Meow

 

!Hola!

GUYS! As of tomorrow, I will have been a missionary for a whole month! Where has the time gone? I mean, I've been in el CCM for 5 million years, but also, A WHOLE MONTH! As Elder Gneiting would lovingly say, as he says after every single sentence anyone says, "That's dope!"

For once, I kinda agree with that statement. :)

This week, as always, has been crazy. Mi compañera and I have often said to each other these past few weeks, "I'll rest when I'm dead". And I'm sure that will become more and more true as my mission goes on. Between so many homework assignments from mis maestros y estudios y clases, it seems as though I never have enough time in the day to do everything that I want to. This week, we have had two more lessons with Fernanda, and she is incredible. For the first time as a missionary, I had the experience where my sweet compañera y yo had panned out a whole lesson, only to get into that meeting with her, and have the spirit tell us to scrap the whole thing. I've never in such a moment been so prompted to teach something else or share an experience than I have in that lesson. During this lesson, I had the experience where I was suddenly teaching and talking through the spirit and suddenly, it wasn't me speaking Spanish anymore. All my shortcomings and struggles with the language suddenly fled as the words seemed to almost tumble out of my mouth without me thinking so hard about what to say. Suddenly, I wasn't the one speaking Spanish and it brought such a powerful spirit into the meeting that I haven't ever quite felt before. 

Now, storytime.

Hermano Pérez has a little kitten that he has told us all about and often times we hear this little kitten screaming and meowing during the lesson. Well, on Saturday, the kitten was very much making its presence known and was meowing up a storm. So I ask if we can see the kitten and lo and behold, Hermano Pérez holds up this tiny white kitten! I was sooooooooooo excited! But for the rest of the class, as we were practicing typing out vocab words on the screen, the little kitten would meow. So Elder Winters flooded that whiteboard with the word *meow. It was hilarious and all of us could barely keep it together. I'll attach those pictures at the bottom because it seriously made my day.

But this week we have really been studying the teachings of Christ in 3 Nefi and I came across a BYU speech from President Thomas S. Monson called Light to the World. He discusses the commission Christ gives each and every one of us to be a light to the world. At the conclusion of this talk, President Monson quotes the Lion King where Mufasa tells Simba as he is doubting his purpose, his destiny, and who he is, “Look inside yourself, Simba. You are more than what you have become. . . . Remember who you are. . . . Remember.” 

This week, I have been struggling to see myself as my Heavenly Father sees me. I often feel so inadequate in every single aspect of who I am and what I'm doing. And seeing Hermano Pérez hold up that tiny little kitten with such joy and pride, I couldn't help but immediately relate to not only the panicked expression on its face but also the feeling of being a small, helpless kitten, that is trying so hard to do her best but seems to fall short again and again. This admonition to remember who I am and that I can BECOME more than I am right now, hit so hard this week. Becoming is a verb of progression and improvement, not an instantaneous transformation. 

I just want to end with the words of Thomas S. Monson at the end of this speech because I can't quite say it the way he does. But I want to bear testimony of the reality of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the potential each one of us has to become like our Heavenly Father. We simply need to remember who we are and who's we are. I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father's patience with me as I try a little harder to be a little better every single day. 

“Look inside yourself. You are more than what you have become. Remember who you are. You are a son or daughter of our Heavenly Father. You have come from His presence to live on this earth for a season and to live in such a way that you are an example of the believers and a true light to the world. When that season has ended, you will be able to return to live with Him once again. May this be your blessing as you nurture your testimony and as you follow the example set for you and for all of us by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, “the true Light, which lighteth every man [and woman] that cometh into the world.” -Thomas S. Monson, 2011

Have a wonderful week! Everyone, please stay safe and healthy! 

Con todo mi amor,

Hermana Blackburn

Be a Light to the World

Fotos:

1) El gato de Hermano Pérez. "Lo siento, mi gato está gritando."  

2) The *Meow whiteboard

3) ¡Todas las hermanas!