June 29, 2016

HEYYYYYY!  Seriously love hearing from you guys!  Looks like you had a fun time in Tahoe...and I serioulsy cant wait for my jeep ride lol Chubs looks so big! Keep them pictures coming! I have been doing really well...kinda getting anxious to go out into the field but I am still enjoying every minute of my CCM experience.  This week has been another amazing week...we are almost the oldest generation in the CCM!  Next week... we will be there with two other Districts.  We are taking our District pictures on the Fourth of July...so pretty much we are wearing red, white, and blue haha gotta supoort AMERICA. Cant wait to hear how the Fourth of July will be for you guys! This past Saturday Hermana Brunelle and I were able to teach a 13 year old girl named Anna about the gospel...She was a volunteer and a non member.  The moment I walked in the room I had this overwhelming love for her.  The lesson was taught by the spirit and we actually gave her a Book of Mormon and wrote our Testimonies in the book.  I know that she felt the love that God and Christ have for her.  I serioulsy cant wait for MORE experiences like this in Paraguay.  I am just anxious and know that the people need me and I need them.  Had another neat experience at one of my past Lunches and Dinners...our Distrcit sat by Latino Elders...BOY! haha it was so fun trying to speak to them!  Was fun that they wanted to learn some English as well.  At the CCM they kinda seperate the Latinos from the Americans...so we dont really get to be with them much so when we have the opportunity we take advantage!  The Latino Hermanas are serioulsy THE SWEETEST! Have gotten to know some of them as well. 
FUNNY THINGS FROM THE WEEK

To entertain oursleves... Elder Chatwin sung the tunes to We will Rock You, In the Jungle, She will be loved, The Star Spangled Banner, along with so many other popular songs and used the words to our Missionary Objective.  

While we were heading out to do our invesitgator Lesson BHAHA we all at first thought a bat was in the hallway...turns out it was a  HUGE Black Butterfly.  Elder good thinking it was a bat told Hermana Litell to not catch it... she is an animal lover hah said you will get rabies 

While I was being an investigator....I picked my person to be KImmie! Love her...Elder Moss was like como esta... I said bien and he responded bbbbbbb and was like what the heck just happened haha we had a good laugh.. glad i knew he meant Bien

THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR THE PACKAGES!!!!!  I always love recieving them!  

Thats so awesome that Jacob is home! I am sure his family is so happy!  

I am seriously so happy being in Mexico. I feel super safe. The mission is serioulsy going by so fast! I have been sleeping super well too ...ELder Good and Hermana Haywood have been sick.  I let Hermana Haywood use some of the oil spray.  It helped.  

ALSO I AM BECOMING SO GOOD AT KNOCK OUT...in Mexico we call it Lightening.  Its the only thing elders and hermanas can both do while being at GYM.  We shoot from the 3 point line and I have made shots and get people out even the better elders.  

I LOVE YOU ALL SOOOOOOO MUCH AND PRAY FOR YOU GUYS! 

Love, 

Hermana Alexander

 Practicing Spanish with the Latino Elders!

 Teaching some English too!

 Cute Hermanas!

Meeting so many sweet Hermanas!

Donut deliveries to the Mexico CCM are the best!



on

June 22, 2016

HEY! LOVED all the pictures from NY! Looks like you had an amazing time! MATTHEW! HOLY COW! HE IS SOOOOO TALL! He emailed me saying that he is taller than dad????? WOW! So crazy! I´m sure dad loves that haha  I am seriously so glad that Matthew was able to go to the Sacred Grove....hope he realized along with the others that the sacred grove is exactly where the Restoration happened.  I know that Joseph Smith is a true prophet of God and I have a very strong testimony that God worked through him to bring this TRUE Gospel back upon the Earth.  I managed to memorize the First Vision, but still need to work on the order...sometimes I miss or jumble the sentences.  Would love to go there again.  That was so awesome that you sang for the missionaries...and how cool that they know Elder Newbold!  Matthew seemed to have a fun group!  Love those girls.  I emailed  Kimmie and seriously LOVE HER! She left on Tuesday! She said her teacher served in my mission and she said everyday her teacher reminded her of me... she told her teacher that I was her best friend and she mentioned how she hoped that I would see her on the live broadcast... when I told her I did she was so happy....she was like yay for the Mexico MTC when Elder Bednar gave us a shoutout.  This week I feel like I have grown and expanded my talents....I have been praying for that and will continue to do so... on Sunday I was asked to speak randomly about Christ´s Atonement...we usually know the topic before hand...but don´t know if we will speak or not until Sacrament meeting.  Good thing I was prepared haha I actuallly had the feeling that I would speak so I made sure to put a lot of thought into it while I was preparing.  The spirit was with me and I wasn´t nervous one bit.  Luckily we can speak a bit in Spanish and English....I did the right amount of speaking in Spanish and then did the rest in English.  The spirit was so strong and I know that what I shared helped everyone in our Branch.  I mentioned Heidi and how the Atonement and the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation comforted not only me, but her family as well....didn´t even have that prepared, but the Spirit told me to share that along with many other things.  I seriously love having the Holy Ghost as my companion....without him and the Lord I wouldn't be on my mission.  Since we are getting a HUGE ammount of missionaries now...like 200 a week our District got assigned to a new Branch.  We now have a new Branch President who I already love and appericate....President Gomez.  He just got assigned.  He has 3 sons...Diego,Eric oh sweet Eric ( he has disabilities ) and another son ah starts with a G...it´s very unique I´ll have to be reminded this Sunday.  It was really special for them to pass the sacrament to us.  It reminded me of watching my amazing priesthood holder brothers passing the Sacrament.  After Sacrament I thanked President Gomez for assigning me to speak and I got to chat with his family for a bit... I mentioned how I had 5 brothers and they were so amazed and thought it was awesome.  I´ll have to show them our family picture.  CRAZIEST THING AND HIGHLIGHT! YESTERDAY ELDER PIPER - DADS COUSIN GAVE A DEVOTIONAL LAST NIGHT! WASSSSSSSS SOOOOOOOO GOOD!  Everyone loved his words!  I went up to him afterwards and told him I was related to him through dad and grandma...he said I sure look like a an Alexander.  I´ll have to make sure to email Grandpa Richard. I know Grandma will be so happy to hear this since she gave me a picture of him.   I sure love his emails.  I am close with Herman fifita...Butchs cousins.  Seriously adore her!!!!!!  CARLI GOT ENGAGED?????? AH SO HAPPY!  Love getting emails from Jacob..Love his words! Oh another cool fact... I sang a hymn in a lesson...we also have TRC which is teaching volunteers and some aren't LDS. It's so awesome to teach them and to get a feel of how it really is in the field.  I only have 2 more weeks!!!!! AHHHHHHH! oh elder sterri arrived yesterday... was so fun to see a familiar face! Love you all and pray for you. Can't wait to hear from you! Love you!                                                                                             

Hermana Selfie!

                                                        

CCM living!

  

Three Weeks!!

 District Picture!!

You can never take too many Hermana pictures!

Such happy pictures!

Missionaries for 18 months..Friends for life!

June 15, 2016

OOOOOO IM HALF WAY THERE ( well.. with heading out of the CCM haha)  ITS CRAZY HOW I AM ON WEEK 3!!!!!!!  The weeks go by so fast.   I just came back from doing a session in the Mexico City Temple! It felt so good to be there.  And I managed to go through all of the session...was SO thankful for the wonderful workers...they sure know how to deal with spanglish lol  This week consisted of studying and practicing teaching. It was a bit rough... but I managed to get through it and decided to be positive. I now have 2 investigators with practicing!  The Spanish is coming along well...just have to be hardworking and put all I can into it.  I know the Lord will make up the rest.  The Holy Ghost does wonders when I try my best with the language.  I mastered the Basic Core which had about 300 words lol now onto memorizing the 1st vision along with a list of other things.  I am slowly becoming more comfortable with speaking Spanish, but I know I could do better. Challenging myself and setting goals is a good thing.   We had a Devotional last night with Elder Nicolas Castaneda....who is of the Seventy and helps with the CCM.  You can say we are friends lol  He told a wonderful story about an elder who actually got sent to Paraguay while he was on his mission.  He was sent to be challenged....I guess in the country there weren't many baptisms...etc He mentioned because of this Elders attitude and faith he was able to baptize many.  I strive to continue to have faith for I know if I have faith in Christ.. I can do anything.  I seriously cannot wait to serve in Paraguay.  I just love the people already.  I truly felt like this message was for me.  After the meeting I thanked him and told him I was serving there.  His eyes looked at mine ( even during his talk) and he was just full of love.  I am in the CCM choir which I LOVE!   I miss listening to music.  We arent allowed to listen to it in the CCM.  Mom! So fun about NY!  Did matthew win his game?  I am sure that was weird not having a kid in the show.   Loved Cordin's, matthew's, azdin's, caleb's, and kristins comments. Cant wait to hear more about NY!  Let me know if you see Kimmie.  DAD GOT A JEEP????????? sooooo fun!!!! Love you all!

Love,

Hermana Alexander

First Temple Session in Spanish!

Companion picture at the Temple

Love these Hermanas!

As good as we could get haha

Missionary photo bomb lol

June 8, 2016

HOLAAAAAAA FROOOOMMM THE CCMMMMM haha! Like the Adele reference? Boy I can´t believe that I am on week 2! The weeks go by so fast! Sorry that I only wrote on the day we arrived.  We didn´t have P day last week so this is my first P day WOOHOO.  Around 12 today we are able to go to the Mexico Temple Visiting  Center since the Temple is being cleaned.  There will be a day though when we will be able to go through.  Seriously can´t wait.  The Temple is sure the place to be.  Where to start...so my companera is Hermana Brunelle.  She is from Orange County California. Wondering what she is like... watch Pride and Prejudice Mormon version.  She reminds me of the Latin character Jane.  I live en a casa with other hermanas from my District. It´s pretty fun! Hermana Brunelle and I get along well and continue to become closer each day.  On my first day en the CCM I saw Hermana Van Wagenan! We had a good time with the few hours we had together.

Anyways, back to the beginning! It was quite the adventure.  I can´t believe I made it to the CCM. I met up with a lot of sister missionaries at the airport in Mexico City and only one Elder.  On my first flight and lay over I was the only missionary.  I knew the Lord was with me and I prayed a whole lot in my heart to be comforted.  It was nice to have this sweet couple on my first flight.  They were a Latin couple that could speak English..YES! The Lord is good haha I was for sure the minority.  Heading to the CCM we traveled in a 12 passenger van.  It could barley hold our luggage.  Mexico City has colorful houses and so many pretty birds including parrots that chirp when you come close to their tree haha The CCM is nice.  Everyone is so friendly and I got my name tag!  I feel so blessed. We had a fireside and after a HUGE thunder storm occurred.  I feel so blessed. 

STUDY STUDY STUDY

These words will never go away.  My brain is constantly thinking...in jumbled words in español.  I know that the gift of tongues is a TRUE thing and a great blessing.  I am grateful for the power of prayer and the comfort the Holy Ghost brings.  I´ve been able to get close with my District at the CCM.  I have even gotten to know my Mission Pres and his counselors.  I am in District 16 B.  I have so much love for the hermanas and Elders.  It is nice that we are all in this together.  I have seen a BIG progress with all of us since day 1.  Hermana Brunelle and I gave our first lesson to a pretend investigator Monica today.  It was a bit overwhelming  but we did it without a lick of English.  I know this is where I am suppose to be.  This is the Lord´s work and I´m indeed grateful to be apart of it.  The spirit is so strong.  I never feel alone.  The teachers are so helpful and friendly.  They teach with love and with the spirit.  Day 2 in the CCM and was able to pray en la clase.  I am noticing that English words are turning into spanish thoughts.  I love my Savior and cannot wait to see more of our progress.  Motto of the day : We can do it 

Boy! Today was a long but such an awesome day! In class I learned how to prepare Lesson 1 in PMG.  This included the restoration We learned how to break it down and were able to produce the lesson in 1 minute.  We also had most of the day to prepare the second lesson for Monica.  She committed to baptism! The spirit was so strong.  I still cannot wait for the day to teach a lesson confidently in spanish.  I am progressing and know the Lord and the spirit are helping me.  We had our first day of gym boy I need to get in better shape haha Hermana Brunelle is such a great companion.  She has such love for me and the gospel.  Love how she can help me with Spanish.  I don´t know what I´d do without her.  

2 Nephi 31:3

Mornoni 7.38

Today was a bit of a challenge, but whats a mission without difficulty?  It is mainly the language that is getting to me.  Hate not totally being able to say what I want to say...but I am grateful for PMG Spanish addition and other Spanish books and guides.  I do have to remember that it is my 5th day in the CCM.  My schedule has consisted of studying and preparing for Monica.  I have realized that I wouldn´t be able to have progressed in my Spanish if it wasn´t for the spirit.  Would not be at the rate that I am if I weren´t bringing souls unto Christ.  

Today was sure needed! Relief Society, District 16 B, and Sacrament Meeting was AMAZING!  The spirit was so strong!  It was fast and Testimony meeting today.  I sure needed to fast.  I have a true testimony of fasting.  I know the Gift of Tongues is a real thing too.  In Sacrament meeting the Elder y Hermanas bore thier Testimonys in spanish.  When I couldn´t fully understand what they were saying I could still feel the spirit.  The church is SO true.  It was nice to have some personal study too.  I had an interview with the Branch pres. It was an unforgettable experience!  I am glad that I read my P Blessing before.  We watched The Testiment movie as a District.  I love my Savior and I am so glad that he was willing to die for me.  I cannot even imagine how it felt to be nailed on a cross.  He lives.  I am grateful for my Savior.  ps I said a prayer for the Hermana dress meeting.

June 6th and 7th were such great days! I received a package from my parents! So blessed for the doughnuts! My District was pretty excited!  Had an amazing Devotional last night.  It was broadcasted from Provo and  Elder Bednar spoke.  I saw Herman Greenwoood and Sister Sassler on TV.  Loved seeing them.  The message was on one by one.  Christ know us individually.  Look up Luke 15:8-24 and 3rd Nephi 11:6-26. 

I love you all! So glad to see what everyone is doing.  Love your emails. I´ll make sure to mention funny things next time....little preview bird in class, spilled water = los sientos, a Latin elder said whats up trying to be all american like,I accidently said I was from Paraguay to a hermana, Translated the wrong question, found that I can laugh sometimes when I feel the spirit (During a prayer), I give words tunes to help memorize, Them latins know how to party - was trying to sleep one night and could hear music ( adele and Jason Duerlo)  . A laundry bag is a yes please. I´m not sure if we can get packages unless they are form Mexico? Cause they said no haha  Tell mike he looked handsome and so awesome about adam.  Tell papa I enjoy his emails and jacob oh and jen! Azdins party seemed fun! We dont have wifi in the CCM.  Maybe at the visitors center?  thanks for your emails.. again have no time!

Love,
Hermana Alexander  

Abby's first companion Hermana Brunelle!

Hermanas in District 16 B

On our way to the Mexico City Temple Visitors Center! (The Temple is being cleaned)

Mexico City!

Mexico City Temple