Semana Numero Dos!

Hi Everyone!

Everything is going so great in Guatemala! I love my mission. I am learning so much about the gospel, and am trying to learn a lot of Spanish but it is still super hard! I am getting better at speaking it, but when people talk to me its hard for me to understand. I love this language though, its becoming so much fun to practice speaking it! 

I am really sad because tomorrow all of the Latinos are leaving for the mission field. I got really close to two of them. One of them was from Honduras and the other from Ecuador. They laughed at my Spanish a lot (I would too, I'm not surprised) but it was so fun practicing with them and learning from them. Hermana Jara, the one from Ecuador, is such an example to me! She has been a member of the church for only 2 years, and decided to go on a mission. She is the only member in her family and has such a strong testimony! When we were sharing our stories with each other we automatically bonded because ours are so similar!  I love all of the Hermanas here, they are so great and such great teachers and examples to me! 

My teacher here is so awesome. His name is Hermano Abadillo. He is from Guatemala City but served his mission in Houston Texas and got back about five months ago. He speaks absolutely perfect English so it gives me hope with my Spanish! He has so many super inspirational stories. Basically all of the Elders in my district have come to the mission right after graduating high school.. So the maturity levels between the Hermanas and Elders is a little bit different.. Okay a lot different, its a little hard for them to be quiet and stay focused on studying! Haha but luckily our teacher knows how to keep them in line. Every time one of them talks in English in class, says dude or any other slang, or is just being a bad example, he gives them a point and they are going to have to go and sing hymns in each classroom by themselves. Thank goodness they have calmed down a little bit since he started that! I love my district though! The elders are awesome even if they are a little outta control sometimes, and the Hermanas are amazing! All of us Hermanas in my district are going to the same mission so hopefully i will get to see them later on in the mission! 

I cannot believe its already been 2 weeks here at the MTC, time is absolutely flying by! In four weeks I will be out in the field. Holy cow. I cannot wait. Thanks so much for all of your support! 

Yo se que la Iglesia de Jesucristo de los santos de los últimos dios is verdadera. 

Yo se que José Smith es un profeta de Dios.

Yo se que el Libro de Mormón son las palabaras de Dios. 

Yo se que el templo es la casa de Dios y estoy agradecido que is muy cerca a CCM (MTC).

Yo quiero este Iglesia y mi salvador Jesucristo. 

En el nombre de Jesucristo. Amen. 

Love,

Hermana Baird

(Staci sent pics to be posted but I was unable to open them, so we will try again next week.  Also she asked that I let you know her computer time is very limited so she may not get back with you right away when you email her.  She loves the support! Lynn)

Week Number One!!!

Wow this first week out as a missionary has been absolutely insane! The first day we arrived in Guatemala at 6:30 am after flying all night.  Right when we arrived at the MTC we had classes and meetings. Luckily we got about a 2 hour nap, but then had to get up and work again until about 8 pm.  It was so exhausting! But, as exhausting as it has been, it has been absolutely amazing! I have been learning so many new things about the gospel, and about myself.  I am attempting to learn Spanish, but it is SO hard! All of our classes are in Spanish and my brain just hurts at the end of every day from using it so much.  Luckily we are blessed with the Gift of Tounges. I know that this is a true gift from the Holy Spirit, because there is no way that my Spanish could improve as much as it has in the last 6 days.  I am so grateful for that gift! 

We already had two lessons with our first investigator at the MTC. They went great! Except for the fact that I don't know much Spanish and the lessons have to be taught in it... Thank goodness my awesome companion is really good at Spanish and can take over the lesson when I get absolutely lost in it! Its been so much fun though, I cannot wait to get into the field and teach real investigators about this true Gospel that can bless them and their families life's more than they can even imagine.  

P-days are literally like Christmas here at the MTC. We work so hard every other day (we have class from about 7 am to 7:30 pm) so its so nice to have a day that we can relax a little. We got to go to the temple this morning and then come back, write our families, and now we have deportes (sports) for the next 4 hours! Tonight the central america area 70 is coming here to talk to us. It is going to be so great. The devotionals and lessons here have been so amazing. The spirit at the MTC is like nothing I have ever felt before. It is so strong all of the time. Everyone is trying to become the best they can be and trying to be more like Christ, making the environment a perfect place for the Spirit to be. It is amazing.

This first week has defintely not been easy, but I know that this is right where I am suppose to be. Guatemala is suppose to be my home for the next 18 months. I know that I am going to go through difficult times and miss my family so much, but the experiences that I am going to be having will make up for those hard experiences that I will encounter. Elder Richard G. Scott promises that missions make us better daughters, mothers, and wives. Knowing that these next 18 months are not only going to be a blessing in my life and those i am serving, but also will be blessing my family and my future family, makes it all so worth it! I love you all and am so grateful for all the love and support! 

Love,

Hermana Baird