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My name is Emily Lance and I am serving in the Texas, McAllen Mission. (June 2014-December 2015). My mom will be posting updates, letters, and pictures while I am on my mission.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

First Week in the CCM!

Hola!! (Spanish. I'm a master.)

SO much has happened the last week. I seriously don't know where to start.

Well, Mexico is incredible. I wanna explore outside the CCM real bad. but alas, I'm stuck in here. and I mean STUCK. There is like a ten-foot wall with like five feet of fencing on the top, complete with barbed wire, surrounding the perimeter. It's cool. haha.

It rains here everyday and is very green and incredible. When I say it rains everyday, I'm being completely serious. I have not gone a day here without a sick thunderstorm. Thunder and lighting and lots of rain and wet shoes every evening. Usually it's just in the evening, but sometimes it rains in the late afternoon too. It's amazing. (Shout out to Sharisa Nay).

Being a missionary is hard, guys. We all knew it would be, but MAN. really the hardest part at this point is Espanól. (just a fun fact. I got real excited when I figured out how to use accent marks on these Spanish keyboards. I'm a boss.)

It's just so frustrating when you're in a lesson and you know exactly what you could say to blow away your investigator, but have NO IDEA how to say it in Espanól. (I'm just showing off now with this accent mark action.) Seriously though. I'm pretty sure I would be out there bringing people unto repentance left and right at this very moment if it wasn't for Spanish. i'm not scared about bearing my testimony or anything, i just CAN'T. way frustrating. but it's ok! I've received SO much comfort the last week it's incredible.

last Friday we had our first lesson all in Spanish. ya. my second day of learning Spanish and all of a sudden I'm supposed to teach in it. HA. Anyway, everyone in my district was down and frustrated after that, so we had district prayer and started a fast. We fasted till dinner on Saturday. It was hard, but So worth it. 1 Nephi 3:7. just saying.

My companerá is great! As I said last time, her name is Hermana Sorensen. She is from Santiquin, UT. (spell check please.) She went to BYU for a year before coming on the mish. She's really nice! I'll tell you more about her later cause I literally have 3 minutes left.

This last week we had TWO general authority devotionals broadcast from Provo. the first was on sunday and was from Elder Scott. He talked about prayer and comfroted us so much it's insane. he even got up after the closing song, before the prayer, to give us a few extra encouraging thoughts to leave with. "God called you to succeed, not to fail." wow.

The second was on Tuesday from Elder Christofferson. AMAZING. He talked about the worth of souls. man. there's a C.S.Lewis quote he shared that y'all need to look up or something. It basically says that we are always surrounded by potential GODS. there is no ordinary person. How incredible is that point of view?? I'd say VERY. hit us real hard. In a good way.

Guys. everyone is so precious and deserves to reach their full potential. I can't wait to help people figure out their INSANE value and watch them receive the joy of this gospel.

i want to write so much more but I'm out of time. Sorry! There's simply too much. Just know that I'm doing well. Spanish is dang hard and i'm bottom of the barrel in that department, but I'm working hard and trusting in God that I can do this. After all, He wouldn't have called me to do this if I couldn't do it.

I miss everyone lots! Hug Oliver for me!! and each other. cause I wanna hug all y'all too. (I'm practically Texan already.)

Loves!

Hermana Lance

PS if anyone wants to be on my email list, just ask. cause I don't have many emails of people. (grammar struggs.)

The pic of me and "hermana mangum" is right after we put on our tags for the first time. We were freaking out, in a good way of course!



My companion and I




My AWESOME district






SEE WHY I WANNA EXPLORE???






Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Hermana Lance makes it to Mexico City!!

Oh Heyyyyyy.

So about a half hour ago, I finally arrived at the CCM!! (CCM is MTC in Spanish. fun fact)

Guys. it`s so gorgeous here. Mexico City is the largest place on earth, and is quite fantastic. It´s been raining since we left the airport forever ago. (forever=an hour).

I´m already all buddy-buddy with some of the missionaries, since we spent the whole day traveling together and enduring to the end. I haven´t met my companion yet, but her name is Hermana Sorensen and I´m going to rush off to dinner after this and hopefully find her real quick. 

My name tag is glorious. It feels so good to wear. I feel like a real missionary now. :) 

Win of the day: One of the elders traveling with us definitely placed a Book of Mormon while we were waiting to get off the plane in Mexico. 

Also, Lennon and I are in the same district and are thrilled. 

The rest of the day we just have registration junk, dinner, and then free time. aka unpack then sleeeeeppp. 

Well, I´ve gotta go get some sustenance or I may die, so I must go. 
I love you all so so much and miss you already! I´m incredibly excited for this adventure!

Bye for now,

Hermana Lance

PS My preparation day is Thursday. So... You´ll get my first legit letter a week from tomorrow. Cause tomorrow isn´t a Pday cause that would be silly.

PPS This keyboard is in Spanish so sorry if my apostrofies are accent marks. 
PPPS
I´m supposed to send my address and these words to you. 

Your Missionary's mailing addres is:
Sister Emily Danielle Lance
28/06/14 15-B
Carretera Tenayuca-Chalmita #828
Colonia Zona Escolar, Gustavo A. Madero
07230 Mexico, Distrito Federal
Mexico

The estimated departure date for your missionary is 28/06/14. The use of the
above address on all correspondence will greatly faciliate delivery to your missionary

at the MTC. Please don't send packages.