Hermana Autumn Twitchell: TEMPLE

October 1, 2014

Leaving the CCM

¡Hola Mamacita!

I wasn´t ever planning on not riding a bicycle. I can´t just say no. If the Lord wants me to ride a bike, then I will ride a bike.

Our flight is at 6 am in the mañana on Tuesday and therefore we have to leave the CCM at 2am. Ewww! It´s the same itinerary as the one they sent us before I left for the CCM, but just in case you don´t have it I´ll forward it to you. Our whole district is leaving between Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning, so that´s nice! There was a district in my zone that left these last couple days and half of them left on Sunday night and the other half left on Wednesday morning to San Jose. The San Jose kids were pretty miserable the last couple days without half their district and with the waiting, but I told them that if they were to ever serve in the San Jose or San Jose South stake to tell the people HI!

This week was very interesting I must say. There are a couple companionships in my district that haven´t been getting along, so on Friday we had a district meeting where we discussed our problems and other random stuff. I bore my testimony about the fact that the mission is not about me; it is about the people that I am going to serve and the sooner we learn to forget ourselves and get to work the better. I´ve found that the companionships that are more diligent and work hard together tend to be the happiest. So forget yourself and go to work!

Then on Sunday, we watched a Devotional by Elder Bednar and he said basically the same thing, ¨This work is not about you! So get over yourself and get to work!¨ I like how me and Elder Bednar coordinated that. Haha but seriously I thought that was so cool! Two days after I say something to my district, we hear a talk where Elder Bednar says that. It must be really important! I definitely need to learn to forget myself because I know that I will be so much happier for it. When I feel any kind of sadness, it´s usually because I am thinking about myself and how things benefit me and I need to stop that! This is not my work or my will, but the Lord´s work and his will.

I am so excited for General Conference! We watched a different devotional by Elder Bednar where he teaches us how to take notes and I am so ready to try it! I´m also trying to prepare by coming up with questions that I need answered and by reading my patriarchal blessing; it´s going to be a powerful conference, I can feel it!

We had a special devotional this week where we had two members of the 70 come and talk to us and then at the end they shook our hands and personally talked with us. It was pretty awesome. During the devotional, one of the Elders asked a bunch of questions like: ¨How many of you are 18? 19? 20? How many of you are going to South America? Central? North? ....¨etc I was surprised by how many missionaries are going back to the states. At least 75% of the entire CCM are going back. Fun fun fun!

Even though we are in a bubble, there is always blasting Latino music outside the entrance. I can´t lie, I do like to follow the music, but I can´t understand anything it says. :P

I don´t care what anyone else might say, I love the CCM and Mexico City and I will be very sad to leave it. We went to the temple today, but it took forty minutes to get there by bus. I just wanted to jump out of the window and walk around! The city is so beautiful and the people are so great! The whole time I´ve been here I have either been in a bus or enclosed in fences. It´s okay, but I just want to explore so bad! The visitor´s center was pretty awesome and yes, Dad, the sister missionaries were gorgeous. Hermana Kaaa and I started talking to two of them and they were so great! They helped us with our Spanish and we helped them with their English. The temple is so beautiful, I just wish we could´ve gone inside! When we went to the tienda to buy fun things, I told one of the workers that I had pains instead of saying I had dollars. We both got a kick out of that. :P The Latinos are so awesome and they are so willing to help out. I think they just like that we are really trying to learn their language and understand what they are trying to say.

I am so thankful for this opportunity to be in México! I am going to miss the people, the unidentifiable cafeteria food, the casas, the beeping carbon monoxide alarm, my amazing maestros, my district, the loud canons that the Méxicanos use everyday to celebrate their Catholic saints, the pollution, the flowers, the creepy big bugs, the candy, volleyball, and so many other things. I love this place, but I am so excited to come back to the states and teach the awesome Spanish speakers!

Sé que el Señor es mi luz y hay personas que necesitan oír el mensaje de los misioneros; el evangelio de Jesucristo. ¡Amo a mi Señor y este evangelio!

I know the Lord is my light and there are people who need to hear the message of the missionaries ; the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love my Lord and the gospel!

Para Siempre Dios esté con Vos

Con Amor

Hermana Twitchell

P.S. I don´t know that I have any family names for the temple if I ever go and I also need that stationary for writing cards if you could send it to me. I should be emailing you on Monday... I think. Probably not Tuesday, it´ll be too early. I´m pretty sure I can call you when I´m at the airport so be ready!