February 25

Music! So we can listen to anything by the MoTab, and I guess they have Broadway and Disney albums! Also, tell Sharla that she needs to make her "Miracles for Me" an EFY song so that I'm allowed to sing it and listen to it. Sister Raymer catches me singing it every once in awhile and she'll say "Sister Candland! That's not approved! Strict obedience!" It's such a great and uplifting song, but since it's not approved I'm not allowed to sing it :( Also, the Nashville Tribute Band came into the Visitors' Center! Sister Raymer and I had the opportunity to take them through a presentation! They played a few songs for us and it was amazing! They also gave us their CD "The Work", but it hasn't been approved by our president, but we're working on talking him into approving them. Let's hope! :) And also, the EFY '12 Cd is really good too :)

I wish I had time to write to you about the miracles that happened this week, but there's so many and I only have 3 minutes left! Sorry! Until next week!

Hermana Candland

PS, I got the cord for my camera. Pictures next week!

February 11

I guess I forgot to mention what my area is. I'm serving in the Independence 3rd ward. I'm slowly becoming more and more familiar with the area and the people. My companions always like "Let's go visist so-and-so!" and I'm like "Yeah, alright! Whoever that person is!" My companion is so funny! She's totally like a Disney Princess! She actually wants to work as a princess in Disneyland like me! I think it would be so much fun to do that with her if the opportunity came!

Also a cool little tidbit, I'm working at the Independence Visitors Center! I had my first presentation the other day, and luckily it was people that were already members. Sister Raymer and I took them through "God's Plan", which is super cool. It's a new thing they're putting in the Visitors Centers, and I actually first saw it in the Mexico VC. It's this really cool series of videos about family and you go to different room for each one. That's usually the presentation that makes everyone get teary-eyed. I don't know if they have it in the Salt Lake VC yet, but I imagine they'll put it in there eventually. I also did a history presentation with my companion, though I'd never been through it before so I didn't have a lot of things to say. I tried to cover the spiritual part of the presentation while Sister Raymer relayed the history.

My first investigators are pretty cool too. They're Spanish speakers, but they speak a lot of English, so that's helpful. Basically, they took the discussions before and they didn't understand any of it since it was taught in English, but their dad told them they had to be baptized, so they did. They didn't continue to go to church since they didn't understand why, so now we're teaching them the discussions again, and they understand a lot better since their English has improved since then and I gave as much of the lesson I could in Spanish. It was good to put my Spanish to use. It was nice because if I didn't know a word in Spanish, I could just say it in English and they'd most likely understand. It was fantastic to teach them since they seem so sincere about understanding and learning more.

Also, I got to meet 3 different investigators that we now have set on date for baptism on the 15th of March! It's really exciting! The first two are Mike and Derrell. Sister Raymer has been meeting with them since before I got here and I just got the opportunity to be there to ask if they would be baptized. The third person however, this sweet Native American woman named, we just met yesterday when we were outside shoveling snow. She said "When you guys are done over there you wanna help me out over here???" We're like "Sure! We'd love to!!!" So we went over to her yard and started talking to her and shoveling. She eventually invited us in and we tried to tell her about the Restoration of the Gospel, but it was hard since she talked a lot, but we got her committed to being baptized! Me and Sister Raymer don't think she fully understands the importance of baptism, and that she's just excited to have new friends since she gets lonely. But hey, it was pretty cool for me! My first investigador that me and Sister Raymer met together!

One last thing, the other day we were proselyting and we went and talked to this woman named Geri. We tried giving her a Book of Mormon and she kept on saying that she didn't want it since she's already a member of the Baptist church. She didn't seem too happy with us, though we tried our best to be nice. That seems to happen a lot out here (doors getting slammed in our face I mean). As me and Sister Raymer got in the car, I just had this feeling that I should go back and bear my testimony about the Book of Mormon, soI did. I was nervous, but it turned out really well. She didn't accept the book, but we ended on better terms.

That wraps it up for this week. Talk to you later.

Hermana Candland

February 6

Yesterday was my first day in Missouri and I met my president and his wife. She is the sweetest lady! She spent hours and hours cooking up a good meal for us, and my goodness it was amazing! I about cried it was so much better than rice and beans! I also slept so much better than I usually do since I basically slept on a cloud! It was sooooooooo wonderful!!!!

This morning she also cooked us up a delicious breakfast. I gave her a big hug and thanked her for the effort she put in to our food. I don't remember being so happy for food in my whole life!!!

Today I got my new companion. She is so cute! Her name is Sister Raymer. She just came up to me with a big smile on her face and gave me the biggest hug and we walked around holding hands X) That's one thing I've noticed about a lot of the girls here, they're all very touchy-feely and love playing with each others hair.

Anyways, she's an English speaking sister, but she's already got some Spanish investigators, so she's really glad for me to be here. We teach them tonight!!! It's crazy!! Hope I'm fluent enough!!! :)

On our way to the mission office, there were these two sisters who are good friends with my new sister and they were really excited to meet me! One of them ( Sister Buckhave) started running and totally spilled it and got a nasty cut on her chin, and now she's getting stiches! D: She's so cute! She kept on saying things like "It was so worth it for you Sister Candland!" It was pretty funny! But those two companions and my companion all really like to sing, so we're gonna have a blast together!

Some more about Sister Raymer: She is so in tune with the Spirit, she's unafraid to teach the gospel to strangers on the street and it's amazing. It's something I'm definitely gonna have to get used to. Please pray for me that I'll be able to overcome my anxieties. I'm going to need as much help as I can get.

I also had to say goodbye to Hermana Laycock today. I decided to write her a letter and I gave it to her today. I already miss her, a lot more than I thought I would.

So that's the gist of the past few days. I'll be having my pday on Tuesday from now on.

Wish me luck out in the real world!

Hermana Candland

February 3

I heard about the Superbowl. My district´s always asking our branch president about scores. Everyone was pretty shocked that the Seahawks won by so much. I was definitely expressing my Seattle pride! :)

This week was quite exciting. Me and my hermana´s decided to play a joke on our elders. We left bread at their front door with notes that said, "Hope you enjoy the bread. Don´t make deals with the DEVIL!!!" and "Run, run, as fast as you can. You can´t catch me, I´m the BREAD MAN!" They thought it was hilarious. It was a lot of fun! :)

My companion Hermana Montgomery also really cracks me up. She has this thing for people watching, but she´s so intense about it. It´s hilarious! She´s actually really good at reading body language, so good that people actually pay her to watch them when their out on a date to watch their chemistry and if they´re a good couple. She´s done this several times, and she´s seen 3 of those couples get married. She taught me a little about what she knows and it was actually quite fascinating! It was so eye-opening!

Our district also had a meeting this week and it was so amazing. We talked to each other about our effectiveness as a district, we told each other everything that frustrated us and had been building up inside us for the past 6 weeks, and we shared what our strengths were and what we loved about each other. The Spirit was so strong, and after we were done with the meeting we all felt like there was this huge weight lifted off our shoulders. I feel a profound love for the people in my district and have more respect for them after that.

 

 I´m noticing my Spanish is significantly better. I finally feel like I can speak enough Spanish to teach lessons without looking off of a piece of paper. I´ve learned how to depend on the Lord to tell me what I need to say more during my lessons. I have received the words to say and not only that but in Spanish! I It feels so different and I can feel the Spirit with me during the lesson. I strongly believe that the gift of tongues is real, just not in the way that we all think.

So the reason that I get to email today and tomorrow is because Hermana Montgomery left this morning, another girl in our casa left too, so her companion and mine decided to be companions since they´ve been friends in high school. Right now I´m with Hermana Jones and she leaves tomorrow and she got permission to email today. Tomorrow is their p-day and I´m just going to loop into their companionship since we leave on the same day.

 

The important buildings in Mexico City are the cathedrals...

...and McDonald's.

 

 

Take care!

Hermana Candland

January 29

The time has gone by so fast! I can hardly believe it! I still feel like a newbie here, but I´ve only got a few more days!

 

Anyways, this week was pretty funny. We were going through the Bible and looking at the most random scriptures. We found one in Zacheriah 5:1-2 about a flying roll. I don´t know. We were dying of laughter though.

I also decided to draw pictures of each of the Elders in my district. I though some of the Elders were going to pee their pants when they saw them. They were pretty funny.

Now here´s me and my district. can you tell who´s who?

 

I also met some Elders in the comidor (cafeteria) that are into Star Wars. Maybe I already told you last week, but they asked me how to say Millenium Falcon (Halcon Mileniar), The Force (La Fuerza), and Light Saber (Sabora de Luz). One of them has seen the new Sherlock D:

Also, Presidente Christensen at the clinic told me that there´s a place in Utah called the Candland Mountains near Electric Lake. Just thought that was kinda cool.

This week was pretty good as far as teaching goes. I was teaching an investigador and I really felt like the Spirit was there telling me what to say. I didn´t worry about what I was supposed to say during the lesson and I listened to my companions and to the investigador. The Spanish came really well too. It was such a cool experience. 

 Anyways, that´s it for this week. I´ll try to send more pictures, but I´m having difficulties. Talk to you later.

 

My companions took my camera while I was in the shower.

 

Some treats...

 

 

Hermana Candland

January 22

I just went to temple square in Mexico City today and it was pretty cool. We can´t take temple trips anymore since the temple is under construction. 

Me, my companions, and our teacher Hermana Faces at the Christus :)

 

 

One of the dorkiest Elders in my district (Elder Steed) riding one of the bikes they show in "Nacho Libre"

 

My hilarious district at the Visitors Center!

 

 

So for one of the meals we had this thing called a tamale. It was really good, but everyone was totally shocked that I had never had one before. Basically what it is is corn meal, sauce, and meat, wrapped in leaves and boiled. Dad, you should figure out a way to make this, otherwise our reputation of cultural food making will be tainted.

 So we´ve had a few laughs this week. One night in our casa (house) we hear this *knock* *knock* "...Hermana...? Our room is flooded." Apparently the shower doesn´t drain very well in their room and it flooded all the way our into the bedroom pretty deep. We called reception and they´re like, "Oh, sorry. Anyone that could help you with that isn´t here right now, but we´ll report it." It was pretty crazy.

Another time this week we had to teach a brand new practice investigator and we had no warning. We decided to teach about The Book of Mormon, so I tried sharing an analogy that Bednar had shared in a devotional. Basically what it says is that there´s a "board of all that is true," and how with one nail (the Bible), the board of truth could be twisted and turned, but with another nail (the Book of Mormon) it could´t be moved. Well I tried explaining that in Spanish, not having any time to prepare, and he thought I was talking about driving a nail through the Bible. He´s like, "Oh, ¡¿le gusta Satanas?!" You guys like Satan?! We tried explaining it again and he keeps on doing the rock ´n roll thing with his hand and going "¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡Yeeeaaaahhh Satanaaaaaasssss!!!!!!!" Not our best lesson to say the least.

During lunch yesterday, this kid comes up to me and asks how to say Millennium Falcon in Spanish. I didn´t know, so I asked my teacher and he said it was Halcon Mileniar. The reason he asked was because one of the rolls they have for dinner looked like the Milennium Falcon. 

One day during dinner they served wings, so my district decided to have a wing eating contest. It was gross. I should´ve gotten a picture of the pile of bones. It was pretty disgusting. 

Poor Hermana Laycock got pretty sick this week (not from the wing eating contest however), so we brought her some food during meal time and we built her a "cave of death."

 

For gym time this week we´ve been playing lightening and I did so well! We shot from the 3 point line and I made 5 shots in a row! I was able to beat a lot of the guys :)

Our Spanish teacher is soooooo funny. His name is Hermano Gallegos, but we like to call him Abu because he reminds us of Abu from Aladdin. The other day he was walking through the hallway singing "Come on, vaminos! Everybody let´s go! Come on let´s get to it! I know that we can do it!"

Take care!

Hermana Candland