mission life- week 4

Hola Familia!!!

How are you all doing?! Thank-you for you letters, packages, pictures and support. I miss you all.

This week, I think I've honestly felt every emotion there is. It was great- so many exciting things, sad, frustrating, funny, weird, awkward, fullfilling, and everything in between. I think I talked about this last week, but one of the districts in our zone left on Monday, and our 3 Elders left on Tuesday. It was soooo sad. They're the closest things to family here and having them leave was hard. On Sunday night, we sang God Be with you til we meet again as a zone, and all the leaving missionaries gave their testimony. It was so great- just sad to see them all go. They're great.

We got a new teacher this week, since Hna. Scott is leaveing for an internship, and thus, a new investigator too. HIs name is Hno. Cuadra. He's from Barcelona. I loooooove his accent! He's hilarious, and very expressive. He does a great job of making hte 3 hour classes much more entertaining. Our investigator, Ricardo, is also fun. He's Evangelist and doesn't really get why we need the BOM, so we've been tryign to help him understand that. He's helped me to learn what it really means to not teach lessons, but teach the people. It seems so much more easy to just teach, REstoration, then plan of salvation, etc. But with him, we can't. It wouldn't work. It's been a fun learning experience to teach him according to what he needs. its forced me to think about how I teach a little differently.

We taught at the TRC again this week. I love going there because usually the volunteers speak at a normal speed, so it forces me to think about what they're saying a little more. I love not quite understanding what's going on because it forces me to think more and to see where the holes in my Spanish are. I love it. I remember why I love spanish so much. It's a great, beautiful language. but after a while, i swear my tongue rebels and refuses to move like it should. that's always entertaining.

The MTC has been humbling in so many ways. One of my firends before I left told me that he thought he really understood hte gospel before he left on his mission, but then realized how much he didn't actually know. I totally get it now. I feel the exact same way. I've always know the answers and know what to say to people, but I'm starting to understand the gospel a little bit deeper now, or realizing what I want to know more than just surface level. On Monday, Hna Southworth and I were studying the Restoration. It finally clicked why that was so important and what Heavenly Father was doing. He loves us all so much that He wants us all to return. Each dispensation is him trying to give His children another chance. I've said those words a million times, but I understand it more now. We watched a talk from Elder Holland this week. It was great- and made me want to be more committed to these 18 months.

Another things that's been humbling here is that somehow, everytime I forget to do something that would seem like I'm breaking the rules, someone calls me out on it :). The other day, I couldn't sleep and just wanted to get out of bed, so I went to the bathroom. Teh lights were off,and I thought they were motion sensored, so I tried to move my arms to turn them on. they didn't and I wan't going to the bathroom with the lights off., so I went into another bathroom, and tried movign my arms around it that one. Nothing again. I went back to bed. 2 mins. later, Hna Packer, on of the sisters in my district got up to go to the bathroom. I went with her to see if she could turn the lights on. we walked in and all of the suddedn teh lights turned on. i was shocked! i turned aroudn and realized she had just flipped the switch! I laughed so so so so hard- I'm sure if someone was watching, they would have been so entertained to see my flailing my arms around trying to get the lights on!!! that image was entertaining to me at least! we were talking for a couple minutes and a security guard came in to tell us to go to bed. I think she thoguht we'd been there for a while. we went back to the room. Hopefully she didnt' think we were breaking the rules, I think she did. Oh well... I'll let someone think I'm a rebel for the first time in my life ;).

I have to go, but I thought you would all be entertained by this story too. while Hna Southworth abnd I  were teachign Ricardo, I testified that Jesu Smith was a prophet. She looked at me and just started laughing. I didnt' realized it untitl then and then Ricardo and I started lauging too. Woops! I mess up on that all the time!!

Love you all and miss you so much.

Love,.

Hermana Laree LaPierre