Hermana Townley and Hermana Bringhurst
Hello my dear friends and family!!
Where do I begin?! This week has been a crazy one with a lot of ups and downs, which is pretty normal right? Christmas was amazing, like everyone said it would be. I feel like I learned a lot about my Savior and the amazing gift that He is for the whole world! I felt for the first time an anxious urgency to get this message out to the people of Tucson, everyone needs it and everyone deserves to know about the incomprehensible love that our Father in Heaven has for all of His children. I also thought a lot about Mary this season. I imagine the heavy responsibility that she had, being the mother of the Savior of the World. Can you imagine bearing that kind of burden? She must have been incredible.
It was after I sent my last email that I really started feeling the Christmas spirit. A group of Elders invited Hermana Bringhurst and me to go caroling to all of the poor workers that were cooking food for us and cleaning our bathrooms. We love the people that work here, so it was really great to make their day!
Are schedule is pretty crazy. We get about four hours a day to do personal studies, about an hour to do companion study, and the rest of the time is spent in class learning language and Gospel principles. We take turns practicing lessons on each other and our teachers. Then we have devotionals at night, which is usually my favorite part of the day.
I joined the choir last week, which has been so fun. It takes my mind a little bit off the work, helps me to relax and just feel the spirit. I didn't realize how much I enjoyed to sing until I came here. My companion is really great at the piano so sometimes I'll let her practice while I write in my journal. Everybody's happy :)
Yesterday they made us move across campus, probably from the influx of new missionaries coming in today. But they moved us into an Elders neighborhood, and the house was designed specifically for tall young men, which means I have to stand on my tippy toes to look at myself in the mirror when I get ready, and I can't reach a few of the cupboards or shower head. Oh and the bunk bed doesn't have a ladder. Haha, it's been an adjustment.
I feel like my head is ready to explode from all of the things I've had to learn this week. I'm starting to be able to speak, I can sort of conjugate verbs now so I'm slow, but I'm able to communicate. It's amazing how much you can learn in one day, I had no idea. We are teaching a guy named Mario now, he is an investigator who has active grandparents and an inactive mother. He's already taken a few lessons from other missionaries, but he really shies away from the topic of baptism. We've only taught him once, but Hermana Bringhurst and I decided to only bring a few note cards with us, and try to best teach with the spirit. We were so nervous about not being able to understand or communicate our message because he doesn't know any English, my companion accidentally introduced herself as Hermana Townley, and I didn't even pick up on it until I introduced myself as Hermana Townley as well.....it was a very awkward first few moments with Mario haha. It was a great lesson though, we learned a lot about him and have been praying to know the direction we should go for our lesson tonight.
Last week I prayed to be able to realize when I was doing things that weren't in accordance with the spirit. What a wake up call I got. God definitely answered my prayer, it seems like ever since, He's been alerting me and chastising me in very loving ways for doing things that I didn't even realize might not be very Christlike. I keep going back to the blessing I received when I got set apart, and I can really feel Heavenly Father shaping me into the person that I need to become.
I've also had many personal experiences that have completely confirmed my faith in this work. I've only been here for two weeks and it's amazing to feel my testimony grow so much so fast! Jesus Christ lives, He is my friend and I feel His presence with me constantly! I wish that for everyone!
Thank you all so much for your letters, I really love hearing from you! I love you all so much, and I'm already looking forward to hearing from you next week :) Have a Happy New Year everyone!
Hermana Stacie Morgan Townley
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