Will You Keep Up?

DIVISIONES

So this was my first week of divisions.  Divisions is when me and my comp split and I go with one of the hermanas of another area and she goes with the other.  And let me tell you, it sure was an adventure!

My first division was with Hermana Garcia.  Hermana Garcia is 27 and a lawyer.  Already graduated from College.  Super, super intellegent and dynamic.  She was MY sister training leader when I first got to the mission.  I must admit, when I arrived I felt rather intimidated.  She whipped out her planner and we went to work. 

We ran from appointment to appointment and she whacked her way through 6 pretty much perfectly taught Preach My Gospel lessons.  She did it all.  I sat there feeling very inadequete.  And because of my nervousness, I stumbled my way through simple Spanish sentences and felt self-conscious.  It was a humbling experience for sure.

 Because of all the appointments we had scheduled, we never stopped for lunch and didn't end up eating until about 7 at night.  Have you ever tried to teach the law of chastity in Spanish while being stared at by a really smart lawyer, with no food in your stomach, and a small cat crawling up your leg?  I have.  And let me tell you this, it was no walk in the park. 

Then when we finally got to the food, the Hermana that was feeding us informed us that the food was really spicy.  I said a prayer in my heart and went for it.  OH MY GOODNESS.  The spiciest food I have ever eaten in my whole entire existence.  Even my Mexican companion was struggling.  We were sweating, and crying, and I couldnt feel my tongue or my lips, or my FACE for that matter. 

We got home that night tired.  My comp-for-the-day was satisfied.  I on the other hand felt very, very inadequate.  I prayed, "God, are you sure about this?  Why on earth am I a sister training leader? What on earth do I have to show and teach this sister?  She's got it ALL  and then some."

Then the answer came. 

" YOU need to learn from HER."

Oh. Duh.

Maybe I'm not a leader because I speak the most perfect Spanish and maybe I'm not a leader because I teach the most perfect lessons.  Maybe I'm a leader because I need to learn from these sisters and let them learn from me in return.  A mutual love and growth thing.

The next divisions I had with a Bolivian convert who might be the most darling thing that ever happened.  I got us sufficiently lost, but we ended up contacting up a storm, buying an ice cream, and laughing our heads off.  All in all, a great learning experience for us both.

KEEPING UP

We had a mulitzona this week.  The president talked a lot about what to do if we get kidnapped and yada yada.  Oh Mexico.  But after all the safety talk there was a really powerful message.  There was a really awesome quote that I failed to write down entirely but basically it said this,

"The Lord is speeding up the work, are you keeping up?"

It struck me hard.  Am I keeping up?  This work is going to go on with or without me.  Am I fast-walking when I could be sprinting?  Am I talking to EVERYONE or just the 5 people I have written down as my goal?  Am I using every minute?  Am I giving it 100 percent or 85?  Am I being good or great? It inspired me to pick it up and go hard. 

In the words of the Madsen Family suburban, 

GO BIG.

TORTILLAS

 So my new found love of tortillas and frijoles is growing bigger and bigger everyday because my comp taught me how to make tortillas from scratch and they were DELISH.

Pretty sure Im opening up a taco stand when I get back. Prepare yourselves.