Why We Have Caterpillars Today

Yes, that is a snail crawling up this Elders's face.
Glad we are taking this seriously...

Hello Everybody:)

This week has flown by so fast! 200 new missionaries entered the MTC on Tuesday and it was so great to greet them during a huge rainstorm! Rain is very common here, and I have come to absolutely love it, because Hermana Masina and I always end up running barefoot through the river of a street to get to class:D

Funny moments: This week we were able to teach in TRC (which is where we teach "real members" because they come from "outside of the wall." They were all very nice, but their Spanish was so fast that I could hardly understand them. I tried to tell them that their family was very kind and warm, but I ended up telling them that I was very hot in their presence. Whoops! Also, the other night, our house decided that it would be a good idea to do Bible charades in order to get to know the stories better. One particular night, our room was in charge, and chose to reenact Noah´s arc, so naturally, Hermana Masina and I decided to act as caterpillars. It was SO funny, and now, our house will never forget that Noah gathered caterpillars to be on the boat too!

Katie, Jas and Alyssa Free at the CCM

Cultural moment: There are lots of phrases in Spanish that aren´t used in English. One of these great words includes "SuperWow!" This means exactly as it intends, but it is so funny to use! I challenge all of you to try using it in your sentences/classes/work this week;)

Katie and Sister Jas Masina.  Katie's outfit comes from a bet made during a tennis match with the Pugsley Sisters.
 As one might have guessed, they lost.

Spiritual moment: The gift of tongues is a great blessing. Some days I am helped so much by this great power, but other days it is harder to recognize. Teaching in TRC this week was one of these moments where I was really struggling to recognize this gift. In moments like this, I have learned that when the gift of tongues isn't as present it is a good time to pray, because God loves us so much and wants to help us with our challenges. We are so loved! Prayer is such a great gift!

I love you all so much! Thanks for your great examples to me:)

Love, Hermana Garff

Katie also writes us a separate letter.  I have decided to include a little of that letter for all of the "Piano/Choir- Pushing Parents" - or current piano students that may read this. LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT.:

"I am glad that you encouraged me to take piano lessons. I have played in every meeting here, and I can sight read just about everything. Thank you for this wonderful gift!! Also, thank you so much for pushing me to do choir. I am not EVER afraid to sing. In fact, Jas and I always wake up singing Mary Poppins and we keep singing throughout the day, because it makes us smile. Today, we actually sang Happy Birthday to a worker and gave him some chocolate. His face lit up, and it totally made my day!"