Week Seven

Hola

I got my travel plans!!!! We leave next Thursday at 11 am and fly to Atlanta, Georgia. We have a lay over from 11- 4:40 and then it's off to Buenos Aries, Argentina!!!!! From there, we think we take a bus to Cordoba. Not sure exactly, but there will be someone there from the church to help us out - plus we have a group of about 12 going. Yesterday the Argentine Consolate came and signed visas for all the Americans. I had to go because of my companions and was bummed that I had to miss gym for it. But she was really nice and took our questions for about an hour and shared as much as she could about her country. She mentioned that Cordoba has the nicest Spanish and a really good chocolate bar with dulce de leche in it. We're all super excited to be going, but nervous because our Spanish still needs a lot of work. We've gotten very used to our teachers Hna Andrade and Hno Richards and can understand them really well but other people speak and it sounds like a different language. It'll come though and the fastest way to learn is to just be immersed in it. We had another sister move into our room which is kind of weird but it's only for a week. Thanks so much for sending the bag I love it! Plus I love wonder bars and mini eggs, good call mama. We've had some interesting learning experiences this week of really being guided by the spirit and then other moments of breaking the trust of our investigators. It's a learning process and I'm glad those bad moments have happened here in practice and not out there. I'm super excited to just get to Argentina and be with the people.I hope everything is going well.

Love Hna Potrie

Week Six

Hola,

I don't have much tiempo (time) so I'll try to hurry. Me and my companions are all healthy and well which helps us work hard and study. And don't worry I'm enjoying the yummy fresh pineapple everyday. The fall colors are beautiful here too. We've been watching them come down the mountains. Sounds like the pie business is booming which is always good to hear. And yes our teacher is with us the whole time Hno Richards and he speaks with the accent. We should be finding out in the next couple days our travel plans for Argentina. All of our district will go together plus some other districts going to Argentina. My Spanish is still not that great and it will be interesting once I step off that plane and fully into Spanish. And we actually apply all the Spanish we learn to help teach our practice investigators right now so we are definitely applying them to the investigators. And yes Sister Beck is the general RS president. This week we got to hear from Elder Richard G. Scott. He talked about personal revelation and it was amazing. I learn something everyday about personal revelation. Oh and "mas o minos" means "more or less". My time is short today but thanks for the emails. I'm doing great and know that I pray for you all daily.

Love Hna Potrie

Week Five

Hola!

Sounds like the pie business is rolling forth like crazy and Thanksgiving was enjoyable. What did the wedding cake look like? I'm glad to hear you are actually training the dog. I hope he's enjoying sleeping outside too. In my district we have 4 Elders and 3 Hermanas. From that group 5 of us are going to Cordoba on Nov 3 and 2 are going to Rossario on Nov 7. Which is sad because we are all super close. We calculated it and I've spent over 600 hours together as a companionship and the amazing thing is we actually get along. All the leaders always ask us how were doing and are shocked when we have nothing to complain about. I mean of course learning the language is hard but we're all in the same boat and just turn to the Lord more each day and press on.

My companion got sick on Sunday so we were again in our room studying for a long time. It's hard to focus in there for that long but I'm glad she was able to get some sleep and is feeling better. Sad news though we found out we're not actually allowed to listen to music at all while here at the MTC so our study music has stopped. It's hard but we're trying to be obedient. We also got to hear from Sister Beck this week and she is amazing. I had no idea she grew up in the mission home in Brazil and played missionary dress up all the time. She loves missionary work and shared the importance of bringing people unto the fullness of the gospel in the temple.

They finally turned the heat on in the building which is a huge blessing. It was cold not gonna lie. It tried snowing here last week and since then the mountains have been covered in snow all around us. I can't believe when I leave in a few weeks I'll be going to full blazing summer. My Spanish is coming along mas o minos. Well I should get going hope all is well with everyone.

Love Hermana Potrie

Week Four

Happy Thanksgiving!

I know it's a few days early but better early than late. Sounds like you're all getting together for a delicious turkey meal I can just imagine it. All the fall decorations half eaten on the table, mound of stuffing that everyone will take, the smell of delicious pumpkin and of course someone trying to snitch food before it's all ready. Oh wait that's usually me so I guess someone else will have to step up for me! Any takers? I can also see Mom crying as we all go around and say what we're thankful for. I guess I can't say Frank the turkey this year cause I won't be eating him. So I guess I actually have to come up with a real one. So I guess I would say (someone make sure mom has a tissue) I'm grateful to know I am exactly where I'm supposed to be. That even though it's hard to be away at times I know the Lord is blessing me and watching over all of you. I hope you guys have a wonderful time together.

It finally feels like fall here. The last couple days have been rainy and cold and it feels like fall. Once the fog lifts I wouldn't be surprised to see snow on the mountains. Oh and I LOVED conference! It was so amazing we all just stay here and watch it in the gym. There were so many good talks given. I really loved Barbara Thompson's talk and I can't wait to get the Ensign and read it all. Spanish is still coming a long. From day to day it doesn't seem to get much better but looking back to my first day I know it's improving. We do this language study program on the computer called TALL and it's really helpful but also really funny because the headphones are huge things with mics on them and I feel like I'm working for NASA. It's a great program to practice speaking and grammar. Some days we try to go all day in Spanish but we never make it. We usually talk a lot less and speak more in Spanglish than anything. I also love that we discovered the Youth site so we can listen to Church music while listening. It makes me super happy to just listen to music.

Well my time is up, happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Love Hna Potrie

Week Three

Hola!

Como estan?

I can't believe it's another week gone. So an update about what's been going on in the last week. Well my companion Hna Adair got a cold and so me and Hna Tourtillott got a lot more study time in our room. We might have gone a little crazy a couple of times from being cooped up. We discovered the pull up bar that exists in our hallway and now attempt everyday to do one. Maybe by the end of the 5 more weeks we'll get one each. I feel like my teaching is getting slightly better as I'm learning to speak from my heart and speak around the words I don't know. I'm always being humbled about how much I need the Holy Ghost to teach. We do this thing called TRC where we teach members that speak Spanish and we just practice Spanish and try to teach them a basic principle. This week was revelation through prayer and was a great experience. As members it's important to always to be receiving revelation and nourishing our testimonies. Yesterday we had to say good bye to 4 Elders in our class that left for the MTC in the Dominican Republic. We're super sad to see them leave because we've become like family but I know those Elders will do amazing things their testimonies are all rocks. Our class is so small now we only have 4 Elders and 3 Hermanas and we're all going to Argentina. One of our teachers Hno Richards served in Cordoba and promised to speak in the accent now that it's only us left. He demonstrated how they talk in the capitol of Cordoba and it's very sing song hard to understand.

Well I hope you are all excited for conference cause I sure am. I know the Lord will truly answer our questions through the words of the Prophets.

All my love and prayers,
Hna Potrie

Week Two

Hey there,

As far as life at the MTC things are busy. We study the Spanish language a lot so we can better teach people the gospel. And we study Preach My Gospel and the Book of Mormon a lot. Coolest thing ever we had Russell M Nelson from the Quorum of the 12 come and speak to us on Tuesday for devotional. Which is crazy because last week we had M Russell Ballard and the week before that they had Jeffery R Holland which I missed by a day. But still three weeks in a row for Apostles is pretty unheard of. We had a feeling something was up though because we each got a early edition of the new Ensign this month and it is all about the Book of Mormon and were told to read it before the Devotional and bring it with us. Elder Nelson spent the whole time teaching about the Book of Mormon. So not only do we have this amazing ensign we have the words of the Apostle to testify and teach us. He shared all sorts of information and I wish I could give it all too you. But please get your hands on that ensign it's amazing!!!!! That Book is one of the greatest tools as a missionary but it's also one of the greatest ways to come unto Christ and we can all benefit from reading daily from it. If you haven't read from it recently please pick it up and treasure the words that are written there and ask your Heavenly Father to receive that witness again.

To answer your questions mom we usually get gym time once a day except Sunday and P day. I usually like to run and play volleyball seeing as how us sisters aren't allowed to play soccer (futbol) with the elders. As far as favorite foods probably all the fresh fruit at breakfast or just all day. Or on Wed when the new missionaries come and we get BYU creamery ice cream. Oh and no I haven't see the Dow's grandson there is a lot of us here. They told us one day but I can't remember. Anyways I should run thanks for all your love and prayers. Know that I pray for you in Spanish daily my prayers might not be elaborate in Espanol but they come from my corazon.

Love Hna Potrie

Week One

Hey there,

I can't believe it's been a whole week here. I feel like we have long days and short weeks. It's been such an amazing experience thus far. The Spirit is so strong here. We describe it like a little oil lamp burning in us all the time on this campus and then there moments when it becomes an inferno and over whelms us. There have been many of those inferno moments while here. Sunday was an amazing day. In relief society the teacher shared her experience with learning a language for her mission and how she struggled, which is something I easily relate to. And she said how she constantly asked for the gift of tongues and thought that it would be more instant but than she thought about it and realized that she was being blessed with a different language the language of the spirit. Which is so true heavenly father knows my Spanish isn't great but he knows that if I can testify that I will allow the spirit to carry my words.

Oh and guess what we got to hear from Elder M Russel Ballard on Tuesday! He gave a great talk about remembering to teach simple truths. He was so awesome. It was such a surprise though because just the week before they had Elder Holland come speak. Afterwards we had a testimony meeting as a district which is made up of 11 of us 8 elders and 3 hermanas. 7 of us are going to Argentina and 4 are leaving early for the Dominican Republic. I seriously love all of them though. The testimony meeting was so great and full of such strong testimonies. Me and the other Hermanas are just so grateful that we got such amazing elders. They all have such great stories, testimonies and strengths.

My favorite thing we do as Hermanas to relieve stress is laugh. Hna Tourtillott is hillarious which makes me laugh which makes both of them laugh more it's a great combination. Just imagine me laughing and then saying si,he,he,he,he it's pretty funny. Well my time is up and I have to go but love you all lots and hope everything is going great.

Love Hna Potrie