Hola Mi Familia!
It’s so good to hear from you and see the pictures and have the
great chance to write you all. I am always looking forward to Mondays, because
I get to hear from you and share some pretty neat experiences that I have here
in the mission. It truly is amazing and I feel so grateful for the chance to
serve. Oh and to let you know, I’m totally better from my sickness and all
that. Gotta love that the answer to feeling bad is work! :)
This week was really great! My comp and I are getting along
really well and we are having fun working hard doing the Lord’s work. This week
we had a reunion with all of our zone and President Egbert and it was amazing.
The theme was ¨Small and Simple Things¨. One thing that happens is that each of
us are assigned to prepare a small talk to give in front of everyone about the
theme, with scriptures, and all, but we don’t know if we will actually be asked
to speak until 1 minute beforehand, when the President calls us up. And guess
who got asked to speak, this girl. Yep. I gave a talk in front of two zones in
Spanish, and boy, was I nervous! But I loved the topic, because if there is
anything, or anyone, that is small and simple, and doesn’t know all that much,
it’s me. Haha, so I gave my talk and it went swell. And, a few days later, one
of the counselors in the bishopric came up to me and asked me to speak in
church! OH MY GOODNESS. I’m freaking out a little bit, so next time I write I
will have spoken for 15 minutes in Spanish, in a Spanish ward. Woohoo - wish me
luck! (I’m actually pretty excited. I told the counselor that I sure would give
a talk, but I couldn’t ensure that anyone would understand it. Haha...)
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| Tecamac Zones |
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| Being taught the value of exercise |
I had a really cool experience a few days ago. There is a street
that always has kids playing in it and we are friends with all of them. I was
riding my bike to enter into the cerrada and one of the little boys dropped
everything he was doing and started running toward me from the end of the
street and just hugged me. Oh man, it was so great. Then the other kids
followed his example and hugged me too. It was fun. And I noticed that all the
little kids were playing with those toys that are the same as the ones I bought
in Peru for my little cousins - the spinny things with a cord, and I forgot
what they are called in English... but the kids started teaching me how to use
the the trompo (spinner) and how to play and all that good stuff. It was so
fun. All of them with their little toys, and laughing, and it was just a moment
of joy for me - so great!
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| Doing splits with Hermana Guerrera |
I am learning the power of a smile and how it can change people.
My comp doesn’t smile all that much and can look pretty intimidating, just
because that’s how her thinking face is. So when we are contacting in the
street, people sometimes will look at her and not want to talk, but when I come
up with a smile on my face, they seem to be willing to listen. I’m not saying
that I’m the answer to prayers or anything, but people sure open, and soften up,
when we smile and show our love in this little way.
One other thing that I was doing this week was re-reading my Christmas
gift - the book of quotes. I was just thinking about how happiness is a choice.
As I read the quotes from all of the women and thought about how each one of
them - and each one of us - have problems in our lives, but we can overcome
every single one. I thought how I have seen each woman, who is in the book,
smile and laugh, and how happiness truly is a choice. We can be surrounded with
problems, but we can laugh in the face of sadness. We can keep moving forward,
because it’s all a choice. Yeah, sometimes we feel sad, and beat up, and that’s
ok, but it truly is a choice if we want to feel stressed or sad or mad or
frustrated in any kind of situation - it’s completely up to us. It’s like the
quote by the wife of President Hinckley – “We can cry or laugh through life,
and I prefer to laugh, because crying gives me a headache.” Haha, I love her. I
also thought of a quote that says that, if there are things in our lives that
we are sad and unhappy about, that we should change those things, but it says
that if we can’t change those things, we should change our attitude. It’s been
really good for me to remember when things get tough to stick to it and keep
going on.
I am so incredibly happy that I have the chance to be here and
work and meet people and teach this gospel! It’s truly life changing.
Here's some fun
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| Learning to cook mom! |
I am really excited about the new house! How goes moving?! Oh
how I wish I could be there to help. How are you two, happy and healthy? Do you
know I love you so much? You’re the best and I’m so grateful to have parents
like the two of you. MWAH!
Happy Valentines Day and know that you are always in my heart
forever and for always.
Your Little Girl,
Hermana
Anstee :)
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