Week 4

Hola everyone

Another week down, and it has almost been a month! thats crazy! I am still really enjoying the MTC but I am ready to go to Chile even though I dont know nearly enough Spanish as I should. One exciting thing that happened this week was that I got really sick, It only lasted for about a day and a half. It was some sort of stomach flu that has been going around. I was too sick to go to class so my companion and I just stayed in our home and I slept for most of the day. The next day my companion and I were teaching a lesson to our teacher for practice and she asked how I was feeling. I said "Estoy mujer" She and my companion started laughing really hard and it took me a minute to realize I just said I am a woman, what I meant to say was "Estoy mejor" which means I am better, it was pretty funny.

     The spanish is still coming along well, I am starting to forget how to spell some words in english. and the spell check for the computer is set to Spanish so everything I type is underlined in read and I cant tell what words I actually spelled incorrectly. I have been re-reading the book of mormon and Im in Alma, reading about the nephites and lamanites really makes me want to go back to some ruins like we did in Cancun Mexico, We should all go again after my mission. Sorry I dont have a lot of pictures, there is not a lot of interesting stuff in the MTC. Once I get to Chile I will be sure to send some more.

Love you all

Week 3

Hey everyone! It has been another awesome week. The weather is good but it rains most days in the afternoon. Nothing too crazy happened this week but President Tenerio who is the president of the CCM spoke and it was such a good talk, he was super funny. We still play soccer everyday, I think Ive played it more these past 4 weeks than I have my entire life. I dont have much to say this week other than I really want to be in Chile right now. I still havent received an email from Jeff and Jen so someone should tell them to write me. I love you all and I will try to get more pictures to send next week.

Week 2

Hey everyone! Ive made it another week in the CCM, the days are going by really fast now which is nice. I really enjoy reading all your emails so keep em coming, but I dont have Jeff, Jens, Brian or Erins email, so if one of you could send me theirs or just tell them to email me that would be great.

This past week has been awesome, I definately feel Im improving in my Spanish but it is still a little hard for me to fully understand what other people say when they speak. In one of our district devotionals this week one of the sisters was assigned to give a spiritual thought and she read a poem titled ''the Race'' I think, but it was a really cool poem, It was about a boy who was running in a race but he tripped and fell multiple times, but each time he got back up and kept going, He finished the race in last place but the crowd cheered as if he got first, this really helped me understand that even though we fall, all that matters is that we get back up and keep trying. Another real cool experience I had this week was when me and my companion were teaching the fake investigator, it was the last day we had to teach this particular investigator so we decided that we should give her the baptism invitation, so we did and she said yes, I got so happy when she agreed, and then I bore my testimony in spanish as best I could, I felt the spirit so strongly while bearing my testimony which was really weird because I didnt think I would until I was teaching actual investigators. Even though the investigator wasnt real the feelings were real and I have never felt that joy I felt when she accepted to be baptized.

     We also learned about TRC this week which is where REAL people who are nonmembers get to come into the CCM and we get to teach them. This freaked me out a little bit because I dont want to say something wrong and offend them or something like that. But I think it will be OK. 

     The past few nights, there has been a party going on right outside the CCM wall, and it goes until like 3 in the morning.

     Yesterday, we had a class about stress as a missionary and how to manage it, but I havent been very stressed out yet. It helps a lot to have fun companions that I get along with. We also had a Devotional last night and Elder Helaman Mantejo from the seventy came and spoke. He gave a really awesome talk, the devotionals have been my favorite part of the CCM so far. 

     Thats about all that I can remember that happened this week, all the days blur into one because each day is so similar.

      I love you all so much, and I hope to hear about all the things that are happening while Im gone.

Week 1

Hey everyone! I made it safely to the MTC or CCM in Spanish, please email me if you already havent so I can add you to my email contacts. Anyways the CCM has been great, my roommates are awesome, their names are Elder Hair and Elder Hendrix and my companion is Elder Burnett. Two of them are from Utah and the other one is from Texas. Elder Hair is really funny, and super tall. My companion sings a lot, I still love him but Im pretty sure there is a scripture that says there is a time and a place for everything. Now I know what Curtis meant when he said the first week feels like a month, the days are going by faster and faster though. I already broke one of my belts I didnt think I would gain weight that fast. Speaking of which the food is really good, and I havent had to use any Tums yet so that is good. Spanish is coming along pretty good, it is hard and we have to study a lot but I definitely have felt the influence of the Gift of Tongues. I have seen Curtis a few times and I saw Tyler yesterday. Its wierd being in here and not knowing anything that is going on in the world, but I think that is for the best. This past Sunday was fast Sunday and I think it was the first time I had fasted for 24 hours but it was pretty amazing, my companion and I also blessed the sacrament in spanish which was really cool. Also, we watched Meet the Mormons Sunday evening, it was so funny when they announced that we were going to be watching it because everyone started cheering and clapping. Its hard to remember what things happened on what day because each day is so similar it just all blends together, but one day we listened to a talk by Elder Bednar and it was an incredible talk, he talked about how a testimony is not enough, we need to be converted to Christ and God and if we are truly converted we cannot fall. Prayer is a big part of my schedule, we have personal prayer and companionship prayer all throughout the day, we wake up around 6.15, shower and then do personal study in a classroom from 7 to 7.45. eat breakfast, gym time, more classes, lunch more classes, dinner, then planning. We teach an investigator everyday, not a real one, its just role play thankfully, but the feelings we feel when we are teaching are real which is important. Every Tuesday we have a devotional and yesterday Elder Anderson was speaking at the Provo MTC but it was being broadcasted to MTCs around the world, and one thing that I have been noticing is the testimonies of the apostles, they use the word witness, so next time you listen to a talk by a general authority pay special attention to their testimony. Wednesdays are my P day so that is when I get to read and write emails, and today we are going to the temple which im really excited for. The two things I would like but dont necessarily need are nike sports socks for gym and a new belt. Well, I only have an hour to write and read emails and my time is almost up, I wish I could keep writing. I think I am going to do just a family email so I can write all of you at once. I love all you guys and Im excited to hear what has been happening outside the 10 foot walls of the CCM. Hasta Luego!

Called to Serve in the Santiago South, Chile Mission

 God Speed!

Setting Apart

Tonight Colby was set apart by President Evans as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Here are some photos of the wonderful evening.