Loving Puerto Rico

Dear Family,

The District: Snow, Mason, Krout, Palmer, Christiansen, and Pezo

This week has been another great amazing week.  We have so much work to do here.  We had a district meeting with President Alvarado and he once again emphasized that we should focus our efforts on less-active work.  I think that is a great and wonderful plan and I am relieved that we now are commissioned to do this, because let me tell you the field is white.  There are so many members who have slipped through the cracks into inactivity and I think it the quickest and strongest way to build up the ward. There are so many GOOD less actives who just do not understand that they are NEEDED.

Another thing I like is that I have actually been in a ward more than 3 months.  I feel like I am growing really bonded with the members.  It is such a neat experience to have roots in an area.  I feel like I am a part of the Juncos ward rather than a visitor.

Highlights of this week was probably the Stake Primary activity.  Very Puerto Rican in many ways.  I was enlisted to play the piano for one of the portions of the programs.  Originally I was asked to just play two Primary songs.  These poor people know nothing about pianos or pianists.  They asked me 5 minutes before the program started if I could play the opening and closing hymn.  I assumed it would be from the hymn book.  Wrong.  Two strange primary songs I have never seen or heard of in my life.  I was completely sight reading in front of a huge crowd and those songs were weird.  Also it is important to note that they had set up the room so that the piano was behind the curtain.  That means I was basically in a separate room and had absolutely no idea what was going on.  The leader was so frustrated that I "couldn't keep up" with what was going on.  They were adding extra verses and tags and I couldn't even see anyone.  Thank goodness I had my companion to whisper "start now", 'end now", they're still going", etc.  It was an adventure but it turned out well.

I don't think I could ever emphasize enough that Puerto Ricans know how to party.  This Primary activity was MEGA and since we were not allowed to bring our car to Caguas we caught a ride with a member and were there to witness the entire affair.  It was sponsored by Banco Popular.  To begin there was a special bell choir that had been invited to play prelude.  Then there was a play with a spiritual message, then there was the Banco Popular mascot who did a show complete with them songs, puppets, man inside a giant sized bear costume, and outrageously loud music.  Then there was a professional family band who played typical songs of Puerto Rico, then there was a safety demonstration by the firemen, (all throughout this indoor portion of the program adult were throwing free coloring books, crayons, cookies, juice, and candies provided by Banco Popular)  All of this took about 3- 31/2 hours and then we began the outdoor portion.  There was a massive blow up slide, a huge barbecue, and of course the fire truck.  Puerto Ricans know how to party.

Helping Christina paint her room

Our investigaor, Christina is doing really well and I absolutely love teaching her.  She is extremely intelligent and eager to learn.  She reminds me very much of Ashely.  I feel like I am teaching one of my best friends.  I really feel grateful to be provided to opportunity to teach her and get to know her. 

I am so grateful to the Lord for my companion and all of the things I have been learning from her in the last weeks.  The Lord had brought me very, very low but it has opened my eyes to so many things and I can feel my entire approach and composition as a missionary change.  Everything is so much more human.  I am probably the most relaxed I have ever been on my mission.  I am so grateful.

The time is short, but I love you and hope the best for you all.

Hermana Palmer

PS. The cockroaches in our house are dwindling in number.  I am very relieved. 

Going out to eat with Ilia

That is a ton of meat

First letter, Sept 29, 2009

Dear family and friends,

First off, happy birthday to Dad. I hope you enjoyed your birthday present! I thought it very fitting!

Well, the MTC is definitely a direct branch from the strict rules of BYU. One of the first sentences directed to me were, "Welcome Sister, you need to wear nylons." The MTC is so emphatic about rules it is overwhelming. They list so many things that you can and cannot do, that I couldn't keep track at first. But looking back, I was planning on doing all those things anyway, so I shouldn’t have even worried about it.
One of my favorite things to see here at the MTC is the many victims of gym time hobbling around campus. You would not believe how many crutches and casts are here as a result of aggressive gym time. I am more than happy to just stay on my elliptical and stare out the window at the beautiful mountains.

I initially had two companions. One, Hermana Lindquist, recently tested out into advanced Spanish. She had studied Spanish for 6 years (2 in college) and she also did a service abroad project in Guatemala. Wow, language is her thing. She is very talented and she can conjugate like I have never seen. We are all very happy that she was able to move, but we will miss her because she was very sweet and peaceful. Now Hermana Erickson is my only companion. She is from Boise Idaho (not the farming side of the state, as we are often reminded). She was formerly the cheer captain at her school. She is very fun and friendly. I admire her because she is able to talk to people and meet people so easily. She is the typical high school Spanish graduate, along with the rest of my class. She knows a lot more than she thinks, but she is afraid to speak. I am trying to help her with her confidence.
I love my district. It is like having 15 younger brothers (we are officially the largest district in the MTC since we have 17 missionaries compared to the usual 10 or 11). They are definitely YOUNGER brothers. Often they do strange things. But generally they make me laugh so hard. I am fond of all of them and proud that they decided to come on a mission. One Elder is from Gilbert and he was good friends with Kevin Curtis, Steve Frost, Casey Peterson, Ali Kerr, etc. It nice to indirectly know someone! It seems like he is eager to become friends and strengthen those Mesa ties. Life for the Sisters is very different from the Elders. To get to our hall there are 3 check points where you have to swipe your card to verify that you are a sister, not an Elder. Life is pretty strict on the two floors of the building where ALL of the sisters live (6 per room!) We hear crazy stories from the Elders about toga parties and Samoans who eat all of their food.
I love studying Spanish! I forget sometimes how beautiful that language is. But, in the evenings my mouth gets sore from using the different muscles, just like it did in Chile. I am good with the accent and fluidity, but as we all thought, I stink with conjugation. Usually I am right when speaking, but I CANNOT write. There is a tutor here there and I am hoping that she can help me finally see how conjugation is supposed to work. (Something all my other teachers could not do)

At the MTC, Satan is hard at work. I have had SO MUCH trouble sleeping at night because of worry and stress. At the beginning I was having so much trouble (yes, mom I tried Tylenol PM) that I decided I had to see my branch president. What a powerful testimony of the priesthood! I was unsure if he would be able to help me because he doesn't know me at all. But as we talked he knew exactly what I needed to here. He reassured me that it was acceptable for me to be here, despite the fact that I never felt a specific calling from the Lord and promised me that those that I love will be blessed because of my service. He also recommended that I get a blessing of both health and comfort. I asked my district leader if he would be able to do so. He is a faithful young man and it was so inspiring to see the true power of God to work through such young and inexperienced men. It is not to say that things are not still hard, but I have directly felt the blessings of the priesthood. I know that this gospel is true and the Savior knows and loves each of us personally. I rejoice in the opportunity to feel His love!

I love you all, but my time is SHORT!

Hermana Palmer