Hola mi familia y amigos! (yes, I can actually speak a tiny bit of spanish, much to your surprise). the last week has been AMAZING! one of the hardest, happiest, most fulfilling and most emotional weeks of my life. There has been so much growth, it's CRAZY. I love my companions! Hermana Smith is way cool. We like a lot of the same things... we both trained service dogs, we both love horses, we both play piano... it's actually really funny. Hermana Howe is actually in the advanced class, so we don't see her except for at night really, but she is really fun and spunky. I am smack dab in the middle of both my companions - personality, heightwise, everything. It works out nicely :) I feel like my little fingers can't type things out fast enough to fit everything I wanna fit in here! So I'll try and do it...
this is our district, and they are way cool
this is elder sheen practicing spanish on elder chamberlain... elder chamberlain asks "como estan mis pantalones?" and poor elder sheen was so confused, because who asks about pants?! hahaha
tara, i found a matching skirt and of course i bought it. excuse my bedhead... haha!
so these are my companeras :) they're the bomb!
Wednesday was wonderful and sad at the same time. I was having major stomach problems that day, so Janalee, Ellen, and Matt took me to Randy Smith's office about 5 mins away and I got a priesthood blessing from Matt & Randy. Seriously... from that moment on, my stomach has been fine. I love the priesthood!!!! Then we went to the temple to take some pictures... then it was mtc time. Matt volunteered to sing a song on the way over, and i asked for "come thou fount of every blessing" and it calmed me down so much. It was super emotional to say goodbye, but I was so excited for it... just to be a missionary, ya know?
To all of you who know about JaQuavious: we are going to the same mission and met through our mutual friend back in December. well... WE ARE IN THE SAME ZONE! he is also in the advanced class, so I don't see him as much, but we always eat together and bump into each other throughout the day. He called me princessa until he was told it wasn't allowed. Bummer, I liked being called princess! hahaha. I love my branch presidency and their wives. The men treat their wives with such respect... I love it, I really do. It is my goal to marry someone that treats me that way :) I'll tell you a little bit about my district. There are 6 of us -- 4 elders and 2 hermanas. Elders Bleak (pronounced blake), Chamberlain, Sheen, and Landon, and then me and Hermy Smith. Elder Bleak is also our district leader, and he is a fantastic leader! He also likes psych so that is admirable. Elder Chamberlain is literally Joses Watford. Same mannerisms... same height, they talk the SAME, except joses' voice is about an octave deeper. But yeah, they're awesome :) Elder Sheen is honestly a goofball, and he makes class fun. We were talking the other day about dates (I don't know HOW it came up), but someone said "i used to do this to get a date" and elder sheen just said "yeah well i'm just awkward so..." I guess you had to be there for it, but that just kinda describes him :) Elder Landon is pretty quiet, but when he says something it's usually funny and unexpected, which makes it even more funny! I couldn't have asked for a better district. Hermana Smith is a wonderful companera, and I love how obedient she always is :) she is very sweet and kinda and always looking for ways to serve. So yep! That's our district! Our teacher Hermano Brown is the best teacher in the world. He's a tall skinny ginger with a wife that is having her baby this week, and his voice cracks a ton. He's just an all around funny dude :)
Thank you mom for the package of food! We missed breakfast today so it came in handy :)
Also... funny story... I actually talk in my sleep now. Best part? It's all in FLUENT SPANISH. FLUENT. EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. But I can barely form a sentence in class! What even is life right now....
Sunday night was a devotional. It was so amazing! this tongan guy (i only remember his first name... via. his last name was oomafaloofa or something like that, who knows). He was very inspiring and showed us just how easy missionary work can be! Just open your mouth: be friendly, be kind, and don't be afraid to share the gospel. He was way funny too.. it's always refreshing to have a good laugh in a fireside :)
SPIRITUAL THOUGHT: "Christ called me to the edge. I said "no, I'll fall." He called me again and I said "no, i'll fall!" He called me a third time and I went to the edge. He pushed me... and I flew." I LOVE this. Friday was such a hard day for me. I felt like I would never learn spanish, I felt like I was kinda alone, and I missed my friends and my elder in paraguay. I missed Todd and Alexandra and Connor and Tara and everyone and everything about Sacramento! I was exhausted from spending 12 hours in class learning a language I was horrible at and not having any free time to rest. I was so done. I was on the verge of tears. Then... I heard that quote and I realized that I needed to let Christ push me to fly. And ever since I made that decision... I have been the happiest I have been in all my life :) I have never felt so comforted, positive, and optimistic about everyone and everything, even the darned spanish language! I KNOW I'll get it, because God is gonna help me!
I love the MTC, I love having a black nametag on my chest 24/7, I love studying for 12 hours a day, I love that I am having challenges, and I love knowing with all my heart that everything will be ok, and I know that I will always be happy if I do what is right.
I was so excited to have a name badge!
Until next week mi amigos,
Hermana Hailey Reeve (the happiest sister missionary out there)
