Getting in the Groove

Bailey and her roommates

This week (well week and a half really) has gone by much faster than the first week. Rather than having the 16 hour days drag on, I feel like I don't have enough time to learn! This week we were challenged to memorize 15 scriptures IN SPANISH and man do I wish I had more time for it! Between the language classes, training, devotionals, and scripture study it's hard to find time to get it all done! I've got 10 memorized so far, so I've got some work to do yet, but I'm making progress!

For gym time (50 minutes every day) me and Hermana Madsen have been playing a lot of volleyball, Frisbee, and occasionally even basketball when the guys are willing to pause their real games and let us play some pretty intense games of lightning with them! Oh and in one of these games, Hermana Madsen, who has never played basketball before, got out one of our Elders who is playing in college! The whole district lost it, everyone was screaming and cheering, it was awesome.

Bailey and Hermana Madsen

Oh and apparently cleaning checks happen often here and are very thorough, and for those who know me, you already know that we failed our first one (all of us were pretty equally unorganized). But after we were taught the specific way in which we are supposed to make our beds (tucking the sheets all the way around) and making sure our closet doors are locked before we leave, we have not failed another! 

Hermana Madsen also got a little sick this week. Nothing terrible, just a head cold, stuffy nose, cough, sore throat. I was doing a really good job of staying healthy until about a week in and I caught her sore throat and cough, but nothing too bad! And luckily it was not strep like she thought it was! 

Bailey and Hma Madsen teaching

I was also invited to take a test this week to potentially put me into a Latino district where I would be fully immersed in Espanol. I would have to get a new companion and change housing and everything to do it. I was hesitant to take it, because though my Spanish has definitely improved, I wasn't sure if I was ready for that level. I decided to try though and took the 49 question grammar test, which I needed a 70 percent to be considered for the transfer and I ended up getting... wait for it... a 67. My teachers told me that if I wanted they might be able to talk to their boss and get permission to let me take it again, but I decided that the 67 was God's answer to my prayers asking if I should go or not haha. Both my teachers said that they were relieved and happy that I was staying in the district with them and felt like I could do a lot of good there, so I'm kind of glad I didn't pass.

Since the test I told everyone what happened and now that is the guys' favorite joke. I get crap for it at least 3 times a day, but I honestly like it. I missed getting teased haha, and I feel like the teasing means they've all accepted me as a bro, so that's made things more fun!

Bailey's district

Oh and guess what Mom! My Origami totally came in handy. One of the Elders in my district had been struggling quite a bit and during one lesson I folded one of my ninja stars and tossed it at him and he started carrying it around in his pocket and called it his little ray of sunshine (it was yellow and orange) and said it was legitimately helping him feel better. So that was kind of awesome! One little example of how God can use our strengths (however weird they may be) to help bless others' lives, even if it's just a little bit!

Highlight of the week (and of my life) was that ELDER BEDNAR CAME!!! He gave a 2 hour devotional and the spirit was sooo strong the entire time. One of the many things I learned is the importance of what we do, not only in the field but after we get home.  He told us that "when you go home you are only changing your field of labor." This hit me. This work is not only for missionaries to spread this joyous gospel in far off lands, but for us all to share! If it's important enough to leave everything you know for 18-24 month, it should be more important to share with those you love! 

I love and miss you all and hope you have a great week!!

P.S. There is an Elder in my district who looks so much like Bryson (Bailey's cousin) it's weird. His personality isn't super similar but similar enough, and the way he talks, smiles, and carries himself is so much like Bryson it's almost scary.

The Adventure Begins

Me and Hermana Madsen

Hola Todos!!

My first week in the Missionary training center down here in Mexico has been so awesome! I have made friends, felt the spirit, and eaten some tacos.

My companion is awesome! Her name is Hermana Madsen and she's from Layton, Utah and was a lifeguard. She´s super funny and sassy, it makes for some awesome night time conversations. Every night our room, which is made up of us two and one other companionship (one of them being my friend from college named Haley Judd!), stays up laughing and talking. Well, stays up until 10:30 when we all crash from exhaustion (we have to wake up at 6:30 every day).

My district is funny. Everyone is going to Mexico, split between Chihuahua, Guadalajara East, and Ciudad Juarez (my mission). Me and Hermana Madsen are the only two girls in the group of 12, and 8 out of the 10 guys came straight out of high school, so we have a lot of goofy 18 year old boys. They  struggle a bit to focus but they are all good guys.

My district

The food here is good. We eat a lot of Mexican food but they also have a lot of foods that are almost American. They are almost like foods from home, pancakes, burgers, pasta, and pizza, but its all somehow a little off. I don't quite know how to describe it, but its always just a little different than you anticipate. Its all still good though.

One of the hard parts about being here is that girls and guys can´t play contact sports together, so I´ve definitely been missing soccer and basketball, but we´ve played plenty of volley ball. We actually did get a game of ultimate frisbee going with some of the other Hermanas so that was pretty fun. I only got taken out once (by Hermana Madsen haha) but it was a ton of fun!

Oh yeah, also our bathroom flooded. The shower stopped draining while one of the hermanas was showering so we had to quickly try to mop that up. Didn´t get far enough to get into our room luckily. So nothing too bad.

Hermana Thomson, a girl going to my same mission!

My Spanish is sort of coming along. It´s a bit of a struggle trying to talk to all the Latinos who are here (though we do try) but I´m to the point where I can understand the majority of what the gringos are saying in Spanish, if they´re talking slow. I generally can pick up the overall meaning, even if the actual words aren´t fully understood. I definitely say ¨lo siento¨and ¨repitan por favor¨ many, many times each day. But it´s getting better. 

Because I took four years of Spanish in high school I started with a bit of an advantage over the other missionaries in my district, and apparently I did well enough during our first practice lesson that one of my teachers decided that I was her translator whenever she didn´t know how to say something. I tried my best and would guess based on what was going on, but I usually had no idea what she was trying to say to me. Both of my teachers are native Spanish speakers and struggle a bit with English, so that's been an adventure, but has definitely helped me learn faster.

Oh and we got to go to the temple today!! It was so awesome, I felt the Spirit so strongly, it was fantastic.

Mexico City temple

Lesson of the week: God is awesome. No matter who we are, no matter what our strengths and weaknesses are, if we turn to Him, He will help us become the people we want to be. If He can help turn a full blown, Minnesota-raised, shy gringa like me into a confident (well, trying to learn to be confident) missionary who can talk to random people she´s never met, in Spanish, He can help you become whoever you hope to be. Turn to Him. He Loves you and wants to help. Let Him heal you.

I love and miss you all like crazy! 

Hermana Naatjes

I made it!

Bailey and President and Sister Bennett

Hola!

I do not have much time to type plus I have no idea how to effectively use a Spanish keyboard but I made it to the MTC! (Missionary Training Center in Mexico City) The flight was good, a little turbulence but not bad. Oh but the bus ride was crazy! I don't know how they don't have more crashes. It made me very grateful that I'm not in a driving mission! Oh and I haven't met my companion but I met another girl from my mission and she seems awesome.

I am in district F branch 1 (they usually write it in the order 1F, idk if that's what you need). My first Pday (preparation day) will be next Wednesday so you won't hear from me again until then.

I love you guys! And I hope to hear from you by next Wednesday (sorry I didn't have time to read the emails that I've already been sent).

Hermana Naatjes

Alright everybody this is it!

In the morning I'm off to Ciudad Juárez, Mexico! If anyone wants to keep up with my life, my weekly emails will be posted (by my mom) here. If you want to reach me my address/email is on the Contact Information tab. I love and will miss you all!