Week 5: Hey Kuzco

Hey Kuzco….

THere are a couple of Elders here who are SO good at doing Kronk´s

voice. You´ll just be walking down the hall and hear a Kronk from a

classroom. Way exciting.

I think this week was pretty uneventful. But it was probably the best

week yet. I feel so much “Gozo en mi alma”(joy in my soul) and I can

really see how much my teaching has improved. I can also understand

almost everything the Latina sisters say (they talk really fast) and

100% of everything my teachers say. This morning I was helping an

Elder with the toaster and he asked me if I spoke Spanish. I said yes

and his companion was like “¿un poco?” and I was like “no, mucho.” I

am so happy to be learning Spanish. I have always loved my Spanish

classes and I think that Heavenly Father knew I would be called to

Perú and so he blessed me with passion in the Spanish department of my

life. I really love in devotionals when they remind us that we have

been called to serve speaking Spanish. I am not learning Spanish for

me (although I feel SO SO lucky), but I am learning it so that I can

tell the people of Perú how much I know and believe that this Gospel

is true. And so that I can invite them to come unto Christ. This

mission is only 18 months but the consequences are eternal. Scary and

exciting all at the same time.

This time next week I will be in Arequipa. I am so so so excited and

also pee my pants nervous. I am trying to stay focused and work really

hard in the moment . So many people have told me that Arequipa is WAY

beautiful. I am only 2% nervous about rabid dogs and 9% nervous about

getting tapeworm nests in my brain from eating bad pork. Haha.

I am really going to miss my teachers and my super fun and spiritual

district of Elders and Hermanas but I also feel ready and excited to

learn and grow more.

One (of many) spiritual things that happened this week was during our

devotional on Tuesday. I am in the choir and we sang “Armies of

Helaman” and “Called to Serve” (Llamados a Servir porque we sang in

Spanish for that song). The accompianment was SO pretty and we sounded

so loud and sure of the words that we were singing. I looked at

Presidente Moore on the stand and he had tears running down his face.

I have never felt more sure in my life that this is where I need to be

right now.

I don’t think that I will be able to email  until August 8th so I just

want to tell you all that I love you so much and I think about all of

you every day and I am so grateful for the opportunity to be here I

love the Lord so much. I am so excited to be an instrument in his

hands. I am nervous but not really because I know that I am called

here by God. I think my heart will explode. I love love love you all.

--

Sister Madeline Christensen