A Ginger Takes on Mexico: Counting My Blessings (5)

Hola familia y amigos!!!

My time in the MTC is down to a mere 5 days. Where has time gone!!! This has truly been an AMAZING experience, and after this all my emails will be from Mexico!!!

First off, thank you Sister Mosher for the donuts! I was actually wishing for some Krisy Kreme donuts earlier in the week, and then BOOM I got a paper saying I had package! The same thing happened with my wishing for chicken parm! I has been dying for some, and the BOOM again we had it for dinner like 3 days later. Heavenly Father obviously knows that when Hermana Westergard's stomach is happy, her investigators and companions are happy too.

We have a new investigator named Carols! He is a less active RM who has issues with people at church. It is really interesting teaching him, he already knows all the doctrine, and he has a really strong testimony about the church and everything else...he's just struggling. It is entirely different teaching someone like this, but I love it. I feel like I can open up with him more, just because he already has a foundation and a testimony of what we are talking about. We had SUCH A COOL TRC experience too! TRC is when we talk with random people for like 20 minutes, and just try to help them come closer to Christ. This week and last week, we get to Skype! We skyped a boy Steeven from Ecuador, he recently received his missionary call to Peru, and he was just chilling in a hammock talking to us. SO AWESOME!! I love seeing how such drastically different people all share a love for the gospel. It is so amazing.

All of the teachers love my district! According to multiple sources, so I'm not just tooting my own horn here. They love us, and we love them!!! It is so cool to see where they are at in their lives. The majority of them are engaged/recently married, so it gives me hope that I have the potential to be normal when I get back from my mission too hahaha. Since they are in the different stages of marriages situation though, it is very easy to get them side tracked. We always get the Hermanos to tell how they met their wife/fiance, how they proposed, when the wedding is, engagement pictures, the whole shibang. They love sharing it all with us too!! And we love seeing the love in their lives! With the teachers who aren't married, we work on setting them up with each other hahaha you could call us missionary matchmakers.

During gym time I usually just run while my companions play volleyball. This week, I had 2 people ask me if I did cross country or track...I told them I never did hahah I just liked to eat. According to the people who watch over us during gym time, 14 times around the gym is a mile. So according to those calculations, I ran like 3 miles in like 22 minutes. I might have lost count....but either way I'm giving myself a pat on the back hahah run for the fun of dessert!!

WE RECEIVED OUR TRAVEL ITINERARIES ON FRIDAY!!!!! AAAHHHHH!!!! I will be leaving Monday morning for the airport and will land in Veracruz Mexico around 10:30 at night, we have a bunch of layovers. I am SO excited and SO grateful that my visa and passport and everything have been on time and functional and have no problems.

Something I have really been noticing the past couple of days is the small blessings in my life, the answers to my prayers that I usually don't pay a lot of attention too. I know that my Heavenly Father loves me and is watching out for me. One night this week, I was feeling really homesick. It had been taking me like an hour or more to fall asleep, and sleep is extremely precious here. I usually say my prayers in Spanish, but out of desperation, I said this prayer in English. I was so exhausted, I needed help, and I didn't know what else to do. I had the best sleep that night that I have had my entire time in the MTC, and when I woke up I felt like I had just had a really long sleep on a Saturday. I had so much energy, I got so much out of my classes, I am so grateful!!! I know prayers are answered, and I know that Heavenly Father knows what is best for me.

On a side note...I found my first white hair of the mission. I'm sure it will be the first of many, but sacrifices must be made. Just kidding, that's not really a sacrifice, but I do feel that I have aged since I have gotten here. The 10:30 bedtime isn't early enough!!!

So Sunday was basically celebration Sunday. One week left in the MTC, so I had 4 delicious white chocolate chip and craisin cookies. It started out with just one, but escalated to 4 before I knew it. I knew there was no turning back, and my district proceeded to eat numerous rice krispie treats. It all went downhill from those cookies, but I regret nothing! Every morsel was worth the pain of my expanding stomach later. This past week, we also celebrated our 1 month mark of being on our missions! I'm sure we treated ourselves to dessert, but I don't remember what kind hahaha. Sugar has a wicked strong effect on me....after I eat - if I eat something sugary - I am off the wall.

HOWEVER, after that terrible lapse of judgement, my district and I have decided to amend our ways. We decided at the beginning of this week that we wouldn't eat any sweets, some of the other Hermanas have put on a couple of pounds hahah so we figured it would be better if we all did it together. SO FAR I have not succumbed to temptation, but there's still 4 more days to falter. Hermana P got a package from her grandma the day we made the goal, full of a PLATTER of cookies. Cookies are Hermana Pinter's weakness hahah it was pure torture for her. She saved a couple of cookies and put them in a bag in the freezer and gave the rest to the Elders. There had to have been at least 50 cookies there. So proud of her!

I got to see people I knew this week too! Ryan Hansen - from my stake back home - and RUTH!!! It was an amazing week filled with amazing people and amazing experiences. The weather is gorgeous, like in the 50's, I honestly couldn't ask for a better last week in the MTC.

I also updated my Mormon.org profile so check that out! And my blog! It has all the pictures and emails and everything on it too. Don't send DearElders after 12PM MST on Friday, I won't get them! Instead, send DearElders to Xalapa Mexico!

I love you all so much!!! Thank you for all your support, letters and love. Every little bit recharges my battery for the day! I know this church is true, I know Christ died for me and I know that my Heavenly Father loves me more than I can comprehend.

Hasta mi next pday!

Hermana Westergard