Mission Log - September 30, 2016 - CCM Adventures

Dear Loved Ones,

So this week, Preparation Day is on Friday because my Compañera needs to go get her visa.  I wasn't allowed to go with her, so today I'm paired with a sister from another district, Hermana Richardson, whose companion also needed to go get a visa.

There is a native Mexican Hermana named Hermana Gonzales who, on her first day, stayed with me and Hermana Loescher because she couldn't find her district or her companion.  Now, every time we see each other we say Hola! and smooch each other's cheeks. It's a cultural custom here in Mexico, I think.

We had a teaching Practice session.  One-on-one with district 5A, and my 'investigador' said that my Spanish was good, and that I just needed to back down a little.  After he explained that he did drugs, I said to him in Spanish, 'The Church has an addiction recovery program you can go to in order to clean your sins!' and 'Through the power of the Atonement, you can overcome your sins!'  I guess I was just really excited to share the Gospel! :)

This past Friday we had a substitute teacher, Hermana Sanchez, because our teacher was getting married!  On Monday we all congratulated him as he came in.  His name is Hermano Valencia, and he returned from his mission about a year ago.  He's very humorous, mostly with facial expressions.  He's awesome, and his testimony really picks up the District when we're feeling down.  He served his mission speaking English, so he relates to us.

During gym time earlier this week, Elder Ficklin and I were both waiting to play tennis on the side, and we began to pitch the extra tennis ball back and forth.  He played baseball before coming out into the field (ha ha jokes), and he said that it brought him a lot of comfort to pitch back and forth because he used to do that for hours on end at practice.  He was a catcher, and though I have NO skills, he seemed very happy to have a tennis ball repeatedly chucked at him. :)

This past Sunday was Fast Sunday (ha that rhymed).  The way they do Fast Sunday here at the CCM is they have all the missionaries fast from dinner on Saturday night until lunch on Sunday.  Our district did a district fast for Elder Bohr, who literally got his face smashed in by a goal post and had to leave for three days for intense surgery.  He's doing a lot better now; we see him walking around, conscious, with bandages wrapped around his head.

We taught a lesson to 'Matea', or Sister Sanchez.  She was a suicidal teenager, and we were able to share with her what her purpose in life is, and why she's important, and that God loves her, and we love her too.  It was a very good lesson.

We watched the John Tanner video for devotional!  I was reminded of his story, and his strength.  I felt closer to my ancestor (on my bonus Mom's side) than I ever have before. It was awesome.

You know that feeling you get when you carefully plan a lesson, study it out in your brain, prepare scriptures to answer anticipated questions, and practice saying it all in Spanish with correct grammar and pronunciation?  And then you completely switch lessons once you get there?  This was our experience with Alfredo the third time around.  He opened up a little at the beginning of the lesson and talked about how he didn't have much time for his family because of work and school.  When he said that I grabbed Hermana Loescher's arm and said, 'We need to teach Plan of Salvation!' and my poor companion was like, 'AAAHH!'  But only briefly.  The lesson differed from our previous lessons in that he seemed genuinely interested in what we were saying and paid attention the whole time.  Afterwards, as Alfredo still, he told us he was interested in learning more about the plan of Salvation.

OOOH guess what?  This Tuesday, Elder Caseñera of the Seventy walked into our classroom while we were singing a hymn and asked us to sing that same one in a meeting at 10:30, 15 minutes later!  We went to this meeting, and there was President Call, President Eves, the Executive Secretary, the manager of all the teachers, the audio-visual boss, the maintenance manager, and a few other general managers over the entire CCM!  Elder Casañera said to sing, and the twelve of us all sang Yo Sé Que Vive Mi Señor (I Know That My Redeemer Lives).  It was awesome!  We all got to shake all of their hands too!

We had our first TRC session yesterday, which stands for Teach Real Citizens.  Just kidding. ;)  I actually don't know what it stands for, but it's this little building off to the side of the CCM where real people (investigators, members, whoever) come in to be taught the gospel.  We taught two people.  Isaac was 15 and less active, because his dad wasn't a member.  We shared about church attendance.  The other was also 15 and preparing to go on a mission.  We just shared a spiritual thought on prayer.  It was very good practice, and I'm glad we went!

Well, that's all for this week.  Tune in next time to hear more CCM Adventures.

Love, Love, Love,

Hermana Smurthwaite

Mission Log - Sept. 21, 2016 - Mexican Independence Day

Dear Loved Ones,

Thank you so much for your words of love! I love you guys, sincerely. 

This past week has been loco! 

September 15th was the Eve of Mexico Independence Day.  I've been hearing fireworks every night since I've been here, but that night I actually saw some!  A man who works at the CCM actually shot off three from the roof of the Gordon B. Hinkley building!  

There was a huge assembly where they had a show.  There were 5 dances and many songs performed.  They dressed like Aztecs and danced with shaker devices on their legs, and one held fire in his hands.  Then the ladies put on skirts that were very, very twirly and the men put on sombreros.  They all had handkerchiefs that they twirled like a baton the whole time.  Then they changed into cowboy/cowgirl attire and had the equivalent of a rap battle (I didn't understand a word of it), and they danced quite sassily. 

Just a little background.  I could be wrong, because all of it was in Spanish, but I think that Mexico Independence Day is called the "Grito de Independencia" and it represents what happened on September 16 in 1810.  This priest or bishop named Miguel Hidalgo rang the church bells in a city called Dolores.  He then brought together the people in the town, and gave an inspiring speech, basically a pep talk to take up arms against the Spanish rule.  That event is what started the fight for independence, and every year, they celebrate it with colletos, or cuellos, I'm not sure (fireworks).  So that was cool! 

That day they served real Mexican food, dulces, (which are these really cultural candies), Mole and Bistek . . .  Actually, that could be inaccurate, but regardless, it was delicious. I was so full! 

The next day was a difficult day for our district. At the very moment when we were ready to sink into despair and abandon ourselves to destruction, Hermano Valencia, our Maestro, gave a beautiful testimony of the Gospel and the Gift of Tongues. He encouraged us all and told us that our hearts were in the right place, and if we just work hard, the Lord will bless us.  We just happened to be listening to spiritual music and it played in the background as he spoke, inspiringly. :)

Our Elders have native Mexican "primos" or cousins in their house.  They are very kind and loving, and they only speak Spanish, so it´s really cool to speak with them.  They always say, "We are homies!"  They have FHE every night at their casa, according to the Elders. 

On Sunday, Elder Slaugh, our district leader, was feeling really down.  My companion was the first to notice, so she and I went to talk to him.  Everyone eventually joined us, and working together, we were able to get him back to Slaugh mode. 

Let me explain a little more about our district.  There are six Elders and six Hermanas.  Hermana Loescher I´ve already told you about; she's also a classically trained opera singer.  Hermana Karren I've mentioned, she´s our district ´mom'.  She likes cute quotes and craft tape and she's from Virginia.  She's going to Salem, Oregon.  Her companion, Hermana Leavitt, is from Las Vegas and is going to North Carolina.  She has blonde hair and kind of looks like Mallory Everton, but she acts like (and these are her own words) a 'sassy black woman'.  She and my companion share a love of volleyball, and that's been pretty much the only sport our district has played since we got here.  Hermanas Karren and Leavitt share a room with us.  

Hermana Anderson is from California and she's going to San Diego.  She's a gorgeous California blonde with a pretty, raspy singing voice.  Her companion, Hermana Petersen, is from Alaska and she's also going to San Diego as well.  She's the slimmest, shortest little thing, but she's super fast and surprisingly spicy.  She is very punctual and kind of keeps everyone in our district aware of the rules, which I love. 

Elder Slaugh, from Philidelphia, is the district leader, as I said, and he's awesome.  Once or twice a day, he'll express his love for our district, his testimony, or a spiritual thought.  He also beatboxes. His companion, Elder Nielsen, is very patient with Slaugh's exuberant personality.  He was a tennis player, and when he laughs, his eyes roll back in his head.  Elder Ficklin was a baseball player and in drumline in Iowa.  He can talk about baseball all day long.  His companion, Elder Shaefer (Shay-fer), quotes movies with incredible accuracy.  His Spanish is very good, as well, and he wants to be an actor in the movies.  Elder Bohn is the tallest Elder in the district.  He's a character.  His companion, Elder Carrizales, is the sweetest.  Whenever he says something, it's always positive and humble.  We joke in our district that Elders Carrizales and Bohn kind of look like Pedro and Napoleon from Napoleon Dynamite, as I said in my last Mission Log. 

We had three awesome Devotionals this past Sunday, one after the other.  A part of Elder Bednar's talk that stood out was that it's not about you.  He mentioned  the Cookie Monster and admonished us not to be like that.  "ME WANT COOKIE NOW!"  "ME WANT BAPTISMS NOW!"  It was humorous, but the message was powerful.  Also, Elder Holland talked about the Breakfast on the Beach that Jesus and His Disciples had, where he asked Peter, "Do you love Me?" "Then feed my lambs."  Elder Holland encouraged us to follow the example of Peter and leave our nets behind.

On Monday, I was Spotlighted.  Basically, our district started doing this thing where each night, we all go around and say something we love about the spotlighted person.  It's awesome - and I felt really humbled after mine.  Then, when we, the Hermanas, got home, we had a jam session where we all sang some songs.  Hermana Art and Keller, who are in our ward in a different district, heard it and complimented us the next day.

Today we went to the Mexico City Temple. It was beautiful! Inside and out. I felt the Spirit very strongly there.

After the session, we went to the tienda, a little Deseret Bookstore next to the temple. It was fun! Everything was in Spanish.

Happy Day before your Birthday, Toko! I love you and you're gonna be an awesome 5 year old!

Love,

Hermana Smurthwaite

Mission Log - Sept. 14, 2016 - First week at the CCM

Dear Loved Ones,

OOOOH My goodness, what a joy it has been so far! On the plane from Atlanta to Mexico, there were ten other missionaries headed for the MTC. Three of them are in my district, Hermana Karren, Elder Bohn, and Elder Slaugh. Hermana Karren is like the "mom" of our district now- She´s definitely a future Relief Society President or Primary President. 

On my first day, I basically smiled like an idiot all day. When we were driving through the city, we saw so much wall art - I think graffiti is encouraged in Mexico city. On the bus, we all cheered when we saw the MTC. Here, it's actually called the CCM, El Centro de Capacitación Misional. The grounds are gorgeous- there´s huge palm trees and flocks of wild parrots.

Guess who I ran into? Alex Lopez! I knew him from high school when we lived in Firestone! My first day was his last day. How crazy!

The first night I got here, there was a devotional broadcast with Elder and Sister Christofferson. It helped strengthen my testimony. I know of a surety that This is my calling. I Know that I am supposed to be here. I Will serve with all my heart, might, mind, and strength. 

I've successfully woken up on time every day so far. Huzzah! On our second day, we got to witness two missionaries teaching an 'investigator.' I'm excited to teach in the same way that they did! 

My companion! I absolutely love her, sincerely. My companion's name is Hermana Loescher, pronounced lotion with an er instead of an un. She's from Cedar City, Utah and before coming here, she studied opera singing at SUU. She also worked at an orthodontist's office. She's an amazing singer and her testimony of the gospel is so strong. She lived at home while attending SUU, so this is literally the first time she's ever lived away from home. She was pretty homesick the first two days, and the Mexico MTC food hurt her stomach on top of that, but she pushed through and she's doing a lot better now.

When we went to the enfermeria for Hermana Loescher, I met Hermana Packard and her husband. They said they knew you, Gma and Gpa Smurthwaite, in Israel. They recognized my name and send their love! 

On our third day, we taught our first investigator. It was very nerve-racking, because it had to be completely in Spanish, and we tried to manuscript our lesson. It flopped, and we learned to make an outline, not a manuscript. We learned to ask questions about the investigator and how he's feeling, share scriptures, and invite without reading it out of PMG. The second lesson, Our investigator, who turned out to be our teacher, asked about what happens after death. I have a solid testimony of the gift of tongues now, because I was able to explain so that he could understand, about the three kingdoms of glory. I said something to the extent of, 'Despues de morir, hay tres lugares que puedes entrar. Uno de estos lugares es muy brillo y alto...y otro lugar es mas brillo y alto...y el final lugar es la mejor brillo y alto que todo.'  English translation- 'after the to die, there is three places that you can to enter. One of these places is very shiny and tall... and other place is more shiny and tall...and the last place is the best shiny and tall that all.' My Spanish is really really broken, but my teacher said he felt the spirit. and H. Loescher said she was impressed, so I guess I did okay. 

On our fourth day, we had gym time for the first time. We decided to play volleyball as a district. We have, in my opinion, the best district ever! There are six Elders and six Hermanas. There's me and H. Loescher, who share a room with H. Karren and H. Leavitt. Then there's H. Andersen and H. Peterson, and Elders Ficklin and Shaefer, Slaugh and Neilsen, and Carrizales and Bohn. Elder Bohn is really tall and skinny, and Elder Carrizales' Grandparents are from Mexico, so they kind of look like Pedro and Napoleon. Hermana Karren can do a killer impression of Miranda Sings, if you know who that is. Elder Slaugh can beatbox, and he is our district leader, and he's awesome. Everyone in our district, although they can get rowdy, are so committed and so strong in their desire to share the gospel and their testimonies. It's wonderful.

Our first Sunday, was amazing. Everything- the hymns, the prayers, the talks, and the Sacrament were all in Spanish. I actually understood a lot more than I thought I would, and Hermana Loescher felt the same way. We had time to read scriptures and ponder, and play a few hymns on the piano. Hermana is so talented, she can make a prelude out of any hymn with all the fancy bottom hand notes. We then had a women's meeting about the Family, a Proclamation to the world. It was spiritual, and I truly know that that document was inspired of God. I know that God reveals His secrets to His Prophets today.

Monday was Ryah's Birthday. Happy 7th Birthday, Ryah! It's gonna be a great year, plus, your just a year away from getting baptized! 

I love you all, and I miss you all so much. Tell me how you're doing!

Love, Love, Love, Marie. 

P.S. Please forward this to Sister Laney, I want to make sure she gets it. I might have her email spelled wrong! 

PPS. Sorry, We only have an hour to write these emails, and I didn't have time to figure out how to put pictures in. 

First Email

September 6, 2016

Dear Mom and Dad, 

I made it!

The keyboard is different. 

But wow! It´s so amazing! 

I was smiling like an idiot the whole way here. 

Here's a missionary message:

Your Missionary's mailing address is:

Hermana Marie Smurthwaite

Carretera Tenayuca-Chalmita #828

Colonia Zona Escolar, Gustavo A. Madero

07230 Mexico, Distrito Federal

Mexico

The use of the above address on all correspondence will greatly facilitate delivery to your missionary

at the MTC. Please don't send packages.

Just email. I have to be quick, but my next P-day is a week from tomorrow, Wednesday, and by then I´ll have figured out how to send pictures.

I love you guys and I´m so excited to serve!!

Love, 

Marie