Segunda semana in the MTC

Buenos Dias everyone!

It's been such a long week here at the MTC. Feels like it's been forever since I last emailed. Pero, I've gained some great experiences. 

So first topic, I mentioned, we were teaching a guy named Erik, and we had no idea if he was a member or not. Well come Thursday morning we walk in to class and guess who our new teacher was? Erik, or by his real name Hermano Gilman. He is actually a really good teacher, and he's really funny. He had us do wall sits the other day since we all said we were tired. But really he's a good teacher, we just don't like teaching him, hahaha. What's also funny is starting tonight we're going to start teaching Norma, our other teacher Hermana Olsen. Should be a fun adventure even though I'll only be teaching her like 2 times.

Second topic, so at first, to my dismay I received an email Thursday morning, after I had already told my family I'd be here for 6 weeks I received an email from the MTC mission President wishing me luck on my travels saying my time here at the MTC is almost done. I was so freaked out so I did all I could to get info on whether or not I was leaving soon and the next day I get an email with my flight plans scheduled for October 2 at 3:30 am. Yaaaayyyyyy! For the rest of last week I was super freaked out, nervous, scared and I just could not focus on anything. I kept thinking, I'm not ready, why am I leaving early before everyone else in my district. But on Sunday I spoke to my branch President and he told me something that really changed the way I was looking at this whole situation. They need me in Dallas as soon as possible because there are people there waiting for me. For me! Because my Heavenly Father is preparing me to go teach these people, or not even to teach but to invite them to come unto Christ. I've been called to be a representative of Christ and that's what I need to be ready to do when I get there, regardless of how good or bad my Spanish is. It's hard to explain but I'm happier than ever and I can't wait to meet the people and just love them.

Third topic, It has been so cold here. I packing for Dallas weather not winter weather in Utah. I don't know, I have a coat that I got from Costco a day before entering the MTC. I've been wearing that with my sweaters underneath and I haven't worn more than like 5 outfits of mine cuz it's so cold. It even snowed! Not on the MTC but on the mountains right next to us. It was so cool to see it so close. I have a few pics to share don't worry :) plus people told me way earlier, oh ya there's like a mall for missionaries there at the MTC, NOPE, it's just a small corner with mikarose clothing which are all beautiful and expensive and not warm enough for this weather. No thanks, I'll save my money. But yeah it's been real cold but everything has been really fun here. 

Topic four, we started teaching another investigator named Ana, she's actually from Colombia. I was so happy to speak to an actual Hispanic. It's just different. But teaching her this week has really made such a big impact on my life. She told us her whole life story about her mother raising her in the Catholic church and her dad being evangelic and being a pastor there as well. She told us so much about her and we could really feel how strong her testimony was about this gospel. I felt so prompted to invite her to be baptized the first time we spoke with her and I totally messed up in español. Pero, she understood and she said she wanted to learn more from us before making her decision. The second time, we taught the plan of salvation and about the atonement and I don't know how many times I gave my testimony and cried, and she even cried. That lesson I was doing most of the talking since my companion is sick and she didn't have her voice yesterday. But it was such a strong experience, I really learned of how amazing the plan of salvation is. No matter where we end up, God loves us so much he never stops giving us opportunities to return with Him. He loves us so much and wants us to obtain His glory. After the lesson Ana gave me such a big long hug and I think we both needed that. There was so much love and I love her so much, it makes me so excited to get to Dallas.

Last topic: I'm not sure if I mentioned it in my last email that I was in the choir at the devotional with Quentin L. Cook. We sang "The Morning Breaks" which turned out beautiful and the devotional was broadcast worldwide at all the MTCs around the world, and I'm in two of the shots haha, thought that was cool. This week we heard from Mark A. Bragg and his wife, and we sang in the choir again singing "Joseph's First Prayer" which is one of my all time favorites and the spirit was so strong when we sang. Elder Bragg even started with his testimony that none of us would be here, we wouldn't have this joy that we do, this gospel, our blessings, if it wasn't for Joseph Smith. And before anything else in this church, he had to see God and his son Jesus Christ. It was beautiful. 

And that's all I will share with you this week. Next time y'all hear from me I'll be in Dallas.

Oh also, I finally took some time to draw, so here's a picture I drew of Jesus christ.

First Week At the MTC

Hermana Robles and her companion Hermana Woerner

Hola,

     It already feels like it's been so long since I've been here and it's only been a week. My p-days are on Wednesdays and We even have class today and I so don't wanna go, haha. But anyways, we have class every day, 6 hours collectively, 3 in the morning and 3 in the evening. I couldn't be any happier, I love my district. We all get along so well and my companion is great. Her name is Hermana Woerner, and she from Tampa, Florida. We work so well together I think. She's really smart and really knows the Bible which I needed someone like that. Also, there's two other sisters in our district, one from Upland and one from Anaheim which is so cool and we all get along super well. I love my district. 

 Hermana Robles with her district

{Here are two pictures of my district, minus two elders, Elder coy and Elder Johansson who were taking their turn teaching our investigator Erik. It says feliz cumpeaños porque it was Elder Hallman's (girl's) birthday. He's the one at the top left. From left to right it's Elder Thomas, Elder Hildreth (he's so funny), Elder Harrisonh (he's so good at Spanish it's not even fair lol). Then it's Hermanas Riding, Burk, Timoteo, Hudrlik (her and I have way too much in common it's so uncanny), and going to the back is Hermana Gardels, me y mi compañera Hermana Woerner. }

     Spanish has been super hard and frustrating but the gift of tongues has done a number on us. Only a week has passed and we can say our prayers in Spanish, bear our testimonies and can somewhat teach a decent lesson. We've been teaching this guy named Erik and it's been hard. He only speaks Spanish. I loved our lesson on the plan of salvation with him  Monday night cuz we really did our best and we communicated well. He gets pretty bored and tired and we made it a goal to make him laugh. So at the end of our lesson we gave him a bag of Swedish fish (the candy) and wrote on it "sabemos que medio de jesucristo puedemos superar nuestros pe(s)cados" he laughed so hard and said he really needed that. He thanked us for taking the time to talk to him. Some of the people we teach are actually real investigators, some of them are members and teachers here too but we can't tell whether or not he really is a member. 

     Yesterday we had a devotional and our whole district decided to sing in the choir. We sang "The Morning Breaks" for our speaker Elder Quentin L. Cook. It was such a good talk. He taught us about how important it is that we love our companions, the people, and the Savior. He reminded us that we need to not focus on whether we feel good enough or not that it's just important to build our own testimonies and convert ourselves first so that we can convert others. His testimony was subtle but man it really struck a chord! He said, "I know His voice and I know His face." It was so awesome to hear that. 

     So much has gone on that it's hard to put it in one email. 

Hermana Robles

P. S.  Please email me guys, like everyday. It just makes the days so much happier and bearable for me. I am battling with some stress and frustration with learning Spanish but I know I'm doing it for my Heavenly Father so I know I can do it. But email as much as possible. It really means a lot.

 View of the MTC

Herman Robles and her companion