All you need is a Mustard Seed: Houston, Texas ... here I come!

Hello everyone! It's been another wonderful week here at the Missionary Training Center. I feel right at home now. The new missionaries now refer to us as "the veterans." Ha, ha. I will be in Houston, Texas tomorrow! Isn't that crazy? I can't believe the day is already here, the day I get to be a missionary in public! The other two sisters in our apartment, Hna. Pinargote and Hna. McKnight, left this morning to Lima, Peru. It was so bittersweet saying goodbye. Elder Cruz left to Bolivia also and we all tried really hard to hold back the tears. It's like saying goodbye to your family, the one's you got comfortable with. It was really hard, BUT we took a lot of pictures which was amazing. I hope we can all keep in touch because the bond we shared while adjusting to mission life is a special one.

This week had its highs and lows as most weeks do. On Wednesday, we got to welcome the new missionaries into the MTC as Sister Training Leaders and Zone Leaders. It was really fun to teach them things we didn't know a week ago. I felt super official. I loved it and we made sure that they knew that we are always there for them. A lot of the new missionaries are going to Mexico, and some to California. They are all going to be great missionaries. One of the elders got put into the advanced district and he knew NO Spanish. He was so lost! Everyone was speaking in Spanish and he had no idea what was going on. Luckily, we got him out of the advanced class and put him in the beginning class. Phew!

On Thursday, we taught our TRC investigator, Maribel, her last lesson. It was also so sad because I really felt like we connected with her. We taught her the Plan of Salvation and she understood. She then started talking to us about problems she has had in her life and how it's been hard to deal with them. The Spirit told me to turn to D&C 121: 7-8 and we did. It was the PERFECT scripture for her. She loved it. Then we invited her to be baptized and she accepted! It was such a good feeling! We actually felt like real missionaries!

We have been enjoying ourselves a lot lately. All the missionaries refer to me as "bubbly." I don't feel like I have ever been SUPER outgoing. I have always thought my sister Mackenzie is the super bubbly and crazy one in our family, but I guess the mission has taken away my serious side. Everyone always says, "You're never mad, Hermana Sanchez." I AM A KITTY! (my mom will understand) I am never mad or annoyed. I am always happy. I feel like I even do things Mackenzie would do to make people laugh.

This week, we went to the Main Campus to get some things done at the travel office and I convinced about 20 people that I was from Chihuahua, Mexico because I spoke in broken English with a thick Spanish accent. One cashier from the bookstore even started teaching me English words. He told me that a "corbata" was pronounced "tie" in English, so I proceeded to say tiiiiiiieeee. He totally bought it! Of course later I told him I was kidding. He had actually believed I was from there! Elder Cruz has also been making up random Japanese or Korean words to trick people who are learning the language. He even has elders recite the First Vision to him so he can "correct" them, even though he has no idea what they're saying. It's so funny when they find out he's kidding, but hey, at least they're practicing. And what's a mission without some fun? I probably have a six-pack now from all the laughing we've been doing. At dinner I told everyone to sing "Happy Birthday" to Elder Lopez, even though his birthday isn't for a while. He was so embarrassed! Then other sisters joined in singing "estas son las mañanitas ... ." Good times here at the Centro de Capacitación Misional, or CCM.

On Friday I got sick, probably from shaking so many hands and being around so many people! I started coughing really badly in the morning and then my throat was killing me. I was crying in class because I felt so bad. Saturday we watched General Conference and I was feeling a little better, but Sunday is when it hit me. I was having the WORST sick day ever. A couple of elders came up to me after conference to tell me to feel better because they all knew I was sick! Ha, ha. It was crazy. Today I am feeling better. I have been taking some NyQuil and it's helped. I sure hope I feel better by tomorrow before I get to Houston! I used A WHOLE box of tissues ... oops. Ha, ha, ha. I saw Ashley Poelman, Matt Row and Andrea here at the MTC. I will attach the photos. It was so fun running into people I know. Ashley and Matt are from my Foothill Ward, or congregation back home in San Jose.

My favorite conference talk was given by Elder David A. Bednar, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As missionaries, I felt that we all related really well to what he shared for church non-members. We are NOT attempting to shove the Gospel down their throats, we are merely inviting them to come unto Christ and to learn and know more about Him. They focus a lot on that here at the MTC. If people reject our message, that's okay, we have done our job, and we have opened our mouths.

I know that the Savior lives and that He is grateful for His missionaries. I know God has prepared those for us to teach and it is our responsibility to be worthy to receive the Spirit to find them. I will talk to EVERYONE in Houston. I am so determined. I feel so dedicated to my Savior and I honestly never want to take off this name tag. I felt complete when I put it on, and I really feel that it allows me to see my full potential. I know who I am and I know my purpose: Invitar a las personas a venir a Cristo para ayudarlas a que reciban el Evangelio Restaurado mediante la fe en Jesucristo y su expiacion, el arrepentimiento, el bautizmo, la recepcion del Espiritu Santo y perseverar hasta el fin. The Church is true. There is no other way I can phrase it. I know it with all my heart and I feel the love the Savior has for all of you everyday. I hope that I can bring others unto Christ to allow them to feel the joy I feel from this Gospel.

Hope you are all doing well. Life is great as a missionary. You are all in my prayers.

Love,

Hermana Sanchez