Week 1

Well, I have to say this week has been absolutely amazing!

I have not only one but two companions that I love! Hermana Schwenkie and Hermana Bauyon.  Hermana Schwenkie is from Hawaii and Hermana Bauyon is from the Philippians and is a brand new member of a year and a half! It is so amazing the things that I have learned from both girls in the last couple of days!

First day:

I actually woke up on time today.  I know I would have made you proud daddy! Showered and got ready in the short amount of time I had. Going to breakfast I got to see how small the CCM here really is. For example the cafeteria is smaller then West, my Elementary School cafeteria! There is only about 72 missionaries here and about 35 of them leave this coming Tuesday. So I was honestly so nervous I could only eat half a pancake! Stupid mistake I learned from later when I was starving before lunch! They threw us straight into language studies. I got a huge, I mean huge, stack of books with my name on every single one! They instantly had us start working on saying our name, where we are from, and what mission we are going to. Wow I would never have said this before, but I totally understand Spanish better and feel the spirit the entire time during class. After lunch we basically had freshman-newbies orientation where they went over all the rules. They even had demonstration of an investigator meeting that we had the opportunity to watch! It was cool to see an example of what I really will be doing for the next 18 months.

Day Two:

This day was definitely an adventure!

We got our assigned districts. I am in the Moroni District in classroom 8! 

We start every day with breakfast, and then personal study followed by companion study. When our teacher arrives, who comes in at 9, we learn something new! On this day we got to watch District 2, which is a video showing missionaries in the field. It is a really inspiring and spiritual experience to watch their triumphs and downfalls. 

So even on the first full day I saw what Dad said over and over again about people that try their hardest to learn the language and apply it compared to the people that are not trying their hardest.

My companions are so awesome. Hermana Bauyon is 5'3" and not even a hundred pounds.  She is shy to anyone who doesn't know her, but is stinking hilarious when she opens up. Hermana Schwenkie is super-uper nice. She always says ya after everything; she says it as much as a Canadian! They are so helpful and we are always quizzing each other and trying to use as much Spanish as possible in our room!

In gym hour today we got to play volleyball! It was so much fun! We have gym in the parking lot because the CCM is a small and connected to the temple, we actually are considered to be studying everyday on dedicated ground.

Day Three:

Oh mi Madre, Hermana Schwenkie has the loudest most annoying alarm clock I have ever heard! It went off at 6 and I nearly almost fell off the top bunk.  It scared me so bad, but hey, I was definitely awake! So I have been having problems with pronouncing Hermana Bauyon’s name. So every time I say it right she giggles! ( baa-oo-yon) So we are already working on teaching lessons to pretend investigators, our teachers. This night we taught Jose Cuevas! It was a very fulfilling feeling to know that the time I spent preparing in personal and companion study paid off in being able teach.  My language part of the lesson was horrible, ha ha, but we were able to struggle along. I feel like in the MTC the spirit never leaves. It is an amazing feeling I have never had before. Even learning Spanish, which I used to hate, takes on a whole new meaning when I am teaching the gospel and using simple Spanish. In my district I have my companions, Elder Taylor and Elder Williams, and Elder Dickson and Elder Abplanalp and myself.  It is amazing how it feels like we are a mini family. We sing before every single lesson.  Every time we just flip to a song (we normally don't know what it is because it is in Spanish) and start singing. A prayer follows the song on our knees then reciting the missionary purpose in Spanish.

Day 4: Sunday

Today was incredible! Starting with personal study, which I find is always a relaxing and a good spiritual start of the day. We go to sacrament at 8:40 and it starts at 9. It was completely in Spanish! All the English speakers have headphones on to get the translated version. I listened to the announcement in English and then decided the rest I was going to try to get as much as I could out in all Spanish! It was testimony meeting.  All the new students were called up randomly to bear their testimonies and all the older students or ones that already speak Spanish well were asked to give three minute talks. Hermana Bauyon was the first one called; her face was so scared but she bore an incredible testimony!! We then had Sunday school as a district in English, which was taught by the district leader and his companion, their names are Elder Williams and Elder Taylor. They taught a great lesson on patience. In Relief Society one of the presidency talked on how to best use the scriptures to answer investigators problems. It was incredible the way they were able to make it seem so simple. We then had a doctrine class taught by the president, again, it was incredible! The depth that he went into on the apostasy and the things that we need to personally know was amazing! The rest of the day was dedicated to personal study. I learned so many new Spanish vocab and phrases to use in lessons.

Day 5:

I woke up pumped for the day! Did my hair all-cute punk rock straight like Saydi Style, thanks Saydi, I received so many complements on it all day!

I haven’t been feeling so good. My stomach is not too fond of eating lots and lots of rice every lunch and bread with every single meal. It hit me the hardest this day! But hey, I’m a trooper, and worked through the upset stomach. The best part of my day was when going through my suitcase that I still haven’t unpacked looking for gym clothes.  I found a little note from Mama! Oh Mama that was the best! It was a time where I wanted a hug from you to make me feel better; I got a little hug in word form! Thank you so, so much!

So we learned how to pray in Spanish! I’m horrible at it, but with time it will get better! So today during gym two Dominicans came up to us! They were talking to all five of us! It was awesome Haleigh moment when I could actually use the Spanish I used in high school and the Lord to talk. I was the only one in the group who could catch what they were saying at the speed they were talking! It was a great moment!

Write you about day 6 and p-day next week!

I love you guys so, so much!! It is been amazing here and I love you all!

Hermana Harris

Pictures:

1-My district.

2-My companions and basically are attitudes all the time.

3-A bunch of us on Sunday night in front of the temple.