Vive Mexico

Hola familia!

 

Wow I cannot believe it has already been another week!  I am down to a week and a half left in the CCM and then i'll be in El Salvador!  SO CRAZY!  Mom I'm not sure the exact day I leave yet, I should know by next week.  But it will be anywhere from Sunday (the 29th) in the middle of the night to Tuesday.  Also I get to email you like the day before I leave or something.  But anyways thats still like 9 or 10 days away, right?  Also um so im pretty sure I can call you at the airport, but i dont have a phone card.  Can I buy one of those at the airport or what should I do? Did Ryan call when he was at the airport? I figure dad is probably the only one who might be able to be home to talk to, but still send me mom, ryan, and colbys phone numbers so maybe i could call them and leave a message if i cant talk to them.  Or whatever.  I dont know I guess we can figure that out next week. 

 

This week was just another good old week in el CCM.  Its really so great here.  I wish I could come back in like a year or two and see all the changes, cause they are already starting to make a lot of changes to the campus.  They are putting in new washers and dryers in the casas, and the other day we were at gym over by the track and it looked like they are looking at redoing the track (right now its justs rocks).  Also they are in the process of making a new mailroom.  So yeah this place is already beautiful and I cant imagine how great its going to be in like a year.  ALso theyve made upgrades on meal time like now they have nutella and syrup which is great for us missionaries from the US. 

 

Im feeling about the same as I did last week.  I love it here. But I cant wait to get to El Salvador and teach real people.  It is really hard to stay focused studying the language all day and in classes.  Although I know its going to be hard I just want to be thrown out into it.  In Relief Society on Sunday Hermana Pratt ( oh by the way dad yes I have talked to the Pratts, I told them that Brandi was in our ward like the first day I got here haha)  talked about how life is full of patterns and one pattern is how God continually throws us out into the lone and dreary world or the wilderness.  It is repeated so many times in the scriptures.  Once we get comfortable, God throws us into a new situation.  And thats because its the only way we can learn.  And literally I just want to be thrown out into the lone and dreary world of El Salvador.  I feel like ive hit a wall in my learning and I want to learn by experience now.  But i still got a week so Im trying to make the most of it.

 

It is absolutely insane that I am not like one of the "oldest" in my time here at the CCM.  I remember my first week talking to people who were on their 5th and 6th week and thinking how far away that seemed, and now thats me!  Our whole district was pretty sad this week when one of the other districts in our branch left.  They were the ones that we played ultimate frisbee with at gym almost every day.  So no more frisbee for us.  You should be so proud of me, cause Hermana Garbett and I have been actually working out a lot.  Im up to jogging two miles every day and then doing my abs and pushups which for those of you who really know me, two miles is pretty good hahaha. 

 

The big excitement this week was Mexican Night and Independence Day here in Mexico!  I'll send my pics in another message.  But it was a TON of fun.  I am so grateful I got to be here at this time of year.  On Saturday night we had mexican night in the gym and we watched a short clip on mexican history and then they had a ton of mexican dancers there to perform for us and sing for us.  It was awesome! It made me so excited to be in El Salvador and learn about their culture their, cause even though we dont ever leave the walls of the CCM other than to the temple, I still feel like I have felt a love for this culture here in Mexico.  Also we sang the EFY medley song (the armies of helaman) but they were singing in español obviously.  I think they sing that at provo mtc probably quite a bit, but we never sing it here so it was so powerful to be in the gym with all of the missionaries and lot of our teachers were there too and to hear it in a different language.  Then on Sunday night we also went to the gym at night and got to participate in the shout (i cant remember what the word is in spanish...it starts with a g)  but they broadcast the president of mexico and he says VIVE (fill in the blank)! ....VIVE (fill in the blank)! VIVE (fill in the blank)! and everyone repeats VIVE! each time he says a different thing and then he ends with VIVE MEXICO! so it was great to be there for that.  Even though Sunday was the offical independence day, there was still partying and fireworks going on all weekend outside in the city, but it actually didnt bother my sleep much so thats good.  I have been a little extra tired this week...but thats fine.

 

Im glad it sounds like you all have a great week! even if the utes lost.  its okay they'll win this next week against BYU :)  Most of you talked about the rain and storms here in mexico.  in all honesty i havent noticed much extra rain then normal.  It is always raining here at night time.  So yeah haha.

Dad I think that is great that you are still reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish.  I don´t have much time to just read it in spanish like we used to, but obviously we study out of it.  Also at the temple last week I was able to see a sealing room and it is beautiful, I havent seen the baptismal font though.  Literally the temple here is gorgeous though.  Like every temple.  I cant imagine what the people in mexico city think though. Because the city is so poor and then right in the middle is this gorgeous temple. Im excited to go one last time to the mexico temple next week.

Mom Im glad school is going well for you. and no i dont care if other people read my email and see this, i still want you to know i love you more than the universe!  I hope you have fun this weekend if you take the trailer out of go up to SLC or whatever.

 

Im not putting this cause I expect a lot, but for ideas for my bday or christmas...there isnt much i really need.  But if you are thinking candy send me some reeses or chocolate or sour patch watermelons. Also I really decided I want to read Jesus the Christ.  I heard they have them in almost every apartment in the field so i didnt bring one, but i decided I want my own so I can mark it.  I would buy it here at la tienda...but they only sell it in español and I want it in english haha. Also this is more for christmas but Im thinking im pretty sure we´ll end up watching General Conference in spanish so if you could send me the ensign copy of the the conference talks in english when it comes out I would probably love that.  but anways thats just random stuff.  Really I just want to hear from you, so letters and emails.  and to all of my friends email or write me cause i miss you and want to hear whats going on back at home.

 

Estoy muy agradecido por el Evangelio y la opportunidad a servir un misión.  Yo se que a traves la doctrina de Jesucristo yo puedo vovler a vivir con Dios.  Yo se que a Dios conteste mis oraciones y me quiere a ser felicidad. Estoy muy agradecido por Jesucristo y su Expiacion, y la oportunidad yo tengo a llegar a ser un mejorar persona cada día.  Este Iglesia es muy importante a mi, y porque de el Evangelio yo recibió muchas bendiciones en mi vida.  Estoy muy agradecida que familias son eterna.

 

Les amo mucho.

 

xoxo

Hermana Groneman