No big deal, it's only 2:00 A.M.

 

!Hola a mis maravillosos amigos y familia! 

Okay, I know last week in my email to all of you I was freaking out about having been a missionary for a whole month, well I thought that was as exciting as it got, I was so wrong. Absolutely so wrong. I leave for the mission on JULY 14TH!! That's like six days away! What is happening? Where is the time going? I have three days left of el CCM en linea and then it's off to the mission. Somebody push the pause button please, because I don't know if I'm quite ready to say goodbye to my amazing maestros, distrito, y mi hermosa compañera. The next email you guys get from me will be after my first week as a missionary in Kennewick, WA. I keep joking with my family that since my mission is surprisingly 75% Oregon or so, if my first area is in Oregon, I will laugh so hard. Be called to a WA mission and end up in OR first just seems hilarious. :)

This week has been so crazy, and honestly, I've loved every second of it. Spanish is still hard and I can't believe they're sending me out here in a few days because no entendio nada. But getting to teach people this week and spend time with my district has been amazing. And I want to tell all of you about my favorite aspect of the online CCM that I don't think I've really told you guys before. Which is my bad, because it has honestly changed my life. 

President Nelson has said in regards to this global church and this global gospel, "If you think the Church has been fully restored, you're just seeing the beginning. There is much more to come. … Wait till next year. And then the next year. Eat your vitamin pills. Get your rest. It's going to be exciting." 

This online MTC experience has helped my fully see the full extent of the restoration and the continuation of revelation and this global church. In the back of my mind, it's easy to know that La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Últimos Días es all over the world, but I never experienced that until this online experience. Mi compañera y yo, two hermanas in Arizona, have been able to teach people in all parts of México, Guatemala, The Dominican Republic, and El Salvador. To be able to testify of my Savior to all those people in countries and so different than what I have known has been incredible! 

Then this week, I had the most wonderful experience. I wish I could adequately describe to you the joy and the excitement for missionary work as I sat in a one hour meeting with missionaries from all over the world. I met an Elder from Sydney, Australia, numerous sisters from various parts of the Philippines, a sister from Fiji, an Elder from South Africa, a sister from B.C., Canada, and missionaries from all over the United States. I was surrounded by missionaries learning so many different languages other than their own and their amazing testimonies and thoughts. The inspiration for the title of today's email comes from the sweet, kind, amazing sisters from the Philippines, Sister Silos and Sister Palayar. When just getting to know each other, I asked what time it was for them, because here in Arizona, it was a little bit after 11:00 in the morning. They looked at each other laughed and said, "It's 2:00 a.m. here." Naturally, I freaked out and was like WHAT! Oh my gosh, why are you up that late. They smiled, looked at us, and said 

"No big deal, it's only 2:00 a.m., nothing is more important than my time with the missionaries and with the Lord."

That really stuck with me. Because to me, being awake at 2:00 in the morning sounds like a super big deal! I don't think I could do that! I'm already exhausted right now and I'm not waking up that early! But their simply testimony that nothing is more important than time with the Lord stuck with me. As I got out into the mission field, that is what I want to remember. Is that this time that I have to spend WITH the Lord, with be the most important time FOR my life. My mission is going to make all the difference, and yes, it's a little terrifying to actually be going out to Washington, but I am getting to spend time with the Lord and that should motivate me to get out of bed and do anything he requires of me.

Stay safe everyone! Talk to you from WA (or OR) soon! 

¡Los amo a todos!

Fotos:

1) Hermanas Ashby and Terry surprised us by showing up in the same screen! They spent a day together since both live in Utah.

2) Elderes Winters, Miller, and Law took screenshots of everyone's rooms and will surprise us all by coming into the meeting all in someone else's room. Somehow, all three of them are in Elder Moore's room with his signature blanket and chair lean.

3) The sisters from the Philippines and Elder Sengchanh from Australia!

4) The Arizona Hermanas got together for our last p-day today! Oh my goodness it was wonderful!