Monday, May 27, 2013

Growing...

Hola!

This last week has been a struggle for me. Last Friday I was very stressed out. Learning Spanish has not been easy. Yes I know that it is going to take time I just wish it would come a lot faster than it is. I also keep forgetting that I have only been here for about a month and need to remember how far I’ve come since I’ve left. There are times when I feel like I have been alone with all of it the last couple of days last week and that it has been very hard.  I talked with my CCM President because I was having such a hard time. I told him that I was scared that I was going to get so stressed out that’d I’d start getting depressed again and I haven’t felt like that for a while. He shared with me a scripture… Alma 7:11-12 it talks about Christ atoning for our sins and that I am able to ask for my Heavenly Father to help me with this hard time and to lift some burden off of me and that I can ask for the atonement to help me. He told me that is what infirmities means in those verses. I also got a priesthood blessing by the elders in my ward. That has helped me so much by Sunday came around I was feeling less stressed and was so thankful for that opportunity!

This last week I was teaching an investigator named Kamilla “my teacher” I ended up teaching her the lesson all by myself with a little bit of help if I didn’t know a word. It was awesome to know that Heavenly Father is there for us and that he will help us we just need to have patients it’s not going to be at our time it’ll be at his timing. I felt the Spirit so strongly when I was teaching her it was awesome and I know that she felt it as well.

Yesterday during our gym time it rained the whole time while we were outside playing ultimate Frisbee. It was so much fun we all came in soaked but so worth it. Not much really has happened just love always having the Spirit with me. I’m going to the Temple in a little bit and Tomorrow I’m going on SPLITS with the missionaries…. I’m a little Scared!

I can’t believe that I’ve been out here for almost a month. And that in a couple of weeks I will be in the actual field constantly contacting people.

I love you guys so much and I am so grateful for all of your guys love and support. I am so grateful for this opportunity and can’t wait for the many more that I will be able to see. I have learned so much and know that I will continue to learn more as the months go on.

I LOVE YOU!!!!

Love,
Hermana Heather Peugnet <3
 



 

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Hola! Como estas?

Familia,

Hola! Como estas? I am learning so much here in the CCM. Today has been a great day! I am feeling so much better...I was really sick for a few days. I'm hoping my body is just adjusting to the food here. The fruit here is amazing. I constantly eat fruit and bread if there's nothing else better. I stopped asking what kind of meat they are serving and just try it...surprisingly, I like most of it.

I am learning more and more each day. So far I can hold a little conversation, introduce myself, and pray and bear my testimony in Spanish. This morning we went out front of the temple and talked to some Dominicans that were visiting. We also played rock, paper, scissors with some of the kids that didn't speak English. The people here are very nice and friendly. We get to go to the temple every Thursday. I love the feeling of the spirit and peace while I am there. 

Sacrament meeting this week was so spiritual.  I know my prayers are being answered. Today I felt my Heavenly Father wrap his arms around me. I know that even at hard times Heavenly Father is always there for us. Tonight we had a devotional by Jeffrey R. Holland. He talked about missionary work and said a couple of things I'd like to share. First, this is REAL LIFE, convert yourself. Second, this is our time...be the best! Third, God chose YOU.

I am loving it and learning more each day. Even though I can't pronounce words correctly, I can understand about half of what people say.

I'd like to end by bearing my testimony:

Yo se que Jesucristo es el Salvador y el Redentor. Yo se que Presidente Thomas S. Monson es un verdadero profeto. Yo se que el Evangelio de Cristo es verdadero y Dios es nuestro amoroso Padre Celestial. Yo se que las familias son eternas. Esta creencia me ayuda a supercar desafios y tener esperanza. En el nombre de Jesucristo, Amen.

Love,
Hermana Heather Peugnet <3

Heather's New Mailing Address

Heather will be leaving the MTC/CCM soon so please send any mail to the following address at this time:

Sister Heather Peugnet
Dominican Republic Santiago Mission
Av. Estrella Sadhala
Plaza Alejo 2-B
Santiago
Dominican Republic

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

I love to see the temple...

Hola!
 
I have not been sick since my first week!!! Yay! :) Yes, in the CCM I'm in a tri companionship just because there is an odd number of us that came from the USA and that are learning Spanish. We share a room. Our room is bigger now because we just switched rooms. Now I have a view of the temple, it is so pretty to go to bed and to wake up to.
 
This week has been an exciting week! It went by so fast, I can't believe today is Thursday. Monday we went out to do service. We went to the church office and helped there. The driving here is so crazy!!! We are so lucky that we don't get to drive here or we'd be dead! People don't stop ever, they don't use blinkers, or drive in the lanes. The lines are invisible here, also they don't follow the speed limit; it's like speed minimum. On Tuesday we went shopping, that was so much fun. The "mall" here is like a WalMart X2. That was a lot of fun to see and do. The CCM is what they call the MTC here mom. Everyone left Tuesday morning that was really sad to see everyone I got close to leave. There was also only 7 of us in the CCM until last night. We got some more missionaries. Mostly from Haiti just coming to learn the gospel. They speak French and told me how to say our last name!!! :) For gym time since my acro-yoga partner left I've just been playing basketball or frisbee. Sometimes I'll run around the temple with Hermana Thorpe and she helps me with my Spanish as we run! The Spanish is still coming a long. I just have to remind myself that I haven't been here that long and to look at how much I've progressed...
 
There is this guy here is name is Reid and he is handicapped. He is here with his parents as they are serving their mission. He is such an inspiration and just puts a smile on my face when I see him. He is also one of the most talented people I've ever met.
 
Sunday I will be calling at 5:30pm my time so 2:30 your time. I will call Alex's phone so that we can add Holly's and Austin's family on the call. I will only have 20mins to call but am so excited that I get the chance to.
 
I have not got your letter yet but I'll keep an eye out for it. Have you got any of mine? I've sent 2 so far!
I love you and miss you all so much!!!!
 
Love,
Hermana Heather Peugnet <3   
 

Heather's room at the CCM


The view from her room

View of the ocean from her room

Acro-Yoga :)


Hermana Peugnet and Hermana Olsen with Reid

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Heathers 1st Email!

My week has been great, very spiritual and uplifting!!!

I GET to CALL home for MOTHERS' DAY!!!!!!!!!! :D
 
I am doing great! Since I am only limited on the amount of time I have to email I decided that each day I will write you guys a small paragraph and send it on Fridays. I will be sending all my letters out on Fridays. I sent one last week so keep an eye out for it.

I am so excited for McKenna! I can't wait to start talking to her again. I miss just always calling/texting her just because except this time it'll be e-mail/letters!!!

The weather is amazing here, I love it. It's not as hot as we were thinking it was going to be. The CCM is great. I've been sick a couple of times already,  probably because it is all beef and my body is used to turkey right now. We eat bread and bananas with almost all of our meals. Today we get to go to the temple and do a session and I think so far Sundays are one of my favorite days. Church is amazing and so spiritual. I am learning a little bit at a time; not quite fluent in spanish but can understand a lot of what people say. Which is good!!! :)  I am loving everyone here. I have met so many new friends. I have 2 companions, Hermana Olsen and Hermana Thorpe. Both of my companions speak English. They are both from the US and we speak English mostly all the time. Hermana Thorpe knows quite a bit of spanish so she normally translates for me if i don't understand.

I keep you guys in my prayers all the time. I know what the missionaries mean; it is such hard work but it is such a blessing at the same time and knowing just how far i've come in the language so far has been an awesome experience.
I LOVE YOU ALL and MISS YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!!
 
Love,
Hermana Heather Peugnet <3
xoxoxoxo