Halfway there!‏

ohhhHHH LIVIN ON A PRAYER! Actually, more like 500 prayers. We never stop praying here! But yes, as of today I have less than 3 weeks until I fly to Chicago! Craziness!

Thanks to everyone who sent me emails on the carepackage! It helps me out sooo much! I love having a physical copy too. keep it up! It really lifts my spirits. I also respond faster that way. haha. I can recieve them any day of the week. 

I am mourning the loss of my favorite purple pen that has been with me these 3 weeks. RIP.

The Easter Devotional we had was so good! The man who was leading the music was my Institute teacher at UVU Bro Eggott. Chance, Mary, Angel, Rachel, do you remember him?

It feels like I´ve been gone for months! And yet, this past week has flown by, at least compared to the previous week. I am learning a lot and definitely excited to get into the field. But not ready! 

The roads here are lined with tall trees completely covered in purple flowers. You can´t even see leaves, though they are there. It is beautiful. I think Great Grams (Stores) would really like it here. Though the flowers stick to everything, which can get annoying. Still very beautiful.

My schedule is very busy but very good. we are awake for 16.5 hours. approx. 3 hours of study, 5 of Spanish, 1 of gym, plus meals, planning, teaching lessons, devotionals once per week, etc..

This is my last normal P day because for the next two weeks we get to go to the temple! And then I´ll be in Chicago by the following Monday. I am really going to miss the yogurt drinks here. I love thim with all my stomach.

My compañeros and I are on a no dessert diet until we leave the CCM becaause they serve so many desserts here. It has been hard but good. I might continue it after but probably not. haha 

There is an Hermana Kendall Clawson in my Zone. Emily, Ethan? A relation maybe?

For gym we play volleyball, or run, or frisbee, or run, or basketball, or run, or ping pong, or run. My compañeros love running. 

A suggestion to all those who will be serving a mission: DO YOUR SCRIPTURE MASTERY. Seriously. I didnt, and I´m kicking myself for it. It´s so helpful! My Compañero Hmna Leavitt is pro at it and we ask her 20 times per day to find stuff for us. I will be lost without her. 

Hmna Schaffner was having a rough time after one of our lessons, because she struggles with understanding Spanish when people speak. She got a priesthood blessing from Elder Wilson, our District leader. It was so powerful because it was his first time giving a blessing, but the spirit was so there. It helped me too, because I was frustrated with memorazation which is my main weakness here. It brought peace and confidence to our companionship. Yay for the priesthood! 

Tell Ethan Silva and Sis Silva Hi from me and Elder Thomson, who not ony was on my plane but is in my district! So crazy that they were neighbors. He is a great missionary. 

We did TRC this week and last week, where we teach a real life person from the outside world of México. It is so fun! They are usually members, around our age or younger. Their spirits are so strong and their testomonies show in their faces! I love it. And it is great Spanish Practice! I can usually understand them, just not allways respond correctly. I´m learning! 

We watched a devotional from Elder and Sister Nelson on Sunday, it was so powerful. I love our Apostles. I can´t wait for conference! We have been excited all week. I hope we get to watch it in English...

The church is true you guys. It is so true and if you don´t know it yet, find out! i promise it is worth it. I love you all. Til next week!!!

love,

Hermana Hokanson

More Pics!

Queremos vivir sin la culpa del pescado! ;)‏

Do you get my joke? Yeah, my teachers didn't think it was funny either!

Hello all!!!! What a week! 

I apologize for spelling errors. Like I said, no English spell check here.

So sorry to all those I haven't responded to. please send your emails (even if you have already sent them) to the carepackage email in my previous email (letter@mtcmexicocarepackage.com

subject line: Hermana Alyssa Hokanson District 5B)  so I can read them throughout the week and respond Thursdays. That would help me out so much! I love hearing your stories and all about your lives.

 

This pic is from the airplane.

 ​These are my compañeros! Schaffner, Hokanson, Leavitt left to right.

Hmna Schaffner is going to McAllen Texas and is From Wyoming, Hmna Leavitt is going to Oklahoma City and is from St George. We fast every Domingo(Sunday) for El Don De Lenguas as a companionship, and we read El Libro De Mormón and sing a Himno each night before bed. I love my compañeros! I am so lucky to have them. 

Our whole district wore green for St Patrick's day, and it's tradition that we all wear stripes on Domingo is a district from our zone is leaving that week, so we did that as well. We also got treats from another district in our zone for surviving semana uno!! 

We went to the temple! And yes, it was in Español. Except for part of it we got translating headphones. But not the part where we talk! That was weird but super cool. Elder Cook's talk was amazing and powerful and spiritual. I loved it. My favorite part was when he said "you are the message" and it's true! As members of the church everything we do sends a message of what we believe. so send a message of peace, love, and the joy of the restored gospel. Because it is what this world needs! 

We joined the CCM Choir. we sang the EFY medley and Praise to the Lord the Almighty- both in Spanish. It  was so powerful! We watched A Rare Possession: the Book of Mormon and all the Easter videos made by the church. I highly encourage you to go watch them! They are great! 

The weather here is a lot like Utah- hot cold hot cold hot cold hot. So pretty familiar. ;)

One thing I've learned is that personal study isn't personal anymore. It is all for the investigators! I never was very good at scripture study before my mission, but now I crave it. I wish I had hours to read for myself. But those hours are now for the people I will teach, which is the  way it should be. You guys should read Alma 26:3, 12, 17, 37 and Alma 30: 34, 40-42, 44

Tell Christopher Hurtado thank you for his Spanish lessons! They have helped a lot since I've been here! 

Awkward moments at the CCM:

Looking up from your meal and awkwardly making eye contact with an elder you've never met, neither of you knowing what to do, and looking away quickly.

forgetting your name tag.

getting way too much of something new at the cafeteria, realizing it's a weird Mexican food, and getting a new tray of food. 

Always mixing up Pecado and Pescado. 

Accidentally calling Elders "Bro". I do this a lot. 

Here are the elders in our district: Wilson, Wise, Thomson and Brown left to right. 

Here is our Easter gift to you! In Jesus Christ I have found new life! #Hallelujah

Teaching is fun and very difficult! But Almost completely in Spanish which is ridiculously cool. I am learning so much! 

Love you all! Share the gospel whenever you can! You will be blessed!
​Hermana Hokanson

Week One!

Hola! Como le va?

I hope everyone is doing well! . 

First things first. If you want to send me a letter, don't. Instead, send an email to this email and they will print it off for me that day I think.

letter@mtcmexicocarepackage.com

subject line: Hermana Alyssa Hokanson District 5B

My flight went really well. No, it's not very humid here. But still more than Utah. I love it. 

I have so much to say and so little time! I am in a trio with Hermana Leavitt and Hermana Schaffner. They are some of the most amazing, spiritual, powerhouse missionaries ever! I don't know how I lucked out with the two best Companeros in the whole CCM! Nessa, you know Hermana Leavitt! She is from St George! (Alyssa Leavitt) Hmna Leavitt was my plane buddy, along with Elder Carter. I rarely see him though because he isn't in my district. My District is amazing! There are 9 of us in district 5B, and all of us are going to different missions except an Elder y Hermana are going to the same one. 

oh, big news!!! I GET TO GO TO THE TEMPLE TODAY! So very little actual P0day time. But I'm so excited!!!!!

The food is great- I get 3 hot meals every day and fresh fruit with each. I have had honeydew with almost every meal and I regret nothing. Ethan C. I tried oil on my salad- it's way good! My favorite salad sofar is greens, pecans, crasins, oil, basalmic vinegar, and a fresh lime. So good! Food is a bit weird- for example, for breakfast today I had a chicken tamale, fresh pineapple and cantelope, and a strawberry yogurt drink thing. 

Chance and Natalie Hales. Do you rememer the Cooks from Pioneer Elementary? Well, Justin Cook is here! He serves in Chile in a couple weeks! His older brother is Michael. It freaked me out when he approached me the first day, asking if my brother was Chance, and then addressing me by my first name. haha

Mexico City is right outside our doors. We are like a gated community bubble of safety, and not even 3 steps away from the gate are run down and graffiti covered buildings. it's really cool. I feel completely safe though.There are guards everywhere and the spirit is here so strong. 

I'm not gonna lie. This has been one of the hardest weeks of my life. But it has also been full of light and incomprehensable blessings. Spanish is hard. an unfamiliar bed makes sleeping difficult. And I miss everyone so much. BUt I don't want to come home. I know 100% that this is exactly where I am supposed to be. And I've already seen the spirit work through me to make miracles. God is so good!

So Don't expect too many pictures. We are only allowed to take pics on P-day. There are only about 230 missionaries here which is so nice. It's the off season during the school year. I regret not using my material I had to study pre-mission. But I don't regret putting labels all over my house. haha

We watched the Testaments on Sunday which was SO AWESOME. I love it. The Comador *cafeteria* has sinks at every entrance and exit. We wash our hands before and after every meal, plus after the bathroom. and let me tell you, my hands have never been so dry and cracked in my life. We've started bringing lotion with us everywhere. It's great for illness prevention, terrible for skin hydration. 

We pray in Spanish every prayer now. Even personal. I don't know all the words but I can do about 90% perfectly. Sorry if my spelling is bad, my computer says everything I type is spelled wrong because it\s not Spanish. So I don't know what\s actually spelled wrong... hah Also all the keys are messed up. Agh. Mexico. 

You guys. Missions are so crazy! They are so hard and so good and when people ask me how my day was I don't know what to say because half the time I was crying and the other half I was flying. There is no way to explain what this is like. It's crazy and beautiful and worth it. 

We had a pretend investigator that we taught IN SPANISH 4 lessons and he's getting baptised! We progressively got better. The first lesson was so so so so bad. But the last was decent! 

ELDER COOK IS COMING TOMORROW TO SPEAK TO US! SO excited! 

Basicly, I love Mexico. I love the gospel. I love the CCM, and I've cried almost every day for both happiness and sadness. I speak fluent Spanglish. I love my companeros. I love the food... usually. I miss everyone so much, I can't even express it. Things are good. Please keep me updated on everything and pray that I will learn Spanish. we call it *El Don De Lenguas* or the gift of tongues. 

I love you all! The gospel is true! 

Hermana Hokanson

Arrival and MTC Address

Hey Family! Just wanted to say I got here safely and I got pizza, so all is well. I also had some sort of meat-wrapped egg and IT WAS SURPRISINGLY GOOD. The flight went well. We had some turbulence and delays but nothing serious. These Spanish keyboards are really hard to use so please excuse any mistakes. Mexico is rainy and cold (weird, I know).  My comp is awesome, tell you about her Thursday. 

I can´t email much tonight though (they rush us, haha). My P-day is Thursday so you´ll hear from me then.

Love and prayers!

Hermana Hokanson

To send letters to the MTC: (NO PACKAGES)

Hermana Alyssa Hokanson

18-04-2016 5B

Carretera Tenayuca-Chalmita #828

Colonia Zona Escolar, Gustavo A. Madero

07230 Mexico, Distrito Federal

Mexico

Packed and ready to go!

       Hey Everyone! 

My mom will be posting my weekly emails on this blog, so you can subscribe to it and it will notify you each week when my email is posted. Love you guys, thanks for the support and love! 

  Alyssa