Special Experience

We had a really neat experience last Saturday, September 9th.   We got a call from the stake president. He started it out saying this is a very special call.   (I kind of freaked out thinking maybe we were getting some awful calling.) He then said he had just gotten off the phone with the Mexico CCM President.  President Hogge said at first when he saw the number on caller ID his first thought was "Oh no!  What is wrong?"  He said that the president of the CCM quickly let him know that this was a good phone call.  He then went on to say that he couldn't let Elder Snow leave without you (President Hogge) knowing what a wonderful young man Elder Snow is.  He has been an incredible missionary.  He talked about how he put you in a very hard district knowing you could handle it, and handle it you did.  He said you really helped those missionaries feel loved and taught them to serve as well.  He went on to say that the situation with a Brazilian companion would be hard on anyone but you were amazing at it.  President Hogge asked the mission President how many times he has made a phone call like this and the mission President said this is his second time.  President Hogge was so excited to call us and tell us this.  He really was so proud of you as are we.  The funny thing on Friday when I asked the mission presidents wife to take the picture (which I did say only if it isn't an inconvenience) she wrote back and said: "President Bennett said to tell you Elder Snow is our hero!!"  So within two days, we had heard wonderful things about you.  This was a very proud moment for us.  We were actually in the car about to head to Park City when President Hogge called us.  Dad and I both started to cry.  It was really touching.  I think President Hogge was pretty happy as well.  

Week 5 August 31-September 6

Hey Everyone

This past week has been crazy again, -no surprise.

Another member from my district had to go home early, it was a little hard to see her go. My district is extremely crazy and hardly ever focus, so I have to have a lot of patience. BUT they are so amazing. We’ve been going to the gym a lot and playing volleyball.

This last Saturday my Companion and I got the amazing experience to teach a real person from Mexico City. He is a member, it was such an amazing experience because he was deaf. It was such an interesting and amazing way to teach a lesson. Halfway through his wife came in so my companion and I would switch off between focusing on the husband and wife. He had recently become completely deaf randomly. As we testified of the gospel we shared a few scriptures to help strengthen him, but he strengthened us more. It was an amazing experience to share my testimony of resurrection and how I cannot wait to see my sister, Ellie, become perfect. It truly was such a special experience.

This past Sunday was amazing. I was able to bless the sacrament and bear my testimony. If you guys have not done family history, you definitely should it is such a rewarding experience. On Sunday I was able to find 15 names to bring to the temple. You should do it!

My companion is absolutely crazy. So, my mom put a picture of my cousin Kylie in a picture book and my companion saw it. He thinks she is really pretty and wants to marry her. (sorry kylie hahhahhaha) I found him one morning kissing the picture of her, I kind of flipped on him and was like ¡Wat da heck R U doing?! He hasn´t done it again because I hid it from him lol. But yeah that happened. Also, during dinner on Tuesday we had pizza and apparently Brazilians think barbeque sauce, mustard and ketchup are all great condiments to douse their pizza with. It is disgusting, BUT my companion ran around the entire comedor trying to get people to "convert" to eating mustard pizza. He even went to the CCM president and wouldn´t leave him alone until he tried it. I love my companion but boy he can be LOCO.

So that has been most of my week.

Love you all!

Elder Snow

Week 4 August 22-30, 2018

Hey Everybody,

BOY! have I been needing a PDAY, (16 days since last one).

Right after I emailed you guys, I walked into the room next door and found my companion Elder Motta, I started talking to him and felt like I just made the worst decision of my entire life. I understood less than 10 percent of what he said. I then found out he is from Brazil and actually speaks Portuguese, not Spanish, and I repeat not Spanish. This made me feel a little bit better to know I actually know some Spanish not Portuguese, but then I honestly felt like they made a mistake. BUUT, they didn't. Elder Motta is a hilarious 5'6, Brazilian with an awesome personality. He is easy going and super fun to be around! I'm super glad he is in my district and is My companion. He is hilarious, if anyone wears a floral tie he goes up to them and yells GAIII (because in Brazil only gay men wear floral ties, but 90% of the CCM wears floral), but funny enough he wanted one himself, so I traded him one haha (see pics). We communicate only in Spanish, pointing, and a lot of charades, I've gotten pretty good at it. So, watch out when I get back home.

 The first week of Latino District was horrible (okay not that bad) because it was a complete repeat of week one, just in Spanish. My new teachers are Hermana Madrigal and Hermana Garcia, I kind of miss my old teachers a lot still though.

My new district is

Elder Motta from Alajoas Brazil

Elder Reyes (same one) Cali

Elder Medina Cuautitlan Izcalli Mexico

Elder Cruz Pachuca México

Elder Cirne Puebla México

Hermana García Guatemala

and Hermana García Dominican Republic

It is really cool to meet all of these awesome people, I never realized how blessed our lives are in America. It is really awesome to see how our religion still has the same power in blessing every one of heavenly father's children in every tongue. I got called to be district leader again haha. So Elder Bednar talked to the CCM last Friday it was really awesome and spoke on how we must ask in faith and act in faith. It was a really awesome devotional and he described the Church as still restoring not restored. Also, keep an eye out for the temples to be announced in the upcoming general conference.

On Monday this past week, I had the awesome opportunity to give a blessing of comfort to one of the Hermanas in my district. it was in Spanish and I was super nervous, but after the blessing, she seemed to look calmer and the spirit was definitely there. it was a really awesome experience. Last night I was also asked to give a blessing to one of the elders because he woke up in the middle of the night and started dry heaving and felt awful we actually had to go and get the doctor it got so bad, it was a short blessing, but before it he could not sleep, and after he fell asleep an seemed to sleep really well. He felt well enough to go to the temple today and is feeling great now. I know that this gospel is true and that Heavenly Father does care about and protect us.

 The temple was absolutely amazing, I didn't lose my camera or name this time. It was cool to learn so many new things as well.

If you guys haven't studied Ether 12, I would encourage you to all do so it is an amazing chapter of the book of Mormon.

Over the last weekend I was really feeling the lack of being able to relax on p/day, the strain of 24-7 Spanish, memorizing 5 scriptures a day (what we are supposed to do and not what ends up happening) and being district leader. I was feeling pretty down on Monday and didn't feel much better until Tuesday when I had to give a BOM lesson in Spanish. Relying on ALMA 26 again, I taught the lesson and through it I came to realize that I had forgotten something. In verse 12 it says “my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God. 12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast-of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever”. I realized that I forgot that I’m not on my own, that I have, and we have the Lord by our side with his hand stretch out waiting for us to take it, for in Him there is strength. I know that this church is true and that God Love each and every one of his children. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen. ☺

That has basically been the last few days, I have loved my time here. One more week of training I can't believe I am on week five already.

Love You All,

Elder Snow

Week 2.5 August 9-17

Hey Everybody,

This week has been crazy as well, haha! I guess I`ll just have to get used to it. 

The Elder I talked about last week went home on Thursday, we`ll definitely miss him. Because this made a trio in our district, three elders had to move to a casa instead of the apartments. the apartment we were in felt really lonely, so Elder Baker and I decided to go ask if we could move rooms. The Brother we talked to said no, but luckily changed his mind on the conditions that we both 1) perfectly recite the missionary purpose in Spanish (pronunciation and all) 2) the apartment was already cleaned and checked by cleaning staff 3) move so that we don`t interrupt class and 4) TELL NO ONE. Luckily, I was able to do it and say arrepentimiento correctly. We had to wait till Saturday to move though because the cleaning staff kept forgetting to report it. 

Okay so if you are super sick and have to leave on a mission (first of all don`t get sick and second don`t come), call the travel office and let them know because literally a third of the CCM 200 plus kids have gotten sick including 5/7 of my district. there is a quarantine section in the comedor (cafeteria)!  It started with Elder Reyes then moved to my comp then to me and then the rest of the district. I stayed in the casa from Saturday to Tuesday. It sucked, it made it hard to stay focused on the purpose of a mission and made me homesick. I am doing a lot better now and not feeling homesick even 5% as bad. On Friday night I was lucky enough to go to the doctor, who I think really didn`t want to work anymore especially after having a 150 plus kids come in just that day. He asked me about my symptoms and then told me in broken English that he was going to give me an injection, little did I know that it would be in my BUTT.  It was so bad, my companion stared at me the entire time and it was literally the worst. Haha well that happened yes. During my time being sick I drew on a white board in our casa and also studied Jesus the Christ it was great to learn about the premortal existence and how symbolic stars are. 

Because everyone has been sick. I have been companions with everyone in my district minus the Hermana’s. 

So sad news, since everyone in my district is at an intermediate level of Spanish, we all are switching over to the Latino district. So, district 14b will die soon we are all so sad but excited to learn more Spanish. 

This past week has been awesome. I had a really special meeting reading chapter 26 of Alma. Coming on the mission is exactly what I need to do! Being a district leader has taught me so much of Christ`s love for each and every one of his children. I know God loves each and every one of his children, that He loves us so much he would have His Only Begotten Son suffer for each and every single one of our sins, in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen. 

FUNNY: Today we went to get visas, and a sister from my district totally got left behind for four hours hahahhahhah oops we all thought she was in the van. 

LOVE YOU ALL,

ELDER SNOW

Week 1 July 31-August 8

HI EVERYBODY!

Wow, I don't even know where to begin. The weeks really feel like days and the days like weeks. It is so strange to think that a week ago I was home in the USA. This week has been jam-packed with all sorts of events that have been spiritual, fun and just plain crazy.

So to begin, On Monday, got on the plane came to Mexico and we rode this CCM Bus to the MTC (in Spanish CCM). I was a bit overwhelmed with all the information they were throwing at me, so when I ran into Jason Schmidt.  It was nice to see a familiar face. That night I found out that my companion is Elder Baker. He is an awesome guy. He is from Sandy, Utah and was the SBO President of Jordan High School. After we put all our stuff together in the apartment, we went and ate “ehh” Mexican pizza (@Titan). The devotional for that night was intense. President Bennett asked the Sister in our CCM to talk about how men need to honor their priesthood. One of the Hermanas YELLED what she thought and it kinda freaked me out, being my first night and all.

The next day I met my entire district. Elder Lingard from Illinois, Elder Clark from Arkansas, Elder Price from South Jordan, Elder Reyes from La Habra California, Hermana Ferrell from Provo Utah, and Last of all Hermana Fenton from Emigration Canyon SLC. It is so great to meet all these people and to get to know them better. For breakfast, I tried this orange fruit called papaya and it literally tasted so bad.  I met my awesome teacher Hermana Vasquez. We had a lot of never-ending classes and workshops. At the end of the day, we met the branch counselor of my district, 14B.  We then were interviewed and then after they called me and my companion back, I was like shoot did I do something wrong? Anyways, they decided to assign me to District Leader, which took me by complete surprise, especially since I am the youngest one in our district. The rest of the week was a blur of classes and I met my new afternoon teacher Hermana Maldonado. My teachers really are so amazing.

During one of the nights during personal study here at the CCM, I was feeling slightly overwhelmed because I was having difficulty with the schedule and memorizing a scripture. Hermana Ferrell recognized the confusion and frustration in my face and came over to me with a scripture.  In Joshua chapter one verse 9, it explained that God would help whoever he asks to perform duties (i.e. missionaries.) This wonderful scripture prompted an amazing spiritual discussion within the district with all of us testifying how we had received a testimony that our call was of God. It really was amazing. It was cool to have a spiritual meeting without any adult, (besides ourselves) guiding us to have a spiritual moment. It was a great bonding tool for us.

On Sunday we had a really cool sacrament meeting and then proceeded to be lambasted about chastity and dress code. One of the Elders in my district felt the need to come clean about the mistakes he had made before coming on a mission in our second round of interviews on that Sunday. Right now, the Elder is pending on being able to stay in the mission field, and if so we will be sad to see him go. I already love him so much, and I know that we truly can repent of our sins.  That is what the atonement is for. I love all of my district so much.

Today I went to the temple and was able to go through the entire thing, but when I got to the veil, I realized I had lost the blue card and they wouldn’t let me complete the ordinance without it. Long story short the entire temple staff was scouring everywhere that I had gone and no one found the card. I really would lose my head if it wasn’t attached. The endowment session was ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL IN SPANISH. Also, before the temple, I was exploring the grounds and I realized I was running late to the session and had lost my camera because it had fallen out of my pocket. Luckily some Elders found it and looked through the pictures and realized it was mine.

This week I have surprisingly learned quite a lot more about Spanish. I still do not feel like it is super difficult. With our afternoon teacher, she pretends to be an investigator, and then we teach her. It has been awesome to do this and has helped me learn so many words about the gospel that I would never have known. I am so grateful to be going on this mission, because I have developed so many friends, felt the spirit almost 24/7, and have gained so much more mastery and been able to understand the scriptures better. I love my Savior Jesus Christ and I know that he is the way back home to our Heavenly Father.

Love and miss you ALL.

Love,

ELDER SNOW