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
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
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