Week 9 - August 25, 2014 - Owensboro, Kentucky

Humidity and Hair Don't Mix

 

     Well, this week has been a changing point, breaking point, explosion, or any other synonym that you can think of for great.  I am finally getting closer to the missionary that I want to be.  And yes, my hair is exploding with it.

 

     This week we had a sister training leader come and do a blitz with us.  A blitz is when the Hermanas that are in charge come and work in our area, but we split up from our companion and work alone with the sister training leaders.  Needless to say, it ROCKED!!!  The sister training leader taught me soooooo much.  She taught me how to talk to people better, and how to share this message with everyone.  She also taught me how important it is to love everyone and to treat all people with kindness.  I really learned from her what it means to be a representative of Christ.

 

     So deciding to be a missionary, I naturally had this idea in my head of the missionary that I wanted to be.  As time has progressed, I have struggled to see where that missionary would come in.  I often thought, "Well, maybe that is just not how it is done"  or  "Maybe I was crazy." Gradually, I started to convince myself that I was being absurd, and no matter how hard I worked I would never get to be that missionary or maybe that  missionary didn't exist.  But, just a few weeks ago, I caught that vision again, and when the sister training leader came, I caught that vision fully again.  Wow!  What a blessing!  I can be that missionary!  She just needs some work, but she is in here somewhere.

 

     So the scripture that Kali gave me as her favorite scripture is Ether 12:27.

 

And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

 

     As we all know, we all have weaknesses.  But I became extremely aware of mine a little earlier this year.  I struggled.  I really did.  There was no way that I was going to overcome some of them, but I just kept trusting in God, and working as best as I could to get better.  Needless to say, I was getting pretty down.  However, this past week I got back up.  I feel like the progress I have made this week has been a huge turning point.  As the scripture says, weak things may be made strong.  And when we trust in the Lord, he will be our strength.

 

     So this week was great! I talked to more people.  My companion translated in church and I got to hear that. (Glad I don't have to do that yet).  I understand more Spanish, and I am super happy.  What a great week.

 

    So more on this great week.  There were some great storm clouds that rolled into the place called Owensboro.  They started to get low and man, was that wind blowing.  We were at a member's house and thought, "Wow!  Maybe a tornado was on its way!"  Secretly, I was a little excited!  A real tornado!!! (I guess they supposedly had one at home too- Dad told me of the one this week) But hey, don't tell anyone here that I was excited!  So, as the rains came down, it got pretty crazy.  The little boy in the family said that he was pretty sure that a tornado was coming.  Well, it wasn't a tornado, but there was a ton of rain, and A TON of lightning.  Naturally, for this Idaho small town girl, the first thing that pops into my head is, "Wow!  What a blessing."  Then I remember that the Ohio River is right next to us and it rains ALLLLLL the time here.  Well, that was a great storm to be in.  I loved it!

 

     When it isn't raining, it is oh so nice and humid.  I have tried everything known to man (ok- just to me -which isn't much) to keep my hair down.  I pull it up and soon...POOF.  Then I curl it.  Well, that is not really a pleasant sight.  I don't know how to explain that one...but not good.  So then I think,  "Well, I have naturally straight hair.  Maybe I should just straighten it. So far, it has gotten a little better when it is straight, but still...POOF.  Oh,  how I love humidity.  Although my hair doesn't do super great in humidity, I actually don't mind it as much as I thought I would.

 

    Well, off I go, but 1 more huge breakthrough.  I think I saw my first cockroach this week.  Yep! I can now say that I have experienced it all. 

 

Well Hasta luego,

Hermana Gamett

  

Bridge on the road from Indiana to Owensboro

 

 

Welcome to Kentucky sign

 

 

Big Storm

Week 8 - August 18, 2014 - Owensboro, Kentucky

     Believe it or not...I have a very faint, but still somewhat noticeable if you get really close - tan line on my feet.  Yep.  It is pretty great!  Yes, yes, I know that is quite the miracle, but WOW am I grateful for it.  I also have some great bug bites to accent my TAN legs.  It is great!  

 

     So this week we rode our bikes quite a bit.  Did I love it?  Why, yes.  Yes, I did!!!  It was really fun to ride around to people's houses.  Was this Idaho girl very good at it?  Um.. well, lets just say wearing a helmet was new.  And I am pretty sure that my hand signals were pretty...well... um not so great, but I am learning, right?  

 

     The people here are great cooks - that includes my companion.   She has made  me this great chicken stuff and homemade corndogs.  YEAH, that's right - home made corndogs.  They were so so good.  We also get to eat at member's homes.  Owensboro has some great cooks.  I just love eating here. 

 

     So, once again, crazy email  (kind of like my brain some times, but, oh well).  Anyway,  I was talking with an investigator this week and I am trying to talk more in the lessons and use what Spanish I do know.  Well, we had a lesson with someone on prophets and she asked what happens when a prophet dies.  I thought through it for a second, trying to gather my thoughts and put them into a sentence in English that would make sense and then translate them into Spanish.  Yeah! My brain is going everywhere when my trainer looked at me and asked me to explain.  Ok, so jumping at the opportunity, and somewhat having my thoughts strewn together, I started.  (I will write this in English so you all understand, but please note that this was spoken in Spanish.) 

 

    "Well, the church has many leaders.  Some of these are called apostles, and they have some of the power of God, too.  So when the prophet bites (muerde  -  muerte is dies.  Yeah, see the problem?) an apostle is able to take his place."  Well, as hard as she tried not to laugh, our investigator was cracking up, and soon with the nice blank look on my face my trainer had to explain my error.  O yeah, so Spanish is on its way.  So, just to clear this up, when the prophet dies the power stays here, and an apostle is able to take his place. 

 

     Anyway,  on another good note, my Spanish really is getting better.  I can pray a little better and I can say a little more in lessons.  I am getting it all piece by piece.   

 

     Well, I hope you can still think when you are done with this crazy letter.  Love you all a ton.

 

Hermana Gamett  

Weeks 6 & 7 - August 11, 2014 - Owensboro, Kentucky

Welcome to Owensboro, Kentucky!  - Fast food capital and "hometown" of Johnny Depp.

  

So, first off - last week.  Sunday night, we just stayed up packing, cleaning, and such.  At 2:30 AM, we boarded the buses and headed to the airport.  It was fairly simple to get on the plane, but I made the other Hermanas promise me that they would not leave me for customs.  We finally boarded the plane and as I was so excited to finally see Mexico City in the day light, lo and behold, I fell asleep.  Ya, so I guess I have one more reason to go back.  

 

     Eventually, we arrived in Texas and they made us go through customs.  Well, lucky me, they didn't have my paper ready, so everyone left me but one.  I didn't know this Hermana very well, but she stayed.  I am not going to lie.  I was a little bit of a disaster.  Then they informed us that we had to get on a train, and that our flight was leaving soon.  What?  Airports have trains?  Well, apparently airports have trains (something that goes on tracks) because that is what we got on.  It was there that I had a very intense internal pep talk reminding me that I needed to pull myself together.  So I pulled myself together and we got to our flight.  It was delayed, but before we knew it, we were flying over green hills and trees.  We had arrived!  So, life was good.  We got off to find President Brough, his wife, and his assistants there to greet us.  That was a great sight to see.  They were so kind and welcoming.  

 

     There were some really good things from this initial experience.  I did get to sleep on the plane and I even spoke to the girl next to us in Spanish ( like a whole 3 sentences!!!)  I can now fly internationally.  I am going to miss Mexico a whole lot.  We were also the first set of missionaries that President Brough has received.

 

     Back to my story.  So, we waited a little while for  the Provo missionaries and then loaded up in vans and headed to the mission home.  There I enjoyed the first home cooked meal I have had in 6 weeks - talk about great!  We had some trainings and interviews with the President, and  then got to go to bed.  It was a great nights sleep, to say the least.  The next morning, we ate another great breakfast, and after a nice training, we were off to meet our trainers and have the rest of our training for that day.  After that, we did all the pictures and the extras, and then we headed off to our new areas.  The drive was great.  We hit Indiana and the whole time I was thinking, "This is the state where my dad served."  It was beautiful.  Green, green, green!!!  Lots and lots of trees.  And now we are here in Owensboro, and I love it here!

 

     Owensboro is great.  The people remind me a lot of home.  There is a small branch here and 3 sets of missionaries.  There are 4 elders here that speak English- 2 trainers, and 2 trainees.  And then there is Us- the Spanish sisters. We can't contact like they do- because well... we speak Spanish, but we are trying to do our best.    

 

    O there is so much to say and I just can't make it sound pretty!  Ok.  So my trainer is from Utah/ Arizona.  Her name is Hermana Porter.  She is super nice and really put together.  She can even make homemade Chick-Fil-A.  She is basically great.

 

    So, naturally, we got straight to work.  We visited people, and I got to meet some of the great people of Kentucky.

 

Hermana Gamett

 

 

                  

  Mexico City CCM

 

Leaves that look like bugs in Mexico City

 

 

 

Back in the United States

 

 

Bug in the United States

 

 

 

 

 

           

            

New bike

 

 

           

 

Week 5 - July 31, 2014, Mexico City CCM

     So this week was a good week - learning a lot about the scriptures, speaking broken Spanish all the time, taking spanish assessments, and realizing how gringo my accent really is.  O, ya- rocking it!  

 

     This week has also been a little sad.  It always seems that as we start to finally know people and become their friends, it is time to leave.  Questions are always running through my head as I think about the lovely place I will be leaving for at 2:30 AM on Monday morning.  Who will I teach?  What words will I slaughter in Spanish?  Please, oh please, don`t make this small town girl drive in the big big world of Kentucky (more of a prayer that a question)  Where am I going to find deodorant that will be sufficient for that hot hot hot weather?  Will I die in the humidity?  Which bug will bite me first?  What am I going to do with my hair all the time?  What is the first weird roadkill that I will eat? (super excited for that one)  What is my companion going to be like?  What am I going to do without my district?  That question makes me so sad to think about.  At least all of my Hermana will be going there with me.  

 

     Elder Santana has a friend that is in Kentucky and he said they need our Hermanas desperately.  We`ll see what they say when we get there and they hear our Spanish.  It will be GREAT!

 

      So... yesterday,  I am pretty sure that we had a hurricane if only that were possible here.  It was pretty great.  It rained hardcore for over an hour. Thunder!  Lightning!  Soaking wet!  The whole thing!  There were puddles on the lawn, and I am pretty sure there was a swimming pool on the sidewalks.  However, we all lived.  I would have went and sat in the rain and embraced my inner Idaho girl that doesn`t see it much and wants to dance in it, but through the grace of God I maintained my composure and resisted that urge.

     So, I have come to the conclusion that I am really REALLY bad at using words to express how I feel.  Quite often I start with something that was in the middle of my thought.  It`s all good, though.  People`s empty stares usually clue me in.  But along with that, we all had a heart to heart with our district.  We are quite close.  We told everyone the things that we liked about them (once again sooooo annoying when you can`t explain how you feel to someone, especially when you are trying to compliment them).  It was really nice to hear everyone`s views and compliments.  They were really nice to everyone.  I feel like most of them were honest in their words and compliments.  I realized that I am really going to miss them... a lot.  And my companion - what am I going to do without her?  She makes me better every day. :(

     Well back to crazy talking.  I absolutely love Mexico. I hope that I can visit again.  I absolutely love the people sooooo much.  I also love the birds and their exotic colors, and the flowers that grow alllllll the time.  I will miss the rain and the bright colors and the 5:30 mornings that we don`t end up running.  I will miss my companion who takes a ton of convincing to get to the doctor because I know she has strep, but she won't listen ( and I was right).  I will miss my district and their unique charactoristics.  I will miss the palm trees and the moist air.  I will miss it sooooo much, but I am ready for the new world.  I am ready for the humidity and the sweating.  I am ready for the Spanish (not really).  I can`t wait to teach real people and real lessons.  And I can`t wait to share this wonderful news and message that I have with people.  I can`t wait to be the instrument in God`s hands that he needs me to be.  

 

Buenas Dias and Hasta Luego

Hermana Gamett