Les quiero mucho. (I love you a lot.) I get so excited to receive your letters and emails, so thank you so much. As of now, I can only reply to my parents' emails, but I still like getting them.
I am getting so pumped up to head out into the mission field!! We just had "In-Field Training" classes yesterday. It's a little bit rough because we go to about eight hours of class in one day, but they work so hard to keep it interesting and help us understand the essential things we need to know about being great missionaries in the field! We learned about working with the members, setting goals, working toward baptisms, and more. I encourage everyone to think of friends/ neighbors/ co-workers who don't have the blessings of the gospel and refer them to the missionaries. Missionaries can also always use your help by fellowshipping converts and less-active members and offering to be involved in lessons with people you can connect with and bear testimony to. I know life is busy. Thank you for your examples. I know that you and other people will be blessed if you do this, though. I decided that I want to be that sister missionary who the members can trust to refer their friends. Elder Bednar shared a humbling experience in a video we watched when he told the missionaries that he would not give them referrals because they did not "feel like missionaries" but "like young men." They later changed their attitudes around and he was glad to refer people to them to teach. I hope I can be more than just a young woman wandering the streets of New Jersey in a skirt, but a powerful missionary who is obedient and has the Spirit.
So this past Sunday was the craziest one so far. One of the sisters woke up sick and getting bloody noses and we were all running late- especially me. I put my hair up in a not-so-cute bun and went to do personal study in the classroom for a few minutes before breakfast. Later we were out in the hall and an hermana said, "A sister fainted in the bathroom!" (The one which is now a women's restroom.) My companion and I told her to call the front desk and went over to help. She stood but then fainted again basically right on top of me and I sort of caught her. Luckily my awesome companion is a CNA and is always really calm. She told us to put cold water bottles under her arms, get some cool paper towels on her neck, and elevate her legs. A man came to help and I sat there with her head in my lap and we kept asking her questions until the van came to take her to the hospital. She's doing okay now, but she said "Who's going to save me when you leave?" She is so cute. Later that day, our district leader asked me to lead the district discussion on the Book of Mormon, so I did that, which isn't too hard. Then in church my companion said that she felt like I was going to be one of the two missionaries called up to give a talk in Spanish. She was right. We all prepare just in case, and so we have practice and talks already to go in the field. The topic was "Faith in Jesus Christ." It is such an important topic because it ties everything together. I wasn't very organized, so I read the wrong scripture twice, but I guess that's okay. Sometimes I just need to be patient with myself while I'm speaking. People said my Spanish was great, so that's nice. We'll see when I actually get out there, but I do think I've been blessed with help in the language. I appreciated the Sunday walk to the temple that day. That day made me realize even more that this experience isn't just for me to feel good all the time about the gospel, but to be ready to help people in need and use what I've been blessed with.
The MTC is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience- or once-in-eternity! Some of my favorite moments have been after personal study when las hermanas/ members of my district share insights we've found in the scriptures and ideas/ spiritual thoughts. Then we can connect them and we start to realize even more how amazing God is, and his plan for the world and each individual person.
I am leaving in less than 72 hours to New Jersey!! I can't believe it- but I can. They even want us to start contacting people in the airport and ask them to go onto Mormon.org/ get their contact information/ share a little message. I would love to be speaking Spanish all of the time in my first area, but we will see how it goes. I am excited to see who my new trainer will be, meet the bishop where we'll be serving, and start helping people change their lives and come to Christ.
I love you! Talk you you soon from the airport, family- I hope!
Love,
Hermana Martin
Pictures:
1. My amazing companion, Hermana Larsen, and I taking the opportunity to be in the SUN while we study.
2. District members and one of our teachers, Hermano Russell/ "progressing investigators." He is such an inspiration!
3. My district sisters and other sisters in our zone! They're all so cute.
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