Week 3: CCM- Sick, Dad, and Teaching

Questions Answered

1. What is your daily schedule like? -I sent it in a letter when I sent Tessa a letter so she'l show you. It's a lot to explain.

From a sister missionary in his district:

First, here is a general schedule of what we do throughout the day. We pretty much just sit in different classes and try and fail and try again to speak Spanish and teach lessons! 6:30 Wake up and get ready. 7:15 Daily planning, we plan what we´re going to teach and study that day. 7:30 Breakfast 8:00 Devotional with our district 8:30 TALL Lab (Technology Assisted Language Learning), this helps us learn the language that we need to teach lessons 9:15 Class, This class changes every day, but it´s usually either language study or Preach my Gospel study 10:15 Teaching! 11:15 More class! 12:30 Lunch! Lunch is the biggest meal of the day here.

1:15 Personal Study! 1:45 Language Study! 2:30 On Mondays this is when we do service around the CCM. Every other day this is gym time and we either work out by ourselves or play volleyball with our district and our friends´ district. 4:00 Class! Again! 5:00 Teaching 6:00 More class! 6:45 Dinner! I´m always starving before dinner since lunch is way before it, and so we usually go to the Tienda (store) to get snacks if we have time after changing back into missionary clothes after gym time. 7:30 More classes, or on Tuesday there is a devotional! Devotionals are so great! I´m going to try out for a solo to sing in one next week sometime. 9:00 Return home! 10:30 Go to sleep! Then it starts all over again!

2. Did you try out for Christmas Choir? How about solos? - So I was going to but funny story I got really sick and I didn't feel like singing. But I am working on something to try out with right now. 
3. Andy was jealous you only spent 3 hours at migration.-Tell him we got through quick cause we know Spanish, Homie.
4. Do you have specific language books that you study? - Yeah, we have basic, core, intermediate, and a big red one. We call them Charmander, Charmelion, Charizard then Clifford for the big red one.
5. Brother Perdue asked for a scripture to put on your missionary plaque. Can you give me one? - 1 Nefi capítulo 3 versículo 7 put it en Español
6. Do you do your laundry in actual washing machines or do you wash it by hand? - Well I scrub my collars the night before every week by hand then throw them in the washer.
 7. Have you had to pull out your big jacket? Have you been wearing your sweater some? -No to the big jacket but I have worn the sweater once.I usually wear my suit coat but I am gonna start wearing the sweater.
 8. Is it all Mexican food that you're eating in the cafeteria or is it some American food? -It's a mixture mostly Mexican but it gets old after awhile. So we make PB & Js and sometimes.
9. Are you taking pictures? You know you can remove the SD card and attach them to an email.  -I've taken some pictures and a few videos but apparently I'm not allowed to take videos.
 10. When is the Christmas choir singing? I noticed that you will be flying to Tuxtla on the 17th of December which is obviously before Christmas. - I have no idea. I'm chillin'. I'll stick with doing special musical numbers.
 11. We heard that you were playing volleyball for your exercise. We thought that you would be playing soccer.  -Who told you volleyball??? We play it cause the whole district can and it's more fun.

It was a wild week. I got put on bedrest then played dad on P-day for one of our sick guys LOL, got another baptism, and I have to lead and teach the zone meeting on Saturday.  

So let's start with the sickness thing. On Tuesday, a guy in my district and I went on splits to go to the Infurmeria and we got put on a short bedrest because we haven't been able to sleep due to so much coughing and not being able to breathe. But I got kind of better since then. But Elder Schmitz didn't. So today since it is P-day day I had to play dad for him LOL (it's funny because he is one of the zone leaders). I stayed with him in the apartment and pretty much cleaned it from top to bottom. It is so nice now. Then once he woke up from a nap I took him to the doctor to get meds. After that I took him to the store to get Gatorade and water then we went back to the apartment. Once we got there he went back to bed and I just was working on what musical number I wanted to sing next week. We made a joke out of it because he said I sang him to sleep. So apparently I am the ultimate dad LOL. 

Sooo yeah Elder Killips and I got another interested person to commit to baptism this week which was really cool. We will now have to explain baptism and the importance of covenants because we got a text after the lesson from Santiago saying his mom told him he was already baptized as a baby. So that will be another adventure but a fun one. Teaching in Spanish is so much fun-- I love it, el evangelio en español es muy bueno. It is so special too. It is so direct and to the point and certain translations for things are really cool. 

Speaking of teaching in Spanish  Elder Killips and I have been assigned (not assigned, it was more like the whole room was asked. Elder Killips said no but I said yes louder soooo yeah LOL)  to teach the zone meeting on Saturday en Español. So that should be fun. The topic is hastening the work so I will update on that next week. 

We get to go to the temple again next week. I´m so excited for it. Going through Spanish sessions are really cool.

Until next week!  

Also before I go a scripture we shared with ¨Santiago¨ the same lesson that he committed to baptism was Enos 1:12  It is a good one. I testify of the importance of faith it is an important principle as seen in the scripture. Without faith, we have nothing.

Week 2- CCM: Language and Sickness

1. So what exactly happened to delay you at the Mexico City Airport?

- I didnt know Spanish LOL

2. Dad said he noticed pink and blue stickies hanging off the nametags. What are those? 

-Heavy stickers (luggage is too heavy)

3.   I saw that the package was delivered to the CCM. Did you get it? Did you get the pictures?

-I got it. We shared all of our food and drinks with each other. We still all have a lot left over.

4.How are things going with language?

-They are alright. I am decent with lessons but like just normal stuff is lowkey hard.

5. When you say an investigator committed to be baptized,  is it real or are they pretend? If they are real, who baptizes them?

-So that's a long story. We teach our teachers and they are taking on roles of their friends seeking the gospel and they just don't know what to do to help them. So they hope for revelation for them through us which me and elder killips have been killin it with our morning teacher. Our night teacher made us hug him after. LOL

6. Have they had you go outside of the CCM for anything besides the temple? Will you go to the temple every week?

-Nah it's like prison a good prison but like yeah we dont leave. LOL

7. Can you buy a toothbrush somewhere to tide you over?

-I can but I'm sticking with the head only 3 weeks it's all good.

8.  So did you try out for some solos? What would they be for? Where does the choir sing?

-Choir sings at  devotionals and I haven't tried out yet. I am still sick so probably next week. Also I am trying out for the special Christmas choir.

The reason that I didn't have a P-day yesterday was because we had to go to migration. We were there for 3 hours becoming legal with paperwork to be in Mexico. 

I don't even know where to start. It has been such a long week but like a fast one too so riddle me that LOL. So I guess I can start with how I slept in the shower this week. I couldn't sleep one night because of my cough and congestion. So I waited in bed till about 5:30 because I am an obedient missionary. Then got up, prayed took my study chair to the shower, turned the water on hot and sat. Next thing I know, Elder Wilson comes in so confused, turns on the light, and it was 6:30 so that was defnitely an experience and a great one if you ask me.... Oh yeah so this week our teachers took on new identities for us to teach. It was rough at first. For example, one was Denise. She mentioned to us that she was Atheist and she just had problems with religion and our first meeting was rough. But the second one, we decided to throw the lesson plan and just bear witness to her that she is never alone in this world. Dios es amoro nuestro Padre Celestial (God is our heavenly father). He wants to bless us. He wants to answer our questions and above all He wants to welcome us with open arms and lovingly embrace us. I don't even know how I testified of that all en Español but let me just say even though we are not actually teaching the people that these identities are taken, the spirit of the work was still verrryyy real. I am sorry this blog is shorter. I did not have much time but I will get longer next week. I love you all. This is the one and only true church on the earth today. 

Week 1, Part 2- MTC: Questions Answered and Learning Spanish

1. Who is your companion? Where is he from?

• Elder Killips--he's from Murray, Utah

2. Who is your district leader? Where is he from?

• District Leader is Wilson.  You know his mom. 

3. What is the food like at the CCM? Do you like it?

• Food is great except I barely get to eat because I'm dying laughing or making them laugh. 

4. What percentage of your day is taken up in language study? How is the language coming? Can you say a prayer yet?

• I can testify, say a prayer, and extend commitments.  It was rough at first but we got our first "investigator" to baptism.

5. Does anyone speak English to you in your classes?

• We get Spanglish and we are only supposed to speak Spanglish.

6. Did you find a tooth brush? We noticed yours on the counter as soon as we got back home.

• Yeah, I use the head of the toothbrush. I kinda need that. LOL

7. Have you been able to take any pictures? Don't forget to do that!

• I've taken pictures.  I don't know when I'll send them though.  I'll send one of our district from one of our hermanes (Plural of hermana?) in a minute. 

8. Did you get that printed letter that I sent for them to print?

• I got the printed letter.  They come like immediately and we go pick them up. 

9. I also think Tessa sent a couple letters this past week. Did you get them?

• I got all the letters.  The guys make fun of me for it because they haven't gotten any. LOL

We just got back from the temple. That's why it took forever. It was good. I didn't use the headphones so all the Latinos gave me the head nod of approval. I actually understood it. I guess it helps that I knew the English.

It has been a long week, but a good one. I don't even know where to start. I guess I could start with all the Greenies (new missionaries) who know me for the most part. I don't know if that should be a good thing or bad. It all started on day one because I started a little trend that was related to our devotional and it just caught on. We all still do it. Then came day two when we were all doing pictures for visas and the guy wanted a straight face but I pretty much haven´t stopped laughing since. I got here so that was tough and everyone else was dying. Then when I had to turn I turned the whole chair and the sound was the loudest ever and it was just hilarious but that finally ended and I walked over to the scale and the Hermano gave me a big OIII. Now we all say OI because something about it is hilarious. But yeah, pretty much from there everyone knew me and wanted to talk to me because a few of my best friends in another district (Elder Hammond Y Elder Gates) spread the word. Long story short, people assume I´m a comedian. But in reality I'm just too goofy. 

Our Spanish is coming along pretty well. I was going to have to speak in Sacrament Meeting en Espanol but the zone leader and I are friends so I talked him into assigning mi companero. I am in the choir right now and my district wants me to try out for the solos because I had to get up on stage and sing a solo for most of the greenies. That was terrifying because it was in Spanish. But they all said it was really good so who knows. Oh by the way, the hymn was #50 "Mas cerca, Dios, de ti" Which is Nearer my God to Thee in English. 

Our classes were really rough at first especially when we had to teach an identity our teacher took on. Our first interaction with Maria was terrible. I literally wanted to cry. But the second time we met with her, I suggested we say a prayer before we go in and teach her because all of this was in Spanish so it was kinda hard. But when we got in there what our lesson was planned for completely changed. She mentioned the death of her daughter and how she cursed God and how could she ever grow from that dark point?  In the best Spanglish I had, I explained to her how Dios es nuestro amoroso padre celestial "God is our loving Heavenly Father." She could never be too far from our Heavenly Father. He loves us way way wayyyy too much for us to be too far gone. We just need to be humble and take the first step by going to our knees in humble prayer. Then Elder Killips moved into the Plan of Salvation. We passed it back and forth and then I testified in the best Spanish I could. Hermana Perez (our maestra) was even crying so much. It was a great second lesson. 

We had an opportunity to teach her a third time and she talked about how her grandmother has Parkinson's and it has been rough. I can´t even remember what I said but she was crying already and we had barely started. She continued to tell us how she has faith in la expiacion (Atonement) but every once in a while she feels like she was not really cleansed from it. We took it and ran with it. We talked about the bendiciones (blessings) of baptism and sacrament. Long story short, she committed to baptism after I testified of the strength that comes with being cleansed. Ahhh it was great. Our lesson was gonna be the restoration but we listened and were lead to what needed to be said. 

Our teacher pulled me to the side later and said she was grateful for my comments in our lessons with her. Maria was her cousin and it was exactly what her cousin had been going through. So she was gonna put it in her journal. I don't have much time so I will leave it at that things are looking good here. Soy agradecido por opotunidad to serve the mission. I am already seeing the blessings and how we can bless others with el Evangelio de Jesuchristo. I will talk to y'all next week!!!

Week 1- CCM: Pic

Week 0- CCM: Made It, Dawg

Finally arrived, 

The airport was interesting. They did not let me through at first. But I met with the rest of them and got on the bus. 

Traffic was crazy. I swear there are no street laws. 

I just did orientation and my P-day (Preparation Day = wash clothes, write emails, etc.) will be Thursdays. But I will not email this week due to this one. 

Alright, I'm going to hop off now cause apparently it's pizza night and I'm hungry. 

Peace out. Also I'm in Branch 4 District C.   I'm supposed to tell you that.

Week 0: On his way!