Half way done with CCM

Officially starting week 4 familia! and I am officially half way done with my time here at the CCM! How blessed am I to be a missionary at this time. How blessed am I to be here at the CCM in Mexico City. How blessed am I to have the opportunity to learn another language and have God helping me every step of the way. How blessed am I to have a knowledge of this gospel. How blessed am I to have family and friends who love me so much. That is how I have felt this week. On Tuesday night at the devotional we had one of the Area Seventy here in Mexico speak to us. He talked about how the last time he stood at that pulpit was with two apostles when they announced to the students of Benemerito that the school would be closing and become an MTC. He talked about how there was a lot of sadness because of the great joy the school had been for so many in Mexico. But at the same time the prophetic vision that this school would one day become a center for learning the spanish language and I am a part of that. Ah it is just so amazing to be here. On Sunday the devotional we watched was from Elder Holland and it was a devotional that he gave at the provo MTC back in January. Haha there is no greater excitement among the missionaries than when they announce the devotional and they say it is Elder Holland. I wish he would come here and speak cause that would be incredible. But anyways his devotionals are always AMAZING. So inspiring and so hilarious. The one we watched on sunday he kept cracking jokes like "sometimes i just wish i could take away peoples agency....Oh i really shouldnt be saying that" and "....you are a bunch of escapees from the aaronic priesthood" and i dont know they arent gonne be funny me telling you them, but i wish that they had the devotionals online for you to watch but they are just for missionaries. But at one point in the devotional he was getting all riled up and saying all of these funny things and everyone was laughing so hard and then all of a sudden Elder Holland got really emotional and you know how powerful he is when i speaks and he said "THIS MEANS EVERYTHING TO ME" (talking about missionary work) and he said it like 5 times and it was so silent. It was amazing how one second the whole auditorium was laughing and then two seconds later the spirit is so strong and it is completely silent. Also he talked about how important our generation is. and the fact that OUR GENERATION WILL NOT FAIL. Every other dispensation has lost the gospel off the earth and none has succeed. But we know that we will succeed and our generation will not fail. I LOVE when we get to watch devotionals. That is going to be one thing I miss when I am in the field, because the devotionals are always so uplifting. So another great thing that happened this week was on Tuesday, Hermana Garbett and I decided to speak spanish the whole day. NO ENGLISH. we decided this on like sunday and on monday hermana garbett was like "are we sure we really want to do it, can we really do it?" but we did. Tuesday morning we didnt really talk a ton, just cause we didnt really have much to say if we could only speak spanish. But as the day went on we were talking more and more and ALL IN SPANISH. It really made me realize that I am going to be able to survive in El Salvador. My spanish may not be that great yet, but it is coming, and I can do this. Another neat thing about it, is our district spoke a lot more spanish that day too. None of them were spending the whole day speaking spanish but just cause they were around us they felt like they had to because we were so it helped everyone. The coolest part about the whole day was at night after the devotional we have like a devotional review with our district and that was when we decided it would be okay to speak in english so we could discuss more with our district, but the funny thing was we kept saying things in spanish just cause thats what was natural to say after spending the whole day speaking spanish. I really am loving my time here, but then again like I have said, I am so so so ready to get out there. The other day we talked to a kid who was leaving for El Salvador this week (not my same mission) but it made me so excited to get out there. I just want to teach real people! And i love being at the CCM but its kinda just a social scene...like we learn a lot obviously, but im ready for it just to be me and my companion and teaching our investigators all day long. Even though i know its going to be tough i just cant wait! Life as a missionary is so funny though. Ive mentioned ultimate frisbee before and we play with this other district in our branch everyday for gym and its so much fun. except all of the rain makes it soo so soo muddy. Also its like the one time there is accidental contact between elders and hermanas and everyone always laughs and freaks out and make a big deal when an elder and hermana run into each other when they go for the frisbee. Also you know you are a missionary when the elders have made up a game with the sliding whiteboards. They act like its a football game and they try to slide the whiteboard from one side to the other and get it as close to the end with out it touching or bouncing back (Idk if that made any sense at all) but they get all into it and keep score and everything. Thats how you know you spend too much time in the classroom. Also its so weird to hear peoples real names. I can´t imagine called all the missionaries in my district by their first names and its weird to think no one will call me Amanda for another 18 months. Our investigators are doing well. I feel like every other lesson my spanish is good and then bad and then good and then bad. But hey its improving. All of our investigators are our teachers (pretending to be people). Two of them are pretty easy, understand things, and are following commitments. But one of them is super tough. She doesnt believe in god. She doesnt pray or read any scriptures. But surprisingly i actually like teaching her more, because it actually seems more realistic. Cause i know that investigators are not always going to agree and follow commitments and understand. And when we testify to her it is so powerful. I think that is basically all I really have to write this week. I dont know every week is the same. I am always so tired by the end of the day. The weeks go by so quickly though! Also don't worry i am being obedient. That little sleep over was a one time thing. I really am trying to be more obedient especially on getting to bed on time. On time is in bed at 10:30...but usually im not in bed till 10:40 so we´ll try to work on that this week. This weekend is Mexican Independence Day so we get to have Mexican Night party thing and im sure the city outside the CCM is going to be crazy so its probably gonna be loud. It was weird to think yesterday was september 11th back in the states. The temple was beautiful again today, i will try and send some more pics of the grounds to you dad. I am so happy the utes are doing well!! keep cheering loud for me!! Tell grandma that i loved her email and tell her to tell brooklyn hanks good luck for me! I want you all to know that I know this gospel is true and nothing has brought me greater happiness in my life. If any of you are reading this and haven´t read the Book of Mormon, read it and pray about it and you will come to know for yourself that it is true. And for those of you have read it, DONT EVER STOP READING IT. The other day someone said here, that no person ever falls away from the church without first stopping reading the Book of Mormon. Read it every day. Even if it is one verse. It is true. Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon by the power of God and because of that we have a prophet on the earth today and we know how to live so that one day we can live with out families forever. I love you all so much. Hermana Groneman