Week 3!

MOM!! (and whoever reads this)

It´s so great to hear how everything is going at home! It´s so weird to think that there are things happening at home while I´m here, but I wouldn´t change it for the world! I love being out here!! I just told Hermana Wolfgramm that you said we look like an oreo and she LAUGHED so hard!! Ha she said that we´ll take an oreo picture and send it to you. I can´t beleive aunt Helens house is gone! Those pictures were crazy!! That is so awesome that Melody and Rhonda took pictures of Kennadi. That´s way nice of them! Ahh I miss my softball family! It makes me so happy that they have been so sweet to Ken. That´s hilarious that she didnt think she threw a good pitch. She´s a Gates haha. That ER trip sounds scary! I hope she´s doing better!! I bet things are a little chaotic with the change, but I know that you guys are all going to make it through! It´s just a great learning experience for us all. Don´t forget to put the Lord first in EVERYTHING. He wants to help you guys, but you HAVE to do things to show him that you have faith and love Him with your whole heart. Will you send me pictures of Jazzy and Gunner? My companions want to see what they look like hahahaha.... AHH Wendy Bassos cheesecake <3 Only cheesecake I like. Thanks for all of the pictures! Im not able to watch any of the videos because I cant download them. But the Pictures are awesome!! Thats so fun you go to see Riley up north. That´s awesome Reg and Had live so close now. I´m sure that´s been a huge blessing for you guys!! 

CCM is the best! Everyday we play volleyball with the Latinos and they are so hilarious. We are all best friends now. It´s so funny. They teach us spanish and it´s so great! Hermana Feiloaiga cant really see that good so a couple days ago one of the nurses here took us out of the CCM and we drove to an eye doctor to get her eyes checked! It was kind of scary because we were on the streets of Mexico and everyone was looking at us but I knew we were protected. :) It was kind of cool being out of the CCM though. Not everyone gets to leave this place ha! But I was definitely happy to be back! 

On Tuesday we had a devotional and my district and I sang in the choir! Such a cool experience! We sang the EFY medley! You know how much I love the spanish version so I was stoked when I found out we would be singing that song. I love all the devotionals we have. They are always so uplifting!

Oh yeah... Hermana Feiloaiga said that Ken is my look alike! and she also said that when she has a family of her own she wants to have one just like my family! I´ve showed her a couple pictures and she said we all look so happy and look like we really love each other! I told her we do hahah! Hermana Wolfgramm said pres looks so pretty and mature. I said, "I know!!!!" And they cant get over how pretty you are mom! They think you just a natural beautiful lady! I agree 100%

This week our favorite district left the CCM! My district was so sad! We would always at breakfast, lunch, dinner, sacrament meeting, devotionals... EVERYTHING with each other! We already planned on meeting up in St. George and having the Hermanas stay at our house and Elders stay at one of the Elders house in the other district after our missions!! I told them we could all go to Grandmas cabin in Pine Valley :) 

I freeze everyday here!! My district always makes fun of me for it. You would think that I´d be hot everyday but NOPE. I´m always cold!! Also, so I taught my companions some ab workouts and we do them everynight! I told them that you do like 500 sit ups everyday and Hermana Wolfgramm said, "Tell your mom that you are getting us into shape!" HAHAHAHA. Mi compañeras make me laugh so hard. We always have the best times with each other. 

So we started this thing called TRC where you teach someone outside of the CCM. We did this yesterday and we were all a little bit nervous! When we got to the Heber J Grant building they told us that since we had so many volunteers we would teach by ourselves the first lesson and then after we would teach as a companionship the second lesson! I was actually pretty excited! It´s fun getting to know people and asking them questions in Spanish. My spanish isn´t very good, but the lady I was teaching said she could understand me! That´s all I need!! But the lesson went really well! I taught the lady about the book of Mormon and Joseph Smith and it was just super awesome. The second lesson with my companions was the BEST though. There is a reason we have companions!!! The spirit was so strong in the second lesson. We were all in tears and I felt so much love and gratitude for my Father in Heaven. It was a growing experience for me and my companions.  

I feel like there is a whole lot more that I´m missing, but I don´t have very much time left to email!! I hope you guys know how much I love you and look up to you!! I cant tell you enough, ALWAYS PUT THE LORD FIRST IN EVERYTHING. He is always there to help you! He loves you all so much. Thanks for the love and support and prayers. I feel them! Have a wonderful week!! Love you all.

Love, Hermana Gates

Hola!

Mi familia!!!

Im so excited to email you guys! It was awesome to talk to you on Sunday. All of the missionaries couldnt stop smiling because we were soooo happy :) Well, i have some sad news... Hermana Rowle (The american companion who lives in Utah) had to go home to fix some things. I was really sad to see her go, but she says she is going to come back out in the mission field as soon as she can :) So yes. That means I am now in a trio! My companion Hermana Wolfgramm (shes tongan) and then my other compañera Hermana Feiloaiga (She is Samoan)!! I love them so much! They make me laugh so hard. Weve had so many good times here at the CCM. The Mexico CCM is BEAUTIFUL. Seriously, I always forget Im in Mexico because I dont really notice whats outside of the really tall fences that covers the CCM. Im actually really grateful for that. Yes, I see Elder Thorkelson everyday. We got a picture so I will send it to you after I send this email. I did get the package, but i havent gotten the letter yet. When did you send it? The food is okay. Like I said during our phone call, I really like the salad bar and fruit. The meat scares me sometimes.. but its fine! Ken! You are such a champ! Im so proud to call you my sister :) Kick that cancer out!! Thats so cool she got to play bingo over the TV. That sounds fun haha. Im glad Winston got to visit her again!! Love that dog. Im sure it made her really happy Youll have to send me a video of her pitching the first pitch at the BYU baseball game! She has so many people who love her! I feel so comforted being out here, knowing that you guys are all doing so well. Its so funny. When i was in high school taking spanish I would ALWAYS get headaches after class. I havent gotten a headache yet, its been a week and everyone speaks spanish 24/7. Blessings from the Lord!! Language classes are so great. Nuestra teachers know how to make the classes fun y entertaining. We get to go outside a lot to study el Libro de Mormón which Im VERY happy about. Teaching lessons in español es difficult. Ive realized these last couple days that it is impossible to teach without the Spirit. Gift of tongues is real. When me y mi compañeras have the Spirit we are able to teach and understand our investigadors. Its amazing. Our investigador Jorge said he would read the book of Momon and come to church with us and we are very happy about that. I know how to testify and pray in spanish. Sometimes i forget how to say prayers in english! haahah.. I really have to think about it. BUT I LOVE IT!! Its weird thinking that ive only been here for a week.. I feel like ive been here forever. haha. I cant wait to get to Mérida. One of counselors of the CCMs wife is the sister of my mission persidents wife. Does that make sense? HA I hope so. Its hot!! and not that humid. Kind of reminds me of St. George. We walk everywhere which im so happy about. Its prepping me for Merida. But.. they say Merida is 10 times hotter and SUPER humid. We went to the temple today! The temple is huge. It has escalators in it. So cool. But not that importante. The importante part is that I felt at home when we were doing a session. The temple is seriously the House of the Lord. They gave us headphones so we could hear everything in English. So that was nice. But the temple is very pretty!! It totally stands out here in Mexico. Hopefully we get to go a couple more times before I leave the CCM. FAMILY!! Go to the temple! It will bring you so much peace and happiness. You WILL feel at home :) That is my challenge to you for this week... :)Anyways, I dont want to make this email drag out forever, but I want you guys to know that I am SO happy!! Seriously. Things are going so good right now, and I know that Lord is looking after me and you guys at home. He loves us so much. We are so blessed to have the knowledge of the Gospel. WELL! Love you guys! Talk to you next week!

Love, Hermana Gates