First full week in the field!

What a great week it has been here in the sun! It's so hot here and the sun is strong but it's the best here! My Spanish is getting better and I can understand a lot better now, even though contributing is harder. I got chased by three dogs and got bit by a stupid nasty dog in the leg.
In our house we had to put a rock in the sink because frogs and stuff come up haha its so weird. 

 We eat like kings here though! The big meal here is lunch! They give us sooo much food. Tostadas and Empanadas every meal and y Aroz con Leche is my favorite breakfast! Mom, I'm growing up because I eat corn tortillas and tomatoes, mostly because I'm forced but now I actually like it. 

The street corners here are gross they just have freshly slaughtered pigs and I feel like I'm gonna get sick just walking by lol. 
I'm learning so much Spanish, but I'm still so far. My favorite part so far is the people. They're amazing. I feel like the Lord knows me perfectly and put me here for the most perfect reasons. There are Mariachi bands everywhere and I'll just stop and dance and they'll laugh and then we will share a message. I love sitting in lessons with people i just met and bear witness to what I know is true in my crappy Spanish. The spirit gets stronger and I know they feel it. Someone asked us if we were Jehovah Witnesses and it seemed like they were only interested if we were Jehovah Witnesses. I was like "yes". We are witnesses of Christ, they kept talking to us and we explained we weren't of the same church as Jehovah witnesses but we come bearing a message of Christ. I gave her a Book of Mormon and it was awesome. The little things everyday are the best here. 
Everything is so down to earth. The people are real. I spoke in sacrament meeting and talked about hastening the work and the gathering of Israel. We are all missionaries and the importance of Member involvement. I've only been here a week and know how much more successful member references are. We have a few baptisms planned and have about 7 fechas planned for the upcoming couple weeks. This place is booming and I love it, but I realized how much stronger our ward and leadership needs to be. We are in a relatively new area and everyone is new to the church, which is good, but I feel like the missionaries are the foundation of the church here. I want my goal for the mission to strengthen His fold and increase his numbers but also help the members understand why we are here and help them help each other and grow with responsibilities. 
I made my first contact my first day in the field it was scary but so fun! I screamed Buenas Tardes! and the lady let us in and we talked forever. Her name is Gloria. She has three boys and a girl and they're so cute! They have only 3 plastic chairs in their house and they're the most tender hearted people. I don't know if it's the Spirit or the culture here in Vera Cruz but the people see your name tag and they just open up. She shared with us some serious problems in her marriage and it broke my heart. She started in tears and you know me, I was fighting back trying to stay strong for this lady but honestly I didn't have the words. Elder Sorensen and I looked at each other and we both knew she needed a blessing. We told her what a blessing was and through the priesthood she can receive peace and comfort through her trials. I felt the spirit so strong during that blessing, the spirit was traveling through my arms and it was awesome. We got up and said bye and this dog just booked it at us! Barking and growling and it wasn't stopping. It came up on us and was nipping at us but I couldn't take it out with my bag because this lady who we just had an awesome experience with would see me put this dog in the ground. So it bit me, and we started running. A little kid nearby took a long stick and started beating the dog for us!! hahaha it was so fun! 
We walk by so many dogs. they are everywhere. Elder Sorensen saw this gang of dogs and he jerked at them a little and they chased us all the way down the street. The look on his face was priceless, it's so fun and so scary.
We are teaching a girl named *****, she's like 22. We found her because I heard Drake american music coming from her house and go soooo excited I told my comp we needed to contact her. So here in Mexico you just yell into houses (no knocking doors) and just say buanas tardes or something and she came out and we went in! There is Soooo much Virgin Mary stuff here. She said she loved God and that she knows her church isn't the right church for her so we gave her a BOM and we taught her the first lesson. I told her I liked Drake too. She first thought members from our church were weird and now she sees we are just like them. It's cool but she didn't come to church which made me sad but there are so many stories that make me realize why I'm here and how the Lord has prepared me for Mexico and it's so cool.
I'm just trying to soak everything in, but it is just so much all at once! I have definitely have seen how the Lord does not call the qualified, but qualifies the called.
I'm so out of my element but I'm having so much fun!

The Lord loves all but only trusts few

 our bathroom, note the water color in the tank.  I only drink filtered water

shopping

Agua Dulce

HOLLAA FAMILIA Y MIS AMIGOS,
I´m here. Its official. I met my trainer\companion for the next 6 weeks his name is Elder Sorensen!! 

He is so funny and I love him so much! We are gonna be able to help so many people! He's our District leader as well and one of the funniest people. He's from Colorado which is good because he speaks English. I got to Villahermosa and met my mission President, President Haws and he's such a good guy. I am one of 21 new missionaries that flew in yesterday. I literally couldn't be in a better mission. My mission is the highest baptizing mission in Mexico. They broke an all time record last week with 51 baptisms in one week! They had over 200 just last month. It's crazy and I'm so ready for this. The people here are all so nice and we are able to talk to so many people.

I am currently serving in Agua Dulce in Veracruz. That literally means water candy but the water is all green. Agua Dulce is a village or city built in a jungle. There are so many mosquitoes and everything is very very green. Its so cool here and I'm so excited!! Our casa is one of the nicest in the missions and it's really big we live with a lady in the ward! We also get to live with two other Elders. I still have to shower with a bucket but its okay because we have a CLIMA!! Its just a little AC unit that sits on the window, we are living lavish out here. We have a dog his name is Floyd his fricken nasty but also just a good little guard pup hahaha

 (He looks mad)haha

I hit the ground running we got to Agua Dulce dropped my stuff off and went to a members house for dinner and got to share a little message. The people here speak so weird. It's so slurred and really broken Spanish which makes it harder to learn but ill be okay i just need to talk a lot. I talked a little and smiled a lot because that's all I really know how to do hahah. My companion is so great he said to just always follow the spirit no matter what and things will be okay. It was really cool and we were able to get a referral from him.We have a lot off appointments. The members are so involved here it's awesome it makes me realize how much better we need to get in the States. I've only been out a little but the most important thing I've learned how critical members are.
I'm kind of a little shaken up and nervous because I still have no idea what's going on. The way of life here is polar opposite of the way it is at home and I'm getting used to a new way of doing things. I've never had to live with someone 24/7 until now and I'm nervous how that will be by the end of the transfer. It's still weird to think about how I'm on a mission and that this is so real now.
We walk everywhere and it is so humid everywhere we go! 
I miss all of you guys soo much sorry I didn't have a lot of time today to write but I have some pics!

Ultima Semana en el CCM!!!!

It's the last few days in the CCM!!!! I am beyond excited to finally get out into the field on Monday! These last 6 weeks in the CCM felt long but also went by super fast I've learned so much I cannot even begin to articulate it!
This last week has been good! We are the oldest district in the CCM and it feels good. I am SO nervous though to leave the people and everyone are so nice and I have good food (relatively) and a good bed. I hope my first area is in the city. There's a WalMart there! I need to find some mac and cheese I hope they have it there.
This week the power went out in half the houses and all of the buildings. Which means meals and everything are messed up and the milk in my cereal was rotten :( and no hot water. We told the new kids that its like this all the time and they got so pale and were so scared it was funny. Earlier this week my companion got sick. He couldn't go to class and we had to stay back, I was kinda bummed and frustrated because I just wanted to go to class. It turned out to be really good for my Spanish and gave me a lot of time to study.
We had the opportunity to teach all of the lessons to a man named Andres. It was really cool to see the face of an investigator when talking about the Plan of Happiness, where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going. He was so interested and I felt the spirit so strong because of his desire to want to grow closer to God. I loved explaining, as best as I could in Spanish, the importance of Faith and how faith is stronger than knowledge. Everything worth doing or of great value is hard, the conversion process is hard and its meant to be. He asked us why, because he had been faithful in prayer and scripture study, if Heavenly Father loves us so much doesn't he send angels down like he does in the Bible or BoM. He continued and said he has accepted Christ as his savior and is saved and if you don't believe that you are diminishing to Power of Christ´s Atonement. I smiled so much when he said this! I liked studying this topic as we were preparing for our next visit with him because we didn't have time to answer his question right there. I went to Ether 12:6. The power of Faith over knowledge is amazing. The same way no one can give you a personal testimony. The difference between testimony and conversion is fundamental. We can have spiritual experiences that strengthen our testimonies, but that is not conversion. Understanding true conversion, one would know you cannot be converted through spiritual experiences alone. Conversion happens only through having faith. I love talking about the difference of Hope, Faith, and Belief as they are all very different things and yet they cannot exist without each other. Hope requires a trust in God, that he will lift and strengthen you always. Faith requires action. We cannot say we have faith in something because we feel good about it. Faith is not feeling good about a test in school and not studying. Faith would be putting your heart, might, mind and strength into studying in order to prepare for the test. Although important to remember that Faith is in Jesus Christ not outcomes. Essentially faith requires skin in the game we have to do some thing to show our commitment to Christ. James 2 Faith without works is dead. I love how the Restored Church of Jesus Christ is built upon Christ. Our emphasis on the Atonement and potential as literal offspring of Heavenly Father sets us apart from other churches. Explaining that it is because we glorify in the Saviors sacrifice that we believe simply accepting him and sitting back is not enough to show our FAITH in Him. We need to work everyday to show our love by bringing other people to His name so that they may value his infinite Atonement. We must do all we can to please Him, and the fact of the matter is that we will always fall short. We know we are all saved by His grace and could not be saved without it, but is after all we can do to glorify and understand its importance that He will be pleased with our presence in the last days.
Went to the temple today it was sooo beautiful. It is the largest temple outside of the United States and one of 5 temples where the Moroni holds the golden plates! 

I walk into the visitors center and BAM i see good ole MARK MABRY chilling on the wall in a picture with Jesus. So beautiful.

My companion i think is getting a little sick of me he said "If you're gonna make another vine reference you can assume I don't know it" and i was like.... sorry
I'm so scared to go to the field this week and I was thinking about how hard it is going to be, but the spirit I feel about telling people how we can return to our Father in Heaven and live with him is way better.
I'm still hearing some crazy stories about the field and I cannot wait to meet my trainer on MONDAY! This is the day!!! I'm gonna get a new P-Day when I get to the mission so I don't know when my next E-Mail will be but I love each and everyone of y'all!!!

Parrot Poop

This week was absolutely amazing!! I don't know where to start! 
What an amazing opportunity we had to hear from the Prophet of God and the modern day apostles. The spirit was absolutely incredible. 
So many things stood out to me but one that I felt was of incredible importance. 
The Prophet announced the reminder about the importance to remember Christ. Specifically when referencing the name of the Church. Initially when this announcement was made before coming on my mission I didn't see how truly significant this was. Honestly to myself I thought it would be close to impossible. We are known as "the Mormons" and that's just how it has been. We have adopted this as part of who we were as members of the Restored Church of Jesus Christ. I love 3 Nephi 27. I truly began to understand what it means to take His name upon our hearts as we have covenanted to do at baptism. A name is much more important than what someone references as. It is who we are. I was having a hard time feeling worthy wearing his name across my heart  as a missionary. Who am I to bear the name of Jesus Christ? The savior of all man kind! As I studied 3 Nephi 27 I came to realize I am not worthy. None of us are. It is through Him and only through Him are we able to take His name upon us. Truly seek to align our will with His. There is a story that President shared with me in an interview. Karl G. Maeser, he worked along side Brigham Young in founding the Church Educational System. A German professor who worked on composing discipline with education. Maeser talks a little about who we are. When it comes down to it, as who we are in this life we have our name and our honor. Maeser teaches of this importance with the prophet Brigham Young. He says a man can chain me down and build prison walls around me. They can lock me in the most secure of prisons with guards completely surrounding the compound and I could find a way out. It may take years but there is a way to escape. However, place me in the sand and draw a circle around my feet. Make me promise on my name that I will not step out of the circle and not unless you drag my dead body out of the circle would I leave it. I love this. Is this not what we do when we covenant every Sunday to take the Lords name upon ourselves. When we promise to try and be as he is. This is our name too. For the sake of Him, seek to exemplify his name. If we do not continually strive to remember who we are as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day saints bearing his name on our hearts we cannot continue to progress. 
Get this, everyone who is still reading... hahah I was studying outside with Elder Gray talking about how the heck we are gonna teach a lesson for 60 minutes in Spanish when a huge parrot dropped a crap on my arm. It was green and nastyyyy. Ugh

We went into the city today to essentially become Mexican. The drive was cray and I tried to get pictures of "COCO" they're not very good but it is so pretty.

I was changing in my apartment when the Earthquake sirens started to go off. Not sure if it was a drill or not. I didn't feel an earthquake but everyone had to go into the streets and stand close together. It was gross people smell. 

WATCH THIS if you don't do anything else please just watch this video!!!!!!
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2009-07-29-gods-words-never-cease?lang=eng

Those trucks are everywhere and they have the most random things on them its crazy. Its like walmart but cheaper and no options.

 Money well spent

I made it to the Mexico CCM/MTC

I don't even know where to begin this week it has been SO crazy! I am finally in the Mexico City CCM *MTC* and it is so crazy. Nothing like any other place I have even been to. The P Days are all messed up here I have a P Day on Friday or Thursday next week and then Thursday the week after. lol
I don't know what I was really expecting but it is way different than the Provo MTC. I got a new companion!! His name is Elder Gray and he was in my district back in Provo! It's really nice because he is a familiar face in a brand new environment! He's a really good guy from Colorado Springs. He has a great testimony and I'm so pumped we are companions.

The CCM here is a fortress in the middle of Mexico City! It's so weird because it is like we are in our own prison bubble, but everywhere around us is the prison and the MTC seems like the only nice part of the City hahaha. There are three mountains that surround the CCM and it is packed with concrete houses that seem like they are all connected. There is a lot of barbed wire, graffiti, and dogs. From a distance (in the CCM) the city is sooo beautiful! Everyone has the same concrete block houses but everyone painted them different colors. At dusk there are tons of lights and music everywhere! IT IS EXACTLY LIKE THE MOVIE COCO! Its crazy how much of it is the same! 

The people and natives here are so nice! I try as much as I can to talk to the natives and it only makes me feel bad about how terrible my Spanish is hahah we always just end up laughing its so fun! I still can't get over how much of it is like Coco at night... bunches of bright colors and music it's so funny and awesome!
I took my room in Provo for granted. Here is not nearly as nice. We have to put drain covers on all of our floor drains at night because a bunch of mosquitoes and spiders will come in hahah. Thank goodness I have a bed and hot water though, apparently our mission might not always be that fortunate. Villahermosa is talked about a lot here. Some of the natives said they caught a 6.5 meter anaconda in a city by Villahermosa. That's like 20 feet I think, and there are rumors of mosquitoes as big as your hand... Mostly people just talk about how hot it is though.
Every night we fall asleep to gunshots and what sounds like dog fights... It's honestly really scary lol. I think Villahermosa is more jungle and less gang stuff. Our mission president gives us a mosquito net and hammock when we get the mission which is exciting but at the same time I'm gonna miss a bed.
I'm sooo excited for conference and so happy I can watch it in English! Everything is in Spanish here and sometimes it gives me a headache lol. Elder Gray and I are teaching una mujer named Virginia y un hombre named Andres they're awesome. They don't know much about the church but every time we teach it makes me so excited to get out in the field and teach for real. I love it here but I miss Merica. It's crazy out here and I'm learning so much everyday! I haven't gotten sick (Yet) I try to stay super clean and only drink out of the filtered bottle.
There are a lot more rules here but I guess that just means some of the natives get out of control lol. 
That's one thing I love about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is how it is the same across the world. I'm in Mexico and it is the exact same here as it is in Texas as it is in the Philippines and Colorado its amazing. This is Christ's church and it is so apparent. I am so thankful for everything the good times and the bad. I love the Book of Mormon. I have been able to really dive deeper into it now that I have dedicated my time 100% to Him. I cannot begin to describe the blessings it has brought me and millions of people around the world. I love this place so much and I know this is where I am meant to be. You all mean so much to me! I've never been so excited for conference in my entire life. We get to hear from the Lord's modern day prophets it's amazing! 
I only get a little under an hour to email so I'm so sorry if I don't respond right away its really hard to get everything done in the little time I have! I read all my emails and I will do better to try and respond as best as I can. The postal service here is sooo bad they told me to tell y'all not to mail us anything because it'll take 3 weeks to get here and I'll be gone by then. If i want to mail a letter it'll take 4 to 6 weeks... its insane 
Here are some pics of the new hood

first pic was my last day in Provo  

I live next to what we call the (giant lego hands) if you ever come to Mexico city