Update from Quito

Ok everyone I am THE WORST at updating this. So sorry. We got our second letter from Shelly in the mission field! So crazy. Here are some of the best bits. She's in a threesome with a sister from Guatemala and another from Ecuador. She'll be staying in Quito her whole mission but gets to travel to all the different areas with the President for her medical duties. She explains some of those later in the letter. They've already had a few baptisms (thank you Latin America). She is staying really positive but I know this first adjustment will be the hardest. Please pray for her, she needs it especially now! Happy reading.


  This week has been so great and so hard at the same time! The thing that's hard is just not feeling like myself. But I know that as I've taught I've been led by the Spirit. My Companions tell jokes as we walk down the street and I have no idea what they're saying. Haha! I just smile and nod, and wonder when I will be able to understand. I think I understand about 75% or something. So pretty good, but there is a lot that is lost. My companions both this morning said that even though they know I can't express myself fully they can sense what my Spirit is trying to say, which I thought was really sweet.

The only tough thing I¨ve noticed is that because practically everyone down here is Christian, we really have to teach how we´re different. We have one investigator, Hermana Gabriela, who we´ve taught to so many times, and she still doesn´t get that God and Jesus Christ are different people. That combined with the fact that people are so warm and friendly makes it hard to know if people are just being nice, or if they really get what we are teaching them. The only way to know is if they keep their commitments. Not that I´m complaining, it´s so great that so many people are religious. We just have to clarify right from the beginning why we´re different.

Oh man, the Gospel is so amazing. We really are different! We have the Priesthood, and the Book of Mormon! And a Prophet! It´s so cool. The Book of Mormon is seriously the key instrument to converting people. Right from the start it is amazing. Some of our most powerful lessons have just been sitting down and reading the Book of Mormon with someone. President Sloan has us memorize 3-5 scriptures a week, and also wants us to finish the Book of Mormon in 3 months. I am in 2 Nephi 9. I´ve figured out I have to read 6 pages a day to finish in time. I love it though. Study time goes by so quickly, There is too much to do!

So, I have the cell phone and am taking medical calls now. Haha, isn´t that hilarious? I totally play doctor. I¨ve gotten calls from lumps in the back to a non-stop fever, to ¨I have parasites¨, to a twitching nerve on the forehead. It is pretty crazy. I just pray that I will say the right thing. I´ve had several training sessions with Hermana Ward, and she is great. She introduced me to the Doctors here who are fantastic, surprisingly. They are helping us with some sticky situations with medications and such, and they aren´t even LDS. But they are so kind and...speak English. But don´t get the wrong idea, I think they´re the only two people down here who do!  

This week, tomorrow actually, I head to Esmeraldas and Santo Domingo for Zone Conferences. Otavalo was BEAUTIFUL. It was so fun to be there. I played my flute, and they were pretty stricken by that. I don´t think many of them have seen classical flute playing before. Probably about 75-80% of our missionaries are latin, so they usually come from part or non-member families, or are converts themselves. I feel really really lucky to be able to travel the mission with the President, and also to come from where I do.

Anyway, lots of love. Thanks for your prayers. I am doing okay I promise! It´s hard, but good. And I know it will only get better. Just pray that I will understand this language! I don´t know what I was expecting, but it´s taking longer than I wanted. Haha. I¨m so impatient.

I love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pictures!

I apologize for being so slow in getting these up. The age of digital cameras has made me quite slow to scan these all in. Anyway, here are some pictues shelly sent us. Doesn't she look beautiful? Enjoy!

"Hello from the Empty Sea"

Here is a little blurb from shelly's latest email that i loved. I'm starting to realize she's really not coming home any time soon. Sadness :(

This week for our "Task" we taught the Plan of Salvation, including the Word of Wisdom to a girl who volunteers to act as an investigator. She was way too nice to us (she's leaving on a mission in August) but it was really good because my Companion and I are getting to a point where we're seeing some progress in our ability to teach together. We had to teach her to pray in Spanish first (the lesson was in English), and that part went so much better this week. We figured out a system. My companion plans out sentences to say, and then I interject with thought-provoking questions (ideally...) inbetween her memorized sentences. That way, I don't get nervous and dominate the conversation with terrible Spanish, and she doesn't get nervous and stay silent. Actually, I take that back, we both still get nervous, but at least we were both participating. I know we will have to get to a point where we aren't memorizing, but I felt encouraged after this week because my Companion felt encouraged. In the past she has felt really discouraged after those appointments. Honestly though, she is doing amazingly well with Spanish. The only reason i have an easier time is because I've had exposure before. But she is so cute about it. Constantly trying new sentences, and she is so determined to learn it. I love it. By the way Dave, i'm pretty sure i messed up a lot in that Spanish letter I wrote you...after leaving I thought of all these mistakes i had made. Haha! I think I told you to have paz with me...I meant paciencia. But not to get sidetracked. It was really fun teaching the Word of Wisdom because of the blessings that are promised from living that law. I know that could potentially be a really hard one, but I just love the scriptures about it.

Another cool thing we did this week was we got to do a video conference with the director of training at the M.T.C. in Peru. He and his wife are native Peruvians, don't speak English. We were really nervous, but it was actually a really cool experience. We each shared a spiritual thought with them (6 of us) in Spanish and then talked about what we had learned in the M.T.C. They told us that no matter where you go Hispanic culture is to be open and loving with their feelings. They said, "just talk and they will understand! They will love you!" The scripture I shared was Alma 26:35. Then i asked them about their conversion story, and I only understood parts of what they said....but I think we understood each other for the most part.


All in all, everything here is going well. I have so much to learn and so much room to grow as a missionary. But I get more excited every day to go to Ecuador! Am i really going there? It kinda seems like it's never going to happen...say prayers for me! I say them for all of you all the time. Give all the kids hugs! The Church is true, and lots of people need it. Love you all!

She says she's sending pictures home so I will post them asap! Pray for our shelly baggers.

Week 2.5

Michelley is still healthy and happy in the MTC, it is still insane to think she is right there! She talks about the Elders being slightly less mature than her and being "baffled by my age and single-ness."

Here's a quick story about her Spanish teacher:

We have two teachers, one is a native from Mexico City named Hermano Osuna, and I think he will be translated soon. He is seriously the most humble, hilarious, teacher ever. Then our other teacher is Hermana Watterson who is from Sandy and she is so good at teaching us Spanisha nd whipping our Elders into shape. They don't really like her :) But she has Mono and has been getting sick a lot, so we have been having substitutes all the time. I think we've had 12 teachers! We've had some really good ones though. One was from London. It was hilarious because he came in speaking Spanish and then about 15 minutes into class he asked to speak in English and he totally had a British accent! it was so weird to hear after Spanish. One of the Elders busted out laughing and goes, "I'm sorry, but that accent is tight, man". So Elder-like. I'm not trying to bash on Elders, I know some really good ones, but we got a group who are going through a mighty change to become what they need to be :)

She is doing great and loving it. Here are some pictures from her last days here

She's Alive!!!

Ok everyone, we received a letter a few days after Michelle got into the MTC saying she was happy and loving the spirit there. Today is her first P-day, meaning we got her first real, long email today! Here are some parts that I loved:

Hi family!!!

P-day has finally come after ten days of being here, and I am wearing jeans! It feels so good...those nylons and dresses I love too though, don't get me wrong!

So...I've been here for 9 days, and I'm still kickin'. The M.T.C. is a pretty unique place. We've done so much since I talked to all of you last, it's crazy. By last Friday we were already praying and bearing testimony in Spanish. We have a goal as a Zone to get 8 contacts a day, which means you go up to people and testify to them of the Church in Spanish. I am so grateful I've learned some because I am shocked at how much it has helped. My companion hasn't had any Spanish! I am so impressed by her though because she is constantly trying to learn, and every time I say something she makes me repeat it. I quiz her as we walk down the hallways and walkways all day long. We have fun together though, it's good. She's literally from a farm in Idaho, like she raised pigs and milked cows! She looks a lot like Courtney Nelson, and she has the best attitude ever. She's kind of goofy too, which works out well. Quick funny story. Our teacher was leaving class and it was raining outside, and we had just finished a long lesson in Spanish. We try hard to speak it all the time, but obviously if you don't know the words it's hard to do. But as he was leaving my companion looked right at him and said "You...have...umberella?" In this funny Mexican accent. Haha! We laughed so hard. Her brain was so jumbled with information that she didn't know what was English or Spanish. It was hilarious.

We had our first Teaching Appointment on Wednesday. We've practiced teaching the first lesson several times to other Elders or Hermanas in our zone, or to each other, but this time they were volunteers who speak Native Spanish and are from the "outside world". It was so scary, but really fun in the end! We talked to this guy on a bench outside who was such a little stinker. He was so hard! But really realistic. We went up to him and started asking him what he liked about the park and he says, "the silence and solitude". I laughed and told him we just wanted to talk to him a little bit about God and how God shows his love for us by giving us these beautiful surroundings. He was resistant, and he and I kind of talked back and forth about it for a few minutes. I was butchering my Spanish but I think it was understandable at least...anyway we found common ground because he said he was from Spain. Thanks Mom and Dad for taking us there :) I was able to make him smile by talking about that. Anyway, it was really fun! I was sweating and so hot. It was really nerve racking. Like really nerve racking. And it wasn't even real! haha. The only thing that's bad about our companionship though is that I end up doing all the talking because I get nervous. My companion really doesn't understand much yet, but it doesn't help if I just take over and do everything. We've talked about that and we're working on it. It's so nice we can be really open and honest with each other but we still have so much fun together. It's weird being with someone all the time though. Because you literally can't even go to the bathroom alone:)

Another thing we did that was fun was outbound phone calls in the referral center. We did follow up calls to people who had requested materials from the church to see what they thought. Two of the people I talked to wanted the missionaries to come! I bore my testimony to them in a non-awkward way and it was actually a really good experience. It was cool because they're real people, ya know? And one of them was this old lady from the south. She was awesome. Great accent and attitude. I loved it.

Our district leader goes to get the mail during each meal and it's always exciting in a Harry Potter kind of way.

I hope everything's going well for all of you! Keep us in your prayers and we'll keep you in ours. We need lots of prayers! I don't know how I'm going to be understandable in spanish...so that's the only way I can think of :)

Love you all so much!
-Hermana Groesbeck

One more thing--Michelle is and has always been about comfort over looks. (just like me right...) She got these knee high nylons that were truly heinous, we're talking like greenish vomity tan color. She wore them to her setting apart and we had to laugh about how awful they were. She defended them because they were oh so comfortable. Well in another letter to just my Mom and I she asked for new ones because when she sat down you could see a little patch of skin between her skirt and her tights. Such an amazing visual! What is it with knee highs anyway, you try to somehow clench your thighs but somehow they end up around your ankles. I just wish I could be right there with her and see what everything is like. Anyway, that's enough commentary by me. Keep praying for her! I cannot believe it's only been 9 days.....ahhhhhhhhhh!!

Hola y Adios!

Welcome friends!
It's the night before I embark on the adventure of a lifetime! Yes, I have officially been crowned with the title of 'Hermana Groesbeck,' after which I began asking myself all sorts of questions about what I can and cannot do. One of these being, "wait...so...can I eat?" Thankfully I will NOT be required to participate in an 18 month fast, but I am feeling slightly different about this whole thing. In a good way :)
I will be serving in the Ecuador, Quito Mission as a proselyting missionary and also as the mission nurse. Yes, I realize I may be hearing a lot of whining or horrific tales of symptoms I didn't know existed. And yes, I am excited about it.
My sister Rebbie will be updating my blog with pictures and excerpts from my letters so I hope you enjoy! Thank you everyone for your love and support. I will miss you all but not as much as I'm sure you'll miss me :) I would love to hear from any and all who feel so inclined as to write. Ciao!