Week Five - Going Out With a Bang

MY LAST WEEK IN THE CCM, IT'S A MILAGRO!

So on the 17th was my one month mark! Our teacher Hermana Martinez went to the Churroria and snuck us in FRESH MEXICAN CHURROS. To celebrate, the trio came into our room with a TON of cream soda. We decided to take pictures while making Hermana Gilman's "rat face" and we were zooming in on everyone's face and I made the mistake of drinking my cream soda while doing it and I laughed so hard it shot not only out of my mouth but OUT OF MY NOSE ALL ON THE BACK OF GILMAN'S HEAD.

So much came out of my nose that I ran to the bathroom and threw up in the sink because I couldn't breathe for a quick 30 seconds. I walked out of the bathroom with mascara streamed down my face because I cry when I throw up. And of course, they got a picture of it because the whole thing was dang funny.

On Sunday our devotionals were reaaaaaaally long and hard to sit through. Hermana Harper fell asleep during one of them and started snoring which was way funny.

So this week I ACTUALLY wore makeup twice. The first time, Hermana Martinez commented in front of the whole class the fact that I didn't actually look like a hobbit. And then yesterday I wore it again and Hermana Pavon and Hermana Monroy separately commented on it when they each walked in.....in front of the whole class. Me: thank you for acknowledging the fact that I usually never look good ever. It was way funny though, my comp died.

Here's my journal entry from last night:

We heard from President Nelson tonight and I sat in the third row, right in the middle. Best seat in the house. And every missionary had the opportunity to shake his hand. I shook the next prophet's hand. He looked into my eyes and looked at my name badge. He saw my family name that that I wear with honor and pride. Tears streamed down from my face from this simple interaction because it meant so much. 

We were supposed to go into the devotional with questions, so I had three. 1. What can I do to better represent Jesus Christ? 2. How can I be the missionary I was foreordained to become. 3. How can I bless a family member with his trials right now? 

I have been praying and fasting with these questions in mind all week. Harper asked me what my questions were and we realized we had very similar questions.  Once he was done speaking, Hermana Harper turned to me and said, "Our prayers were answered." I broke down with her because all three of my questions were answered by an apostle of God. 

Content:

1. When he shook our hands, he saw something different than what we see in the mirror every day. He sees what we WILL become, not what we are now. But how do we get there? How do we have that potential? Well, God uses the unlikely to accomplish the impossible. Gideon and his army. Moses and the Red Sea. Joshua crossing the Jordan River at flood time. Sarah having Isaac. A virgin to be the mother of Christ. A 14-year old boy to restore the gospel. We are unlikely and God will use us to accomplish the impossible.
2. We have been preserved for THIS time in order to gather the lost tribes of Israel.
3. He left his Book of Mormon in the car and all he said about it was, "demerit"
4. He was talking about how the Church is about light and then said, "Some churches especially use incense or smoke some weed to numb the senses. But no sir, not in this church!"
5. "By the keys of the apostleship I bless you with..." and gave us so many blessings. One in particular was that our family will be drawn to the Lord through our consecration and service. An apostle blessed my family back home. It was so powerful and brought peace to my soul.

He's human. He's funny. He's an apostle.

What a blessing today was.

It really was. It was such a perfect way to go out into the field. I think I'm ready. I really don't know what to expect but I feel like I'm not progressing as much as I when I got here to the CCM. I want to go teach real people and change real lives, you know?

I might have a chance to email Monday morning before I leave for the airport, but if not, it will be awhile before I email again because I will miss my pday out in the field.

I want a different with my testimony in Spanish which will probably only be 75% correct Spanish. But it's mine, it's from my heart, and it's what I know.

Sé que este evangelio es el evangelio restaurado. Me encanta esta abra porque puedo aprender más y mi testimonio ha crecido mucho. Sé que Dios es mi Padre Celestial y nos amo mucho. Y envió su hijo para nosostros y para mi. Mediante Jesucristo puedo hacer todas las cosas porque me da fortaleza durante mis pruebas y desafíos. Estoy muy agradecida por un profeta en este tiempo. Podemos aprender mucho de nuestros profetas. Testifico que Dios es activo y nos habla hoy. Puedo recibir revelación personal, y por esto, estoy muy agradecida por oración. Oraciíon es muy importante para mi porque necesito ayuda de Dios durante el día. Tengo calluses en mis rodillas de orando mucho aquí. Me encanta el Libro de Mormón porque me ayuda con mis pruebas en mi vida. Las historias en este libro son....marvillosos. Nunca quiere parar de leer mi Libro de Mormón. Hasta Ver, voy al campo. Estoy lista, lo sé.

Hermana Tonini