Hola!

Hola! Como estan?

We are still going strong here at the MTC, starting our 8th week today. Like I said last week we got new roommates who will probably be leaving before us. They are really nice, so it is fine, even though our room is so much more crowded. Also, our elders are going to be getting their travel plans tomorrow or Friday; they leave in less than 2 weeks! But Hermana Cochran and I have decided to stop talking about time so that we will focus better. We only know what time it is currently, the date, and what time we need to be at the next activity. I've also noticed that I've starting writing and talking in 'we' a lot, even when it is something that only applies to me. I even write in my journal in 'we'.

Before Hna. Cochran even got her call she had a trip planned down to Mesa to visit some family, so when they actually went on the trip she already knew she was going to be serving at the Visitor's Center. She went and visited and they gave her a few papers about different types of tours they give for different age groups. We looked over them for companion study this morning before the temple, and I can't wait to go down and start my 'real mission'! Except we have to do a lot of singing... we sing 'I Love to See the Temple' to the young women, 'Called to Serve' to the young men, 'I am a Child of God' to the Primary kids, and 'Families can be Together Forever' to Family night tours... and I'm sure much much more...

Yesterday in the TRC we taught a native again. He is from Central America but I can't remember which country. The natives have a hard time pretending to be investigators, so when we ask them questions we would ask investigators they usually turn it around and teach us a lesson! But it was a good experience. Napoleon (that is his name) has a really cool story, that elders in our district who first taught him told us a few weeks ago. He was an orphan growing up in Central America, and didn't have any shoes. To entertain himself he picked up tree branches and would drum on things and taught himself how to drum that way. Then, when the band Santana (Jacob you will like this...) was touring his country they came across him and picked him up as their drummer! When he started earning money one of the first things he did was by shoes and if I am correct I think that to this day he still owns over 300 pairs of shoes! He married one of the bands groupies and they ran into the missionaries while they were touring and he got baptized! And now he is this cute old man who has been volunteering at the MTC for over 6 years. I can't wait to here all the unique stories of the people I will meet in Mesa!

This week, I found something that I thought was cool in the scriptures. To preface it, there is a chapter in Preach my Gospel entitled Christlike Attributes. While most of Preach my Gospel is how to teach others, this chapter is very personal. In the introduction to the chapter it says "Some chapters in Preach My Gospel focus on what you need to do as a missionary - how to study, how to teach, how to manage time wisely. Just as vital as what you do, however, is who you are." So this chapter is all about 9 attributes that Christ had that we should strive to develop: Faith, Hope, Charity and Love, Virtue, Knowledge, Patience, Humility, Diligence, and Obedience. The thing that I found cool was that I was reading in 3rd Nephi chapter 12, where Christ is teaching the Nephites. I wasn't even thinking about the Christlike attributes but then I read verse 8: "And blessed are all the pure in heart, for they shall see God." The attribute of virtue popped in my head and I felt inspired to go back through the chapter and look for the other attributes. I found at least 5 of the nine, as well as some verses that apply to multiple attributes. I thought that that was cool. It is in the Nephite version of the Sermon on the Mount and as Christ is teaching His Gospel and how we can return to heaven (verses 1-2) He names these attributes and characteristics that we all need to develop. I challenge you to read 3 Nephi 12, and maybe even all of chapters 11-18, and try to find some of these attributes. Let me know what you find!

De Provo Con Amor,
Hermana Ladd