Hey Mommy!
Sunday was good, different, but still Domingo so it was good. We had all the new mission presidents over these last few days (basically all week) and so there was a lot of fun changes going on. We had a special fireside on Friday where Elder Bednar spoke! it was a great talk about being a "Preach my Gospel" missionary. I really enjoyed that talk, even if we had to be in the overflow :P Then sacrament meeting was combined with a bunch of other districts and zones, there was at least 10 who blessed the sacrament! it was pretty crazy. Then our temple walk was beautiful, it was so pretty outside yesterday! We spent some time on the grounds in the grass in the shade (nice, I know!) and the Hermanas met with the new Brazil....some part mission president and his wife. Their last name was Klein, that's all I remember about that but they were really nice and complemented us on our Spanish. I said something like, nuestro mensje es muy importante. And the president was all, OH!! Good!!! Very good Spanish. Little does he know that is one of the only phrases I know :D
I didn't get to see Clark at all this week! Did we get a chance to run the little sleeping bag scheme by him? The Sisters in my zone said they talked to Sisters in our mission and they said to not bring a sleeping bag. That the rooms are stocked with blankets and if you REALLY need one there's ones there but I think I'll be ok. I feel so bad sending it back! They also said no aerosol anything because it explodes on the plane so the bug spray needs to be replaced too. I may be able to get that at the bookstore here. I'm keeping the liner that you sewed for me though.
Oh! guess who I've seen? A Lew child, guess who else? Preston Powell, and Austin Gerber, and Jake Crump! Weirdy huh! Those were actually tender mercies, this week's been a beast. We learned about Subjunctive phrases in Spanish and they're ok by themselves but knowing how to use them before you actually say anything is what's getting me. Ah well, I guess I'm not a JEDI master yet ;) (JEDI meaning Judgement, Emotion, Doubt and Influence). Spanish is coming. We had a substitute teacher one day and she is from Columbia. She was SO tiny! Anyway, she gave us a great lecture on how you need to listen to the Spirit and not think too hard about what you'll say next in Spanish because if you do that, you can't listen to anyone but you. It made all of us, or at least all the Hermanas feel a lot better, maybe it was because she was an Hermana as well....In this world of men it's nice to have a woman teacher. She took us outside and had us meditate on our desires, yawl should try it, it's great. And yes I just said yawl. Hermana Vaughan is from South Carolina and she's made a mark on all our languages.
This week's funny Elders story actually happened yesterday. Elder Mikesell(yeah, these usually involve him) decided it would be a great idea if Elder Rapp were to jump and he(Elder Mikesell) caught him by his hips and held him up in the air like superman. We got it on video. It's pretty funny. They ended up running into each other, and then the last time Elder Mikesell kinda of carried Elder Rapp across our classroom, to spiritually uplifting music too...yeah, it was pretty great.
Hmmm, what else. I didn't get to see any general authorities this week in person. I saw them on the screen and I never saw the Prophet but we did watch a little biography on him that LDS.org has. It was faith building to say the least and very entertaining. OH! ok, can you ask Clark his teaching schedule so I can meet with him at some point (unless that's too sneaky). It's been a good week. I was so happy to hear about girl's camp! and from Laura! and the cupcakes! The hermanas in my district liked that too :)
I love you all and I know this is where I need to be. It's hard. It's very hard but I know I can do it. A Prophet of God called me to do this and if God knows I can endure well and learn the language and the Gospel in such a way that I can teach it effectively, I know I can. Oh! I did sealings last week! I don't know if I told you but I loved them!
My time is just about up and the red numbers that count down my time are flashing at me, so I'll end here. I love you! Look for my letters soon!
-Hermana Aubrey Pixton
Monday, June 27, 2011
June 20, 2011
Hey! I hope this gets to you soon but if not that's ok, you will have SO much fun at youth conference. Ok, well this week was actually pretty awesome. I got letters (thank you!) and learned more spanish grammer (that's coming) and we had a lot of fun with our district. On fridays the Senior companions (did I ever tell you I'm that for at least another week?) meet with the district leader and discuss the district. We talked about how we probably could be using our time more wisely and I definitely agree. We had an orange eating contest during personal study time, it was actually WHILE the district leader-senior companion meetings were going on. After the meeting I got us out of there and we studied on the couches. Oh wow. My spelling has gotten SO bad. It's taken me five minutes to write this much because I have to keep backspacing.
Saturday was actually good! I was kind of dreading the class blocks because of the lateness and the workshops that stress me out but this time is was good! We went to the room/"Chapel" we use for sacrament meeting and we were split into three groups, and put into different scenarios. We had to help "the investigator" resolve their issues with going to church. After it was over I felt REALLY good about my spanish. I was pumped and happy and it was great! Oh, but ask me to talk to someone in spanish about normal things and I go blank. And guess what fun game we're playing in my district?! It's called the Native or "el nativo!" It's where the teachers pick someone to be "the native" and no one else knows but that person. At the end of the day (you're another colder!) we all vote for who we think is the native and if we guess right we get a point and if someone votes for us then we get a point as well. it's fun but it's hard. The native can only speak in spanish while everyone else wants to make others think they're the native and so we try to speak in spanish as much as we can. I've not been picked to be the native yet but I was voted for twice so that made me happy.
I may have to send an Elders story with ever email because they're so funny. Elder Alder got a birthday card from someone with a Taylor Swift song attached to it and Elder Daniel LOVES Taylor Swift, so Elder Mikesell decided it would be funny to play the song on the card while they (Rapp and Daniel, they're roomies) were going to sleep. They opened it and slid it under the door to Rapp and Daniel's room and the first time, said elders just looked out and around, but the second time Elder Rapp "went all predator" on the Elders pulling the prank. Elder Mikesell has it all on video and it's pretty hilarious.
Oh! I was talking with some of the other Hermanas and they said that we've been told to buy a sleepingbag out there. They suggested I send the one I brought home and if I need it in the winter to ask for it but not to bring it immediately. I was wondering if we could work something out with Clark or if that's too underhanded. I donno, that's why I'm running it by you. Anyway. Sigh. What else happened this week. Oh! It rained! You probably know that but I got to test out my raincoat! It works :D We took pictures and hopefully I'll get some extra prints from others as well. And I'm sending the other pictures back with the commentary.
Expect letters in the mail! I don't have everyone's address so I'll need to be sent that before I can send them anything. Did Laura and Steve get my letter? I sent it to the address but I didn't put the apartment number on it, it should be fine but get there late. I was just wondering.
Well I'm very happy here and I'm seeing progress, it's hard to see right now but in retrospect I've learned SO much. I know all the words in the One Semester of Spanish Spanish Love Song. And how to use them to teach the gospel! Yeah! I'm loving my companion and the other Hermanas in my district SO much more and the Elders are ok too. No they're great :) I'm stressing out less and less and my prayers in spanish are becoming a lot more meaningful. Thank you so much for writing me and for all the support you give me! I love you all and hope you're doing well. You're in my prayers!
/Hermana Aubrey Pixton
PS oh! I got my nice spanish scriptures ingraved FOR FREE! I may have already told you that...
Saturday was actually good! I was kind of dreading the class blocks because of the lateness and the workshops that stress me out but this time is was good! We went to the room/"Chapel" we use for sacrament meeting and we were split into three groups, and put into different scenarios. We had to help "the investigator" resolve their issues with going to church. After it was over I felt REALLY good about my spanish. I was pumped and happy and it was great! Oh, but ask me to talk to someone in spanish about normal things and I go blank. And guess what fun game we're playing in my district?! It's called the Native or "el nativo!" It's where the teachers pick someone to be "the native" and no one else knows but that person. At the end of the day (you're another colder!) we all vote for who we think is the native and if we guess right we get a point and if someone votes for us then we get a point as well. it's fun but it's hard. The native can only speak in spanish while everyone else wants to make others think they're the native and so we try to speak in spanish as much as we can. I've not been picked to be the native yet but I was voted for twice so that made me happy.
I may have to send an Elders story with ever email because they're so funny. Elder Alder got a birthday card from someone with a Taylor Swift song attached to it and Elder Daniel LOVES Taylor Swift, so Elder Mikesell decided it would be funny to play the song on the card while they (Rapp and Daniel, they're roomies) were going to sleep. They opened it and slid it under the door to Rapp and Daniel's room and the first time, said elders just looked out and around, but the second time Elder Rapp "went all predator" on the Elders pulling the prank. Elder Mikesell has it all on video and it's pretty hilarious.
Oh! I was talking with some of the other Hermanas and they said that we've been told to buy a sleepingbag out there. They suggested I send the one I brought home and if I need it in the winter to ask for it but not to bring it immediately. I was wondering if we could work something out with Clark or if that's too underhanded. I donno, that's why I'm running it by you. Anyway. Sigh. What else happened this week. Oh! It rained! You probably know that but I got to test out my raincoat! It works :D We took pictures and hopefully I'll get some extra prints from others as well. And I'm sending the other pictures back with the commentary.
Expect letters in the mail! I don't have everyone's address so I'll need to be sent that before I can send them anything. Did Laura and Steve get my letter? I sent it to the address but I didn't put the apartment number on it, it should be fine but get there late. I was just wondering.
Well I'm very happy here and I'm seeing progress, it's hard to see right now but in retrospect I've learned SO much. I know all the words in the One Semester of Spanish Spanish Love Song. And how to use them to teach the gospel! Yeah! I'm loving my companion and the other Hermanas in my district SO much more and the Elders are ok too. No they're great :) I'm stressing out less and less and my prayers in spanish are becoming a lot more meaningful. Thank you so much for writing me and for all the support you give me! I love you all and hope you're doing well. You're in my prayers!
/Hermana Aubrey Pixton
PS oh! I got my nice spanish scriptures ingraved FOR FREE! I may have already told you that...
June 13, 2011
:) Love you Momma
Yes I did get my license and it is now in my drawer, safe under lock, yeah, apparently the people here steal things so we have to be careful.....I really doubt that but I can see how it may be a good idea with the Elderes.
Sigh, I just realized I've been a missionary for a total of 4 mondays now, so weird. AND we're halfway through june this month! It's so wierd how fast but how very slow everything is here. I have a different schedule every day so that keeps it exciting, but Saturday nights are killer. We have pretty slow mornings with personal study and language study and then 6 hours of class punctuated with dinner in the middle. By the end you just want to go to bed and hope your brain retains everything, then Sunday comes and it's all better.
Our Branch President chooses two people to speak randomly each sunday so you have to be ready with a talk in spanish on a certain topic, and guess who he picked this week!!!!!! That's right! Hermana Pixton come on down! But apparently I did well. After the missionaries talks the pres. spoke and I got really excited about getting to know the people in Argentina! Like super duper excited! I want to feel their pain and talk with them and listen to their concerns and teach them the gospel of Jesus Christ and love them so much deeper than I do now. Then the pres. spoke to the Elders and told them that when they give a blessing, to bless the people, not just pray over them. They hold that power of God and they need to use it to bless His children. I wanted to shake every Elder's hand because they held the priesthood. But I couldn't. Because apparently BYU has a virus going around that we really don't want to catch. It's a gastro intestinal virus so....yeah, no bueno.
Elders are loud about basketball.......I have a hard time spelling and channeling my thoughts. I am so proud of the Elders in my district! They are such good boys...Elders... Yesterday they left dinner early to get the back row of seats because they're more comfortable than the stands and have more leg room. The Hermanas get there and the Elders got chairs from somewhere else and put them behind the back row so we could sit in the comfy chairs. Good boys, but still boys. One of them, Elder Mikesell, tied a string to their bedroom door nob, to the desk, to a chair, to his sleeping roommate's ankle and to the other sleeping roommate's wrist. He reenacted it for us and the realizations that the two other Elders had was pretty funny. Another Elder (Rapp) woke up in the middle of the night to his companion (Daniel) yelling in a really low, loud voice something like "Your time has come!" Elder Rapp's first thought was "Satan?" Yeah, our Elders are all pretty awesome.
The spanish is coming, I didn't think it would but it is. This week our teachers surprised us by saying "Ok, you know how you were teaching your progressive investigators in English, well you won't ever be doing that anymore, so today we're teaching in spanish....do it." So we got a bit freaked out. But in retrospect it's been really good. We have TRC every Thursday and we'll greet in spanish and teach in english (Story about this later) and in the 4th or 5th week here we have to teach in spanish and I personally was a bit nervous but now it's more like, "Yeah, ok, I just need to know how to conjugate verbs and nouns to become adjectives and all that jazz but the actual everything of speaking spanish to another human is less shocking. Ok, now the TRC story. TRC is when we go and teach a volunteer the first lesson or whichever lesson really and they act like an investigator. This last thurday, Hermana Bingham and I taught a lady named Rosa and she had a lot of questions (it was so good!) and we were able to teach her about the Book of Mormon and about Joseph Smith and modern day prophets and all these things and the Spirit was there! I was so happy! It's sometimes hard to make the simulation real, but Heavenly Father wants me to succeed, so He can send His Spirit to help whenever is needed, which I feel is always. But after the lesson and prayer, Rosa broke character and gave us both a hug and said we'd be great or do wonderful things or something to that effect. It made me so happy.
I'm progressing well, almost have the first two lines of the first vision memorized in spanish (I have it in English, but I know what I'm saying in English) and the baptismal challenge in Spanish is ALMOST there. I'm exacted about this work and the progress I'll make, not just here but through my whole life because I made this choice. I'll write actual letters probably every week but here's the update!
I love you all SO MUCH and I'm anxious to hear how your lives are going! This church is true, it has the fullness of Christ's gospel and it is the only way to get back to Heavenly Father's presence again!
-Hermana Aubrey Pixton
Yes I did get my license and it is now in my drawer, safe under lock, yeah, apparently the people here steal things so we have to be careful.....I really doubt that but I can see how it may be a good idea with the Elderes.
Sigh, I just realized I've been a missionary for a total of 4 mondays now, so weird. AND we're halfway through june this month! It's so wierd how fast but how very slow everything is here. I have a different schedule every day so that keeps it exciting, but Saturday nights are killer. We have pretty slow mornings with personal study and language study and then 6 hours of class punctuated with dinner in the middle. By the end you just want to go to bed and hope your brain retains everything, then Sunday comes and it's all better.
Our Branch President chooses two people to speak randomly each sunday so you have to be ready with a talk in spanish on a certain topic, and guess who he picked this week!!!!!! That's right! Hermana Pixton come on down! But apparently I did well. After the missionaries talks the pres. spoke and I got really excited about getting to know the people in Argentina! Like super duper excited! I want to feel their pain and talk with them and listen to their concerns and teach them the gospel of Jesus Christ and love them so much deeper than I do now. Then the pres. spoke to the Elders and told them that when they give a blessing, to bless the people, not just pray over them. They hold that power of God and they need to use it to bless His children. I wanted to shake every Elder's hand because they held the priesthood. But I couldn't. Because apparently BYU has a virus going around that we really don't want to catch. It's a gastro intestinal virus so....yeah, no bueno.
Elders are loud about basketball.......I have a hard time spelling and channeling my thoughts. I am so proud of the Elders in my district! They are such good boys...Elders... Yesterday they left dinner early to get the back row of seats because they're more comfortable than the stands and have more leg room. The Hermanas get there and the Elders got chairs from somewhere else and put them behind the back row so we could sit in the comfy chairs. Good boys, but still boys. One of them, Elder Mikesell, tied a string to their bedroom door nob, to the desk, to a chair, to his sleeping roommate's ankle and to the other sleeping roommate's wrist. He reenacted it for us and the realizations that the two other Elders had was pretty funny. Another Elder (Rapp) woke up in the middle of the night to his companion (Daniel) yelling in a really low, loud voice something like "Your time has come!" Elder Rapp's first thought was "Satan?" Yeah, our Elders are all pretty awesome.
The spanish is coming, I didn't think it would but it is. This week our teachers surprised us by saying "Ok, you know how you were teaching your progressive investigators in English, well you won't ever be doing that anymore, so today we're teaching in spanish....do it." So we got a bit freaked out. But in retrospect it's been really good. We have TRC every Thursday and we'll greet in spanish and teach in english (Story about this later) and in the 4th or 5th week here we have to teach in spanish and I personally was a bit nervous but now it's more like, "Yeah, ok, I just need to know how to conjugate verbs and nouns to become adjectives and all that jazz but the actual everything of speaking spanish to another human is less shocking. Ok, now the TRC story. TRC is when we go and teach a volunteer the first lesson or whichever lesson really and they act like an investigator. This last thurday, Hermana Bingham and I taught a lady named Rosa and she had a lot of questions (it was so good!) and we were able to teach her about the Book of Mormon and about Joseph Smith and modern day prophets and all these things and the Spirit was there! I was so happy! It's sometimes hard to make the simulation real, but Heavenly Father wants me to succeed, so He can send His Spirit to help whenever is needed, which I feel is always. But after the lesson and prayer, Rosa broke character and gave us both a hug and said we'd be great or do wonderful things or something to that effect. It made me so happy.
I'm progressing well, almost have the first two lines of the first vision memorized in spanish (I have it in English, but I know what I'm saying in English) and the baptismal challenge in Spanish is ALMOST there. I'm exacted about this work and the progress I'll make, not just here but through my whole life because I made this choice. I'll write actual letters probably every week but here's the update!
I love you all SO MUCH and I'm anxious to hear how your lives are going! This church is true, it has the fullness of Christ's gospel and it is the only way to get back to Heavenly Father's presence again!
-Hermana Aubrey Pixton
Thursday, June 9, 2011
week 2
I can't believe it's been only a week! I feel like I've been here and known my district FOREVER! It's been good though. Most of the homesickness has worn off.
Oh, ok, so where does Clark teach and when? I saw him once but that was because my companion needed something from our room so we left, it probably was a meal, to go get it. I saw my friend from college yesterday! His name is Jorden and I did a shortened musical with him my sophomore year! I went down to see him and he got really excited and started bouncing and said "I'm trying SO hard not to hug you right now!" It made me happy, yup, not a lot of hugs here....ah well. Spanish is coming along relatively well, the teachers, Hermanos Gillmore and Hollenbaugh, keep telling us not to stress about the language, that it wasn't SO important, and before this last saturday I didn't believe them. How could it not be important to speak the language of the people you're teaching? Hermano Hollenbaugh related a story about a companionship in Mexico, where he served, in which both parties didn't speak spanish well AT ALL. He said they made a goal to baptize 3, then 7, then 15 in the first three months, they baptizedm 3, then 6 and he left before he knew how the last goal went but it really helped me understand that the language isn't all that matters, there is a language that is universal to all of God's children and that is the language of the Spirit (shout out to you and dad's lesson back when.) If I don't say the words perfectly, but I can invite the spirit, I've done my job. Thank you for teaching me how to work, and how to look at things from another point. I've been praying a lot in spanish and it seems to be going well. Oh wow! only 20 mins left! Yeah, 30 mins a day on monday is all I get for email, but don't fret, I'm writing letters to the familia and they hopefully will get there at least by wednesday. The mail here comes around noon, and we get Dearelder.com letters after lunch and dinner. That's what I was saying about dearelder. Emailing me will probably be fine in the field, but right now it takes time off of what I can write. Dearelder I'll get the same day, generally. I'm warm enough :) The buildings have been getting colder but that's because of the impending heat. It feels so good outside right now :) I'm drawing pictures and stuff....AND I finished the first camera you sent me with. Unfortunately I'm really bad at taking pictures, but the whole disposable camera will be sent your way today!
I'll generally get packages....depends actually. I can only go to the mail room to pick them up when I have extra time (Yeah, I know, what's that?) but I will make time by eating faster or whatever, meal-times are good for things like that. I can only write letters on my P-day, today. The rest of my time is devoted to Classroom instruction, Spanish, teaching "progressing investigators" who are our teachers being someone they knew on the mission, eating, sleeping (yes we do sleep here), and personal/companion study time. I also spell a whole lotta things wrong, and I blame that on spanish.
Yesterday was Fast Sunday and my whole district, except me, bore testimony in Spanish. I was going to, I had it ready but I felt WAY too content to go up there. The branch pres and his wife met with all the sisters in our branch, which is 7 of us and talked about ourselves and any issues we had. As we could think of none he kept probing us. After the meeting his wife told us "just make up some problems so he stops asking ;)" It was a good day yesterday. Oh yeah! My branch pres. owns Kneaders! I know, what're the odds right? His name is Pres. Worthington and his wife's name starts with a "C" I think. Colleen? I don't remember.
I definately feel better about my chances here now after a few weeks. The first week is HARD. Everyone needs to know that. It doesn't necessarily get easier, just better. You get used to things and take things in your stride because now you know how to.
Hermana Bingham and I have been doing much better at teaching (who would have thought a lesson outline would help SO much?) Both teachers have noted on it and our flow is so much better. Sorry if this is disjointed. I figure I'm writing letters to you anyway so I don't have to say EVERYTHING. But I'm doing well. I'm eating enough and sleeping enough. I get along with my district well and I'm learning SO much about myself, the church, and why I'm here. It's all about the people, not me, I'm not here for me. The church is true, Joseph Smith restored the Gospel in these latter days with the power of God on his side, and if we are worthy of that power we can do anything. I love you so much! Look for the colorful letters!
-Love Aubrey....er....Hermana Pixton
Oh, ok, so where does Clark teach and when? I saw him once but that was because my companion needed something from our room so we left, it probably was a meal, to go get it. I saw my friend from college yesterday! His name is Jorden and I did a shortened musical with him my sophomore year! I went down to see him and he got really excited and started bouncing and said "I'm trying SO hard not to hug you right now!" It made me happy, yup, not a lot of hugs here....ah well. Spanish is coming along relatively well, the teachers, Hermanos Gillmore and Hollenbaugh, keep telling us not to stress about the language, that it wasn't SO important, and before this last saturday I didn't believe them. How could it not be important to speak the language of the people you're teaching? Hermano Hollenbaugh related a story about a companionship in Mexico, where he served, in which both parties didn't speak spanish well AT ALL. He said they made a goal to baptize 3, then 7, then 15 in the first three months, they baptizedm 3, then 6 and he left before he knew how the last goal went but it really helped me understand that the language isn't all that matters, there is a language that is universal to all of God's children and that is the language of the Spirit (shout out to you and dad's lesson back when.) If I don't say the words perfectly, but I can invite the spirit, I've done my job. Thank you for teaching me how to work, and how to look at things from another point. I've been praying a lot in spanish and it seems to be going well. Oh wow! only 20 mins left! Yeah, 30 mins a day on monday is all I get for email, but don't fret, I'm writing letters to the familia and they hopefully will get there at least by wednesday. The mail here comes around noon, and we get Dearelder.com letters after lunch and dinner. That's what I was saying about dearelder. Emailing me will probably be fine in the field, but right now it takes time off of what I can write. Dearelder I'll get the same day, generally. I'm warm enough :) The buildings have been getting colder but that's because of the impending heat. It feels so good outside right now :) I'm drawing pictures and stuff....AND I finished the first camera you sent me with. Unfortunately I'm really bad at taking pictures, but the whole disposable camera will be sent your way today!
I'll generally get packages....depends actually. I can only go to the mail room to pick them up when I have extra time (Yeah, I know, what's that?) but I will make time by eating faster or whatever, meal-times are good for things like that. I can only write letters on my P-day, today. The rest of my time is devoted to Classroom instruction, Spanish, teaching "progressing investigators" who are our teachers being someone they knew on the mission, eating, sleeping (yes we do sleep here), and personal/companion study time. I also spell a whole lotta things wrong, and I blame that on spanish.
Yesterday was Fast Sunday and my whole district, except me, bore testimony in Spanish. I was going to, I had it ready but I felt WAY too content to go up there. The branch pres and his wife met with all the sisters in our branch, which is 7 of us and talked about ourselves and any issues we had. As we could think of none he kept probing us. After the meeting his wife told us "just make up some problems so he stops asking ;)" It was a good day yesterday. Oh yeah! My branch pres. owns Kneaders! I know, what're the odds right? His name is Pres. Worthington and his wife's name starts with a "C" I think. Colleen? I don't remember.
I definately feel better about my chances here now after a few weeks. The first week is HARD. Everyone needs to know that. It doesn't necessarily get easier, just better. You get used to things and take things in your stride because now you know how to.
Hermana Bingham and I have been doing much better at teaching (who would have thought a lesson outline would help SO much?) Both teachers have noted on it and our flow is so much better. Sorry if this is disjointed. I figure I'm writing letters to you anyway so I don't have to say EVERYTHING. But I'm doing well. I'm eating enough and sleeping enough. I get along with my district well and I'm learning SO much about myself, the church, and why I'm here. It's all about the people, not me, I'm not here for me. The church is true, Joseph Smith restored the Gospel in these latter days with the power of God on his side, and if we are worthy of that power we can do anything. I love you so much! Look for the colorful letters!
-Love Aubrey....er....Hermana Pixton
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