Merry Christmas...and a happy new year!!

I wasn't able to wish you all a Merry Christmas last week I am so sorry but I used my internet time to talk with my family! I hope that you all had a great and merry Christmas but remembered why we really had Christmas! This Christmas was quite different out in the field! But it really was one that I will never forget! I am so grateful for the opportunity to be serving right now you can really see the hand of the Lord in the work! These last two weeks have been great, we always have someone to talk to with right now we are just having a problem with them progressing which is hard! This gospel has always been so easy for me so I never understood how some people just don't  really think that they need it because it truly is my life and I wouldn't change it for the world! The Lord has been here with me so much and I have never felt closer to him before! He never leaves our side sometimes we just walk a little bit farther away from him then we should! This week we had a baptism all set up and ready to go.. but when we went to get her for her interview she didn't want to get out of bed.. and then the next day we went to talk with her and she said that she doesn't want to talk with us right now... super sad.. so this week we are just trying to pray for her a lot and put our work in the Lords hands! Also we have an investigator that we have been teaching his sister forever! And he has always just kind of listened but never wanted to change. This week we were talking with him and I asked him why he has never come to church and he couldn't think of an answer so I challenged him to come to church this week and he said that he would! And he did! It was so good! During sacrament we were talking and we have a missionary in our ward that is leaving this week so he was talking and he leaned over and out of no where he said... I want to serve a mission.  What do I need to do? It was great! Haha I said well first of all you need to get baptized.. haha and attend church every week, quit drinking.. and he said perfect I want to do this.. it was so great! Haha and we haven't even talked with him at all about this.. THIS IS THE LORDS WORK!!! This week we were walking and the spirit hit me that I needed to talk with this lady that was sitting on her porch... I kept walking and the spirit told me again so I turned around and started talking with her. Turns out that she works with the past bishop and has kinda been talking with him about the church. We haven't been able to talk with her again but she was great! And it goes to show more the Lords hand in the work! Also this week I was able to say the 1st vision in Spanish without looking at the pamphlet! It was so great and after I said it the investigator said wow that was beautiful! It was a cool experience! This last Saturday night we had a Christmas dinner with the ward, it was so much fun! really! The ward here is great! This time of the year is an amazing time because we really can think about Chirst so much! I am so thankful for this Christmas, we just had a small dinner with a Menos activo pizza! It was good and then had the wonderful opportunity to talk with my family.  I am more and more thankful for them everyday! I have been so blessed to have been blessed in this gospel my whole life! This mission has been so hard and pushed me to my limits but every time I feel like I have fallen I am somehow lifted... THIS IS THE LORDS WORK! And I can't say it enough. My questions have been answered daily as I feel his light in my life! I can't stress enough how wonderful this opportunity is to serve.  I have learned so much and I am so grateful for all of it! I am so thankful every week to be able to go to church and partake of the sacrament! This has helped me to much to be able to renew my covenants every week! When I was at home I went to the temple every week to renew my covenants with the Lord! It is a little different here but I am so grateful for it! I challenge all of you that can GO TO THE TEMPLE!! And if you can't, do the things that you need to be able to go! We need all the help that we can with this week and you can do so in the temple! Thank you all so much for the support, you are all so great! Always know that this church is true! Never forget that! Know that the Lord is always there for you whenever you need him! He will always come when you ask! Pray and he will be there for you! I hope that you all like the pictures and that you will never forget me! Haha thank you all and I love you all so much! 

Hermana Griffiths! 

What a week!

This week has been so slow.. for here haha we still had like 25 lessons! We teach a lot but not a lot of progress with our investigators so that is super hard! My family really wants to know about my day to day life so that is what we are getting this week because the work was slow! They have siesta here so we get to wake up at 7 which is really nice! We have our personal time in the morning until 8:30 and then it is personal study! My favorite time I am able to learn so much in that time! After we have idioma study! Which is nice for me! Haha I need to get this language down! After we are off to work! Which is nice I really love working when we are teaching I feel so great because the spirit helps so much! Really I have never just had to lean on the spirit but that is all that I have right now so I just need to work so hard at the strength and power of that! At 1:00 we have lunch with a member! They don't eat dinner here! So we just have a huge lunch I like it a lot better, because I was never hungry at home during dinner anyways! 2;00-4;00 is more study with my comp. and then training! A lot of practice! But it is nice! 4:00-9:30 we work! Haha and i mean work! We don't have a minute to spare! We walk about 8 miles a day! Haha a lot of walking! But it is nice! Tuesday mornings we have district meeting! My district is just the 3 others sisters with me and then 2 elders! But I really love our leaders, they are great, I learn so much from them every week! I am getting to the point when I can usually know what is being talked about which is amazing, I am able to always say my testimony and they usually understand! Haha the joys of learning a new language! I love my mission president and his wife! They are truly called of God! This week I have struggled a little bit, so during zone conference I asked my mission president for a blessing! It is amazing how much the priesthood helps.. honestly i didn't even understand like any of the blessing but the power has helped me so much this week! I am so grateful for the priesthood right now because it gives me strength everyday! 

The other hermanas that live with us are great! one is from Idaho the other is from Agrentina! They are great and it is nice to have another ¨blanca¨ here! aha! My comp. Hermana pari is great! She is willing to work with me and helps me so much, also she pushes me and makes me speak in the lessons which is nice! She is great I love my mission mom! We live in the city of Perico, it is about 2 hours away from Salta! It is a great bigish town! We live in the city but in the other Hermana area so we have to walk like 15 minutes to our area! But is good! It is pretty hot here.. I have a world class farmers tan! Haha it is amazing-  really I am super proud of it! All the memebers say that I am so white and then I show them my tan line and they are surprised that I could be more white! It is really funny! It rains about 2 times a week here! But it is nice, not super humid, a lot like Utah! The Bishop is great! He is only 28 years old! It is crazy but he is a great leader and is always more than willing to help! His little sister is the young women's pres. and she is only 19! She is amazing she goes on visits with us about 4 times a week for the whole day! The members here are really amazing they want everyone here to know what we know and love to work with us as much as they can! Great moment this week.. a dog peed on my backpack..  also I saw a dog just like Chloe like just like her!  And she sounded the same and everything.. and I cried.. only for a second but I did.  During one of our lessons I made our investigator cry because she felt the spirit.. and I don't know/remember what I said! Our apartment is pretty nice! Different but good I get to wash my clothes by hand... haha it is super fun! I usually do my colors in the machine and then my whites by hand. It is very humbling! Oh and they have fry sauce! Haha it was such a funny thing when I first saw it! It is a little different but that is what it is! The work is great! Really it is a roller-coaster but I love it.  Each day is a new adventure and I learn a little more each day! I am so thankful for the support aquí with the members they really are amazing! I am thankful for them each and everyday! Thank you all so much for the support! Thank you for the examples that you are in my life you are all amazing! If you have time this week read the talk by Elder Ballard from this last conference! It is amazing and has helped me so much! Remember every member is a missionary! Don't be afraid to open your mouth! 2 nephi 32 2-5 angels speak by the power of the holy ghost! We all have the holy ghost with us! Now let him out and share this wonderful message! I love you all so much! Talk to you soon! 

 Hermana Griffiths! 

Crazy Week!

This week has been really good! We have been able to talk with so many new people! Really we have 23 new investigators only in 3 days! The work here is great! We have an investigator this week and she is amazing her name is Venessa! She is so great we have only talked with her 3 times and she has a testimony about The Book of Mormon and she wants to be baptized! It is amazing how the Lord prepares people to hear the message! The language is coming, I understand a lot during the lessons but then after I don't remember...it just goes to show that when the spirit is present you can do anything! Haha I am just hoping that I can remember soon because I would love to be able to really talk with people! This week on Tuesday it rained... not really rained, more like poured.. when me and Hna Pari where walking home the water was up to our knees.. it was crazy! I think that I will never forget! That is for sure! Haha also there is a family that we are teaching and they have a dog... every time we sing this dog cocks it head just like Chole! Haha it is so funny! The power here has been off and on this week because of the rain so it has been kinda interesting! But good! We had a conference with our mission pres this week, it was super good! He is an amazing man and speaks with the voice of the spirit at all times! At the conference I saw Hna Rallison she was in my district in the CCM (MTC) when we saw each other we started crying...Haha many of my days in the field! Last night we had a lesson and it was dark so the Senor went and got a light, when he turned it on there were bugs everywhere... and I mean everywhere! It was terrible! There was probably 100,000 bugs and they where so gross! 

Today i had the wonderful opportunity of washing my clothes by hand because we don't have any power! It was great! This week has helped my testimony  a lot I have grown a lot and learned that I have to rely on the Lord with all that I do!  When it is hard I automatically turn to him which is super nice! He is there to comfort me and always answers my prayers though scriptures! It is amazing when the mission does to you! I learn to cherish my study time, it is amazing and it helps me so much! I have learned that this mission is super hard but we are able to learn from it and grow so much! I have learned how much the Lord loves me and everyone.  He has so much love for us and will do all he can to help us! I have learned how grateful I am to live in the USA. We are so blessed and don't even know it! I have learned that I have the best parents in the world, really they have prepared me for this mission in so many ways! And the best support system that anyone could ask for! So many people that I know I can always turn to for help! Thank you so much. I love you all so much. The church is true and the Lord is real, he is here to help you whenever you need him! Just turn to him and he will always help you! Reminder - help the missionaries around you, they need the help of members and you have no idea how great it is to have them around! Always remember that the church is true, never be afraid to share it with anyone! Love you all, until next week! Hermana Griffiths!

P.S. it is my Mom's birthday this week and I know she would love you all to sing to her and ask her how ¨young¨ she is! Love you mom!

Wow!!

Wow I really cant believe that is has already been another week! This week has been a really good one! The ward that we go to is actually pretty big! like 50-60 people every week in sacrament which is really nice! The members are so nice! Really they are so kind and always willing to help! We almost everyday have a member with us when we teach which is so nice! I would encourage you all to take some time and go with the members in your ward you have no idea how nice it is! We have lunch everyday with a member family also which is really nice! The food here is food kinda different but not all that bad! Also it is actually kinda of bland... I haven't had a meal yet that I didn't like which is super nice! Last week at noche de hogar... family home evening, I had a pretty cool thing happen it is amazing that during lessons and when we are talking to people how much I can understand! Haha it is still super hard but it is coming anyways after the lesson I just testified that what was said was true because even though i didn't understand all of it I could feel the spirit and the spirit is only present when truth is being taught! It was super nice! 

We work a lot with our investigators..(sorry my spelling was already bad and spanish has just made it worse..) Haha anyways we have about 15 people that are investigating the church right now in our area! So we talk a lot with them! It is hard because we have like 8 that want to be baptized but can't because their parents won't let them... our mission is super successful with baptisms we have about 70 a week through out our whole mission! 

The area is a lot like Utah - beautiful mountains! but it is super hot.. like 90-100 degrees everyday! We walk everywhere! We have one area that we have to take a taxi to because if not it takes like 30 min. to walk to but it is really nice! I really do like the work.  The days that are hard are the days that we knock on doors when our lessons fall though and stuff just because they are super long! But most everyone we talk to is okay with listening to what we have to say for a little while... not to many doors slammed and if they are then they are really nice about it! The people here are super nice! Sometimes a little too nice to me and the other sister that is from Idaho... haha cada dia - I get whistled at.. haha and yesterday I was asked if I had a boyfriend... it is actually really funny! We just laugh about it and move on! Haha my favorite moment this week happened last week. We have been teaching this boy named Christen and he wants to get baptized but his mom won't let us so we went to talk to his mom and met his sister and asked if we could talk to her about the gospel and she was like no at first.. but we just told her how it could bless her and her family and so she said yes! We taught her the first lesson and she was so with us! After we asked her about baptism and she said yes! It is amazing what the gospel does to people! It is amazing, she is golden! I am excited to teach her again! Also haha funny we live with 2 other sisters and one is from here the other from Idaho so we talk in English a lot in the house to help them learn.  Every person here thinks that if you just make the word end in "sion"... it is English.. haha it is funny but completely wrong! Haha I am doing good just having hurt feet... and i am tired! But welcome to the life of a missionary! My theme song is ¨latter day missionaries sang as they walked and walked and walked..¨haha we walk like 5 miles a day so really it is hard because I have blisters all over but it is good! Thanks for the letters feel free to send me lots more.. Haha it is really nice to hear from everyone! Love you all so much thanks for the prayers! The gospel is true and it really is amazing! Talk to you all next week! 

Finally here!!

Wow you would never believe how crazy it is to be in Argentina!! Truthfully it is really crazy!! I don't even know where to begin! Well the first day we got here it was morning because our flight was over night and so it was possibly the longest day of my life!! Really it is so long! We got here around 9 in the morning and went straight to the church offices in Argentina which was cool it is where all of the seventy work and stuff! It was cool to be there! We stayed there for like 6 hours and just ate and talked with the people there! After all of the people that were headed to Salta and got on another plane! Which we almost missed haha it was so funny! And we headed to Salta! The flight was about 2 hours! Not to bad! And When we got there our mission pres. and his wife were there right outside waiting for us! with the APs! We got all of our stuff and got on a bus and headed to the mission home! Left our stuff there and went and ate dinner at the mission pres. house! It was a different meal but it was good! Then we stayed in a hotel that night! Which was really nice! The next day we had to go do some stuff at the police station and then everyone else went back to the church for training but one the sisters in the mission needed to update her visa so they asked me to go with her! It was pretty interesting! haha then back to the church for training! It was a really long day because all that we did was sit and listen but it was still good! Later that night we got our comp. mines name is Hermana Pari she is from Peru and that is about all that I know about her because she only speaks Spanish... super hard but good! She is super nice and is a great missionary! then we got on a bus to go to our areas I am in Jujuy Perico.  It is really nice! We meet the elders in our district at the bus station and they took us to our apartment! Our apartment is super nice... well for here it is really big and just super nice! Then off the bed! The next day off to work.. it has been really hard because honestly I don't understand anything... but I am able to feel the spirit! The first person we talked with her name is Melani she wants to be baptized but her mom won't let her right now which is so super sad! She is great though, she loves the gospel and wants to learn more about it everyday! That night when we where walking home a man man called at us and called us hermanas so we knew that he was lds.   He was the bishop! He is such a nice person really one of the nicest people that I know! The next day we had a meeting with him in the morning about an activity that they had the next day! It was good! That day we talked with a boy named Jesus he is super great but hard to get a hold of because I don't understand him at all! He was baptized like 3 weeks ago but still hasn't been confirmed because he doesn't think that he needs it because he is ¨clean¨ now.. but I think that he will be next week! We are able to talk to a ton of people! The people here are really ready for the gospel! Our mission pres. says that most all missionaries get one baptism a week... crazy! And most make that goal! It really is crazy! The activity was really good that just explained what we do in the church! There was like 8 people that came that weren't members! Which is really good! Yesterday was really good to be able to go to church and partake of the sacrament! It was the primary program so it was really fun! yesterday we taught a family that I just had this feeling to go to this house it is crazy what the spirit will tell you! And they are so ready for the gospel the lesson was great the spirit was so strong! Really! And I talked to her about how pray is such a huge part of my life and that I love praying in Spanish because I know that even if I mess up God knows what I mean! She asked me how long I had been learning Spanish and she was shocked that I only had 6 weeks.. Which is super great but at the same time I am super upset because I just want to talk and I never understand so I don't know what I say! But the spirit is so amazing really it is great! It is so different here, I never realized that it was a blessing to have even a pair of shoes.. really I have been humbled so much! We are so blessed to live where we do and to have the gospel in our lives! Really... I can't tell you how lucky we all are! It is just so different here and I will never take anything for granted again! Thank you for the support the work is great but man is it hard... I am so happy to be here even though it has been hard I know that this is where I need to be! Thank you for the prayers and support.  I feel them everyday! love you all so much and I will talk to you soon! The church is true and God is always there for you whenever you need him!!  

MTC Week 5

I AM GOING TO ARGENTINA!!!!!!!!!  I GOT MY VISA!!! I am so so so so so so excited!! And so so nervous!! We leave Monday morning at 6:00 our flight is at 11:00 to Atlanta GA! Flight number 1912! We get there 4:45 I am thinking that that is GA time but I don't know for sure! And then our flight for Argentina leaves at 7:51 and we get to Argentina at 7:55 a.m.! Flight number 101 both on delta! It is going to be such a long day and then we have to get to Salta because we fly into Buenos Aires! I still can't believe that I am going straight to Argentina but I am so excited! We don't know how we are getting to Salta all we know is that we are going to the MTC and that is where they will pick us up! Might be a bus might be a plane might be a train we have no idea! But I am so pumped! This week has been good it has just been normal! Teaching is so much fun now because I can talk so I can actually but input into the lesson! I don't know a lot of Spanish but it is for sure coming! It is so great! I am pretty sure that I only have a travelers visa which means I will have to leave the country every six months! But hey another adventure! And I am so excited! There is about 8 of us that are headed to Salta but about 50 of us going to Argentina! A plane full of missionaries! Yesterday L Tom Perry came and talked with us it was super good and it was so much fun to be with a prophet of God! He talked about the importance of always being with our companions! It was super good! Last night after the devotional week and a devo review with our branch president and it was so good! He talked about how we can all do a lot more then we think that we can! Honestly we are children of God! Our heavenly father is a God and he can do anything and we can do anything with his help! Everyone keeps asking for more info about my district so I will talk a little bit about them! We have 4 elders and 4 hermanas! It is so much fun we all get along really well and have the best time! Elder Delgato is from Cali! He played volleyball in high school which is so much fun! Elder Holmes and Elder Correy are both from Utah! And they are super funny really they make me laugh so hard! They call everyone perro susio haha which means dirty dog! Haha just our really funny joke! My comp Hermana Hanks is from Bountiful Hermana Rallison is from Arizona and Hermana Stuaffer is from Sandy! They are all so much fun! Our district can have so much fun but then we can all be so spiritual at the same time! Really we are so close! I am so grateful for all of them because we really have become a little family! Just all cute brothers and sisters! We always play volleyball during gym and we have a ton of good volleyball players so really it is like the best think of my life! Haha I love volleyball way too much! Haha I almost forgot one of the elders, Elder Anderson is from Idaho Falls he is super nice! Haha a big nerd but great! We have two teachers they are both great teachers one is better then the other but they both have such a great view of the gospel I love it so much! I am so grateful for all of the learning that I have gained here! Really it is crazy how much I have learned about the gospel and about myself! Both of our teachers are an investigator for us! Their "names" are Rolando and Daniel.  Rolando doesn't believe in God but we have gotten him to pray and he says that he really feels the love of God while he prays! And Daniel has had a hard life recently his family has moved out so he lives alone but he is committed to baptism! We are the only companionship that has gotten though to him everyone else has been dropped so it is a really good feeling!  I really can't believe that I will be leaving Utah for 17 months in 5 days! It is so crazy but I really can't wait to get out and serve and teach! Really it is the coolest thing ever! Thank you all for the prayers I feel them everyday! You are all so amazing! Find the missionaries and help them! You don't realize how much the members help the work! Love you all so much!! Talk to you when I am in Argentina!!!:)

 My zone!!

 For veterans day we dressed up in red white and blue! 

 My favorite teacher Hermano Fonda! 

Hermana Ricks in my zone! My family - She is related to Thomas E Ricks!


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Not a part of Courtney's email, but once she jetted off to Argentina this week we got this fun surprise picture! The person sitting next to her on the airplane text it to us! It was a fun surprise to see her and know that she was on her way! :)

MTC Week 4

Wow I cant believe that I am here again already! I feel like I was just sitting at this computer! The weeks have gone by so fast! It is really hard to know what to write about in these letters from the MTC because my weeks are always the same... Literally always! But it is great to have a pattern! This week has been a week filled with a lot of crazy things! So many fun laughs and a lot and feeling the spirit! It is so great! I love being here! Last Wednesday at like 10:00 o-clock our toilet in our room decided to over flow... it was terrible!  I was writing in my journal and all of the sudden Hermana Hanks is in the room trying to plunge the toilet! It was so funny! And the guy didn't come until like 11:30 that night.. which isn't that late but for us missionaries we never get a lot of sleep and so we love going to bed right at 10:30!!  And it is still broken so we don't have a toilet that works in our room.. it is so much fun... the next day I woke up and felt terrible and so I went back to bed.. I didn't wake up until 1:30, I don't know if I was really sick or if I was just exhausted! Really it was crazy my companion was in shock! This last Sunday was fast Sunday and so we have mission conference! We were all sitting the a chapel waiting for the broadcast to stat because we are at west campus so we don't always get to watch them on campus.. but it wasn't working so we started singing hymns and we sang for about 45 minutes! When they then told us that it wasn't going to work and we had to go watch it in the lunch room where it was working! Haha so we had mission conference in the lunch room! Mom that is so cool that you guys got to hear from Elder Zwick and L Tom Perry! I bet that it was so cool! Don't worry that last night for Tuesday night devotional Elder Zwick came and talked to us! and he told us that we get to have L Tom Perry next week! That is kinda crazy! There must be something from them that our whole family needed to learn! Elder Zwick talked about how the spirit can not only be a spiritual tool but also a psychical tool and strength in our lives! He told us that if we always follow the what our priesthood leaders are telling us, always follow the commandments, and act and listen to what the spirit is telling us that we will always be protected!! It was really great! It has stuck with me so much!   

           We have two teachers in the MTC one is Hermano Zuzunaga and Hermano Fonda they are both great! But so different! Hermano Fonda has really changed my life he always guided by the spirit, he always tells me just what I need! It is such a great feeling! I love being here! It is so hard but so worth it! I can't believe that I will be leaving.. and going to Argentina! Thank you all so much for the support! It is so nice to have such a great group at home cheering me one! Mom and Dad at the funeral for Grandma Hansen please let everyone know how much I love them! It is really hard to think that she is gone.. but i know where she is I get to teach people about it everyday! I know that she is with grandma and grandma griffiths and grandpa elmer again and that she is happy! I also know that she is right next to me! I know she is watching over me! I am so blessed to have some many people on the other side watching over me also! They can help me in so many ways! Thanks for the support and love! I love you all so much! You are amazing! Support the missionaries in your ward! You don't realize how great it is to have members in the work! Thanks again! talk to you soon! 

Love Hermana Griffiths! 

MTC Week 3

Wow really the weeks go by so fast here! I have had a great week! It has been filled with so many wonderful moments! This week we taught one of our investigators and out of no where I just started talking in Spanish I was able to talk with him and he was able to understand me! It was the best feeling in the world! It is amazing what I can understand in only three weeks! I understand most everything that is said to me, I am still having a harder time talking but when the Lord needs me to talk I am able to talk! It was an amazing feeling to feel the spirit being worked though me! To be able to tell the investigator that God loves him and he will answer all of the prays that he has! Last night we had one of the coolest devotionals ever! It was so good Elder Carlos Godoy from the seventy came and talked to us and told use the story of when he joined the church! It was so good! He talked about how the sister missionaries that converted him are angels in his life, and it is crazy to think that I will be that in someones life! I love being here the spirit is so strong really it is an amazing feeling even when we are just walking around campus we know that everyone has the same standards and that everyone is working towards the same goal! Inviting others to come unto to Christ! It is so weird to think that I am in Provo because I feel like I am in another world! One of the new Hermanas in my zone and I have been getting along so well! It is actually really weird because we are like the same person! Haha I love her so much I am so glad that I have her to turn to because I can tell her anything! Her name is Hermana Condé! She is great! There is so many fun times that have happened in the mtc! It is crazy to think that I just started my 4th week! Seriously it is crazy! I am so happy to be out here serving the lord it is the best thing that I have ever chosen to do because I have learned so much about myself! Really to be able to find my weaknesses but to turn them into my strengthens is an amazing feeling! There is a new sister in out zone her name is Hermana Ricks!! We are related! Thomas e RIcks is like her 4th great grandpa! Haha so it is great to have family here! I thought that you would like that grandpa! I love being here! I love the work! There is a reason that it is called missionary work though it is the hardest most rewarding thing that I have ever done! I love you all so much I know that this church is true! I am so greatful for it in my life everyday! Thank you so much for all of the love and support! Miss you all but I am doing great! love you so much! thanks for everything!! 

MTC Week 2

Well this week has been so crazy! All we ever do is sit and learn and then eat! seriously haha it is so bad! Good thing the food isn't to good or else I would be in trouble! I cant believe that another week has gone by! literally it is crazy to think I have been here for two weeks it feels like I just got here! Last week we taught an investigator about 5 times it was really cool! In the last lesson I asked if he wanted to be baptized! in Spanish! it was really cool he said yes! it was such a great feeling even if he isn't a real investigator the spirit is still so strong in our meetings and is really helping me to learn! Then the next day our investigator walks into to class and he is now our teacher! My whole zone was in shock! but it is really nice because he really know how to help us because he saw the "real us!" that night he did some one on one coaching with us and we talked in English... which doesnt sound like that big of a deal but we get in trouble if we talk to our teacher in English anyways! haha when we were talking he gave me the weirdest look and i asked him what he was thinking and he told me that because i never talked in the lesson that he thought i just didn't talk like ever... which you all know is not true! haha it was so funny! really he looked at me and told me i was a completely  different person! i just laughed and told him i always have something to say i just cant ever think of it in Spanish! The days here go by so slow! but the weeks fly by. it doesn't really make much sense but it does in the mind of all missionaries! we wake up everyday at 6:30 and we don't get home until 9:30! it is crazy we have two three hour classes a day and them about 3 more hours of either personal or language study! Gym time is my favorite time! and we always play sand volleyball! it is such a great way for me to just let go! Eric i haven't taken my companion out though hehehe! jkjk Last Thursday i had a really cool experience! haha and of course it started with me having a complete come apart! really Eric, Kylie, and kate it was worse then the one week in church! it was bad i said something in english to my teacher i dont even remember what it was and he asked me to say in in spanish which of course i didn't know how to say it so i just said No Say. with means i dont know in spanish haha i say it all the time.. anyways and he wouldnt let the class move on until i said it so i had to look it up and i just felt like everyone was waiting for me to say it and i couldnt figure out how to do it. anyways i figured our how to say it and then went on in class. I had started tearing up but i was holding it in and then all of the sudden my book of Mormon fell off my desk and all of notes and bookmarks fell our and when everywhere and i just lost it! the other teacher that was in the class with us took me into the other room and asked me why i was so upset and i told him that i had just learned that a family friend had pasted and that i having a really hard time with language and i just lost it i cried for like 45 minutes... it was terrible! my mustache started growing.. that is a joke for you kylie sorry for the rest of you that wont understand that! anyways... he then talked to me about his mission and what helped him and asked me to offer a prayer for comfort and to be able to learn the language. it was amazing really after it i have never felt so calm in my life. I instantly stopped crying and was able to just talk with him and it was amazing! honestly the MTC is just such a roller coaster of emotions but it is amazing the learning that has come from all of it! i have learned so much about myself and I wouldnt change this for the world! It is amazing what the lord does for his missionaries seriously i have been blessed in so many ways! I am so glad for the opportunity to serve the lord! really i am so blessed to be able to be a tool in his hands as he prepares for people to learn the gospel! I feel his love in my life everyday! I am so thankful for the wonderful opportunity that i have been given and i am so blessed! Thank you all so much for the support i feel your love in my life everyday it is so weird to not see you all. i just think that you are coming to walk into the classroom one of these days! it is a weird feeling! Kylie tell your mom that i started crying the other day because one of our branch presidents wife wears the same perfume as her and it made me think of her! I love this work so much i have never been pushed so hard but i have never learned so much! i Have learned that Christ is always with us he is on our right and on our left! I have learned how blessed i am to have such amazing parents literally the best parents anyone could ask for! Mom and Dad thank you so much for the support that you give me you are amazing and Dani, Niki and i are so blessed to call such amazing people our parents! Dani and Niki please give Dexter Tag and Ezra a huge hug today from there aunt courtney and let them know how much i love them! Thanks again for all of the prayers and i will talk to you all in a week! l love you all so much and pray for you everyday! 

 Our first Sunday.

 The sisters in my zone! The one in the pink is Sister Shauffer, green is Sister Rallison (also serving in Salta) Then the one right next to me is Sister Hanks my comp.  

My 2 favorite Elders from the zone that just left. Elder Jeffs Gray - Elder Smith. 

First E-Mail Home

Wow I can't believe that I have been gone a week! The days go by so slow but then you look back and it has already been a whole week. It is really hard to explain.. Haha sorry! Well i tried to put some picture on but I can't figure out how to do it.  I will try again but if not,  Mom I might have you send me a card reader instead of just the cable that my camera came with. 

I am not going to lie this has been the hardest week of my life many of ¨my days¨ which means tears for those of you who don't understand that saying. But it has been so worth it. Trevor your advise has been right! As long as I make it to Sunday then I will be fine! Sunday changed my whole life. Friday was so had we had to teach our first investigator in Spanish.. yup i didn't say one word! Literally I didn't know what to say so I just sat there! Good thing my companion knows some Spanish. After I cried for like 35 minutes! Haha I felt like a fool! Later one of our zone leaders came into our class and said that our branch president was here to talk to one of the Elders because he was getting sent home.  We walked into the room and all of the elders looked like death, and then one came out and he had been crying and said that he had pulled a prank and it had gone wrong and he was going home. There are only 4 sisters in our whole zone and we all started crying and then all of the sudden they burst into the loudest song that you could think of in Spanish to welcome us to the zone. Haha it was a terrible prank, but so great! Our zone is so close which is really nice and I love all of the Elders!  They love having girls in the zone because they haven't had any for about 4 months!  

Sunday really did change my life though. We were able to go to the music and the spoken word broadcast which was nice and then we had relief society.  The general young women's president taught it, it was so good!  We had a great devotional about loosing our self in the work and it just made me think a lot.  I know that this mission is going to be so hard, it already has been, but I can do it! God has called me to serve here and he qualifies whomever he calls!   

My companions name is Hermana Hanks. She is from Bountiful! She is great, really she is so much fun and we have so much in common! Haha she talks so much! It is so funny I never say anything which isn't usually how it goes, but i love her!  We have four Elders and four Hermanas in our district! They are all such great people! Two of the other sisters and I are going to Salta which is nice! I now will know three people when I get there!  The work is great, the Spanish is so hard but it is coming! Going into the classroom on the first day and only being talked to in Spanish was so hard but it is nice because it helps me learn so much faster! Last night we had our Tuesday night devotional and I sang in the choir! It was broadcast so you should all see if you can find it! We sang Praise to the Man, it was so good! And.... Dallin H Oaks came and talked to us! It was so cool to be in the same room as him! Tuesdays are great days in to MTC! 

Haha sorry this letter is kind of all other the place! But i just have so much to say! I love this so much, serving is so rewarding! Really it feels so nice to be in the palm of Christ's hand, just working right with Him! I know that this Church is true and I have never felt it more than being here right now! This Gospel is amazing and it really is the only true Church on the earth today! I am so glad that I have been able to be here and I am looking forward to the next 5 weeks, and then bring it on! I can't wait to get out and tell everyone I come in contact with that Jesus is the Christ, that this Church is true and the amazing blessings that it brings us! Thank you all so much for the support and prayers! I feel them everyday! Please send my love and prayers to Hayley and her family let them know that not a day has gone by that I haven't thought of her and the girls. Really Travis has been called home, his work is far from done and he is working so hard! Tell Hayley thank you for sharing him with us, that we have been blessed to know such an amazing man! Thank you again for all that you have done I love serving! It is amazing! 

Love, Hermana Griffiths

 P.S. Thanks for all of the packages they really help me so much! I got three yesterday alone! Five total.  I am so loved, and it is so nice!  Thank you so much!  But I got a package with some Halloween candy and stuff and don't know who it was from?  So thank you so much, but if you find out please tell me so that I can thank them! 

Contact Courtney!!

If you are interested in writing Courtney while she is in the MTC she would love to hear from any of you!! 

Sister Courtney M. Griffiths

NOV19 ARG-SAL

2025 N 900 E Unit 933

Provo, UT 84602

courtney.griffiths@myldsmail.net

And she is off....!!

Wednesday October 9th Mom and Dad dropped Courtney off at the MTC in Provo! They stopped at the temple to say their last goodbyes and then she was off! 

See you in 18 little sis!! 

Sister Courtney Machelle Griffiths

We will be posting all of Courtney's e-mails to this blog as she serves the Lord in the Argentina Salta Mission.  Here is what has happened so far.....

On May 16, 2013 Courtney received her call in the mail! She was so excited but waited until the following day, Friday May 17, 2013 to open it so that she could have friends and family there with 

her!

On June 6, 2013 Courtney was able to take out her endowments at the Logan Utah temple.

And last but not least here are her cute mission pictures that Noell Allen took for her! 

Follow along with us as we read and see her experiences over the next 18 months while she serves the people of Argentina!