Ha nacido un Salvador

CHRISTMAS IS THIS WEEK!! Can you believe it? I know I sure cant. It's so crazy I dont feel the holidays haha! Just doing the Lord's work and staying focused :) 

There are a few things that happened this week that really stuck out to me.  First of all, Wednesday was the best day. We had our Christmas devo with 4 zones. The other zones on other days because they are a little far. Anyway, it was wonderful. President and Hermana Egbert talked. Christmas time is fun with all of the lights, trees, snow, presents, and music. This moment only lasts so long. We can keep the Christmas spirit all year round in every moment of every day. We can remember our savior by our actions, such as reading the scriptures, praying, going to church, serving and loving one another. After the talks and the songs by each zone, we ate food of course! Actual Christmas food! Ham,  turkey,  mashed potatoes, salad, and of course, pumpkin pie!! It was a great day. That night, we had our ward Xmas dinner. Hna Ojeda and I sang Feliz Navidad and helped in the kitchen with food and stuff. Man it was fun! 

Thursday I had splits again. This time no nerves and I really saw an improvement in my Spanish and

knowledge of the area. Splits are super great for learning! Sunday a new investigator came to church with us! WOOOO! The work is progressing and I see a baptism in the future :) 

Yesterday was a zone activity. Love them because you are with a bunch of missionaries just having

fun! Eating, playing sports, hitting a piñata and exchanging gifts. The mission is hard work but definitely is fun! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!! I LOVE YOU!! Remember the true meaning of Christmas is our savior. I love him and am happy to be a representative of him!

love,

Hermana Cross

Building the Kingdom of God

Wow this week was so great everyone. I don't know why because we did the norm like everyday BUT I think the little spiritual experiences just made the week fantastic! I know it may seem a little boring if I go day by day but that is honestly the easiest way for me to think of what happened ha ha. 

Okay so Tuesday nothing was crazy exciting. We helped one of our recent converts with putting up Christmas stuff in her house. She is just the sweetest old lady ever. She is like another grandma here and seriously like family. Man I just love old people. Wednesday...oh we had a lesson with another recent convert and her Christian friend was over so it was teaching a new investigator. Anyway, this friend of hers starts talking about how the book of Mormon has incorrect stuff and just was bashing a bit. Nothing that hasn't happened before but I was really worried that our recent convert would believe all the stuff. Then she said the closing prayer and in her prayer she said "I know the book of Mormon is true with all of my heart." TALK ABOUT A TRUE CONVERT. That moment was just like WOOOO.  

We have new progressing investigators and that just feels great. The members are a tremendous help. Always. So for all of you members out there, we really enjoy your help so thank you :) We just had lessons on Thursday but after our nightly companion prayer, A SPIDER FELL FROM THE CEILING ONTO MY PILLOW. That was absolutely terrifying.  Friday we only had 2 lessons. That was rough. But the sky was super cool so that's a bonus. Literally the sunset every night here is incredible and beautiful. Saturday...ha ha the funny experience of this day was we had a member with us but we had to get from one edge of our area to another super fast, so the member used my bike and I stood on the pegs of my companions bike. I wish I had a picture but unfortunately no. It was a childhood memory come true! 

And as for Sunday, the dedication of the Tijuana, Mexico temple. this is why my title is Building the kingdom of God. Wow the dedication was WONDERFUL. Temples are the best thing on the planet. The talks and everything were just wow. I miss the temple for sure. They are truly the house of the Lord. President Uchtdorf said the dedicatory prayer. It was nice to hear it in English and then the translator well translated hahaha. Man yeah it was just a great spiritual experience :) 

And lastly, today Hna Ojeda and I went to a mall because she wanted to buy a new skirt. It was so weird ha ha I heard a lot of Christmas music so that was fun! Also it feels really awkward to walk around in church clothes in a mall where everyone looks normal. Anyway, that was my week!! Love you all and have a great one!

Hermana Cross

A look-in to the apartment

A look-in to the apartment - the study area!

A day at the mall!

Christians, Catholics, and Mormons OH MY!

[Posted a week late - letter is from Monday, Dec 7, 2015]

Okay everyone I apologize in advance that my emails are getting shorter and less exciting ha-ha Really the work is the same everyday. We wake up and do the usual studying and training until noon. 

Today is the start of a new cycle. Each cycle is 6 weeks. Since I'm in training I don't have cambios (transfers). I'm really glad about that but it blows my mind that I'm starting my second half of training! It's December so that's absolutely wonderful! I love December! Christmas is just around the corner! Speaking of which, there is a new Christmas video out on www.mormon.org/christmas you all should take the 2 minutes and watch! Know why we celebrate Christmas :) All of the streets are starting to have Christmas lights. Oh how I LOVE IT! The Christmas trees too :) 

Right now with the work we don't have really any progressing investigators. We have one who was supposed to be baptized and confirmed this week but she's just having troubles with some of the commandments. It breaks your heart a little when you see them so close and then just fall a little. She still wants to get baptized and it totally awesome so we are just working towards that goal so she can work towards the ultimate goal: eternal life! 

Instead of our regular district meeting we had zone training. That was so fun! It's really great to be with a ton of missionaries and learn what we need to do better. I really learned about being consecrated to the work. Sometimes it's easy to think all about ourselves, but when we think about others and serve, we can find true happiness! A lot of people we meet are either catholic or christian and they aren't always the biggest fan of us ha-ha It's all good though! It is what is is :) 

The members are still awesome. We eat with them everyday and always have someone to accompany us. Fast Sunday was just grand! And with the Christmas devo it was better! I mean it was all in Spanish but the songs weren't so that was great! Oh man I can't wait for Christmas!! Any way, I hope your December has started off wonderful!! I love you all and thanks so much for your love and support!!!

Hermana Cross

ps sorry no pics this week. Literally took zero...oops!

Goodbye thanksgiving, hello Christmas!

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!! I heard that it snowed! Wow that's so crazy to think about because I swear it just keeps getting hotter here! Thanksgiving was like any other Thursday here. I didn't even feel like it was thanksgiving. Anyway, I hope the turkey was great :)

I've been trying to think about what happened this week for the past few days. It went by slower than the past weeks. This is the start of week 6 in the field. My first cycle in the mission is almost over...which means I'm almost half way done with training...that is absolutely scary! I really don't feel ready to go out on my own (figuratively because I'm always with a companion of course haha). This week we taught many lessons to people who seemed interested. But always they turn us down. It's okay though because we planted the seed and that's all that matters!

I taught English on Wednesday. Okay totally thought it would be easy but nope! We taught her how to pray in English because you know, we are missionaries. I haven't prayed aloud in English in a very very VERY long time. It sounded so foreign. I was shocked that my own language could sound weird. I'm really enjoying learning and speaking Spanish. I'm not pro that's for sure but I can see a difference. We knocked on a house that was decked out for Christmas and when I introduced us and shared a little, she said that my Spanish was good!!! BEST FEELING EVER. Honestly made my day. Everyday has a small spiritual experience, even if it's as simple as noticing the blue sky or talking to a  simple contact.

We contacted a bus on Sunday. First time doing that! We just stood in the front and talked to everyone in general. That was really cool. Church is my favorite. It's always great to partake of the sacrament and learn more!

Today we went to Wal-Mart again and ate at a pizza buffet. It was like America! Hna Ojeda started decorating our casa for Christmas because tomorrow is December! WOW! Can't believe that 2015 is almost over! Anyway this week was good because the mission is good :)

Have a great first week of December everyone! Oh and fun fact, I saw a horse on someone's patio. that's absolutely out of the ordinary here :) 

LOVE YOU ALL

Hermana Cross

María de la Luz encontró la luz de Cristo

Wow! Another week? Time doesn't slow down for anyone, does it? This week was great. Sometimes it's hard to remember what happened because what I would do in 3 days at home happens in one day here! I love it! It keeps me going and I love the feeling of being tired, because I know I worked hard that day. The best part about this week was when we had a baptism. My first one! Oh wow it was great. Maria de la Luz is an absolutely outstanding lady. She said after the baptism "I feel clean!" It's moments like that that makes me feel like I have made a difference. I know I didn't find her, but I actually ate at her house my first night in the field. I can use her as a progress scale. I didn't have a clue what she was saying when I first met her, but now, I understand so much more! The Gift of Tongues is  amazing. Hermana Maria de la Luz also wanted to pay her tithing that next Sunday too! WOW! Talk about a dedicated member! I feel very blessed to be in this area. The members are just outstanding. We have a ton of support from them, and they are always willing to accompany us on appointments. 

Like I said, Spanish is coming along. If I don't understand why they are laughing, I just laugh with them. Happiness is easy to understand. Finding new investigators has been a tad rough. We thought we found some great people, but when we returned there wasn't anyone there. That can be frustrating sometimes. Hermana Ojeda had the idea to have a companionship fast on Sunday. After we started our fast, I saw a HUGE difference. I felt the spirit more strongly. Fasting has always had a special place in my heart and testimony. 

A highlight of my week was that I had my first bike crash. I didn't get hurt, so no worries there. I just laughed because of how funny it probably looked to everyone else. You always have to find the funny things in every situation! I also ate helado frito...fried icecream. Talk about DELICIOUS!!!! 

My comp and I decided to start running in the mornings. It feels painful but very great after haha. Thanks for everything and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!! I am grateful for all of you! I would say to eat a lot of food for me but everyday is like thanksgiving with the amount of food mexicans give you! 

LOVE YOU GUYS!

Hermana Cross

Book of Mormon stories come to life!

Wow another week come and gone?! I can't believe it. I probably say that every week, but it's true! Time is something different. Today is month 2! Tell me that's not crazy. This past week felt great. Honestly just awesome. 

Last P-day we went to the Teotihuacan temples. Coolest thing ever. There is gret signficance to everything there. We hiked up one of the temples...in SKIRTS! and it was really hot haha. There are so mnay people from all over the world so when I heard a language that wasn't spanish I said, "that is definitely not the language I learned in the MTC!" Stories from the Book of Mormon just kept popping into my head. It absolutely amazes me.

Tuesday was my first time doing splits. I was scared out of my mind. It's a scary experience to do the work with another companion only at the beginning of your 3rd week. Hermana Hoopes (another american) was my companion for the day, and I learned so much. It was a great experience to work with an almost done missionary, like she finishes in the beginning of December. I really saw things in her that I want to develop, such as asking inspired questions and really listening. She let's her personality shine! Had zone conference on Thursday.It was awesome! I didn't understand every word but what I did understand was exactly what I needed. It's fun to see so many missionaries at the same time. 

We are just working hard everyday and I'm learning day by day how to forget myself and focus on the work 100%. Saturday night was a youth activity. Let me tell you, the youth here are AWESOME. They did like a theatre type thing. Each ward did a different Disney movie and acted and danced. So fun! They went all out with costumes and makeup and lights and wow. Just reminded me how fun YW's was and theatre in high school. All of it was in Spanish and that was fun to hear Disney songs in another language! They also played some "worldly" music in English. Who knew I would hear so much of it here! do have a funny experience to share with you. Dogs are a tad crazy here, running

around thinking they own the streets, right? Well, Hna Ojeda and I were leaving an appointment and a little black dog started to chase her and barking and right at her heel. Next thing I know, she jumped off her bike and was swinging her bike at the dog and stomping at it to back off. I couldn't stop laughing! No words were said but sometimes actions speak louder than words. Needless to say, the dog gave up and we went on our way. 

I'm loving it here!  Hermana Ojeda says that I sound the most American when I speak English out of her companions that were American.....I don't know what that means but as long as I don't sound too American speaking Spanish then I'm good! Oh yeah Spanish is still hard but it's coming! That was my week in a nutshell! LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Hermana Cross

Hermana Guzman and I with some hippies

Carvings on steps at the temple 

Hermana Guzman, Hoopes, and Ojeda and DOMINOS PIZZA

I think I'm turning Japanese....rice, rice, baby

Okay this will be a shorter letter this week, we are going to the Teotihucan ruins today!!! Wow I can't believe it's Monday. Where does the time go?! Days are sooooo long and feel like they will never end then next thing you know I'm in this little internet place writing to you all!! You may be wondering about my title this week. I'll explain now so I don't leave you wondering! If I could describe my mission in one word it would be rice. RICE RICE RICE. I have never eaten this much rice in my entire life.I love rice but holy smokes. It's like a plateful and then the main meal which has even MORE food. They really like to feed you here. Like one time I thought the soup was the main meal and ate all of it....then the sister came out with a huge plate of food. My heart stopped a little in that moment haha. Honestly eveyday is the same. It's one of the hard parts of the mission. Routine. I never knew doing the same thing daily would be hard hahaha.

We are having a hard time getting new investigators. That's just how it is sometimes. People are very nice though. I have been doing more of the contacting. (talking to people about the gospel...stopping them on the street and knocking on doors...etc).. It's fun haha Every time is probably the same but I've got to start somewhere! When we knock on doors we pretty much knock on gates becasue everyone has a gate guarding their housesWe have a couple of progressing investigators and just teaching as many people that want to hear! I feel like I'm understanding more spanish everyday so that's a bonus.

Ummm my companion got sick this week. Just a cold but I know that's it's hard to do stuff when you want to sleep. We walked a little more this week because when we have members join us we walked. and guess what?!?! I GOT SUNBURNED. Only a bit but STILL. It was actually really hot this week. The weather needs to make up it's mind haha. But I still sang christmas songs all week!

Hna Ojeda and I assisted a baptism of another ward. I was called on the spot to talk about faith and repentance. I also sang a musical number - in Spanish!  It was scary! Definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone which helped me learn a lot.

Let's see....coke in mexico is really good and had my first dr pepper after almost 2 months! wooooo! Yeah that was my week in a nutshell!! I love you all!!

 

Love,

Hna Cross

Ahhhh...a Dr Pepper - how I missed you!

It's raining, it's pouring, and I'm on a BIKE!

HOLA!

Holy smokes this week was crazy. It was really long also but what's new?! I'll start with tuesday this week. Tuesday is when I got my new companion. It's actually funny because she was the hermana I walked around with on monday and stayed the night with. So I just brought all of my stuff back to where I was haha My companions name is Hermana Ojeda. She is from D.F. (Mexico City). She speaks english so that is a blessing...and kind of a curse because it can be hard to talk in spanish. I need to do it more though. My spanish is coming along I think. I understand probably like 35% of what's being said haha I can tell people where I'm from and how long I've been here because thats the #1 question I get asked. Slowly but surely I will get there! 

I'm on a bike. I AM RIDING A BIKE IN MY AREA. I never thought that would happen. I guess

On a bike - maybe a boat would be better?

there are quite a few areas here that have bikes. Its not that hard in a skirt as I thought. But roads are really bad. Like pot holes everywhere. It feels like I'm mountain biking all the time haha. It rains a lot here. And when I say rain I mean dumps rain. The streets get flooded and mud splashes everywhere. Oh man it's a hoot haha I usually am wet for the whole day pretty much but that's okay! One day this week (thursday maybe?) it rained so hard. It felt like a hurricane was a brewin but we are completely land locked so that's not even possible. But anyway, water was up to my calves. I was wearing rainboots but water somehow managed to get in. The streets looked like a river. I swear if I connected a tube to a car , I could just go tubing haha. My companion said it felt like we were kayaking  (spelling idk) on bikes. We needed to get out of the rain so we went to a recent converts home. We were soaking wet but she was such a saint for letting us in.  Rain or shine we are serving the Lord! 

It's raining, it's pouring....

I'm in an area called Los Pinos. The members here are great. They feed us everyday! I love some of the food and some is really really gross. The food is kind of taking my stomach for a whirl. There are people who sell really good bread on the street. That's a dream. Hmmm that's all I got on that.

I had training stuff on friday. My mission president is really big about being exactly obedient. It's understandable though. I saw Hna Haddock (my ccm comp) and it was great. I miss her!! I bore my testimony in church on sunday! People thought it was my 2nd area but let's be honest, my testimony is like the only thing I can for sure say with confidence lol. We watched a relief society activity. A lot of them sang and bless their hearts because they do not have an ear for pitch hahaha! Halloween doesn't matter here and also Dia de los muertos isn't that big in this area. many people leave town. 

Today I went to walmart! It was crazy busy. Like more than a saturday at walmart in america. Oh how I love walmart.

That's pretty much my week! It's moving kind of slow but it's chill. I just smile and laugh when the mexicans do haha! Have a great week! Love you all!!!!

P.S. - oh also  dogs run wild here. I have never been more scared of dogs in my life haha

Hna Cross

Bus Station!

Her First Companion - Hermana Ojeda

Look..a Walmart!

Handwashing...new experience

PACHUCA!

I'm here! I am actually in my mission now!!! Man today (Monday) has been very very long and it's not even over yet. I woke up at 4:15 this morning and then we drove to the airport, switched buses and then drove to Pachuca! The bus we were on was absolutely the best bus I've been on. It was super luxurious. When we arrived, the mission president and his wife talked to us about mission expectations. I am SOOOO excited to start this work! Tonight  I will actually go talk to people. AHHHH. It's so scary but I'll be okay :) 

I didnt bring my camera cord which is my bad. I had a lot more pictures to send but yeah.  Hmm I'm sitting in a kinda really random hole in the wall with computers. kinda like a super downgraded internet cafe minus the cafe and bring on the ghetto hehehe nah it's way less ghetto than mexico city. 

This is just a small email until next week! I will have A LOT more to say next monday (my new pday). I've been waiting for this moment for a while and I'm so so SOOO happy right now to be here, and I know this is where I am supposed to be!!!

I love you all!!!

Hermana Cross

Goodbye CCM!

I can't believe this is the final week in the CCM. It seriously blows my mind! It has gone by so dang fast! I was kinda hoping it would be slow becasue I don't feel 100% ready to leave this place. I have made so many great friends and I just love my teachers so much...it's like leaving all over again haha. Everyone's motivation is at an all time low. probably because it's the last week and after 6 weeks it's really really easy to lose focus. We have been trying to be better as a district with focusing buuuuuut when you are really good friends it's hard to haha.  Unfortunately I left my journal back at my casa so this letter will be short because it will by my memory only.  Alright sooooo sunday we had movie night and this time it was an actual movie! Not that the other ones arent but this one was Meet The Mormons. I never had to the chance to see it and wow I LOVED it. It's so cool to see other members of the church all around the world share what the church has done for them. I highly recommend it to ALL of you. At the end it touched my heart a bit (like there was some tears) because it was a missionary leaving to his mission and it is so crazy that I did that a little over a month ago and now I'm getting ready to leave the CCM!!! holy smokes.

Let's see....pizza night was on tuesday but by this time it's really not that exciting.  Our classes are the same and nothing too crazy there. I got a cute little package form my wonderful parents again! thanks for the halloween trick or treat stuff!!!! Day of the Dead is the 1st and 2nd of November so I'll be in pachuca for that! I don't know much about their festivities but Mexican really REALLY like to party. the fireworks haven't stopped but my this point in time, no one acknowledges it. We are becoming like the mexicans.  My travel plans are very simple. I leave monday at 5:30 AM. We drive because pachuca is only 2 hours away from here. the Elders in my district leave at like 2;30 AM and 3:00 AM on monday because they have to fly to northern mexico. really glad I don't have to do that!  Let's see....life is good! sometimes if I hear my name it's really weird. I sometimes forget that my name is Katrina haha also song lyrics are disappearing from my brain. Musicals are one of the type of songs that stick. I sing Wicked and Hairspray almost everyday. it's a new thing for our lovely roomates to sing before we go to bed. They are a HOOT. sorry guys that's all I can think of! unfortunately I dont have a lot pictures either. Kinda slacking on this letter haha. 

thanks for everything and I pray for you all! I can't wait to go to pachuca and understand little to nothing haha jk I'm so stoked! Love you all!!!!

Hermana Cross

My other CCM Roommates

The "Lego Hands"that let out the stink

CCM Meal - pork and rice....interesting

Remnants of a yummy treat sent by the parentals!

1 month,2 temple trips, 3 sick missionaries

The blue skies really bring out the beauty!

GUESS WHAT?! I went to the temple AGAIN. Wow it was so awesome going for a second time while in the CCM. Who would have thought I would get such an awesome blessing! This time the skies were blue so my pictures of the temple look way better. Oh man I can't explain how much I love the temple. such a great feeling of peace and happiness. This time there were about 54 missionaries. so since the majority were americans and spoke english, the session was in english! it was really nice having that :)

Tomorrow is my one month in Mexico! I have been here 4 weeks but 30 days is tomorrow. I seriously can't believe it. It feels like the longest month of my life but at the same time really really really slow. I leave here a week from monday. Hermana Shumway left this past monday and it's so weird not seeing her all the time haha BUT a friend from high school just arrived last night and so that's fun! alright guys sorry this letter will most likely be super short because nothing out of the ordinary happened.

 Friday and Saturday were the usual. Except since Sunday was fast sunday, we started our fast right after lunch on saturday. usually I would think about how hungry I am and how I just want water, but we are constantly doing something that preoccupies my mind so it wasn't a problem at all! Fast sunday was so good! I gave my testimony in spanish, and a little english because I'm not a spanish expert YET. key word yet haha. Spanish is not easy, that is a fact. As a district we have been trying to go solo español but it is so hard. Our teachers keep telling us that we aren't reaching out full potential and that we have hit a plateau in our learning and are getting too comfortable. i can see where they are coming from....it's just so hard! BUT the language is not the most important in the work. this work is all about the Savior and love.  

Everyday here is a gorgeous day! It seriously is my ideal temperature. Heavenly Father knows me well :) A district from my zone left this week as well. they were all going stateside, which is totally awesome. That being said, My companion and I have been called as Sister Training Leaders....that means we help the sisters in our zone with whatever they need and be that example for them! Pretty cool! not a huge responsibility in the CCM but I'm still grateful for the opportunity. 

I may have mentioned before that we teach fake investigators (all in spanish every time...they are around 20 minutes each). that is still going really well and I learn something during every lesson what I can improve and how I can fix it. On wednesday nights though, we do this activity called TRC,. What we do is talk with REAL PEOPLE. like people from outside of these walls. they speak really fast but it's so awesome to get a taste of people who aren't creating a background story. they are telling their true experiences. They can either be investigators, less active members, or members. all volunteers. it's my absolute favorite part here.  

The ccm is great but when one person gets sick, every one gets sick. thankfully my companion and I didn't get the stomach bug that was floating around, but 3 of the Elders in our district got it. And then also the 2 sisters that share the room with us. a true miracle that I didn't get it! now everyone is better and back to the norm. 

I can't believe this upcoming week is my last week in the CCM. Time is just flying by! I couldn't be happier :)

I love you all so much and thanks for your thoughts and prayers!!!

Hermana Cross

Temple Round 2

Love Hermana Diaz! (Center- CCM Night Teacher)

District 11A with our night teacher Hermana Diaz

This is when we were all at the airport flying to mexico

#ldsconf

It feels like forever since I emailed but in reality it has only been a day longer. My Pday has been moved to Thursday which is okay....I really liked Wednesday but it is what it is! General Conference was over the weekend and it was absolutely AMAZINGGGGGG!!!!!! I hope you all enjoyed it! I will give you my highlights of what really stuck out to me and also just random facts of my week! And just to start, all of the sessions were in English :)

Today we left the CCM AGAIN! this time for immigration. We need to renew out visas because the

ones we got were only temporary. they just took our fingerprints and they just had to point and use gestures so that we knew what to do haha We actually saw the nice part of the city! I guess the CCM

is in the ghetto. Also it really stinks outside right now. There are these things called stink towers that let out the stench of the sewer. Literally smells like poop. very gross hahaha. Hna haddock and I ran outside for gym time. the first time running was TERRIBLE. I didn't think the elevation would make a difference but my lungs were screaming. Then I ran a mile yesterday and felt like I was on top of the world! Hmmm oh I had to get a tetanus booster shot because I guess mine wasn't sufficient? Idk. they made me say the Missionary objective in spanish and English. It was hard for me to know it in English haha I didn't really try to ever memorize it in English...oops! I received a

package from my awesome parents this week. It seriously made my life! I got a little slip and seriously hollered "oh yay my mom loves me and i love her!!!" And in it was oreo everything. yay oreos! I ate a salad this week. If you know me well, you would know I hate salad. I was so proud of myself haha. An elder in a new district is from FOCO! that was super neat to talk to someone from colorado.  Those are pretty much the highlights.

A lot of you have asked about my classes. They are great! I would say it's 80% gospel and 20% language or as Hna haddock says "100% gospel in the spanish language." it can be really hard. We teach fake investigators to help us learn how to teach. Yesterday Hna Haddock and I actually skyped with a real person! He was a member but we got to teach him and share a thought! made me super excited to leave here and go to pachuca!

I have a ton to day about General Conference so here it all is!

Saturday Sessions:

President Uchtdorf's talks are always so great. He is  such a wonderful man. I loved that he said  "Exaltation is our goal. Discipleship is our journey." He reminded us that being disciple doesn't have to be complicated, but to find the simplicity in Christ. I have really seen that in my time here at the CCM. We know a very small amount of spanish, but it can be used to our advantage because we teach the doctrine is the most simple way we can. Simplicity is bliss. Larry R. Lawrence. I definitely think out of all the sessions, his talk is at the top of my list. The main thing that stuck out to me was that the Holy Ghost gives us customized answers. He tells us what we need to hear in the way we understand. And sometimes we need to ask Heavenly Father "what can I improve? what is keeping me from improving?" and every time the Holy Ghost will tell you. We have to be willing to act when we receive the answer though. Jeffery R Holland. I love his talks. He doesn't sugar coat what needs to be said. He compared a mothers love to the Savior's love. boy is he right! Just a HUGE shout out to my awesome loving mom and for being the best example to me :) love you!

General Women's Broadcast

Super awesome but General Conference hit me more so I'm not going to really focus on this part :)

Sunday Session

I LOVE the prophet. you can see as he talks that he is the true prophet of God. it's sad to see that he is getting weaker as he gets older, but his faith is never ending :) Devin C Durrant. I loved that he said to pick a scripture and "ponderize." We are doing that as a district and a companionship. The scripture that I really enjoy and if you would like to "ponderize" on it, it is Alma 32:21 in The Book of Mormon.  Another quote that hit me was from Allen D Haynie when he said "The Savior's atonement leaves no traces or tracks...it just heals." It doesn't matter at what stage in life you are, repentance will always work. it's also a reminder that we need to repent daily, not only when we do something crazy.

General conference was seriously so good. I loved being in the CCM and seeing all of us just receiving the personal revelation we needed. I hope if you had a question, that you received it!!!

Love you all and I pray for you daily!

Hermana Cross

P.S. - we asked Katrina how the language is coming and she wrote the following:

"I guess one night I slept talk spanish haha I try to go over spanish words before bed so they are in my mind :)"

Sharing the Oreo Love with her district!

Beyond the Compound

Holy cow has it really been 2 weeks?!?! Time is soooo fast no joke! Life here is.....well it's the same thing everyday. Not even kidding you. We have a schedule so that we can make sure to use time wisely because they have said all this week that "this isn't your time, it's the Lord's time." And they are right! I have learned so much more this week about my calling to be a missionary and it has really opened up my eyes. Being a missionary is AWESOME but it's hard no doubt. 

Highlights of my week:

Sunday of course was the best. I gave the prayer (in spanish) for the second week in a row! I think I'm getting pretty pro at praying in spanish....but that's about it haha That night we had our little movie time and we wathced The Testaments. WOW SO GOOD. I encourage you all to watch it.  It really hit me hard when Christ visited the Americas and seriously it was just wonderful. 

Monday was relaxed because we watched elder Richard G Scott's funeral service. It was nice to see a taste of the states live. The service was beautiful. It was really nice just to listen to the stories of him and how great his life was. When they brought in the casket, I loved seeing all of us missionaries stand up in the CCM. truly powerful.

Tuesday was pizza night so that's note worthy haha :) oh and I sang in the ccm choir with Hma haddock. oh how I miss choir!

TODAYYYYY WAS AWESOMMMEEE!!!!! WE WENT TO THE TEMPLE!!!!! I REPEAT WE LEFT THE COMPOUND AND WENT TO THE TEMPLE!!! :) :) :)

Oh my it was so awesome to get a taste of the outside world. Mexico is just wow. It is so hard to explain in words. there are like 12 million people in Mexico city and you can sure tell. There are gates or walls around almost everything. Driving is chaos. there are people walking between cars, motorcycles with 5 people on them zig zaggin between cars. I'm really grateful for america that's for sure! The temple. man I have never been more excited in my life. It was awesome. The city is crazy and then the moment I walked into the temple there was just peace. I saw my favorite painting right when I walked in too. I'll try to find a picture and attach it :) If I can't find one, it's of Christ and 2 lamanite little girls. its gorgeous. We listened with translator headphones. I really do love to see the temple <3

OH to answer some questions you might have had about the guns or firework debate, we asked our teachers and this is what they told us. 99% of the time they are fireworks. Idk why Mexicans like to shoot them off at every hour of the day but they do. If it is a gun shot, it is because it symbolizes someones death, not someone actually being shot. I mean that could happen but most likely not haha 

I have taken up mentos because I miss gum like crazy.  and I think that's about it! I am so excited to see General conference this weekend! make sure you all tune in! We also are watching the recorded General Womens Broadcast so I have no idea what was said last week. all of it will be in english thank goodness!!

Love you all!

Hermana Cross

P.S, Katrina sent another email; we rode in a CCM bus :) roads are bumpy and just crazy! Also fun fact: the mexico city temple is one of 5 temples that the angel moroni is holding the golden plates!

Scary,crazy traffic!

Oh I love to see the Temple!

One of Five holding the Golden Plates

With her companion and sisters in another district

Katrina and her companaion