Week 2: Home MTC- Families Are Forever

Hi everyone!

I had another amazing week. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to serve as a missionary for Jesus Christ. Each day, I draw nearer to Him and He draws nearer to me. I have loved being able to share this experience with my family. They are my best examples and supporters. I will miss them so much, but I am so excited to go to Mexico this week to finish my training! So much has happened this week! Here's this week's top 5:

5. We started Spanish intermediate core on Friday! Before, we had simple tasks like sharing scriptures, praying, and testifying that we learned how to do in Spanish. In intermediate core, we are expected to memorize 1500-2500 words, 250-500 phrases, required grammar, and a few scriptures in Spanish! It is a lot of work, but I am excited. So pretty much every minute of freetime I have the next month will be learning Spanish. I believe that the gift of tongues and interpretation of tongues is real and that if I work hard, the Lord will magnify my efforts and allow the Holy Ghost to touch the hearts of the people I will teach, even through the language barrier. I am so grateful for Heavenly Father's help learning Spanish. 

4. I was able to communicate with Paula! Our friend Paula is from Columbia and pretty much only speaks Spanish. When I saw her this week, I was able to have a conversation with her about her family, her husband's deployment, and some of her favorite things in Columbia. That is not something I could have done two weeks ago. Definitely a miracle! 

3. Hermano Marquez's last day :( My afternoon instructor, Hermano Marquez is awesome. He is so fun, energetic, and sincere in his testimony. He makes us all so excited about sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ! Sadly, he won't continue to teach us when we get to the MTC because of a family emergency, but we had a really amazing last day with him on Friday. He taught us some things that will change my perspective for the rest of my missionary service. Here are 4 quick things that he taught us: 1)What we do throughout the day (waking up on time, praying, strudying, following mission rules, etc.) invites the Spirit with us for lessons later in the day. 

2)The most important people we will influence as missionaries are our companions. We should serve them, trust them, and remember that no matter how different we are, we are united in our desire to share the gospel. 3) We teach people, not lessons. It is important that we love the people we are teaching and help them feel Christ's love for them. 4) Ultimately, the teacher is the Spirit, not us.

2) Hermana Young (my companion) and I had our first practice meeting someone and sharing a scripture with volunteers from the MTC. This activity is called "Helping Others," and we do it each week in the MTC. We met and taught two women from Mexico. Hermana Young is so friendly and a great teacher. I felt that it went well this week, and I'm sure it will be even smoother when we are teaching in-person. It was a great learning experience!

1) Spending time with family! I am so grateful that I have had an extra two weeks with my family. This weekend we had a fun time running errands, playing games, going to church together, and having meals together. I love being with them. And one of the best things that happened this week was I got to meet my baby cousin Capri! I am so happy I got to hold her before I left. I love her so much!

This week as we studied the story of Noah in the Old Testament, we learned that Noah received direct instruction on how to build the arc so he could be protected. As I pondered when the Lord has given us clear instruction, I was taught that the Lord has given us clear instructions, in scriptures and through modern revelation, with how to build our families so that we can be safe in difficult times. The Family: A Proclamation to the World teaches: "The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally...The family is ordained of God...Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ." 

I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ truly blesses and strengthens families. It gives us hope and peace that we can be with our families forever through temple covenants. I am so grateful for this knowledge. I am going to miss my family so much the next year and a half, but I am leaving them so I can share this joyful knowledge with other families that they can be together forever.

I love this gospel. I love my Heavenly Father, and I know that He loves each of us and wants us to return home to him. I love representing my Savior Jesus Christ every day. I love all of you!

Excited for a great week (in Mexico!)

Hermana Dudley

Pictures

1-Some of my favorite friends at Stake Conference: Sister Fairholm, Sister Burandt, and Sister Aguirre (to my BYU friends: yes, we went two hours early, which is why all the chairs are empty haha)

2-My family after my dad was set apart

3-Our District in morning class (Hermana Carvajal & Hermana Solano) after "Helping Others"

4-Our District with Hermano Marquez in afternoon class

5-Meeting Capri!

6-With mom and dad outside of my ward building on my last Sunday