Still Be Three Days Till You Say "I'm Sorry"

Greetings to All from Sunny Spain! Things this week have been a little crazy. Most of the missionaries left on tuesday, leaving me as the lone sister! Which is not horrible except that everyone keeps calling me Hermana Jones...Elder Jones is the only other Elder learning Spanish...can´t say that isn´t a little akward. I do have my own room now. I also have four beds to choose from...I plan on sleeping in a different one every night. It is a little weird being alone as a missionary. They are always talking about being with your companion...and now I don´t have one. So I do what I want. Of course within the missionary bounds.

 

I have been ordered starting tomorrow to only speak Spanish. This is because I am the worst Spanish speaker. Truly. I am pretty sure this means I will be practically a mute. Apparently my American vocabulary is too complex to translate into beginning Spanish. Which makes me feel good about my English and horrible about my Spanish. Just keep swimming swimming.

 

All the teachers here are pretty great but Hermano Lopez is especially awesome. He served his mission in Boise Idaho and has some great stories. Like how everyone thought he was from Mexico. When they would go to members homes to eat, often they would say 'now these enchiladas are probably not as good as the ones your mom makes' 'well actually this is only the second time I have had enchiladas...' Okay maybe that was one of those things you had to be there for. He also got introduced to eggnog while in the states, a delicacy Spain does not have. He believes that the tree of life had little bottles of eggnog. Oh goodness.

 

Elder Jones and I get along pretty good. We are learning to work together and teach. His Spanish is much better than mine, so I can learn a lot from him. He is constantly looking up random phrases in Spanish, which is hilarious. Last week it was ´she is up to her old tricks´. I think we are getting along because he offered his brother to me...to marry. awesome. All this while dangling a picture of his family in my face. 

 

I only have two weeks left here, then I am off to the real world. I am a little nervous but pretty excited. That is one thing that keeps me going when things are hard. This gospel makes me happy and I am excited to share that with people.

 

I love you a million glasses of eggnog, not found at the Made in America stores

Shower? Who needs to shower?

Hola! ¿Como la va? Bahaha as you can see my Spanish is progressing nicely...except that everyone talks so so fast! I am still trudging along at Spanish. It gets a little easier everyday and I am understanding more and more. And only two and a half weeks before I am in Barcelona for reals!  I can´t even believe that I have been out for 5 weeks.

 

The Spain MTC is so much different than the Provo MTC, definitely more relaxed. There are about 15 of us who are here for MTC training and then random bunches of Elders who are just here passing through. Most of them have been out in the US waiting for their visas. Next week, there will be only 9 of us here. A group of missionaries will be leaving, which means....I will be the lone sister! Ahhh! The one good thing about that is I will have my own room with my own personal bathroom! It definitely be an experience without a real companion. There will only be two of us speaking Spanish- Elder Jones and I. He came in at the same time and is also serving in Barcelona. He is kind of hilarious, mostly cause he loves to tell me what girls think. Pure hilarity! "you understand because it is that girl emotion stuff". Bahaha

 

I have already taught a bunch of lessons in Spanish. I feel a little bad for the people we practice on because it takes me for.ever. to get through one subject. Lots of pauses and lots of umms.  The teachers here are great. Both of mine served missions in the US...one in Idaho. They are good at letting me take my time, which I appreciate! The MTC is right on the temple plaza, which I LOVE! At night it just lights up the sky-ahh I can't even describe how beautiful it is. It makes me happy everytime I look at it.

 

The food here is delicious...and we eat lots of it. Serious. Meat, rice, potatoes, some kind of vegatable, fruit and bread...add a little dessert to that and bam an Madrid MTC meal. Plus we have twice a day snack times. Hopefully I won´t weigh 300 pounds by the time I leave this place but luckily it is all fresh and delicious! I am still working on enjoying the fish but I am taking it step by step! And of course I can´t forget the Nutella, the love of my soul. So delicious!

 

I hope all is going well. I love being here and learning so many new things. It is amazing and I already love Spain! Yeah for public transportation!

 

I love you all a million slices of Spain bread with Nutella.

Madrid Spain MTC Address

I put Melissa's address at the Madrid MTC on the sidebar, for those who like to send letters through the mail.
Karen

And here we have Spain

Well I have arrived in the great country of Spain! It has been a long week, emotionally and physically.On Friday I got called down to the Travel Office, where they told me that my visa had arrived and that I would be leaving Tuesday. It was a bit of a shock. I had just come to terms with spending all 9 weeks in the Provo MTC. So I was little...sad to leave. I loved my district...Even after just 3 weeks I felt like the Elders were my brothers. And I adore my companions. We had just expected that we would leave together.

 

Since I was leaving, I got to speak in my zone branch on Sunday...in Spanish. Lets just say that was an adventure and I pretty much slaughtered the beautiful language. Then i was able to bear my testimony in English. Which of course I am much better at. I got a little emotional but of course before that I had to throw out one of my famous one liners...´I am feeling kind of sick, so I might Ralph everywhere´ Yeah that will bring them to you.

 

I spent the next couple days getting everything packed. I hadn´t really done any laundry on my P-day beacuse I thought I would be there for longer, so I had to hurry and do all that. I managed to fit all my things in two bags...both under fifty pounds. I am pretty much a master packer. It was hard saying good-bye to my district...we all wanted to hug but that is not allowed so we just had to settle for several firm handshakes. Hugs all around for my companions.

 

Then I left at 5 in the morning yesterday. Boarded a bus at the MTC, boarded a plane at the SLC airport, flew to New York...concrete jungle where dreams are made...boarded another plane to Madrid, tried to sleep on the plane, failed, arrived in Madrid at 7:30 in the morning-madrid time. Now they are keeping us up till 6.30 so that we can get over our jet lag. Which means two days awake...not gonna lie, I am feeling pretty sleepy right now! What I have seen of Madrid so far is beautiful. Tomorrow we get to explore the city a bit. The MTC is right by the temple...my room overlooks it. It is absolutely gorgeous.  There are about 20 people here at this MTC...most of them not learning Spanish. This will be a crazy adventure.

 

Now I am off to try and stay awake. I am pretty sure I could sleep standing up at this point. I love you a million views of the Madrid temple.

First Pictures

Do you see the nametag...it is craziness.



Ba ha ha... me as a missionary in front of the Provo Temple.
Possibly the only day I have had time to do my hair.



Breaking News

I just heard from Melissa.  Her visa came today, and she will be leaving for the Madrid MTC tuesday morning! Horray!

September 9, 2010

Goodness it sounds like it has been a crazy week for everyone!


I honestly don't know if I have that much to write about because everyday is pretty much like the next. We got our first 'real' investigator this week. All of the teachers have profiles of people they taught or family members so that we can have a real teaching experience. Our first investigator is 'Sarah' aka Hermana Barker. She is going to be pretty tough to teach because Hna. Barker was once Baptist. Seriously Baptist...like engaged to a Baptist pastor serious. So she knows all the hard questions to ask and she will play it tough. But it should be good because we definitely need some practice. It is hard teaching lessons to other missionaries because they don't always take it seriously. I know I don't.

Our Visas for sure didn't come, so we will probably be here for a couple extra weeks. It shouldn't be too bad. I love my companions so at least I get a couple extra weeks with them.

We are no longer the youngest hermanas in our zone. We just got 4 new hermanas yesterday. It is always nice because hermanas are always in short supply. I don't know them very well but they seem like a lot of fun.

Okay so this is like the lamest email but I don't have much to say! I am enjoying the MTC. Trying to work hard. Spanish is still difficult but I am trying hard. Hopefully my Spanish brain and my English brain will connect soon!

Love you a million Spainsh words!

Love- Melissa the Beautiful!

September 2, 2010

Hola!

This may be the extent of my Spanish words...just kidding I know how to say I am a missionary and that I love Jesus. What else could there be? I honestly can't believe that I have already been here for two weeks. The days go by super super slow but then it feels like the weeks just fly by. I got word that I will not be leaving the MTC next week. Visas are slow right now so most likely I will be here the full 9 weeks. I was a little sad about that but I have really started to love my zone and district, so in a way I am glad I am not leaving.

So just a couple of fun things about the MTC. I pretty much adore my chair. We sit in a classroom all day, which would be terrible except that I have the most amazing chair. It reclines and is super comfy. I really want to take it with me when I leave. I might even write an ode to it. I consider my chair an MTC blessing.

And then there is the free box. I cannot even explain how awesome the free box. Pretty much hermanas when they are leaving put anything they can't fit in their suitcases, in the free box. I found a brand new pair of American Eagle jeans...in the free box! And they were just my size. Another MTC miracle. Sometimes there is even delicious food. Wonder of Wonders Miracle of Miracles...name that.

Okay so I pretty much love my district...8 little Elders, beautiful boys. Sometimes I get a little annoyed because they are so crazy but they have amazing testimonies. Mostly I just want to bottle their enthusiasm because they already love being on a mission. I need to work on that!

One of my companions, Hermana S, has broncitis(?). So we actually got to escape the MTC on Saturday and journey to the outside world! And by that I mean the BYU Health Center and Rite Aid...so nothing too exciting. It did feel a little weird to be in the outside world. Everyone one is jealous cause usually you don't get to leave unless you are super sick. Hna. S is getting better. The majority of the week we spent up in our rooms, while she slept. It kind of stunk to miss class, but what can you do.

I am not going to lie, being here at the MTC is hard. It is easy to get discouraged with the language. Then there are just these moments of pure joy, when I get to share my testimony about the Savior or hearing someone talk about the changes that have come in there life because of the gospel, and it all feels worth it.

I love you a million pairs of perfect fitting jeans from the free box.

-Melissa the Beautiful