THe MTC or CCM in Spanish is so great! I love all the people here!

We have been having lots of classes learning about Spanish and things every missionary needs to know, such as how to use a planner. FYI I already know how to use a planner.

We got to go to the temple today! It was amazing! I loved it but I miss the Calgary temple and my best friend Becky I used to always go with! Also... Grandma West if coordinating a temple session wasn´t enough imagine having them be able to use 6 possible languages... I felt so bad for the temple workers, their job is hard!

One cool thing this week is our 2 mock investigators... Victor and Ismael. I have a hard time understanding and responding in Spanish but it will come. I love being a missionary. My companion in Hermana Sykes from Salt Lake City, Utah. I am one of 3 Canadians here. There are 2 elders one from Quebec going to France and one from BC... who just happened to be in Langley YSA when a certain Elder Crowell (my cousin) was serving there!!! Too cool right?

I love the CCM. A bug is going around but I haven´t gotten sick yet! WHOO

I have basically the coolest district in the world! I love them so much!

I love the whole mtc personelle actually! There are only 27 missionaries here! We´re in the top 3 floors of a building on the same lot as the temple and a stake centre.

My adventure of travelling and being in Toronto was crazy I almost didn´t get my visa until the next day because it had been approved but not processed yet... oh man so we went back 1.5 hours later and she had done it for me! Only because I showed her my boarding pass for 5 hours from then. Haha so I had breakfast with the APs. They´re really awesome!

Love,

Hermana West

Me in front of the Madrid Temple.

The Spain, Madrid Temple!

She's in Spain!

Here is the Spain MTC (Mission Training Center) address where she will be for the next 6 weeks!

Hermana Charissa West

Calle Fuerteventura, 4, Segunda Planta, Oficina 8B

San Sebastian de Los Reyes, 28703

Madrid

España

Alright, so first of all... I leave for Spain tonight! I am so excited! The wait is over and I am rejoicing!

We had a mission tour from Elder Martino yesterday so today is Pday! I learned so much from it!

First of all! How you can know who to share the gospel with! Ask yourself these questions:

1. Do you know anyone that has had a baby recently?

2. Do you know anyone that has lost a loved one recently?

3. Do you know anyone struggling with teenage children?

4. Do you know anyone that is going through  a hard time recently?

Then when you think of people that fall under these categories, pray for them, talk to them, invite them to have a lesson from the missionaries about what their concerns are!

Missionaries are willing and able to teach but have a hard time finding! Then have missionaries teach lessons IN YOUR HOME! You are doing things that help you have the spirit in your home where as our investigators are not. We need the spirit to teach and it is so much stronger in member's homes! Just think about it.

Elder Martino taught me a lot about what I need to do to be a better missionary, I am blessed to have so much time left in my mission so I can apply his teachings!

A quote from yesterday I loved is "If it is to be it is up to me" It is so true! If we want something to happen we need to do it ourselves!

Sister Martino talked about how we need to use the life lines that we have in our lives such as friends, family and prayer. They can't help us if we don't want to use them.

President Manion said something powerful to me as well. Some missionaries will wake up late or stay at appointments too long or in other words be disobedient but not "too" disobedient. So President said, "Don't rationalize the little things, you're not smarter than the prophets of God" I loved hearing that.

I love this work and am excited to go to the MTC!

Love,

Hermana West

                                         My Edmonton district!

 This picture is of my twin Sister Wangsgaard and I! We're both turning 20 on January 3rd! Too bad she's from Utah... :P

My week has been crazy but good, with 2 areas we are busy ALL the time! There are always lessons to teach and people to love! Both my wards are amazing! The work is good!

W have a set of elders in each ward, 2 in Ellerslie and 2 in Meadows... We have given them a LOT of referrals... They're like "What do you do?" It's funny, we're just so busy and when we need to double book ourselves we call the Elders and let them know.

We've been trying really hard to use our time effectively, because we have SO much area to cover and we don't have a car half the time. It is important that we use this valuable time as missionaries to be what Christ needs and wants us to be.

We have been trying to meet with members of the Meadows ward. The bishop is so cool, his wife is amazing! They have 2 eight month old twins and a 18 month old. They are so busy and truly are humble to let the Lord lead their lives. I met the Ords and she used to be a young women's leader in forest heights!! So cool right?!? Then we met with this family that has 4 kids, they are So sweet! I loved meeting them all!

What we've been encouraging people to do is read chapter 1 of Preach my gospel, because when members understand our purpose as missionaries better they can use us better! We are here to help you in your missionary endeavors! Don't forget that.

It's been a long week but I wouldn't change it for the world!

Love you,

Sis. West

These are my companions!

Hi Everyone,

We had a couple cool experiences this week:

-Helping clean through a hoarders apartment, she has a dog so there's pee and poop all over the floor. We took 4 hours and cleaned the closet, the bathroom and her yarn room. We're going to be going every Friday

-Another is this wonderful woman who is currently living with her abusive boyfriend. We were able to teach her about the atonement and it was a powerful lesson. She is hopefully bringing her son to church on sunday, I think it will bring help and light that she needs into her life

There is a cool power that comes with the three of us together! I LOVE it! Sometimes it seems as though the other 2 take over in lessons and I am not saying anything, but, when I get the chance to speak I'll have been praying for them and for myself the whole time they were talking and when I get to speak I don't even know what I'm saying. It's the spirit every time... I can't describe it well enough, but what I have to say IS NOT IMPORTANT! What the spirit has to say through me is! I love teaching, it's my favourite!

D&C 105:5-6

I love being a missionary, I love my companions even though both of them talk a ton, I feel happier with all 3 of us.

Hope to hear from you soon,
Charissa