Hello all! Thank you for giving me your emails! I miss all of you, but it has been a long and a good week. I suppose I can just start off by giving you the rundown of my days here so far.
I flew out Tuesday morning and flew to Atlanta. When I got to the terminal there were four or five other missionaries there already waiting for the same flight to Mexico city. I quickly realized that I have an intolerance for socializing. More so when all the people around me are asking each other the exact questions directly out of the handbook we are taught from. What's your nameeee where you fromm where you goingggg how many brothers and sisters do you have. Then if it wasnt that it was people flexing their spanish knowledge that's better than the rest of ours. Luckily, I will have plenty of time to become a people person and somehow admire fake questions :)
I Slept the whole flight and went through immigration when I landed and met up with all the missionaries that came in at the same time. I was the first one out and waited for about an hour for all the missionaries waiting for luggage and whatnot so I helped myself to a burger from Hardees. I walked in and forgotI was in Mexico and was bewildered with the exorbitant prices. 200 dollars? Safe to say I might not be the brightest HAHA.
My whole district was at the airport and we got on a charter bus to go to the MTC. We drove through all of Mexico City. Actually such a cool town, and sketchy. But for some reason I have an admiration for gritty big cities. Maybe it comes from growing up in Caldwell Idaho and not growing up in that haha. It was like I was inside the movie Fast 5. I love it.
We got to the MTC and met the mission president and all of the other presidents. I think all of them used to be mission presidents and ust work at the MTC now. One of them was the mission president for one of my cousins, I became quite popular fast being Wes Bastian’s cousin. We ate dinner, went to a devotional and that was the day. I fell asleep within ten minutes of getting to my dorm. My yellow pillow was of no problem to me at that moment.
Nextttt day was just about a regular schedule. Get up at 630, breakfast until 8, class until noon, lunch, then exercise, then personal and companion study, class, dinner, class, bed. That's what my days consist of. But I love the work. And THE WEATHER HERE. Makes me wonder what we were ever doing in Idaho, but I suppose that is easy to say when I'm in the middle of a spiritual oasis.
Speaking of which, that is the best way to describe this place as a spiritual oasis. Not much needs to be said in terms of explaining how normal life is in the heart of Mexico city, and then there is us. There is a wall around the whole CCM and a whole beautiful campus here. Mountains on either side of us and 65 degree weather all the time. The streets are lined with perfectly landscaped bushes and flower beds and big trees with purple blossoms. I am actually so happy I didn't get sent to the Provo MTC. Though, I would have probably said the same thing if it was the opposite. I am also here during the low time of the year so there are only about 200 missionaries on campus so that's great.The UV index here is like a 10 all of the time haha. Though it's 65 degrees you'll get burned in just a few minutes. I have a guy in my district named Elder Young and he's a redhead. And now he's a red body HAHA. I really love my district. I've had the thought a few times that if I put in my missionary papers a week or a month later I wouldn't be having this experience with these people now and I feel so blessed. The guys are all really cool, 6 girls and 4 guys. All the guys are in one room with two bunk beds, two desks and 4 chairs and two showers. Luckily I like them.
I won't lie and say I'm doing the best with the language. There is a lot to remember and to memorize on top of the scriptures and paragraphs we have to memorize everyday in spanish. But it hasn't gotten me down at all, I trust in the lord and I didnt know more than hola and a count to ten in spanish 3 weeks ago.
Not a lot of people are taking the stress well in my district though. I was called t district leader the second day, which ust means out of my family here everyone goes through me and I have a few more responsibilities. I send a weekly evaluation on how everyone is doing every week to the mission president and I have to interview everyone in the district to see how they are doing. I have a few more responsibilities pertaining to leading lessons and discussions and teaching new districts that will come in next week. But these are just the ones of note. I interviewed everyone yesterday and there were a lot of tears. Only about one or two people didn't cry to me about how tough and stressful it's been to them.I suppose you're either not doing okay and need help, or you are doing okay and need TO help. I had asked the lord for opportunities to serve and be a better leader and I got this calling. I think I really helped with a lot of people bearing my testimony and telling them It's going to be okay. I am doing just fine, I know the Lord is there for me and is blessing my family and I. The toughest thing actually is not having enough time with the Lord It seems, ironic enough haha! I'm just so busy and always with me so other than my morning and night prayers I don't get to talk to him personally. And if I make time for personal studyit takes away from my Spanish memorization that I need to stay on top of. But nevertheless, I know He's there.
I'm sorry for the long email, they probably won't be this long in the future, it has just been a busy week. I love you all and feel free to contact me on messenger or through email if you want and I will try to get back to you.
Yo se que Dios es nuestro Padre Celestial. Yo se que la iglesia es verdad y yo soy muy felicidad ser misionero por mi Señor. Te amo a todos.
(I know that God is our Heavenly Father. I know that the church is true and I am very happy to be a missionary for my Lord. I love you all.)
