Demoted

Heyyyyyyy,

You're going to have to forgive me for my negativity. This week has been one of the hardest my whole mission. I don't like my area. It's huge (we cover up by the airport in Barajas area, over to Plaza de Castilla, down to Gregorio Marañón, over to Canillejas and everything in between) and there's not very many Latins.  Spaniards, just aren't very open and they never give us their numbers. We live in Mar de Cristal and it takes a million hours to get anywhere so we spend half our day in the metro. It's really really exhausting. I feel like crying every night when I get home, but I just don't have any energy left. It's so hard to be here. I feel discouraged and disappointed and I'm not happy. I wake up every morning looking forward to 10:00 when I can go home and sleep. I realize it's only been a week, but it's been the longest, most draining week ever and I don't think I'll survive another 5 weeks like this, but we'll see.

On a happy note, I really like Hermana Manner. Misery loves company, right? Neither of want to be here and we feel like we've been demoted to B4. Things were happening in our last areas - we left baptisms, families, improving wards, and companions who we felt like needed us. But all the time we're spending in the metro has let us get to know eachother and that's cool. She turned 20 Tuesday, but she's so mature and seems to have life figured out. I like her a lot and it's making being here a little bit easier. 

Today when I got to emails I had this little gem from Hermana Marshall waiting for me. We only spent 48 hours together in an intercambio, but I love her a lot and she always says just the right thing at just the right time. She went home in April and I miss her, but THIS is exactly what I needed...

''The plan is so real and so simple. We are Children of GOD, blinded by the darkness of a fallen world and often forget it. Satan does ALL he can to tell us we suck, we are lost, we don't matter or even that God isn't there and doesn't care. BUT God and His mighty power, grace, mercy and all knowing wisdom does all He can to bring us back to Him. You are part of that MIGHTY force, cause you are connected to the powers of Heaven more than you could ever believe. God has been preparing hearts and the perfect timing, so that his children you come in contact with this week will feel his love and have a greater understanding of their Father in Heaven. CALL DOWN THE POWERS OF HEAVEN IN ALL YOU DO. Do all you do with greater purpose because there is not a second of your day that the Lord is not aware of. Walk every step with a deeper understanding of the great plan of the universe. Be better than you have been, pray harder than you have prayed that you will be able to have clear eyes and an open heart to where the Lord is guiding you!!''

I know my negativity and feelings of discouragment, doubt, and disappointment come from Satan. I know that he wants me to give up and that he wants me to fail. I know that it would be easy for me to give into those thoughts and to just lay down and quit, but I also know that Heavenly Father is aware of me and that He put me here for a reason. I know that there are people here in B4 (though they seem to be hiding) that God has prepared, that are ready to hear the gospel and my testimony and that they need me. So even though it's hard, I'll keep going.

I'll leave you with one last quote, this one from Brigham Young... ''All intelligent beings who are crowned with crowns of glory, immortality, and eternal lives must pass through every ordeal appointed for intelligent beings to pass through to gain their glory and exaltation. Every calamity that can come upon mortal beings will be suffered to prepare them to enjoy the presence of the Lord. Every trial and experience you have passed through is necessary for your salvation.''

I love you so so much. With the week I've had, the news about Charlie, and Conner leaving next week, I really just want to be with my family. I hope you know how much you guys mean to me and that without you, none of this would mean very much. I'm grateful for the plan that our loving Heavenly Father prepared for us so that we never have to doubt that forever together is possible.

Love,

Hermana Munden

Have I mentioned I hate transfers?

Hey peeps,

Well, this morning I said goodbye to Pavones. I was so sure that Hermana Heims and I would be staying together in Pavones for another transfer, but Heavenly Father had something else in mind. Hermana Heims went to Cuatro Caminos with Hermana Caballero and I'm in B4 with Hermana Manner. I don't even really know where this area is. Close to the airport I think. Remember how I was super depressed when I had to leave Leganés and come to Pavones? Well I was finally happy there and now I'm majorly bummed to leave. I love Hermana Heims a ton and we did so well together. Oh wellllll. Hermana Manner is from Idaho and has been out 5 months. She visa-waited in Provo for a little bit too, so that's one thing we have in common. We're opening this area for hermanas so we're starting from nothing. It's gonna be a lot of work, but that's what I'm here for right?

my shoes you sent me a few months ago... completely broken 

This last week was pretty awesome actually. Fátima and Luna just make me so happy. They were our little miracle this transfer and I'm so grateful for all the moments I've had with them.

me with my sweet Fátima and Luna

Fátima is opening up and she's excited for her baptism. We have really spiritual lessons with her and she's just so so ready! And little Luna... She loves her version of the Book of Mormon and she loves praying. She looks up to Fátima so much and she learns so quickly! I'm gonna miss them a ton.

Wednesday morning was the temple and it was so wonderful. It was a really good session and I liked seeing the whole zone before I had to leave. Hermana Stepp has the pictures on her camera, so I'll probably get those to you next week. Also on Wednesday I FINALLY got my package. Thanks for that. It's been super wonderful.

Thursday we taught Belén the plan of salvation. I love her so much. She's finally warming up to us and I like being able to have more of a relationship with her. When we got to the Atonment I asked if she knew that Jesus Christ suffered for her. She said, ''Well yeah, I mean He suffered for everyone right?'' And I said, ''But do you know that He suffered for you specifically? Like do you know that if you were the only person on the planet He still would have done it for only you?'' She thought about it for a second and said, ''If that's true, that's really really cool.'' I love telling her how much she's loved and how much she matters to God.

Belén :) 

After Belén we went to the church for correlation and Noche de Hogar. The man who was in charge of it didn't show up (things like that just don't happen in the States) so they asked us to do it. We thought really hard for like 1 minute and decided to talk about the hymns. We read part of the First Presidency's prologue and talked about the importance of good music. Then we divided the room into 5 groups and had them each pick a hymn and when it got to them they had to tell us which verse they liked best, the message it taught, and then we sang that verse. It was really cool. It made me think more about the words I was singing and I really felt the Spirit. If no one else liked it, I sure did!

Friday was Mom's birthday! Don't think I forgot! I wrote it in my planner and everything, so I hope you had a really good birthday! Friday wasn't very productive cause a lot of people failed us, but the best part of it all was the JAS dance.

My JAS: Alex, Ricardo (I don't know his last name haha but he's a missionary now!) and Arturo

Jaime, Fátima, Lucero, Renzo and María came! Everyone but María was being super lame and nobody would go dance, but eventually I got Fátima and Arturo dancing together and then by the end of the night she even asked Eduardo (my recent convert Eduardo) to dance!  JAS dances here are nothing like they are in the states - they're so much better! They play songs that are on the radio, but most of the music is like salsa and meregue and bachata, and all the Latins get up and move. They're so dang good.

Saturday after English class we had our meal. Not very many people showed up, which surprised me, but it was okay because we had the perfect amount of food. The 4 of us made spaghetti and it was bomb. Elder Cataldi (the Italian) came and he gave it a 7 out of 10. And hey, from an Italian, that's pretty impressive. Anyhow, it was really fun. Later that night we watched the ''The Work of Salvation'' broadcast with the ward. We announced it at church the week before and even divided the list of members between the 6 of us so they could each get a personal invitation, but only 25 people came. Our ward has 250 members. It was a little disappointing. But all the leaders chastized everyone on Sunday about not coming, so it was okay. Haha and they're gonna show it again this coming Sunday.

Church was SO GOOD! We had 6 people there! That's more than I've ever had come while I've been here. We had Jaime, Fátima, Luna, Lucero, Renzo and Nicolás. Jack taught Gospel Principles and it was awesome. Jack is British, but he's lived here since he was 7 so if you close your eyes and listen to him he sounds like someone straight from Andalucía. But then when he speaks English, it's super beautiful too. Haha anyhow, his class was awesome. He served here (in B6 actually) a couple of years ago and the way he connects with the people is really incredible. I wanna be more like that. He talked about missionary work and it was good for our investigators to see what we're doing and why we're doing it. Then in sacrament meeting I bore my testimony because, well, I was leaving and I wanted to say goodbye. 

It was hard being in B6 - mostly because of the ward. But now that I'm gone I really miss it. I miss my companion and Hermana Smith, I miss the really awesome families that fed us and invited us into their homes, and mostly I miss the people we taught. It breaks my little heart that I won't be able to be at Fátima's baptism. She was so sad yesterday. I told her a million times that the message is the same, even though the messengers are different. That didn't really help though. I love her a lot and I hope the elders take good care of her and her family. I hate saying goodbye.

Us with Belén

I'm trying to be positive about this new transfer, but it's a little tough. I don't know anyone or anything. I feel way out of my comfort zone and like it's going to be hard to gain the trust of the members. But maybe there's a lot of things I need to learn and this is the only place that I can do that right now. 

I hope you guys all have a good week! I miss you. But I'll be seeing you really soon.

Love,

Hermana Munden

P.S. My new address is:

Hermana Munden

C/ Macuaje 9, Bº Izquierda

28033 Madrid

España