Can you believe it’s week three of the CCM*? I can!
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| Me in my host outfit for the quiz at the beginning of the week. |
Last P-Day†, after I sent my weekly email, our district had a fun activity we arranged for ourselves! We took a quiz that involved fun facts about ourselves that I called “The Newly Friend Game”! I made the quiz for the hermanas, and Elder Young helped out by making the quiz for the elders. I even had a fun outfit I wore as the host! All of the missionaries fought with all their little hearts, but Hermana Roe ended up being the victor of “The Newly Friend Game,” something I fully commend her for. It’s a pretty impressive honor to get bestowed because I’m a tricky quiz maker. But even those who didn't take home the gold were good sports, and that’s what matters!
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| We found this old phone in the house, and it was too good a prop not to use. |
Here’s something ridiculous: Even though we’re at home, we still have to do gym at the online CCM! I’m sure this comes as a surprise to no one, but P.E. has never been a subject I’m particularly fond of. We had to do eight sets of eight burpees for one of our exercises this week! At least, that’s what I thought, but after class, I was talking to the district, and it turns out that the hermanas were only required to do six. Suffice it to say I was upset. I felt cheated. I felt used. I felt betrayed. But don’t worry! I’m over it (mostly).
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| I curled my hair this week because I like to have “fun,” but it is a kind of arduous process, and I decided to document it. |
Outside of gym, I am absolutely loving my classes! Los Hermanos Rivera and Cervantes‡ are awesome, and I’m so glad to have their encouragement. It was especially nice to feel supported with them as we’ve started practicing meeting new people and teaching. And besides the teachers, my fellow missionaries are so insightful! I particularly loved Elder Miklich sharing an idea this week, which is that we are called to speak languages we can best share the Gospel of Christ with. That’s very encouraging to think, especially on the days I question if I even know Spanish at all.
Speaking of doubt, we were studying the story of Nephi§ in class. Specifically, his building a ship. For those of you who aren’t familiar, Nephi receives revelation from God to build a ship to cross the ocean, and his brothers Laman and Lemuel aren’t having it. 1 Nephi 17: 17-18 says:
17 And when my brethren saw that I was about to build a ship, they began to murmur against me, saying: Our brother is a fool, for he thinketh that he can build a ship …
18 And thus my brethren did complain against me … for they did not believe that I could build a ship; neither would they believe that I was instructed of the Lord.
We were asked who/what the Lamans and Lemuels were in our lives, and as I thought about it, I realized that it was me. Most of the time, the person who is dragging you down — who’s telling you that you can’t do that challenging thing — is yourself. But we all have a Nephi within us, and we can recognize that power within ourselves and say to ourselves:
50 … If God had commanded me to do all things I could do them. If he should command me that I should say unto this water, be thou earth, it should be earth; and if I should say it, it would be done.
51 And now, if the Lord has such great power, and has wrought so many miracles among the children of men, how is it that he cannot instruct me, that I should build a ship?
We have the power to do hard things, everybody! There is always someone who believes in us.
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| Here I am in the outfit I wore for “8E Jeopardy!” (the shortest round of “Jeopardy!” I’ve ever seen). |
But here’s the best news of the week. Every day before class, we have a devotional, with a prayer, a hymn, and a spiritual thought. On Saturday, Hermana Gomez selected me to assign the devotionals for the coming week! I’ve tried to make it as fun as possible. But when I announced Thursday’s lineup yesterday, I really outdid myself. I’m sure you’re all familiar with the game show “Jeopardy!”? Well, I did a parody of it called “8E|| Jeopardy!”, complete with a title sequence and answers for the district to give the question to (”Jeopardy!” is a complicated game). All of them revealed who would be doing which assignment on Thursday. I’d give away my other ideas, but I don’t want to spoil the missionaries in my district who are on my email list. ;)
Happy Birthday to Jonah¶ (Oct. 20)! He’s 17 now, which means he’s legally allowed to listen to ABBA’s “Dancing Queen.” Congratulations!
I’m so grateful for this week, and I’m so grateful for all of you! I hope you’ll work on not doubting yourselves, and that you’ll find that bit of joy to keep you going.
- Keep dancing,
Hermana Newton
* Centro de Capacitación Misional is the training center in Mexico City. Sister Newton and her fellow missionaries are participating from their homes because the pandemic has precluded them traveling to Mexico.
† Preparation Day, or P-Day, is a designated day each week when the missionaries run errands, do laundry, email family and friends, etc. Sister Newton's P-Day while in training is Wednesday, but it might be a different day when she enters the mission field.
‡ The teachers for Sister Newton's district in the CCM.
§ A prophet and record keeper in The Book of Mormon.
|| Hermana Newton's district in the CCM.
¶ Hermana Newton’s younger brother.
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