Last night our travel plans came... Aagh! I have to be at the travel office at 3:35 am on the 23rd, then my flight leaves around 8 and we get to McAllen at 2 ish that afternoon. In case you were wondering, the McAllen airport is teeny - one runway and two small buildings. It's so surreal that I'm actually leaving - this last week has kind of felt like I'm going to live here forever.. I'm getting really comfortable here (comfortable in my level of mental comfort, not physical, ha.), which I know is a sign that it's time to do new things. but it's kind of scary! Here we have missionaries surrounding us 24/7 and our "investigators" are teachers and if we don't know a word in Spanish it's no big deal. But I really am excited to go. It's time :) There are two other Elders from our district going to McAllen, and then another Elder came to the MTC last week from Mexico, so he's in an advanced Spanish group and he'll be going with us, too.
Even though I'm sad to be leaving everyone here, I'm also just so ready to be gone and be in Texas. Our district is struggling. In talking with my teachers they've said that usually the closer to departure a district gets, the more motivated and dedicated they become, and with that the unity increases. However, I feel like our district has been the opposite; at the beginning we were super united and progressively it's gotten worse and worse. I'm hoping and praying that somehow this last week is better! It's not as if we don't talk to each other and there's back-stabbing, it's just hard for them to focus and work and be nice all the time.
Spanish adventures for this week. We started into the wonderful world of the subjunctive. I know, I know; you're super jealous, and that's okay. If you want to imagine some of what that's like, it's like finding out that you're adopted and that your whole world is a lie. All I've ever learned about conjugation was switched, but only after some specific words and in some specific cases that have to be memorized. No big deal. Jk, it's not as bad as I expected, but it is definitely a stretch to my mental capacities. I had no idea subjunctive was even a thing - Mom, Dad, and Lucas, you did a good job shielding me from the harsh reality of Spanish. ;)
We got to skype with "Un Nativo" this week, and it was much better than I anticipated. They've had us practice talking to lots of members who speak spanish, but never a native. I don't know if I have a false sense of security that will be totally shattered when I get to Texas, but I'm feeling alright with comprehension. I don't know what percentage I'm understanding, but I feel like I understand most of what's being said, and can conjecture pretty well about the rest.
We hosted again this week. That's one of the best parts of the week, because we get to be outside and the more often we do it, the more experienced I feel. Also, the weather has been super nice, and looks like it shouldn't be too bad for the rest of this week. Thank you, Utah. The missionaries that came in this past week that are English Speaking are all leaving at the same time as us - crazy! There are even some english speaking missionaries that came here that will be going with other members of my district to their missions. McAllen only has Spanish missionaries, though, so that's not the case for us.
Oh, also, for those who have asked - McAllen isn't a mission with iPads, etc. McAllen is a pretty poor area, so I think it's not a techy mission at all. Here are some interesting facts about McAllen that I've heard:
It's #1 with amount of obesity in the nation. 38% (I think) of the residents are obese.
It's has the second most bicycles stolen of any mission in the Church.
However, supposedly it's like #7 in ranking of safe cities in the US. Maybe they just are really friendly but are kleptos?
It's has the biggest costco, walmart, and some other stores. a TON of shopping happens there, and people come from over the border to shop there.
That's all I know so far.
I got sick this week, and that wasn't fun.. There were a few days where I was always cold and feverish and my throat hurt and my head was constantly in pain, and everyone was like "go to the Doctor!" I finally gave in because I felt like I couldn't concentrate or be nice because I was so miserable, so I went. And he basically tested to see if I had strep, and then when it came back negative he just told me I'd get over it. So I felt a little silly that I went, but I did get over it and feel fine now :)
Each week we sing in the choir for the Tuesday evening devotionals, and so there is a choir practice on Sunday and on Tuesday before the devotional. The Choir director is super cool and always tells lots of stories about/relating to the songs we sing, and it's one of my favorite parts about the MTC. This last week we sang Nearer My God To Thee, and the back story is super cool. I'm guessing if you research it you can find lots more information, but the song is based on Jacob's experience of when he left his home because of Esau, and then had his dream, so I thought that was pretty cool.
Speaking of devotionals, the devotional this week was super good! They're always really good, but this was had a lot of direct ways to apply what was taught. The speaker was a member of the 70 and spoke on the importance of the Book of Mormon. He said that only 5% of investigators feel like they have meaningful experiences with the Book of Mormon, and that most of them have a really hard time applying the lessons to themselves without help. He goes to different missions and does seminars on reading along with your investigators and helping them see connections, and he taught a condensed version of that to us. It was a great reminder that people who haven't grown up in the church don't just "get it" all the time, and that they need help. One thing he said that's pretty cool is that all 8 components of the first lesson in PMG are found in the first chapter of First Nephi, so if you want a scriptural treasure hunt you can read and find :)
My companion's family sent us a package from Australia this past week, and she had them send us T-shirts and keychains and food - it was pretty exciting. We're all wearing our Australia shirts for P-day, so I'll send a picture later :)
Happy Valentine's Day! Thanks for the valentines that I've received! You all are the best.
Hermana Reynolds
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