Lighten UP!

Monday, February 17th, 2014

Helllllllo family..

This week has been a good one! Well all weeks are good if you make them right? Something that I am learning 100 times is how life is really what you make it! Whether you have 10 successful appointments or a day where evvvverything falls through, you can still have fun and feel GOOD. I feel like my emotions have been triggered weirdly lately! Don´t know if that makes sense, but I have been so stressed sometimes with trying to train a new girl and help her become her own missionary on top of opening an area... it has been made known to me that I need to LIGHTEN up a little! Find the joy in things while youve got them. Work on those  Christlike attributes. The mission is probably the greatest thing in the world. It's something that everyone says, but at least for me it took a little while trying to understand that and apply it. It really is the greatest thing in the world! BUT what makes it great is what YOU make it be and how much you give. This past transfer has been a breeze! Time is flying. I hit my 8th month mark on Wednesday and that was weird. I said 'bye' to Hermana Phillips and that was even weirder. I feel like I have all these things coming at me right now and just like SHOUTING into my ear how limited the time is on a mission! That I need to LIGHTEN up! Have even more fun and be even more happy because in 10 short months time is up!

It was interesting this week at a members home for an eating appointment. There names are G. and S. (the cutest parents with devil little boys who are loco).  We were sharing a spiritual thought about LOVE within families. As we sat that and talked, S., the dad began to give us what started out as advice and ended up a speech. It was awesome, I loved it. This guy has talent and should definitely go into public speaking. Anyways something that he shared was how one of the biggest things that he has learned in his life is not to let himself get mad for more than ONE MINUTE. Don´t let yourself get mad for 60 seconds! That hit me HARD. The mission and LIFE is full of its ups and downs. There are plenty of downs, that's for sure. But should that give us an excuse to feel down? no. As S. was saying this, I just had the STRONGEST feeling that what I am doing right now is preparing me sooo much for the future. Obviously that comes across oour minds a lot as missionaries.. but for some reason on Saturday it hit me hard. I just KNOW that the mission is preparing me for so much. I am being prepared right now! actually EVERYTHING that we have ever experienced in our life whether it be good or bad is preparing us for the future. I felt like he was talking directly to me. And it has become my goal.. to not let myself feel down or mad for more than one minute. To develop patience and charity on an even higher level. Cool thing is that when we do this.. we are promised that his spirit will be with us. 

Valentines day was greeeeeaat! acutally probably one of my favorites that i have ever had!

Here is how the day went:

1. making a bajillion rice cripies (people LOVE them here. Who knew.. ha something so simple in America turns into a huge hit in spain!) 

2. cutting out hearts

3. taking them to everyone

4. meeting with CONSUELO

5. seeing the familia Silva right after their sealing

It was so fun! and so great and rewarding. Holidays can be tough on the mission.. but they can also be the GREATEST. Again.. it's what you make it! I have learned that when I lose myself you can truly not be happier! Sister Carroll and I felt great after and were in shock as we realized how simple it really is! LOVE others and serve others! Forget about yourself and enjoy where you are in life!

I don´t know if I ever told you about one of our investigators - C.? She is a CRAZY. Ah I don´t even know how to explain her. She has given us 3 different phones numbers everytime we see her.. AND her phone is always off. We see her on the streets all of the time, but guess what? We finally met with her officially this week. 3 times! We got her to come to the church and we gave her a tour and then had a little lesson with her and taught her right there the restoration. She is really catholic but she loved it. I felt the spirit so strong with her there! She has had a really trying life and I couldn´t help but feel of the love that Heavenly Father has for her. I couldn´t stop talking about how much I loved her for the rest of the night haha, ask my companion! But I really do love her! she is catholic and I don´t know why, but I have the slightest feeling that she may not be quite there seeing that she has had one crazy life.. But I love her and have high hopes for her. We met with her again and showed her the Joseph Smith movie and I felt the spirit even stronger. I know she feels it too because she just gets this cute twinkle in her eyes and you can tell how hard she is listening. I don´t know why but I just feel this STRONG connection to this lost lady! She is one of the people that I would just bend over backwards to help... and lose so much hair along the way. That even includes waking up early to go with her to a catholic mass...yeah. By the way which was the creepies thing ever and I just felt like crying throughout the whole thing. Thank goodness for the restored truth we´ve got. She came to church on sunday and was pretty awkward to say the least haha.. but little by little she´ll understand.

This DARLING menos activo family got sealed on valentines day! talk about CUTE haha. It really is just the happiest thing seeing families get sealed together. Just an awesome reminder that it doesn´t stop at baptism.. We gotta take em to the temple! Sadly we were not given permission to go.. but we were allowed to go to their little reception party after. And let me just tell you.. these people know how to have FUN. And not only that but how to DANCE. People here have no shame.. they are party animals. I love it. It was so fun and so cute watching this cute family and the whole ward dancing. The culture here is just so different. Sister Carroll and I loved it! We couln´t stop talking about how things like this would never EVER happen at a church activity in America. These people have PRIDE and they love their country and the music and dancing that comes from it. And their food. Also I came to another realization that I am an awkward sister missionary as we just had to stand there and awkwardly watch. ahaha all we could do was eat their food and smile encouragingly as they danced there little hearts out. Love this life. 

The first transfer of opening an area is always the toughest as you just find and find and find in hopes to get a teaching pool! I am so excited for a new transfer and a new fresh start! My baby and I are staying which was predicted and Hermana King is going to Tenerife to open the northern part la laguna to sisters! By the way I amost cried of happiness for her when I found out! I would do ANYTHING to go back there and la laguna is gorgeous. It was weird getting transfer calls and just thinking back to how things were 6 weeks ago when I felt like I got hit by a train... and how much things have changed now! weird! Come what may and love it! I remember being so scared coming back to Madrid..but now that I am here I learned that there isn´t really anything to be scary about. other than things are pretty much staying the same which I am grateful for. I love Torrejon! The ward is so great.

Training is still a wild and crazy adventure every day and I am being pushed every day even more out of my comforts. But I feel like I have grown a ton within the last 6 weeks. Just a testimony to me that Heavenly Father doesn´t set us up to fail. I feel like the Lord really blesses trainees and trainers... perhaps more than normal missionaries haha because let me tell you.. we NEED all the blessings we can get. 

I wish I could remember every detail of the week because some wild things go down every week without fail. Wild and funny things. Oh well! maybe it will come to me. The work is going great. The language too! Thank goodness for the gift of tongues. Sister Carroll and I pray for the gift of tongues in every prayer and its is a powerful thing let me tell you.

I love you all. have a great week.. don´t let yourself feel down for more than 60 seconds! find the happiness because IT IS THERE. I love ya'll

Hermana Nydegger