"The Princess of the MTC"

Mom, thank you so so much for the pillow case!  I love it!  I had no idea you were doing that!!! I tied the ribbon from it on the bottom of the bunk bed above me.  It might be weird but I miss coming into your room at night and having you hold out your hand for me to grab and tell you about my day.  So I just hold the ribbon for a minute and tell you about my day still:)

Daily Schedule - study at 6:30, sports, breakfast at 8:00, classes until 12:00, lunch, classes, dinner, classes, planning, bed.  It's soooo long.

Talk about stress.  The time is counting down on my screen and it is giving me anxiety!  25 minutes let's do this.

So yeah I got called the princess of the MTC.  Anyone surprised?  I get my fruit specially cut and hand delivered to me every day from people in the kitchen.  Haha the male workers love to make it all pretty and shape it into dolphins or things like that for me.  It's the best thing ever.

P-day is tomorrow but we switch off days to write every other week...?  I'm not really sure why because they say it in spanish.  I just follow everyone haha.  Tomorrow we get to go to the temple again and to wal mart!  I don't think I have ever been so excited to go to wal mart haha.  Maybe I'll buy some crocs while I'm there ;)

Last week in the temple I was seeking further confirmation of my testimony of the church.  As I was sitting in the celestial room I just thought, "I already know.  Why am I seeking further confirmation?  I wouldn't be living in guatemala on a crappy bunk bed, with freezing cold showers, speaking spanglish for a year and a half if I didn't know."  I want to do everything I can to make it back to Heavenly Father.  I am willing to walk the path that Christ walked.  My chair will not be empty :)

I love the mornings here.  Working out in the morning or skipping out on running and reading my BOM is so amazing.  Even if it is at 6:30.  The rest of the day is so noisy.  The sirens here are insane and the traffic is always going and there is an outside bar/club thing right next to the mtc so all you hear all day is screeching tires and music blasting haha.

The rumors were true. The whole district is insane at this point from being trapped in here together all day long.  We cope by quoting movies all day long.  I love my district!

This week:

1. medicine is a wonderful thing

2. "life is nothing, if not a grand adventure" -my teacher

3. latino elders don't know the difference between the girls and boys bathrooms

4. I'm good at laughing at myself

5. yo no sé español

I had some pretty bad days.  I didn't feel like I had the spirit with me.  I am clearly the worst one in my district at spanish.  I'm grateful that I can laugh at myself and my mistakes and struggles with spanish, but it gives everyone permission to laugh at me too and it makes me feel stupid.  I was really down for a few days.  I knew that it was up to me to be positive so I tried my best.  Spanish is just really hard!  Especially when everyone around me is succeeding.  Today we are fasting from english until tomorrow morning so I won't be talking much today...!! Ahhh!!!

Yesterday was AMAZING.  I seriously love Sundays here so much.  First off: no spanish classes haha.  Second off, i just really needed a good dose of the spirit after feeling like I hadn't had it for a few days.  Satan has been really working hard on me and making me feel like I'm not worthy to be here.  I know I am though, and my MTC president help reassure me that I am.  The spirit is so essential, I don't know how I ever was okay not having it constantly at home.  Here, I can feel when it is absent and it is the worst thing ever.

We got to watch the Testaments movie last night.  I LOVE THAT MOVIE.  Every time I watch it I just bawl my eyes out but I don't even care.  I don't even care that Jesus looks really creepy in it, I am just so happy when I watch it.  During the testaments movie, Christ comes to visit the Americas after He was resurrected.  (which was super cool cause it looked just like guatemala :) )  He is so kind and perfect and wonderful.  After the movie I studied characteristics of Christ.  I was overwhelmed by 3 emotions.

1: Inadequacy.  I am supposed to represent Christ on my mission.  How in the world am I supposed to become like Him?  I can't even begin to come close.

2: Determination.  I want to be a great missionary for my Savior.  I want to bring others to him.  I want to work hard and persevere through hard times.

3: Hope.  I trust my Savior.  I trust in His atonement, His desires, His plan for me.  I trust that if I do my part, He will help me begin to become someone worthy to represent Him.

This gospel brings me so much happiness and hope.  I love it here even though I feel stupid all the time.  This gospel is so real and I love it so much.  I love you all and I miss you like crazy!!  I hope luke is still alive.  I don't know when spring break is but tell me what your plans are!  I'll be super jealous if you go to St George without me.  Anyways, love you all to pieces. <3

#NEC

-Hermana Yatés (Yah tez)