from Chile and they asked us last week if there is anything we don´t like...Hna Fuentes isn´t super crazy about fish and seafood...so naturally the ENTIRE first course was boiled shrimp (the kind you have to rip the head off, de-shell and then de-leg), not one but two different kinds of anchovies, mackerel and my personal favorite...a kind of jellied deer spread stuff for crackers.ahahaha But course two was not to be outdone by course one. It included...garganta--throat. Throat of something. I thought he said calves, but Hna Fuentes heard some kind of sea creature. But throats. It was very...different. Texture, taste, everything. I hope we never cross paths again, but I downed 2 of them and complimented the chef heavily. I have learned to just get to the postre--which is usually fruit, nuts and turron-chocolate. They also had this drink, I didn´t catch the name, but is was sweetened condensed milk, I think, with nata (cream) and coffee flavoring and spices...basically coffee for members.haha It was interesting. Turron will be the death of me, though. It is SOOOOO delicious. Bricks of different kinds of chocolates and chocolates with other things that put you into a sugar coma.
I do want to share with you something I learned from Pres Brown at Temple Square. The 5 Motivations for why we do what we do as missionaries and members of the Church:
1-The Virgin Birth
2-The Agony of Gethsemani
3-The Cruel Cross
4-The Empty Tomb
5-The Spring of 1820
IT´S ALL TRUE!!!!!!!
I have never had those 5 events put together in that way before and it is a lesson I will always remember. May we all always remember our true divine natures, our true purpose here on earth and the true reason for Christmas. I love you all!
-Hermana Dalton
OH! Mom-my package arrived today! The office Elders sent in on up to me with some other mail and it came this morning! THANK YOU FOR THE GRANOLA!!!!!!!!!!! I don´t know how you knew, but I have been craving it for WEEKS and never thought to ask for it!haha Everything else looked amazing! I am so excited!haha You are the best family EVER! MUAH!
These pictures are of the La Playa de La Concha-San Sebastian´s beach, and La Castilla de La Mota-the castle/fortress with the Statue of Christ overlooking the city and ocean on the other side...and no, I haven´t lost any of my personality-no worries!
SHOUT OUTS:
Rahmderson´s- Thank you for the updates! A letter is on it´s way!
Jury´s-you two crack me up. Thanks for making me smile halfway around the world. A letter´s coming!
Knudsen´s - Thank you so much for the Christmas card. It touched my heart and I wish you both the best holidays!
Aunt Marla-thank you for the family picture! It is so good to see everyone and everyone looks so good! Merry Christmas and I love you!
Monday, December 26, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Here's Your Christmas Card!
I wish I could send you things for the Holidays like presents and a taste of the sweets and pastries here...but I just bgot my mission debit card this week and it only just started working, so I'm playing catch up replenishing my depleted cash fund and such. haha--the joys of a mission! So you'll just have to get by with my love, my prayers and my promise that I am not wasting my time or money while I'm here! Oh, and this picture, which is just so perfectly indescribable! ahaha The background is the Catholic Cathedral here in Zaragoza called Pilar. I just have to point out that the work "jumping" is strategically covering about 2 inches of my 'religion', if you know what I mean! ahaha Hna Fuentes didn't get so lucky with her grandma stockings. ahaha I'm (well, I was) singing in the choir here to help them out for the Christmas party, but I won't be around for that anymore, but I got to learn some Spanish carols and Christmas songs. I love "Los peces en el rio" and "Chiquirritiu" (no guarantees on the spelling!) You should look them up on youtube or something! The first is about fish in the river by where Christ was born or something. I love the line "beben y beben y vuelvena beber'--hahah--and the other is a tongue twister and I have no idea what it means yet! Just imagine me trying to keep up!
The Senior couple here, the Churches, made a big Thanksgiving dinner for our district. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie! The only thing missing was candied yams and pecan pie and ...tyme or however you spell the spice, Mom! And most importantly--my family, but it will make the time I have with you that much more special when I come back, right?!
Tengo mi familia canmigo cada dia en mi corazon. I say this to myself everyday and when I bore my testimony yesterday. I'm sorry I didn't have time or money to send a Christmas Card to everyone my self. A copy on email is the only thing I can give you for Christmas. I love you all! Merry Christmas! Hermana Dalton
The Senior couple here, the Churches, made a big Thanksgiving dinner for our district. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie! The only thing missing was candied yams and pecan pie and ...tyme or however you spell the spice, Mom! And most importantly--my family, but it will make the time I have with you that much more special when I come back, right?!
Tengo mi familia canmigo cada dia en mi corazon. I say this to myself everyday and when I bore my testimony yesterday. I'm sorry I didn't have time or money to send a Christmas Card to everyone my self. A copy on email is the only thing I can give you for Christmas. I love you all! Merry Christmas! Hermana Dalton
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
San Sebastian, here I come!
Ok, I´m apologizing now because I haven´t read your emails for this week yet. I´m just printing them out to read at home. It´s been a crazy traveling day and Hna Fuentes is really sick, so that makes everything...more fun. We arrived safely and without a hitch here in this b-e-a-utiful northern part of Spain. A member family was waiting for us and our massive amounts of luggage at the train station. They took us to our piso and then fed us until I was just about comatose, which has happened A LOT this week. Oh dear.
I can see the HUGE waves from our piso! I cannot describe to you all the incredible feelings of joy and excitement I have about being here. I don´t know why, but I have been giddy since learning we were coming here. I can´t wait to figure out why. There is simply no counterfeit or excuse for being where you are supposed to be and doing what you are supposed to be doing when you are supposed to me doing it. If you don´t feel that way,then find out how because you are missing out!!!!
Here´s a copy of my miracle story for the week that I sent in to Pres Hinckley: I was able to see a miracle this week while on intercambios with Hermana Preston so that she and her companion could get to know our investigators before we left. The appointment we were heading to fell through, so we were standing on the corner deciding what to do next. I never know what to do next in the mission, so I always choose to do the same thing--pray. We sat on a bench and said a quick prayer. While we were both collecting our thoughts, a man and woman walked by. The man made eye contact and smiled and we smiled in return. As soon as they walked by, we turned to stare at each other and immediately nodded. We jumped up and ran after them. It turns out that he was an inactive member from Ecuador and had not attended church for at least four years! He said he was done with the Church and nothing could change that. We smiled and testified the opposite. We were able to get both of their numbers and Hermanas Preston and Walker are going to visit them soon. They are neighbors. It wasn´t anything big or grand, but we both knew that we were guided and blessed for stopping, praying and asking for guidance. This is the second time this has happened to me. So I will keep choosing to pray!
I will read, write and respond next week. I promise! But time is up and we are paying a lot to be here because we are out of time and couldn´t use the library yet! Isn´t the mission fun?!?! Oh, yes it is! ¨Come what may, and love it!" I love you all. Thanks for strengthening my testimony every day. I am here because of YOU and this is the best Christmas present I could ever receive or give!
Muah!
-Hermana Clarissa Dalton
PS Here are some pics of us having way too much fun before I left Zaragoza with Hnas Preston and Walker, saying goodbye to a part member convert family and ward mission leader, seeing Connor, and the real life 'Walk through Bethlehem' in Zaragoza in front of the Pilar Cathedral.
I can see the HUGE waves from our piso! I cannot describe to you all the incredible feelings of joy and excitement I have about being here. I don´t know why, but I have been giddy since learning we were coming here. I can´t wait to figure out why. There is simply no counterfeit or excuse for being where you are supposed to be and doing what you are supposed to be doing when you are supposed to me doing it. If you don´t feel that way,then find out how because you are missing out!!!!
Here´s a copy of my miracle story for the week that I sent in to Pres Hinckley: I was able to see a miracle this week while on intercambios with Hermana Preston so that she and her companion could get to know our investigators before we left. The appointment we were heading to fell through, so we were standing on the corner deciding what to do next. I never know what to do next in the mission, so I always choose to do the same thing--pray. We sat on a bench and said a quick prayer. While we were both collecting our thoughts, a man and woman walked by. The man made eye contact and smiled and we smiled in return. As soon as they walked by, we turned to stare at each other and immediately nodded. We jumped up and ran after them. It turns out that he was an inactive member from Ecuador and had not attended church for at least four years! He said he was done with the Church and nothing could change that. We smiled and testified the opposite. We were able to get both of their numbers and Hermanas Preston and Walker are going to visit them soon. They are neighbors. It wasn´t anything big or grand, but we both knew that we were guided and blessed for stopping, praying and asking for guidance. This is the second time this has happened to me. So I will keep choosing to pray!
I will read, write and respond next week. I promise! But time is up and we are paying a lot to be here because we are out of time and couldn´t use the library yet! Isn´t the mission fun?!?! Oh, yes it is! ¨Come what may, and love it!" I love you all. Thanks for strengthening my testimony every day. I am here because of YOU and this is the best Christmas present I could ever receive or give!
Muah!
-Hermana Clarissa Dalton
PS Here are some pics of us having way too much fun before I left Zaragoza with Hnas Preston and Walker, saying goodbye to a part member convert family and ward mission leader, seeing Connor, and the real life 'Walk through Bethlehem' in Zaragoza in front of the Pilar Cathedral.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Transfers a week early!
Howdy! Monday, December 5, 2011
Ok, so first things first, which is actually two things that go together. Sorry, I haven´t given you an address, but we have transfers at the end of this week and we didn´t think we´d be staying, so I didn´t want to confuse you. Because of our mission goal of 450 baptisms this year, Pres. told us our transfers a week early to prep and make the minimal changes as smooth as possible. Yes, we were right and we are being transferred. I will be serving in San Sebastian in the Vitoria Zone! This is the part where I should be telling you where that is and other little missionary/geographical tidbits...but I have no idea. And my companion is very distracted with pictures of her new niece at the moment...so you´ll just have to hop on google and do the grunt work for me. Sorry. All I got out of her before the niece-picture-gushing began was "north" and "going to be very cold." Loverly.haha I´ll be buying more tights and leggings and such very soon. So...about the address-- I´m so sorry, but I don´t know what it will be until next week...hold on. I´m working some magic...maybe...nope. Sorry, just send it to the mission home and I´ll get it as soon as I can. Next week I´ll get you the piso address. And anyone--feel free to write to the mission address until I get the other one. I´m not picky! haha
One miracle story from this week was when we were trying to find a member´s piso to teach his roommate. The piso number he gave us was wrong, so we couldn´t get inside the building. We decided to pray and as soon as we were done, a lady came out and we were able to go inside. The piso number didn´t exist, so we tried the closest sounding one (the member´s from Ghana and has a very thick accent! haha) and no one answered. I heard people in the apartment next door and felt like we should knock on their door. My comp wasn´t so thrilled, but we rang the bell. A pregnant mother from Peru said that we should try the next planta (floor). We talked to her and she invited us back this week! We went upstairs and found the original piso that we were looking for and also have a lesson set up with him this week. We will find out why we needed to find both of them.
We have two investigators with baptismal dates this week--Alfonso and Enoch. Pray for them! Satan´s working on both of them really hard and they are getting confused about what they really want. I don´t know if Elder Dalton told you, but as of last week, we had 52 baptisms left to reach our goal...and there are 52 companionships in the mission :-) No way that´s a coincidence and that a mission goal is for every companionship to baptize every month. WE can do this. I´ve never felt so much weighing on my every decision, everyday, before. The mantle of a missionary is quite a responsibility and I got my first taste of just how important it is to act the part an all times and in all things and in all places. I am learning, slowly but surely, that everything really does come down to faith--the power to act. So I´m telling you now--we as a mission WILL meet this goal of 450 baptisms. And we as a companionship WILL do our part and help at least one person into the waters of baptism this month. This is something that I cannot do on my own. No way. Sometimes I don´t even know how we can do it, but that´s where the faith comes in. Like the father in the "Finding Faith in Christ" video, I feel like crying out "Help Thou my unbelief!" every day, multiple times a day, but the Lord will provide a way and I will just have to provide the work. Please pray for me. I need it--so much.
Speaking of things I need so much, I can hardly wait to see Elder Dalton this week! My feelings for my younger brother that I haven´t seen in 15 months, but somehow have been blessed with the privilege and tender mercy of serving with, are so tender that I am glad this is an email because I wouldn´t be able to say any of this without crying. I am so full of joy when I think about Friday and all it holds. haha My Heavenly Father knows me so perfectly. I will never doubt that in this life or the next.
Well, I didn´t get to say half of what I wanted, but that is the mission. I´ll say it all in my heart and the Spirit will have to do the talking to yours. I´m alive and well, cold and missing peanut butter and dryers. ahahaha! I will talk to you next week from San Sebastian!
I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!
-Hermana Dalton
Oh, put Clarissa or Clare Dalton on letters/packages please so the other Sister Dalton doesn´t get my mail. haha
Ok, so first things first, which is actually two things that go together. Sorry, I haven´t given you an address, but we have transfers at the end of this week and we didn´t think we´d be staying, so I didn´t want to confuse you. Because of our mission goal of 450 baptisms this year, Pres. told us our transfers a week early to prep and make the minimal changes as smooth as possible. Yes, we were right and we are being transferred. I will be serving in San Sebastian in the Vitoria Zone! This is the part where I should be telling you where that is and other little missionary/geographical tidbits...but I have no idea. And my companion is very distracted with pictures of her new niece at the moment...so you´ll just have to hop on google and do the grunt work for me. Sorry. All I got out of her before the niece-picture-gushing began was "north" and "going to be very cold." Loverly.haha I´ll be buying more tights and leggings and such very soon. So...about the address-- I´m so sorry, but I don´t know what it will be until next week...hold on. I´m working some magic...maybe...nope. Sorry, just send it to the mission home and I´ll get it as soon as I can. Next week I´ll get you the piso address. And anyone--feel free to write to the mission address until I get the other one. I´m not picky! haha
One miracle story from this week was when we were trying to find a member´s piso to teach his roommate. The piso number he gave us was wrong, so we couldn´t get inside the building. We decided to pray and as soon as we were done, a lady came out and we were able to go inside. The piso number didn´t exist, so we tried the closest sounding one (the member´s from Ghana and has a very thick accent! haha) and no one answered. I heard people in the apartment next door and felt like we should knock on their door. My comp wasn´t so thrilled, but we rang the bell. A pregnant mother from Peru said that we should try the next planta (floor). We talked to her and she invited us back this week! We went upstairs and found the original piso that we were looking for and also have a lesson set up with him this week. We will find out why we needed to find both of them.
We have two investigators with baptismal dates this week--Alfonso and Enoch. Pray for them! Satan´s working on both of them really hard and they are getting confused about what they really want. I don´t know if Elder Dalton told you, but as of last week, we had 52 baptisms left to reach our goal...and there are 52 companionships in the mission :-) No way that´s a coincidence and that a mission goal is for every companionship to baptize every month. WE can do this. I´ve never felt so much weighing on my every decision, everyday, before. The mantle of a missionary is quite a responsibility and I got my first taste of just how important it is to act the part an all times and in all things and in all places. I am learning, slowly but surely, that everything really does come down to faith--the power to act. So I´m telling you now--we as a mission WILL meet this goal of 450 baptisms. And we as a companionship WILL do our part and help at least one person into the waters of baptism this month. This is something that I cannot do on my own. No way. Sometimes I don´t even know how we can do it, but that´s where the faith comes in. Like the father in the "Finding Faith in Christ" video, I feel like crying out "Help Thou my unbelief!" every day, multiple times a day, but the Lord will provide a way and I will just have to provide the work. Please pray for me. I need it--so much.
Speaking of things I need so much, I can hardly wait to see Elder Dalton this week! My feelings for my younger brother that I haven´t seen in 15 months, but somehow have been blessed with the privilege and tender mercy of serving with, are so tender that I am glad this is an email because I wouldn´t be able to say any of this without crying. I am so full of joy when I think about Friday and all it holds. haha My Heavenly Father knows me so perfectly. I will never doubt that in this life or the next.
Well, I didn´t get to say half of what I wanted, but that is the mission. I´ll say it all in my heart and the Spirit will have to do the talking to yours. I´m alive and well, cold and missing peanut butter and dryers. ahahaha! I will talk to you next week from San Sebastian!
I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!
-Hermana Dalton
Oh, put Clarissa or Clare Dalton on letters/packages please so the other Sister Dalton doesn´t get my mail. haha
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving from Zaragoza, Spain!
Hola!
It´s been a chilly week here in Zaragoza. I need to buy some more tights and leggings!haha Thank you all so much for the emails. I have to admit I got a little misty-eyed more than once. I love how I can almost hear everyone´s voices and personalities through your words. Thanks for touching my heart and reminding me why I am here and why this work is so important--because NOTHING else in this world would be worth having to be this far away from you, my family.
It has been fun trying to get the routine down here. We actually went to Barcelona Tues/Wed for some training. I will never forget walking up out of the metro and seeing my first view of Barcelona...and then turning around and being quite literally directly underneath the Sagrada Familia. I can´t wait to work in Barcelona during my mission. The training was so wonderful. I love the Hinckley´s so much. I also got to see Hna Farrell again and those were some great hugs and laughs. Everyone had something to say about me FINALLY getting here and Elder Dalton. haha It is going to be fun getting used to this.
The work here is incredible. There are always people to teach and pass by. We have 3 investigators with baptismal dates for December that we are working towards. Work schedules and going to church seem to be the hardest and biggest hurdle--well, and coffee. ahaha I love teaching! I love being able to teach. I can´t say everything I want yet, but I can participate and follow along. I can´t imagine being completely lost. I get frustrated enough understand 80-90%. I just have to be diligent and keep using the language.
We are teaching a mother and daughter who called us! haha They were contacted over the summer, but didn´t have time. But the daughter is going through some hard times and depression. She is just starting to go back to school and begged her mom to call us. She has come to church and every activity we can invite her to during the week. She is very quiet, but I can´t wait to get her to open up. She is so sweet. I have a good feeling about them.
Well, lots of things are different, as you can imagine. You might enjoy these: the milk comes in cardboard cartons and not refrigerated. It also has a very unique, sweet after taste. You can´t touch fruit at the grocery store--they have disposable gloves for you. haha (learned this the awkward, hard way) Everything is up--pisos and pisos--no houses and the elevators are ridiculously teeny. haha
love you!
Hermana Dalton
Shout outs:
Clecca: You can do it Clark! One day at a time (or step, Jordin Sparks) just keep going and it will soon be Christmas. Thank you for the pictures! The girls are darling! So precious.
Caleb! LubLub! It is so good to hear from you! I know just what you are going through with the short story. ahaha Ask Mom about the Thanksgiving weekend I spent in the room writing that...oh, wait, that was every weekend in high school. ahaha Enjoy the work--it´s worth it. Breaking Dawn posters are everywhere here and my companion loves pointing out, "Hey! There you are!" haha I thought about you and everyone on Thanksgiving. I´m glad you went and played football. I can´t wait to play again!
Mom-thanks for the updates. I love your emails and positive spirit so much. It helps more than I can tell you. So for Christmas, I promised I´d tell you things I want/need: crest white strips, deodorant, dry ranch mix packets, drink mixes and any other dry cooking mixes you can fit in, haha, almond roca Dad!, Chloe--more flowers por favor--red, black white and colors!
It´s been a chilly week here in Zaragoza. I need to buy some more tights and leggings!haha Thank you all so much for the emails. I have to admit I got a little misty-eyed more than once. I love how I can almost hear everyone´s voices and personalities through your words. Thanks for touching my heart and reminding me why I am here and why this work is so important--because NOTHING else in this world would be worth having to be this far away from you, my family.
It has been fun trying to get the routine down here. We actually went to Barcelona Tues/Wed for some training. I will never forget walking up out of the metro and seeing my first view of Barcelona...and then turning around and being quite literally directly underneath the Sagrada Familia. I can´t wait to work in Barcelona during my mission. The training was so wonderful. I love the Hinckley´s so much. I also got to see Hna Farrell again and those were some great hugs and laughs. Everyone had something to say about me FINALLY getting here and Elder Dalton. haha It is going to be fun getting used to this.
The work here is incredible. There are always people to teach and pass by. We have 3 investigators with baptismal dates for December that we are working towards. Work schedules and going to church seem to be the hardest and biggest hurdle--well, and coffee. ahaha I love teaching! I love being able to teach. I can´t say everything I want yet, but I can participate and follow along. I can´t imagine being completely lost. I get frustrated enough understand 80-90%. I just have to be diligent and keep using the language.
We are teaching a mother and daughter who called us! haha They were contacted over the summer, but didn´t have time. But the daughter is going through some hard times and depression. She is just starting to go back to school and begged her mom to call us. She has come to church and every activity we can invite her to during the week. She is very quiet, but I can´t wait to get her to open up. She is so sweet. I have a good feeling about them.
Well, lots of things are different, as you can imagine. You might enjoy these: the milk comes in cardboard cartons and not refrigerated. It also has a very unique, sweet after taste. You can´t touch fruit at the grocery store--they have disposable gloves for you. haha (learned this the awkward, hard way) Everything is up--pisos and pisos--no houses and the elevators are ridiculously teeny. haha
love you!
Hermana Dalton
Shout outs:
Clecca: You can do it Clark! One day at a time (or step, Jordin Sparks) just keep going and it will soon be Christmas. Thank you for the pictures! The girls are darling! So precious.
Caleb! LubLub! It is so good to hear from you! I know just what you are going through with the short story. ahaha Ask Mom about the Thanksgiving weekend I spent in the room writing that...oh, wait, that was every weekend in high school. ahaha Enjoy the work--it´s worth it. Breaking Dawn posters are everywhere here and my companion loves pointing out, "Hey! There you are!" haha I thought about you and everyone on Thanksgiving. I´m glad you went and played football. I can´t wait to play again!
Mom-thanks for the updates. I love your emails and positive spirit so much. It helps more than I can tell you. So for Christmas, I promised I´d tell you things I want/need: crest white strips, deodorant, dry ranch mix packets, drink mixes and any other dry cooking mixes you can fit in, haha, almond roca Dad!, Chloe--more flowers por favor--red, black white and colors!
Monday, November 21, 2011
So, the next phase begins in Zaragoza, Espana!
...whoa.haha
I´m not sure what else to say. I´m here finally and so it begins. I suppose you could say I´m rather culture-shocked at the moment...I think it´s more just shocked in general. haha It´s a lot to take in and it´s only day three, so I just smile and nod most of the time. ahahaha It has been the worst preparation day so far because we´ve had so much to do and I think we´ve walked a half marathon this morning. That part feels so good, much better than sitting all day, so I won´t complain.
So, let´s see, where to start. The train ride, my first ever, from Madrid to Zaragoza went well. It was scary doing it alone, but it all worked out. They were showing 'X-Men Origins' on the train, the same movie they were showing on my plane to Spain, so it made me laugh. Someone´s trying to tempt me, but I resisted both times...because watching the inside of my eyelids was so much better! :-) haha A senior couple and my trainer were waiting outside the station in Zaragoza-- "The Best Two Years" experience, thank heavens. My trainer is Hna Fuentes from Utah. She is amazing! She is going home in the next few months and very patient and a hard worker. I´m so excited. On our first bus ride she did a few contacts and I was so excited to be with a companion who wants to and knows how to work! The senior couple, the Churches, have been here for a month and are very sweet. They suprised me when we got to our piso...because Hna Preston (friend from Tucson Institute) is one of our roomies! It was FABULOUS to see a familiar, smiling face. Her companion is great too, Hna Walker. Hna Fuentes was training her, but now Hna Preston is finishing. Hna Walker´s been here just over a month. They are great to share a piso with. We are actually really lucky to have a new piso, a member in the branch bought it and we just started using it. It is very nice, no carpet though, which I kind of miss.
Pte and Hna Hinckley came from Barcelona and we had lunch together about 3 hours after I got off the train. They came to see me, since I´m like the only missionary who didn´t get to go to Barcelona first, but mostly they came because yesterday we had a branch conference. I love them! They are just as amazing as everyone says. And it feels like I am talking to the senior President Hinckley sometimes and it give me goosebumps. haha He tried calling Elder Dalton right there so we could talk, but the goober didn´t answer his phone. Oh well, there is some kind of tri-area conference the first week of December, so I´ll see him then and I cannot WAIT!!!!!!!!!!! Pte Hinckley had only the best things to say about Elder Dalton-- Mom and Dad--he is the excellent missionary we all thought he was anyway! But seriously, everyone I talk to has the highest praise for Elder Dalton and his work ethic, especially Hna Preston who has been here the same amount of time as him. I hope I don´t ruin everyone´s expectations and that I can live up to the kind of missionary he is.
So, this is the first time that Zaragoza has had 4 hermanas and we split the area. I am hopelessly lost whereever we go, but hopefully that will change sooner than later. haha We ride buses and walk everywhere. Most of this morning we spent getting me a bus pass and youth discount card and library card and all sorts of nonsense that is necessary but takes...for...ever...to...get...done.haha I´m supposed to do registration/resident stuff soon, but they are just starting a new system, so I´m not doing anything just yet. I did a bunch in Madrid before I left. We also had to juggle our schedule there because some high up government officials came to tour the CCM and we got to meet them and show them what we are doing in their country. They were really happy that we are "serving" here and not taking jobs, which I guess they have been confused about. The CCM President told us this will all make a big difference for future missionaries. Hopefully from now on it will be much easier to get visas. Oh, I got to spend 2 hours in downtown Madrid before I left and got some great pics! It was amazing! I hope I get to go back and go sightseeing some day. Maybe I can attach some pics today.
Sunday we had the conference and it was really spiritual. I understood all the talks! I´m just still two steps behind in actual conversations. ahaha There are 2 branches here and they are working hard to become wards, but there are no other cities around to make a stake with, but that´s what we work on everyday! Pte Hinckley promised us that if we pay our tithing and keep the Sabbath day holy we will find safety and protection from the financial and personal difficulties and crisis that we have. It was so powerful and I know that it is true. The key to getting what we want in life is SO simple if we just keep the commandments and live the gospel. There was a young single adult conference that night about missionary work--Pte Hinckley spoke again and we watched some of 'The District' with the young adults. There were about 10. Then Pte Hinckley had me come up, said I´d been there 2 days, and asked me what we do in the Spain Barcelona Mission. Well, I blanked and only remembered it in english, SO embarrassing."Bautizamos conversos dignos y sus familias"..."We baptize worthy converts and their families." Needless to say, I will never forget it again in either language :-) ahahaha
We had lunch/dinner (we just eat in the afternoon here) with a family in the ward, the Wolfharts. He is in the mission presidency. They were great. He is German, but speaks spanish and english, too. And his wife is from Spain, but also speaks english and german. I loved getting to know them. The people that you get to meet are so dynamic and amazing. I am so blessed. It made me feel like I was at home, just a little bit. haha
So, ya, I´m here. It´s crazy, but I am adjusting and doing it with a smile and laughing a lot--roll with the punches. I can´t wait to get to meet our investigators. I´ve just talked to them on the phone so far. One was going to be baptized next week, but missed church on Sunday. OH! I got to go to a baptism on Saturday! My first day, just like at Temple Square. It felt so good! I can´t wait to go to one every week! We can do it! I love you all tons and love reading your letters and emails, so keep them coming, eh? haha I have the 'bestest' family and friends in the whole world. Work hard in whatever you are doing, and tell me about it! Besitos and abrazos!
I don´t have anymore time to write people today, but hopefully next week will be a slower preparation day. Oh, I get to go into Barcelona tomorrow for training stuff, so that should be fun as well. I´m excited to see the city!
Con amor
Hermana Dalton
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Eat tons of pumpkin pie and yams for me!
The pics are from Madrid and my first 2 days here. They are the Madrid temple, me outside of the temple, with the Hinckleys, my new companion Hna Fuentes, and the big downtown bank in Madrid where they celebrate New Year´s and eat 12 grapes (doce uvas) at midnight--one for each month and good luck. It was an incredible building. Um, I think that is all...
Shout outs:
Clecca-Thanks for the email! I´m glad you are getting a break! We all need those every now and then. I plan on taking a HUGE one is, oh, 16 months.ahaha Calissa sounds as funny as ever! I miss her cute voice and happiness so much! Ya, it´s been a year! Crazy, right? I can´t believe it! Enjoy...lots of pumpkin pie and yams for me!!!! And any other desserts!haha Have fun and thanks for the update, I love reading your emails. I can just hear you and Becca telling the stories and see your personalities between the lines.
I´m not sure what else to say. I´m here finally and so it begins. I suppose you could say I´m rather culture-shocked at the moment...I think it´s more just shocked in general. haha It´s a lot to take in and it´s only day three, so I just smile and nod most of the time. ahahaha It has been the worst preparation day so far because we´ve had so much to do and I think we´ve walked a half marathon this morning. That part feels so good, much better than sitting all day, so I won´t complain.
So, let´s see, where to start. The train ride, my first ever, from Madrid to Zaragoza went well. It was scary doing it alone, but it all worked out. They were showing 'X-Men Origins' on the train, the same movie they were showing on my plane to Spain, so it made me laugh. Someone´s trying to tempt me, but I resisted both times...because watching the inside of my eyelids was so much better! :-) haha A senior couple and my trainer were waiting outside the station in Zaragoza-- "The Best Two Years" experience, thank heavens. My trainer is Hna Fuentes from Utah. She is amazing! She is going home in the next few months and very patient and a hard worker. I´m so excited. On our first bus ride she did a few contacts and I was so excited to be with a companion who wants to and knows how to work! The senior couple, the Churches, have been here for a month and are very sweet. They suprised me when we got to our piso...because Hna Preston (friend from Tucson Institute) is one of our roomies! It was FABULOUS to see a familiar, smiling face. Her companion is great too, Hna Walker. Hna Fuentes was training her, but now Hna Preston is finishing. Hna Walker´s been here just over a month. They are great to share a piso with. We are actually really lucky to have a new piso, a member in the branch bought it and we just started using it. It is very nice, no carpet though, which I kind of miss.
Pte and Hna Hinckley came from Barcelona and we had lunch together about 3 hours after I got off the train. They came to see me, since I´m like the only missionary who didn´t get to go to Barcelona first, but mostly they came because yesterday we had a branch conference. I love them! They are just as amazing as everyone says. And it feels like I am talking to the senior President Hinckley sometimes and it give me goosebumps. haha He tried calling Elder Dalton right there so we could talk, but the goober didn´t answer his phone. Oh well, there is some kind of tri-area conference the first week of December, so I´ll see him then and I cannot WAIT!!!!!!!!!!! Pte Hinckley had only the best things to say about Elder Dalton-- Mom and Dad--he is the excellent missionary we all thought he was anyway! But seriously, everyone I talk to has the highest praise for Elder Dalton and his work ethic, especially Hna Preston who has been here the same amount of time as him. I hope I don´t ruin everyone´s expectations and that I can live up to the kind of missionary he is.
So, this is the first time that Zaragoza has had 4 hermanas and we split the area. I am hopelessly lost whereever we go, but hopefully that will change sooner than later. haha We ride buses and walk everywhere. Most of this morning we spent getting me a bus pass and youth discount card and library card and all sorts of nonsense that is necessary but takes...for...ever...to...get...done.haha I´m supposed to do registration/resident stuff soon, but they are just starting a new system, so I´m not doing anything just yet. I did a bunch in Madrid before I left. We also had to juggle our schedule there because some high up government officials came to tour the CCM and we got to meet them and show them what we are doing in their country. They were really happy that we are "serving" here and not taking jobs, which I guess they have been confused about. The CCM President told us this will all make a big difference for future missionaries. Hopefully from now on it will be much easier to get visas. Oh, I got to spend 2 hours in downtown Madrid before I left and got some great pics! It was amazing! I hope I get to go back and go sightseeing some day. Maybe I can attach some pics today.
Sunday we had the conference and it was really spiritual. I understood all the talks! I´m just still two steps behind in actual conversations. ahaha There are 2 branches here and they are working hard to become wards, but there are no other cities around to make a stake with, but that´s what we work on everyday! Pte Hinckley promised us that if we pay our tithing and keep the Sabbath day holy we will find safety and protection from the financial and personal difficulties and crisis that we have. It was so powerful and I know that it is true. The key to getting what we want in life is SO simple if we just keep the commandments and live the gospel. There was a young single adult conference that night about missionary work--Pte Hinckley spoke again and we watched some of 'The District' with the young adults. There were about 10. Then Pte Hinckley had me come up, said I´d been there 2 days, and asked me what we do in the Spain Barcelona Mission. Well, I blanked and only remembered it in english, SO embarrassing."Bautizamos conversos dignos y sus familias"..."We baptize worthy converts and their families." Needless to say, I will never forget it again in either language :-) ahahaha
We had lunch/dinner (we just eat in the afternoon here) with a family in the ward, the Wolfharts. He is in the mission presidency. They were great. He is German, but speaks spanish and english, too. And his wife is from Spain, but also speaks english and german. I loved getting to know them. The people that you get to meet are so dynamic and amazing. I am so blessed. It made me feel like I was at home, just a little bit. haha
So, ya, I´m here. It´s crazy, but I am adjusting and doing it with a smile and laughing a lot--roll with the punches. I can´t wait to get to meet our investigators. I´ve just talked to them on the phone so far. One was going to be baptized next week, but missed church on Sunday. OH! I got to go to a baptism on Saturday! My first day, just like at Temple Square. It felt so good! I can´t wait to go to one every week! We can do it! I love you all tons and love reading your letters and emails, so keep them coming, eh? haha I have the 'bestest' family and friends in the whole world. Work hard in whatever you are doing, and tell me about it! Besitos and abrazos!
I don´t have anymore time to write people today, but hopefully next week will be a slower preparation day. Oh, I get to go into Barcelona tomorrow for training stuff, so that should be fun as well. I´m excited to see the city!
Con amor
Hermana Dalton
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Eat tons of pumpkin pie and yams for me!
The pics are from Madrid and my first 2 days here. They are the Madrid temple, me outside of the temple, with the Hinckleys, my new companion Hna Fuentes, and the big downtown bank in Madrid where they celebrate New Year´s and eat 12 grapes (doce uvas) at midnight--one for each month and good luck. It was an incredible building. Um, I think that is all...
Shout outs:
Clecca-Thanks for the email! I´m glad you are getting a break! We all need those every now and then. I plan on taking a HUGE one is, oh, 16 months.ahaha Calissa sounds as funny as ever! I miss her cute voice and happiness so much! Ya, it´s been a year! Crazy, right? I can´t believe it! Enjoy...lots of pumpkin pie and yams for me!!!! And any other desserts!haha Have fun and thanks for the update, I love reading your emails. I can just hear you and Becca telling the stories and see your personalities between the lines.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Hola from CCM in Madrid!
Hola a todos,
Yes, way--it´s preparation day here so I get to write again...and more importantly you get to read again!!!!muahahaha We just went to the Madrid temple--it was amazing. The session was in spanish! We all had headsets in english if we wanted them, but I didn´t use mine. It was the best. Then we took pictures--President Earls says he will be emailing them out soon so you´ll get to see them. I have no idea what they look like so no judging. haha Yesterday we had interviews and I loved talking to Pres. Earls. What a great man. He had great advice I still need to write it down. He also told us, "We are going over to the temple at 7:30 in the morning so meet in la sala sacramental. But if you are here at 7:25, I´ll tell you things you didn´t know about the temple until it´s time to go." ahahaha He is so funny, but serious about being funny. It´s hard to explain. Needless to say, we were all there early and learned some new things.
We were supposed to go sight-seeing in downtown Madrid for the rest of the day, but I guess some bigshot Spanish consulate officials are coming to see the campus and why we as the Church and missionaries need visas for Spain, so we switched afternoon schedules with tomorrow--classes today and the rest of preparation day tomorrow. Not really sure what to expect with the tour and such, but we´ll just see and behave. haha
We have two teachers here--Hnas Suarez y Martinez. They are both from Spain and only speak a little bit of english. I love their accents! I´m going to do everything I can to pick it up! haha (And it is SO nice to finally have some feminine teaching power represented! Lemme tell you!) My companion for the week is Hna Gonzalez. I met her in the Provo CCM. She´s from Florida, but her parents are from Colombia and she´s bilingual. We get along really well. Unfortunately, she´s serving here in Madrid so I probably won´t get to see her again :-( The only other missionaries here are a district of 5 Portuguese speaking missionaries going to either Portugal or Cape Verde (2 Elders, 3 Sisters) Interestingly, they are all either from Portugal or Cape Verde, but not serving in their native country...ya, figure that one out. ahaha My comp speaks a little portuguese and the rest of us can understand quite a bit, but communicating with them is somewhere between interesting and frustrating. ahaha There is lots of smiling and hugging with besitos (between us sisters that is!) What else can you do right?
So, ya, I´m very excited for Zaragoza. My teacher told me it´s a great area and very beautiful, but that´s what everyone says about everywhere in Spain, so I think I´m safe whereever I end up in each transfer. haha Saturdays here the "whole" CCM (that´s in quotes because they only get somewhere between 1-30 missionaries here at a time) goes to a park downtown to proselyte. I´m kind of upset that I won´t be here to do that because I´m the first to leave and heading out Saturday morning, I believe--apparently someone in the mission wants the long-awaited Hermana Dalton. ahaha I´ll do my best not to shatter their high expectations within the first 5 minutes :-/ ahaha, but no guarantees.
No, Mom, I didn´t get the package before I left and they even brought the mail/packages early that day which hasn´t happened before. Sorry. I told my companions that they could take what they wanted and put the rest in the package I left for them to send to you. I´m sure they would love and use whatever you sent.
Well, I´m not sure what else to say since I just wrote you. haha I will definitely have tons to say next week right? haha I should get preparation day on Monday so talk to you otra vez in like 4 days. This is fun, we should do this every week! haha Thanksgiving plans sound great--eat TONS for me, especially the candied yams! haha I actually got sweet potatoes on one of the flights over here. That was a pleasant surprise. I haven´t heard anything about the holidays over here yet, but I´m sure someone will fill me in soon enough.
OH! I have a story. Slightly crude, Mom, my apologies, but it really happened exactly like I´ll tell it so just imagine experiencing it firsthand!...So we had our first gym time yesterday, but the "silly" Elders took all the balls and left for the park without us! We saw them walking down the side of the road from our window, so we went after them to get a basketball because I really wanted to play! (obviously!) Well, the directions we were given to the closest park were something like this, "And if you want to go play futbol or basketball, the portuguese missionaries can show you". Well, they were nowhere to be found, so we wandered for a little while, found a different park and then noticed that we didn´t have any time left so we started back. While waiting for a red light at a crosswalk, I happened to look to my right and see an old man looking a little sketchy close to the bushes. I did a double take and noticed that he was DEFINITELY going to the bathroom not 15 feet away from us, into the bushes right off the sidewalk of a main, BUSY street with people EVERYWHERE!!!! I gestured to my companion what was going on because the words weren´t coming yet and we both just kind of stared at each other for an awkward amount of time...Then we busted up laughing. I didn´t know what else to do. When we got back (and I reamed the Elders for leaving us AND taking all the balls!!!!) we swapped stories. They got to play futbol in a public stadium! One Elder said, "I played futbol in Spain in a stadium! Welcome to España!" I said, "I saw an old guy "watering" some bushes. Welcome to España!" :-) I´m sure you can picture me telling this story and the delivery :-) ahaha It was, well, a rather unforgettable experience. 'You´re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy.'
Oh, and we had some...interesting food for lunch yesterday. My comp called it "morsilla" I believe. It was basically--are you ready?--coagulated blood and rice shoved inside intestine. Sounds five star right? ahaha Apparently it´s a popular dish. Yes, I ate it. Yes, it tasted pretty good. Yes, I burped it up all day...Welcome to España! haha I´m sure it wasn´t our last encounter with each other. Gotta love the mission. But in general, the food here is like 100x better than Provo. It´s great and the yoghurt and pudding is to die for! The yoghurt tastes like you are actually eating the fruit! The coco (coconut) is my favorite. Someone mentioned chocolate-dipped churros downtown and I am going to be all over that tomorrow. I am SO excited. For every morsilla, there´s got to be at least 10 kinds of dessert foods I´ve never had right? Muahahaha Bring it on!
Well, hopefully next week I can finally start writing you about people that I meet instead of food. It will be great to start that part of the mission finally. haha Have a great weekend and I can´t wait to hear about it soon! I love you all more than I can express with words. You are always on my mind, in my heart and a part of my prayers. Les quiero!
Con amor,
Yes, way--it´s preparation day here so I get to write again...and more importantly you get to read again!!!!muahahaha We just went to the Madrid temple--it was amazing. The session was in spanish! We all had headsets in english if we wanted them, but I didn´t use mine. It was the best. Then we took pictures--President Earls says he will be emailing them out soon so you´ll get to see them. I have no idea what they look like so no judging. haha Yesterday we had interviews and I loved talking to Pres. Earls. What a great man. He had great advice I still need to write it down. He also told us, "We are going over to the temple at 7:30 in the morning so meet in la sala sacramental. But if you are here at 7:25, I´ll tell you things you didn´t know about the temple until it´s time to go." ahahaha He is so funny, but serious about being funny. It´s hard to explain. Needless to say, we were all there early and learned some new things.
We were supposed to go sight-seeing in downtown Madrid for the rest of the day, but I guess some bigshot Spanish consulate officials are coming to see the campus and why we as the Church and missionaries need visas for Spain, so we switched afternoon schedules with tomorrow--classes today and the rest of preparation day tomorrow. Not really sure what to expect with the tour and such, but we´ll just see and behave. haha
We have two teachers here--Hnas Suarez y Martinez. They are both from Spain and only speak a little bit of english. I love their accents! I´m going to do everything I can to pick it up! haha (And it is SO nice to finally have some feminine teaching power represented! Lemme tell you!) My companion for the week is Hna Gonzalez. I met her in the Provo CCM. She´s from Florida, but her parents are from Colombia and she´s bilingual. We get along really well. Unfortunately, she´s serving here in Madrid so I probably won´t get to see her again :-( The only other missionaries here are a district of 5 Portuguese speaking missionaries going to either Portugal or Cape Verde (2 Elders, 3 Sisters) Interestingly, they are all either from Portugal or Cape Verde, but not serving in their native country...ya, figure that one out. ahaha My comp speaks a little portuguese and the rest of us can understand quite a bit, but communicating with them is somewhere between interesting and frustrating. ahaha There is lots of smiling and hugging with besitos (between us sisters that is!) What else can you do right?
So, ya, I´m very excited for Zaragoza. My teacher told me it´s a great area and very beautiful, but that´s what everyone says about everywhere in Spain, so I think I´m safe whereever I end up in each transfer. haha Saturdays here the "whole" CCM (that´s in quotes because they only get somewhere between 1-30 missionaries here at a time) goes to a park downtown to proselyte. I´m kind of upset that I won´t be here to do that because I´m the first to leave and heading out Saturday morning, I believe--apparently someone in the mission wants the long-awaited Hermana Dalton. ahaha I´ll do my best not to shatter their high expectations within the first 5 minutes :-/ ahaha, but no guarantees.
No, Mom, I didn´t get the package before I left and they even brought the mail/packages early that day which hasn´t happened before. Sorry. I told my companions that they could take what they wanted and put the rest in the package I left for them to send to you. I´m sure they would love and use whatever you sent.
Well, I´m not sure what else to say since I just wrote you. haha I will definitely have tons to say next week right? haha I should get preparation day on Monday so talk to you otra vez in like 4 days. This is fun, we should do this every week! haha Thanksgiving plans sound great--eat TONS for me, especially the candied yams! haha I actually got sweet potatoes on one of the flights over here. That was a pleasant surprise. I haven´t heard anything about the holidays over here yet, but I´m sure someone will fill me in soon enough.
OH! I have a story. Slightly crude, Mom, my apologies, but it really happened exactly like I´ll tell it so just imagine experiencing it firsthand!...So we had our first gym time yesterday, but the "silly" Elders took all the balls and left for the park without us! We saw them walking down the side of the road from our window, so we went after them to get a basketball because I really wanted to play! (obviously!) Well, the directions we were given to the closest park were something like this, "And if you want to go play futbol or basketball, the portuguese missionaries can show you". Well, they were nowhere to be found, so we wandered for a little while, found a different park and then noticed that we didn´t have any time left so we started back. While waiting for a red light at a crosswalk, I happened to look to my right and see an old man looking a little sketchy close to the bushes. I did a double take and noticed that he was DEFINITELY going to the bathroom not 15 feet away from us, into the bushes right off the sidewalk of a main, BUSY street with people EVERYWHERE!!!! I gestured to my companion what was going on because the words weren´t coming yet and we both just kind of stared at each other for an awkward amount of time...Then we busted up laughing. I didn´t know what else to do. When we got back (and I reamed the Elders for leaving us AND taking all the balls!!!!) we swapped stories. They got to play futbol in a public stadium! One Elder said, "I played futbol in Spain in a stadium! Welcome to España!" I said, "I saw an old guy "watering" some bushes. Welcome to España!" :-) I´m sure you can picture me telling this story and the delivery :-) ahaha It was, well, a rather unforgettable experience. 'You´re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy.'
Oh, and we had some...interesting food for lunch yesterday. My comp called it "morsilla" I believe. It was basically--are you ready?--coagulated blood and rice shoved inside intestine. Sounds five star right? ahaha Apparently it´s a popular dish. Yes, I ate it. Yes, it tasted pretty good. Yes, I burped it up all day...Welcome to España! haha I´m sure it wasn´t our last encounter with each other. Gotta love the mission. But in general, the food here is like 100x better than Provo. It´s great and the yoghurt and pudding is to die for! The yoghurt tastes like you are actually eating the fruit! The coco (coconut) is my favorite. Someone mentioned chocolate-dipped churros downtown and I am going to be all over that tomorrow. I am SO excited. For every morsilla, there´s got to be at least 10 kinds of dessert foods I´ve never had right? Muahahaha Bring it on!
Well, hopefully next week I can finally start writing you about people that I meet instead of food. It will be great to start that part of the mission finally. haha Have a great weekend and I can´t wait to hear about it soon! I love you all more than I can express with words. You are always on my mind, in my heart and a part of my prayers. Les quiero!
Con amor,
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
ESPANIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Whoa. What a day! (Estoy aqui en Madrid, Portugal Dad!ahahahaha-- ease off on the geography jokes.) We got here to the CCM about an hour ago. We ate...not sure what all of it was...something with clams and a different kind of melon that looked/tasted like a watermelon crossed with a honeydew. I asked what it was called and the lady said...pause for effect...melon--ahahaha-- and some yogurty pudding stuff. It is so good to be here. I talked to this lady in the SLC airport. She was Jehovah´s Witness from Denmark with her husband and they were so cool. We talked for awhile and I got to share some of our beliefs with her. Then this other lady sat down and began talking my ear off. She said she was "raised Mormon," but asked why we all had the same first names (sisters=hermanas and brothers=elders) and then asked if I was married...so, yeah, that´s about when I smelled that she was totally sloshed. That was an interesting conversation to try to get out of gracefuly and was unsuccessful. ahaha
The flight was 10.5 hours to Paris, which I know is located in FRANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!hahaha I slept a lot. It was wonderful. As we were taxiing out of SLC, I looked out the window across the plane and saw the Salt Lake Temple perfectly framed. It was a sweet moment :-) Did I mention that I may or may not have prayed for window seats and got window seats on BOTH flights today?! It was great...except that Paris was super foggy so we didn´t get to see anything :-( We almost missed our connecting flight to Madrid, but were saved by another tender mercy. Our 8-missionary group got split up because...well all I have to say is "Elders" and you all know what I mean...3 of us made it to the gate and told the guy that 5 more of us were coming, but he said that he had to shut the gate in 2 minutes and everyone else would have to catch another flight. I prayed they´d make it and you know what? That gate stayed open for the next 15 minutes and we all made it.
So when we got to Madrid, we made it out to some arrival/taxi place and the Elders wanted to run around looking for our ride. I mean seriously, I swear these kids were boy scouts, right? When you are lost, you stay together and stay put. We finally convinced them that since we had the CCM President´s cell number ON OUR ITINERARY, we should probably call to see where we should go...that opened up a whole new can of worms involving money exchange and foreign pay phones...Right about the time that I was about to use my carry-on to give some elders a "new haircut," I decided we were going to pray for help. I ended up praying alone. But, I kid you not, 30 seconds after I opened my eyes, I looked to the left and there were 2 men wearing suits walking up to us, with the CCM President and his wife right behind them. Prayers are answered...and not just because a sister missionary on the news clubbing elders with hawaiian luggage would be bad PR for the Church :-) ahahaha Ok, I am being dramatic and completely exaggerating, but I have to admit that the idea did cross my mind...once. Fleetingly. But being around elders again reminds me how much I miss my district from the Provo CCM and how amazing they were. I was so blessed and taken care of.
Connor emailed me and is teasing me because he knows my first assignment and my trainer but can´t tell me. What a bum. He´s getting a wet willy when I see him. haha But he doesn´t know that the President Earls already told me that I´m going to Zarragoza I believe and they need me there earlier than everyone else that came today. They will be here until next Tuesday and I will be leaving by Saturday at the latest--which means that I will get to go to the Temple on Thursday :-)))))))) I just knew since my 3rd week in the Provo CCM that I would make it here to Madrid and be able to attend the Temple. I am oh so excited!
They are amazing here and "making" us go to bed in less than an hour. I use the term "making" loosely. haha We are all pretty much gone already. We met one of our teachers, FINALLY a native who actually speaks the spanish they expect us to learn and speak for the next 16 months!, but he will have to reintroduce himself to me again tomorrow because I already forgot everything he said. Poor guy, but my brain´s fried. I cannot WAIT to sleep for 11 hours.
And speaking of my mind and where I lost it...I can´t remember anything else I was going to say...wow-- out of words. That´s gotta be a first. haha Well, I am so excited to finally be here and it hasn´t really sunk in or anything, but I´m sure I´ll have more to say on that note by Thursday, along with some funny stories about me butchering this language that I love so much but is always on the tip of my tongue (ba-dum-bing!). ahaha I feel almost entirely unprepared to dive into the work here, but I´m done being timid and holding back. Mistakes are not only essential to learning a language, but make great stories, right? ahaha So bring it on!
Caleb--thanks for the email bro! I wish I could have seen the curbstomp to the face spike .ahahaha I can´t wait to write and tell you about everything here. Ooh the inquiry paper. I still have mine, rough stuff. Own the short story.
Ok, we gotta go. I will write again soon! But I am safe and mostly sound (questionable) and here in Spain--the country and people that I already love...even though we can´t quite communicate yet. ahaha--just kidding. I love you all so much and pray for you daily.
Les quiero,
Hermana
(FINALLY IN SPAIN)
Dalton
The flight was 10.5 hours to Paris, which I know is located in FRANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!hahaha I slept a lot. It was wonderful. As we were taxiing out of SLC, I looked out the window across the plane and saw the Salt Lake Temple perfectly framed. It was a sweet moment :-) Did I mention that I may or may not have prayed for window seats and got window seats on BOTH flights today?! It was great...except that Paris was super foggy so we didn´t get to see anything :-( We almost missed our connecting flight to Madrid, but were saved by another tender mercy. Our 8-missionary group got split up because...well all I have to say is "Elders" and you all know what I mean...3 of us made it to the gate and told the guy that 5 more of us were coming, but he said that he had to shut the gate in 2 minutes and everyone else would have to catch another flight. I prayed they´d make it and you know what? That gate stayed open for the next 15 minutes and we all made it.
So when we got to Madrid, we made it out to some arrival/taxi place and the Elders wanted to run around looking for our ride. I mean seriously, I swear these kids were boy scouts, right? When you are lost, you stay together and stay put. We finally convinced them that since we had the CCM President´s cell number ON OUR ITINERARY, we should probably call to see where we should go...that opened up a whole new can of worms involving money exchange and foreign pay phones...Right about the time that I was about to use my carry-on to give some elders a "new haircut," I decided we were going to pray for help. I ended up praying alone. But, I kid you not, 30 seconds after I opened my eyes, I looked to the left and there were 2 men wearing suits walking up to us, with the CCM President and his wife right behind them. Prayers are answered...and not just because a sister missionary on the news clubbing elders with hawaiian luggage would be bad PR for the Church :-) ahahaha Ok, I am being dramatic and completely exaggerating, but I have to admit that the idea did cross my mind...once. Fleetingly. But being around elders again reminds me how much I miss my district from the Provo CCM and how amazing they were. I was so blessed and taken care of.
Connor emailed me and is teasing me because he knows my first assignment and my trainer but can´t tell me. What a bum. He´s getting a wet willy when I see him. haha But he doesn´t know that the President Earls already told me that I´m going to Zarragoza I believe and they need me there earlier than everyone else that came today. They will be here until next Tuesday and I will be leaving by Saturday at the latest--which means that I will get to go to the Temple on Thursday :-)))))))) I just knew since my 3rd week in the Provo CCM that I would make it here to Madrid and be able to attend the Temple. I am oh so excited!
They are amazing here and "making" us go to bed in less than an hour. I use the term "making" loosely. haha We are all pretty much gone already. We met one of our teachers, FINALLY a native who actually speaks the spanish they expect us to learn and speak for the next 16 months!, but he will have to reintroduce himself to me again tomorrow because I already forgot everything he said. Poor guy, but my brain´s fried. I cannot WAIT to sleep for 11 hours.
And speaking of my mind and where I lost it...I can´t remember anything else I was going to say...wow-- out of words. That´s gotta be a first. haha Well, I am so excited to finally be here and it hasn´t really sunk in or anything, but I´m sure I´ll have more to say on that note by Thursday, along with some funny stories about me butchering this language that I love so much but is always on the tip of my tongue (ba-dum-bing!). ahaha I feel almost entirely unprepared to dive into the work here, but I´m done being timid and holding back. Mistakes are not only essential to learning a language, but make great stories, right? ahaha So bring it on!
Caleb--thanks for the email bro! I wish I could have seen the curbstomp to the face spike .ahahaha I can´t wait to write and tell you about everything here. Ooh the inquiry paper. I still have mine, rough stuff. Own the short story.
Ok, we gotta go. I will write again soon! But I am safe and mostly sound (questionable) and here in Spain--the country and people that I already love...even though we can´t quite communicate yet. ahaha--just kidding. I love you all so much and pray for you daily.
Les quiero,
Hermana
(FINALLY IN SPAIN)
Dalton
Monday, November 14, 2011
"The time had come the Walrus (President) said...!"
OK, ok, ok--first things firsties. I have my visa. It's a "for real" thing this time because I am currently holding it in my hands...and I may or may not have slept with it last night as well...So the back story--Monday I ran into our mission president and his wife coming out of the elevator in the South Visitor Center and he said, "Hey where are you going again?" I said Spain and he said, as he casually walks by, "Oh, right. You are going there Thursday." I laughed and then realized he was serious. He showed me the email and said I had to go to UVU Wednesday-- because the head of the language department is also the Spain consulate-- pick up my visa and then handed me travel plans for last Thurs-SLC>Dallas, Dallas>Madrid. I was so excited and pumped...and then you ask, "but wait, you are still on T-Square. What happened?" Well, I'll tell you. I got to the SLC mission home Wed. morning to go to UVU with some missionaries there...and was told that the consulate DIDN'T actually have my visa.ahahaha! I laughed really loudly in this poor Elder's face when he told me because it was just too funny. I mean really, the Church has given me THREE different travel plans to Madrid now and yet there I was, in SLC minus a visa. So the working (not waiting!) began again.
I got my visa yesterday (Friday) and fly to Madrid Monday afternoon, November 14th...for real this time. Oh, did I mention I will be getting there via...Paris? Oh I didn't? Well let me tell you. The flight is SLC>Paris, Paris>Madrid. Muahahahaha! I will spend like a whole HOUR in Paris, France!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do you think I can snap some pics while running to my connecting flight? Hmmm, we shall see, but I would bet good money on it. Oh, other good news--I get to call you before I leave from a phone here so we can talk without crazy airportness. I will call tomorrow in the early afternoon--I'm not sure if we are on the same time again or not. I hate Daylight Savings! Completely bonkers--and if that doesn't work out for whatever reason, I'll call again later in the evening, like after dinner-ish I hope? I am so excited to hear everyone's voices--you have no idea.
So this week was transfer week. It was crazy and eye-opening to see sisters going home, especially sisters I really liked and got close to. My emotions were somewhere between awe and jealousy and determination. Some day it will be my turn, but I don't want it to come one day sooner than that because I have a lot to do, a lot to learn and a LOT of people to meet and teach. I decided, once again, that I will be the kind of missionary that works hard until they shove her onto the plane...not the missionary that skates trunkily through the last transfer. They have a transfer meeting here because so much changes every transfer, so that was Monday morning at 7. It was unique. They also have a 3rd verse to "Called to Serve" here that is specific to the Temple Square mission that I will write down and never forget.
I still have the same companion, obviously, but we are a trio now! (So that they don't have to juggle companionships when us "visa-waiters" vamonos.) So my newest companion is Sister Hoyos from Sonora, Mexico!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We get along SO well and have tons to talk about. And I get to make spanish phone calls, lessons and especially tours with her! It is so wonderful. I was 100% prepared to be fluent with her before I got my visa...but Heavenly Father had other plans.. which I am happy with. haha. There is a HUGE latino devocional tomorrow night at the conference center, like 21,000+ people, and she's the spanish coordinator, so we are prepping for that and going to have all the spanish-speaking sisters positioned strategically outside for contacting. I am so excited--she is even going to let me wear her Mexico flag with my nametag-- heeheehee--so that should be crazy and terrifying and fun.
I can't wait to write to you next week from ESPANA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It seems so surreal and like a dream. I've been waiting since I opened my call, but now it almost feels like, "Oh right, I'm supposed to be there!" I guess that means all the effort and energy I've tried to put into serving here and now has paid off at least a little bit.
Hey! I will try to get a package sent home by Monday. Just stuff I don't want to take with me or don't have room for. if I don't get it sent, then I will make my companions make the Unbreakable Vow to get it sent this week. We shall see...
Well, I am off to eat, starving!, and then...to the Salt Lake Temple!!!!!!!! I will get to do a session after all! I didn't think I would, but we pulled some strings and are going this afternoon. I am oh-so excited--I don't have the words right now. :-))))))))))))))))))))) Miracles do happen--I see them every week. Thank you for the prayers for my visa. It came precisely on the Lord's time as everything does. Next stop: Madrid, Spain. The next part of this journey is about to begin. How great life is when we are doing the Lord's work, the Lord's will, and all on the Lord's time.
Les quiero,
Hermana Dalton
Shout outs:
Brother Krauss! I'm so sorry I missed you! It's mission policy that you can't tell people where other sisters are for security purposes so you just have to tell them to wander around and pray they bump into them. But I felt so special when I got your note. Thank you so much and my comp will call the potential! You are the best!
Clecca- I love you SO darn much! Becca the email was hilarious and the pictures are SO SO SO cute! The girls are getting so big! I hardly recognized Haley underneath all that curly Clark hair! Thanks for remembering me and making me feel so loved. All the YW ideas and activities sound great! See, the blessings from keeping a "house of order" are already flowing in! Keep it up! And I can't wait to hear about this Murder Mystery Dinner!
Chandrea--Thanks for the colored pictures and email! I will put them up when I get to Spain! It sounds like you are all adjusting to Mesa really well. I keep running into people from Mesa and Mesa Mountain View--like missionaries. Halloween sounds like it was great with all the parties and costumes. I love you all so much! Muah! Muah!
Mom-thank you for the package!!!!!!!!!!! It was amazing to get and the perfect timing. The chex mix didn't last a whole day.ahaha--compliments of having 2 companions :-) And the pumpkine bread and homemade jam were delicious! I made cornbread this week and it was amazing--I can only say that because we all know I don't even make anything past cookies and waffles.ahaha Everyone was impressed, especially me. Thanks a ton! You are the bestest! I hope that other package gets here before I leave Monday, unless you didn't send it after all :-/ I'll pray it works out.
Chloe-I loved the purple email!ahaha You are so cute. Way to go with v-ball sis! Just keep playing and having fun and getting better. I can't wait to see you play. I LOVE Pres. Uchtdorf's talk! We got copies in the MTC...on blue paper...and I laminated mine. I will reread that talk a lot during my life I think. Thanks for sharing and know I love you so much!
Dad-I can't believe it is Nov. either! Where'd the time go?! haha Thanks for the sports update. There was a guest here who asked for a tour...but when I saw his ASU hat, I had to refuse....ahahaha--just kidding! But we did have a fair amount of teasing and ribbing back and forth during the tour. haha I can't wait to talk to you and hear how everything is going. U of A sounds crazy with Stoops and Shelton. Silly university.
P.S. I attached some pics! Um, one's with Elder Parker Harmon from the MTC, Sister Brooke Shaw from the MTC, "The Forgotten Five" the morning us 5 visa waiters got to T-Square, My comp Sis Clayton on Halloween waiting to watch Despicable Me, us outside the Bountiful Temple, Sister Barraza from Barcelona, Spain (Hospitalet Ward I believe), My roomies Sisters Clayton, Kealamakia and Hednandez(she left for home this week), and me with the long awaited visa...and evidence that yes, I slept with it. ahahaha!
I got my visa yesterday (Friday) and fly to Madrid Monday afternoon, November 14th...for real this time. Oh, did I mention I will be getting there via...Paris? Oh I didn't? Well let me tell you. The flight is SLC>Paris, Paris>Madrid. Muahahahaha! I will spend like a whole HOUR in Paris, France!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do you think I can snap some pics while running to my connecting flight? Hmmm, we shall see, but I would bet good money on it. Oh, other good news--I get to call you before I leave from a phone here so we can talk without crazy airportness. I will call tomorrow in the early afternoon--I'm not sure if we are on the same time again or not. I hate Daylight Savings! Completely bonkers--and if that doesn't work out for whatever reason, I'll call again later in the evening, like after dinner-ish I hope? I am so excited to hear everyone's voices--you have no idea.
So this week was transfer week. It was crazy and eye-opening to see sisters going home, especially sisters I really liked and got close to. My emotions were somewhere between awe and jealousy and determination. Some day it will be my turn, but I don't want it to come one day sooner than that because I have a lot to do, a lot to learn and a LOT of people to meet and teach. I decided, once again, that I will be the kind of missionary that works hard until they shove her onto the plane...not the missionary that skates trunkily through the last transfer. They have a transfer meeting here because so much changes every transfer, so that was Monday morning at 7. It was unique. They also have a 3rd verse to "Called to Serve" here that is specific to the Temple Square mission that I will write down and never forget.
I still have the same companion, obviously, but we are a trio now! (So that they don't have to juggle companionships when us "visa-waiters" vamonos.) So my newest companion is Sister Hoyos from Sonora, Mexico!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We get along SO well and have tons to talk about. And I get to make spanish phone calls, lessons and especially tours with her! It is so wonderful. I was 100% prepared to be fluent with her before I got my visa...but Heavenly Father had other plans.. which I am happy with. haha. There is a HUGE latino devocional tomorrow night at the conference center, like 21,000+ people, and she's the spanish coordinator, so we are prepping for that and going to have all the spanish-speaking sisters positioned strategically outside for contacting. I am so excited--she is even going to let me wear her Mexico flag with my nametag-- heeheehee--so that should be crazy and terrifying and fun.
I can't wait to write to you next week from ESPANA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It seems so surreal and like a dream. I've been waiting since I opened my call, but now it almost feels like, "Oh right, I'm supposed to be there!" I guess that means all the effort and energy I've tried to put into serving here and now has paid off at least a little bit.
Hey! I will try to get a package sent home by Monday. Just stuff I don't want to take with me or don't have room for. if I don't get it sent, then I will make my companions make the Unbreakable Vow to get it sent this week. We shall see...
Well, I am off to eat, starving!, and then...to the Salt Lake Temple!!!!!!!! I will get to do a session after all! I didn't think I would, but we pulled some strings and are going this afternoon. I am oh-so excited--I don't have the words right now. :-))))))))))))))))))))) Miracles do happen--I see them every week. Thank you for the prayers for my visa. It came precisely on the Lord's time as everything does. Next stop: Madrid, Spain. The next part of this journey is about to begin. How great life is when we are doing the Lord's work, the Lord's will, and all on the Lord's time.
Les quiero,
Hermana Dalton
Shout outs:
Brother Krauss! I'm so sorry I missed you! It's mission policy that you can't tell people where other sisters are for security purposes so you just have to tell them to wander around and pray they bump into them. But I felt so special when I got your note. Thank you so much and my comp will call the potential! You are the best!
Clecca- I love you SO darn much! Becca the email was hilarious and the pictures are SO SO SO cute! The girls are getting so big! I hardly recognized Haley underneath all that curly Clark hair! Thanks for remembering me and making me feel so loved. All the YW ideas and activities sound great! See, the blessings from keeping a "house of order" are already flowing in! Keep it up! And I can't wait to hear about this Murder Mystery Dinner!
Chandrea--Thanks for the colored pictures and email! I will put them up when I get to Spain! It sounds like you are all adjusting to Mesa really well. I keep running into people from Mesa and Mesa Mountain View--like missionaries. Halloween sounds like it was great with all the parties and costumes. I love you all so much! Muah! Muah!
Mom-thank you for the package!!!!!!!!!!! It was amazing to get and the perfect timing. The chex mix didn't last a whole day.ahaha--compliments of having 2 companions :-) And the pumpkine bread and homemade jam were delicious! I made cornbread this week and it was amazing--I can only say that because we all know I don't even make anything past cookies and waffles.ahaha Everyone was impressed, especially me. Thanks a ton! You are the bestest! I hope that other package gets here before I leave Monday, unless you didn't send it after all :-/ I'll pray it works out.
Chloe-I loved the purple email!ahaha You are so cute. Way to go with v-ball sis! Just keep playing and having fun and getting better. I can't wait to see you play. I LOVE Pres. Uchtdorf's talk! We got copies in the MTC...on blue paper...and I laminated mine. I will reread that talk a lot during my life I think. Thanks for sharing and know I love you so much!
Dad-I can't believe it is Nov. either! Where'd the time go?! haha Thanks for the sports update. There was a guest here who asked for a tour...but when I saw his ASU hat, I had to refuse....ahahaha--just kidding! But we did have a fair amount of teasing and ribbing back and forth during the tour. haha I can't wait to talk to you and hear how everything is going. U of A sounds crazy with Stoops and Shelton. Silly university.
P.S. I attached some pics! Um, one's with Elder Parker Harmon from the MTC, Sister Brooke Shaw from the MTC, "The Forgotten Five" the morning us 5 visa waiters got to T-Square, My comp Sis Clayton on Halloween waiting to watch Despicable Me, us outside the Bountiful Temple, Sister Barraza from Barcelona, Spain (Hospitalet Ward I believe), My roomies Sisters Clayton, Kealamakia and Hednandez(she left for home this week), and me with the long awaited visa...and evidence that yes, I slept with it. ahahaha!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Later on First P-day on T-Square, Thursday, November 3, 2011
So I didn't get to say everything I wanted in my email, so I wrote a paper letter. I've had so much to do today that I just ran out of time.
I forgot to tell you that on my "explorer day" I chose to take a tour of the Conference Center since it's a tour I have to know for visitors! haha I remember I've been there before when it was brand new and watched "The Testaments" movie, but other than the ridiculously large bathrooms that spit you out on the other side of the building, I didn't remember anything.
The artwork is absolutely incredible! It's all original! I didn't know that and I fell in love with the Arnold Friberg room. So amazing! I didn't know the story behind those paintings. There were also 2 paintings of the story of Alma the Younger and I loved them both. I've decided that I'm going to have lots of artwork prints and paintings in my future home. haha.
I also toured the Beehive House and saw Clarissa Young's room! That was cool.
It is much harder than I anticipated to talk to people on the Square. I had a guy yell at me and throw out some Bible verses in my face. haha That was exciting. And it's so hard to talk to members about missionary work...especially because I have a guilty conscience because I never wanted to talk to the missionaries either! ahaha But as anticipated, it is SUPER hard to talk to people on the phone!!! ahaha But I power through it each day. One day I won't want to barf as I dial the number, right?! At least that's what the other sisters here tell me!
I am discovering a new-found love for Temple Square; it truly is an amazing and sacred place with so much history! Mom, I got to go to "Music and the Spoken Word" last Sunday morning!!! It was awesomely fabulous! I thought of you the whole time. You have to go some time! Come on up! haha
It's been very eye opening to talk to people. I realize more and more everyday just how blessed I am to have the gospel, my family, my health, an education--the list just goes on and on. I am amazed at the love I feel for everyone I talk to. If they could only understand how the gospel could change their lives! It is hard to see people reject it, but feels so incredible when you can see and feel the light come on in their eyes and in their lives. It makes everything worth it! I'm so happy to be a missionary and and be challenged and grow and learn. Thanks for letting me have this opportunity.
I love you all so much! Hugs and kisses and SCARY MONSERS! haha
Muah, Hermana "T-Square" Dalton
I forgot to tell you that on my "explorer day" I chose to take a tour of the Conference Center since it's a tour I have to know for visitors! haha I remember I've been there before when it was brand new and watched "The Testaments" movie, but other than the ridiculously large bathrooms that spit you out on the other side of the building, I didn't remember anything.
The artwork is absolutely incredible! It's all original! I didn't know that and I fell in love with the Arnold Friberg room. So amazing! I didn't know the story behind those paintings. There were also 2 paintings of the story of Alma the Younger and I loved them both. I've decided that I'm going to have lots of artwork prints and paintings in my future home. haha.
I also toured the Beehive House and saw Clarissa Young's room! That was cool.
It is much harder than I anticipated to talk to people on the Square. I had a guy yell at me and throw out some Bible verses in my face. haha That was exciting. And it's so hard to talk to members about missionary work...especially because I have a guilty conscience because I never wanted to talk to the missionaries either! ahaha But as anticipated, it is SUPER hard to talk to people on the phone!!! ahaha But I power through it each day. One day I won't want to barf as I dial the number, right?! At least that's what the other sisters here tell me!
I am discovering a new-found love for Temple Square; it truly is an amazing and sacred place with so much history! Mom, I got to go to "Music and the Spoken Word" last Sunday morning!!! It was awesomely fabulous! I thought of you the whole time. You have to go some time! Come on up! haha
It's been very eye opening to talk to people. I realize more and more everyday just how blessed I am to have the gospel, my family, my health, an education--the list just goes on and on. I am amazed at the love I feel for everyone I talk to. If they could only understand how the gospel could change their lives! It is hard to see people reject it, but feels so incredible when you can see and feel the light come on in their eyes and in their lives. It makes everything worth it! I'm so happy to be a missionary and and be challenged and grow and learn. Thanks for letting me have this opportunity.
I love you all so much! Hugs and kisses and SCARY MONSERS! haha
Muah, Hermana "T-Square" Dalton
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Hello From Temple Square!
Hey everyone,
I suppose some of you are still chuckling about this turn of events. If there was ever any doubt that Heavenly Father has a sense of humor...doubt no longer. He does. Hence, I am here in the last mission on earth I ever wanted to be in. ahahaha And I am here with a smile, a happy attitude and a prayer in my heart for a certain visa to Spain :-)>
Sorry about the no communication. So, I found out last Friday night that they did NOT, in fact, have my visa and that they were temporarily reassigning me to...yes...Temple Square. I would say kharma, but that's not real, so it must be Heavenly Father humbling me again...as usual, since I have lots of things to be humbled about.
So, yah, since last Saturday morning I have been here in SLC at Temple Square...not in Spain. It's been a wild ride. So different than I expected and so different from every other mission...They changed everything here a couple of years ago so that sisters can teach potential investigators and referred contacts until the local missionaries take over. So time is split between walking Temple Square and the 2 Visitor Centers trying to talk to everyone when most of them don't want to talk to you...and calling people...on the phone...yes, you have permission to laugh hysterically at this, knowing me and my phobia of phones. I'm faintly remembering some quote about "out of the frying pan and into the fire?" Yes, there's Heavenly Father and that sense of humor again. Ok ok, I can't actually blame Him because this is what I asked for. Back in March of this year--the night that I chose to serve a mission--in a prayer I told my Heavenly Father what I wanted, knowing that I would receive it because it is a righteous--albeit painful--desire. I told Him that if I was going to do this, if I was going to serve a mission, I didn't want the easy way out. I wasn't going to pray for Him to make it easy. I wanted what was going to make me grow the most, to become the person that only He knows that I have the potential to be. If I was going to do this, I was all-in; I wanted the kind of mission that would change me and my life forever. So far, He's kept up His end of the bargain to the "t," as He always does.
Where does that leave me? haha Well, this week has certainly been the unexpected. haha It is different, but I am learning so much, in ways that I wouldn't have chosen otherwise, but are the best for me. My trainer, Sister Clayton, is from San Diego and is great. She is very calm and caring and seems to be best friends with every sister missionary on the Square. She has a quiet sense of humor that takes me by surprise sometimes and always keeps me on my toes. She's been out 9 months tomorrow, I believe, and training/senior companion is all very new for her...and she got stuck with me. Poor soul. She'll get lots of blessings. Neither of us is super out-going when it comes to starting conversations with strangers, so we struggle and figure it out together! ahaha Heavenly Father always finds ways to bless those who do their best to serve Him...even if they are anything but good at it.
President and Sister Holmes are amazing--so funny AND fun. I've been rather spoiled here so far in lots of ways--I got to take an "explorer day" and experience Temple Square as a visitor this week. The re-edited Joseph Smith movie is even better than the original! We get to open and close it almost every day. I watched the whole thing during explorer day, but will have the first 5 and last 15min of this movie down in by next week. haha
For Halloween, well every holiday I'm told, Sister Holmes takes care of the sisters. The Square closed early and we got to eat pizza, candy, sing a few Halloween songs...and watch not one, but 2 movies!!!!!!!!!!!!...any guesses?...Despicable Me and The Best Two Years. It was amazing and helped so much with my first week here.
Yesterday, we got to attend the Bountiful Temple for a session. Wow. It was incredible. (And it was snowing!haha) Afterwards, the Temple President and his wife, the Callisters, had a private meeting with all the sisters and it was phenomenal. SO much food for thought my brain still has not been hungry.
Today is p-day, obviously, so we are heading to Walmart after this, so I can finally get some food. I've been living off grapes, apples, oatmeal squares and grape juice that I was able to have another Sister pick up for me whose first day was her p-day. haha They gave us $60 cash and I 'dunno' how long it's supposed to last, but we'll see what I can get. I can dip into my reserve funds, too, if needed. It is nice but weird to finally be cooking for myself again. Oh, there is a Sister here from Sweden, Sister Vennerholm, I believe, who knows Landon Lane! They met in Sweden before his mission. Everyone knows the Lane's! :-) And another Sister who knows Evan Moss and his new wife...I think she and her companion know Kelsey and Ari as well, but not 100% sure. There are sisters here from everywhere! Including Spain! But I can't really talk to any of the native spanish-speakers in spanish because it is a mission rule to only speak english unless giving a tour or calling an investigator who speaks that language, which also means there's no scheduled time for language study either. Depending on how long I am here, I am VERY nervous about losing the spanish I've learned. But I wake up 30 minutes early before running to read and study spanish every morning, so I hope it's enough. Heavenly Father will bless me for being obedient and trying, right? Right.
Unfortunately, 'dearelder' along with everyone else thought or thinks I am in Spain right now, so I haven't gotten any letters or dearelders this week. I assume I'll get them when I get to Spain--not sure. But here is the address here:
Sister Clarissa Dalton
UT SLC Temple Square Mission
50 N West Temple St BSVC
Salt Lake City, UT 84150
If you sent anything through 'dearelder' this week, I didn't get it so sorry, no shout outs. But I'd love some this week or letters or emails or whatever! haha Maybe 'dearelder' would come through here if you changed my mission from Barcelona to Temple Square? I dunno. Sorry :-/
Well, that's about it. I'll write some paper letters today, too. It has truly been the best and the worst week so far--so I must be in the right place, yah?ahaha That's what first weeks are for. Thanks for your prayers and support. I can feel them even when I can't read or see them. And who knows, maybe when I get back, I'll want to talk to everyone I meet all the time and talk on the phone 24-7...and maybe not ;-) heeheehee I love you all so much!!!!
Les quiero,
Hermana Dalton
P.S. 5 of us came here waiting for visas. Pres. Holmes named us "The Forgotten Five."ahahaha And we are the "weird" sisters who have nametags in different languages and no flag attached. :-) heehee So funny/awkward.
I suppose some of you are still chuckling about this turn of events. If there was ever any doubt that Heavenly Father has a sense of humor...doubt no longer. He does. Hence, I am here in the last mission on earth I ever wanted to be in. ahahaha And I am here with a smile, a happy attitude and a prayer in my heart for a certain visa to Spain :-)>
Sorry about the no communication. So, I found out last Friday night that they did NOT, in fact, have my visa and that they were temporarily reassigning me to...yes...Temple Square. I would say kharma, but that's not real, so it must be Heavenly Father humbling me again...as usual, since I have lots of things to be humbled about.
So, yah, since last Saturday morning I have been here in SLC at Temple Square...not in Spain. It's been a wild ride. So different than I expected and so different from every other mission...They changed everything here a couple of years ago so that sisters can teach potential investigators and referred contacts until the local missionaries take over. So time is split between walking Temple Square and the 2 Visitor Centers trying to talk to everyone when most of them don't want to talk to you...and calling people...on the phone...yes, you have permission to laugh hysterically at this, knowing me and my phobia of phones. I'm faintly remembering some quote about "out of the frying pan and into the fire?" Yes, there's Heavenly Father and that sense of humor again. Ok ok, I can't actually blame Him because this is what I asked for. Back in March of this year--the night that I chose to serve a mission--in a prayer I told my Heavenly Father what I wanted, knowing that I would receive it because it is a righteous--albeit painful--desire. I told Him that if I was going to do this, if I was going to serve a mission, I didn't want the easy way out. I wasn't going to pray for Him to make it easy. I wanted what was going to make me grow the most, to become the person that only He knows that I have the potential to be. If I was going to do this, I was all-in; I wanted the kind of mission that would change me and my life forever. So far, He's kept up His end of the bargain to the "t," as He always does.
Where does that leave me? haha Well, this week has certainly been the unexpected. haha It is different, but I am learning so much, in ways that I wouldn't have chosen otherwise, but are the best for me. My trainer, Sister Clayton, is from San Diego and is great. She is very calm and caring and seems to be best friends with every sister missionary on the Square. She has a quiet sense of humor that takes me by surprise sometimes and always keeps me on my toes. She's been out 9 months tomorrow, I believe, and training/senior companion is all very new for her...and she got stuck with me. Poor soul. She'll get lots of blessings. Neither of us is super out-going when it comes to starting conversations with strangers, so we struggle and figure it out together! ahaha Heavenly Father always finds ways to bless those who do their best to serve Him...even if they are anything but good at it.
President and Sister Holmes are amazing--so funny AND fun. I've been rather spoiled here so far in lots of ways--I got to take an "explorer day" and experience Temple Square as a visitor this week. The re-edited Joseph Smith movie is even better than the original! We get to open and close it almost every day. I watched the whole thing during explorer day, but will have the first 5 and last 15min of this movie down in by next week. haha
For Halloween, well every holiday I'm told, Sister Holmes takes care of the sisters. The Square closed early and we got to eat pizza, candy, sing a few Halloween songs...and watch not one, but 2 movies!!!!!!!!!!!!...any guesses?...Despicable Me and The Best Two Years. It was amazing and helped so much with my first week here.
Yesterday, we got to attend the Bountiful Temple for a session. Wow. It was incredible. (And it was snowing!haha) Afterwards, the Temple President and his wife, the Callisters, had a private meeting with all the sisters and it was phenomenal. SO much food for thought my brain still has not been hungry.
Today is p-day, obviously, so we are heading to Walmart after this, so I can finally get some food. I've been living off grapes, apples, oatmeal squares and grape juice that I was able to have another Sister pick up for me whose first day was her p-day. haha They gave us $60 cash and I 'dunno' how long it's supposed to last, but we'll see what I can get. I can dip into my reserve funds, too, if needed. It is nice but weird to finally be cooking for myself again. Oh, there is a Sister here from Sweden, Sister Vennerholm, I believe, who knows Landon Lane! They met in Sweden before his mission. Everyone knows the Lane's! :-) And another Sister who knows Evan Moss and his new wife...I think she and her companion know Kelsey and Ari as well, but not 100% sure. There are sisters here from everywhere! Including Spain! But I can't really talk to any of the native spanish-speakers in spanish because it is a mission rule to only speak english unless giving a tour or calling an investigator who speaks that language, which also means there's no scheduled time for language study either. Depending on how long I am here, I am VERY nervous about losing the spanish I've learned. But I wake up 30 minutes early before running to read and study spanish every morning, so I hope it's enough. Heavenly Father will bless me for being obedient and trying, right? Right.
Unfortunately, 'dearelder' along with everyone else thought or thinks I am in Spain right now, so I haven't gotten any letters or dearelders this week. I assume I'll get them when I get to Spain--not sure. But here is the address here:
Sister Clarissa Dalton
UT SLC Temple Square Mission
50 N West Temple St BSVC
Salt Lake City, UT 84150
If you sent anything through 'dearelder' this week, I didn't get it so sorry, no shout outs. But I'd love some this week or letters or emails or whatever! haha Maybe 'dearelder' would come through here if you changed my mission from Barcelona to Temple Square? I dunno. Sorry :-/
Well, that's about it. I'll write some paper letters today, too. It has truly been the best and the worst week so far--so I must be in the right place, yah?ahaha That's what first weeks are for. Thanks for your prayers and support. I can feel them even when I can't read or see them. And who knows, maybe when I get back, I'll want to talk to everyone I meet all the time and talk on the phone 24-7...and maybe not ;-) heeheehee I love you all so much!!!!
Les quiero,
Hermana Dalton
P.S. 5 of us came here waiting for visas. Pres. Holmes named us "The Forgotten Five."ahahaha And we are the "weird" sisters who have nametags in different languages and no flag attached. :-) heehee So funny/awkward.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
I've Got Travel Plans!
Whoa, it is such a small Mormon world. I just got my hair cut here at the MTC and I was rocking my U of A basketball sweatshirt and the sister cutting my hair started asking about U of A...and get this Dad, she is best friends with Brooke Jackson! We talked about her and basketball for awhile and then she asked, "Hey do you by chance know an Assante family in Tucson?" ahahaha She is ALSO best friend's with Thomas Assante's wife and was like, "I just had lunch with Michael Assante the other day!" So we talked about the Assante's and how Becca is their cousin and ya, it was great. I think her name was Katie West? It was nice to talk to someone about familiar people.
Oh, hey did I mention I got travel plans Friday at lunch? Ya, flying SLC - ATL, ATL - Madrid Tuesday morning. I dunno if that means I'm staying in Madrid for a day, week, weeks or going on to Barcelona by another means of transportation. Also, I didn't have to go anywhere to sign my visa like Hna Farrell did, so I don't know if that means they are hoping my visa gets here by then, but my Branch Pres. told me to plan like it's here because I have travel plans, so I am. Ok, I can't act like I'm not freaking out right now like I have been all week-- I"M FINALLY GOING TO SPAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Whew, that felt like a certain elixir named after Felix in Harry Potter. So, yes world, I am leaving Nov 1st. Family--I get a phone call. Pres. said to keep it to 5-10 minutes. Should I call from SLC early in the morning or from Alanta later? I'm not sure what time my layover is. Shoot-- I'll have to check. Um, and I've never made a payphone or collect call before...so I don't know how to do that. Is that what I should do? Or buy a phonecard here? What do you think and what do you want me to do? I'll send you another quick email about whether I have a layover or not. I'm the travel group. Yo-- solo--ahaha. Just me SO...that should be fun--nice on the plane, but you all know how I get nervous with airport security and such. Madrid should be fun with everything in spanish...can't wait...
Oh, speaking of "it's a small world" the gentleman at the front desk of the Temple this morning thinks we are related somehow, although I didn't really understand how. He says he has Dalton relatives in Burley, ID. I think his name was...Br. Thorn? Not sure--haha. It's been a week of "not sure" with people I may or may not know or be related to. I met another Elder Dalton from Arizona. SO crazy. Someone in my zone thought it was my brother and told everyone and it was very confusing to sort it all out.ahaha
We had FHE in our district this week and I was in charge of the activity with another elder, Elder Wood. We made up PMG(Preach My Gospel) jeopardy focused around commitments. It was very fun...and very competitive--ahaha. I was so happy that I wasn't playing so it didn't get out of hand--heehee Me? Competitive? Naaaahhh...
Our 3 roomies left for the field this week, the 3 Visitor's Center sisters. Missouri watch out--Sister April Atkin is there now in the Independence, MO. I told her to ask find people I know.ahaha We'll see. We got 2 new sisters, both in the advanced spanish class and both studying at BYU to teach spanish when they get back...should be interesting. I should use this situation to my benefit and practice my spanish more.haha
It has been a great week for pondering things and learning about how/what I need to improve personally to be the person I want to be. It is hard to face and work through but vale la pena (worth the pain). This is my favorite phrase from my teacher. Completely sums up serving a mission. Did I mention how excited I am to get to Spain?!?!?!? Because I am!
So, what are the Halloween plans? Dad, don't throw too many parties!ahahaha Some sisters on my floor want to "trick-or-treat"...we'll see how that goes or if it works out--ahaha-- silly missionaries.
Well, next week I should be writing from the beautiful country of Spain! I can't wait to get there. And I am oh-so-excited to talk to my family on the phone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Knowing that is going to happen next Tuesday is getting me through the week. I love you all so much!
Con amor,
Hermana Dalton
Oh, hey did I mention I got travel plans Friday at lunch? Ya, flying SLC - ATL, ATL - Madrid Tuesday morning. I dunno if that means I'm staying in Madrid for a day, week, weeks or going on to Barcelona by another means of transportation. Also, I didn't have to go anywhere to sign my visa like Hna Farrell did, so I don't know if that means they are hoping my visa gets here by then, but my Branch Pres. told me to plan like it's here because I have travel plans, so I am. Ok, I can't act like I'm not freaking out right now like I have been all week-- I"M FINALLY GOING TO SPAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Whew, that felt like a certain elixir named after Felix in Harry Potter. So, yes world, I am leaving Nov 1st. Family--I get a phone call. Pres. said to keep it to 5-10 minutes. Should I call from SLC early in the morning or from Alanta later? I'm not sure what time my layover is. Shoot-- I'll have to check. Um, and I've never made a payphone or collect call before...so I don't know how to do that. Is that what I should do? Or buy a phonecard here? What do you think and what do you want me to do? I'll send you another quick email about whether I have a layover or not. I'm the travel group. Yo-- solo--ahaha. Just me SO...that should be fun--nice on the plane, but you all know how I get nervous with airport security and such. Madrid should be fun with everything in spanish...can't wait...
Oh, speaking of "it's a small world" the gentleman at the front desk of the Temple this morning thinks we are related somehow, although I didn't really understand how. He says he has Dalton relatives in Burley, ID. I think his name was...Br. Thorn? Not sure--haha. It's been a week of "not sure" with people I may or may not know or be related to. I met another Elder Dalton from Arizona. SO crazy. Someone in my zone thought it was my brother and told everyone and it was very confusing to sort it all out.ahaha
We had FHE in our district this week and I was in charge of the activity with another elder, Elder Wood. We made up PMG(Preach My Gospel) jeopardy focused around commitments. It was very fun...and very competitive--ahaha. I was so happy that I wasn't playing so it didn't get out of hand--heehee Me? Competitive? Naaaahhh...
Our 3 roomies left for the field this week, the 3 Visitor's Center sisters. Missouri watch out--Sister April Atkin is there now in the Independence, MO. I told her to ask find people I know.ahaha We'll see. We got 2 new sisters, both in the advanced spanish class and both studying at BYU to teach spanish when they get back...should be interesting. I should use this situation to my benefit and practice my spanish more.haha
It has been a great week for pondering things and learning about how/what I need to improve personally to be the person I want to be. It is hard to face and work through but vale la pena (worth the pain). This is my favorite phrase from my teacher. Completely sums up serving a mission. Did I mention how excited I am to get to Spain?!?!?!? Because I am!
So, what are the Halloween plans? Dad, don't throw too many parties!ahahaha Some sisters on my floor want to "trick-or-treat"...we'll see how that goes or if it works out--ahaha-- silly missionaries.
Well, next week I should be writing from the beautiful country of Spain! I can't wait to get there. And I am oh-so-excited to talk to my family on the phone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Knowing that is going to happen next Tuesday is getting me through the week. I love you all so much!
Con amor,
Hermana Dalton
Monday, October 24, 2011
Still here in Provo and lovin' it!
So I forgot to mention that last week at the MTC, they had a "special guest" speaker just for the sisters after Relief Society. It was all about wearing make-up and doing your hair every day and "accessorizing." As you may imagine, I laughed a lot and cracked more than a few jokes for the benefit of those sitting around me. In her credit, this lady was a really good public speaker and funny. The best parts came at the end when they handed out baggies of make-up.ahaha And then I saw the sister storming out and by the look on her face, she was very offended.ahahaha Silly girls.
GUESS WHAT?! For the Tuesday Devotional...Elder Richard G. Scott came!!!!!! 3 Apostles! I've been so blessed...I guess my Heavenly Father thought I needed more blessings since my visa hasn't come yet :-) He told the Elders to watch the Sisters for how to be better missionaries :-))), which made me chuckle very loudly and mischeviously...until I realized what he was REALLY saying was that as a sister I need to be an example to the Elders so that when they do look I'm not doing something childish or embarrassing...haha...ha...ya. Working on that :-) His testimony was so strong and I just wanted to stay in the room with that feeling for forever. What a tender mercy.
As a district we got to host the new missionaries arriving yesterday! It was so great...except when I didn't know how to get into one of the buildings and we had to haul her 3 suitcases up some flights of stairs...haha...whoops. But she was going to serve at the Visitor's Center in New York at the Sacred Grove, spanish-speaking! So amazing! And the other sister lives 3 doors down (yes Dad, like the band (-;haha), so I got to see her again today. It is so great to get new missionaries and to see their "greenie" spirit and fire. I hope I never lose mine...maybe just my greenie awkwardness...but I'm afraid that will never go away...*sigh*
My district is waiting anxiously in the laundry room right now because we are supposed to get travel plans after dinner. Only you RMs out there might fully appreciate the excitement of this--it's kind of off the charts. My Branch Pres. told me he is 90% sure I'll get plans to go somewhere stateside, but not to count on it. Didn't really know how to take that so I am trying to play it cool. Oh, a batch of like 71 visas for Brazil came in 2 days ago and Elder Parker Harmon got his visa! YEAH! He is so excited. We are trying to get a picture before he leaves on Tuesday.
We set a district goal to only speak spanish every day except Sundays and P-days until we leave. Some do better than others,haha. But it is amazing to me everyday when I have to talk in class or teach or talk to people during lunch that the words/sentences coming out of my mouth are spanish and people seem to be understanding, haha. It is a miracle every time!
Shout outs:
Thanks to everyone who has sent a dearelder or card--I've tried to write everyone back by hand today, so I hope I didn't miss anyone. Rahmderson's--you're next on the list!haha
Connor: I love your emails :-) I can't wait for my visa either!haha! I'm glad that Pres. Hinckley wants me there, too.Trust me--as soon as I get that visa--I will be on a plane, no worries. Keep keepin' on hermano, these really are the best 2 years (or 18 months). I can't wait to hear your spanish and for the rest of our lives--that is the ONLY language we will communicate in! Muahahahaha!haha. I love you so much! You are my favorite missionary and I pray for you, by name, every night :-).
Mom: I'm 100% sure you are doing great as the President, you always do :-) If I can put half the energy into being a missionary as you do in each of your callings, all of Spain will be baptized in 16 months.haha Muah!
GUESS WHAT?! For the Tuesday Devotional...Elder Richard G. Scott came!!!!!! 3 Apostles! I've been so blessed...I guess my Heavenly Father thought I needed more blessings since my visa hasn't come yet :-) He told the Elders to watch the Sisters for how to be better missionaries :-))), which made me chuckle very loudly and mischeviously...until I realized what he was REALLY saying was that as a sister I need to be an example to the Elders so that when they do look I'm not doing something childish or embarrassing...haha...ha...ya. Working on that :-) His testimony was so strong and I just wanted to stay in the room with that feeling for forever. What a tender mercy.
As a district we got to host the new missionaries arriving yesterday! It was so great...except when I didn't know how to get into one of the buildings and we had to haul her 3 suitcases up some flights of stairs...haha...whoops. But she was going to serve at the Visitor's Center in New York at the Sacred Grove, spanish-speaking! So amazing! And the other sister lives 3 doors down (yes Dad, like the band (-;haha), so I got to see her again today. It is so great to get new missionaries and to see their "greenie" spirit and fire. I hope I never lose mine...maybe just my greenie awkwardness...but I'm afraid that will never go away...*sigh*
My district is waiting anxiously in the laundry room right now because we are supposed to get travel plans after dinner. Only you RMs out there might fully appreciate the excitement of this--it's kind of off the charts. My Branch Pres. told me he is 90% sure I'll get plans to go somewhere stateside, but not to count on it. Didn't really know how to take that so I am trying to play it cool. Oh, a batch of like 71 visas for Brazil came in 2 days ago and Elder Parker Harmon got his visa! YEAH! He is so excited. We are trying to get a picture before he leaves on Tuesday.
We set a district goal to only speak spanish every day except Sundays and P-days until we leave. Some do better than others,haha. But it is amazing to me everyday when I have to talk in class or teach or talk to people during lunch that the words/sentences coming out of my mouth are spanish and people seem to be understanding, haha. It is a miracle every time!
Shout outs:
Thanks to everyone who has sent a dearelder or card--I've tried to write everyone back by hand today, so I hope I didn't miss anyone. Rahmderson's--you're next on the list!haha
Connor: I love your emails :-) I can't wait for my visa either!haha! I'm glad that Pres. Hinckley wants me there, too.Trust me--as soon as I get that visa--I will be on a plane, no worries. Keep keepin' on hermano, these really are the best 2 years (or 18 months). I can't wait to hear your spanish and for the rest of our lives--that is the ONLY language we will communicate in! Muahahahaha!haha. I love you so much! You are my favorite missionary and I pray for you, by name, every night :-).
Mom: I'm 100% sure you are doing great as the President, you always do :-) If I can put half the energy into being a missionary as you do in each of your callings, all of Spain will be baptized in 16 months.haha Muah!
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Week #6 at the MTC, but whose counting?!?
Howdy! Thursday, October 13, 2011
Every time I sit down to write this weekly email with the counter going down... can't remember anything I wanted to say. Blah. First things first, the package was EXACTLY what I needed and the chex mix actually made me tear up a li'l bit--it was such a piece of home :-) Thank you so much. You are phenomenal. Also, everyone compliments my AMAZING detergent/fabric softener-in-one sheets. I think some elders were trying to figure out how to ask me if they could buy them from me.ahahaha Sadly, I am down to one and will have to give in and buy some detergent here.
There is a female teacher on our floor who has been coming in to help us more because her district left this week. She served in Florida , spanish speaking and had one of the most interesting missions I've heard about. Hna Keller, she always talks about actively finding out why you were sent to your mission out of every other mission in the world because of your specific talents and personality. I've been thinking about it a lot and the added dimension of why Connor and I will be in the same mission. She also remembers specific dates on her mission when things happened that will forever change her life. Well, I am kind of the same way with dates and had one such date this week :-) I know personally that prayers are answered and righteous desires we never thought we'd be able to achieve really do happen with the Lord's hand. Ok, ok, I'll share one li'l part of it--our teacher, Hno Lee, was being an investigator named "Eduardo" that he knew and taught in Colombia. We were teaching him as a district, all 11 of us, so if you didn't want to say anything then you didn't have to.haha So an Elder was teaching about repentance and forgiveness...and I was lost in thought. I glanced out the window and took in the beautiful fall leaves. It suddenly hit me that I love being a missionary! 100 percent, through and through with no reservations. I didn't want to do anything else or be anywhere else. I honestly just wanted to teach and share the Gospel. The shear amount of love I felt at that moment was overwhelming. I will never forget it and strive to live the rest of my life in a way that is worthy of the feeling that I had in that moment.
That same day, Hno Lee asked us Hnas to teach him as his investigator "Nicholas" because there wasn't enough time for the multiple appointments we had planned. We asked an Elder to come with us as a "member" and finally got Nicholas to open up about why he was holding back--law of chastity and Joseph Smith. It was really spiritual and we all ended up crying and he said he wanted to be baptized...then when we got back to class, the district told us all 8 of them were watching through the one-way mirror!!! Ok, I can't really be mad because I've done it to some of them, but seriously the whole district! Well, I'm glad it went so well. I was slightly satisfied about that.haha
Hna Longoria left early Tues. morning for...Provo.ahahaha It was hard to see her go, but I couldn't be sad/mad because that's what I want to do and I am so excited for her. She will change lives because she has already changed mine.
I got a letter from Connor yesterday and it made my whole week :-) I can't wait to get to Spain and see him!!! Patience, patience.
Oh, Mom--Guess who the speaker Tues. night was...? Sister...Julie B. Beck :-) She was wonderful and her husband was hilarious. I got to see the new "Daughters in My Kingdom" book...well from like 50 feet away.ahaha I hope they approve it for missionaries to read because I want to read it!haha. She is so amazing.
Sunday night devotional was good, but a little out of the ordinary. The President of the MTC spoke, second time he has while I've been here and it was all about...tithing. Tithing and how the 1st Presidency told him this is what the missionaries need to teach better/more clearly to improve retention numbers, I believe. He did this open mic thing...which is NEVER a good idea with 2000+ 19 year olds so, ya, interesting night. I'm definitely going to study up and get a deeper testimony of tithing though.
What else, what else...OH! Ok, you'll love this. So they are remodeling almost every building here. one at a time and they are working on something in my residence hall right now. There was a sign that said they are shutting off the power tonight and we have to get out of class early and go to bed by...8:30! I think I cried for joy! I am SO excited to go to bed early!!! It's a missionary miracle :-) ahahaha! Yes, me--the night owl--celebrating an 8:30 curfew...the Gospel must be true.ahahahaha!
Ah, I love you all so much! Thanks for the support and prayers. I can feel them here and I won't let you down. Muahs! all around.
Les amo,
Hermana Dalton
Every time I sit down to write this weekly email with the counter going down... can't remember anything I wanted to say. Blah. First things first, the package was EXACTLY what I needed and the chex mix actually made me tear up a li'l bit--it was such a piece of home :-) Thank you so much. You are phenomenal. Also, everyone compliments my AMAZING detergent/fabric softener-in-one sheets. I think some elders were trying to figure out how to ask me if they could buy them from me.ahahaha Sadly, I am down to one and will have to give in and buy some detergent here.
There is a female teacher on our floor who has been coming in to help us more because her district left this week. She served in Florida , spanish speaking and had one of the most interesting missions I've heard about. Hna Keller, she always talks about actively finding out why you were sent to your mission out of every other mission in the world because of your specific talents and personality. I've been thinking about it a lot and the added dimension of why Connor and I will be in the same mission. She also remembers specific dates on her mission when things happened that will forever change her life. Well, I am kind of the same way with dates and had one such date this week :-) I know personally that prayers are answered and righteous desires we never thought we'd be able to achieve really do happen with the Lord's hand. Ok, ok, I'll share one li'l part of it--our teacher, Hno Lee, was being an investigator named "Eduardo" that he knew and taught in Colombia. We were teaching him as a district, all 11 of us, so if you didn't want to say anything then you didn't have to.haha So an Elder was teaching about repentance and forgiveness...and I was lost in thought. I glanced out the window and took in the beautiful fall leaves. It suddenly hit me that I love being a missionary! 100 percent, through and through with no reservations. I didn't want to do anything else or be anywhere else. I honestly just wanted to teach and share the Gospel. The shear amount of love I felt at that moment was overwhelming. I will never forget it and strive to live the rest of my life in a way that is worthy of the feeling that I had in that moment.
That same day, Hno Lee asked us Hnas to teach him as his investigator "Nicholas" because there wasn't enough time for the multiple appointments we had planned. We asked an Elder to come with us as a "member" and finally got Nicholas to open up about why he was holding back--law of chastity and Joseph Smith. It was really spiritual and we all ended up crying and he said he wanted to be baptized...then when we got back to class, the district told us all 8 of them were watching through the one-way mirror!!! Ok, I can't really be mad because I've done it to some of them, but seriously the whole district! Well, I'm glad it went so well. I was slightly satisfied about that.haha
Hna Longoria left early Tues. morning for...Provo.ahahaha It was hard to see her go, but I couldn't be sad/mad because that's what I want to do and I am so excited for her. She will change lives because she has already changed mine.
I got a letter from Connor yesterday and it made my whole week :-) I can't wait to get to Spain and see him!!! Patience, patience.
Oh, Mom--Guess who the speaker Tues. night was...? Sister...Julie B. Beck :-) She was wonderful and her husband was hilarious. I got to see the new "Daughters in My Kingdom" book...well from like 50 feet away.ahaha I hope they approve it for missionaries to read because I want to read it!haha. She is so amazing.
Sunday night devotional was good, but a little out of the ordinary. The President of the MTC spoke, second time he has while I've been here and it was all about...tithing. Tithing and how the 1st Presidency told him this is what the missionaries need to teach better/more clearly to improve retention numbers, I believe. He did this open mic thing...which is NEVER a good idea with 2000+ 19 year olds so, ya, interesting night. I'm definitely going to study up and get a deeper testimony of tithing though.
What else, what else...OH! Ok, you'll love this. So they are remodeling almost every building here. one at a time and they are working on something in my residence hall right now. There was a sign that said they are shutting off the power tonight and we have to get out of class early and go to bed by...8:30! I think I cried for joy! I am SO excited to go to bed early!!! It's a missionary miracle :-) ahahaha! Yes, me--the night owl--celebrating an 8:30 curfew...the Gospel must be true.ahahahaha!
Ah, I love you all so much! Thanks for the support and prayers. I can feel them here and I won't let you down. Muahs! all around.
Les amo,
Hermana Dalton
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Fall has arrived in Provo--5 weeks in the MTC
Hola a todos, Thursday, October 6, 2011
Wow. So much to say! First things first, yes Mom, I know the other Hermana Dalton. We were in the same zone here and almost companions!!! No joke. We could have been the Hermana Daltons--how confusing.haha But there ain't no second me, so that didn't go down ;-) (My apologies for the horrific grammar.) Yes, fall is here and it is just starting to get co...oler. You thought I was going to say cold didn't you?! Oh not so. But it is freezing rain today and snow on the mountains, so I guess it is getting close. Feels good to me, though, since the A/C in our building was out most of last week and they have turned the temp up, so it's basically like being back in AZ--ahahaha (juuuuust kidding).
Oh man, General Conference was just SO amazing!!! I was talking about it with Hna Longoria the other day, (we are tight, so we talk a lot! I'm going to lose part of my mind when she goes out into the field next week--Provo, spanish-speaking. Someone find her in the next year and a half and hug her to death for me) and we both were so amazed at just how all-encompassing Conference is at the MTC. I've never gotten so much out of 2 days--so much inspiration and revelation and comfort and love. She is a convert of 3 years and rocks my socks. Her testimony is so strong and has made me want to be a different missionary. I will be. Per usual, I loved Elder Holland's talk...(shhhhh, yes, I watched the Priesthood session online ;-)...and I have a quote for you--Caleb and Chloe and for you, too, Mom. Perhaps I am overstepping my sister/daughter bounds, but, hey, I'm a missionary for la iglesia de Jesucristo de los santos de los ultimos dias and I am bold....so here you go: Caleb, Chloe, Mom: "In this family, we serve missions" :-) Your turns are all coming.
I loved Elder Uchtdorf's talk from the Relief Society session, Forget-Me-Nots. Now I know the names of 2 flowers--roses and forget-me-nots.ahaha The MTC moms (Presidency wives) gave us a summary of this talk on blue paper with li'l flowers on it...so naturally the next day I got it laminated! It will be forever cherished.
Sunday night devotional was...drumroll please...Chad Lewis. If you are confused, as I'm sure more than one of you are, please talk to Dad. Chad Lewis is a member, football player, RM, NFL, etc. He and his wife spoke--she played v-ball at BYU when they went to the Final Four...Wow! So amazing. He spoke about his mission to Taiwan (Yah Clark, I thought of you the whole time!) and hiking Mt. Kilamanjaro (spelling, sorry no dictionaries here not in spanish!) with some vets who had missing limbs from the war and another football star. Even had a ton of pictures, too. It was exactly what I needed along with conference after a really rough week. Due to circumstances beyond my control that night, my comps and I got stuck in the overflow (very upsetting for me) and after the opening devotional, we sang a special version of...you guessed it..."Called to Serve" where we sing very soft and get louder and interludes and then stand and belt it for the last verse. Well, while they were explaining how we would sing this hymn, Hna L and I looked at each other and we were like "We gotta be in there for this!!!" SO we grabbed Han K and booked it...flat out sprint, yes, in our skirts and shoes, to make it over to the auditorium in time. Wow, the Spirit was so strong and the tears were a-flowin'. Hna L needed this so badly because she goes into the field next week and was getting nervous and Br Lewis' talk about never losing the "greenie spirit" and having the mindset "Hey! I don't have time to lose--I only have 17 months left!" totally boosted our spirits and we were both ready to go invite the world to come unto Christ. (Which we were going to do anyway) New themes for my mission from Bro Lewis. Such an unlifting experience, evening, and whole weekend.
Hmmm, what else? We are teaching an "investigator" named Juan who said he wanted to be baptized during the first lesson after I recited the first vision in spanish and we both cried. This is my weapon of choice. No blinking while reciting this and it does wonders--ahaha. I hope you know the spirit in which I mean that, just picture...:-)...that smile...I love reciting the first vision and bearing testimony. I try to every time we teach. Anyway, he said he'd get off work to check out general conference, but couldn't "find the building" or "the conference online" (this investigator is one of our teachers). Well, the room we were teaching in had a computer, so the wild thought just POPPED into my head to show him on lds.org just how this kind of thing is done...so we did. Mind you, I know ZERO technical or computer spanish!!! And for him to understand it I turned the site into all spanish which was wickety whack trying to figure out what pages to go to and how to get the video feed working, but eventually we did and I could tell that it meant so much to him. I was so taken aback at myself and it was just a great experience of following the Spirit--I need to remember this for the field. I don't need to know what to do/say beforehand...scripture reference anyone?haha Oh, it's snowing outside, no big deal. So exciting--haha.
Oh Dad, I'm in the same zone as an Elder Baker from U of A? He took a class from you. We talk a lot and he is really awesome. I told him I'd say hi to you for him. Oh, and Sister Shaw found me as I was walking out of my building last Thursday night--she had the biggest hug and smile for me! It was great. We see each other all the time and I love it.
Well, I've somehow lost 2 buttons on two different outfits this week, so I need to go spend the rest of my P-day trying to sew them back on...if you get any calls from the hospital here it just means I somehow managed to seriosuly maime myself or someone else with the needle. No worries...OH! Speaking of hospitals and awkward things that happened there this week, I spent 3 hours in the hospital this morning with my comps because Hna K needed a...radiological something procedure that took FOREVER. OH, and she forgot to mention to anyone that she faints at the sight of needles, including the doctor, so as she was squeezing all the feeling and fingerprints off of my hand she suddenly went horizontal!!!!!! ALL OVER ME!!!!!!!!!!! Just slumped onto me and everything. Fainter. So needless to say that the rest of the scan was...interesting...because she had to hold still and lay under the machine with the IV still in her arm for 90 minutes, freaking out. I may never regain full use of either of my hands again in this life. I am typing with my elbows--sorry for any typos ;-) ahahaha. Life is just amazingly crazy isn't it? I love it.
I love being a missionary. The rest of my life and eternity will hinge on these next 17 months and I have never been more sure of "in whom I have trusted." Hermana Dalton is here to stay for a while--here in Provo, stateside, Spain--all on the Lord's time :-) I'll go/stay where he needs me. I love each and every one of you and think of you with a smile on my face. I have the best family in the world and my testimony of that grows every second of every day out here.
Love,
Hermana Dalton
Shout outs:
CALEB!!!!! Thanks for the dearelder :-) It made me really happy and laugh a ton (good one about celica). Glad to hear that v-ball is going so well, rock it man! And sorry about school. Just get through it and enjoy every second of senior year. No regrets :-) Keep on keeping on...Hey, could you email/dearelder me the lyrics to "On My Way" by Boyce Avenue? I meant to print them out before I left, but didn't have time. This song means a lot to me--spiritual experience--and I would love to have a copy of it. I'll print it out here if you can get it to me. Much love li'l guy.
Rahmderson's--a letter should be arriving shortly :-) lactate, lactate, lactate--wow, that has got to be the best story ever. I have no sassy remarks or comments or anything. I think I lost at least 2 lbs this week just from thinking about that story and the laughing that followed. I love you both so much!
Wow. So much to say! First things first, yes Mom, I know the other Hermana Dalton. We were in the same zone here and almost companions!!! No joke. We could have been the Hermana Daltons--how confusing.haha But there ain't no second me, so that didn't go down ;-) (My apologies for the horrific grammar.) Yes, fall is here and it is just starting to get co...oler. You thought I was going to say cold didn't you?! Oh not so. But it is freezing rain today and snow on the mountains, so I guess it is getting close. Feels good to me, though, since the A/C in our building was out most of last week and they have turned the temp up, so it's basically like being back in AZ--ahahaha (juuuuust kidding).
Oh man, General Conference was just SO amazing!!! I was talking about it with Hna Longoria the other day, (we are tight, so we talk a lot! I'm going to lose part of my mind when she goes out into the field next week--Provo, spanish-speaking. Someone find her in the next year and a half and hug her to death for me) and we both were so amazed at just how all-encompassing Conference is at the MTC. I've never gotten so much out of 2 days--so much inspiration and revelation and comfort and love. She is a convert of 3 years and rocks my socks. Her testimony is so strong and has made me want to be a different missionary. I will be. Per usual, I loved Elder Holland's talk...(shhhhh, yes, I watched the Priesthood session online ;-)...and I have a quote for you--Caleb and Chloe and for you, too, Mom. Perhaps I am overstepping my sister/daughter bounds, but, hey, I'm a missionary for la iglesia de Jesucristo de los santos de los ultimos dias and I am bold....so here you go: Caleb, Chloe, Mom: "In this family, we serve missions" :-) Your turns are all coming.
I loved Elder Uchtdorf's talk from the Relief Society session, Forget-Me-Nots. Now I know the names of 2 flowers--roses and forget-me-nots.ahaha The MTC moms (Presidency wives) gave us a summary of this talk on blue paper with li'l flowers on it...so naturally the next day I got it laminated! It will be forever cherished.
Sunday night devotional was...drumroll please...Chad Lewis. If you are confused, as I'm sure more than one of you are, please talk to Dad. Chad Lewis is a member, football player, RM, NFL, etc. He and his wife spoke--she played v-ball at BYU when they went to the Final Four...Wow! So amazing. He spoke about his mission to Taiwan (Yah Clark, I thought of you the whole time!) and hiking Mt. Kilamanjaro (spelling, sorry no dictionaries here not in spanish!) with some vets who had missing limbs from the war and another football star. Even had a ton of pictures, too. It was exactly what I needed along with conference after a really rough week. Due to circumstances beyond my control that night, my comps and I got stuck in the overflow (very upsetting for me) and after the opening devotional, we sang a special version of...you guessed it..."Called to Serve" where we sing very soft and get louder and interludes and then stand and belt it for the last verse. Well, while they were explaining how we would sing this hymn, Hna L and I looked at each other and we were like "We gotta be in there for this!!!" SO we grabbed Han K and booked it...flat out sprint, yes, in our skirts and shoes, to make it over to the auditorium in time. Wow, the Spirit was so strong and the tears were a-flowin'. Hna L needed this so badly because she goes into the field next week and was getting nervous and Br Lewis' talk about never losing the "greenie spirit" and having the mindset "Hey! I don't have time to lose--I only have 17 months left!" totally boosted our spirits and we were both ready to go invite the world to come unto Christ. (Which we were going to do anyway) New themes for my mission from Bro Lewis. Such an unlifting experience, evening, and whole weekend.
Hmmm, what else? We are teaching an "investigator" named Juan who said he wanted to be baptized during the first lesson after I recited the first vision in spanish and we both cried. This is my weapon of choice. No blinking while reciting this and it does wonders--ahaha. I hope you know the spirit in which I mean that, just picture...:-)...that smile...I love reciting the first vision and bearing testimony. I try to every time we teach. Anyway, he said he'd get off work to check out general conference, but couldn't "find the building" or "the conference online" (this investigator is one of our teachers). Well, the room we were teaching in had a computer, so the wild thought just POPPED into my head to show him on lds.org just how this kind of thing is done...so we did. Mind you, I know ZERO technical or computer spanish!!! And for him to understand it I turned the site into all spanish which was wickety whack trying to figure out what pages to go to and how to get the video feed working, but eventually we did and I could tell that it meant so much to him. I was so taken aback at myself and it was just a great experience of following the Spirit--I need to remember this for the field. I don't need to know what to do/say beforehand...scripture reference anyone?haha Oh, it's snowing outside, no big deal. So exciting--haha.
Oh Dad, I'm in the same zone as an Elder Baker from U of A? He took a class from you. We talk a lot and he is really awesome. I told him I'd say hi to you for him. Oh, and Sister Shaw found me as I was walking out of my building last Thursday night--she had the biggest hug and smile for me! It was great. We see each other all the time and I love it.
Well, I've somehow lost 2 buttons on two different outfits this week, so I need to go spend the rest of my P-day trying to sew them back on...if you get any calls from the hospital here it just means I somehow managed to seriosuly maime myself or someone else with the needle. No worries...OH! Speaking of hospitals and awkward things that happened there this week, I spent 3 hours in the hospital this morning with my comps because Hna K needed a...radiological something procedure that took FOREVER. OH, and she forgot to mention to anyone that she faints at the sight of needles, including the doctor, so as she was squeezing all the feeling and fingerprints off of my hand she suddenly went horizontal!!!!!! ALL OVER ME!!!!!!!!!!! Just slumped onto me and everything. Fainter. So needless to say that the rest of the scan was...interesting...because she had to hold still and lay under the machine with the IV still in her arm for 90 minutes, freaking out. I may never regain full use of either of my hands again in this life. I am typing with my elbows--sorry for any typos ;-) ahahaha. Life is just amazingly crazy isn't it? I love it.
I love being a missionary. The rest of my life and eternity will hinge on these next 17 months and I have never been more sure of "in whom I have trusted." Hermana Dalton is here to stay for a while--here in Provo, stateside, Spain--all on the Lord's time :-) I'll go/stay where he needs me. I love each and every one of you and think of you with a smile on my face. I have the best family in the world and my testimony of that grows every second of every day out here.
Love,
Hermana Dalton
Shout outs:
CALEB!!!!! Thanks for the dearelder :-) It made me really happy and laugh a ton (good one about celica). Glad to hear that v-ball is going so well, rock it man! And sorry about school. Just get through it and enjoy every second of senior year. No regrets :-) Keep on keeping on...Hey, could you email/dearelder me the lyrics to "On My Way" by Boyce Avenue? I meant to print them out before I left, but didn't have time. This song means a lot to me--spiritual experience--and I would love to have a copy of it. I'll print it out here if you can get it to me. Much love li'l guy.
Rahmderson's--a letter should be arriving shortly :-) lactate, lactate, lactate--wow, that has got to be the best story ever. I have no sassy remarks or comments or anything. I think I lost at least 2 lbs this week just from thinking about that story and the laughing that followed. I love you both so much!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Unbirthday Surprise! MTC week #4
Ok, gonna start this email off with a bang...So last week sometime someone in my district was talking about a surprise b-day party they had and I told everyone about Caleb's surprise party last summer and how I've always wanted one, but haven't had one yet. So Saturday night, the 3 other sisters in my room and I were walking back from TALL (computer language learning class) when suddenly one Hna started limping and complaining about an "injury" from 4-Square that day. I thought this was totally whack because I was playing, too, and didn't remember her falling. I went back to walk with her and figure out what she was doing...then looked up and the other Hnas had taken off, walking like mach 5. I was totally annoyed. We walked in the building and to my class...I opened the door and...ALL CHAOS EXPLODED!!!! The lights flew on and people were screaming and jumping at me and yelling things that sounded like "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!" I just kind of stood there in a very confused, what-kind-of-drugs-are-you-all-on face! I first thought they were all talking to Hna L and I was just unfortunately in the way...but the elders were all shaking my hands and the sisters were hugging me and giving me presents/candy and I was very...lost, dazed and confused. Well, it turns out my wonderful, sketchtastic comp had LIED to everyone in the district/branch and told them all it was MY BIRTHDAY on Sunday!!! Well, needless to say, by the time I caught up to what was going on (Caleb/Chloe-I looked like the guy on Avatar, Ember Island episode after the "we will be the most powerful couple ever" Azula speech) and they finally realized I was telling the truth after the 50th time I told them, "It's not my birthday. My birthday's in February," they were all very upset with Hna F.ahahahahahahaha! Perhaps the funniest 10 minutes of MTC history. They gave me things like homemade cookies and Zucchini bread from their mothers because they all believed it was my birthday! Needless to say, I kept everything but 1 loaf of bread because I felt so bad for the poor elder. When he found out it was a lie, I think he was about to cry when he said "But I gave her my Mother's bread." ahahahaha OK, ok I do have a soul. So, yeah. I had a surprise birthday party on Sept 24th. And no one in our district will ever forget that this day is NOT my birthday.
Hna F left for the Madrid MTC on Tues morning. It was hard to see her go and not go with her and I miss her a lot. We just understood each other really well. But I heard from her today and she is enjoying Madrid-there are 18 missionaries TOTAL there right now. So jealous. But I have Hna L here so I'm staying sane. She leaves in 2 weeks, though, so I pray my visa will come by then.
It's been a hard week. The new trio is very...difficult for me. I get along so well with one sister that I'm just in the same dorm room as and not so well at all with the other sister that I spend 24-7 with...but that's what the mission is for right? Figuring out how to get along with people and forget yourself...Sunday Firesides, Tuesday Devotionals and Thursday morning temple trips keep me going and renew all my energy and conviction every week. This past Tues was amazing with Elder Stephen Allen. He was so funny...and then so piercing in the things that he said. My main take-away: "I am not one who will try. I am one who will, Nephi, go and do." That's my new motto.
Mom-thank you SO much for the package. I am using the mesh bag for my socks as we speak. I had no idea what it was for until I woke up at 11pm the other night and it hit me: "OH! that bag's for my socks so I don't lose any more!" Then went back to sleep. Thank heavens for a mother who knows what to send me. Socks will be a regular thing I will need. I hope you're not mad, but I gave away most of the pairs that you sent me to my comp that just left for Madrid. She had been using the same one pair that I gave her every day. Hers didn't last the first week :-/ I just couldn't let her poor feet take anymore. The sugarfree candy will be well used as well :-)
I know Brooke Shaw is coming to the MTC soon, but I don't know when. If it was this week, I hope I catch her soon. We got 3 new sisters in our room--all from Utah, all going to visitor's centers (Kirtland and Independence) OH! One is from West Jordan and knows the King's! Um...Sister...Denison?Ya, I think that's it. Went to the same high school as Dianna and Vanessa. It will be interest to have a full dorm room of girls...wahoo.haha
CALEB HARPER DALTON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IF YOU WANT ANY LETTERS/PACKAGES ON YOUR MISSION-YOU TO ME ASAP. Chloe-love you sweetie :-) pinch Caleb for me.
Alas, my time is gone again. Can't wait to hear from everybody and write you next week! I love you all so much and wouldn't want to be anywhere else than here, even on the days when I am grumpy, tired and overly frustrated :-) I love being a sister missionary, and I'm not even in the field yet. muahahahaha! (evil laugh)
Love,
Hermana Dalton
Shout outs:
Krauss': thank you SO much for your sweet words. You told me everything I needed to hear and sometimes forget. It gives me so much strength knowing that my family and friends all believe in me on those days/weeks when I don't remember myself. You are the best and have always been wonderful examples of love and charity to me. Thank you and I love you!
Sis DeWitt: Thanks for the email! You are the best! We will be able to watch the Relief Society broadcast while the Elders are watching the Priesthood session this Saturday. I'm so excited, I will be ready and waiting for Pres Uchtdorf's talk. Thanks for the heads up! I can't wait to tell you how things are going once I get to the field. Right now it is lots of sitting and studying-14+ hours of it every day but that's what I've always loved to do!haha
Hna F left for the Madrid MTC on Tues morning. It was hard to see her go and not go with her and I miss her a lot. We just understood each other really well. But I heard from her today and she is enjoying Madrid-there are 18 missionaries TOTAL there right now. So jealous. But I have Hna L here so I'm staying sane. She leaves in 2 weeks, though, so I pray my visa will come by then.
It's been a hard week. The new trio is very...difficult for me. I get along so well with one sister that I'm just in the same dorm room as and not so well at all with the other sister that I spend 24-7 with...but that's what the mission is for right? Figuring out how to get along with people and forget yourself...Sunday Firesides, Tuesday Devotionals and Thursday morning temple trips keep me going and renew all my energy and conviction every week. This past Tues was amazing with Elder Stephen Allen. He was so funny...and then so piercing in the things that he said. My main take-away: "I am not one who will try. I am one who will, Nephi, go and do." That's my new motto.
Mom-thank you SO much for the package. I am using the mesh bag for my socks as we speak. I had no idea what it was for until I woke up at 11pm the other night and it hit me: "OH! that bag's for my socks so I don't lose any more!" Then went back to sleep. Thank heavens for a mother who knows what to send me. Socks will be a regular thing I will need. I hope you're not mad, but I gave away most of the pairs that you sent me to my comp that just left for Madrid. She had been using the same one pair that I gave her every day. Hers didn't last the first week :-/ I just couldn't let her poor feet take anymore. The sugarfree candy will be well used as well :-)
I know Brooke Shaw is coming to the MTC soon, but I don't know when. If it was this week, I hope I catch her soon. We got 3 new sisters in our room--all from Utah, all going to visitor's centers (Kirtland and Independence) OH! One is from West Jordan and knows the King's! Um...Sister...Denison?Ya, I think that's it. Went to the same high school as Dianna and Vanessa. It will be interest to have a full dorm room of girls...wahoo.haha
CALEB HARPER DALTON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IF YOU WANT ANY LETTERS/PACKAGES ON YOUR MISSION-YOU TO ME ASAP. Chloe-love you sweetie :-) pinch Caleb for me.
Alas, my time is gone again. Can't wait to hear from everybody and write you next week! I love you all so much and wouldn't want to be anywhere else than here, even on the days when I am grumpy, tired and overly frustrated :-) I love being a sister missionary, and I'm not even in the field yet. muahahahaha! (evil laugh)
Love,
Hermana Dalton
Shout outs:
Krauss': thank you SO much for your sweet words. You told me everything I needed to hear and sometimes forget. It gives me so much strength knowing that my family and friends all believe in me on those days/weeks when I don't remember myself. You are the best and have always been wonderful examples of love and charity to me. Thank you and I love you!
Sis DeWitt: Thanks for the email! You are the best! We will be able to watch the Relief Society broadcast while the Elders are watching the Priesthood session this Saturday. I'm so excited, I will be ready and waiting for Pres Uchtdorf's talk. Thanks for the heads up! I can't wait to tell you how things are going once I get to the field. Right now it is lots of sitting and studying-14+ hours of it every day but that's what I've always loved to do!haha
Thursday, September 22, 2011
21 days in the MTC!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Que pasa mufasa?!ahaha. I use that all the time and think it's funny, but apparently I'm the only one. Janna Harris used to say it all the time in high school. My companions tease me that I say ""en serio?!" ALLLL the time! (it's like the spanish equivalent of "Seriously?! I find ways to fit it into every conversation :-) Or ""es la verdad" (it's the truth) or ""vale la pena" (it's worth the pain) Our district also says "como un jefe!" all the time. It's the direct translation of "like a boss." I'm sure Caleb or Chloe can explain how this is used in normal conversation for you. I change it to the feminine "como una jefe" to apply to us hermanas, but I don't think anyone notices or cares--they just think I'm a silly gringa.ahahaha! We have SYL (speak your language) days M,W,F which is supposed to be that you only speak in spanish... except for gym and in the cafeteria. But I try to do it all day long just to get used to it...Let's just say some district members are more diligent than others. We are going to pick a day soon for an english fast--absolutely no english for 24 hours, even trying to think only in spanish. This is what I try to do anyway and it is so hard, but I am noticing the progress in myself, especially when teaching lessons. I feel pretty comfortable being able to say what I want if I have the vocab. That's what I'm working on--not how to say things, but having what to say.
I can't remember what I do and don't say in emails, so sorry if I repeat. Did I tell you that EVERYONE who has been here longer than me rubs in my face that the NIGHT before I reported, Elder Holland came and spoke for the Tuesday Night Devotional?! Yeah, en serio. I think the first hour I was here at least 10 missionaries told be how unlucky I was to miss it...and I was very sad since he is my favorite...but the Lord heard my prayers and in the last 3 weeks we have had not one, but TWO apostles! Yeah, take that and rewind it back-2! Elder Ballard came last week and it was amazing. Our district was 7 rows back on the stage right side, so we saw him come in and like a huge black wave of suits, everyone stood up. He and his wife gave wonderfully uplifting talks--truly a tender mercy. Then at the end of last week, every missionary in the MTC got a copy of the October Book of Mormon Ensign and we were all instructed to read it cover to cover by Tuesday night. Immediately I knew something was going down and it wasn't a normal devotional. Then at choir practice (yes, I have been going to choir-and yes, you all should be SUPER proud of me for this!!!) We were told that we would be singing 'Consider the Lilies'(that song will forever make me think of you, Mom :-) and the beautiful soprano, Hermana Smith, sitting next to me sounded almost as good as you...almost) ...it being Pres. Monson's favorite song, I thought we were going to get the Prophet, but alas-we did not. But we were not disappointed-- Elder Nelson came :-) No one believed me when I said it had to be one of the 15 Brethren because of the Ensign and all the added hype. When do 2 Apostles come back to back right?! Well, he did and I can say that I sang for an Apostle :-))) I was on the front row of the choir. His wife was hilarious! Like, had everyone chuckling for minutes. She brought slides of funny signs she collects, like at a hotel that said "In case of emergencies, please use the elevator. Please be sure the elevator is on your floor before attempting to use" or something to that effect. Then her commentary to go along with it was priceless. The other slide was an old, rundown barn that had a huge banner on the side saying "Not Even Once." Yes, surprise, she talked about exact obedience. I think the barn banner might become a new motto for me.
Elder Nelson terrified everyone by calling up 2 elders and 2 sisters randomly to role play--with him as the investigator. I knew one of the sisters. I think one of the elders was seriously turning green through the whole thing and about to pass out. It was all about "what do you know about the Book of Mormon that is absolutely true?" He was very funny and witty. At the end, he pulled the other sister in for a hug and I swear you could here the collective "whoosh" of air going out of everyone's lungs as 2500+ missionaries all screamed "that's against the missionary handbook rules!" in their minds...but he let us in on the secret--it was his granddaughter :-) although she didn't know that he was going to call her up. He gave her a big wet one right on the lips at the end, too. (You could see all the elder's mouths hanging open...boys!)
He went through a history of the Book of Mormon--printing, editing, editions, etc. He even had old copies to hold up for everyone to see. It was so cool. I LOVE the new Ensign so much. I'm going to have to laminate my copy or something because it is already getting worn out from so much use. The testimony from Elder Holland at the end is so amazing. I love when he talks about a personal plan of salvation made for him. Wow, I feel the same way. I've always had a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon, but it is still getting so much stronger. I finally understand some small part of what it means to feast upon the word. I can't get enough of it, in english or spanish. I love being able to read and ponder every day.
I'm so glad that the Eagle Scout project went so well--minus crotchety old man :-) haha! Way to handle that like a champ Dad! Our teacher, Hermano Lee, who got back from his mission to Colombia last year, showed us a devotional from Elder Holland from a couple years back that helped him decide what kind of missionary he wanted to be. In typical Elder Holland fashion, he got way fired up and it was amazing. I dunno if anyone can get ahold of it outside of the MTC, but I am going to ask around and try. It's just that good.
Oh! I found Parker Harmon. Or more accurately, he found me! The sister next to me during choir practice was like, "Hey, that Elder keeps looking at you. Do you know him?" After a cursory glance, it was a nope!haha, but then he came over and I saw his nametag and recognized him! He looks SO different than I remember! We didn't get to talk long, so I hope that I bump into him again.
Hey Mom, can you send some more socks in a couple of weeks--with the padded bottoms? They are disappearing like Harry Potter and an invisibility cloak--due to a potentially sketchy roommate and hungry washing machines here. Also, it would be amazing if you could send as many packs of that 5 solstice gum that you can find...pwease?...and Dad-hook me up with your hard candy ways, por favor? That's the only kind of food we can have in class and candy helps the 3-hour blocks go by just that much faster...
Ok, shout outs:
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR THE DEARELDERS!!!!!!
Cregan-excellent story about the crotchety old man and I feel no guilt in using this word because I watched a video of Elder Holland speaking at the MTC and he said it! I miss football so much. Thanks for the updates. Enjoy every game for me!
Mom-How'd the med/physical stuff go? The french vanilla/white chocolate cheese ball sounds positively heavenly! I can't find any good white chocolate here. That is so exciting about the G & G personal histories! They came to the right editor--you fixed all my papers!haha
Clecca-Yeah, trios are hard. I'm still in one, but with a different third sister. it's me, Hna F and Hna K. Hna L is still in our room and Hna K's "official" companion, but the 3 of us are in a class together so we are a trio pretty much all day which includes teaching. Hna K has a...strong personality--only child type...so we clash. But what doesn't kill you makes you stronger right? LOVED the Uglies/Specials reference made my day! I tried to explain it after I burst out laughing...but I'm the only reader in the room. Sadly, our little cafeteria game got kaboshed my some crotchety lunch lady. BAH! But yes, I ended undefeated and never had to carry the trays, along with Elder Greenwood...Tinkerbell hygiene tips? Hilarious! I can totally picture this. So cute. Clark-praying a lot before everything? Yeah, I know what you mean. But it always helps. Thanks for the reminder and tip.
Chloe-You should listen to "The Tender Mercies of the Lord" on lds.org under "other music for YW/youth." I love it and put it on repeat for the whole hour of my computer language study program. Makes me think of you :-) Love you! Thanks for your stories. They make me smile so much. Sometimes I wonder who the older sister is!haha
Dad-My comps get a kick out of your AZ postcards and funny one-liners on the back! So do I. You''re the best and I won't forget AZ. I''ll send you a letter/email today...hopefully. Oh, the charge on my debit this month is from immunizations--I had to get my 2nd Hep A shot. I need to pick up a reimbursement sheet for it or something and mail it to you.
ARI!!!! Wherefore art thou?! I need your/Kelsey's UT address so we can write!
Chandrea! I loved the dearelder :-) You all make my day. I promise you are at the top of the list for letters today. Vesper-thanks for the tip about stinky feet! One roommate that left had some RANK feet and it made sleeping unpleasant--she slept on the bunk above me. ahahaha, so funny!
Well, I hope I hit on everything I wanted to--I can't remember and I left my list in the room,haha! I love everyone and love it here--even if I'd rather be in the field. My testimony is strengthened every day and I wouldn't be any place else (except serving in Spain!) Muah! Give my nieces kisses and hugs from "Auntie Tare." I miss them all so much!
Te amo,
Hermana Dalton
Que pasa mufasa?!ahaha. I use that all the time and think it's funny, but apparently I'm the only one. Janna Harris used to say it all the time in high school. My companions tease me that I say ""en serio?!" ALLLL the time! (it's like the spanish equivalent of "Seriously?! I find ways to fit it into every conversation :-) Or ""es la verdad" (it's the truth) or ""vale la pena" (it's worth the pain) Our district also says "como un jefe!" all the time. It's the direct translation of "like a boss." I'm sure Caleb or Chloe can explain how this is used in normal conversation for you. I change it to the feminine "como una jefe" to apply to us hermanas, but I don't think anyone notices or cares--they just think I'm a silly gringa.ahahaha! We have SYL (speak your language) days M,W,F which is supposed to be that you only speak in spanish... except for gym and in the cafeteria. But I try to do it all day long just to get used to it...Let's just say some district members are more diligent than others. We are going to pick a day soon for an english fast--absolutely no english for 24 hours, even trying to think only in spanish. This is what I try to do anyway and it is so hard, but I am noticing the progress in myself, especially when teaching lessons. I feel pretty comfortable being able to say what I want if I have the vocab. That's what I'm working on--not how to say things, but having what to say.
I can't remember what I do and don't say in emails, so sorry if I repeat. Did I tell you that EVERYONE who has been here longer than me rubs in my face that the NIGHT before I reported, Elder Holland came and spoke for the Tuesday Night Devotional?! Yeah, en serio. I think the first hour I was here at least 10 missionaries told be how unlucky I was to miss it...and I was very sad since he is my favorite...but the Lord heard my prayers and in the last 3 weeks we have had not one, but TWO apostles! Yeah, take that and rewind it back-2! Elder Ballard came last week and it was amazing. Our district was 7 rows back on the stage right side, so we saw him come in and like a huge black wave of suits, everyone stood up. He and his wife gave wonderfully uplifting talks--truly a tender mercy. Then at the end of last week, every missionary in the MTC got a copy of the October Book of Mormon Ensign and we were all instructed to read it cover to cover by Tuesday night. Immediately I knew something was going down and it wasn't a normal devotional. Then at choir practice (yes, I have been going to choir-and yes, you all should be SUPER proud of me for this!!!) We were told that we would be singing 'Consider the Lilies'(that song will forever make me think of you, Mom :-) and the beautiful soprano, Hermana Smith, sitting next to me sounded almost as good as you...almost) ...it being Pres. Monson's favorite song, I thought we were going to get the Prophet, but alas-we did not. But we were not disappointed-- Elder Nelson came :-) No one believed me when I said it had to be one of the 15 Brethren because of the Ensign and all the added hype. When do 2 Apostles come back to back right?! Well, he did and I can say that I sang for an Apostle :-))) I was on the front row of the choir. His wife was hilarious! Like, had everyone chuckling for minutes. She brought slides of funny signs she collects, like at a hotel that said "In case of emergencies, please use the elevator. Please be sure the elevator is on your floor before attempting to use" or something to that effect. Then her commentary to go along with it was priceless. The other slide was an old, rundown barn that had a huge banner on the side saying "Not Even Once." Yes, surprise, she talked about exact obedience. I think the barn banner might become a new motto for me.
Elder Nelson terrified everyone by calling up 2 elders and 2 sisters randomly to role play--with him as the investigator. I knew one of the sisters. I think one of the elders was seriously turning green through the whole thing and about to pass out. It was all about "what do you know about the Book of Mormon that is absolutely true?" He was very funny and witty. At the end, he pulled the other sister in for a hug and I swear you could here the collective "whoosh" of air going out of everyone's lungs as 2500+ missionaries all screamed "that's against the missionary handbook rules!" in their minds...but he let us in on the secret--it was his granddaughter :-) although she didn't know that he was going to call her up. He gave her a big wet one right on the lips at the end, too. (You could see all the elder's mouths hanging open...boys!)
He went through a history of the Book of Mormon--printing, editing, editions, etc. He even had old copies to hold up for everyone to see. It was so cool. I LOVE the new Ensign so much. I'm going to have to laminate my copy or something because it is already getting worn out from so much use. The testimony from Elder Holland at the end is so amazing. I love when he talks about a personal plan of salvation made for him. Wow, I feel the same way. I've always had a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon, but it is still getting so much stronger. I finally understand some small part of what it means to feast upon the word. I can't get enough of it, in english or spanish. I love being able to read and ponder every day.
I'm so glad that the Eagle Scout project went so well--minus crotchety old man :-) haha! Way to handle that like a champ Dad! Our teacher, Hermano Lee, who got back from his mission to Colombia last year, showed us a devotional from Elder Holland from a couple years back that helped him decide what kind of missionary he wanted to be. In typical Elder Holland fashion, he got way fired up and it was amazing. I dunno if anyone can get ahold of it outside of the MTC, but I am going to ask around and try. It's just that good.
Oh! I found Parker Harmon. Or more accurately, he found me! The sister next to me during choir practice was like, "Hey, that Elder keeps looking at you. Do you know him?" After a cursory glance, it was a nope!haha, but then he came over and I saw his nametag and recognized him! He looks SO different than I remember! We didn't get to talk long, so I hope that I bump into him again.
Hey Mom, can you send some more socks in a couple of weeks--with the padded bottoms? They are disappearing like Harry Potter and an invisibility cloak--due to a potentially sketchy roommate and hungry washing machines here. Also, it would be amazing if you could send as many packs of that 5 solstice gum that you can find...pwease?...and Dad-hook me up with your hard candy ways, por favor? That's the only kind of food we can have in class and candy helps the 3-hour blocks go by just that much faster...
Ok, shout outs:
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR THE DEARELDERS!!!!!!
Cregan-excellent story about the crotchety old man and I feel no guilt in using this word because I watched a video of Elder Holland speaking at the MTC and he said it! I miss football so much. Thanks for the updates. Enjoy every game for me!
Mom-How'd the med/physical stuff go? The french vanilla/white chocolate cheese ball sounds positively heavenly! I can't find any good white chocolate here. That is so exciting about the G & G personal histories! They came to the right editor--you fixed all my papers!haha
Clecca-Yeah, trios are hard. I'm still in one, but with a different third sister. it's me, Hna F and Hna K. Hna L is still in our room and Hna K's "official" companion, but the 3 of us are in a class together so we are a trio pretty much all day which includes teaching. Hna K has a...strong personality--only child type...so we clash. But what doesn't kill you makes you stronger right? LOVED the Uglies/Specials reference made my day! I tried to explain it after I burst out laughing...but I'm the only reader in the room. Sadly, our little cafeteria game got kaboshed my some crotchety lunch lady. BAH! But yes, I ended undefeated and never had to carry the trays, along with Elder Greenwood...Tinkerbell hygiene tips? Hilarious! I can totally picture this. So cute. Clark-praying a lot before everything? Yeah, I know what you mean. But it always helps. Thanks for the reminder and tip.
Chloe-You should listen to "The Tender Mercies of the Lord" on lds.org under "other music for YW/youth." I love it and put it on repeat for the whole hour of my computer language study program. Makes me think of you :-) Love you! Thanks for your stories. They make me smile so much. Sometimes I wonder who the older sister is!haha
Dad-My comps get a kick out of your AZ postcards and funny one-liners on the back! So do I. You''re the best and I won't forget AZ. I''ll send you a letter/email today...hopefully. Oh, the charge on my debit this month is from immunizations--I had to get my 2nd Hep A shot. I need to pick up a reimbursement sheet for it or something and mail it to you.
ARI!!!! Wherefore art thou?! I need your/Kelsey's UT address so we can write!
Chandrea! I loved the dearelder :-) You all make my day. I promise you are at the top of the list for letters today. Vesper-thanks for the tip about stinky feet! One roommate that left had some RANK feet and it made sleeping unpleasant--she slept on the bunk above me. ahahaha, so funny!
Well, I hope I hit on everything I wanted to--I can't remember and I left my list in the room,haha! I love everyone and love it here--even if I'd rather be in the field. My testimony is strengthened every day and I wouldn't be any place else (except serving in Spain!) Muah! Give my nieces kisses and hugs from "Auntie Tare." I miss them all so much!
Te amo,
Hermana Dalton
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Week two at the MTC
Hola mundo afuera,
Greetings del CCM. I do not know what this stands for, and neither does anyone else that I ask, but apparently it's the spanish way to say "MTC." Or we are all saying something ridiculous with no meaning and someone somewhere is having a good laugh at us "gringos." :-) Either way it sounds impressive, no?
So...trying to fit a week into one email in 30 min in this place is like...trying to pull Caleb away from the mirror-it ain't happening! (<-this is my "polite" reminder to you, my youngest lil brother, that you have NOT written to me yet!!!! Connor is even beating you, and Chloe is kicking your trash. You try my patience young padawan, don't make me give you an "impolite" reminder, ok?! OK. PS-I love you!) Wow, ok last week...
It was a really good week...until my hormones decided to go all ninja on my myself on Friday. I had the misfortune of being the odd missionary out in class and got to teach the first lesson to my teacher...alone. I had already looked like an...imbecile...multiple times this day and him staring at me while I could only say "um" (which isn't even SPANISH!!!) put me over the edge. Yes, I sadly admit that I broke. Huge, awkward, self-confidence-destroying tears. After he tried to console me, IN SPANISH, I finally escaped to the bathroom, companion in tow. I sat on the floor in that tiny bathroom, toilet 6inches from my face and got it all out. As embarrassing as this is, I needed it because 1-it made me realize once again how completely I am reliant on the Lord, in case I ever forgot! 2-My expectations for myself, as always, are way too high and I get an F- for never giving myself any kind of credit. I mean, come on! It's week two! I'm teaching lessons entirely in spanish, praying only in spanish, talking to my companions, district and other missionaries only in spanish(depending on the day), reading the scriptures in spanish and my auditory comprehension is 10x better than my verbal abilities. So after praying a lot on that tile, I picked myself up and get back to class and had a great rest of the day. As I stated before, my hormones were off the charts anyway so I wasn't exactly myself.haha But it was one of those experiences every missionary has and I'm glad I did because the rest of the week has been wonderful.
Um, what are some other good stories from this week? OH! this is awesome-so my district is huge-13 of us, 4 hermanas and 9 elderes, and we eat breakfast, lunch and dinner together pretty much every day. We are really close. So Elder Meyer, plays soccer for BYU-no big deal.haha, decided we should play "rock, paper, scissors" as a district and the loser has to take the walk of shame with EVERYONE'S trays, silverware, bowls, cups, etc. through the trash line. Of course, I was all in.haha It's hard to explain, but everyone plays at the same time and if all 3 signs are thrown down, you shoot again. But if only two signs are thrown, the normal R,P,S rules apply. The winner(s) are "safe" and out. The losers for that round have to play again until there is an ultimate loser and tray-taker. I had my doubts about whether this would work, but the first time we played, 7 of us threw down scissors and Elder Klinkefus (our "pelirojo peligroso <- "dangerous redhead/ginger") threw down paper and had to take all the trays!ahaha Ok, maybe it sounds juvenile or lame or whatever, but it is exciting and a lil bit of an adrenaline rush because everyone is so competitive and into it..and let's face it-excitement in el CCM comes in whatever way we can get it.ahahaha We play all the time as breaks for class and every meal time. Everyone else in the cafeteria thinks we are crazy and is jealous :-) It's really fun. We'll try it when I get back, no worries. Oh, and I haven't had to take any trays yet ;-) hehe
Oh, so apparently I've neglected to mention mi compañera. Actually, as of last week I have two. Hermana F and Hermana L. I´ve had Hna F from the beginning. She´s from LA and also going to Barcelona. We are very different but get along ridiculously well. She thinks I´m hilarious which works out splendidly because she laughs very loudly at all of my jokes!haha Hna L is from Texas, of Spanish heritage, and will be serving in Provo. She is crazy cool and funny. We are like the same person...except she is barely 5 ft, curvalicious and looks mexican...no big deal.ahaha She is a solo sister in another district, but we are all roomies. Sadly, one sister in our district left for home at like 5 this morning-medical reasons. So her companion is tagging along with us for the day and one of us will probably be reassigned as her comp by tonight so our trio of power will separated. I really hope I get to keep Hna F or L as my comp...cross your fingers...
I'm supposed to somehow keep track of people I meet here in the MTC that you all might know...let's see if I can remember...Sisters Hoyt and Hayes (Dad knows them from the institute) have meal times the same as me so we took pics by the map the other day. They are so cute and funny! It's so amazing to see a familiar face and talk...Courtney Koford's younger bro Alex is here, in the intermed spanish class next door to mine. We've talked a few times, and taught each other dicussions for class. He has gym the same time as me and balls it up-which makes me jealous since I can't play unless I find another sister to be on the other team, which doesn't happen often...I met an elder int he breakfast line from Rupert, ID Mom! Elder..Fillipini? or Defillipini? I dunno, but he was impressed by my knowledge about Rupert and Burley. Um I can't think of anyone else.
So kind of depressing news, but Hna F got her visa like last week! She was scheduled to fly out to Madrid next Tuesday but has decided to stay at least another week for personal reasons. So she could go, but she's not...while I can't because I don't have a visa. And I've noticed on my incoming mail it says "1102" as my new departure date...november...after the rest of my district has left if I still don't have a visa. There are A LOT of missionaries waiting for visas from Brazil and Spain. Like a lot. They office told me not to get by hopes up about not getting reassigned stateside and actually getting to go to Madrid... :-( ...so yeah, that's been fun to deal with...but I had a quiet moment in an empty hallway while staring at a drawing of the Madrid MTC on the wall and I just had a feeling that I will get to spend some amount of time at the MTC. And it will be when i'm supposed to be there, however long it is. And I'm supposed to be here now so I better find out why :-)
Thanks everyone for the dearelders and emails! (And Dad for the postcards :-)))) They are moving the bookstore/mailroom into a new building so everything is crazy and mail is sketchy for the next week as well. Thank you Lauren/BRaDeN for the dearelders! Clecca, Cregan and Chandrea-I'm writing you letters today I promise! I love all of you so much and hope that you didn't feel like you just wasted precious time in your life reading this beast! Oh, we got to go to the temple again this morning. It is so amazing to go every week! Mom, a letter is on it's way for you, I promise. Thank you for all the updates and love. They make each day that much better!
Les amo,
Hermana Dalton
Greetings del CCM. I do not know what this stands for, and neither does anyone else that I ask, but apparently it's the spanish way to say "MTC." Or we are all saying something ridiculous with no meaning and someone somewhere is having a good laugh at us "gringos." :-) Either way it sounds impressive, no?
So...trying to fit a week into one email in 30 min in this place is like...trying to pull Caleb away from the mirror-it ain't happening! (<-this is my "polite" reminder to you, my youngest lil brother, that you have NOT written to me yet!!!! Connor is even beating you, and Chloe is kicking your trash. You try my patience young padawan, don't make me give you an "impolite" reminder, ok?! OK. PS-I love you!) Wow, ok last week...
It was a really good week...until my hormones decided to go all ninja on my myself on Friday. I had the misfortune of being the odd missionary out in class and got to teach the first lesson to my teacher...alone. I had already looked like an...imbecile...multiple times this day and him staring at me while I could only say "um" (which isn't even SPANISH!!!) put me over the edge. Yes, I sadly admit that I broke. Huge, awkward, self-confidence-destroying tears. After he tried to console me, IN SPANISH, I finally escaped to the bathroom, companion in tow. I sat on the floor in that tiny bathroom, toilet 6inches from my face and got it all out. As embarrassing as this is, I needed it because 1-it made me realize once again how completely I am reliant on the Lord, in case I ever forgot! 2-My expectations for myself, as always, are way too high and I get an F- for never giving myself any kind of credit. I mean, come on! It's week two! I'm teaching lessons entirely in spanish, praying only in spanish, talking to my companions, district and other missionaries only in spanish(depending on the day), reading the scriptures in spanish and my auditory comprehension is 10x better than my verbal abilities. So after praying a lot on that tile, I picked myself up and get back to class and had a great rest of the day. As I stated before, my hormones were off the charts anyway so I wasn't exactly myself.haha But it was one of those experiences every missionary has and I'm glad I did because the rest of the week has been wonderful.
Um, what are some other good stories from this week? OH! this is awesome-so my district is huge-13 of us, 4 hermanas and 9 elderes, and we eat breakfast, lunch and dinner together pretty much every day. We are really close. So Elder Meyer, plays soccer for BYU-no big deal.haha, decided we should play "rock, paper, scissors" as a district and the loser has to take the walk of shame with EVERYONE'S trays, silverware, bowls, cups, etc. through the trash line. Of course, I was all in.haha It's hard to explain, but everyone plays at the same time and if all 3 signs are thrown down, you shoot again. But if only two signs are thrown, the normal R,P,S rules apply. The winner(s) are "safe" and out. The losers for that round have to play again until there is an ultimate loser and tray-taker. I had my doubts about whether this would work, but the first time we played, 7 of us threw down scissors and Elder Klinkefus (our "pelirojo peligroso <- "dangerous redhead/ginger") threw down paper and had to take all the trays!ahaha Ok, maybe it sounds juvenile or lame or whatever, but it is exciting and a lil bit of an adrenaline rush because everyone is so competitive and into it..and let's face it-excitement in el CCM comes in whatever way we can get it.ahahaha We play all the time as breaks for class and every meal time. Everyone else in the cafeteria thinks we are crazy and is jealous :-) It's really fun. We'll try it when I get back, no worries. Oh, and I haven't had to take any trays yet ;-) hehe
Oh, so apparently I've neglected to mention mi compañera. Actually, as of last week I have two. Hermana F and Hermana L. I´ve had Hna F from the beginning. She´s from LA and also going to Barcelona. We are very different but get along ridiculously well. She thinks I´m hilarious which works out splendidly because she laughs very loudly at all of my jokes!haha Hna L is from Texas, of Spanish heritage, and will be serving in Provo. She is crazy cool and funny. We are like the same person...except she is barely 5 ft, curvalicious and looks mexican...no big deal.ahaha She is a solo sister in another district, but we are all roomies. Sadly, one sister in our district left for home at like 5 this morning-medical reasons. So her companion is tagging along with us for the day and one of us will probably be reassigned as her comp by tonight so our trio of power will separated. I really hope I get to keep Hna F or L as my comp...cross your fingers...
I'm supposed to somehow keep track of people I meet here in the MTC that you all might know...let's see if I can remember...Sisters Hoyt and Hayes (Dad knows them from the institute) have meal times the same as me so we took pics by the map the other day. They are so cute and funny! It's so amazing to see a familiar face and talk...Courtney Koford's younger bro Alex is here, in the intermed spanish class next door to mine. We've talked a few times, and taught each other dicussions for class. He has gym the same time as me and balls it up-which makes me jealous since I can't play unless I find another sister to be on the other team, which doesn't happen often...I met an elder int he breakfast line from Rupert, ID Mom! Elder..Fillipini? or Defillipini? I dunno, but he was impressed by my knowledge about Rupert and Burley. Um I can't think of anyone else.
So kind of depressing news, but Hna F got her visa like last week! She was scheduled to fly out to Madrid next Tuesday but has decided to stay at least another week for personal reasons. So she could go, but she's not...while I can't because I don't have a visa. And I've noticed on my incoming mail it says "1102" as my new departure date...november...after the rest of my district has left if I still don't have a visa. There are A LOT of missionaries waiting for visas from Brazil and Spain. Like a lot. They office told me not to get by hopes up about not getting reassigned stateside and actually getting to go to Madrid... :-( ...so yeah, that's been fun to deal with...but I had a quiet moment in an empty hallway while staring at a drawing of the Madrid MTC on the wall and I just had a feeling that I will get to spend some amount of time at the MTC. And it will be when i'm supposed to be there, however long it is. And I'm supposed to be here now so I better find out why :-)
Thanks everyone for the dearelders and emails! (And Dad for the postcards :-)))) They are moving the bookstore/mailroom into a new building so everything is crazy and mail is sketchy for the next week as well. Thank you Lauren/BRaDeN for the dearelders! Clecca, Cregan and Chandrea-I'm writing you letters today I promise! I love all of you so much and hope that you didn't feel like you just wasted precious time in your life reading this beast! Oh, we got to go to the temple again this morning. It is so amazing to go every week! Mom, a letter is on it's way for you, I promise. Thank you for all the updates and love. They make each day that much better!
Les amo,
Hermana Dalton
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