Combining Styles

There is one video on youtube that I love. It's from So You Think You Can Dance several seasons ago. One competitor who was trained in ballet had the challenge of a Hip-hop routine, and it was really hard for him to change styles, because the two are so different. In the end, the number incorporated his ballet training with the Hip Hop for an awesome routine.

So this week I wasn't trying to mix ballet and hip hop. Instead, I was mixing English and Spanish.

My area has a Spanish equivalent called Brazos. Brazos has four missionaries assigned to it: a set of Elders and a set of Hermanas. One of the two Hermanas finished her mission this week, leaving the other without a companion. Instead of pairing her with another Hermana, they put her with Hermana Gutierrez and I. Now we are in a trio and working both areas. It's been an adventure, to say the least.

I very much understand how Sister Voyles, from District 2 feels:

"I couldn't talk with these people. I couldn't understand what these people were saying."

Yeah. But I'm learning a lot about patience and that testimony comes in any language.

Other events of this week include:

-The Butterfly Garden in Houston. That was amazing. It's this giant (HUMID) dome with probably 50 different kinds of butterflies. It also has an exploration exhibit with different kinds of bugs. Extremely disgusting, but cool. We also went to the Galleria, which is this HUGE mall. Seriously, it had an ice rink IN it.

-The Departing Temple Trip for Hermana Gutierrez. I went on exchanges during this and ended up training for the day.

- Helping a less active member try to stop smoking

-Preparing J for her upcoming baptism this weekend (Dec 27).

- Me wondering why there is no snow in Texas when it is SO STINKIN COLD. But loving wearing my boots  :)

Yeah. I'm excited for Christmas this week. The mission has a conference planned for tomorrow including a movie and presents. I'm also excited to spend the time with members.

I hope everyone has a good Christmas, and remembers Christ throughout this time. I am so grateful for my Savior and the sacrifice that he made to Atone for me.

Splits

Something monumental happened this week. I got my left splits. Again. It's really hard to stretch like that. It takes dedicated and frequent work. But the joy I got from managing my splits made me so happy. Now the only struggle is to maintain them. I've managed my spits many times throughout my dance career and always loose them. I've decided: no more.

Oddly, this week has been a lot like working to get splits. Hard work, a little painful, lingering soreness. But there was also a lot of joy in the accomplishment.

This has been another super busy week. That's the hard work. There have been more back to back appointment days, and many visits to members, less actives, investigators and referrals. We're working with some awesome people. We've also had the opportunity to go to the Relief Society Dinner and Ward Christmas party. Those were incredible experiences also. 

I really dislike exchanges. For me, that was the painful part. I went up to Richmond this time, and spent the day with a newly arrived Temple Square Sister. Literally, she arrived the night before the exchange. She didn't know the area and neither did I. We had a fun day driving around and talking to people we didn't know. Really though, it was fun. We met some awesome people and were taught how to crochet. 

Lingering soreness came from sleeping poorly. Which is weird, because I usually crash the moment I'm settled in bed. So I've been a little tired this week. I was also actually sore, from working on my splits and morning exercise. 

But there was so much joy this week. We've met many new individuals who are interesting in learning more, we've had the opportunity to talk with many others and share the He is the Gift initiative. Dillan got the Aaronic Priesthood this week. We've had members reaching out and participating in missionary work.We also had the Christmas Sacrament meeting, full of music and song. It makes me really happy to hear Christmas hymns and carols. And best of all, we had a baptism this week. :D

Meet Rob Gracia, the newest member of Rosenberg Ward :) (Rob is the one by Hermana Gutierrez. I'm next to Brother Montalvo, who baptized him.)

It's been a long road for him - I've been teaching him almost my whole time in Rosenberg. He's overcome a lot of struggles and temptations. But he loves the Gospel and our Savior. He has changed his life and made a sacred covenant. It's wonderful to see the new light that is in him and the Spirit that is with him.

Petite Allegro

Petite Allegro is one of my favorite time of ballet class. That's when we do combinations of small, rapid movements over and over, back to back. They are usually little jumping movements and are utterly exhausting.

So yeah. My week was fast paced, back to back, and exhausting. But it was also wonderful.

Looking back through my planner, 5 of our past 7 days have appointments every hour or half hour. And if an appointment fell through, we ended up doing something else significant that hour. There is so much writing in my planner this week. Ahh! I love it :) 

The two days not completely back to back in appointments were Thursday when we had an amazing zone conference and last Monday, which wasn't scheduled to be super crazy but was anyway.

The easiest way to describe my week is to describe the people who made it so busy. 

R is our biggest priority right now. He's set to get baptized this weekend. We still have to teach him the last two lessons, and have him interviewed by President Ashton. But he's going to make it. This is going to be such a good thing for him. 

T is the girlfriend of a member young man. She's pretty shy, and doesn't talk too much, but she seems pretty interested in the lessons. We're still trying to figure out if she'll come to church on her own when her boyfriend Gilbert goes to Mexico for college. 

J is the sweetest little 9-year old ever! She is so excited to get baptized and loves reading the scriptures. The real ones, not the kid's version. We have to make sure we use scriptures in our lessons because she is always waiting with hers ready. She loves walking us to our car and giving us hugs. The only hold up is her mom who recently went through a divorce and no longer wants to come to our ward. We'll get her there. She knows it's where she needs to be.

Y is a miracle find by the Brazos Elders (Spanish Branch). I wouldn't quite say that she's golden but she's pretty close to that. She questions literally everything because she has this huge thirst for knowledge. She has been reading and marking the Book of Mormon and she absolutely loved church. It was amazing. 

We've also been working with John, a less active, and Dillan and Issac who are our recent converts. 

I'm loving being a missionary. In Zone conference we talked a lot about being consecrated missionaries. That's hard sometimes, to give up our wills and to strive only to do God's. But it makes such a difference when we do that. It's in the little things that this happens. For me, it's choosing not to try to control the situation when it doesn't go the way I want. :) But step by step, I'll get there. I can be consecrated unto my God. My challenge to everyone is to find one thing to work on this week to be more consecrated. 

Love you all!

Packing

I love packing my bags for competitions. Or performances. I always try to do it in advance so I make sure I don't forget anything. There is always so much to think about. Costumes have to be properly packed so they won't wrinkle or tear, and all the accessories have to be with it. All the necessary make-up has to be accounted for, as well as everything needed for hair styling. Of course, all the shoes you'll need have to be packed, and food usually helps. It is hard to make sure everything gets done in so many areas, but taking the time to do it well helps in the long run.

I've been doing a lot of packing this week.

We moved apartments this week. The mission closed the last one (something about not wanting to renew the lease) so we had to pack up our entire apartment. Friday morning, Elder Nelson our housing coordinator brought a big trailer and a set of Elders and we moved to the new apartment. It's a lot nicer, I like it. 

More packing occurred (frantically) Tuesday morning as Sister Thompson packed her bags. Her flight left that afternoon. By the time we dropped her off at the mission office, I had cried more than her. Therefore, pictures are not included. It's been almost a week and I still miss her tons, but life goes on and there is work to be done. 

Packing has taken up a lot of time this week, but this week has still been awesome. So many people to teach, so little time. 

We've really been working with the He is the Gift video initiative. If you haven't seen it, go watch it now. www.christmas.mormon.org It's really spiritually powerful.

The work is moving forward. Miracles abound. We're teaching some wonderful people. The Lord is hastening His work in so many incredible ways. 

Oddly, this week, I just don't have as much to talk about. Hermana Gutierrez and I have been working to find our teaching grove and pool. We had one awesome investigator, but yesterday he decided that he wants to go to the Spanish branch instead, so we had to pass him off to the Hermanas. He'll do well in the Spanish branch.

I'm excited to see what the Lord has in store. Especially during Christmas. Remember that He is the reason for the Season.