I'm all good here in the CCM because I have nutella now!!

Hola!!

This was another great week at the CCM!!  I have to just say a couple more things about this MTC!  So this MTC is only on the 4th floor of this building!  It is where we all live, have all of our classes and meetings! So so so small but so awesome, I atleast recognize everybody here so it is so fun and everybody is so great, fun and funny!  So this MTC also doubles as a place for people and families to stay as they go to the temple!  It has been really fun to talk with them and the little spanish I know!  They are the kindest people I have ever met and they will sometimes come and play volleyball with us, and they are like wayyyy good. Like seriously kids who are like half my size can hit it much farther than me! hahahaha  Also one really sweet lady one day brought us all colorful pens, paper and tons of treats for all the missionaries!  

Alsooo this week my district went contactacting!  ahhh my estro was just like okay guys you have 10 min to prepare and then we are going to go to the park and hand out pamphlets and we were like for real we don't even know espanol!  haha but it ended up being super fun!  we just went across the street to this cute little park and tried our best to communicate our feelings and it was such a cool and impactful experience:)

Alsoooo sorry my ideas are so random.. but this week we got to go to the store!!  BLESS. A lot of people have asked me how the food is and it really is good most of the time!  sometimes i'm just plain skeptical, haha the best days are thursdays and saturdays because we get brownies, and Thursday is lasanga day!  haha also sometimes fo rbreakfast it just like french fries which is just so awesome and hilarious! Anyways so back to the store, I got all the essentials, index cards and chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate!  haha it was super fun!  So random funny store about chocolate!

So I have super awesome, absolutely hilarious teachers.  So one of my teachers is like obsessed with chocolate, and Hma Penrod,(one girl in my district) brought guiridelli chocolate, and so she gave some to him and he almost was in tears, he was like wow this is INCREDIBLE!  It was so funny!  Seriously they are the most hilarious people, and have the most incredible stories too, thats one of the things I've love the most about this MTC.  I've been able to learn so much about people and they just have lived some incredible lives and have gone through so much but have such strong faith,  I  feel so grateful that I have to oppportunity to serve with them in this MTC:)

Okay funny story:  ONe morning for breakfast we have pancakes adn they had nutella out with was so awesome because I love nutella so so so much!  and I have nutelaa pancakes so I felt completely at home again! haha  but anyways so we were all so happy that we had it now!  The next day there was no nutella, so we searched for it (here the kitchen and pantry is everybodys pantry, we are allowed to take anything)  so anyways we went looking and somebody put it in the fridge... But no worries I thought I'll just microwave it!  haha so I did but i forgot that there was aluminum around the rim so the microwave started like sparking!  and one of the cooks just started like busting up laughing!  haha it was really funny and he took it out adn then just put it in again and now just liike laughs at me!  Also I think 2 days ago after dinner, we were all still pretty hungrry so we got plastic spoons and took some nutella for the road, and we think it was one of the cute Latina missionaries first time having nutella and she was just like wide eyed liek this is amazing!!  haha adn then we look at her again and we were like "oh no did you double dip?!" and she just started at us, and then the spoon, and then the nutella!  it was so so so hilarious and all was just fine it was almost gone anyways! 

That was so long. wow sorry there is just so much to stay I could go on an on!  

The MTC has definitely gotten easier becuase I'm surrounded by the most incredible people!  I loove my companion, roomies, and all of the other missionaries (especially the Haitians)  anyways I love you all so so so much!!:)

Love, Hermana Zimmerman

First week in the Dominican Republic MTC !

Hola!!!!

Oh my I cannot believe I have finished my first week in the mission!!!! ahhh seriously it is so crazy, the Dominican Republic MTC is absolutely amazing, seriously I love it so so much!  There are only 44 missionaries here right now, the majority going to Puerto Rico and Haiti, and then there are also some going to the Dominican Republic!  so during every meeting and devotional we have to have things translated into 3 different languages!  haha so most of the time we are in headsets because its spanish but yeah it has been such an incredible experience so far:)  Since it is so small I know most everybody, and everybody is kind and super funny! The MTC is right next to the temple which is such a blessing!  We can go walk around it during PE time and sometimes our teachers even take us to it and it is just so gorgeous!  Also we will be able to do a session every Thursday I think which is just awesome!!  I also love all of my teachers here, they are SO FUNNY, hahah they are very laid back here, most of the teachers teach like 2 classes at a time so they are like running everywhere, and just make us laugh all the time!  The only bad part is, is that  most of the time they will only speak spanish adn most of my district already knows atleast a little spanish so I'm just like "no entiendo!"  Also you know the phrase that people say like " I just get lost in the work"  thats literally how I feel, lost, like I have no idea what anybody is saying... hahaha

Just a little blurp about the Haitian missionaries.. they are the most incredible and most hilarious people ever,  and I'm so glad that I have the opportunity to meet them!  Also I get to use some of my French to talk with them!  Even though most of them know English pretty well!  They have also taught us some creole which is so funny!  The best part of any meeting here are singing the hymns, becuase everybody is singing it in a different language but you wouldn't know there were 3 languages because the Haitians sing with such CONVITION!  Its seriously the best thing ever!  also random cute story, one of the Haitian sisters knocked on our door one morning to go down to breakfast and my hair was just like a mess per usual after the shower and she was so cute and sat me down and brushed out my entire hair and pulled it back for me, they are just the kindest people ever:)

Funny story:  okay so as I mentioned I have been able to speak a little bit of French to the haitians, and on like the 2nd day I was talking to some of them and telling them about the song I learned in French called "Je suis ananas" meaning I am a pineapple and sung to the tune of Feliz Navidad, so I started singing it to them and they just started busting up and singing I am an apple in English!  haha believe me it was funny I not even sure if it makes sense though but hahaha in my  mind I was like oh my gosh they are gonna think I'm so good at French!  hahahaha

Okay now my companion, my companion is Hermana Vincent and she is the BEST!  I love her so much and we are practically the same person!  haha she's already started calling me dory becuase I am just so forgetful and its gotten even worse!  I also love the girls in my room!  In just one week we have all laughed and cried together and I love them so much!  My district is so so funny, theere are 6 hermanas and 3 elders and we just have such a great and fun time together!! I love it so so much:)

Another random tangent... lo siento!  haha my mind is a million places right now and I feel like I have so much to say!  So it has already rained a lot here!  During PE we usually play Volleyball or just run around haha but sometimes it will just start pouring rain!!  seriously pouring, its crazy and so so so much fun, we still keep playing volleyball usually and I love the rain so much so it is a blast!  Except the rain is super salty! lols

Okay, but honestly this has still been super hard, and much harder than I expected, but through it all I have also never felt closer to my savior and never felt with more assuredy that this church is true, that christ lives, loves and answers our prayers.  He has given me so much strength and I felt his love every single day, and that is why I love it here so much!  I miss you all, so so so so much, and I hope that you all have an amazing week:)

love, Hermana Zimmerman:)

 flying into Dominican Republic!

 My Companion Hermana Vincent :D I love her!!

She was able to write us a quick note from the Dominican Republic :D

Hey Guys!!  I made it here safe and sound and it is BEAUTIFUL!!  It is right next to the temple and the grounds are beautiful!!  The plane was so long and it took awhile for us to get here but now we are here and the rooms are also so nice! I am also with 3 other girls who are so cute but I do not know my companion yet!  Also I am running on 2 hrs of sleep but I still feel fine!  haha but really I am just full of so many emotions, I can't even describe the love that I have for all of you and I know that this is just going to be so hard to be away and I've already felt like culture shock on the drive to the MTC, but now that I am here I feel a lot better and it was the most amazing feeling to see my nametag and put it on and I am so excited to be here:D  Also my P-day is on Thursday so I won't be able to email until next Thursday... ahh but that's okay just know how much I love you guys!!

Also kinda funny story, on the plane there was just a lot turbulence it seemed like and I just kept on thinking back to when I was young and on the plane and used to say a prayer and say something to the sort of    If you help the turbulence to stop and help us arrive safely than I will go on a mission, and then when I got off I was like dang liza you can't say that!  And then I would do it again... haha so I thought of that when it was kind of scary and I just thought well I am on a mission so I guess I'll be okay:)  haha but anyways love you guys more than you will ever know:)

Love, Hermana Zimmerman 

Some sweet person sent me this pic. of the group of missionaries who hand just landed in the Dominican Republic airport, She's safe :D

Eliza is on her way to the Dominican Republic MTC!!

We had a sweet night as Eliza was set apart to be a full time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. She had both sets of grandparents their to support her as well as our family, minus Haley who is in Atlanta on a business trip, but she was able to face time her before she left. We will miss her greatly but know that she will bring her fun, happy, silly and loving personality with her as she share's the gospel with the people of Puerto Rico. Goodbyes are never easy!We love her tons!!!

 On our way to the airport :D

 one last face time with Haley

One last hug!!!

All these cute missionaries will be serving in Puerto Rico together!!