EL FIN

I do not know how it happened but it did. My time at the Missionary Training Center is over. I will be flying to Chile Monday evening. Feels super strange. I have been here at the CCM for 6 weeks that it feels like I am never leaving. It is sad to think I will be leaving my district. But it brings me strength to know I have new brothers who will be serving their Father in Heaven back in the states with me. And also super cool to have the majority of them fly to Chile with me! We are all making the best of our last week together! Trying not to get too sad until we have to. I love them and feel so blessed to be apart of their lives for even just 6 weeks. 

My District plays Volley Ball every day!

Connections: 

So I found out last week that my sister, Eden, who is serving in Tijuana, Mexico, was trained in Provo, Utah by my companions older sister. Super cool to think about. And super lucky considering all of the missionaries they have in Provo. My comp and I have supported each other so much over the last 6 weeks. We know that we were blessed as comps for a reason. 

Fiesta:

My kind family sent me a box of goodies the other day! It was a ton of fun for the Elders and I. We had a smaller class than usual because half of our Elders are pros in Spanish already. So they attend the Latinos class in the evening while we stay and studied more Language in our classroom. The Elders had to pass a test where they observed two Latino teachers having a conversation and had to explain what was being said. Does not sound too hard. But I know some of our Elders were disappointed they did not get the chance to even "try to fail it" ha ha their words not mine. So we all shared some root-beer and chips and dip! We played a fun shoots and ladders game trying to learn Spanish Subjunctive. Subjunctive......way hard. There is not anything like it in the English language so it has been really difficult to grasp. I had to make a paper dice for the game and when it came down to the last roll my team needed the other team to roll a 4 so they would hit a slide and have to go back to one spot behind us.We tried to load the dice. We put more tape on the opposite side of the 4 so it would be heavy enough to fall the way we wanted. Wrong and funny, but harmless. Those of you who knew me when I was 3 and 4 years old, know this should not surprise you with my history in playing Candy Land. It did not work. Altogether we try our best to make learning Spanish, even subjunctive, fun and easy to retain. 

Random:

The misquotes here move in slow motion. It is the funniest thing. You can catch them so easily even by just pinching them like you would chop sticks. They never bite you but it is just so funny to see people grab them in the air and shake them and throw them on the table- o

r at least that is what Lino does every time we teach him.

With much love and prays,

Hermana Lance 

Top Dogs

It is crazy to think by the end of next week our district 10B will be the oldest district in our Zone. Not only is our district super close but our Zone is too. We have a little devotional together every night to end and the Elders all want to wear pink on Wednesday. Pretty funny! Hermana Vawdrey and I became Sister Leaders a few weeks ago. And we have lost 10 Sister missionaries. Not lost in a bad way, they just left the CCM to go to their missions in Kentucky and California. So we were so excited to get 4 new ones this past week! 

Update on Elder Montoya:

The guy has teeth! The process is a lot shorter than they estimated and he will be able to return to the CCM in 2 months. He still gets to serve in Chile Concepcion and is doing great missionary work at his home in Utah with the missionaries there. Here are the pictures he drew of every one in our class with their personalities. I'm suppose to have the "Mom Look". 

Spanish Words:

I had a rough mix up with a lot of words this week. We were playing Pictionary with 3 teams and had to guess the sentence with the correct grammar in Spanish. And since I tend to get overly excited for little things like this that do not really matter, in my rush of trying to get my sentence out I started saying Jesu Smith. Not Jesucristo (Jesus Christ) or Jose Smith (Joseph Smith) but Jesu Smith. I went right on with my sentence so excited and proud to get a point for our team. My sweet district´s laughter helped my realized my mistakes though. 

And mula.....mula does not mean money in Spanish. I am sure most of you knew that but I somehow did not.  I had to play the role of an investigator during class while others practiced teaching Tithing to me. I said mula a few times before my comp stopped me to say "really". She did not think I was serious but I never fail to give the district a good laugh. Dinero....money is dinero. 

Solo Espanol:

Our district has lots of goals. One of which was to only speak Spanish allllllll day long on Tuesday. We wore stickers on our tags to help others be aware of our situation and lack of ability to respond to them in English. I thought there would be less talking but it was the complete opposite. Everyone talked more than usual. It was so fun trying to understand everyone and was really impressive that we were all able to do it. It was way interesting playing volleyball in only Spanish. Saying good job (bien trabajar, which only means good work) in Spanish or phrases like never again (nuca otra vez!!) and yelling AYUDA ME (help me). My Spanish is a few steps behind our bright Elders with 9 years of Spanish experience. They would all get so excited when I would try to say something in Spanish. It would get silent and they would all turn and grin at me just waiting for something silly to come out. It is all fun though. Messing up helps me retain saying things right better. 

Our district also has a goal of memorizing DyC (Doctrine and Covenants) 4 in English and Spanish. The Elders tease me for leading the class in helping them memorize. It is my own fault though. I can not help using my primary voice when I teach. That thanks goes to my mom :) We memorized 1 through 3 yesterday. Just 4 to 7 ta go! 

I do not think I have ever been happier. I am learning so much about myself, this Gospel, our Father in Heaven, and His Son Jesus Christ. This Gospel is  gospel of service. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is truly for everyone no matter what life style they are living or come from. I have already filled half a journal with memorizes of trials, love, and the spirit. And it has only been a month.

Always,

Hermana Lance 

HALF WAY DONE

It is extremely exciting and frightening that I am half way done with the training at the CCM. I am more than excited to be with the people of Chile. However, time is going by so quickly and I know it will only continue to be this way. I love the CCM. And have been so grateful for my teachers and classes. I know there is nowhere else that I could be able to speak the Spanish Language in 3 to 4 weeks (with only the prior knowledge of numbers, colors, and introduction words) other than here where the Spirit is doing the teaching. Of course I still have tons to learn and for that I am grateful for these last few weeks of training. 

The Elders:

I know I am biased when I say this but our Elders are the funniest! During gym time this past week my companion and I looked out side the doors to the street. We saw Elder Mace laying on the cement and then standing back up to only lay back down almost in the same spot again. We walked out to see what was going on. The Elders had all been marking where his head touched to have him lay is feet in that same spot. They were using poor Elder Mace as a measuring stick to measure 40 yards so they could time each other and race. Elder Mace is 6 feet and 2 inches so he was the fasted ruler they had. Hermana Vawdrey and I soon became the finish line. We are never bored in our District 10 B. They are all 18 year old boys and always have the best of time. However, they continue to amaze me with the profound testimonies and spiritual insights. 

 

Our district in mainly headed to Concepcion, Chile with me. My companion is and 3 sets of Elders. The other two sets are going to Washington, Wisconsin, Texas, and Tennessee. 

And Then There Were 11:

Elder Montoya

Sadly we went from 12 Missionaries to 11 this week in our District. Last week our Elder Montoya took a hard fall. There was a crazy rain storm last Wednesday night at dinner. When we walked back to our building after dinner to our classroom the entrance to the building looked almost flooded with all the water that was tracked in from umbrellas, shoes, and open doors. Missionaries were gliding in on the water when Elder Montoya decided to try and slid on the sopping wet tile floor and do a 180 degree turn like he would on a skin board at the beach. He landed the turn but not for long. His feet slipped out from under him and his face it the tile first. He took a moment to get up, at the time we all thought he just was trying to keep his composure. When he lifted up there was teeth and blood underneath him. So sorry if this is more gruesome then one would like. He is still his happy joyful self. He had to leave on Wednesday to go home for 6 months to take care of his health. He broke his nose in 3 places and knocked out one of his front teeth and split half of his other front tooth. He will have to re submitted his papers so we do not know where he will be serving. However, we do know that there is a plan for him. Whatever it was that needed him at home for these quick short months we know he will make a difference anywhere. He is an impressive guy though. He was not even bummed about his teeth he hurt more having to leave our district family. He said it felt more like he was leaving home rather than returning to it. The night he left there was not one dry eye in our classroom. He will always be apart of District 10 B. And in the words of Elder Montoya, "10 B is vida". 

Mexico City Temple:

We got to go to the Mexico City Temple on our Preparation Day this week. The temple is closed because it is being cleaned but we were still able to take a trip to their beautiful Visitor Center. We had a tour by the sister missionaries there and they even did it for us in English. This probably is not the kindest, but it was nice to see someone else struggle trying to speak a different language. Of course it was not perfect English, but it was enough. Spanish or English the spirit can testify. The Gospel has become so simple to me in the Spanish language. With my limited vocabulary teaching and testifying is so pure and simple. A Hispanic girl around my age approached me at the visitor center. She was with missionaries from the Mexico area. She was not a member but said she really wanted to speak to me. We talked about the big differences from America and Mexico. She was just full of compliments and was such a kind heart to talk with. She wanted my opinion on the scripture case she was purchasing. Of course we had to leave so I bore my testimony and thanked her for reaching out to me. The spirit was muy fuerta (very strong). I can hardly remember the Spanish I spoke but I will also remember her sweet smile. 

The Blog:

Because of the lack of online time we have I do not proof read my post like I should. My apologies for the grammar errors I know I have. The mission is hard and stressful but it is right I want to be and more importantly where my Father in Heaven wants me to be. I love my district, I love my companion, I am loving (it is a process) the language, I love this work, and I love the Lord. 

Much love and gratitude, 

Hermana Lance 

Still Trucking

I was asked to speak in church on Sunday. So yes it was all in Spanish. I can not remember the last time I was so nervous for public speaking. I will admit I read the majority of it in Spanish, but hey I still wrote it all. I was able to express my testimony without notes. The language is coming. In our lesson this past week I only was lost for a words a handful of times. 

Food:

Beans and rice and beans and rice and beans and rice! With every single meal. Some of our poor Elders have had their stomachs turning and lots of bathroom breaks. The food is not even real authentic Mexican food because our gringo bellies would not be able to handle it. They do have a nutella and peanut butter and toast bar that saves everyone.

The Classroom: 

My District!

I counted it up the other day and we send 11 hours every day just in the classroom. From studying, to teaching, to practicing, or computer language lessons. Our classroom walls are filled with so much laughter, stress, and love. This work is so inspired. Even our District 10B (which we call 10 beB) is beyond perfect for each other. I could not imagine even one personality gone. We make those 11 hours fun though. We play games like Spanish Fruit Basket, or relay races with certain Spanish phrases being past along as correctly as we can. It can get pretty funny with ties flapping Elders in the face and Herman's running around in skirts. A lot of our games have no winner or loser but my Elders all know that I will find a way to adjust a few rules to clam a winner. It is the same for volleyball. They advice us not to keep score to reduce the competitiveness but our Elders will ask, If we were keeping score....Hermana Lance what would it be. I tend to always have the answer. 

No H2O:

Do not worry. The CCM goes through 150 jugs of purified water per week. Our casa (house) however, was without running water for a whole week. Some other casa down the same street had messed up pluming so we had to migrate every night morning and in between to another casa for a shower, toilet, and sink. But the plus is that we have a key to another empty casa. It is kinda like our own little private safe haven. 

My Sista Found Me:

CCM

Many of you know Eden, my sister is serving a mission here in Mexico. And Tuesday night she sent a little messenger my way. I was walking out of a devotional when a sister missionary called out Hermana Lance. I thought she was just reading my name tag but she then said she had something for me. I was way surprised but even more excited! She explained that Eden was just serving in her church in Mexico before she left for the CCM. She gave her a picture of me for a reference to find out of the thousand of missionaries here with a letter and picture of the two of us. I was hugging her before she was even able to get the letter out of the bag. Too cool!  

Estoy agradicido por  las oraciones y amor de ustedes. 

Always,

Hermana Lance

I MADE IT!!!

Atlanta Airport

Flying at 6 am to Atlanta then to Mexico was a funny sight to see with tons of other bright eyed men and women in suits and knee length skirts. We road in style on our CCM bus (which stands for the Mexico Missionary Training Center). If I could only give you one word for Mexico it would easily be LOUD. You constatnly hear dogs barking. If you are driving and not honking your horn there is something wrong. And repetitive cannons go off daily. But the spirit is still super strong here. I love being able to wake up every morning and put on my badge. 

 

Hermana Vawdrey on our daily walks.

My First Companion 

Hermana Vawdrey! She is a Spanish scholar. I am sure she wonders how I am surviving off of just hola (hello), como se dice (how do you say), and yo se que (I know that). But we share the best bond. We are always, always, always, and always laughing together. The poor boys in our district (the group of men in our classes) think it is always about them. Which often enough it is. 

The District 

10 Elders and just me and Hermana Vawdrey. But we love it. We call them our boys. They are so good to us being the only Hermanas in the District. We have pretty competitive volleyball games almost daily. It does help that one Elder, Elder Anderson, is the #2 lacrosse player in the states. All of our Elders are muy impressive. They are all 18 and have just graduated high school. But they still teach me daily. Everyone has everyone's back and are super encouraging on peoples off days. We are the only family we have out here and have made our own super fast. I got a hankie from Elder Montoya because they all tease me for not being able to either bare my testimony, share a thought, or sing a hymn without letting tears fall. I love seeing them first thing in the morning! 

Hermano Mu'ñoz (El Professor)

HE ONLY SPEAKS TO US IN SPANISH!!! His English is pretty good, but rarely ever do we get to hear it. 

Only half of the study materials I lug around everyday.

CCM Every Day

I just try to make it 24 hours at a time. Otherwise, well yeah, there is no otherwise or other way. Every minute of every day is scheduled out for you.  If we aren't studying the language we are personally studying the gospel. If we aren't having personal study we are studying with our companions. If we aren't studying with our companions we are eating. If we aren't eating we are in the gym. If we aren't in the gym we are at a devotional. And if we aren't at a devotional maybe we found some time to sleep. At the end of the day I just want some ice cream and a t shirt. And since we only get rarely if it is served in the cafeteria, I look forward to my t shirt at the end of the day. But I can not see myself spending my time doing anything else. 

MAIL: 

Mail is the best! And since I only have access to one hour online per week I struggle to reply to all the kind emails sent. DearElder.com is the best way to get snail mail to us. You type up the letter and we get a hard copy sent to us in the CCM. Otherwise it takes about 3 to 5 whole weeks to get a letter and then another 3 to 5 weeks to send one back. I got my first Dear Elder from Miss Elli Kennedy. I may have teared up when I got the first letter of our district, all the Elders were positive it had to be from a boy from my reaction. So thank you all for the emails and encouraging words. I react with the same joy from all of you. 

Till next week, 

Hermana Lance 

My Farewell Talk -- Why am I serving a Mission?

I am so thankful for my friends and family being here today and showing their love and support. I have been called to serve in the Chile, Concepción Mission and am so grateful for this opportunity in my life right now. 

But lets start with a few ‘Did You Know’s’ about Chile:

The fleas are unavoidable, better to just get use to the idea of them now.

I should be returning with some big guns from chopping wood all winter for heat.

It has 500 active volcanoes.

And you may want to run a few laps before your cold winter shower.

But also:

The full name is Republic of Chile.

Chile is the longest north-south country in the world.

The national sport of Chile is Rodeo.

Tennis is Chile’s most successful sport, while soccer is only the most popular.

If you were to ask me a few years ago if I was planning to serve a full time mission I would of actually told you yes.....but at an older age of 21. So when the mission age dropped to 19 you would of thought I would have been more than excited to take part in this sooner, but I wasn’t. 

The plan was always 21. So I had a lot to think about this past year at BYU. Being a 24 hour drive away from home I depended a lot on prayer and my Father in Heaven with adjusting to college. I had felt His love so much and was blessed with some of the most precious relationships and wonderful learning experiences at school. I have seen His love all throughout my life.

I see it in the gift of prayer.

I see it in my family and the knowledge that we have to be a family for eternity.

I see it in my kind friends.

I see it in this beautiful world He has created for us to live in.

I see it in the sacrifice of my Savior Jesus Christ. Who suffered and atoned for my mistakes. Who loved each of us so much that He atoned for our sins. An infinite atonement with no cap on the amount of mess ups we are allowed to have, but as many as we need to learn and grow from. And he would of done it for just one of us if he had to. 

During this time at school my poor roommate had known I was struggle with this decision for a while and was probably getting tired of it when one night before bed I was talking aloud about it when she dropped what she was doing, looked me in the eyes and said, “Mckenzie, do you desire to  serve a mission?”

Before I could even get a word out my eyes began to fill with tears and I could only whisper.....“I really want to serve a mission.”  

After reflecting on all these acts of love and so much more I realized there was no way I could not give the small time of 18 months to my Father in Heaven who has given me more than I could ever start to repay Him. 

The Gospel is a Gospel of service. Jesus Christ gave His life for us. In giving His life and giving up His body He gave us life. He gave us service. It is beyond our imagination the blessings that the Savior gave to us. 

As a missionary for the church you wear a name tag. The two most important parts are your name and the Savior’s name. One thing I have often thought about in preparing to serve a mission is how I can ensure that I represent the Savior as one of His disciples? 

Christ’s mission was to atone for the sins of this world. My mission is to bring souls unto Christ so they can be redeemed of their sins. 

In 2 Nephi 25:26 is says, “And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.” 

Christ is the perfect example of a teacher. 

In John 10 Christ teaches that he is the good shepherd.

In Luke 15 the parable of the good shepherd is taught as well.

15:4 - What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

15:5 - And when he hath found it, he layeth it  on his shoulders, rejoicing.

I love these scriptures because it shows Christ love for the one. And how He cares and watches over each one of us and celebrates are victories.  

In Doctrine Covenants the Lord taught, 

18:10 - Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;

18:15 - And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! 

Every soul is important to the Lord. He is so happy when we repent and come unto Him and He also promises us happiness when we help others come unto Him. 

These scriptures are so comforting as a missionary. As we all go about sharing the gospel, facing rejection, we aren’t going to remember those that reject us but that accept us. And I truly believe that the Lord is beyond happy when we help even one of His children return to Him.   

In John 21 it teaches are part in the shepherds parable.

15: So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He said unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

16: He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

17: He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saidth unto him, Feed my sheep. 

Love demands action if it is to be continuing. Love is a process. Love is not a declaration. Love is not an announcement. “If ye love me feed my sheep” is God given proclamation that should remind us we can often best show our love through the process of serving. 

Think about the last time you were fed by a friend. When you were given helping hands with an overwhelming job. When others listen and shared your burdens of sorrow.

These can only be shared by someone who loves and cares. Our expressions of love and comfort are empty if our actions don’t match. And even more importantly if our desires to not match. 

1 Corinthians 9 it says

7 - ...so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

I have a few examples from my own life to show how I can better serve with true intent. 

One late night at college I had just gotten to bed after being out with my friends. I had just gotten to the point where I crawled into bed exhausted knowing the day is done. Well then there was a knock at my door. A girl from my hall and her friend popped their heads in and explained they have been asking everyone if they had a car because her friend’s truck died and she couldn’t drive back home where she was attending a neighboring university. 

My thought process was, I am half a sleep and could easily mutter no I don’t have one and be done with it. But I grudgingly got up, grabbed my keys, and helped the girls jump her truck. And even though they thanked me constantly my fake smile saying 'oh not a problem' wasn’t easily hidden. I can tell you that I didn’t get anything out of that service opportunity except knowing I had something I needed to work on. 

Now let’s compare that example to another. At my church at school there was a girl who had made a mistake she wasn’t proud of. She had tried seeking comfort from roommates and friends who had gotten tired of her venting and going on about what to do about it. 

So I would often find her on my bed when I would get back from class during the day ready to continue or discussion trying to comfort and encourage her. I didn’t think anything of it during all our late conversations and all the study and social time I had instead spent by her side until she was on her way out of my room one night. She got to the door and turned around to say, “I’m so sorry I’ve been taking so much of your time, you are the only one who doesn’t ignore me about this anymore and it’s just different, you care. Thank you.” And she was gone. 

That was the first time I had noticed the whole time I was severing her because I loved her. And I know all of us can have these experience too if we willing act on our love for others.

The opportunities for showing love for God in the home, communities, mission fields are endless. 

I know that Heavenly Father loves and cares for each of His children individually as stated in the scriptures earlier. That is why He is sending missionaries throughout the world. 

This again confirms my desire to serve a mission and express my love to my Father in Heaven for blessing me with the true Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life and allowing me to share it with others.

In preparing this talk the Hymn I Stand All Amazed came to my mind and I would like to share a bit of it. 

193: I stand all amazed at the  love Jesus offers me, 

Confused at the grace that so fully the proffers me.

I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,

That for me a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.

Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me Enough to

die for me! Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!

I think of his hands pierce and bleeding to pay the debt!

Such mercy, such love and devotion can I forget?

This act is such a marvelous act of love that can not be forgotten. Christ is the example of love. I owe all my happiness and hope to Him. And an 18 month mission is the least I can do to serve Him. 

When I talk to friends about my decision to serve a mission they common reaction is being shocked. That is crazy to give so much time during school, it isn’t the safest place to be, or that I will struggle with the language. And honestly, I agree. I wonder sometimes why I am willingly giving up television, cell phones, dating, time with loved ones and so much more for 18 months. 

Jeffrey R. Holland said this about missionary work. “I don’t believe missionary work has ever been easy, nor that conversion is, nor that retention is, nor that continued faithfulness is. I believe it is suppose to require some effort, something from the depths of our soul. If He (referring to Christ) could come forward in the night, kneel down, fall on His face, bleed from every pore, and cry, “Abba, Father, if this cup can pass, let it pass,” then little wonder that salvation is not a whimsical or easy thing for us. If you wonder if there isn’t an easier way, you should remember you are not the first one to ask that. Someone a lot greater and a lot grander asked a long time ago if there wasn’t an easier way.” 

I know that my knowledge of the atonement is what will carry me through my mission at the lowest points. I know that I will never be alone in any hardship and that I have a Savior who can 100% relate to my worries and fears. 

Holland went on, “When you struggle, when you are rejected, while you are spit upon and cast out and made a hiss and a byword, you are standing with the best life this world has ever known, the only pure and perfect life ever lived.” 

I feel so blessed to be given this opportunity to serve shoulder to shoulder with the Lord for 18 months. I know I will miss my family and friends terribly, but that I will be blessed with this time to strengthen my relationship with God and my Savior. 

Before I close, I wanted to speak to the primary children and youth of the church. When you turn 18 or 19 you will have the opportunity to work with your hand in the Lord’s in this work. In the scriptures the Lord weeps over the choices His children make. You can answer the call to serve. You have all seen movies with super heroes. But in this work, you are the hero. This story is real and you may be one of few, but the Lord will be laboring with you. And you will feel the love of God embrace you as you serve His children. 

I feel proud to be joining the other 83,000 missionaries and hope I can share the pure love of Christ with others. I have talked a lot about love today and I want to bear testimony that Heavenly Father’s love has no requirements. That He cares for everyone no matter what walk of life. That He waits for each of us to come unto Him through the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. 

I know that this is the true restored Church of Jesus Christ. I have a testimony in the Book of Mormon. And I have firm confidence that anyone who sincerely reads and prays  about the book will receive the answer of it’s truthfulness. It is not AN answer, it is THE answer it is true.  

And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.