Saturday, August 17, 2013

Recapping 1st Week in Guatemala

Hola Familia!

Your encouraging letters have been so refreshing!!!! Muchas Gracias por su amor(Thank you very much for your love)!!!! I can’t believe I've been here only a week. I am definitely having great spiritually uplifting experiences. Like dad said, I started the visa paper right when I got on the plane. All in Spanish. haha. Pero, the people of Guatemala are so friendly!! And they helped me out a lot. I felt so Destination Truthish(Destination Truth was one of Tiewa's favorite TV shows and they traveled the world) as I got my passport stamped. From the very start, I was blessed with tender mercies.  I was in the very back on the flight to LAX, so I got to talk with the flight attendant. She’s LDS!! She gave us some wings pins and said we would be in her prayers that night. We arrived at the CCM I think around 7 am. The CCM is much smaller than I thought. If you look up a picture of the CCM *MTC, what you see is all of it.  Pero, I love it! It’s cozy and simple. And the temple is right next door. The walls around the CCM are tall, and we are surrounded by tall buildings, so all you can see of the temple from the CCM are the steeples. But when I first saw the temple, it literally took my breath away! Pictures do not serve it justice! Es muy bella(It is very beautiful)!!

The weather is great here. It rains on and off, but when it rains, it pours. But the hard rain does not last for more than a couple minutes. Like the big monsoon storms back home. But the sky here is filled with big fluffy clouds all the time!!! I love it!!! The sky looks so much bigger here because the clouds are so massive and magnificent. And they set a gorgeous background to the steeples and Angel Moroni on top of the temple.

Oh, and also as I was travelling here, an Allred theme was constantly showing up... Allred fleece blankets from the flight attendant... Allred bus picking us up from the airport....(Allred was a local musician in Utah, who Tiewa enjoyed to listen to)

Definitely made my day even better. Heavenly Father knows my quirks and I know my life is filled with tender mercies. Life is Great!!!

I am also very well fed here at the CCM. The food proportions were huge!! And my first couple days, I was often asking for half proportions. Refined beans are common to eat with breakfast. And a lot of tortillas. And a lot meat smothered in salsas and gravy. I am well taken care of. 

I have also been teaching an investigador(Investigator). On Friday, we invited him to come to church. And he accepted!!!!!! Mi companera (Company) y yo could not stop smiling after our appointment. I have gained such a strong testimony here of el poder de espiritu.(Power of the spirit). You cannot teach effectively without the spirit. You and your companion need to be in tuned with the spirit. It is the spirit that keeps you and your companion united and it is the spirit that fills our investigadores with hope. It is the Spirit that helps us to progress. I am trying very hard to listen for the still small voice of the spirit, because this is often how the spirit communicates with us. Since I have been here, the gift of discernment has become so much stronger within me. I can better recognize when Satan is trying to bring me down or distract me. I love this gift so much!! 

Also, it surprised how much spanish I know. Studying the scriptures in espanol before coming here has helped meso much. And praying in Spanish before I came was also a huge help. I try to speak with the latin missionaries as much as I can. I know I have a lot to learn, but I am already seeing the blessings of the Gift of Tongues and Interpretation of Tongues in my life.  

I've also been recommended by a few missionaries to tell you about DearElder.com. Its an email website, but DearElder prints your email to me out and sends it to me. I should get the letter around Thursday. And that way, I can have more time to write because I would have been able to read the letter ahead of time. Just a heads up.

 I absolutely love it here!!! I can't wait to actually go out. I am inside most of the day, and I feel kind of in a limbo state. Technically, I’m in Guatemala, pero(but), not really because I am just here at the CCM. I can see where Dad is coming from when he was at the MTC, pero, I am so grateful to have gotten here to Guatemala in safety. And the p[people here are SO HAPPY!!! They have very bright and big smiles!!!! And like I said before, it is SO GREEN!!!! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!

I am so grateful for all of your constant love, prayers, and support. I truly do feel strengthen. I am praying for you all everyday!! I glad that you saw Mr. Easton and got to talk to him. Mikayla and Joci, I hope you have an incredible school year!!!! Full of happiness, new experiences, and lots of new k knowledge. And full of direction from the Holy Ghost.

Recuerda Siempre que tu eres un hijo e hija de Dios!(Always remember you are a son and daughter of God) Never forget that. He lives, and loves you so so so so so so much!!!! TJAB and an eternity more. Please pray to Him with your heart. I love you all so much!!!!

Keep Smiling!!1

Sonrisa!!!1


Todos Estan Bien!!!!! (All is Good)

Con Amor, Hermana Esquerra

PS. I got my nametag!!!!! WOOOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!

PPS. Also, if you send packages, don’t worry about the stickers. Simply address the package to Hermana Sonrisa Tiewa Esquerra. The postage services will see HERMANA and know that its a {Mormon Missionary}


PPPS. Muchas gracias familia!!! Time definitely goes my way to fast!!!! I’ll send you a letter soon too!!!! I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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