Couldn't be happier :)

Hey Everyone!!

 

Well my oh my! So much to share from this week but also, I don't know when to start. Surprised? I think not! haha Perhaps I'll just go in order of things from when they happened.

 

But let me first and foremost start with how much I simply love life. Really, I am so happy! The song from Wicked just came to mind where it says "..couldn't be happier" Sometimes that's how I feel out here. I couldn't be happier. Sure its humid and my hair is a mess, but remember #BIGhairdontcare. That motto is back by the way. :) But life is just so good! I get to wake up and do something I love everyday. I get to smile all the time and meet new people who I instantly love and who are immediate friends. I laugh nonstop. I'm getting more and more freckles and the worst farmers tan ever. I go running every morning in a beautiful forest thing. I go to sleep every night with a massive headache because my brain has been translating Spanish all day, yet I love it because just like I love the Southern Accent, I love the Spanish Language. Life is so good.

 

Hermana Garcia Valle and I at Lake Lanier this morning. I almost "accidently" fell in :)

This week I attended my last Zone Conference ever, it also happened to be President and Sister Wolferts last Zone Conference. It was the best zone conference that I have attended in my year and a half here. The Spirit was so strong and we had so much fun! I saw so many friends and learned so much. I am forever thankful to have served under President and Sister Wolfert, I will miss them terribly. When I think about going home with the new mission president (who probably won't have met me) I get so sad.. But then I realized a great positive.. And I invited Sister Wolfert to come to Sacrament meeting when I speak and she said if they didn't have to speak themselves that week they would love to. :) Boom! Problem solved!

 

At Zone Conference President and Sister Wolfert invited us to make June another "month of Consecration" where we more fully consecrate ourselves to the work and to the Lord. I'm super excited because we are going to see so many miracles! Hermana Garcia and I made some good goals. We were already trying to speak Spanish most of the time, but we decided for the month of Consecration we'd give up English so that I can be more immersed and learn more quickly.. Its super hard! Not only because my language skills as far as speaking are not much better than Benjamin or Logan's (who I'm pretty sure aren't speaking yet.. haha) but because we have so much fun together and we laugh all the time but now its hard to share jokes or stories haha. And of course I'm exaggerating, I can speak better than that.. but you get the picture. But it'll be good!

 

On Wednesday I was able to receive a blessing from our Branch President, President Ramirez,  to help me learn the language. I am so thankful for men who can use the priesthood to help us receive extra guidance and comfort from our loving Father in Heaven. Interestingly I wasn't blessed with different gifts, rather I was blessed with comfort, clarity of mind, that fear would flee, and my companion was blessed with patience (in my blessing, haha). As I've pondered those things and the advice given to remember the scripture in Doctrine & Covenants 11:21 (to first obtain the word before you try to declare it) I've realized it was exactly what I needed. Since then I've known exactly what I should study in my personal study (which I do all in Spanish these days--can you say miracle?) I still have SOOO much to learn, its a bit overwhelming but when I really think about the fact that its only been 2.5 weeks and I can already participate in lessons.. My jaw drops to the floor. The Spirit of the Lord is the best teacher.. that's all I'm sayin'!

 

So on Thursday we took Hermana Ramirez to teach Cristal the Plan of Salvation. It was such a good lesson! Cristal has soo much faith and she reads and does every little "assignment" we leave with her, except.. come to church. We're working on it though. :) So I taught the first part then Hermana Garcia just started teaching and a little while later to both her surprise and mine I just jumped right in and taught a whole other section of the lesson, completely not planned. That my friends, is the Spirit and the Lord qualifying who He calls. I'm telling you, there is no way that was me. You don't understand, it takes me SO long to write out questions to ask and such.. Yet in that moment, my mouth just opened and I just talked and talked.. And even answered questions using the scriptures. What??? A Miracle, hands down! No more mute Hermana for me! :) Slash.. I'm still mute. But not when the Lord wants me to speak :)

 

Sister Beasley, Sister Winegar, and us at Zone Conference :) We have members who live near them so we may or may not be planning a visit.. just saying :)

We had another huge miracle this week. We received a referral from some missionaries who tracted into a family from Mexico. So we went to teach them and Hermana Garcia makes the connection with them that she had taught their family who was baptized recently in Roswell Georgia. Try to tell me tha'ts a coincidence. Oh wait.. its not! :) How cool is that? Maria (the mom) is super spiritual and we were able to teach them how to pray as a family and are going back this week. So cool! :)

 

I memorized the First Vision in Spanish about a week in, so I get to share that a lot lately as we meet people at the door and what not. Its really cool to feel the spirit so strong whenever I say it. Oh and funny story. We were tracting and Hma Garcia gave up and walked away but I waited a second. This woman answered the door so I just smiled and said "Hola!" The woman screamed and shut the door. I laughed SO hard!! She of course reopened the door and we were able to talk with her a bit about the party they were having. But seriously I laughed so hard.

 

I let Hermana Garcia Valle straighten my hair.. it was super long! And so weird.. like Tangled status! It lasted only a couple of hours because of the humidity, so heres the only picture to prove it haha

I love this little Spanish Branch (congregation). These people once again just stole my heart. They are like family, I can't speak to them well yet.. But I love them! We had a Branch dinner last night to break our fasts. It was so fun to be with them. And then do an big FHE as a church family. That's really what the church is about. No.. not about eating, although when we meet, we eat :) The Gospel its about having family everywhere around the world. It doesn't matter what language you speak or where you live, you are a part of a family.

 

Speaking of family.. :) This week we are going on exchange. You know what that means? I get to go back to Coal Mountain for the day! Woot woot!! Sister Kelly called a bunch of people I taught up there who they haven't been able to see and when they heard I was going to be there they all set appointments. The people love me, what can I say? HAHA They love me, because I love them. So I'll let you know how that goes. And we are going to do a FHE with the Anguianos (a family in coal mountain that I love so much!) again when we exchange back so Hma Garcia and I can practice doing it in Spanish seeing as they are from Guatemala. Woot Woot! I'm stoked :)

 

So yup!! Lifes soo good. I'm happy, healthy, getting more freckles, and laughing my way through life. Life is as it should be :)

Oh shoot, one more quick story. So I got my Spanish name tags in the mail this week.. And can I just say.. like I love them of course.. but its so weird!! And it was surprisingly hard to not put on my English tag.. It was like I was leaving behind that mission and starting a new one.. Who knew I would grow so attached to a 2 by 4 inch name badge.. :)

 

Okay thats all!

 

I love you!!!

Love,

Hermana Hamilton