Week 78: We'll Pluck That Chicken When It Gets Here

5 Questions

1) What did you have to speak on today? How did it go?

2) When do you get to visit with the mission president?

3) Do you get to say goodbye to everyone you want to before coming home?

4) Any suggestions for anything you want us to do to prepare for you? Dad told me not to ask you anything about home. 

5) What has been the best lesson you've learned from your companions?

1. I spoke about missionary work, specifically the Ward fast we're having next Sunday, based on Alma 6:6--we're fasting for "the welfare of the souls who know not God". I had typed it all up by Saturday (and translated it for my companion) and then we had some experiences Saturday that made me want to change some things so I ended up changing a few parts Sunday morning, and then before I spoke, Sis R spoke about love and service and it was just so powerful that I ended up saying some things I hadn't planned on originally, but it was really good. I could feel the Spirit guiding my words and I know that the Spirit was able to touch the hearts of many in the congregation. There truly is no greater feeling than knowing that the Lord has been able to use you for the benefit of His other children.
2. I actually had my departing interview on Friday--the assistants called us during weekly planning on Thursday and we went in to the mission office on Friday. I just love President Griffin so much. We realized that it's kind of like the prophet: we all love President Monson so so much, even though we've never personally met him. I remember hearing in general conference at some point that the love we feel for the prophet is a testament from the Lord to us that that man truly is His prophet. And I believe it's the same with my mission president; I may not know him super well, but man do I love that man! I know that he is truly called of God to preside over this mission at this time.
3. We took LOTS of pictures yesterday....trust me, we said many goodbyes. I love the people here--and everywhere I've served. It's always hard to say goodbye, but I know that everyone here will be fine and I'll be fine. Maybe I'm insensitive or something, but I know I'll see them again because I'll be back in Illinois at some point in my life, probably in the next year or so when some of the people I helped teach go to the temple (I will find a way to be there...haha). But yes, we did say many goodbyes.
4. I really have no idea. I've never returned from a mission before....I know I'm going to want to sleep for probably a day (but I'll probably just sleep in a bit for a couple days because sleeping all day would be SO unproductive). But that's about it.... I've got some projects to do and I'm hoping you'll have some projects for me, and we should definitely spend some time together but that's about as far as I can see....haha sorry. We'll cross that bridge when we get there.
5. President Griffin actually asked me a similar question in my interview, and I think it would have to be when I truly learned to focus. It was my second area and I was struggling with lots of things, but my sweet companion was always there for me and was such a good example of focus. I learned so much from her and it was right when I needed to learn to focus. I really feel that because I learned to focus then, that set the tone for the entire rest of my mission. I am eternally grateful for having learned that from her.

Well, I'm really not sure what to say. 

This week was kind of rough--we knocked more doors and taught fewer lessons than we have since I got to Sycamore-Dekalb. But I know that we worked hard and sought the Spirit, and I know that Heavenly Father is pleased with what we did, even if we don't have numbers to back us up. Because numbers don't really matter. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ care about "the one"; they work on a very individual basis. And so we, as Christ's representatives, do the same. And sometimes, those "one's" don't really want to listen to us, or don't want to change. But I know that as we do our very best (remember: there is no try, only do), Heavenly Father will be pleased and we will know that He is pleased because He will pour out His Spirit upon us. In whatever calling or assignment we are given, He doesn't expect us to be perfect today, or tomorrow, or next week--or ever during out life on earth. But He does expect us to do our best. So while there are things during my mission that I look back on and wish I would've done differently, I know that I can't change the past but I can learn from it. And as I look toward the future, I know that I am, slowly but surely, becoming the person that Heavenly Father intended me to become. I am today someone so different from who I was 18 months ago. And that is a glorious thought. I know that missionary service changes hearts--not only those who are being taught, but those who do the teaching. Because all of us are children of God, and all of us are being refined during our mortal lives. I truly have been sanctified through missionary service, and I know with surety that any person may become sanctified and consecrated through missionary service as well--after all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel (Joseph Smith). Not only because we have brothers and sisters who are kept from the truth because they know not where to find it (D&C 123:12) but because we have been commanded to be perfect, even as our Father in Heaven and our Savior Jesus Christ are perfect (Matthew 5:48; 3 Nephi 12:48). We will not reach that wholeness and completeness indicated by the word "perfect" until after the resurrection, but we may improve and progress throughout this life as we utilize the Savior's atoning sacrifice for us. Not only has He paid the price for our sins and mistakes, but He has taken upon Himself our pains and afflictions and infirmities and weaknesses. And as we come to feel the powerful effects of that great gift actively working in our lives, we will feel so inclined to share it that we cannot be silent. We will feel as Lehi did, as Paul did, as Alma did, as Ammon and Aaron did, that we will actively participate in the work of salvation, so that our brothers and sisters may taste of the great joys of the restored Gospel. It has been such a privilege and a pleasure to do so, full-time, for the past 18 months. I was called of God through His prophet to serve here in the Illinois Chicago West mission, in Bloomington-Normal, in Bloomingdale, in Rochelle, and in Sycamore-Dekalb. And now, through the same inspiration, it is time for my release as a full-time missionary. It is time for the beginning of the rest of my life as a dedicated, consecrated disciple of Christ. I have been taught from on high the past 18 months about how to fulfill my purpose as a daughter of God so that I may bring souls unto Him. And what a joy it has been. And what a joy it will be.

Love, Hermana DeBuck

Fotos:

 

1. Us with Sister Mary Low, a sister in the Sycamore Ward. She wanted to take us out for lunch before I left, so here we are at the China House--she even dressed for the occasion.

2. Us with our investigator Pablo, at the restaurant we teach him at frequently. He is so excited to be baptized! He's taught me a lot about Christlike attributes. (The woman who took our photo was probably really confused...haha)

3. The Rockford South zone: back row (E. Campbell, Hibbard, Jones, McNatt, Hastings, Hahn, Weigel, Trappett) front row (H. Osborne, Beuhner, S. Smith, Allowitz, Havey, Shephard, me, H. Albrechtsen, Webb, Nogueira)

4. Us and the Rochelle Hermanas (Webb and Nogueira). Funnily enough, Hermana Webb is coming here and they're combining the Rochelle and Sycamore Spanish areas again. So they'll be EXTRA busy....but I know they can do it as they seek revelation from the Lord about how to care for the part of His vineyard they've been given.

5. Sunday evening at the McConkie Family home with two of our investigators, Samuel & Imelda; the kids were commissioned to put on a play based on one of Christ's parables, and they chose the Prodigal Son. It was absolutely splendid. (This may be the best method I've yet seen for kids to keep the Sabbath day holy.) We had a blast.

 

6. Bro & Sis Bingham, from Sycamore Ward. They are just the most charitable, Christlike people of all time--I would bet money on that if I were a betting sort of woman. I love these two so much.

 

7. Kelli and us. She's basically the third member of our companionship. 

8. Saul, Francisca and Diego--our golden recent converts. They live above a Chinese restaurant and are such good disciples of Christ. They're honestly better missionaries than we are, for real.

 

 11. Us and the Dekalb Ward Relief Society

12. Us and Jennifer. What a lovely backdrop. Oh, and us.

13. Us and Sister Cadmium Bound. She's about to put her papers in and she goes out with the missionaries all the time. She is amazing.

14. The Henricksen family: Sister Henricksen, Tegan, Molly, Hermana Albrechtssen, me, Andrew, Nyssa.

15. Us and Gonzalo's kids, Gonzalito and Michele. (Gonzalo was up at the sacrament table so he wasn't able to be in the photo....but he blessed the sacrament so that's way better!)

16. Us and Brother Hill, who is also like the third member of our companionship. He served his mission in Mexico City, same mission as [cousin] Taylor. So that was cool when we figured that out. (The world is already small but when you're a member of the Church, I'm pretty sure it becomes minute....)

 

17. The Briscoe family (Sis Briscoe, Lizzie--reports to the MTC this Wednesday for Spanish speaking Carlsbad California mission--Sophie, Elijah, Ben, Bro Briscoe). They're also amazing. (I may say that a lot about members but it's always true)

Week 51: Studies Show You're Always within 3 Feet of These....SPIDERS!

5 Questions:
1) How is this new companionship?  Are things settling into place?
2) Any new investigators?
3) Have you planned any Hispanic weddings lately? (kidding)
4) How is Bishop Walters' family? Did their kids have a great time at EFY and Soccer camp? Are they taking care of you girls?
5) Are you getting used to your new mission president yet?  Also, how's the back feeling?

1. Things are going splendidly in the new companionship. Basically we've just accepted that we're both awkward and we just have a good time together. Plus we work hard and seek the Spirit so it makes for a pretty good companionship, if I do say so myself.

2. Actually, yes. We have found quite a few new investigators. Sort of, anyway. Basically we just made appointments with a bunch of people that we'd taught but didn't make return appointments with. Which makes them new investigators.

The first one this week (I don't remember if I've talked about him before) is Tequila. He's from Tequila, MX and his real name is Aurelio but he calls himself Tequila. The first time we met him, he told us he doesn't drink water he just drinks Bud Light. But he was awesome. Anyway, we'd made an appointment with him for late Monday evening and when we got there he was super distracted and wasn't paying attention. We tried teaching him how to pray and he couldn't remember step one, two steps later...anyway  so we (I) got pretty straight up with him and asked him what his problem was, essentially. He attributed it to the fact that he's moving this week and he had a bunch of work to do and whatnot. I told him, "You know what hermano, we have a lot of work to do too. Do you know what work we do?" I made him look me in the eye, and he said "What?" somewhat half-heartedly. "The salvation of souls." That is the work we do. So, while I do love this man, he just isn't ready for the Gospel right now. He will be ready someday, but it wasn't this week. So he became a new  investigator, and then we had to drop him for now. But it's okay. He'll come round. I know he will.

The second one was Gonzalo Bautista. We met him a while ago, and he seemed really interested. He's originally from Guadalajara and he told us he lives about 7 blocks from the temple out there. He told us he loves Mormons because they're so "brotherly". haha cool. (: he's this cute little old man. Anyway, we couldn't set up an appointment because he was working in the milpas (corn fields) so he didn't have a schedule. But now the siega is over (harvest) so we called him on Friday and set up an appt for Sunday. Only, it was quite possibly the creepiest phone call of my entire life. I mean, I would say I've been hit on by more old Latino men than I can count, but this was by far the worst. And it was through the phone too. Anyway, we're pretty sure he was super drunk because when we talked to him Sunday to see if he was back in town or not, he was back to how he was when we first met him. So that was good. But then he was still in Elgin so he wasn't there for the appt. But we'll see him this week for sure. He seemed so ready for the Gospel so I'm excited to teach him. And the last two. Oh man. Buckle your seat belts because I'm about to tell you concerning the worst day of my  mission--and then the second best day of my mission.

So Friday. We had lunch with Hermana Doelman (she recently moved in from AZ and she goes out with us all the time. She's an angel.) and then we had an appt with a senora we've been teaching for a  while, named Maria. She doesn't pick up the doctrine super quickly so we teach her very simply, but she was open to learning more. However, her husband, when we taught him and her the Restoration and invited them to be baptized when they know these things are true, he told us that he thought it was a sin to change religions after he's been in his church for so long. So we knew he wasn't interested or ready. But then on Friday, we took our Relief Society President, Sister Dettman, to teach Maria. And we were just asking Maria about her reading in the Book of Mormon when her husband interrupted us and started going off about how they're wasting our time because they're not going to change and we all believe the same thing anyway. And I honestly felt like I was going to be sick. The Spirit of God was NOT present in that room. It was awful, I tell you.

Also, normally, when people start going off like that, I start to just get really frustrated because I don't  understand how they can't see that this is what God wants for them and it is the only way they can be with their families after death and forever. But this time, I recognized the irritation beginning and I just plead with my Heavenly Father that He would give me His love for this man. So, as I listened to this hermano reject every testimony that we offered and every blessing we promised, tears welled up in my eyes. I couldn't help it. It legitimately hurt my heart that he was being kept from the truth by the subtle craftiness of men. But one eternal truth is that of agency. We can't force the truth on anyone. So we left them with a prayer and I think it was the most fervently I've ever prayed in my  head while my companion offered a prayer aloud. Someday his heart will be softened and he and his wife will accept the restored Gospel, and then be sealed as husband and wife for time and all eternity. I was still a bit choked up after the fact, mind you. But we still had Sister Dettman with us so of course we needed to find someone to teach.

Our first back up was a cute old lady we'd met sometime in July, named Irene. I didn't think she'd be home, but when we were putting in back ups I felt like she should be in our plans. When we knocked on the door, her husband Jose answered (like always)  and said his wife wasn't home. He suggested we try back Saturday when she doesn't work. But we hadn't gone there for nothing so we asked if we could share a message with him. And he said sure! At this point my heart was perking up because at least someone was open to listening to the Gospel. And then, to make a long story short, Jose accepted everything we said as truth, without the bat of an eyelash. The following words actually came out of his mouth: "I believe it. I believe he saw God and Jesus Christ." JOSE BELIEVES THAT JOSEPH SMITH SAW GOD THE FATHER AND HIS SON JESUS CHRIST BEFORE HE EVEN PRAYED ABOUT IT!!!!!! Oh my stinking french fries. It was seriously a dream come true. Like, I can't even describe how amazing it was. I will say that my  testimony of the fall increased that day. Because in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve didn't know joy because they didn't know misery. How many times have I said something to that effect? More than I can count. And that phrase become so chillingly real last Friday. Because we had just faced probably the worst rejection of my entire mission, the sweetness of this sincere man's faith was more precious than almost any other moment I've experienced. I know that Heavenly Father truly answers prayers. Because, in that moment, I needed a reason to keep going. And boy did He give it to me. So, in a nutshell, the new investigators are going very well. We have an appt with Jose and Irene for next Saturday. And he basically committed to come to church next week. (He told us that after  we'd first met them and told them where the church was, one day they drove by because they wanted to see it. How cool is that?!

3. Thankfully no. haha we did have an English wedding a bit ago, but I think I told you about that. We didn't go to the wedding itself but we did help decorate. It turned out very nice if I do say so myself.

4. I think they're good, the Walters. I actually haven't heard anything lately about Addison but I imagine he's doing well on his mission. Kelly has had a bit of a rough first week of school, but I
think she's on the upswing again. And I believe she had a good time at EFY....I dunno. haha and Zane...oh man. This kid is so funny. He's always super little-brother-ly with the Elders but he was actually treating me like a sister yesterday. That was kind of fun. haha I think soccer camp was good. We actually had a branch activity last Thursday--put on by the Elders--so we played sports (all the women played a game called Kwizniac. It's so fun!) and it looked like Zane was probably beating everyone. But then I imagine they made the teams a bit more even or something. I dunno. But they're all good.

5. The new mission president is amazing! Man I just love him so much.  I don't know what it is but just being in the same room as him makes a person feel so much more energized! It's so great. He and his wife were exactly what this mission needed. It sounds like we're going to be seeing some changes in how the meetings are held and various things so I'm excited to see what happens. It's going to be awesome. And my back is doing okay. Did I tell you we think it's just out of alignment? So basically I've decided that if it acts up again, I'll talk to Sister Griffin about going to see a chiropractor or something. Because that's basically the way to fix it, so I'm told. But we'll see. I imagine I'll be fine for the next long while.

Well, that's about it this week. I already told you the biggest story. But just wanted to share something I learned this morning during my studies.

In Alma chapter 37, Alma (the younger) is basically teaching his son Helaman everything he needs to know in order to be the prophet. And, as a member in my last area pointed out, you'd think he'd  reveal some sort of grand secret. But he doesn't. It's so simple and straight forward and that's how we all need to live our lives, whether we're a prophet or not.

Also, in verse 16, Alma is giving his son charge concerning the scriptures that have been kept by all the ancient American prophets. And he tells him of his sacred charge, that he must appeal to God in all things concerning them. And I realized that that verse applies to all of us, as members of the  Church of Jesus Christ. Because the Lord has entrusted us with something sacred. For me, He has entrusted me with the spiritual welfare of the children of God in Rochelle, IL. For you, it may be the spiritual welfare of an entire ward, or maybe just a 9 year old Primary class. But nonetheless, He has entrusted you with something sacred. And you absolutely MUST appeal to Him in all things concerning them. And the promise is that, as you do that, "no power of earth or hell can take them from you, for God is powerful to the fulfilling of all his words." And I know that that is true. God will fulfill all his promises (see verse 17). He always has been a promise keeper and He always will be. So the question that remains to be answered is this: are you a promise keeper?

Abrazo de,
Hermana DeBuck

Fotos:

1. We had a Relief Society activity where we displayed our talents. Well, Hermana Henricksen and I hadn't prepared anything, but we brought a cake so we decided to do some frosting painting. (:
Everyone was very impressed. hahaha

 2. Me with a dragon. Enough said.

3. One of the sisters makes chain mail. So this is a chain mail dragon. How cool, right?!

4. We decided to draw out the Gospel of Jesus Christ for a Facebook post. I'm pretty proud, just saying.

Week 45: How 'Bout Them Oranges?

5 Questions:

1)  Have you met your new Mission Pres yet?  What do you think?

2)  Did you get the message about what type of iPad you have in Mahonri--exactly which model???--so we can order the right case/keyboard?  (PS--I saw a"lost" set of scriptures in the church today that was printed "Mahonri Moricanumer" on the front cover.  Made me laugh.)

3)  Did you get the first package yet? 

4)  What kind of meeting did you have on the 7th that you might get the package?  I can't remember.

5)  It is weird to you that friends you graduated with who are already coming home from missions?!? 

1. Yes. haha he's so funny! So President Griffin is originally from South Carolina (if I'm not mistaken) and so he has a southern accent. Basically the first thing he told us is that we can be obedient AND have fun. Nowhere in the scriptures does it say we have to have long faces while we're enduring to the end. So the obedience in this mission isn't going to decrease (it should increase in all honesty) but we are going to try to have more fun, I suppose is what he basically said. President and Sister Griffin are definitely different from President and Sister Fenn, but I wouldn't say one is better than the other. I love them all so much and I know I needed to have both presidents for my mission president.

2. I did get the message; Mahonri is an iPad mini 2 (with retinal display, if that matters). And I'm glad you finally heard more information about the whole iPad thing. I was beginning to wonder if you ever would...but so my understanding (just wanna make sure we're on the same page) is that since I'm going home after 31 August 2015 I get to/have to buy Mahonri and will keep him after I'm released. Is that what you were told?

3. I did. Thank you! I really enjoyed the Johnny Lingo bit--did you write that or did you find it online somewhere?--and as far as the garments go, the bottoms were a little too tight (I could fit but it wasn't particularly comfortable) so I would ask you get a size bigger, and that should be fine. And with the tops, that is the smallest size right? I can't remember... Also, thank you for the CD and the journals. I just wrote the last day in the one I had so it was right on time! And I haven't opened whatever is wrapped yet; I'm gonna wait until my actual birthday. (Speaking of, so we're having a branch party/activity on 1 August, to celebrate the birthday of the branch, and Hna LaBonte volunteered to make tres leches cake so we're going to have tres leches cake for my birthday and for the branch birthday. haha) (:

4. On the 7th we just met President and Sister Griffin. We did get a little bit more training, from the both of them and from the assistants, but that's it. It was really great though! Elders Higley and Hansen taught about the three degrees of motivation (which I'd learned from Elder Higley while he was my zone leader in Peoria) but man, it's so good. I can't remember if I've written about it before or not, but anyway, the idea is that we want to be obedient (of course) but for the right reason--because we love God.

5. It is super weird! I can't believe we've been graduated for two whole years....who said that was okay...? So I guess the next thing to happen is all those young return missionary men get engaged....eek. I'd rather not contemplate life after the mission....but cool. This last week I got an email from a friend from high school entitled "My last email as a missionary....." Oof. It kind of gave me chills. I've always thought, every time there are departing testimonies at zone conference, and they all say "I never thought this day would come", I always thought that was silly. But now I feel like I understand better. I mean, mentally and logically I know the end will come, eventually, but it doesn't really feel real. Because you literally do the same thing all day every day beginning from day one. And then suddenly it's supposed to just stop? Excuse me? But yeah, that's how it works I suppose. Until 3 March 2016 comes around, I'm going too keep working hard and smart, as though that day will never come. Because that is how you're supposed to serve a mission.

I don't even know where to begin, this week was so amazing! But I suppose it would be good to start at the beginning, no? I will try to keep this somewhat short, and only talk about the highlights, but there were so many! Buckle up, peeps....

Monday: after our dinner appointment with our recent convert, due to an unplanned lesson that set our schedule back, we had about 20 minutes before 9:00. And we were about 10 or so minutes from our house, so we had about 10 minutes to work. We didn't know what to do with those ten precious minutes so we prayed, and we both received the same confirming revelation of the plans that we had made last night--to visit the family of an investigator with a lot of potential who is currently in Mexico. So we went and ended up finding the daughter of that investigator. Her name is Brenda. We found out she'd heard a bit about what her mom was learning but wasn't interested, but now she is! So we taught a really quick lesson and set up a time to come back, on Wednesday. 

Lesson learned: seek revelation and you will receive it (James 1:5; 3 Nephi 14:7-8)

Tuesday: In the evening, we had plans to knock doors. Usually, this is effective until about 8 but we had plans to do so from about 6-9. A somewhat grim prospect perhaps, but I was excited. I love knocking doors. We went to 7th Avenue and began knocking. At one door, we met a young man named Ivan (he's either 21 or 28, we couldn't ever hear the last digit...) and he was really cool! We had a great spiritual doorstep lesson, but then at the end, he basically told us that he wasn't ready for this right now, so we testified that one day he will be and it will help him answer his questions. Then, it was about 8:45, so we were walking back to our car and we see a man sitting on the porch of an apartment building. Of course we had to talk to him! We ended up showing him the video Because He Lives and as soon as it's over he stands up, walks over to us (I was thinking "Is he gonna punch us or something?") And then he awkwardly embraces the both of us, one in each arm, while he's standing on the step above us....if that's not one of the most awkward things you've ever heard, I don't know what is. Anyway, one thing led to another and we sort of taught him the restoration, specifically about the Book of Mormon. And when we asked if he would be baptized by someone holding God's authority when he knows these things are true, he said, "Absolutely". Cool! Also, two times after the first he embraced us just as he had at the beginning. Triply awkward....ah well. And then of course we didn't have an English Book of Mormon so we ran to the car, drove back, gave it to him with an "assignment" to read Alma 32 (he was really into faith in Jesus Christ) and then we basically handed him off to the elders. (Anytime I serve in English church units, I feel like we do a lot of finding for the English missionaries.....is it just me or is that a normal Spanish missionary thing? haha)

Lesson learned: talk to everyone, because you never know when you'll be an answer to someone's prayer--or when someone will be the answer to your prayer (Alma 8:18-20)

Wednesday: don't be afraid to ask if we can come in and share more--some people do say yes! (Alma 22:1-3)

Wednesday: was exchanges. For the second time in my ten months, I left my area. This time I went to Wheaton, and I was with Hermana Montanares. It was quite a lot of fun. She and I are pretty similar and I felt like we worked well together. We had a member with us at one point to visit a referral from another member, but then they didn't answer. So we did some knocking in a neighborhood that didn't look Latino hardly at all....but eventually we found one that housed some Latinos! The man we talked to, turns out he had read the Book of Mormon before, when he was 14, because it was easier to understand than the Bible. We got to teach him about what the Book of Mormon is and why its necessary, and he seemed pretty open. However, he told us at one point that he doesn't believe in churches, because they're made by man. I asked him, "You know that Jesus Christ established a church when he was on the earth, right?" He said, "Yes" so I asked "So we should be a part of church, right?" And he said "Yes, but only if was Christ's church." *smile* "Well, that is the message that we share; that the church Christ established has been brought back to the earth through a modern prophet." Anyway, I was pretty complacida with myself because in situation like that, I tend to get frustrated and end up saying something that kind of drives the spirit away, but that time I kept it together! So happy. (:

Lesson learned: don't be afraid to ask if we can come in and share more--some people do say yes! (Alma 22:1-3)

Thursday: basically did almost nothing today, because we had so much driving and then weekly planning. However, planning was a revelatory experience for us! We came to the realization that we need to focus on just one of our investigators. Because while we do want to set and achieve higher goals, we need to start with the basics, and just focus on one person: Jose. So, that is exactly what we will do.

Lesson learned: even though we want to set and achieve high goals, we need to start with the basics--in our area, we need to focus on our investigator Jose, otherwise he's more likely to fall through the cracks (Alma 26:30)

Friday: We had an appointment with one of our really promising new investigators and she wasn't there; granted, we were a bit early so we decided to wait around for a bit. In order to be productive still, we tried calling the investigators we had numbers for that we hadn't had contact with for a while. One of them is Stefani. She's a YSA (young single adult) who seemed interested in knowing for herself in what we said was true, but we hadn't been able to meet with her again hace algunos semanas (for some weeks). We called her and she picked up! She was still super nice and sincere and wants to learn more--the problem is that she's so busy because she's in the military (I have no more details on that, sorry) and is working and going to school. But we were able to set up an appointment for next week before she goes out of town, which made her a new investigator! Then, our appointment never did show up so we decided to go by another new investigator nearby, named Gloria. And she was home and answered! We ended up teaching her and her 8, almost 9, year old son. She'd actually read from the Book of Mormon since our first visit and was in 1 Nephi 3, so we kind of recapped the beginning and read the rest with her and her son, Humberto. And for all of you who aren't familiar with the story of that chapter, it's when Nephi and his brothers go to get the plates (scriptures) from Laban, back in Jerusalem. Long story short, quite fitting for an 8-turninng-9 year old, wouldn't you say? He was pretty attentive and Gloria really understood it well, plus the doctrines that go along with the story. It was an awesome lesson that we totally hadn't planned for but I know because we were in the right place at the right time following the Spirit, Heavenly Father blessed us.

Lesson learned: You can't give up on someone just because they haven't answered their phone--we ended up with a new investigator (by giving her a call and setting up an appointment) and an other lesson (because we went by and she was finally home, and we taught her and her 8-almost-9-year-old son about Nefi, Laman and Lemuel) (Mosiah 27:8-20)

Saturday: Well, we followed the Spirit all morning and reaped the fruits of our labors, so to speak, and then we both felt we had finished all that we needed to do in a part of our area, so we decided to go somewhere else--which wasn't in our plans--and we ended up finding three men outside of the house where we were looking for our potential investigator. Normally, I'm not a fan of talking to more than two men at a time, but this time we did and we ended up having a lesson! And man, this hermano, Arturo, is very sincere in his desire to change his life. It was a really cool "coincidence" (the notion of coincidences is a heresy, so I'm told) and we made a return appointment for the next day--with his whole family!

Lesson learned: unless the Spirit explicitly tells you not to talk to that slightly scary-looking group of men, talk to them! You literally never know who is being prepared to receive the Gospel. (Alma 32:4-6)

Sunday: We had an appointment with someone we'd met and taught yesterday (not Arturo) and then no one answered when we went by, so we went to our back up plan: to knock doors. Wooh! To be quite honest though, I wasn't thrilled at this point to be knocking. It was blazing hot and I thought I was going to die. (I could never live in Illinois....) we finally get to the next number we have and we find out its an apartment building. And we have no apartment number. There are four options and so we finally just pick one and knock. And we meet Julian, who asked us questions pertaining to the Plan of Salvation. Then his wife came to the door and they kind of switched places (he recently had surgery so the heat was kind of giving him trouble I think) and we ended up teaching her the restoration! Once again, doing some finding for the English elders. haha but yeah, they were pretty cool and they even gave us cold water bottles! So thoughtful.

Lesson learned: You stay in an area until you find out why you're there, and then you begin to harvest! (Alma 18:12-23)

(Also, as a side note, we got to teach an Englishman today--a legitimate, born and raised, English accent, Englishman. Granted, he was maybe 16 years old, but it definitely still counts. Plus, I'm pretty sure he is totally ready to learn about the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, which we just happened to have prepared to teach for our finding lesson at the Walters--he was staying with them. So that's an added bonus.)

So all in all, this week was really super awesome. The Gospel is true no matter what anyone says about it. Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, called to receive revelation for our days. But it is up to us if we will listen to God's counsel given through him or if we will ignore it and continue to wander in the mists of darkness (1 Nephi 8). I know the Book of Mormon changes lives because it has changed mine and it has changed the lives of many people I've come in contact with. I know God answers prayers no matter what, just sometimes it takes a little more time than we think it will. And above all else, the question He wants YOU to ask is if there is more truth out there, if there's even the slightest chance that what I share, daily, as a missionary is true--if it has the potential to change your life. When was the last time you asked?

Todo Mi Amor,

Tu Hija y Amiga,

Hermana DeBuck

Sent from my iPad

Fotos:

The corn is still uneven....so we found the tallest corn near the edge that we could find, and we also took a photo by our regular spot. But hey, at least they're growing!

Week 40: If I Were More Enlightened, I'd Glow!

5 Questions:

1) Any word yet on the field trip potential to Carthage the end of the month?  I wrote to Sister Brytni Butler and told her to watch for you in case you got to go there.

2) Do you need us to put more money in your UCCU account for you?  Looks like you've had several overdrafts to cover your expenses this past month.  I did put $50 in last week, but maybe I need to do that regularly for you?

3) Did I tell you Brittany Wolferts got married two weeks ago?  I'll try to attach Wen-Di Adair's photos I saw were shared on Facebook for you.

4) Has it turned summer there yet?  Man it got hot this week!  But then we also got heavy downpours mixed in.  Like Spring wasn't ready to let go completely yet.

5) Any other advice you can give me to help Cameron mentally and spiritually prepare for a mission?

1. Nope, not yet.

2. Well I don't really need more money....I should just stop spending money is the thing. Except we just found this little mall that's basically like mini Mexico. But how about this: will you tell me what my account balances are for all the accounts I have? Because I don't want to be a financial burden for you, family. Because you're already paying every month. So will you tell me what my balances are for all the accounts and then next week I may ask you to put some of my savings in checking. We'll see.

3. When I first saw the pictures, I couldn't figure out who they were of....Brittney is lovely! I mean,  she's always been lovely but in the pictures she seriously looks like a model. Wow. And she looks so
happy. Man that's so great. (:

4. Yes, I think. The weather here is even more bipolar than Utah and so it'll be maybe 50 degrees and rainy one next and then blazing hot the next. Today the car told us its 90 degrees. Man, I always thought summer was my favorite season, but now I think I prefer winter.....gah! I'm going to die of the heat and June just barely started...

5. Decide now to go and not go home. No matter what.


Well, this week has been quite the learning experience. But I'm definitely the better for it. I know I've said it before but the mission is so hard. Not to dissuade anyone from going on a mission because it's also the single greatest thing that I've ever done and probably will ever do. And I know that it'll be something that affects my entire existence. I am so grateful for everything I've learned and everything I will learn because I served a mission. President Fenn has taught me so much, as well as each of my companions. And I know everything I'm learning is preparing me for something else. For which I am very grateful. Most recently, I learned that we are sanctified through suffering. It's not enough to be  righteous; we must be sanctified in the end. And the trials through which we pass are customized for each of us individually, in order to gain the most experience and knowledge we possibly can from this mortal life. Our loving Heavenly Father knows us personally and He won't give us something we can't handle, but we must face it head on in order to overcome. Much like a ship on the waves, we much face the headwind or capsize. It's our choice.

I love the Gospel, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to share it with everyone I see.

Love, Hermana DeBuck

Week 36

Man, I'm so glad that you (and the mission) taught me to be modest, Mama. Thank you for your example and testimony. I know working in the temple is going to be one of the greatest blessings in your life, because this mission is one of mine--the only difference between us is that I'm doing the work of salvation for the living, and you for the dead. I know D&C 18:10-16 applies just as much to you as it does to me. 

One of the biggest things I've learned so far (I'm compiling a list and I can only imagine how extensive it will be after 18 months...) is about the commandment to be perfect. I'm sure you know that the translation actually means "whole" or "complete" but there are a couple interpretations of that, or levels I suppose. The first is that we are perfected by entering into the ordinances of the Gospel--baptism, endowment, sealing--and therefore, in that sense, you are perfect. However, Joseph Smith taught that no man has reached perfection in a moment, and Elder McConkie taught that no one will reach perfection in life. What we do have to do is get on the path and stay on the path. We keep moving forward, becoming perfect line upon line, grace for grace. And if we stay on the Gospel path, once we pass from this life to the next, we will never fall off the path. This life is the time to prepare to meet God, so that is exactly what we must do. We are here to be proven, but not graded. The final judgment will not pass upon us u till after the resurrection, and I have it on good sources that the second coming is still yet a ways off--many things must happen first. Our responsibility in this life is to enter into sacred ordinances and to remain true and faithful to our covenants until the end of our earthly lives. And I know with all that heart that even if perfection as we consider it is not possible, that that type of perfection is. And I know that you are on the right path.

I love you so very much Mama. And I know I'm where I need to be, and that you're where you need to be. Thank you for everything you've taught me over the course of my nearly 20 (gag) years.

Todo mi amor,

To Hija,

Hermana DeBuck

CCM: Week 4 What I Wish I Had Known

Mom/Editor notes:  these are the questions I asked her this week, which she answered in her letter first off:

5 Questions:

1) Did you leave your little iPod charger plugged in in the family room?  We found one there and didn't remember whose it was. It looks newer, so I thought it might be yours.  I hope you took your new one with you.

2) Can you print the attached sheet music?  Or do I need to send a hard copy too?

3) Did you get to watch the Women's Meeting?  Or is that for the Hermanas while the Elders are in Priesthood meeting Saturday night?

4) Did you get the other letter I sent via the Mexico MTC package service?  I'm curious with the time frame of getting it to you.

5) How is the laundry situation for you at the CCM? Are the facilities like school? Are your clothes getting clean enough?  Do you have enough supplies?

Primera, respuestas:

1. I nunca charged my iPod in the family room....so it's not mine.

2. I don't believe we can print. If we can, we've gotta supply the paper. But I just drew/wrote the music down for Come Thou Fount. It was so dim that my photo of the computer screen wasn't visible. The other one will be fine. I used to have it memorized so I think once I play it some more I'll be fine.

3. We didn't watch the women's meeting last Saturday, but we get to watch it this Saturday mientra the elderes watch the session de sacerdocio. We are stoked. I've loved Conference for a long time--especially once I began taking apuntes--but this time is unlike any other. I can't explain it. I mean, we have devotionals here two or three times a week, but conferencia general is gonna be like devotionals on steroids, times five. So, yeah, we are pretty dang excited. And then, our last Sunday, our topic for talks is our favorite discurso from conferencia general. So, it'll be even more fantastic.

4. I got two letters in the mail from the Dear Elder thing (one I got the email of first) but nothing else. Well, I did get a letter from Grandma Jo--I will write back Grandma, I'm just a slacker--but nothing else from you guys. So if there is something else, no I have not gotten it.

5. I'm good on laundry supplies. In our casa we have three washing machines and three dryers--though one doesn't work at all--so it's fine. We don't have to pay for it so that's super bien. I believe my clothes are getting clean enough.... I feel clean, anyway. And I guess that's what really matters.

Mamá, ¡es una mujer loca! I know Scott really appreciates everything you do at work, but just in case you need another reminder: you're awesome. Really. You've taught me so much sobre working hard and giving every task my all. Por ejemplo, ayer for servicio, we got to help fold laundry--we don't have to wash our own sheets every week--and I got put on the crew folding fitted sheets. The cute latino hombre taught us how to and the whole time I was thinking, "mi mamá me enseñó cómo hacer este." You are great. Mis hermanas were saying they wished they knew how to do that previously. So, thanks to you, I'm one step ahead of the game. Gracias.

A dear friend on our ward was going through some tough times, and I asked Jill to include her in her prayers

I will definitely keep Doris in my prayers. She is such a fantastic ejemplo para yo y todas las chicas en el barrio. (I can't remember the word for ward, only branch...) Por favor, diga a ella que yo le amo. Mucho.

We found out this week that we're actually an intermediate Spanish class. That was a little weird. Mis elderes (specifically Elder Olsen) said I ought to be in the same class as los latinos. ja, yeah right. They're sweet though. I also found out today that Olsen's familia found my blog. So, if the Olsen familia is reading this, shout out to you guys! Sister Olsen, you have raised quite a good young man, though I'm sure you knew that already. Though we tease him about "Isabel", he really is a fantastic missionary--plus she left today. He's decided that lecciones are better when he doesn't write anything down for them. (I can see his point.) He does such a good job as our líder de distrito. He may be silly frequently, but he has some really good spiritual insights when he tries. And I don't know how much he's told you, but we decided what animal everyone is most like: he's a flamingo. He disagrees, but he is, he is. And we all love him.

Mamá, please get Cameron for this next paragraph or so. This is going to be specifically for him.

Cameron: sorry about your calc test. But who said this was going to be easy? Because I guarantee I didn't say anything of the sort. But, need I remind you: you are a strong, independent [man] who won't let no calculus test bring him down! Look, in all seriousness, you are a brilliant kid. And I know we've told you before, but you just need to apply yourself. Look at how far you've come with golf. Do the same exact thing with calculus! You had Henry for golf; find yourself a tutor or a friend who will help you through it every day. I'm willing to be that Amy will help you when she has the time. You golfed hours on end EVERY day this summer. You need to apply yourself just as much with math. I know you've got other responsibilities, but you really need to apply yourself in class. And then set aside some time EVERY day for calculus. If something doesn't make sense, then call up a friend who can help you out. I know you've got the resources, you social butterfly, you. If I were a commercial, you know what I'd say? Just do it! Plus, YouTube has some great stuff on there about math. Use the Internet--productively. I promise you can do it. If you put in all the time that you can and then pray for help, I promise you that you will succeed. (I'm a missionary remember, and I do not tell lies nor slander.) Success may not be exactly what you want it to be, but it will be success all the same. I promise you. Okay? Okay. Good talk. P.S. What was the name that you always called Trent? Not that I want to call him that, but I've a point to prove with Jensen. I can't remember what it was, but you always had one specific name for him....remind me, please. Thank you. Love you, brah.

Sorry about your visiting teaching, Mamá. I imagine in a month or so I'll be able to really relate to that....but I'll worry about that when the time comes.

That Medical Explorers thing sounds fantastic! Man, I don't know exactly what suturing pigs feet will be like but it sounds thrilling! Wish I could do that....I miss chemistry and bio so much. I know, I'm such a nerd....but I do. Today, I was talking with Hermana Capps about my knee grinding and she said it's probably my meniscus. My first thought was the meniscus in a test tube or graduated cylinder.....I'm such a dork. I know. But, when you're a biochem major, what else do you expect?

Cam and I were asked to "chaperone" a singles dance last week and I told Jill about that experience.

A 30+ singles dance....? That just sounds....painful. Oh man. I feel for Amy and Chris and Heather. No está bien....that's rough. I don't even want to contemplate that. I can't even contemplate dating in 17 months. Uh, yeah, just, no.

Oh man. Talk about rain. EVERY single time it rains super badly, I'm wearing those off-white flats I have--that have holes in them. Oh my goodness. It's awful. My feet are soggy and gross way too frequently. No me gusta.... I love the lluvia, but not having mojados feet.

Sunday was our annual Sacrament meeting Primary Program

Glad the Primary Program went well. All three of my hermanas taught primary at one point and liked it and I was just like...I subbed a few times...and I never wanted to go back.....ah well. Maybe someday I'll like Primary. Just kidding. I mean, hopefully maybe but I am doubtful. Which means I will most assuredly be in the black hole of the church at some point....wow don't I sound like quite the optimist....lo siento, mamá.

I told her of plans for care packages to two darling friends in the Provo MTC prior to their leaving fro foreign countries soon.

Oh hey, speaking of Josh: I saw him! I mean, we watched a live streaming devotional last Tuesday (I think) and he was singing in the choir. I watch for Maddie every time but have yet to see her....ah well. I think it's more fun than playing I Spy for Mr. Whitaker during conferencia....I should probably pay more attention, but it's kind of hard to take notes during a choir number. I will say that it's kind of weird to hear english music now...when we have live devotionals from provo and they put the words on the screen, Presidente Pratt makes us find it in our himnos and sing it in Spanish....it's kind of weird. Watching the chorister is trippy when he's singing the wrong words, too. If you get ambitious, try singing along to a song during conferencia in español. Es muy divertido. But, don't feel pressured to do that. It's just kind of fun and trippy.

Okay, so: antes I tell about my week, I have compiled a list of things I wish I would have known prior to entering el CCM, and some things I'm glad I knew. Here it is:

1. Bring laundry detergent and dryer sheets. The Tide pods work fantastically. You can buy laundry detergent at la tienda, but it's kind of a hassle. Each tiny bottle is only good for two loads, is my understanding....but those are your options. Also, you don't have to wash you sheets. Just take them off every Monday morning and put them in the pile of sheets by the door. Then get a new stack of sheets at the end of the day from the closet by the cleaning supplies. That is really great.

2. Hermanas, you are required to wear a slip. 24/7. So don't forget one. I did, and had to buy one at la tienda. They're about 80 pesos, I think. So not terribly expensive, but I wish I would've just brought mine.

3. You're going to use muchos papeles. Bring notebooks to write in. Especially if you're learning a language. Mi compañera es muy listo. She has one notebook for spiritual stuff (devotionals and classes and whatnot) and one for Spanish stuff, including lesson plans. Do things like that. You can buy notebooks here, including a cool little binder thing to reuse with notebooks (I would highly recommend getting one because where else are you gonna get something like that? Exactly.) But you'll want paper.

4. You don't need bedding here en el CCM. However, you do need towels. Do NOT forget towels...that would be bad. Those microfiber towels work really well, and I would suggest bringing a towel for your feets when you get out of the shower. Currently there is no rug on the floor and the floor gets really quite disgusting....so, be warned.

5. It's actually cold here in México, on occassion. You probably ought to bring sweaters and cardigans and leggings and other warm things. I would also suggest bringing boots. You will use them. Promise. Though, it is extremely hard to guess when it's going to rain (and when I say rain I mean, pour.)

6. Definitely bring an umbrella. I don't care where you're going after the CCM. You will want an umbrella. Also, rain coat. That would be a good idea. Yeah.

7. You're given oodles of language help books, plug Preach My Gospel and Predicad Mi Evangelio & español escrituras--no need to bring your own. So many books, so little time. Seriously.

8. If you like water, bring a water bottle. They do have their own clean water here so you won't need a filter during your stay in el CCM, and they will give you a water bottle with a filter before you leave. (We've been told everyone gets one regardless of where they'll be serving. Not positive on the truthfulness of that information though--stateside is questionable.)

9. You'll get a "debit card" of sorts to use at the tienda. Do NOT just throw away the paper that it comes on. There is a PIN underneath where the card is. Do not lose that PIN. If you do, to check your balance or withdraw pesos or anything, there will be a fee. Just, don't lose it. Hermanas will begin with 120 pesos on the card and then get 120 each Wednesday for the next four weeks. Elderes begin with 100 and get 100 each week for four weeks. So if you forgot something you desperately need, you'll be okay. Most likely.

10. If you want to buy things at the temple book store, bring cash. You can exchange American dinero for pesos, but Finanzas en el Recepción building has weird hours. So get that all figured out in advance before you go to the temple. You can't use cards at the bookstore. Only cash. Also, in case you're wondering, the scripture cases I got are 45 pesos each (90 for the set), and then there are t-shirts, as well as Mexican looking shirts and skirts (for Hermanas). They also have HLJ rings, and bookmarks and lots of other fun things. Lots of people will get scripture cases for family members or other things as gifts. So, look forward to that trip.

11. Hermanas, you're not allowed to wear earrings here that are longer than an inch long. So...yeah. That didn't affect me, but Hermana Powell says that most of the earrings she brought are too long. So watch out.

12. When I asked mis elderes for their top piece of advice, they all agreed unanimously: more corbatas (ties). You can bring more than you'll wear and even some you don't want to wear to trade ties with people or give them to gifts (hermanas, you may want to bring some for your elderes. I promise you'll learn to love them.) So, lots of ties. That's the number one things from mis elderes.

13. My hermanas said more skirts and shoes. We decided a black skirt is necessary, as well as white and grey and navy. We were told that we're not allowed to wear Toms because they're canvas and the rain is kind of a problem with that, but I still wear mine because they're not too casual looking (they're sparkly black Bobs). But I wish I would have brought a pair of black flats. As well as nude flats. Also, I'm wishing I would have brought more/different shirts. Bring shirts you love, not just shirts that match everything. Also, wish I had more shirts that don't need to be layered. Because it gets hot here....cardigans are great because they keep you warm when you're cold and you can just take it off when its too hot.

14. Elder Jensen's piece of advice: "it doesn't suck." Enough said.

15. The food here IS good. Yes, there is a lot of authentic Mexican food, but there is cereal for almost every meal, plus milk, and they frequently have nutella and peanut and bread by a whole line up of toasters. Peanut butter and nutella sandwiches are heaven sent some days. But you'll like the food. Just give it a chance. However, you may want to bring your own snacks. Mexican candy is an acquired taste. Mis hermanas wish they would've brought Swedish fish and Tootsie Rolls and chocolate and things. You'll want some normal American treats every once in a while...

16. You'll want more SD cards than you think. I've brought a total of 32 GB, and I think I'll be okay, but if you take a lot of pictures, you may want more. I dunno. Also, I would strongly suggest getting an SD card reader that works (test it before you get here.) It is fantastic. Plus, then if you get sent pictures you can put the pictures on your SD card and have them for sure. Also, you could probably set up a Dropbox account for pictures instead of using so many SD cards. Just get it set up before arriving, and then email the link to your myldsmail account so you can easily access it. I didn't do this, so I'm just guessing that it would work. I know some missionaries do that.

17. I wish I would have brought one or two more pairs of shorts for gym. We're not allowed to wear spandex of any kind. Some loose fitting sweats (from the PJ section of Target) would also be advisable. If you don't get too hot when you work out....I'm probably gonna invest in some when I get to Illinois.

18. I wish I would have brought more T-shirts too. Mostly I brought black T-shirts and my shorts are black as well...so I look a little odd. But yeah. If you don't sweat a ton or work out that hard, I wouldn't worry about it. These are just my musings.

19. Tide-to-Go pens. You will want these. Whether or not you are prone to being messy, I would bet money (if I were a gambling sort of missionary) that a member of your district will be prone to messes. I can't tell you how many times I've used mine. They're fantastic. The elderes especially use them frequently.

20. You may want to bring your own whiteboard markers. You can buy them at the tienda, or you could bring them, or you could not use them. If you have them, make sure they are clearly marked as your own. Mine has Hello Kitty duct tape all over it (thanks to Hermana Haws) so no one will be taking that anytime soon.

21. Flash cards! Bring some index cards and scissors so you can cut them up into smaller cards. That helps a lot with vocab. If that method of learning works for you, do it. (Again, these materials are available at the tienda if you don't bring some then later decide that you want some.)

22. I wish I would have brought a laundry bag of some kind... the closets are not optimal for anything really so currently I use one of two drawers for my dirty laundry. Then there is a small sort of shelf and then some hanging space. You can bring your own hangers but there are also some in the casa--see if you can't find any more when you get here.

Okay, that's that. Now, let me tell you some stories about the week. 

Currently, we are listening to Primary songs in Spanish. ¡Está muy bien!  Oración de un niño, en este momento.

Uh, yesterday Elder Bronson had about a half an hour long discussion with Hermano Sanchez about whether or not Sanchez should bring him some ties from outside the wall. (He's not allowed to.) But Bronson just kept trying to convince him to do so. Oh man. He just would not give it a rest.

We've been trying to memorize la Primera Visión en español. Pero, está muy difícil. So, we developed a game of hand volleyball. Every time we hit the "ball" we say the next word. It is actually really effective. And muy fun. We got the baptismal invitation memorized through that, and we've got the first half of la primera visión down tambien.

En Jueves, we had un devocional, live aqui. We had two people come speak to us. One was Elder David F Evans and the other was stephen B Allen. One is the managing director of the missionary program, and one is the executive director. It was amazing! One of my favorite quotes from it was "Your pruspose is not so much to be doing missionary things but to become a missionary." Also, they told us "Plead with the Lord for help, then get up and go to work!" I think that applies for all aspects of our lives. Whether or not you're a missionary, plead with the lord for help and then get up and go to work. That's as simple as it gets.

Durante Sociedad Socurro, en domingo, we talked about the doctrine/gospel of Christ, contained in 2 Nefí 31 y 32. It was really good. When we read the part in 32:4 that says if you don't understand it's because you haven't asked, my first thought was when Nefí has his visión y Laman y Lemuel don't understand so they ask him to explain and tells them "have you asked God?" and they're all like "uh, no." Okay, so the only reason they didn't know was because they didn't ask. And it applies to our investigadores: they could have spiritual experiences like Laman y Lemuel pero if they don't ask, then it'll be for nothing.

Entonces, en clase con el CCM Presidencia, we talked about the Gift of the Holy Ghost and the difference between the gift and the power. My favorita parte, by far, was a quote by Parley P. Pratt. Go and find this in it's entirety: "The gift of the holy Spirit adapts itself to all these organ or attributes... In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being." Oh man. How fantastic, no? Yes.

Then, for our Sunday devotional, we watched a recording of a devocional from Provo, recorded on Christmas Day. It was Elder Bednar. ¡Santa vaca! It was amazing! He spoke about the true character of Christ, and how we can exemplify that. The biggest prompting I had during it was this: by Him and through Him, all things are possible. Conversely, anything we do is by Him and through Him. I mean, we're called the dust of the earth, no? Everything and anything we do is because He helps us to do so. That was kind of mind blowing for me.

Then we watched Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration for our video. I had this thought during the video: When we tell people the story of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ, logic dictates that this story cannot be true. But the truth of this Gospel is not dictated by logic. Our spirits can feel the truth of it far deeper than our logical minds can comprehend. That is the level we need to be reaching with our investigadores. They need to FEEL the truth of the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For that is the only way to KNOW the truth.  I shared this thought in our discussion as a distrito afterwards. Jensen told me that I write like a general authority....uh, yeah. I don't think so. But thanks anyway. He's nice, usually.

Now, about non-spiritual things:

We played tennis as a distrito one day. We tried playing around the world. Oh man. It was fun, but hard. We needed a few more people I think. Plus, we weren't particularly good at it. Then, the rest of our distrito decided to play volleyball, but Hna Capps and I stayed and played doubles with Jensen and Hoffmann. Jensen and I were on a team, and I think it was the longest time he's gone without saying something sassy to me. It was odd, yet refreshing. Funny kid.

Durante TALL ayer, Hermana Velázquez was with us, and there was this giant thunderstorm and the power got knocked out briefly so we convinced her to let us have a jam session on the piano again. She didn't sing along with us though she knew the songs. Oh man. It felt so good to sing songs other than himnos again. I love himnos, but sometimes I need a break. Plus, I've had Love is An Open Door stuck in my head for days--Hna Powell and I jammed out while she was in the shower and I shaved one night to all the Frozen songs. Plus, one day we passed an hermana who was singing For The Longest Time and that was also stuck in my head for days. Today, Olsen was singing the piña colado song. Oh man. I detest that canción....no me gusta nada. Ayer we sang a bunch of snippets of songs in class as well. Mucho enjoyable. Jensen makes us sound like an angelic choir, that's all I'm sayin'.

En Miercoles, we had our first TRC. We teach "real" investigators a short lesson with almost no preparation. It's hard but I liked it. Our first was a woman who is less active because she works on Sundays. The second was a guy who is an active member. It was fun, but difícil. We do TRC again tomorrow.

Hoy, durante almuerzo, Hermano Shawn Cates came and sat with us. He's the director of the CCM. Oh man. He did a devocional a while ago and it was fantastic, and I've always assumed he was a great person (he sounded like it) but now I know for sure. He asked us what our favorite and least favorite parts of the CCM are (I told him my least favorite part is having gym in the middle of the day...) and we talked to him about his plans after this job (it is a job, not a calling--we didn't know that until we asked.) His darling children are fluent en ingles y en español. It was a really fun chat.

We met a pair of hermanas at dinner one day and one of them was named Hermana Purnell. She was roommate's with Melanie Andersen at BYU. That was kind of coincidental.

There's been an Elder here who has sung a few musical numbers for devocionals and whatnot. His voice sounds like IL DIVO meets Josh Groban....it was trippy. He sounded amazing though. We could've listened to him for days....

A pair of sisters of Jill's childhood friend Brittany are missing, having run away fro home together in July...

I had a thought this week: has there been any news about the Wolferts sisters? I'm keeping them and Britt in my prayers..

En viernes, Elder Bradbeer drew a fantastic picture of Jesus (based on a folleta) on the white board, and en la mañana de Sabado, Elder Olsen tried drawing a different picture of Jesus. The hair on Jesus wasn't straight and wasn't curly so someone asked about it, Olsen turned around and goes, "it's like Hermana DeBuck's hair!" Uh.......yeah. I'm still not sure I feel about that...it was random.

Also, Bronson was trying to tell Hermano Villalobos that he was cool but he wasn't getting his subject and verb matching, so he changed his sentence to "Su cuerpo es muy suave." Villalobos cracked up. He told us that that means his body is squishy. haha (he's not squishy at all. he's a twig.) 

I made papers for a bunch of irregular verbs that have seven different conjugations on each of them. I must really love my distrito or something.

Okay, my biggest spiritual experiencia this week. You ready?

Sabado we were doing practicing teaching. One of us misioneros was the investigador and the other the misionero. I was the investigador first (Rosana) and it was fine. Hoffmann was my partner, and while his spanish wasn't perfect, I could still feel the Spirit. I'm trying to get out of the habit of correcting people because it isn't that important; the spirit is what's really important. Anyway, so that was fine. Then we switched and I was trying to follow the Spirit as I taught. And I honestly can't tell you what happened exactly but Hoffmann and I ended up arguing. Immediamente, I felt the Spirit leave. And I could NOT continue. Without the Spirit, I am useless. I tried to continue, but I just couldn't. So I left the room, went to the bathroom, sat on the toilet seat in my stall and prayed. Which means I ended up crying. Man. It was...awful...but amazing. I realized how much I need the spirit in my life, especially as a missionary. And it made me realize that even though I don't always feel the presence of the Spirit, he is almost always there. And I am so grateful for that. hermana Capps ended up coming in and asked if I was okay. Which set me over the edge so then I was really crying. I eventually told her what happened, between sobs, and i was alright in the end. She and hermana Powell both gave me hugs. I'm so grateful for them. Y por their words of comfort too. Hna Capps later told me that she was kind of jealous about my experience. I'm not sure why because it wasn't fantastic, but at the same time I kind of see her point. It was really powerful for me. I also shared this experience on Sunday for fast and testimonio meeting. The boys later told me it sounded like I was mad at the elder I was with. Apparently i didn't explain that well enough: I was mad at myself. I should know better. But, live and learn. "Eso sí que es" or whatever.

Well, that's about all I have time for. I love you guys lots. I know this where I need to be, and I'll see you 17 months. We ship out in 2 weeks--13 days technically. how crazy is that! Oh my. Also, I'm afraid I'm going to freeze when I get to Chicago....ah well. I'll survive.

Con Todo Mi Amor,

Hermana DeBuck



 Our district with one of our good friends, Hermano Sanchez (he wasn't one of our teachers, but he visited often)

 Us hermanas with Hermana Velasquez, our investigador-turned-maestra. Love her!

Hermana Capps and I with Hermana Arnaud (also not one of our teachers--but we think she and Hno Villalobos should get hitched.....)

Our distrito plus maestro, making fat faces.... (I don't think Hno Villalobos has enough skin to make a fat face...he's too skinny)

 The Elders took a ride in the elevator--and may or may not have gotten trapped for a short time.

 FHE: the most hard-core game of rock-paper-scissors of all time (most likely)

Service at the CCM: we would always ask to go fold laundry--the guys there were so fun!

Mexico has letters on "mountains" too! B for "Benamerito", the name of the Church's school here before it was the CCM.

A note from our maestra, Hna Velasquez. She's so sweet.

God's Plan of Love: this may be slightly misleading, but it's still pretty cool, you've gotta admit.

Hermana Capps and I are super and here we're models, so....fill in the rest yourself.

Our district: whiteboard version.

Lego hands in Mexico!!

Me and Sister Jones. (:

Yes, we actually fit in the cupboard where we kept el gato de Satanas...

Oh what do you do in the summertime--when you have to exercise every day except Sunday? Well, we play volleyball, no matter the weather.