One day in, and a girl in the bathroom looks at me and says, "I hear you're a good singer." I think by this point, I'd only sung one hymn with the 3-week Hermanas, so super funny, but you know. I didn't want to be like, "Oh yeah, I'm an excellent singer!" so I just said, "Yes, I've been known to sing a lot." :-) But then she asks me if I brought music. On a side note, thanks for the music Mama. I cried over that too because it was so sweet and loving of you. Anyway, she plays piano (like legit plays piano) so she wants me to sing sometime.
We actually have Sunday meetings for the Latinos, and a separate meeting for the Gringos. All our lessons are in English, but we have to speak, pray, and sing in Espanol. Crazy stuff. We have to prepare a talk every Sunday too for church, and President Hansen only tells us who is speaking after the sacrament is passed. But Sundays are so nice. I totally see why Ethan and Mark say that you just have to make it to Sunday. We have English lessons, no Spanish study, and it's just spiritual stuff ALL DAY!! It's awesome!
This week has been full of accents. First off, the missionary accent. I'll catch myself doing it, and I'm like, "Ughhh! Nooo!" So I watch myself as I speak, and always make sure to go down at the ends of my sentences unless it's a question, because that stupid accent is so real :-). And everyone else is doing it!
Also, the German accent, or just German in general. Seriously, all the time. When I can't think of a word in Spanish, the German word comes to my mind. Suddenly, I realize how much German I know. Like, a lot. This would be so easy in German, but maybe that's why I wasn't sent to a German-speaking mission :-). I even catch myself saying German words sometimes as a filler when I'm speaking, and I realize that no one can understand me. And I got a shout out from the pulpit! We took a survey the first day that asked if we had studied any other language and for how long. The highest year I could answer was 5+ years of study. So, I put that, and suddenly, everyone asks me if I'm the one that studied German for five years. And on Sunday, after the talks were given in Spanish, President says that the talks were so good, especially considering almost none of the speakers had ever studied Spanish, "unlike Hermana Kennedy, who took five years of German". Not sure how President knew that, but little does anyone know that five years doesn't even begin to cover it all! But I can tell that me learning German for so many years has helped already with Spanish. I can pick up words and phrases pretty easily, and I'm improving really quickly, plus it helps having some confidence from another language.
Also, the Latina accent. All of our teachers are Colombian, so when they speak, it's either in Spanish, or in English with an accent, so I've found that when I'm saying my prayers in Spanish, if I don't know a word and I say it in English, it'll be with the Latina accent. Like, you know how after you watch Sherlock or Downton Abbey, or some other British show, you think or speak to yourself in a British accent? Maybe that's just me, but that's what happens with the Latina accent. And one teacher said that I roll my Rs like a Latina, so you could say I'm pretty special :-)
So I've been practicing teaching, and my pretend church investigator is one of my teachers. Teaching him has really given me some insight into something: I'm a horrible teacher. I tend to throw information at someone, and I talk too much, and I don't listen enough. So, could you ask people to send me emails with tips on teaching or being a teacher? I need some serious advice. But Jaime (my investigator) is so patient, and it is interesting to experience teaching the Gospel. I suddenly feel like I don't know anything about anything, and it's a little stressful but also good. It's humbling, and it'll help me become better.
So, we got to go to the temple this week, and this week only, because the temple is closed for the next two months for maintenance! How lame is that? But interesting thing...the whole thing was in Spanish. ALL in Spanish. And I suddenly realized that I can't understand Latinas at all. Our teachers are speaking at a snail's pace for us to understand them. It was so hard, but the temple was beautiful, and we were there early, so we got to take lots of pictures. These Latino elders love us American sisters, and boy, they sure are flirty. Luckily, we can't understand anything they say, so that's an upside.
So, a funny "Why Eddie" moment. We have two non-whites in the Gringos congregation, so when we were talking about lineages on Sunday in a class with President, he says that he's pretty sure everyone is in Ephraim...except Elder Lopez and Elder Hawk. He then proceeds to ask them what line they are from, and granted, they are from Manassah, but I was just like "Why Eddie?"
It's beautiful how much I'm learning from the scriptures about being a missionary. In 3 Nephi 27:27, it talks about us being judges of this people, and it made me think of being a judge. A judge has to be unbiased and fair in their judgment, and that's how I have to be. I can't judge people from what I know, because everyone has their own problems. I'm so far from perfect, and I can't go into Ecuador thinking that I am perfect. I have to love these people for who they are, and for what they are...children of God. He is the ultimate judge, and He loves us all, no matter our imperfections. He wants us to return to him, because He loves us, and that's why He sent the Savior. The Savior and the Atonement were put into place as our chance to be redeemed and repent of our sins, and it's so beautiful to think about the sacrifice that was made by God. He sent His son because He loves us. I know that this church is true, and I'm so incredibly grateful for this opportunity to spread the Gospel to the people of Ecuador. I can't wait to spread the message of His love for them, and I hope I can love them the way He does.
I do love the Hermanas, and I'm so grateful that almost all of them are going to my mission with me!
I love you all so much, and I miss you, but I know that his is where I am supposed to be.
Con amo,
Hermana Kennedy
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