Week Three In Guatemala

(Hermana Hannah is in the back row. She sent a picture of the Elders too. It looks like they have twice as many Elders. I guess all the missionaries there wouldn't fit in one photo.)

This week has been a long but wonderful one. The CCM doesn't feel like home but it's beginning to feel very familiar. I am surrounded by very wonderful loving people. I'm grateful for everyone in my District. I am beginning to understand the routine schedule that I follow every week. I think yesterday was the half way mark...some of the sisters were talking about it. Three more weeks and then I´ll be in Panamá. I want to share a couple experiences that I've had this week.

The first time I went to the Guatemala temple I noticed a beautiful white cloth in one of the rooms. When I saw it I thought to myself “That looks like something Grandma Carlson would have made.” A week later you told me that she had the opportunity to work in the temple here. Later after reading that email I went to the temple for the second time. While I was there I remembered that thought that I´d had the first time I came and I made the connection in my head. I don´t know if she actually made that beautiful decoration or not but the idea that she might have made me feel like I really was meant to come here and I felt like she is supporting me. The feeling was so overwhelming. I´m so grateful for family support from both sides of the veil.

I want to share a second experience that I had this week but first I need to explain a calling that I´ve received. I´m the music coordinator in the CCM. Basically I´m in charge of the special music numbers and anything else that they need me to do. I´m one of the only piano players in the CCM so my musical abilities are much needed. I wish that I had practiced more before I came out here but my knowledge of music is enough that I can help. I brought some music with me. One of the songs that I brought is the EFY Medley. Ever since I found out there was a piano here I was dying to be able to play the EFY Medley. [Mom editor’s note: it’s the combination of “As Sisters in Zion” and “We’ll Bring the World His Truth.”] I was having a particularly hard day last week and I prayed that I would be able to play this song. Amazingly there was time later that day and I was able to play it. That day my district decided that we just HAD to perform that. Once I became the music coordinator I had the ability to make it happen :D. So all of last week and half of this week has been focused around this song. Last night my district, combined with a Latin district performed the song during a devotional at the CCM. I was able to play the piano, and a Latino Elder played the Violin (The only instrument besides the Piano that the CCM has). It was amazing how it all came together. It was hard to figure out exactly how to put everything together  because both Latinos and Nortes were singing together and at first we were going to try doing it in Spanish and English (which did NOT work out very well because it sounded chaotic). So the Nortes ended up just translating it into Spanish. Some of them had a hard time with that because they felt like it didn't mean as much when they couldn't understand it. But last night when we performed the spirit was so strong and I know that it was meaningful to them. 

The devotional itself was absolutely amazing. The main speaker was President Mask, the temple President here in Guatemala. He shared some amazing almost unbelievable experiences. He emphasized that it is such a privilege to be missionaries, especially here in Central America. We are fulfilling prophecy (1 Nephi 15:14). The DL in my district reminded us of something that was said...I can´t remember who said it but it goes like this “You may not teach kings but you will teach people that have the potential to become kings.”

Another thing that was mentioned in the devotional was that you were called on your mission by a prophet of God. This is where you´re supposed to be.

This is where I´m supposed to be and the people here are who I´m supposed to meet.