From Cutral Co

Hola mis padres!!! Buen Dia, que tal, como anda, (this is what we say to almost everyone)

WOWOWOWOW! I love being a missionary! Heavenly Father is so merciful and continues to pour blessings on me! It is wonderful here, I´m having a spiritual blast. REally fast, this is a Spanish key board so you should probably expect some random marks or wrong typing or something. Esta Bien. So much to say..... I have the best companion ever. Hermana Quisbert from Buenos Aries, orginally from Bolivia. She is amazing. Sweet, fun, an amazing teacher, helps non-stop with the language, and I get to help her with her English. She is very good at speaking English which is a nice break occasionally, and there are a few people in our ward that speak English too. I will still be learning my Castillano because those that know English are very few in number. I am learning a lot about the language and being a missionary. What joy I feel everyday!!! Oh where to start?! I love Cultral-Co, la tierra (the land) reminds me of Vernal a lot too. Everyone is beautiful. We greet everyone with a handshake (men) and a kiss (women). We do this when we first meet them, then when we´re saying goodbye, even just with contacts in the street, which last around 2-5 minutes, I love it. I feel at home here, honest. We clap at the gates, the people open them for us and when we leave the homes they walk us out, open the doors and let us out, it´s a very nice culture. You have to watch your step constantly or else you will twist your ankle on the uneven sidewalk/rocks/sand, or watch out for dog poo. DOGS ARE EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!! No exaggeration. I love every part of my area and my mission.
Mission goals mean a lot of work a head of us, its great. We have 3 people with dates. Lady, Raul and Gladis, a highschool age, older man and a mother, her daughter got bap. a few weeks ago and hopefully the other daughter will too. I don´t talk much, but I don´t feel to bothered about it, I can tell what the we´re talking about and most of what those we’re teaching are talking about, like I get the idea of it, not the words exactly though. I do bear my testimony about the BOM, The spirit, Joseph Smith, Families, etc. Choppy but it works out, and my beautiful comp helps when I need. My weakness is funny to the people which is totally fine, I´m not bothered. WOW, Heavenly Father has just blessed me with an agreeable attitude, I´m so thankful I can be flexible and accepting, WOW, I´m grateful. And truly, I am more then ever thankful for growing up in Bethel, because of how life is there... which I don´t really know how to describe... helps me be accepting/understanding/comfortable here in Argentina. I am thankful that Dad has áffordable´ housing. I hope he doesn’t feel offended at all by me saying this, because I grew up seeing people who are in a low-income lifestyle I feel very little shock here when I see peoples homes. Does this make sense? I don´t feel scared or uncomfortable, lucky me! I have a great pension(house) kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, similar to some of dad’s housing, I have hot water and a comfortable bunk bed, which sometimes is extremely hot on the top bunk, but it´s all good, a nice desk, a fridge, running water, that I don´t drink but use for everything else, except brushing my teeth hehehe. I forgot to take pictures, I´ll try sending some pictures today or next week.
We have Zone Conference tomorrow, that´ll be great! Oh!!!!! HAHAHA! Okay so my Sunday, well I gave a talk in Sacrament Meeting! Perfect huh?! It was about the Holy Ghost. It wasn´t that hard, though I may have been saying some things wrong, but people were smiling and said it was a good message. The Holy Ghost is SO IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A lot of our investigators, new converts and future bap were there, it was wonderful. Again, I don´t say much but just smile and try to understand, it´s all gravy baby. The weather is great, chilly in the morning and night but we´ve had some really warm days. Windy but not blow-down-the-house type, I guess it doesn’t really rain or snow here, it´s lovely. My schedule.... Get up at 6:30 to exercise for half hour, then shower and breakfast and by 8:00 personal study for an hour, then comp study, then language study, which it´s hard to know what to study.... because there’s so much... I´ll do better though. Then we´re out of the house by 10:30 to contact and go to appointments. WE WALK EVERYWHERE, or run! HAHAHA, awesome huh? We have to run to appt. sometimes, because we took long at another appt. awesome. I know my mission wouldn’t be this great so far if I didn´t have Hermana Quisbert so I am eternally grateful for her, and she says Hello and sends her love by the way. Sometimes we do service things, we fit in contacts anytime we´re walking and then follow-up on those contacts or go to less actives, or new members or investigators, it´s thrilling.

I do know that you totally love me and I TOTALLY LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!! More then ever and ever and ever!!! Thank you for your love and support and encouragment and PRAYERS! I heard from Janetta, Paris and Ster but I don´t think I have much time to respond back, please forward my love to all of them and everyone, I love hearing about what they’re doing in their lives, please encourage my siblings and friends to write me, I really enjoy it, almost as much as the wonderful work I´m doing!!! DEAR ELDER is the way to go apparently, keep that up, or tell others to, I love letters as well of course but Dear elder is easy and they encourage it. With packages, I pay half of how much it´s worth I guess, so if your not sending me any electronics it´s not a big deal, You need to claim everything in it, or else they get upset. With the package from the branch... let´s see. and maybe Ritz crackers or trail mix, you know the kind with the nuts and m&m´s or the fruit kind, yum. Maybe a REeses CRUNCH bar. If Kyle said that about tootsie pops then go ahead and send some my way too, anything to get in doors. hmmm.... a shower sponge, you know the kind I use. Oh and packages take about 3 weeks to get to me. Hmmmm, I know I had thought of other things but didn´t write them down so now I don´t recall... OH! Crest pro-health enamel shield toothpaste! yeah baby!!! The food here is great and there is a lot of snacky stuff so I don´t feel that much of an urge to ask for things.... Tell them thank you please!

I better go. But I have so much love for my family, my friends and dear ones. I pray for you all as well. I hope everyone is feeling well and happy and healthy. How are the summer plans coming, can Jess take a picture of her prego self please. TONS OF LOVE FROM DOWN SOUTH. AMOR AMOR AMOR!!!!!!!!!!

mUCHO Amor, Hermana Graham

April 14,2010 email last from MTC.

April 14th.
Okay so I'm already down to 20 min because it wouldn’t load but was still taking my time, aggravating, but it's okay. Can't do anything and gotta practice my speed typing.
Busniess:
I leave the MTC at 8:00 and take off from the airport at 12:00 on MONDAY the 19th. Nobody should come to the airport, they suggest it not to happen. I get to Atlanta at 5:50 and leave there at 8:30 . I WILL BE CALLING YOU MY LOVELY MOTHER AND FATHER!!! So that is Georgia time and.... I think 3:00 Alaska time... I can call the house or the school... or both if you and dad aren’t together. Prob no more calling by 8:00 GA time. In your dearelder you can plan it. GA is 3 hours different then AK right? That's how I’m doing my math, if wrong then let me know and we'll plan accordingly :-) . I can't wait to talk to you both, it'll be so great!
. Don't bother mailing anything anymore, cause I leave Monday and won’t get things in time prob. Of course DEAR ELDER works till Sat. afternoon. I would love it if my siblings would dearelder.com me these next couple days, any last thoughts or what they’re up to or anything. I love you all so much!!! Friends too.

So this is my LAST EMAIL from the MTC!!!! How exciting!!!!!!!!!!!! I am going to Argentina BABY!!!!! VIVE ARGENTINA!!!! I do feel very excited and eager and nervous, but ready, for the most part. I love the MTC and the people I've met and spent time with and I'm so grateful for all the help I've gotten here, and practice and learning and growing!!!! Wow it's amazing, what a unique experience I have!!! My Spanish.... It is as ready as it will be. I have learned this week about my weaknesses and what I need to work on with it. The thing is that I can't express ME, MY PERSONALITY very well yet, and that's hard. But I have total faith that it will come, but faith without works is dead, so I have a lot of studying and praying and listening and everything to do, but it will come. I've been told to be more confident, a couple times. It's been such a wonderful week. Possibly the best yet. because we, as a district and a companionship have made goals to work extra extra hard in everything, NO SLACKING!!!! Because the same spirit you leave the MTC with is the same spirit you enter the mission field with, just like when we die.! Interesting huh. But true! I wish I could expand on this but my time is slim, I'll talk more with you on the phone :-) . I'm hoping I get a native of Argentina as my first companion, then it will be crunch and growing time, It would be great. I have felt deeper love for the people of Argentina these last days and I know I'm going to meet and teach people that I knew before this life and promised them that I would find them. I can't wait.

Last night at the devo Elder Glenn Pace talked and it was so amazing and special, and sacred. They didn't record it because he talked about personal things. It was ALL about God's love for us and his children, all his children, even with our weaknesses! He said remove ANY doubt that you are not loved as much as Jesus Christ is loved by God, wow!!! There was a lot more, he shared dying experiences of different types, I can't go into it right now. But afterwards we had a little District review and it was so spiritual and the elders testified so strongly, it was really special, my love and understanding and reassurance that I'm serving a mission for the right reason was confirmed to me. Because I love God and his children and mostly because he loves me and the Atonement is REAL and for EVERYONE!!!! Wow I'm grateful for H.F. and EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so blessed with you as my parents and my siblings and friends. I have nothing to be mad about in this life.
Do you have any Tithing experiences you could share with me, we're teaching it this Friday in Spanish. share! Anything else let me know! I love you so much everyone! I 'm excited for this next step in my journey MUCHO AMOR!!!!!! H. Graham

Exhortation

Thank you for sharing some thoughts with me about conference, YES!!! SOOOOO amazing and I will try to take some time to write about it in my email, but I prob won't get it all because there was so much good stuff,
Bre got her call to Albuquerque New Mexico!!!! Awesome huh? I don't know when she leaves or is going through the temple, and I'm dying to know. They've had finals this week so I think she's been pretty busy.

Oh mom and dad, I think of you both so often, though, this may sound lame, but it's not because I'm suppose to be doing this - I'm trying to focus more on my mission. But I do and one thing that reminds me of both of you is the Beautiful white-haired Senior Couples that I see everywhere and every devo they get to sit right in the front. That could be you two. I would seriously consider going on a mission. It sounds so exciting for the couples; no bad would come from it. I understand some of the things that are in the way or may seem to come before a mission, but I know it will only bless your lives, and your families lives, and all those you come in contact with, because you both are amazing people, with amazing testimonies and experiences and love for the gospel.

Mom, I'm sorry to hear about Grandma Akers and slowing down, she is such an amazing woman!!!! I will write her for sure. Please give her all my love every time you talk to her. I'm going to miss being with everyone this summer but I am doing a work that is bringing other families together!!!! I hope she can stay strong! I am grateful for you and grateful that you chose to become members of this church and make temple covenants and have a testimony. THANK YOU, from every part of me, thank you!

That's wonderful about Grandma Grahams birthday, I’m glad it went well.

This week we met with the consul for Argentina, it made me very excited, we signed papers and got fingerprinted, It's real!!! I believe it will be the 19th that we're leaving. I think we get our travel plans tomorrow or the next day, I will write ASAP and let you know as soon as I do. I can't believe how long I've been here either; it goes so so sososo fast. We were motivated to make these last few weeks the best weeks, we can step it up and work harder and get so much more out of our time. There is NEVER time for slacking. I love the mission, I LOVE IT!!!!! I don't know how I qualified for such an amazing blessing of having this opportunity to serve; Heavenly Father truly loves me and is full of mercy and grace!

Today we did sealings, and it was wonderful! I am so grateful to go to the temple each week and how it helps me learn and see what's important and what I need to teach to the people I’m serving and that the goal is to get to the temple, always. I don't want anyone I help bring to the waters of baptism to fall away, I'm working on having faith and a personal goal. Goals have taken on a new meaning for me for sure.

OKAY. Not much time left. BUT BOY DID I LOVE CONFERENCE!!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait to read it again and to listen to the Priesthood session. EVERYTHING was wonderful. My testimony of prophets, Joseph Smith and the Restoration, the Atonement, the Book of Mormon, the Spirit, this TRUE gospel, how I need to be towards other people has ALL grown. Wow, I have so much to be grateful for and apply. I thought of my family the whole time, so many talks focused on families. I must say - If my family, my siblings did not listen to conference, they need to repent and listen too it ASAP. Then they need to apply it in their lives. They all have families and there was so much FOR them and their families. I promise that if we all listen to the words of our prophets, listen and hear and apply the words, your lives and your family’s lives will become better. You will come closer as a family unit, you will grow, you will stay strong in the gospel, and your children will go on missions and make covenants in the temple. If you choose not to listen to and apply what was said from our prophets and leaders your saying that your better then God. That YOUR time is more important then God's time and plan for you. I say this because HE instructed those speakers to say what they did FOR YOU. You’re NOT better then God and we all have an enormous debt to Him and our Savior Jesus Christ. We all have time to listen. I say this all in the most loving way and I care about you all so much and I just want to be with ALL of you forever, for eternity. Please listen to our prophets.
I found comfort and guidance from this conference. I can't wait to teach and apply it all in the mission field. There’s so much to think about and apply in my life and my life right now. I can' wait. MUCH meditation is needed. I LOVE THIS GOSPEL. I love and am thankful for the Holy Ghost who is my dear dear friend. I love you all, my family and friends. I want to say so much more but have no time. I love love love God, Christ and their gospel. I am blessed

Love Hermana Graham