Hola, everyone!!!
LESSON 1: The gift of tongues is real. When I force myself
to listen to someone speaking fluent Spanish WITHOUT trying to come up with a
response, the words come to mind. When I treasure up the words of the
scriptures, words come to mind. When I pray earnestly for help, words come to
mind. For all you prospective Elders and Sisters who are going to be learning
languages on your mission: trust the Spirit. I was blown away.
LESSON 2: Getting out of bed is a lot easier when you get up
early. Going the extra mile on mission rules makes you feel like a stud and
gives you energy.
LESSON 3: Never. I repeat, NEVER, eat Mexican food without
somehow getting your tie out of the way.
Week one has been NUTS! So many details... So little time...
I'll start with the arrival.
Getting off the plane in the Mexico City airport was
probably the most surreal experience of my life. I had company (the plane was
full of other missionaries departing from the Mormon Homeland), but even so, I
felt a little lost. We huddled in packs and tried to avoid the scary locals who
might try to talk to us. Even when the customs officer said "buenos
tardes!" I hade a miniature heart attack. I must've looked pretty funny as
I sheepishly walked away.
A few representatives from the CCM (MTC) were standing
around in suits and ties with signs to shepard all the missionaries to the bus.
That's where things got really nuts. We began the 1.5 hour drive to the CCM,
and for the first time, I saw Mexico City from the ground. It reminded me of an
anthill, with all the craziness. People moving every which way, dodging though
traffic, sometimes stopping in front of a car to wash the windows and ask for a
few pesos. Colorful buildings whooshed by on both signs, selling everything
from car-parts to tacos and helado (ice cream). Lane-lines had zero
significance to the drivers, including those of public transportation vehicles.
We saw a corvette stingray weaving through traffic, miraculously avoiding a
scratch.
The CCM is sort of an oasis in the chaos. It sits on over 90
acres, and there is plenty of grass and lots of palm trees. When we arrived, a
relieving feeling washed over me. What a place to live. The views are great.
The campus is inhabited by flocks of parakeets (which have a really annoying
call, but are undeniably beautiful) and there is always the backdrop of the
concrete jungle flowing up the hillside, like the set of a Jason Bourne
movie.
When we got off the bus, we were gathered in a large
building for an initial orientation, where we received our nametags (yay!) and
met our companions.
Okay, pause. I need to talk about my companion. His name is
Elder Chamberlain. He's from Layton, Utah, and we're going to the same mission!
Cancun-bound!! We're pretty alike, except that he's the naturally-extroverted
side of the coin, so it works. You need to complement one another if your goal
is to teach well. When one of the Elders in our district spilled on his tie, we
had a funeral en our casa (house), and Elder Chamberlain gave a singing eulogy
(spelling?). It was great. So funny.
The schedule has been nuts here! We get up at 6:30 and have
classes, meals, gym, study time, and other activities until 10:30. The only
reason I have time to e-mail y'all is because P-Day is a thing.
Spanish is difficult, but it's a LOT easier than other
languages. I'm already understanding all the lessons, which are given entirely
in Spanish. As for Speaking, it's a process. I'm getting better, and all the
Elder's have been making an effort to speak it with each other. That helps a
lot.
My companion and I have already taught FIVE LESSONS in
Spanish!! That seems nuts to think about, and it was certainly daunting from
the start. The first lesson was a train-wreck (which was expected), but we've
been learning more and more every time. The best feeling was getting our fake
investigator to pray and feel the love of God. After that lesson, the
investigator (who was actually a teacher) told us she loved the dynamic between
me and my companion. She said we used the scriptures well, but that we should
have extended a baptismal invitation! That's next time. I'm still memorizing
the invitation between classes.
There's lots of other things to talk about, but I'll save
some juicy details for next time. It might be interesting to mention, though,
that every night I go to bed to the sound of explosions (gunshots or fireworks,
I don't know), CONSTANT sirens, and occasionally loud mariachi music
accompanied by lots of shouting, discordant, jubilant Mexican people.
This place is great.
Love you all,
Elder Carson
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