Hey, everyone!
I know this letter isn’t super late, but since it’s nighttime and I try to send these midafternoon, it feels especially tardy. Also, winter in Utah means that it gets dark fast. Is Tennessee particularly mountainous? I didn’t think it was, but if I’m wrong, I’d love to be informed on the actual geographical layout.
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| This is me trying to keep it together on the day of the second talent show (and also when I received my patriarchal blessing), which was the last time everyone saw each other. :’) |
Pleasantries aside, I can’t believe I’m getting on a plane tomorrow! At first, our flight plans said we’d be leaving Wednesday. As in today. But the Tennessee Nashville Mission has transfers on Thursdays, so they changed our tickets. I’ll be leaving at the lucky time of 11:11 a.m. I know that saying your wish is bad luck, but let’s just say mine will be themed around flights.
I also can’t believe the CCM is over! I thought it was going to be stressful and hard and scary. It was definitely the first two, but it was not scary at all, especially at the end. I’ve grown to love my district so so much. They’re all such amazing disciples of Christ. I even found myself appreciating gym, specifically Elder Miklich keeping us from doing burpees on the last day! That was truly a gift he gave us.
Besides gym, everyone provided such amazing spiritual thoughts and experiences that entire week. Hermana Volk and I got the opportunity to lead a Book of Mormon read on Saturday, our final day of classes. A Book of Mormon read is basically when one companionship leads a discussion about a piece of scripture. It was such a powerful testament to me, and I definitely cried a lot haha. I read from Moroni 10:32-33:
32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
33 And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.
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| I was killing it in the fashion department this week, but here’s a picture of me pouting over the fact that my pictures weren’t capturing how 🔥 my outfits were. |
For a lot of my life, I’ve struggled with this principle of the gospel. It is so hard to be perfect, and I’ve often put on this burden of needing to never make a mistake. So when I inevitably fall short, it’s crushing. Something I’ve been learning, and something that’s been especially clear to me with this experience in the CCM, is how important it is to accept the mercy of Christ. Perfection is not achieved by sheer will. It’s achieved by supplication. Patience. Mercy. In Spanish, the verb for “to try” is “intentar.” When we have the intent to change, to become better, that’s when we can truly repent and be perfected in Christ.
I don’t know if it is, but this email is feeling long, so I’ll bullet-point everything else from the week!
• I got my patriarchal blessing! It was an amazing, wonderful, loving experience. I’m so grateful I was able to do it.
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| Here's a #CandidLook at everyone during the talent show. S/o to Hermana Palmer for being especially “Brady Bunch”! |
• We had another talent show! I sang “Beauty and the Beast” and Jonah was awesome enough to accompany me. He’s the best little brother. Highlights include Hermana Reichner’s turtle, Elder Young’s moonwalking, and Hermana Roe’s recorder. In truth, everything shared was the best.
• Hermano Cervantes wrote a song for the district! It’s super catchy, and I’ll definitely be bragging about it when I’m out on the field.
• My mom finally trimmed my bangs, so I won’t be arriving in Tennessee looking like the latter part of “Lady and the Tramp.”
Again, I absolutely love all of you! To quote the amazing Mister Rogers:
You make each day a special day. You know how, by just your being you. There’s only one person in this whole world like you. And people can like you exactly as you are.
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| I got dressed, then looked up at my wall and realized I was matching my Guatemala flag. Had to capture the moment! <3 |
Hermana Newton
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