So guess what!! I'm a
missionary!! For realz. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, OH MY GOSH do I love the CCM
(MTC)!!!!!!! It's the weirdest experience because it's kinda stressful since
there is so much to do, but at the same time the Spirit is so strong here that
it's okay. I want to cry, laugh, and scream all at the same time. Mostly I just
laugh though. I haven't cried yet, which is good. Definitely 0% of me wants to
go home. The people who can't handle it here take things too seriously. Relax.
We're learning. No one will be angry if you mess up. It's a place full of the
Spirit and love of God.
Advice to sisters coming to the CCM (like Shannon and Sidney
and McKenzie) is that close enough is not okay. Skirts need to COMPLETELY cover
your knee when you sit (so glad mine all are good). Close enough doesn't fly.
You'll feel super awkward. Also, DO NOT dress casual. Skirt does not equal
dressy. Again, so grateful for the clothes I brought. The better you look, the
better you'll feel, and more people will take you seriously.
My companion is Hermana Arias.
I seriously love her. We're different, but we help each other so much and get
along really well. I push her to be on time and to be organized, she helps me
with Spanish and pushes me to be more serious and focused. (But come on, me
distracted? Haha never.) She was born in Guatemala and moved to Rhode Island
when she was 8. She's knows more English than Spanish, but still is like 97%
fluent. I'm at like 70% fluent. Haha.
I have the best district and
zone in the entire world. I LOVE them all. We're seriously like a family. We do
everything together - even the things we don't have to. We eat together, pray
together, study together, sing together (well mostly me singing), went to the
temple together, and just are best friends. So much love for these people.
So super hilarious, not only am
I the only gringa in my district, but I'm the only white person AND the only
person who didn't grow up in a bilingual home in my entire ZONE. Since I'm the
only one who doesn't have a Spanish last name, everyone knows my name and who I
am. My first day here everyone kept asking me how I learned Spanish and my
teachers looked shocked the first time they saw me, a gringa, in class. But
everyone says I speak really well, especially for never really speaking it
outside of 3 months in Spain. I don't talk a lot in class (we speak English
often at meals and such) because for the first time in my life, I am totally
insecure about my Spanish. Which is silly, but it's hard when I'm with people
that are all Hispanic and speak faster and don't have American accents.
Okay let me give you the low
down on my district. We have:
Hermana Blackford - that's my
name (Arizona Tucson)
Hermana Arias - mi companera
(California San Jose)
Hermana Orantes - SUPER
awesome, is almost done at BYU, is a great leader. She's from Texas but she's
mitad mitad mexicana y salvadoranian (California Oakland)
Hermana Sosa - So cute! She's
from La Republica Dominicana and she talks SO FAST and at first I couldn't keep
up but I'm okay now. (Salt Lake Central)
Elder Lopez - Convert of 3
years, born in Mexico and grew up in Nueva York. Really quiet, but is so
amazingly spiritual when he talks. (California Bakersfield)
Elder Ruiz - Also born in
Mexico but raised in Vegas. He's a bro. Super chill. (California Bakersfield)
Elder Carranco - Born in
Ecuador, raised mostly in Utah. He is also quiet, but seriously says hilarious
things if you listen closely. He's really sweet and I wish I knew him better.
He's also our district leader. (California San Jose)
Elder Ramos - Oh man...where to
start. SO many stories about this elder. He was born and raised in Honduras,
and moved to Virginia at age 14. He speaks English really well (had ESL in high
school). Better English than my Spanish actually. He's crazy. He jokes around
all the time and reminds me of what Braden was probably like in the CCM. So the
first few days he kept laughing when I would speak Spanish, especially when one
time I went to say 137 and I couldn't remember how to say numbers. I was sort
of offended and this is probably where some of my insecurity stems from, but
finally on Saturday I was like "Why do you laugh!? I'm trying so hard and
I know I speak slowly but at least I know another language unlike most
Americans!!" And he basically didn't realize that it was hurting my
feelings a little and was like "I laugh because it's so cute!" Which
then he was like "We aren't supposed to say stuff like that so I never
said anything, but I'm not laughing at you, you speak really well!" So
then I felt better. He and I joke around all the time. Seriously he's a lot
like Braden. I'm super grateful, because as much as we want to strangle him and
make him focus sometimes, the humor is much needed and we all love him anyway.
So yesterday my district
decided that I need to speak more in Spanish, and when I try to talk to them in
English for things that I could say in Spanish, they pretend they can't hear me
or that they don't speak English. Super frustrating, but very helpful.
We also learned yesterday that
I am Hispanic at heart. I think my zone often forgets I'm white, because they
make so many jokes about white people, and when I'm like "Hey!" they
tell me I don't count. It's super weird being a minority. Haha but I love it.
So...I'm moving!!! I leave for
West Campus in like an hour. They're creating basically a mini Mexico CCM over
there and putting all the Spanish speakers there. My zone jokes that they just
want to get the Hispanics out of Main Campus. My address is the same for
letters (they'll forward it).
I have three of the most
amazing teachers in the world. Hermana Williams is my favorite. She's like a
General Authority and everything she says is like revelation. Hermano Ackerson
and Henderson are great too, and have taught me so much. I LOVE being a
missionary, I LOVE the gospel, and I LOVE the CCM. I can't believe I'm halfway
through with my time here. I have so realized though that the Lord really knew
that this was the exact time I needed to be here. My district is so great and I
couldn't ask for a better companion. I just feel so much love for everyone.
Everyone loves having the hyper peppy gringa around too, so I feel very loved
and accepted. The worst thing is that I can't hug everybody. I seriously want
to hug people, but can only hug sisters so...yeah. Elder Carranco was sharing
his testimony yesterday at a district teaching appointment yesterday and I was
practically crying and wanted to just hug him. Instead I just told him I wanted
to hug him.
I wish I could make everyone in
the whole world feel the Spirit. It CHANGES LIVES. Every day. There is no way
you can deny the truthfulness of the gospel. It's the best thing in the entire
world.
Love you all! Make sure to pray
morning and night!
Love,
Hermana Blackford
Hermana Blackford
P.S. Read 1 Nephi chapter 1. My
challenge. Because if you think about it, there's a reason why it's the first
chapter, the chapter everyone reads dozens of times. It took my district like
15 minutes to discuss the first three verses. So if you take less than 3
minutes per verse, you're missing something.
P.S. (again) Elder Carranco just gave me some sour gummy
worms!! Told you I have the best district in the world. Haha we're all in the
laundry room right now. Like I said...We do literally everything together.
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