Wherein Sadie Challenges Us to PRAY EVERY DAY!

 Hey everyone! (I can not find the straight line on this keyboard so an exclamation point it is)

    So this was my last week in the CCM in Mexico. Christmas was super fun last weekend and it was way cool to just get to focus on the Savior. Thank you to everyone who sent me messages for Christmas! I really appreciated it. I hope you all had a great Christmas. 

    The only not-so-great thing about this week is that I have been sick. I woke up Christmas morning feeling terrible and I could hardly swallow. Then it got really hard to breathe. Honestly, Christmas was pretty miserable. but only because I was sick. Everything else about it was great! And I got to talk to my family and that was super fun! I also got tested for covid that day and...it was negative! (Which was an answer to our prayers, because if was positive, my companion and I would have had to move to a different house and be completely isolated for the entirety of our last week here). 

    Needless to say (but I am gonna say it anyways), my companion was very happy. I was too. but I still felt like crap. The good news though is that now, 6 days later, I feel like 80 percent better so all is well.

      Today we got to go to the Mexico City Temple again and it was awesome. We got to do sealings and an endowment session and I took a family name I found from my dads' side and it was really cool. We turned in our phones today so the next day or two will be fun getting to be more present - lol. 

    We have our last day of classes tomorrow which will be sad because our teachers are so awesome. We will also be taking our final Spanish test. I will miss all the great resources here at the CCM! The first one in our district leaves Sunday night and we will all be gone by Tuesday. I leave the CCM at like 8am on Monday the 2nd and will arrive to Uruguay 7am on Tuesday the 3rd. Not exactly looking forward to that, but I am WAY SUPER DUPER STINKIN' REALLY VERY EXCITED to get to Uruguay. I have spent the last 6 weeks, and well really my whole life and since before I even came to this earth, preparing to go teach these people. I don't know if it's possible to ever be perfectly prepared, but I am ready to go for it. I am ALL IN. I can't wait to find out who my trainer will be and where my first area will be!

    It is actually really sad to be leaving the MTC though. I LOVEEEEEE my companion. She is the best. And my district is seriously so awesome. I love them all and will miss them and my teachers very much. I think the reason it's so hard is that it is not like leaving your family, knowing they're gonna be there when you get back. I hope we all stay in contact, but most likely we will all go our separate ways and meet so many more people and it'll never be the same. It was good being a little family for 6 weeks though. I am so grateful I was in this district though and got to meet these people. It makes me happy just thinking about the good they will all be doing across the world!! Many lives will be changed because of district 13E!

     I hope you all have a good weekend celebrating the New Year with family and friends! A new year is always a good time to reflect and to make goals and plans. I encourage all of you to reflect on this last year and how you have grown spiritually. Now be proud of yourself. No matter what you did or didn't do. Don't be hard on yourself. Now, I would like to challenge you as you make goals this new year, to focus on the Savior. The most important relationship you can develop is your relationship with God and with Jesus Christ. If you haven't made goals yet, do it. And don't forget to write out your plans to accomplish the goal. And if you have, or have not, I invite you all to add this goal to your list. PRAY EVERY DAY! 

    I know that God is there and He hears and answers our prayers and I promise all of you, that if you pray to God, He will answer your prayers. Not always right away, but He will. If your pray every day then you will grow closer to God.

Another goal I have is to do a gratitude journal every day.

    Also, President and Hermana Kirkham will be done with their mission here at the CCM too and a new president will come in 2 weeks. I am very grateful for the Kirkhams. One thing I have been noticing recently is the little details of my mission that make me grateful for the exact timing of my mission call. God is in the details.

    My next email will be sent from Uruguay and I think I will be on the normal Monday Pday schedule!

A lot of new beginnings this coming week. A new year. A new companion. A new place. Lots of new starts but I am looking forward to them all and am looking forward to the new year, 2023, that I will be spending in Uruguay!

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!! 

Hermana Bailey

Spider Count: 0 bless up

pictures: I will send an email of pictures tomorrow 

 oh to any friends starting MTC soon, work hard and do your best, but also relax and enjoy it. I think the truth is that you will learn most in the field. So take advantage of the resources and do your best, but do not stress. Do your 20 minutes of embark every day though or youll get lectured haha. 

Oh also tomorrow I have to get a covid test before traveling so please pray it comes back negative again!!

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Wherein Sadie goes to the Mexico City Temple!

December 23, 2022    (Week 5)

      Hello everyone!! I am going to try to recap the last 3 weeks here in Mexico but it might be all over the place so bear with me. or dont haha and just have a Merry Christmas!

     Hmm where to start... So when I started walking away from my family I was expecting to start crying or getting emotional but honestly this is how it went. I was walking away and thought "oh boy! what in the actual heck am I doing right now? For real, what am I doing?". But then I just thought, "no. I know exactly what I am doing. I know my purpose". I'm not sure if I have ever walked through security as confidently as I did that day. Almost all of my district was on the same flight which was fun although they all sat close together and i ended up in the back of the plane since my ticket was booked later since they originally had me leaving from IF. lol. But anyways we got here and things went pretty smoothly and the CCM is so awesome! traffic in Mexico City is un poco loco though.

Okay, I was going to do a pretty thorough summary of my time here so far but I am already a little tired of writing this so a change of plans: I am just going to write random things about it and it might not be in order.

  

         My sister-in-law's brother was here the first week too before he left for Uruguay so that was cool. Elder Ballard and Elder Stevensen came and spoke to us and it was a very cool experience. Elder Stevensen talked about our tool kits as missionaries that consist of the scriptures, the missionary standards book, and Preach My Gospel. It was really good. 

Elder Ballard spoke about a lot of great things but a few things I loved were:

-We should be striving to develop an intimate spiritual relationship with the Savior of this world.

-our message is the most glorious anyone can receive at this time

-He addressed us as "fellow missionaries" because apostles are missionaries and missionaries are like apostles- we are testifying to the world of Jesus Christ

-Our mission is an eternal thing

-we should be bold in sharing the gospel and never be in a situation where we would be ashamed to say who we are as representatives of Jesus Christ

-talked a lot about how his mission changed his life forever and how its the greatest opportunity

-if you know the gospel from chapter 3 of PME in your own words, by the power of the Holy Spirit you will...find more, teach more, and prepare more for baptism.

Before this devotional with them, our teachers and the CCM presidency instructed us to have at least one question in our minds and they promised it would be answered. Honestly, though I didn't have any questions on my mind. But when Elder Ballard was finishing his talk, He said a very common phrase, that the Church of Jesus Christ is true. And at that moment the spirit confirmed it to me and I had the feeling that that was my question. Without knowing it, I needed to have that truth confirmed to me. After all, I am preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ for the next 18 months! It was a very cool feeling to have it confirmed for me. Elder Ballard had just given a very powerful talk, but what I really learned from that night was a simple sentence in his closing remarks. I know for a fact that this church is true. I knew it before but I really know it now and God knows I know it so I will never deny it. What I also learned from that experience is that it really is the Holy Ghost that teaches and confirms the truth and converts people. Elder Ballard said it, but the Spirit confirmed it to me. That brings me a lot of hope with my teaching because I don't have to say things perfectly or super profoundly, but if I can speak simple truths like Elder Ballard did, with conviction, then the Spirit can take care of the rest. 

     The food here is usually pretty good. Recently it's been making my stomach hurt but nothing too bad, just painful for like 10 minutes after eating. Then all is well. I already know I will be missing the food when I get to the field and have to start cooking for myself. My favorite is when they have horchata.

     Our district leader went home in week 2 and I think that kinda shook our district up a bit but we are doing good now. Entoncessss, My district is way super awesome and our teachers are the absolute best. I am definitely going to miss them all when I leave.

   

     I am still not good at studying the scriptures and stuff but making progress slowly i think. Also Spanish has been frustrating me recently but we are becoming friends with the teachers at the Spanish help desk here so that's good haha. 

     The other day in class we were memorizing phrases about the great apostasy and our teacher told us that at dinner we needed to go up to someone and teach them about the great apostasy, so when we were at dinner I went up to President Kirkham and His wife, which by the way they are the coolest and funniest people ever I love them. Anyways I talked to them in Spanish and then shared about the great apostasy using the phrases I had memorized and honestly it was bad. But when I finished they said never have they had missionaries come up and practice teaching with them and they loved it. I was pretty discouraged with my Spanish skills though but then Hermana Kirkham was like do you want to do it again? Like super random to me that she asked that but I was like uhh sure. And so I did and it was crazy how much better it was than just the time I tried 30 seconds before so now I really believe that practicing and trying, again and again, is so valuable. 

     Also, we got to go to the Mexico City temple last week and it was so cool. The temple is very beautiful and it was very cool to do a session and initiatory in Spanish. I understood way more than I expected, probably because I know what it is in English. It was a great experience. The gospel is true and powerful in every place and in every language. I am excited to go again this coming week.

     It has been fun to be here as a missionary in the CCM leading up to Christmas because everything is so focused on Jesus Christ. I feel like my family always did a great job of focusing on the Savior, the true reason for the season, but it's just different when Santa actually isn't coming to town haha!! But we have really cool things going on here for Christmas and I am excited. Tonight we are starting off with a Birthday party for Joseph Smith and we have permission from the president to stay out late because the party doesn't actually start until when we are supposed to be back home. so woohoo fiesta tonight! Then tomorrow for Christmas Eve, we have a bunch of fun and spiritual activities to do. In the morning we will do a fun run/ obstacle thing like where you'll have to run tied to your companion while reciting the missionary purpose or hop while singing called to serve in Spanish, etc. Then there's a craft/gratitude activity and also piñatas, and other activities like that. One of the activities is a walk to the future temple grounds here at the CCM. We will get a little picture of Christ and write our testimony of Christ on the back of it and then when we get to the temple grounds, we will put our testimony in a little chest and that chest will be offered as part of the cornerstone for the temple here. It is such a blessing to be here right now. 

    We will also participate in a posada tomorrow night. A posada is basically a reenactment of Joseph and Mary's journey to finding a place to stay. I think. If you want to learn more you can look it up on the church site. They did one at temple square recently and have a video of it. 

     Then on Sunday, there will be lots of singing Christmas hymns and talking to family. It will be a different Christmas for sure but in a very good way. I am super excited. The most strange thing is honestly that it doesn't feel like Christmas at all because it's green and sunny and like a perfect 68 degrees with a slight breeze.  haha Definitely not a white Christmas and definitely not the weather I am seeing you all post about in Idaho. Anyways, It will be so fun to get a glimpse of a traditional Christmas in Mexico.

And also we have permission to wear play clothes tomorrow even in the comedor/cafeteria so I am excited haha

     I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and can focus on the greatest gift the world ever had, Jesus Christ. He is our Savior and Redeemer, guiding older brother, advocate, and friend. I could not ask for more than that. I invite you all to think about what gift you can give back to Christ this year. 

     Matthew 25: 40 "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." 

Normally this isn't how I look at this scripture but today I am applying it to this thought. Serving others, in whatever way, is serving the Lord and it makes Him so happy. When we do something for others, we are giving back to Jesus Christ. His Atonement is for all of us. We don't need to pay Him for it, but when we love Him, we want to show Him we are grateful and love Him. So, what can you do to serve others? What can you give to Christ?

I really am bad at writing these emails haha. I probably included really random things and left out the important, but oh well

 

I hope you all have the best time with loved ones this year and can find peace, joy, and strength in the eternal gift of the life and Atonement of Jesus Christ! FELIZ NAVIDAD!! LES AMO MUCHO!!

Hermana Bailey

Spider Count: Seen too many in the laundry room. Encountered 1. This deserves a picture and a story.

 I usually get out of bed like 5 minutes before my comp and the other day I woke up and walked to the bathroom and I was still in that kind of half-asleep state when I saw something scurrying in the corner of the bathroom stall. I looked over at it, still kinda half asleep and as soon as I realized what it was, it DARTED toward me. Some say spiders leave people alone, but this one knew what it was doing. That spider came right at me so stinkin' fast. Like Usain Bolt of spiders. Needless to say, I instantly woke up and I was outta that stall right away. I ran backward almost falling into the shower, grabbed my shower sandal then smacked that thing harder than I've smacked anything before. Then that sandal stayed right there on top of it until I finally picked it up that afternoon. I put my shoes on as soon as I wake up in the morning just in case.

Oh, also a crazy story - we were doing a service project the other day and there was this Hermana and I saw her nametag said Hermana Groberg, and I was like Woah what. So we talked anddddd ya she's my second cousin!! Haha!

Holy bananas this is a ridiculously long email and now I'm just making it even longer

Wherein Sadie is LOVING the CCM!

 Hey everyone! Normally my pday here in the CCM is Friday but we don't actually get a pday today/this week so...lol. I'll update y'all more next week but basically, I'm having the time of my life here!! Thank you to everyone who has sent me messages- I love it and I'll respond when I can! Love you all!

Hermana Bailey

Spider count: 0

December 21, 2022

(Week 4)

        Hey everybody! I ran out of time on pday last Friday to write an email lol. Kinda unfortunate because I had a lot of good things to write about from the first 2 weeks in CCM, but oh well- basically just out here trying to do my best! Just wanted to quickly send something so I don't lose track of my week count haha!! Also today I have been a missionary for 1 month! It's been a very good month! I hope to actually get a good email out this Friday before Christmas but enjoy some more pictures for now. Love y'all!

Hermana Bailey

Spider count: 1 (yes I killed it)

Wherein Sadie Gets a Blessing and Feels Humbled.

 December 16th, 2022

Yay for the new job! You'll have to tell me how it goes. Also crazy but I just realized something. Last night our zone leader was giving out blessings, so I was like ya sure I'll get one and in it, he blessed me that my family would be taken care of while I'm gone. Not sure what time you crashed with the deer, but it was probably about the same time!! 

The CCM is AWESOME!! I love my district and my teachers and the campus!! The food is usually super great! There are lots of options. The only thing is some days all the options will be kinda gross haha. But usually, it's great! I did get sick this week I don't think it was the food tho. I just felt so weak and achy and sometimes my stomach would hurt. It was only really bad one night tho then I was fine after. And as soon as I started feeling sick and stuffy I went and asked the infermeria for vitamin c, so I dosed up on that and I never really got too sick. My companion is awesome! I'm starting to be a lot less indecisive though haha - tell dad that. 

Oh and have fun tomorrow at the Hanson party! Tell them all I'm doing great! Being humbled and doing great hahaha and tell them all hi!!!

12/19/2022

To Mom: Happy Birthday to Levi!!! I know one day our whole family will be together with him in Heaven. We never knew him but I feel like he is a soul/angel that is helping me from the other side of the veil and will help me teach people on my mission. Love you, mom!

Hermana Bailey

Wherein Sadie Leaves to Mexico!

 December 6th, 2022

We took Sadie to the SLC airport bright and early this morning. It was good to be together as a family and continue this tradition of sending our children out into the world to share the light of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have ALL confidence that she will be protected and guided and watched over by our loving Heavenly Parents. 

God Speed, Hermana Bailey! 

We received this quick email from her when she arrived:

"I'm alive in Mexico at the CCM!! And my P-day is Friday. Love you!"

Wherein Sadie Has her Farewell in Idaho.

 December 3, 2022

(Week 2 - Goodbyes)

Hola Todos! Happy December! It's been a good week here at the Fountain Green Bailey Home MTC!! Sunday in Idaho was the best day ever! I loved seeing everyone and felt so supported. It’s been a week full of many goodbyes/see ya laters and not as much packing and preparing as there probably should've been! It was honestly a little bit hard to get back into the missionary mindset and stay focused on things after seeing all my friends in Idaho, but It's hard to say goodbye because they(you) are all such good people. 

 I have honestly loved home MTC. It has been difficult at times, but for being on zoom for like 100 hrs the last 2 weeks, it’s actually been great! I could never do school for this long online, so somehow it's just easier to get through when you're having fun and learning about Jesus! Maybe part of it is that you have to be focused to understand what the teachers are saying in Spanish haha. 

My companion and I helped teach part of the lesson on Friday about the gift of tongues and I talked about how we need to be doing our best and studying it, using it, and practicing it as much as possible, and really just using whatever words we know in Spanish. And then I realized I had given the whole lesson in English. I'm a hypocrite. Oops. Also, my companion and I had our first practice lesson scheduled for today and we got all prepared and then our investigator just never answered. welcome to the work : )

I have loved getting to know my companion and district and can’t wait to meet them in person! A bunch of us will be flying out to Mexico together! We leave Tuesday morning! So, next week expect pictures that look a little warmer!! 

I have a big army of people supporting me and I am so grateful for that! And most importantly, I have Jesus Christ by my side! I myself do not have enough courage and strength to leave, but as I’ve relied on Him, I know I can do it! I always knew a mission would bring hard times and the opportunity to learn to lean on the Savior, but I never thought I'd be relying on Him so much, just to help me have the strength to go. Philippians 4:13 is always a great reminder : )

I am probably widely unprepared, but I am stoked!! 

love you all,

Hermana Bailey

spider sighting: 1 

had a little guest decide to crawl across the wall behind my computer during class. tried not to make a scene. Not sure if I was successful. (my streak couldn’t even last 2 weeks in Utah haha. pray for me).

pictures: just some people I love and saying adios

also it has been snowing and I love it! going to miss it!

Wherein Sadie Plays Poker at Thanksgiving

 Home MTC Week 1

Hey Everyone! Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you've enjoyed your day with loved ones. I am very grateful for every one of you!

      

  "I get to wake up every morning at 6am and read my scriptures. It's the best! I love it! I get to be on a zoom call, all the day, for the next 2 weeks! It's fantastic!"

         Well, referencing Nacho Libre, that about sums up my life and feelings right now! but if you have time and interest to read the rest, then go ahead! 

I feel like I've waited my whole life to be a missionary and send my first weekly email, but now I'm not sure what to say. I have so much to say but how much of it do people actually want to hear? haha so I will focus on things that are my favorite or what I feel is important. Priorities people, priorities (something i'm working on in life)

So a recap of my week so far...

     Sunday I got set apart as a missionary for the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. And let me tell you, immediately I just felt like soooo......much like the same person ahah I didn't suddenly feel different lol. Becoming a missionary takes time. It was a wonderful experience, and I am so happy and grateful for this opportunity to be set apart as a full time representative of Jesus Christ.

       Monday! After exercising and getting ready and all that jazz, I facetimed my mission companion for companion study. We started discussing what we learned in our personal study when I realized... I forgot to do my personal study. ha. Turns out you aren't just perfect once you're a missionary. Turns out I'm human. Turns out the bad habits you have don't just go away. I am so bad at studying. I'll change that though. 

If you can't tell, a huge thing I have learned so far is that you aren't just suddenly a missionary. You put in the effort and the work and choose to live a certain way, and with the help of the Lord, and divine assistance because you are set apart, you BECOME a missionary!! 

Then I sat at a computer for like 10 hours in class

Tuesday I did the same thing

and Wednesday

       But every day I learned something new!! It's amazing! I love it so much!!  I love my district and my companion and my teachers and literally everyone and everything. My companion is Hermana Hatch and she is the coolest ever and we have so much in common! We have been studying about the gift of Tongues a lot this week. The biggest thing that I have seen change in myself in regards to the language though is that I just LOVE it more. My love for the people I will teach and for the language has grown so much it's crazy! I genuinely enjoy speaking in Spanish now and already I have started saying common phrases and words in Spanish in my head instead of English! 

      Anyways, I am so happy to be a missionary. I have gained confidence as I see the fruits of my efforts and studying come to pass as I share the gospel in Spanish with my district. Yet I am so humbled as I remember it is only with Christ that I am able to accomplish the things I do. He is my rock. He is my Redeemer. He is my Hope and my Salvation, and I owe it all to Him. It is through Jesus Christ, I can be clean again. It is through Jesus Christ, I can find comfort in afflictions, and strength in my trials. It is with Him, and because of Him, I will one day return to my Heavenly Father, and it is He who I hope to emulate forever. 

      

ok well, now you know that when I said "short and to the point", what I really meant was... "I am bad at telling stories and sharing my experiences concisely so good luck"

haha, only some of my emails will be like this. I promise you some concise and meaningful ones once I get to Uruguay!

Mostly today I am just very grateful for God's unconditional love and for the opportunity to be a missionary right now. TRUST IN GOD'S TIMING. IT IS WORTH IT.

Tender Mercy: Saturday night, before I got set apart, we went to the BYU basketball game and 2 students sat right in front of us at the very top. They both served in Montevideo, Uruguay! They spent the entire game talking to me and helped me get even more excited and feel less worried and nervous. Call it a coincidence that of all the thousands of seats, they sat right in front of me, but I know for sure that it was God's hand in my life!

Spider/bug sightings this week: 0 (let's see how many weeks we can keep it that way)

pictures:

my companion and my district

thanksgiving and poker 

Hope you all have a good week and if you are in Idaho this Sunday, I'll be speaking in the Iona 3rd ward!

Love you all,

Hermana Bailey

Wherein Sadie Starts Her Mission

 It was a beautiful Sabbath day today. Sadie was set apart and officially became "Hermana Bailey" at 4 pm in our apartment here in Fountain Green, Utah. Landen came down and was here for the little testimony meeting we held with the Stake presidency. All three of the members of the Stake Presidency were here and gave Sadie advice and she was set apart with a beautiful blessing. 

    Seth and Elizabeth also came down and we had a lovely family dinner with our new sister missionary. This is our fourth missionary, but our first one to have MTC at home. We look forward to seeing what it will be like to have a missionary at home, especially over Thanksgiving. 

  She will go to Idaho to give her "farewell" up there next Sunday. Then she flies out of the SLC airport on December 6th to Mexico City where she will spend Christmas and New Year.

Home MTC, here we go!!