Thank you for your thoughts and prayers!
-Colleen
Hi! Hola!
I don't know where to begin!! haha I don't think I ever will. The last email was a fast "short one", so sorry if I repeat stuff.
So yesterday was my P Day, but a group of us had to go to SLC all day to the Mexican Consulate and get our VISAs. So that's in check! (expect emails on tuesdays)
It's definitely true that the days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days. It's funny though, it seems like I've accomplished a months worth of stuff! Crazy. So in case people didn't know, my schedule goes like this..I wake up every morning at 6:30, I get ready and prepare and do a little exercising and personal study until 7:30, breakfast is at 7:45, at 8:15 I go to class which is ALL in Spanish (pretty much everything around here is in Spanish...learning by immersion definitely), lunch is from 12:30-1, gym time is 1:25-2:15 (I've gotten really good at volleyball!!), go back to class from 2:45-5:45 for personal study (always studying the language, the scriptures, lessons, ways to improve ourselves, etc.), dinner from 6-6:30, more class from 6:30-9:30, 9:30 we have to be back at our apartments where we get ready for bed, plan for the next day, do companionship study, and my district likes to read El Libro De Mormon out loud together and then pray. 10:15 is "quiet time" and I'm supposed to be in bed by 10:30..I still have yet to do that..oops (but only like 10 mins off). There is just not even time in the day for everything I need to do!! And everyone here says that and knows it haha oh well. At least I dont sleep in!
So mi companera (my companion) is great!!! She's 21, goes to the University of Utah, is Tongan (fluent in Tongan and Samoan), and is the oldest of her family! I can definitely tell you that these companionships and my district all around was divinely inspired! There is a reason we were meant to be in each others lives at this time and we are learning more and more about that every day!
Being the "district leader" is AMAZING. Although it adds on a lot more responsibility and things to do (lots of different meetings), it's given me the opportunity to grow myself, really learn about these girls, and learn true Christlike love for others. I love it. I have to say I haven't had any homesickness or major personal problems, and I think helping others through the problems they've been having really helps me to see that 'higher perspective" for myself. Like I KNOW why I'm here, I've already made that decision before with my Heavenly Father, and all I can do is move forward and make the best of it :) I hope that made sense.
The weather in Utah is Bipolar. haha it is beautiful and sunny one day, raining the next minute, and then starts snowing. Lets just say I've come home drenched, but still happy. I plan on Mexico being "extreme" in different ways haha
Keep the Dear Elders and letters (and packages) coming!!! ;) I LOVE hearing from everyone and just the satisfaction of opening a letter. FRIENDS THIS INCLUDES YOU GUYS TOO!!!! dont forget me :) and dont be upset if i dont respond or it takes a while..i try my best but no promises.
So I'll try to leave you with some of my favorite quotes/lessons/scriptures from the whole week i've been up here!
"You are stronger than you realize. You are more capable than you can imagine. You can do it now!" -Pres. Uchtdorf (our awesome teacher left that on the board after class when we were feeling a little discouraged..don't worry! we've gotten better :))
Something I thought of myself is that Heavenly Father won't let us fail. He may let us fall, but He will pick us right back up! We just have to extend our hand. I KNOW that God loves and knows each one of us individually. I KNOW that what I'm doing is THE BEST possible thing I could be doing in my life right now..and it's something we can all do! Just be Christlike. Don't be selfish and think of others. That is true joy. This is a part of a big lesson I've been learning about turning outward as Christ would and thinking solely of others. I must be converted before I can convert others. If our purpose in life is to return back to God by coming unto Christ then we must do ALL that he did. "You should begin a life long pursuit of learning of Him, not just about Him."
REACH OUTWARD AND UPWARD MI HAERMANAS AND HERMANOS!
I hope this all flowed. That was a fast hour.
CON MUCHO AMOR!!!
Hermana Johnson
PS-1 Nephi 17:3
One picture is of my District!! There are the 6 of us Hermanas and we do everything together. A district is basically a family away from home, and we got lucky with ours :)
The other pic is of me and my companion!! we stick together 24/7. And with no problems :)
The last pic is when we came out of the temple and it was randomly snowing..haha fun.
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