September 22, 2021 - It's the end...of home MTC

 Week 6

This is my last week in the home MTC! Crazy! I have about 3 more days of classes. Each week felt like it went on forever sometimes, but then it would be over and then another and now I am 6 weeks in and it feels like it went super fast. I have loved my district and companion. We definitely have some running jokes that have made for some pretty great laughs. And while I wish I could just know Spanish (it would make it so much easier to say what I want to say), I know that I have learned so much in just 6 weeks. I mean I can for the most part understand my teachers as well as guests in our class and I can kind of respond 😂  After 2 years of Spanish in school, I couldn't even do any of this, so I say it has been a success haha. 

"Your faith is beautiful." I love this thought! I have loved teaching investigators and watching their faith grow as well as mine. I have loved being asked by so many people if I can pray for them. I love being a witness of how faith, a desire to believe in God and Jesus Christ, really is one of the most beautiful things. I also went to a session at the temple this week for my second time as Gabe went through for his first time. As we were there, I thought about how special temples are. How lucky are we to have the Lord's house here on earth and he lets us enter! 

And finally maybe the biggest news of all, I GOT MY FLIGHT PLANS! Haha after 6 weeks of saying I think I'm going... I mean I haven't heard anything different... I can finally say I am going to Costa Rica!! I fly out Tuesday, September 28th way early in the morning and arrive in Costa Rica around 7:30pm. A whole day of travel, but I am excited. This also means that there will be a day and half overlap where both Gabe and I are home together as missionaries, so special!

I have loved having a little extra time to spend with my family and also get those last minute things. I also hope that after a year and a half I'll actually register that when people say "hi sister" they're talking to me haha  It just takes me a second right now!

Mucho amor,

Hermana Warburton

Temple!

Just some cute siblings going on missions.

District 15D

September 15, 2021 - The Spirit testifies of truth

 Week 5

¡Hola! ¡Hola! 

I have learned so many things this week through the Holy Ghost. Isn’t it great that we have Him as our constant companion?! Here are a few things I have learned summed up in one liners… you know the type that could be on sale in Deseret Book one day (but I can’t take credit for all of them) :)

• In the garden, Jesus Christ didn’t use His godly power to take away the pain He felt, He used it to feel it all. Everything we have felt and feel, He has felt and still feels. 

• Don’t let a moment pass you by

• It is when we learn of Christ, that we truly feel peace. 

• Always remember that you have members on your team you may not always be able to physically see. 

• GO BACK TO THE FUTURE ( I feel this one needs an explanation... it's in reference to missionary work. When things start going back to normal, we shouldn't go back to the old ways, we need to embrace the new ways we have found... go back to the future)

Anyway, some fun events of the week, my companion and I were district leaders this week, and let me tell you, it was so much fun. I felt like we had so much power haha in zoom we were co hosts and could move people around and pop in and out of rooms. It felt like we were time traveling and also Thanos at the same time. 

Another fun thing, I had a visitor in my class. We were teaching members and Hermano Warburton came to our class!! Haha seriously I got to teach a lesson to my brother Ross and it was awesome. It was so much fun to have him there and teach him a lesson in mostly Spanish (mostly on my part haha). He is such a great example to me of someone who serves the Lord. As well as an amazing Spanish speaker… Ross you can talk sooo fast in Spanish just so ya know.  Well, that's all until next week!

Mucho amor,

Hermana Warburton

Working with members

September 8, 2021 - Dios es nuestro amoroso Padre Celestial :)

 Week 4

This week was definitely a change because we have started learning the lessons to teach people... in spanish. Sometimes I surprise myself when I can actually talk simply about a topic in a lesson in Spanish. It has been so insightful to review the truths of the gospel that we often glaze over. Everything in la Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de Los Últimos Días is done for a reason and that reason is to remember and understand the conditions and covenants we have made with God. All that I am and all that I have is because there is a God, so I am thankful that we have so many reminders to help us continue to be like Him.

Each week we have quite a few practice lessons with our teachers or sometimes random people that I am not sure who they are, but it's good practice for us. This past week we had a teaching segment called helping others. I am honestly not 100% sure what the title helping others means haha but we think it's members who sign up to hear a lesson taught by the missionaries in the CCM or something like that. Anyway this past week when my companion and I were helping a member, we shared about one way the spirit speaks to us. If you want to know more about it go read 1 Nephi 4:6-7. To sum it up, sometimes we need to go and do good without knowing beforehand and the spirit will lead us. When we were helping a member, we were seriously so surprised when the member picked up a piece of paper that had notes about what we were teaching. Let me just say, we were in awe because well, we are not great at speaking Spanish and were just praying that what we shared was what they needed to hear. It was so cool to see how through us, God had helped this member. 

Mucho amor,

Hermana Warburton

                                         Rachel's birthday dinner... a good reason to get out of the house!

Wednesday, September 1 - el don de lenguas

 Week 3

¡Hola!

At the end of this week, I will be half way done with the CCM. Crazy! Haha I definitely do not know enough Spanish right now, so it's a good thing that my training is 6 weeks long. 

Just in case anyone is wondering, here is a basic rundown of my daily schedule,

5:30-8: I exercise, get ready, and do personal study

8-12: I have my morning class from 8-11 with Hermana Sanchez and then study/mentoring from 11-12

12-2: I have a break where I do language study and sometimes we have a 1 hour workshop (about once a week)

2:15-3:15: I have companion study with my super awesome companion!

3:30-6:30 I have my afternoon class with Hermana Alonso.

9:30 bedtime!

That's a quick rundown :) Often, each day differs slightly with the exact timing, which keeps my mom on her toes.

This past week in my classes, I had the opportunity to teach lessons... in Spanish. I will say right now, that I don't fully comprehend the answers I receive when my companion and I ask questions, but smiling and saying "gracias" or "muy bien" is usually a great response to start. And I can usually get the general idea. Something way cool though was when we were teaching a practice investigator and they asked for the meaning of the word "anales." My companion and I had basically prepared definitions in Spanish for every other word in Enós 1:15 except that one. Well, let me tell you the gift of tongues (el don de lenguas) is sooo real! I somehow used the vocabulary I have (which is quite small)  to define that word with no preparation. It was crazy! 

Faith is such a powerful thing. I am seeing myself change each day as my faith in the gift of tongues and God grows. 

Mucho amor,

Hermana Warburton

Pictures: 

1. We were testing out zoom features....

2. Well at least we took some pictures this week 

August 25, 2021-My first P day

 Week 1

¡Hola!

¿Cómo está?

     I have been in the home MTC (CCM) for about a week and a half now. Let me tell you, it is hard. I am not going to lie. It is hard to sit in classes trying to take in as much Spanish as possible because I started with little to no language skills beforehand. It is hard to totally switch my daily schedule around to where I am in classes almost all day long, leaving little time to spend with family and talk with people in person. I don't know if these things will get easier, but I am learning more Spanish each day even if I am not improving as fast as I want to. 

     One of my favorite parts of the CCM is devotionals we have on Tuesday nights. I learn so much from the general authorities' messages. Two thoughts from the devotional last night from President Ballard and Elder Holland:

1. Never again will 100% of my focus be on Christ for 18 months. I am extremely blessed to have this opportunity so even though learning in Spanish is hard, it will be worth it.

2. The Book of Mormon holds such great power. It is the single most powerful missionary tool. There was a reason that it was translated first before the church was organized. Everyone needs to read it! 

     I love my companion! She is awesome. She is from Eagle, Idaho, and knows some of my friends from Snow Hall at Utah State. Shout out to Sister Earl and Sister Call!  

     Friday was one of my favorite days this past week because I had the CCM at my grandma's house while my family was gone. She was so sweet to bring me treats and take me to Taylorsville to get paperwork for my visa. 

haha I realize that I don't really have pictures from this week. But there's also not a lot to take pictures of. I'll try to take some more this week!

  

Best,

Hermana Warburton