Letter #3 LA LUCHA ES REAL!!

translation: the struggle is real!!

hola hola hola mi familia!!

happy happiest friday & p-day!! woohoo!! what a gloriously cold day it is up here in provo... how's draprer?? probably pretty similar. ha ha. we're so close - yet seem worlds away!! its crazy!!

anyway...

our last day at the temple as a district... I LOVE TO SEE THE TEMPLE!!! :)

oh. and i love my companion. jusss so you know!!! :)

this week was wonderful!! and actually flew by, surprisingly!! everyone says... the weeks feel like days, and the days feel like weeks. and i know its only my second week. but i can already attest to the truth of that statement!! its nuts!! but i kinda love it!! :)

sunday was the bestest day ever!! we had a devotional by Mary Ellen Edmunds... and she was hilarious!! seriously i was crying from laughing so hard!! one day i want to be that happy and joyful as a grey haired lady inspiring the missionaries to be the best they can be!! real talk - i was SO inspired! she called herself the "happifier"! and thats really what she was!! :) she said two great things that i just have to share cuz they are just so wonderful and they can apply to everyone!! not just missionaries...

-be of good cheer!! its not an option. its a commandment!!

-wickedness never was happiness - so righteousness never was misery!!

amen to that right!? dang! she really was so great!! then... we got a chance to watch an old devotion talk by Elder Bednar last christmas called: "characteristics of christ". and i dunno if you can look it up... but if you can... do!! it was life changing!! he is just blunt and  to the point and WOW!!! i love him!! the best thinig that stood out to me was...

-"we need  to learn of christ - not just about him."

anywho... so both of those inspiring hours definitely set my week off to be on the right foot!!

BUT... my spanish is still.... well... i guess you could say... its coming along. ha ha.

my poor companion. cuz whenever we teach and its my turn to talk - my broken spanish is filled with many thinking pauses and "umms" and "uhhhhs"... oops!! ha ha. too bad there isn't a word in spanish for awkward... what kind of language is this?? i use that word like everyday!! talk about buzz kill up in here!! ha ha.

we love the wonderful bus ride that takes us to the temple as well!! ha!! me and hermana hawkes.. love her!!! :)

i did have an amazing experience this week though that eased all my worry and doubt about my language... so every tuesday we teach at the TRC (the teaching resource center). where basically we teach members lessons. so its kinda awesome cuz their eternal salvation isn't on the line of my lack of spanish. its just more practice with the language and teaching! so even though we didn't have any planning time all that lifted pressure, me and Hermana Hawkes honestly gave the best lesson we have ever had!! it was SO wonderful!! we taught this little old spanish lady about the restoration and the book of mormon. and i can't explain it... but the spirit was SO strong!! ah!! and all i can say is... the gift of tongues is real. && the spirit is the real teacher!! when i was testifying about the book of mormon, all three of us started crying!! and all i was saying in translation was: "i know the book of mormon is true. i know its another testament of Jesus Christ. and i know if you read it, it will bring the spirit into your life." like so simple... but honestly!! the spirit was UNDENIABLE!!! the spirit was testifying of the truth!! it didn't matter if my verb was conjugated wrong, or i used the wrong tense... i knew what i was saying was true. and when i said that broken spanish with conviction... it was life changing!! i feel like ever since i've been less stressed about the language... i know it will come!! i know i can do this!! with the lord's help - anything is possible!! even Hermana Jordan Ashley Forte speaking a different language is possible!! ha ha.

me and hermana hawkes... were a little bit too much to handle. ha!!

the amazing hermanas in my district and our wonderful President Tyler and his wife... love them all!! :)

but yes... LA LUCHA ES REAL!!! aka: the struggle is real. everyday is a struggle. ha ha. thats kinda been our district's motto this week. kinda helps lifts our spirits when the language gets hard... because lets be real here. there's WAY more challenging things in life. but right now. exxaggerting helps us feel better as we struggle day by day to learn this language!! ha ha.

but yes. i love and miss you all so much!! thanks for always being so supportive and wonderful!!

Christ is the reason. our Heavenly Father loves us. this church is undeniable. && is the ultimate plan of happiness!!

xoxo.

love always and forever,

your missionary,

Hermana Forte

p.s. i'm gettin pics from like 12 other memory cards... so sorry for the email overload you're about to get!! ha ha. #sorrynotsorry

p.p.s. today was the last day to go  to the temple... sad day. its closed for the holidays!! so blessed to be able to go the days that i have had the chance to go though!! :)