Week 6: CCM (Last week In Mexico)

Hola amigos!

It's been another great week here at the CCM. It's so hard to believe that we're all going to our missions next week. It also makes me so sad that most of my district are going to other places. Just Hermana Young and I are going to Anaheim. I'm going to miss them all so much. Here are some of the highlights from this week:

5. All the funny moments this week, especially when people would totally mess up speaking Spanish. For example, during our English Fast when Elder McKenzie said "He aqui" (Behold) while he was talking at the dinner table or when we were eating dinner and he said he needed a "corbata" (tie) instead of his "cubiertos" (silverware) and when Elder Durden thanked God for a good "mesa" (table) in his prayer instead of a good "mes" (month). Then there was yesterday when I said to the worked at the tienda "que Tengo un buen Dia" instead of "que tenga un buen dia" We're all making tons of mistakes every day. I'm glad we can all laugh at ourselves. 

4. We played kickball with 9F on Tuesday. They are the district in our zone just one week behind us and we love them! It was so fun!

3.We had our last lesson with Kathryn (Hermana Cabrera's Interested Person). We taught her about the atonement of Jesus Christ, repentance, and baptism from 3 Nefi 27 and then we invited her to be baptized and she accepted! Even though it was just practice, I could feel the Spirit so strongly when Hermana Young extended the invitation. 

2.Hermana Young and I played prelude for devotional Sunday night. I was playing the piano and Hermana Young was playing the violin. When we finished playing, Presidente Kirkham came over and he was crying and he gave us the sincerest compliment. He said, "Some people play instruments. Other people bear their testimonies when they play their instruments. Thank you for sharing your testimony tonight." Something that I've learned here is that God gave us talents to bless others, so it's important to share the talents we've been given. 

1.Temple Trip again today! This was probably the last time I'll go to the temple for a few months. I love going to the temple, especially with all the missionaries. Something unique happened when we were in the temple though today. After we were dressed in our temple clothes and on our way to the chapel a speaker came on in Spanish and I thought someone had lost something so I wasn't trying to understand. But turns out we had an earthquake (I didn't feel it at all though) so we all went outside in our temple clothes for about  20 minutes. To anyone looking from outside the gates, it probably looked like there was a whole group of angels dtanding in the middle of the parking lot. So that was exciting! But everything was fine and we were able to go back inside and start the session on time. And I listened to the session in Spanish this time and understood most of it. The gift of tongues is real!

I am so grateful for the time I've had here at the CCM. I think that the biggest lesson that I've learned here is the importance of developing Christlike love. At first, certain people in my district, specifically algunos de los elderes, really bothered me. We had some loud personalities, who didn't really like to listen to other people and others who approached the gospel and missionary work way differently than I do. However, as I have truly made an effort to listen to them and come to understand them, I have come to love and accept them. I've realized that the ones who are hardest to love have gone through some really hard things. Some people in my district come from broken families, have parents who are inactive, have overcome addictions, or were the first in their family to serve a mission, to name a few. Others never planned on serving a mission, but when promptings came, they had the faith to come. And all of the missionaries are trying just as hard as me to be a good missionary. I have come to respect and admire them because they have overcome so much to be here. And I have realized how important it is to be humble. God put each of them in my life for me to learn something from them. Although my Christlike love is not perfect, it is improving. I see the other missionaries like family. And I see them more as who they can become rather than only seeing their flaws. 

Before I started my mission, I listened to Elder Wirthlin's talk "The Great Commandment." It has become my favorite talk and has helped me so much this transfer (actually the other Hermanas make fun of me because I quote it so much haha). "Oh, it is wonderful to know that our Heavenly Father loves us—even with all our flaws! His love is such that even should we give up on ourselves, He never will. We see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever. Although we might settle for less, Heavenly Father won’t, for He sees us as the glorious beings we are capable of becoming."

I testify that Heavenly Father loves each of us individually. We are His children and His greatest desire is for each of us to return to Him. Through prayer, and striving to be loving, we can be filled with this same love for our brothers and sisters. I am so grateful for the opportunity I've had to learn this lesson. 

I hope you all have a great week!

-Hermana Dudley

1.Sunset from the Thomas S. Monson building (where we have church and teach an interested person)

2.District 9B name tags

3.District 9B in the flag circle

4. Hermana Young and I in front of the temple

5. Gym time

6. Bus to the temple with Hermana Dodson and Hermana Wall

7. District 9B vs District 9F Kickball game

8. District 9B in front of the temple

9.Elder McKenzie, Elder Gonzels, Hermana Young, and I