Week Three--Over the Hill or Over the Hump?

Dear Family,

I'm over the hill......with training ha,ha.  I've learned more and more every week.  I've learned so much on how to begin teaching, how to speak Spanish and just.....how to teach in general!  Oh, Mom, could you relay this to Sister Silva.  She said one of Ethan's friends came into the CCM the same day as me.  Well she's in my district! Ha,ha I study with her every day!  Hermana Hokanson is her name, and she did debate with Ethan.  She's from Orem.   That was really nice to have the mutual friendship!  

I just got my haircut here before coming to email.  Haha the only choice I got was dos o tres.  Haha they only do one style here but you can choose the length on the side.  

Easter Sunday was FULL of devotionals.  We had 4 devotionals that day, and every single devotional is always in the auditorium.  We had one live broadcast from home, at the Provo MTC and M. Russell Ballard spoke to us all.  That was broadcast to every MTC.  Then we had a taped recording of course because it was Richard G. Scott who spoke to us.  And it was really awkward because in that talk he gave, the first thing he says when he gets up is "I feel like I've died and gone to heaven!"   ....and everyone laughed and was really weird...like....we shouldn't be laughing but...he's gone now.  We had another one just with one of the members of the CCM Presidency.  Me and my companion had to pass the microphones to those who had comments so I didn't really get anything out of that one... haha :p   Lastly, we had our weekly farewell devotional.  That's every Sunday night, and they just show which districts are leaving on the projector and then we sing Para Siempre Dios este con vos every time.  We watched The Restoration.  My highlight of this week was Tuesday night.  So, sometimes I join the choir just because they practice during additional study time haha.  Elder Brown wasn't too fond of singing, but we did!  Tuesday night we had a devotional and we went up with the CCM choir and sang!  And I was in the front too...We sang Where Can I Turn For Peace...in Spanish of course.  But it was great!  After Sunday and Tuesday night devotionals we always have dev. review with our district and we just share what we liked about it.  We had this one outside because it was a beautiful night.  We shared our thoughts and then we still had like 45 minutes and so we sang hymns in English.  And I actually got to use my talent and ability with music to help my district sing and to feel the spirit.  I kinda told them we should sing the hymns on the right key because every time we sing acapela it's not right.  Ha,ha so now, every time we sing, they ask me for the note and I give them the note and we start singing and its the correct key!!  

Anyway, I really really enjoyed singing with my district actually.  Like....I know I would always refuse to sing in front of you guys, and I'm sorry.  Elder Brown didn't sing, and Elders Wilson and Wise just kinda mumbled so I was the only Elder singing in front of the Hermanas just in our group.  I never do that!!!  We sang hymns and primary songs and all of the Hermanas were freaking out because we sang Love is Spoken Here and did the parts and stuff like that and it was so spiritual bla, bla.  Anyway, you can tell I really liked singing stuffs!!!  It's just so funny because I never sang in front of anyone.

I haven't had a night (except the first) that I've cried while trying to sleep.  So that's good, but I bring this up due to the fact that I'm getting better at feeling the presence of Dad.  I had one night where my mind was just going everywhere like normal just before sleeping and then I saw him in my mind just out of nowhere, and it's just that feeling like....you're thinking about him....and he's thinking about us...so you know there's contact.  I sat up that night in my bed and just....felt.  I can't really describe it, but I knew he was with me.

I've gotten used to the food here. Tuesday night is pizza night from Costco :D  Gotta love that.  I told Anna this, but I found the BEST food.  I took my love for cereal to the next level!!! I put peanut butter around the edges of my bowl and they have cocoa puffs but like flakes here....ah it's soooo good! You guys have to try it.  Anyway.  Today is another normal P day.  It's my last normal P day because the next 2 P days we will be going to the temple again and that takes up most of our day.  I'll get pictures in front of the temple.  Elder Brown is into weight lifting so I have been working out at the gym.  Just so you know.

Yo sé que la Iglesia es verdadero.  Yo sé que el Libro de Mormón es la palabra de Dios y podemos a ser limpio por medio de la Expiación.  The end.  Haha

Well, Oh!!! Duh....yes I got the package a week ago!!! I finished my email last time and hit the servicio postal and boom!! Big green bag of goodies.  Thanks, Mom :)  My district is supposedly going to spend the P day making a pinata for me hahaha!  I think I'm going to have a good birthday here.  Whoa....wait.  The next time I email you guys...I will be 19.  Hmm...cool!  Maybe you could send another care package? Ha,ha you know I'm more of a drinker than an eater.  Do you think you could send me real soda? No caffeine tho of course haha thanks.  Well my hour is up here.  Keep telling me stuffs and don't worry about my struggle of being here.  I'm kinda over it now and I've accepted the fact that this is my new home and my district is my new family.  Love you all!!!

Con amor,

Elder Thompson

Week Two

Dear Family,

Thank you all so so much for writing me letters to the MTC here.  Yes, I got printed letters from mom, and a few of my friends.  Thank you for telling me everything you did.  Things are getting better here, and Tyler and Ian both say the field is so much better.  The days are starting to blur together.  The days are also starting to go by quicker.  I'm already a third of the way done here so that's interesting to think about.

The past few days have been ok.  Last week, we had an apostle come and speak to us.  Quentin L. Cook came and spoke to us!  I shook his hand...no big deal.  I had my first dream of dad here in the mission and I wrote it in my journal.  Im going to keep doing that.  Ugh I always have so many things I want to write to you guys, and then I get on the computer and I forget!  

The language is coming along a bit.  I can offer prayers and testify in Spanish and also give a decent first discussion pretty easily now.  The language barrier is very real and its hard to deal with.  Our first fake investigator is now our teacher, because hes been working here the whole time.  But, we did teach 2 volunteers yesterday that are less active or non members.  I wish I knew Spanish already.

I really dont know what to write about...My homesickness is going away, It sounds kind of mean, but Im not thinking about you guys as much haha but its good for me.  I just want to get good at planning my time and teaching.  I already know that once I pick up the language and get good at teaching, I will enjoy this service a lot more.  Elder Richins told me that after a month, it comes naturally.  

Our days our pretty basic.  We just follow the missionary handbook by studying every morning before and after breakfast, then we have a morning block of instruction for about 3 hours with language and doctrine coaching.  After lunch is always gym time and I really like gym time :)  Elder Brown and I have been playing volleyball.  We have another 3 hour block of instruction in the afternoon, then after dinner is TALL -- Technology assisted language learning and I like that.  Then we study language in our classroom until daily planning at 9.  Thats my day pretty much every day.

The temple trip was really cool.  The Mexico City temple is HUGE!! Its really cool looking.  I was last in the service, so I only had like a few minutes in the celestial room.  We took along time doing the ceremony because we had to talk in Spanish.  We go to the temple every other P day.  And again!  The drivers are insane here!!! Its so ridiculous everyone is so stressed whenever we are on the bus haha.  Mexico City is the BIGGEST city I've ever seen.  When we were on the bus, I realized that Mexico City is the only city I've been in where I can only see city as far as I can see in every direction!!! Es muy grande!

I want to serve my mission without counting down the days.  I want to do this without looking at my leave date...but thats really hard to do right now.  Yes, Kyle I always think 2 years is so long!  But I know that the more I think about that, the longer it will take.  I have to admit my biggest concern right now is time.

The other Elders and I are starting to laugh more, and bond more.  I received a sense of belonging here, a feeling that this is my new family and my new home.  It really does help to be surrounded with good people and good examples.

Its crazy to think that my birthday is just over a week!  I will be 19...crazy.  So far, Mom, I have only received one printed letter here from you, I'm betting I will get the other one today then.  

I'm sorry if my email is really unorganized...I'm just trying to think of what to write to you all.  Kyle did the camera have a cable with it for uploading?  Because I just realized I have no method of uploading pictures...I'm going to have to buy a card reader or something.  But, Elder Brown is letting my switch SD cards so I can upload some from his camera.  

I'm hearing news right now from the other Elders that there was another attack in Belgium??  That's crazy...I also want to express thanks to everyone in the ward who has written mail to me.  It really helps...a lot!!!

I want to wish my family a happy Easter :)  I meant to say happy St. Patrick's day on my last email, but I forgot.  We got to watch the 2 new videos that the church released.  The one with the virtual hallelujah chorus was pretty cool.  I remember hearing about that going to happen.  And then there was the newest church video of The Savior and his resurrection.  I liked those videos.  Please keep praying for me, it really helps.  It helps in a way only Kyle would remember.  I'm gonna go now.  :\ I hope everything is okay at home.  Stay safe!  I will because I'm in the safest place in Mexico City.  I honestly really look forward to the day that I'm good at teaching in Spanish and just speaking in Spanish.  That will make things so much easier.  I'm going to upload some pictures now with some descriptions.

Love you all,

Elder Thompson

First Week

Dear Family,

This week was the longest week of my life.  My perception of time has been DESTROYED!!! Its as if I've forgotten how long time actually IS and I'm forced to learn all over again.  I've made it a week, barely.  Honestly, the first few days were horrendous.  My first Sunday here, I decided in my mind that I was going to come back home.  That whole day, Sunday, I didn´t talk at all and was on edge of crying the whole time.  I even set up an appointment with a member of the presidency here at the CCM to demand that I be sent back home.  That night I didn't sleep.

I went in the next day, Monday, and somehow.......I have an idea, but somehow I went in with a completely different attitude.  I told President Call my story and emotional toll and counseled with him instead of whining to him.  I know that it was the power of prayer, seriously.  I FELT my attitude change by your prayers and other prayers.  During our first devotional Sunday night, I was pretty much crying to myself the whole time.  And.....I'm pleased to tell you all that I heard dad's voice for the first time then.  I heard his voice saying stay....two times.  That helped, my companion helped but do you know what really kept me here? ....... A secret note :) .  I found Elder Richins note amazingly and he gave me so much support and advice.  My best friend saved my life.  Things have been a bit better since then.

I don't mean to sound super needy and desperate, but I do need a lot of support.  LOTS.  The days are sooooooooo long here and oh! There's a service here that prints out emails and delivers them daily to missionaries.  The address is

letter@mtcmexicocarepackage.com

I hear that its a free service that you email, and depending on what time of the day you email, the letter will print out here that day or the next day.  I would REALLY like to have more contact.  I wont be able to write you back until p day of course, but I need that comfort.  You don't have to every day....but maybe every other day? Please.  And, they have another service which isn't necessary all the time but...(it would be nice for a birthday gift) ;) on that website or whatever, I hear that you can assemble a care package, like a list of treats and goodies to put in a box and the tienda here will look at it and then assemble it and deliver it to me.  That costs money though, I think.

Sorry mom if my grammar is bad on these emails because the keyboards here in the CCM are different, they're for typing Spanish...I cant find the apostrophe!  Anyway.

I am in district 5B.  My district is me, Elder Brown, Elder Wilson, Elder Wise, and Hermanas Hunskaer and Hathaway and a trio of hermanas Shaffner, Leavitt and Hokanson.  Elder  Wilson is our district leader, and Elder Wise is from Vienna, Virginia where ill be serving!  He says NOVA is the best.  (I guess the locals call it NOVA = Northern Virgina) haha.

Mom, if you are worried about my safety, you're wasting energy.  My companion, Elder Brown, is basically a 19 year old version of Uncle Rod :)  One of his jobs was loss prevention and his job before coming here was a bounty hunter!!! He was in law enforcement!  He has scars on his arms and legs from things such as:  a .22 bullet going thru, knive stabs, going through a glass window tackling someone etc.  He knows so much about hunting and weapons and the logistics of police.  Hes seriously Uncle Rod haha.  

The Spanish is a pain.  Our teachers only talk in it, and Im starting to be able to pick up what people are saying, but its still hard.  I could really use some NZT right now haha.  We taught our first investigator our second full day here, and have been pretty much every day.  Hes fake of course, I knew that but E. Brown didn't know and he got really mad haha.

Please help me stay out here.  I need support and evidence that coming home is not an option for me.  Help me remember that there's no good turning back now.  

Thursdays are my p days here so today is my first p day.  We are going to the temple here pretty soon after writing.  I just hope the time passes by quick.  But I want to serve my mission without looking at my return date.  I've learned already to focus on the moment.  Don't focus on whats ahead, or what has happened, just what is happening now.  I really really hope that the mission field is better than here because I'm just not a fan at all of having my life planned out for me hour by hour.

The city smells, there's sirens blaring EVERY night ALL night, the food is weird but...I live here now.  I have to remember that.  I've been so use to living in the comforts of home, that's what made me want to go back home.  I wish I could call you all the time.  Could you please send emails to that address?  That contact will help a lot.  You all could write a few.

Well, I want to write to Elder Richins now, and thank him for saving my life spiritually because that note kept me here.  I love you all and sorry for no pictures, Ill do that next week.  I love you so much and hope your lives go by quick...cuz that will mean mine will be going by just as fast.  I will talk to you next week.  :)

Love,

Elder Thompson  

I Made It!

Family,

I made it!  I´m here in Mexico, and it's such a dump!  The whole place is, except the MTC.  This place is so different, and yes Kyle, I thought we were going to trade paint with every parked car because the bus driver was insane!  And the roads...they're so narrow!!! Anyway, I'm just letting you know that I made it safe and with no problems at the airport at all.  My companion is Elder Brown; he's big, and quiet and I have to get to know him better cuz it's my first day!  Everyone here says these first few days--this first week--is really rough.  I will email you on my P day which...I'm not sure is when.  Good luck with the play, Anna! Still have Lion King stuck in my head haha. 

Love you,

Elder Thompson

03/09/16   5B

Carretera Tenayuca-Chalmita #828

Colonia Zona Escolar, Gustavo A. Madero

07230 Mexico, Distrito Federal

Mexico (Do not send packages)