Okay so like a ton of stuff has happened since I left. I´m going to go over what happened each day.
Wednesday, day 1: there were a ton of missionaries waiting at my gate. there were like at least 20. There were even more at the Dallas airport. I was pretty afraid because I was worried about getting through customs and they kept making us fill out paperwork for customs or whatever and for a lot of them I didn't know what to put. The forms were all in Spanish with English subtext so it was kinda weird. We arrived at the Dallas airport and I went around with another missionary and we went and got food and exchanged some money for pesos. They charged ten dollars to exchange it so me and the other elder did an exchange at the same time so we only spend five dollars each. Then we went over to McDonalds because I needed to eat breakfast and there was a lady in line who asked if we were missionaries. We talked to her for a while and she bought us our food and we talked to her while we ate. I don´t remember much about her but I think she was from the east coast or something idk. she said she was on the voice one time so that was neat I guess.
We got on the plane and flew to Mexico City, most of the people on the plane didn't know English so I was kinda freaked out. There was an elder who was supposed to sit behind me but there was a mexilady in his seat so he told her that it was his seat and she started rambling on and on to him in Spanish until her husband showed her where she was supposed to sit. It was very funny because nobody knew what she was saying. We got to the airport and went through everything just fine. It was a very ghetto place, lots of police with machine guns and stuff. There were people there from the ccm who met us and had us line up for a long time so they could take roll and stuff idk. Then we carried all our luggage out of the airport and we piled into a bus. They took us to the ccm. The drive was very crazy, I feel like there are no traffic laws and the traffic is so bad all the time. plus there are people who are just walking around in the street like selling stuff while there are cars weaving around them. I wasn't too worried. I felt pretty calm during the whole trip except right before customs.
We got to the ccm and they did some videos and stuff and went over some packet things they gave us and told us what was in them. It was WAY too fast and I didn't know what they were talking about I was just trying to figure out where I was. Then some elders had us go get our luggage and they took us to our house. We call our houses casas, so just remember that. I met my companion on the way or something. I noticed that there were two names on the packet for my companions but I could only find one so we just assumed he didn't show up or something. We left our luggage in our casa and went to dinner. The food here is alright. The breakfast are not good and they don´t have any drinks that I recognize. They only have one soda machine and its actually just carbonated juice so its very crowded so I usually just drink water. Just for an example, today I ate some french toast instead of the nachos or whatever they were serving for breakfast. Then I had some fruit loops or something and like a roll I don't remember. It's all very random, I don't recognize hardly anything as far as food goes. I usually just mix some beans and a A FREAKLOAD OF HOTSAUCE every time. Then I make tacos if they have tortillas. I don't even know how to explain anything else because its just weird. We went back and asked people that were walking to their casas if they were our companion and we actually found him. so I'm in a trio. My companions are named Elder W-- and Elder K--.
First Day
Were one of the only districts with no sisters. the guys are very fun and nice. 3 of them were all star soccer players which is very very good. We do soccer and Frisbee and basketball and volleyball when we have gym for 50 minutes most days. we didn't have gym until after Saturday at least. on Friday we taught our first investigator. 2 DAYS IN AND THEY MAKE US TEACH AN INVESTIGATOR IN SPANISH. It actually went really well. I felt calm the whole time and i felt like the words were almost just coming to my head. A few days later our teacher said he got the report from the investigator and she specifically said that when Elder Mitchell spoke it was powerful and made her feel special. It made me feel nice.
Saturday was a little more normal. we still taught our investigator. we have to teach for 30 minutes. her name is Ana. we have to teach her in all Spanish. we start by knocking on the door and then she opens it and pretends that she doesn't know about the church, it's very nerve wracking. This message didn't go as well as the first one. I felt nervous and I didn't know what to say. I feel like we were being less reverent before this meeting than on Friday. I really feel like on Friday I had the spirit and then Saturday i didn't have it nearly as much. I think I talked more but I was having a hard time with coming up with the words necessary to teach her.
Sunday was alright. We all have to prepare talks and they randomly picked 8 people out of the 40 to speak. I dont have to worry about it this week because its fast sunday. we do all of our singing, prayers, testimonies, talks, EVERYTHING in Spanish. I feel like I'm progressing and learning a lot of words but pretty much all of them are gospel words so I feel like im going to be less prepared when I get to Lima. It's very very busy all the time. the ccm is on 90 acres with a 20 foot barbed wire wall going around the whole thing. I use the earplugs because of the gunshots and sirens all night. People say that its a mexican tradition to shoot cannons into the sky to clear the clouds but I don't know.
I sleep bad every night. I wake up 5 plus times at least just throughout the night. I'm not sick but another elder in the district is. Most of the illness here is stomach problems but I feel fine. Sorry I can't write more but I'm running out of time. Also we went to the temple today but its under renovation so we didn't go inside.
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