no entiendo

HOLY I CANT EVEN.

First off... Shout out to Blake Harber, Ellison Green and Cameron Scott. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Also, shout out to Ann Flint and Michelle Baires for writing me. You all rock.

I got a new companion a little bit over a week ago!! Her name is Hermana Melissa Jimenez! She is from Guatemala and doesn't speak a lick of english. She has become my very best friend, I don't think I've ever laughed as much as I have in the past week and a half!

It wasn't always like that, the first 3 days... were so hard for me. I was so discouraged when my district got split up and NOBODY in my new district spoke a word of english. I was so quiet, I just wasn't myself. I cried allll the time. Poor Hna. Jimenez thought I was.. crazy haha But I wanted to answer questions correctly, I wanted to be able to pray about things I wanted to pray for, I wanted to be able to bear testimony to my district the way I would in English, but I just WASN'T ABLE TO. The Spanish really got me down. Sitting in class was Emotionally and mentally DRAINING. It was hard to communicate with my companion, hard to plan lecciones.

I just wanted to EXPRESS MYSELF. I just wanted to speak from my heart, but it was impossible if I didn't know how to say it. I was choked up all day every day for THREE DAYS.

I finally hit the point where I NEEDED HELP. I found Elder Skyler Gallagher, an awesome Elder that was in my old district and asked him if he would give me a blessing at the end of the day. He was soo willing and I was so happy he was. 

We met later and before he gave me my blessing. I can honestly say that I have never in my life received a more powerful, more inspired blessing.. EVER. Most of the blessings I have ever received have been ´´healing´´ blessings. But my Comfort Blessing... I was so uplifted, I felt so loved by my Heavenly Father. Elder Gallagher caused a turning point in my MTC experience. He is amazing. Hermana Jimenez received a blessing from him after. He just rocks. Love him.

SINCE THEN. THINGS HAVE BEEN AWESOME. I cannot express my love enough for my companion, Hna. Jimenez. She helps me so much, and we probably laugh a lot more than we should. She came here with almost NOTHING. So I have given her a skirt, a couple shirts, and a pair of my slippers. Whenever we go to the Temple and are able to go to the little Distribution Center, whatever I buy for myself, I buy for her. I got her a picture of the Salt Lake Temple, she was sooo ecstatic. I JUST LOVE HER.

My spanish.. Its insane. I cant believe how well its coming along. I get annoyed with myself all of the time, but then in the middle of class when I realize that 3 weeks ago I could barely say ´´Hola´´ and now I understand everything the teacher says.. its just awesome. I absolutely love it. I cant wait until the day I don't say ´´NO ENTIENDO´´ even once. It'll be great.

The new Elders in my District make fun of me ALL THE TIME BUT I CANT UNDERSTAND THEM. So then I just talk in english the whole class and they get annoyed. But we've come to a conclusion. They teach me Spanish, I teach them English. I'm the best teacher Ever.

Words I've taught my Latino Elders:

''Come at Me''

''Swagger''

''Don Curr''

''Get it?''

''I like chocolate''

So life is great. I'm leaving for BOLIVIA, SANTA CRUZ on Monday night!! What?? Crazy!

I LOVE THIS GOSPEL. Seriously, I don't understand how someone cant just LOOK at this church and know that its something special. The fact that Joseph Smith dedicated and gave his entire LIFE, everything he ever had to this Gospel. He probably had NO idea what this church would look like in 2013. He had no idea that Nicole Cedeno would be talking about ''Joseph Smith'' to the people in Bolivia. That Nicole Cedeno would be studying everything he fought for in another language in order to help save the salvation of souls and help build the Kingdom of God. It just blows my mind.

I am SO fortunate to have the support I have and to be part of a work that is just SO much bigger than I could even Comprehend. I love it here. 

love,

Hna. Cedeño