Week 2 at the MTC

Finally it's P.day!

This past week has been such a blast and I have learned so much. I can teach the Restoration without any help from my language books and carry on a conversation. By no means am I fluent but I know enough to fulfill my purpose as a missionary. Everyone who asks me where I'm going gets so excited for me when they hear Salt Lake City. They always want to trade missions with me hahaha! This week I was a little more home sick than normal because I knew I was missing Lilly's first birthday... If anyone has any pics please email them to me! I miss my chub! 

We taught our last lesson to our first Investigator last week and he became our teacher. His name is Hermano Hernandez. He is such a cool guy and he is tiny! He is only an inch, if that, taller than me and he is so little around! 

OH and I stepped on a bee. It stung me. It hurt. I hate bees. My companion was stung yesterday, She hates bees too now. We both hate bees. The trees here are in full bloom and they are really pretty but the flowers get blown off in the wind. There are bees everywhere!

Hermana Baldwin and I got called to be Sister Trainer Leaders which is the equivalent of a District Leader for Elders! The first thing that we both thought at first was how we were going to handle the Hermana in our district who has an issue of flirting... really bad. She has a list of all the emails she has obtained from Elders and insisted on reading it to us the other night LOL. She also loves to tell stories and they all start out with "So me and my ex-boyfriend". Hahahahaha! Me and Hermana Baldwin are laughing right now telling our families this! She cracks us all up and we love her so much even though she can be a bit of a challenge! Anyways, we prayed about it and decided that we weren't going to say anything until after the boys she was flirting with left for the mission field. 2 days later they were gone and she is doing so much better! We were both glad that we waited and listened to the prompting of the spirit.

Speaking of promptings.... Monday night me and Baldwin decided that we were going to set our alarm clock early so we could do some exercising before our day. The next morning the alarm went off and I immediately felt this feeling that something bad was going to happen. I kept thinking "Don't go outside, stay in the house." When we all started to get up at 6:30 to get ready another hermana from the room next to us came in and asked if we were ok. Turns out her and another sister in her room had the same exact feeling as well as all the girls in my room. Everyone had set their alarm clock earlier and no one went outside. I am so grateful for the spirit and the protection that it provides! Who knows what would have happened had one of us ignored those promptings!

Hermana Baldwin and Hermana Fisher might have talked me in to going to BYU-I with them. I never thought I would say that! We all want to room together! They are such great girls and it is always a good time! I'm lucky to call them sisters! We three get along so well and Hermana Baldwin is just as clutzy as I am but she says I play it off just a little better. I tell her I have a lot of experience being the awkward uncoordinated one! One of the Elders said "I don't know how you are so good at volleyball because you can't even walk without hurting yourself." 

I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve a mission. It is truly where I am suppose to be. I have never been more exhausted, frustrated and happy all at once! I know that my Savior died and lived for all of us to return to live with our Father in Heaven. I know that through the prophet Joseph Smith, God's church was once again established on the Earth today. I know that the Book of Mormon is that most correct of all books on this Earth and that with the Bible they are the full gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that God is a loving Heavenly Father and wants evey single one of His children back in His arms. I LOVE THIS GOSPEL!

Until next P.day!

Xoxo, Hermana Ritter

Having some fun with my fellow Hermanas...

First P-Day!

Holy cow I cannot believe that I have already been at the CCM (MTC in Spanish) already. It´s amazing how much I've grown in just this short amount of time.

Who is your companion?

Mi compañera es Hermana Baldwin. She is from Idaho Falls, ID and she will be serving down in Phoenix, AZ! Surprise is in her mission so you might get to meet my first compañera! She has an amazing story and is the coolest ever. All the girls I stay with are kinda... well a lot more girly than I am so I kinda struggle to relate to them... They like to talk about boy friends and wedding and naming their kids and I'm like... Volleyball? Hahahaha. I kinda knew before I went on my mission that this would be a problem since I wasn't raised like most Mormons. But I love them and I am working really hard on just listening to them and being genuine about it LOL!

What has been your biggest spiritual Ah-ha moment so far?

Here at the CCM we have practice investigators who you learn about, teach and come to love even though they aren't "real" investigators. We were teaching the first lesson in "Preach My Gospel" and it goes over how loving our Heavenly Father is, modern day revelacion and the First Vision when Joseph Smith saw God the Father and His son JesuCristo. I was reading the first paragraph and last paragraph that describes the purpose of the Book of Mormon. I have been struggling with my testimony for a while and reading the part where it says "The Book of Mormon testifies of our Savior JesuCristo and that Joseph Smith was called of God"... Well something like that. My heart burned with the spirit of God and I can never deny that the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith was called of God to translate it.

What has been your biggest struggle so far?

Relating to my compañera and the other sisters that we live with. They are the farthest from me in anyway possible. 3 of the 4 of us play volleyball and that is about the only thing we have in common. My compañera keeps forgetting that I'm her compañera and not the other Hermanas. It been hard having to adjust to other.. women. I just talk so differently from them and more... I don't know.. We just all have a different sense of humor. They are all such white girls! Hahaha.

How is the food?

Right now I am so grateful that I grew up in AZ. I MISS KENDRA'S COOKING SO MUCH! All we eat is Mexican food. My compañera is really struggling with the food right now. She hardly eats anything and I'm over here grubbing! Ain't nobody got time for that! Haha.

Are you doing well with the missionary struggle?

Yes, I am coping well. The first night I was not homesick at all. Everything was so busy and there is so much to take in that I was out! Slept like a rock and on a rock I might add! The mattresses are so very terrible here! Hahaha but we are all used to it by now. The second night I fell off the top bunk of my bed and woke up holding my shoulder. I lost feeling in it for a good 15 minutes until it really started to hurt. I took some Ibprofen and laid back in bed. That's when I was really homesick missing everyone. I wanted a blessing so bad from dad and Randy. I cried myself to sleep that night. Then after 2 days of it hurting I finally went to the doctor on Saturday and he wanted some x-rays done. I was cursed to an arm sling til then. It was humiliating. 

On Monday before I went to go see the doctor I asked all the Elders in my district to give me a blessing. The spirit was so strong! The x-ray place was closed on Monday so I went yesterday. No broken bones thank goodness! But they probably think I tore something in my rotator cuff. That doesn't stop me from playing ball though! Now I'm just taking extra-strength Ibprofen for it. The director of the CCM totally cracked a joke about me in his devotional and everyone turned around to look at me. I just waved and laughed hahaha. I'm known as the hermana who fell off the top bunk at the CCM! LOL. I'm famous!

What have you learned this week?

This week I have learned my objectivo. Here at the CCM they don't teach that it's all about the baptisms. They don't teach that in order to be successful you must master the language in 6 weeks. What they do teach is that your whole life for the next 18-24 months is getting to know, love and apply the gospel to your investigators life. I never knew I could love something so much until we finished our 2nd discussion with our investigator. All you do on your mission is pray and think about how you can help your investigator come unto Christ..

Plans for next week?

Wake up, Spanish, practice, Spanish, read my scriptures, Spanish, practice, Spanish, pray, Spanish. I might be able to get some sleep and some meals in between hahaha! ;)

Do any of your teachers speak English?

They do but not very good. On the first day you go to your first spanish class and there is not one word spoken in English. I was so overwhelmed I wanted to cry but I didn't! The rest of the hermanas in my group did LOL. Not me.

We have an hour of gym time everyday and all we do is play volleyball. There is this kid who I play with that played for Mesa High's boys volleyball team. A couple of the other Elders are really good too. It makes me miss Tuesday nights and playing with mi Padre! Tell the guys I miss them! Anyways they all like playing with me because I tease them and don't get all mad when they try to hit. LOL. Plus I can actually rally with them.

I can pray and bare my testimony in Spanish now. Shout out to Mr. Wright! I miss you and am looking forward to you emailing me!

Yo se que la Iglesia De JesuCristo De Los Santos De Los Ultimos Dias es verdad. Yo se que Dios es muy amorado. Yo se que JesuCristo es nuestro el Salvador y que Jose Smith fue llamamiento de Dios. Yo se que familia es eternal. Amore mi Salvador y mi Dios. En el nombre de JesuCristo, Amen.

My accents weren't working on my keyboard but there are some accents in there LOL.

Translation:

I know that the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. I know that my God is very loving. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that Joseph Smith was called of God. I know that family is eternal. I love my Savior and my God. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Until next P.Day I love you all!