God Listens to EVERY word

alright here are the key phrases for this letter: God listens to EVERY word his missionaries say, canción (song), schedule, purpose, count your many blessings, and "wheres Jeff?" (if theres time).

purpose as a missionary- "invite others to come unto christ by helping them to receive the restored Gospel through faith in jeasus christ and his atonement, repentance, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end"

schedule-

at the CCM we are here to learn how to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ  to all the world so much of what we do during the day is study. we have 4 types personal, language, companionship, and additional. the first three are to help  us to acheive our purpose as missionaries.  you know helping others to come unto christ by those steps... that is the gospel of jesus christ it is the reason we do everything we do in the church. it is the basis of our religion but sometimes even the members dont realize it...i didnt...but i know that it is true. anyway the first three are to help us to be good missionaries and study for our investigators and the people around us.

walk(wake) up at 6:30am at the latest

study

gym time for 1 hour

study with our teachers (we have 2 one in the morning and one at night)as they guide us and help us to improve

practice teaching investigators (members of the church becoming people they know and acting as those people would)with the spirit

study on our own

learn the language

plan for the next day

go home 9:30pm

lights out at 10:30

repeated every day. sundays we worship and study and listen to inspirational words by leaders of the church, and once a week we prepare for the week with laundry cleaning, napping, and emailing/letter writing but mostly we study and prepare to do the Lords work.

God listens to EVERY word his missionaries say-

we (that always means Hermana Young and I unless otherwise stated) were walking and waved hola to a bunch of hermanas we knew and i wanted to try out a different response to how are you? so i say

"its a great day to be living" roughly

once hermana Young (ok from now on she is HY unless otherwise stated) figured out what i said

"dont ever say that again!"

"why?"

"karma"

"i dont believe in karma"

"i believe karma is the name for Gods sense of humor"

we laugh and continue debating a bit

i say "God wont hurt one of his missionaries"

"watch out, God is going to make you faceplant in some mud right now"

Naturally as she says finishes her statement, LITERALLY AS SHE FINISHES, I slip and almost faceplant into the wall of the girls bathroom and nearly fall over afterwards with her while laughing....It was soooo funny!!! she now swears she has proof God hears every word His servants say. and i just laugh

Canción (Song)

during a Missionary lesson with one of our investigators, i try to say we want to invite the Spirit into the lesson with a song...key word is try....our lessons are in spanish....and the spanish word for song is canción, only problem is i said contención....meaning contention...i want to invite the Spirit with fighting....yep...it was almost really bad except HY caught me and we didnt loose focus by laughing with our investigator...thank heavens!

Count your blessings no nmatter what you you will feel closer to God and your trials wont seem so bad, they will seem like blessings and you will feel Gods peace and love for you.

I love you all very much

Hermana Konrie Ming

Doctrine and Covenants 6:14, 15, 23 look on LDS. org for the scripture if you do not have this book or mom can you post the link?

 14 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, blessed art thou for what thou hast done; for thou hast ^ainquired of me, and behold, as often as thou hast inquired thou hast received instruction of my Spirit. If it had not been so, thou wouldst not have come to the place where thou art at this time.

 15 Behold, thou knowest that thou hast inquired of me and I did enlighten thy ^amind; and now I tell thee these things that thou mayest know that thou hast been ^benlightened by the ^cSpirit of truth;

24 And now, behold, you have received a ^awitness; for if I have^btold you things which no man knoweth have you not received a witness?

(Note from Stephanie: You might understand Konrie's letter format if you understand Konrie.  Ever since she was little she hated to write essays even though she is really good at them.  She couldn't accept the idea of a rough draft and then editing it later.  It was all I could do to get her to just free write and just get her thoughts down.  She wanted it to be perfect the first time.  So having a time schedule to write her letters and read her emails- only 60 minutes - must be stressful for her.  I can tell she is just trying to get her thoughts down and not stress over the perfect wording.... Makes a momma proud!  I was going to edit and add complete sentences - but I don't want to take away from her sweet raw letter form!!!)

Trusting in the Lord

HOLA!!!

Okay, so before you ask, My companera(companion)  is still here...for now...and same districto (district)...and ya...oh...new casa (house) because apparently our old one had bathrooms that were 'insuitable for living' so when we (generally meaning me and my companion)went to retreive a sweater from the casa after lunch and saw other hermanas (sisters) with their suitcases rolling away and got to instead of just a quick trip to retreive things  it became an hour of quick packing and moving to a purple house...so pink to purple maybe by the end i will be in my fav color house blue... :) because God has decided to not allow us to be come too comfortable...He wants to stretch us.

haha funny moment! elder byrd fell asleep during study. he was laying on his arm and it fell asleep...when he woke up...it was sooo funny because he was staring at his arm so confused and shocked as to why it wouldnt move or why he couldn{t feel it...pure shock...could not comprehend why it wouldnt move....like it wasnt his arm...we we enjoyed laughing at his face!!!

another one bites the dust-elder silva blew out his knee...that is the fourth person in our district to not be in full health. hermana young. humphrey was sick in the first week but only missed a day...it was day 3...hutchinson bruised his ribs playing fútbol...Hunt told me the elders apparently decided that i am next....thanks elders :/ so not going to stóp me...id have to be dying

I got a package!!and hooked all the people in my district on my fave type of chips (kettle corn flavor popped chips or something like that) yep they love it and me...and I LOVE MY raincoat!! i am so easy to find! and I love it!! and I have a camera to show you pics!!!! yay!!

oh fun story...they want hermanas to wear name on right side so people will follow your arm (during handshake) to your name and who you represent...no sé por qúe (I don't know why) other than that

ok now for a good story to tell you more about my week...

wait forgot to tell you our district now also have disney characters....ps they know about all the assignments we've given em

neeley-woody (no man left behind)

humphreys- john smith (¨'quiet manly behavior, his voice definitely his voice' says h young)

hunt- flik (bugs life, just wants to be in the middle of it all, friendly)

brown-sully (monsters inc only the first one not the new one, loves what he loves but lets others make the decisions)

byrd-robin hood cartoon with foxes (in the middle loves to have fun no matter the circumstance but mature)

silva-aladdin (looks like aladdin, great intentions but also kinda wants to rebel normally does the right thing)

hutchinson-prince eric (he is the most active prince (in our opinion) in fighting for his lover he loves his gf back home)

cook-flynn rider (has a smolder, comes off as cocky and arrogant and has a twisted sense of reality)

okay story...

this week was pretty rough on me. the first half it was just waiting for us to be told when h young was leaving and my life would be altered and then she ended up (on friday) having the full go ahead to stay (kinda...its still touch and go) since wed she was told if she wants to stay (which she does) she has to attend all classes and no wheelchair. and she has been doing it. but I didnt accept her decision to stay right away- because I was a little sick of change, and i received peace when i asked God to help me accept her decision to go. but i forgot to ask for peace with her decision to stay too. So i didn't have the Spirit...which makes teaching about the Gospel REALLY hard...and it rattled me. but as a district on Saturday with the help of our maestra (female teacher) (Hermana Coleman aka Lorena (1st investigator) aka Spiritual powerhouse of an instructor) we as a district invited the spirit back into our clase with fervent prayer bearing our souls to God (for some reason it sounds bad but its not) and scripture study learning what we needed to do to have the Spirit again. I personally realized I needed to let go of any mal (bad) feelings I had towards anything and focus on the Spirit and what I could to to be worthy of it. IDK if that was too personal but I have a testimony of the Spirit of Revelation. It did not end with the Prophets of old or with the Apostles. God still wants to speak to us. we just have to be worthy and willing to listen and know how to listen. The priesthood is real. It is the power to act in God's name and it can work miracles.

okay I have more pics on the way...as well as the ones in the other camera...send me questions so I can answer.

Hermana Konrie Ming

 This is the enterance to the CCM (Missionary Training Center) inviting right? but in mexico if you want any privacy and wanna keep out the strays it's necessary

Week 3?  Time flies and all blends together!!

Week 2!!!!

alright so much to tell you :) yay!

 

again mom please leave translations at the bottom :) gracias!

 

there are about 800 missionaries aqui about 187 native english speaking hermanas and 49 latina hermanas for a grand total of 236 hermanas at the CCM

 

My casa is pink

 

I saw Elder Paul Larkin from the M;ission Viejo Stake....well I actually see him quite often its fun. I wave and give him handshakes...

 

so in my districto, hermana young and I shake the elder´s hands in "brief formal ways" to say I´m sorry and I feel your pain and I am so proud of you and excited for you...and we also do air 5´s (because high fives are not appropriate for missionarios) but its quite entertaining well be like " can I give you a short brief im sorry hand shake?"  muy divertida

 

i wrote a long letter to the familia with tons of details last week and I will give you more info on that later in my letter.

 

I will be released 24 Feb 2015 and leave the CCM 10 of OCT  Again...please dont send snail mail in october there is a very good chance i wont get it. gracias.

 

okay I had the hardest time learning  to say religión, sacerdocio, bautismo, and restaurar! and those words are kinda fundamental to the gospel! but its okay I am practicing but please listen and feel my pain when i say it is not easy! seriously look it up and try it!! i still have issues with restaurar...i cannot say it fast at all! i have to say it like....well i was going to say child but they can totally speak spanish way better than us!

 

hermana young and I assigned spirit animales to our districto:) maybe itll help you understand their personalities a bit better if you hear

 

neeley: golden retriever named lucky (loyal, always rthere and nice but not in your face)

Cook: kangaroo named fluffy (needs to be alittle fluffier bc he pack a punch)

hutchinson iguana named dragon because there is more that meets the eye and he can be a pet but not your normal one

silva: killer whale named killer (we are so original... hes not mean or anything but totally awesome )

byrd:cuckabura named Steve (like steve irwin, loves to laugh and joke and is always smiling and awesome)

brown giraffe named sheldon (quiet tall, but if you listen hes actually quite funny)

hunt:panda bear named willard (just plain awesome. loves to be in the middle of the fun and great natured and just lovable and big)

humphreys is a bison named chuck (he seems quiet and peaceful, and kinda naturally looks like he doesnt care, but hes a great listener and has a beautiful testimony)

maestro: hermano silva: hummingbird named archemedes (so much energia and beautiful and petite and fun sized the elders once joked of wanting to play catch with him as the ball- hes so good natured i really admire him)

 

¡¡¡¡¡¡¡me gusta mi districto!!! ( i found the upside down punctuation haha)

 

and when hermano silva tried to teach us a version of head shoulders knees and toes using cabeza cara hobros piers (feet) but forgot how to say shoulders...and kept saying hombres which is man...so I said "su es un hombre" to correct him and remind him man=hombre and he said "No, Usted es un hombre." HE CALLED ME A MAN!!!! I stared at him in shock! excuse me?! "no, no no you had said yours is a man, lo siento hermana ming" hahaha way awesome as we learn spanish ( if the joke doesnt make sense maybe my mom will further explain for you)

 

so now for the bad news. mi companera might be going home tomorrow.

(wait for shock and disbelief to be expressed)

ya, she got extremely sick this last week, like so much pain and nausea it was hard to walk! I pushed her around in a wheel chair (and chased birds with it and we may or may not have slingshot her with the elders  using the excersise bands we were given...maybe...) but she is really sick. she had pre-exsisting health difficulties like a hereditary digestive problem and anxiety, but she tells me this is a different kind of pain she has never experienced. and I believe her when she says this is something new, and slightly worse. it stinks. she is seriously my best friend here and I feel like i have known her for much longer than 2 little weeks. She is phenominal. and at first she and I rejected the idea that she would leave me and the district and go home, but later she prayed and felt peace over leaving. and through her testimony and my own prayers I was able to receive confirmation that I will be okay, that God will not leave me friendless. idk who will be my new companion (if i get one), if i will move houses (because I am currently the only companionship in my cuarto), if I will change districts (only hermanas) idk...its all in the air in the Lords hands. Its sad too because she REALLy doesn{t want to leave, especially because her family is not in any way supporting her decision or her ability to make the correct choice on her own. its difficult to watch.

 

I am so grateful that I have been blessed with Family and Friends that would support me both in my decision to serve a mission and would trust in me and in the Lord, should the Lord tell me I needed to leave early. I know that God loves us and He has blessed us with Agency and the ability to receive Revelation.

 

Jacob 4:13 (please post the scripture) I am not the only witness of the Gospel of truth, I have the Book of Mormon, Modern day Prophets, a companion, the Holy Ghost, and countless other testimonies of faith in this glorious gospel.

 

I love you all, I pray for you, I know this "la inglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Últimos Días" The CHurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the only True Church on the earth today. Keep the Faith

 

Hermana Ming

 

My First Week!!!

(My comments and/or translations are in blue - Momma Ming) --- LOVE THIS GIRL!  

SO!!! THIS IS IT!!!! MY FIRST WEEK HERE!!

so much to say and I can see my timer ticking away from 60 minutes down!

1. today (Tuesday) is my pday ("preparation day" where she is able to get things done like laundry, letters, etc.) i can email at my leisure whenever we want (but she only has 60 minutes)

2. mom i may accidentally slip into spanish...it comes and goes as it wants...will you please translate at the bottom of my emails ?

3. the keyboard is different so symbols or typos are going to happen and i just looked to see a place for my memory card....ya...nope lo siento mi familia y amigos (sorry my family and friends)

4. snail mail i hear takes about 10 days but an hermana that just left said that her bf sent her a letter 4 weeks previous...and we are now going to forward it to her mission...so...ya....lo siento idk the best way to communicate with me...oh!  and the CCM (MTC in Spanish) doesn't yet forward mail directly to your mission...so I will make friends in 4 weeks with the newbees

5. the mailing system in Chile is apparently on strike...someone please look into that for me...a guy here just came from Chile (parents=mission pres) and told me that.  (The strike officially ended August 28th)

6. the address not for the .....thing...packet mail! (pouch mail)

CArr. Tenayua-Chalmita No. 828,

Col. Zona Escolar, Deleg. G. A. Madero,

C. P. 07230, Mexico, D. F.; Mexico

idk if it works but the address on my packet is the one for the ccm that was right next to the templo (temple)

bueno suerte! (good luck)

I left my rain jacket in CA!!!!!!! AND IT DEFINITELY RAINS in mexico....and rains hard for like 30 mins! every day...except the day i decide to wear my boots...of course (smile) idk where the colon is...so...ya

Mi comppenera es Hermana Young cute thing from Salt lake city north going to ecuador quito north

and i had/have two other roommates. hermana cambell and hermana alvarado (sp?) no se...and i cant figure out the accent marks!!!!!! i had it before!!! i promise but now it isnt working.....ugh oh well...im just stressed for time...anyway.. its past and present tense because they are moving out bc h. cambell is going to the native spanish speakers class (lived in spain for a time) and alvarado is going to a different district and casa (house)...oh I live in a casa with 5ish rooms and 4 girls per room...no se (I don't know) any of the girls outside my room.

plane ride tender mercy:

while waiting to board my flight, i started talking to this lady who ended up going to texas for her sisters funeral ): sad right?  (i found the colon mark!!!!!!)but we talked about the hope for the future my mission hoow happy the church makes me...my mission and just looking for the good in others when the world looks for the bad ...she likes to travel so taking the awesome advice from mis padres, i asked if she had ever seen the SLC (salt lake City) temple...(it was the pic on my journal) and she said no...so i  gave her the pass along card with the SLC temple on it and the "what is the meaning of life" pregunta (question) on the back... yep it was awesome!! but it gets better right?! on the plane I got there before my seat mates and when this 30ish yr old guy comes for the  seat next to me (im window and 3 seats per row) and his first question " you arent a writer are you?" hahaha way funny bc i had tried to write in my journal before but gave up when I talked to the lady...found out he sat between 2 writers one a lefty and one a righty on his last flight and was way squished...anyway on that 2.5 hour flight we talked all about my mission the beliefs of our church and my faith and relationship with God. and quoted the first vision (he totally wanted to read Joseph Smith History!!!) when I left i gave him the pass along card with Jesus in the Americas and the free book of Mormon ad on the back with our mormon.org website on the back! way fun!! OH! i JUST REALIZED SOME OF THE PEOPLE ABOUT TO READ THIS MESSAGE ARE NOT A MEMBER of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints!! if that is you and you are confused...pretty pretty PRETTY please email kidsroq@cox.net its my moms email...I am BEGGING YOU!!! if you really do like me.... ;) or some other source at least deal?

15 minutes left....

anyway I was so glad to meet leeland and try to inspire him to be the best him he can be...besides that all our church is really trying to do...provide us with a way to be happy forever.

The CCM is AMAZING!!!

Brown & Hunt

Neeley (district leader) & Humphreys

Silva (same last name as our teacher) & Byrd (total ginger ! and going to the same place as me)

Hutchinson (alvarado=roommate=bff) & Cook (chile=parents)

I really want my raincoat its salmon (ok pink) and soo cute and I love it and want it....becauseI also forgot an umbrella...oops! the umbrella is not as important as the raincoat...pretty please send it?

I challenge you to learn the song Called to Serve in Spanish before I get home! I almost have the chorus memorized!

And I and I knew the most spanish starting off in clase (class) and would translate our instructors words...mi companera is close behind me though she knows almost all the words i know! and she had zero spanish experience!!!

We taught an investigator in spanish for the first time on FRIDAY!!!!! it was insane!!! and so fun!! our third lesson was supposed to be yesterday, but the elders took too long and stole our time!! oh well we felt prepared and really like her...tender mercy!! One day when it was raining mucho! (a lot!!) h young and I took off our jflats and socks and ran and laughed to our clase (class)! way fun!! h young loves to sing and sings all the time and I started to sing randomly again too...like actually songs not pointless humming of notes  :) its fun!

Hermano Silva is our teacher and Muy (very) amazing!!! we love him..23 years old from Mexico? and served a mission...somewhere...in mexico? i think..no se... (I don't know)

no tengo mucho tiempo (I don't have much time)

I love you all and love it here It feels like i have been here for 4 weeks already I have learned so much. Keep the faith and D&C 88:67-68 look it up :) in lds,org  http://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/88.67-68?lang=eng

Hermana Ming

ps i respond to HErmana!!