"If the Lord doesn't ask much of me, He can't make much of me"

Well what do you know, I'm still here. Every morning I wake up wondering, "Where the heck am I?" Really though, I feel like It's a never ending week of EFY. Don't get me wrong, I do love it. It's still just so weird. 

So we have started this game called 'whose the native.' In secret, someone is chosen to be the native and has to speak spanish 24/7 and get people to vote for them because there is a prize. But while the native is trying to get the votes everyone else is trying to convince each other it is themselves. Guess who got chosen as the first native? Yes, the one who knows just about nothing. I got one vote. The only reason I got that vote was because I voted for Sister Peters cause she put a whole banana in her mouth so she returned the courtesy and voted for me. A WHOLE BANANA. It was amazing. I hate the game cause I'm basically mute. So really I will just talk in english hahah. My poor teacher.

Us sisters had a kaa-raaazy night. Yes we stayed up past curfew. We started rapping and dancing. It was great. We decided to write a rap for a district that we will give at the end of our containment here at the MTC. Sister Peters beat boxes, I rap, and Sister Henrie and Sister Larsen do... I don't really know what. Hahah they will have a line or something. They get embarrassed. I'm too weird to get embarrassed. It's gonna be awesome. I'll send a video when it's done.

Last night we had another super fun night. Sister Peters and I had a dance off and then it turned into us playing hot lava in the living room and kitchen. It was so funny. We were laughing and screaming and just having the best dang night. Then the sisters from next door came over and thought we were dying. Also we interrupted their quiet time so that was awkward. Well worth it.

For some reason everything is so funny. I think it's the lack of sleep, fried brains, and I'm super weird and the other sisters build off of it.

I hope you all know that I am actually learning and growing... "You may not think I know this Gospel, but iiiiiiiiii doooooo" Nacho Libre quote.

This MTC experience has been eye opening. Heavenly Father really has His hands in everything that we do. Every time I feel like I'm getting a hold on something in spanish, God cuts me down and lets me struggle. It's this never ending cycle. I know He's only doing it for me to learn something. I just haven't quite figured it out yet. It really makes me rely on the Lord more than I ever thought I would. It's pretty awesome. If the Lord doesn't ask much of me, He can't make much of me. I find comfort in the fact that I'm asking for everything right now, and this next year and a half is going going to be Him molding me into the person I am suppose to become. Not only for my mission but the rest of my life. I love it!

This came from one of our sister bonding times thinking about us going into our countries and teaching the people. Those of you missionary moms and just moms in general, think about not being to talk to your child for months on end or even longer. Then think of that first phone call and hearing their voice and being able to just talk with them and the pure joy you feel. Now think of Heavenly Father just waiting for His "phone call" from His children who don't have the Gospel yet. The first time they really pray to their Father in Heaven to know if He is there, or the truth of the message they have been taught, or just simply building a relationship. The pure joy that he must feel from finally hearing from His children He hasn't heard from in so long. Bah I just love it.

This Gospel is amazing.

Peace and blessings.

Hermana van Overbeek

"I have my Heavenly Father running the race with me instead of cheering me on from the sidelines"

So this week has felt like forever but also gone by super fast. It's all a blur and the same. So my companion and the two other sisters that we live with and I decided to punch each other when we used "slang." Guess who got hit the most the first week? Yes, you are correct, it was me. I don't say anything out loud anymore so I don't get hit. I still think it, though. That'll go one day. Maybe.

This week we taught our investigator, Javier, like 3 more lessons. Again my companion rocked it and spoke the whole time while I awkwardly sat there smiling and making wierd eye contact. Something special from two of our lessons was laughter. My companion giggled at me and then I just totally lost it laughing. It was terrible. But you know what is worse? I SNORTED. Javier was laughing really hard too. If you know me, you know that I have this terrible disorder of snorting when I laugh super hard. It was in a lesson... How bad is that?! Pretty bad. Next lesson was fine, I said the prayer with my notes in my lap. Hey wait, it gets better. Our "investigator" turned out to be our other teacher that we just got. Awesome. No shame. 

Everything here at the MTC is so funny and it's all so dumb. We are just so slap happy from being mentally drained 16 hours a day. It's good though, laughter heals everything.

Today we went and did a temple session and it was so great to get time off the compound. Seriously it's the best going out. We call them field trips. They are needed to keep us sane.

This week I have learned more about the power of prayer then I ever knew before. It can get super discouraging and frustrating with learning this language, especially when there is one other sister behind everyone else, BUT, the best thing to cure that is to just tell my Heavenly Father all my struggles, worries, and pains. It's so great because He has felt every single feeling I am feeling right now. He's the only one I want to pout my heart out to. And then the feeling I get when I'm done is pure peace. It's amazing. I just love it. I think that's why I'm not having a hard time or anything. I have my Heavenly Father running the race with me instead of cheering me on the side lines. It's pretty cool.

 Devotional this week was awesome. I love being in the Marriott Center with all the missionaries. It's so dang powerful. I'm in the missionary choir and when we sang the Spirit was there so strongly. We are God's army. I saw Sister Wallace and Elder Judd. Love seeing them there! When I saw Elder Judd, all I wanted to do was give him a huge hug. I was running to him and then awkwardly realized I have to shake his hand. I think I've become super awkward. Like more than I used to be. There's just so many encounters that are awkward. Oh well.

Thanks for all the love.

Besos

Hermana van Overbeek

"I am at peace with everything..."

Hola!

So it's day 4 here and I feel like its all one giant day. I never know what day it is or what happens in which day. Super frustrating, plus I have a terrible memory. Anyways, the MTC has been pretty darn good. Long days, but good. First day we got right into conversation speaking in spanish for 4 hours. Then we met with our branch and met all the missionaries and presidency. Not many sisters like at all. There's probably 14 and 50 elders ish. The next day we learned how to pray in spanish and then bear our testimonies the next. It is non-stop here. Right when you "think" you are getting a hold of things they introduce something completely different and so on. It's crazy.

 We taught our first "investigator" yesterday in all spanish. It was a 30 minute lesson. You may ask, how is that possible, you just got there? Oh I know. I'm not sure I really spoke spanish. We had it all written down and I had no idea what I was teaching this poor guy. My companion is a rockstar. She got the gift of tongues in that lesson for sure. Whatta jerk. just kidding I love her a lot. Really that was a joke cause I suck. She had full on conversations with him and I sat here wide eyed having no idea what was going on. Then she would ask me something to add or ask what a word was and I would just look at her, smile, and say no se-- I don't know. I giggled like a child a lot. I will learn one day...far in the future.

Since I have been here, I haven't felt overwhelmed, embarrassed, dumb, stressed, or sad. Which is super weird cause I am one to stress about the language and falling behind. I am at peace with everything. I know that I will get the language eventually, it will just take time and a dump load of prayer. I'm happy here. My days are long but enjoyable. Right now I can't imagine being anywhere else, well actually I could... BUT it doesn't matter and I don't want to be anywhere but here.

 My district is a lot of fun and way too smart to be in beginners but thats whatever. The first two days the elders were like scared to talk to us sisters in fear of flirting or something. We cracked them day 3 though. There are 4 sisters and 6 elders. I live in an apartment with all the sisters. I LOVE them. We have a good time.

Oh! I saw Nathaniel (Nathaniel is a family friend we grew up with who works in the MTC and is like a brother to Haley). I didn't even really see him, I saw his walk and knew it was him. Then I literally yelled "Hermano Wallace!" and seriously ran to him I was so excited. I realize now that it was probably a little inappropriate with how I handled it but I was just so excited to see him. I got my little piece of home that day. I shook his hand real good. 

Well that's all. I love you all! Thank you for your love and support. God is good!

Love,

Hermana van Overbeek