The last... *slurp melon

FIRST OFF. Shoutout to Courtney Nichole Crockett. I don't know about you but she's feeling 22. AND SHE'S THE MOST BEAUTIFUL 22 YEAR OLD ON THE PLANET. 

I love you Court! 

SO! 

It's my last couple of days here in the CCM! I'm so stoked to be leaving and this last week has been incredible! I can't believe that in three more days I'll be waking up and heading back to the airport! 

BACK TO THE MOTHER LAND! 

I have loved serving here with all of these wonderful people in my district. I have had the most incredible learning experiences and opportunities for growth, and all of my teachers have moved me to change and become a better person! I feel my Savior's love in my bones and I have His words in my heart. I'm so grateful for His love and sacrifice for each and every one of us!

So usually I keep a little paper of things throughout the week that I'm going to tell you all about. But this week I accidentally left it in the classroom so you're just going to get my random thoughts. 

So more in the way of praying for food. This last week we've had some pretty sketchy food stuffs. We swear the the way the food looks going in is the same way it looks coming out sometimes. So I was going to cry one day cause we had just gotten done fasting and then they had this nasty rubbery turkey. It was cold and covered in like watery gravy... I just... yeah. So luckily we have this nutella bar where you can go make toast and stuff and put nutella on it. So Hermana Burnham and I were like "let's just get toast". But sometimes the circuts get overheated or something? I don't really know anything about anything. But the toasters won't work when it happens. So that happened when I was trying to get my toast and I was like "no. this can't be happening."

Ladies and gentlemen, I stood right there in front of my toaster and prayed to my Father for it to work. He's got to be shaking His head at me up there in heaven. But when I put my bread in that toaster and pushed the button down, my toaster worked even though all the other ones still weren't working.

It's a dumb example, obviously. But the Lord answers prayers. 

Hermana Burnham was like, "that did not just happen."

So classic. 

Also this week I got to meet both of my maetros novias. I was so happy. Hermano Garza and His novia were so cute. Before we said goodbye to them, he told us that after our mission we have to find a reason to keep progressing. Then he looked at his novia (angelica) and said "And right now, she is mine." The cutest thing was that he said it in English and she can't understand a single word so she had no idea what was happening. It was beyond precious. 

Also I got asked on a date out here. So that was completely awkward and I turned beet red. Also I said no in case y'all are wondering.

Fast Sunday was cool. I love bearing my testimony in Spanish. Spanish is so cool! Also, every Sunday we have movie night and this week we watched the testaments. It was so neat. Afterward, reading the Book of Mormon was a completely different experience. It really came to life. I finished it this week and prayed to know it it's true! if anyone is wondering what answer I got, you should check out Moroni 10:4 through 5! good stuff! 

Since it was our last week this week, we got to host! They started doing this new thing here at the CCM because we keep getting these MASSIVE groups of missionaries where the districts who are getting to leave get to help out on Wednesdays to take the new missionaries to their homes. It's seriously the coolest experience. Our house has been empty for a week and a half now but we finally got housemates and we got to help them move in! It was aweeesommeee!! 

Okay I'm out of time so I'll end with one more story. We have this friend in the post office here named Alicia and this week we got to meet her daughter. Her daughter doesn't speak English so I got to have a conversation with her and I was just so happy with how much I could speak! She's so cute. Her name is Dani. 

Anyway. I get to send out one more email on Saturday before I leave for Pittburgh on Monday so I'll fill you all in on anything I left out! 

I'm so excited to get to the field! 

This work is incredible!! :) 

The Representative by Hermana Brittani Bills

The Representative

By Hermana Brittani Bills

So very far away from home, 1,000 miles at best

The trip was long and tiring and I'm ready for a rest 

I take my first step off the bus into the MTC

And say a little prayer to ask the Lord to strengthen me.

I'm feeling sort of awkward... What am I supposed to do? 

The elders grab the luggage; do I help them get it, too?

Then a lady comes out smiling and helps to calm my fear

"Oh hermanas! Nice to meet you. It's so good to have you here."

I walk into a building with a smile now on my face.

The Spirit of my Lord is here. I'm happy in this place. 

Then they hand to me my nametag and I've never felt so blessed

When I took my Savior's name and I put it on my chest.

The weeks are like the lightning: They're there, you blink, they're gone

And yet somehow days pass slowly like a long and lazy yawn 

There's so much here to learn and do, so much to read and write

The Spirit fills our hearts with peace and fills our minds with light

The scriptures make more sense to me than they ever have before

And when I pray for answers, Christ opens up the door

In my life, I swear I've never cried as much as I do here

I feel God's love so powerfully and they are happy tears

I've felt His will become my own as my heart to Him is turned

I've eaten from the tree of life and this pearl of price I've learned

I never have to be alone, I'm never walking blind

When I take my Savior's words of life and put them in my mind. 

This life is so much different from the way I lived before

I'm here to find my family who are craving something more

I'm learning how to find them, how to serve them day by day

I know the Lord will help me if I have faith and pray

I think about them often, about their friends, their passions, lives

They're all a part of something. They are children, fathers, wives.

I pray they might be happy and have strength in all they do 

That their blessings may be many and their trials may be few

I feel my Savior's love for them as day by day I learn 

How I'll help them feel the love of Christ and to his arms return

I'm just a girl, I can't do much but I start to do my part

When I take my Savior's endless love and put it in my heart.

A member of the church of Christ and a missionary

They say I represent Him and that like Him I must be

I'm told to ask for faith and hope and charity and love

An eye single to the glory of my Father up above.

So I try my hardest every day to be obedient

But I often think it's just too hard and all my strength is spent

My Savior was a perfect man, can I hope to be like HIM?

Can I be a light for others when the way seems dark and dim? 

All I know is Christ's my shepherd and He wants me to succeed

Which is why He chose to die for us: chose to suffer, chose to bleed

I understand Christ's love for me and the power of His grace

When I know my Savior's countenance and see it in my face.