Email 1/5/17

Brett is down to his last few days in the CCM.  I asked him a bunch of questions, the first one was who he directly reports to, as I figured with over 400 missionaries in the training center they can’t all report directly to the CCM President.

Besides our teachers there is a guy named Elder Eves who coordinates all the temple trips and other stuff like that. But he just tells our District leader. If we have a problem we usually would go to one of our teachers.  But if we have to go to the doctor we don’t have to tell anyone, we just go.  

New Year’s was super loud! It was a little hard to fall asleep but honestly I’ve gotten used to it.  So it wasn’t too bad.  Mexicans love fireworks! We didn’t do anything special for New Year’s. We didn’t even have a program or anything. We drank one bottle of the Sparkling Cider you sent right away and then I saved the other one for New Years! Nothing special New Year’s day either, just church. 

I forgot what you said about keeping a scripture journal but I do write pretty much every day in my journal. I’m recording my steps, miles, and stairs from my Fitbit so I write that down then I talk about my day. But since all the days are pretty much the same I write like every other day.

I think I have grown a lot since I first got here. My testimony has grown so much already by teaching people why the Gospel is so important in our lives. It’s literally the only way that we can be able to live with other Heavenly Father again, and some people have no idea about that. And our jobs as missionaries is that we inviter a las personas a venir a Cristo. We invite every person to come unto Christ. And when we do this we get to see the changes and the blessings in people’s lives. I’ve also learned more about having to deal with people that are hard to get along with. Which has been tough. I’ve also learned that when we have a positive attitude towards the things we do, even when things are hard, it makes those things seem a little easier. 

I feel the spirit the most when I bear my testimony to investigators because I find myself saying things that I normally wouldn’t. One example is when we had a thing called TRC which is when either members or investigators come in and we teach them.

We taught about prayer, and it was right after you had told me about Auntie’s tumor getting smaller. I had prayed for her to get better and literally the next day I got your email saying that her tumor had shrunk. And sometimes I’m not the most open person but I told a random lady I had never meant before, in a language I still barely know, about how real prayer is and how much our Heavenly Father loves us and hears our prayers

  

My stomach is kind of hit and miss still. There are some days where it is good and other days like right after I eat that I have to go.

We heard that there are some protests going on in Mexico because the gas prices went up overnight to super high. So yesterday we heard a lot of sirens and stuff and then we had heard them again last night so we asked the members who work here (because they live outside this compound) and they said it wasn’t too bad. They said Mexico is always crazy ha-ha so I’m not worried. I know you might be worried but remember that the Lord is with us always.  We were supposed to get to go to the temple again today but they don’t want missionaries out right now. It’s nothing serious but they are just being safe.

We went to the temple last week and it was super awesome!! The grounds are kind of like temple square because it is all gated off. It was super cool though. They have a little store that I bought a ring, a couple tie pins, and a mochila backpack) at it was really cool!

I leave here this Monday, January 9^th. My flight leaves at 6:05 AM, and they told us that we will be going to the airport at 2:30 AM.  I might get to call from the airport but I don’t want to wake you guys.  (I told Brett I would take an early morning call! I don’t care what time it is).  I’m a little worried about my bags weighing too much.  I don’t want to have to pay for that. The Church is going to reimburse us for the extra bag fee, but if they go over the weight all that cost is out of our pocket.  I’ll try my best not to go over but please make sure there is money in my account because I might get food in the airport before we fly out and probably again when we get to Monterrey.  hahaa  I miss good food! 

I love you guys and miss you a ton!