Buen Dia!!!!!!

HHOOOLLLLAAAAAA

Wow wow wow... there is so much to tell and such little time..... Gahh, I'll do my best to get in as much as I can =)!!

The CCM life has been way fun! When I first arrived they had me as a 2 weeker, which meant I would be in an all latino District, I would have a latin companion and I would have all Spanish speaking teachers and in 2 weeks I would hop on a plane and head out to Paraguay. This was a super enticing and intimidating offer. On one hand I was stoked because that would put me out in the mission field so fast and I wouldn't have to spend all this time in the CCM. But it was my choice as to whether I wanted the 6 weeks here or the 2 weeks... so I prayed about it and felt that while the 2 weeks would be so doable, it would also be so stressful and being able to go over grammar and learn at a pace where I can truly have the Spirit with me as I go ended up being what was important to me - so I chose the 6 weeks. And I am very happy I did, the relationships I have developed here are so great. The world just keeps getting smaller and smaller! =)

I have 6 people total in my room. One is from Chile, one is from Argentina, two are from Brazil, one is from Peru, and one is from Virginia.... and then there's me. The first night was hilarious, (between the sisters who spoke Portugese, the sisters who spoke Spanish and Hermana Perez and I who spoke English (with some Spanish) it turned into a Spanish based conversation with some Portugese, some English, and a lot of charades! Haha!

Hermana Perez is my companion and I love her to death, she is from Virginia! Her parents met on their missions in Chile so she grew up around some Spanish too. We have made a promise that in our rooms were only going to speak in Spanish and so far its been great, we understand just about every single thing the Hermanas say and now its just on us to formulate responses and its been getting easier and easier=) these hermanas leave for their missions next Thursday though. So I am so sad to see them go but they are going to do an important work and I can't wait to meet the new latina companions I'll have in my room!!!

Now Im going to tell you guys a little bit about how happy the food makes me..... shocker right? Hahaha. We have had melanesa, we have had those really yummy crossaint that are called media lunas? I think, weve had alfajores and flan for dessert, weve had just about everything yummy and delicious in this world... and with every meal I have a whole plate full of cucumbers.... they are just so good I cant help it. :) The hermanas are convinced that if all I could eat was cucumbers alone, that I would be just fine. Haha.

Every day we have one hour to work out or do something "physical" outside. SO this girl named Hermana Porter (she goes to BYU too and we have sooo many mutual friends, I'm surprised I never met her) and I decided we really watned to work out, like get in a real workout. So we and a huge group of Elders do CCM X everyday (it's the MTC version of P 90X) Haha, and then afterwards we run and I've been doing pullups on the goal crossbar =) so thats way fun. Ha!!

And while being here has been so fun and there are so many laughs in our own dorm rooms, in the class rooms, outside and at meals... there is also such a special spirit here. The hymns that we sing in Spanish invite the Spirit  unlike anything has ever before, sometimes I want to cry because it is so sweet. The way the scriptures have been speaking so directly to us has been amazing, we share scriptures with eachother all day and you would think that yiou would find our names in there because the verses are so applicable. And the love you feel for your investigators that you teach is so strong. We have IPs every week (which are progressive investigators, they are real profiles of real people but they are acted out by our teachers and we are companionships take turns teaching them). Hermana Perez and I taught this girl named Micol, we had some great lessons with her and she was commited to baptism but her Dad wasn't supportive of it at all and so when we met with her on the 3rd visit she told us she didnt want to be baptized right now because it was to hard with the way things were at her parents house. My heart broke for her and Hermana Perez and I just dropped our notes and bore our testimonies about the blessings that come through being baptized and recieving constant companionship of the holy ghost. About how it is hard to see how joing the church could be a blessing when her dad isnt so supportive but how the blessings are there. And we just tried to convey the feelings of our heart (which is a little tricky with this language barrier... gospel spanish is all soooo new still). And all though it was hard to find the words, we felt that the spirit really conveyed the message we were sharing and the truths that were being testified of. And that has been such a blessing. Im so grateful that it is the spirit that converts people to the doctrine. I am so grateful that I get to be that mouth piece and that tool to help bring this knowledge, this happiness to the people. This calling we have as missionaries is so humbling, it is such a huge and important calling and I know why it has to be done =) The church is so true you guys!

It was so great to see all the emails in my inbox this morning, keep them coming you guys =) I love reading them! Keep on making those good choices and being those amazing people you are! until next week =)

Lots of love,

Hermana Fardos