Week Five

Querido familia,

Right off the bat, yes, I did get the packages from you and Natascha and Grandma! Thank you so much!!! I really do appreciate them! It's like opening a Christmas present, but better! And you all know me so well! I'll be chowing down on my favorite food the rest of my time here at the CCM. I can't tell you how much of a relief that is! But thank you again for those packages. I haven't gotten the letter yet, but that might be just because she hasn't sorted it all out yet. I'm sure I will get it by the end of today.

So yes, this is my final P day at the CCM! It's so weird to think that. I've been here so long I was beginning to think it was my mission! So my PDay got changed to Wednesday, and I don't know why, and I forgot to mention that in my last email (sorry), but I'm glad Christiaan got the message to you. It's hard though, because only five days have passed since I last emailed you, so I honestly have no idea what to write about! Literally nothing happens here unless it's been completely mapped out in the schedule. But I will try haha, can't have a boring email!

So this coming Monday is my final day here at the CCM. I leave at 6:50 from Mexico city on an 8 hour flight to Santiago Chile, and then hop on another 2 hour flight headed for Antofagasta... I'm not excited for the flight! 10 hours on a plane! The biggest excitement for me will be that I'm finally out and on my way to my mission! I can't wait! It's one thing to practice with the teachers here, and another thing completely to talk to real people with real problems that the Gospel can remedy! I'm beyond excited! Yesterday we had a meeting where all of our flight info was given to us along with our passports, green cards, and our new debit cards for our mission. It felt kind of surreal, but exciting at the same time! We also got a water bottle that has a filter built into it. It goes to all the missionaries who "are going south of the border", so in Mexico or Central/South America. I walked up to get mine, and the lady asks, "Adonde va, Elder?" And so I tell her, Antofagasta Chile. She then laughs and begins to hand me two bottles! She says, "Oh yes, you're definitely gonna need this!" It kinda freaked me out a little... where am I going?!

So other than that, nothing too big has happened here... yesterday another seventy came and spoke to us. He was very young! 40 years old! Elder Pedro X. Larrael was his name, and he gave a fantastic discourse on personal worthiness and revelation. He was very fun to listen to, and he got so animated with it! It was awesome! An elder gave another musical number right before on the piano of a hymn that I barely recognized but couldn't name... but it was so good! He needed no music, just walked up and started playing! But it was a great song and I enjoyed it a lot. 

Well, I can't think of much more to say... perdón. But thank you for your email! Life seems to be running it's same old chaotic course over there in AZ!  Mom, you always have too much on your plate haha, but you are such an amazing person for it! Sometimes I think you are too helpful for everyone! Congrats Kiwi! How slimy do your teeth feel haha?! I remember getting mine off, it felt so weird! Haha same old Dad with that phone thing, but that really made me laugh! I'm sure he had his girlish giggle going on the whole time he was messing with you all! That was a cute story with Ashlyn and Bronson, and it just made me miss you all so much more! (The other day, we were driving and Bronson was in the backseat with Ashlyn having a conversation.  He asked her if Christiaan has ever killed an animal.  Ashlyn told him, “Yes”, and so he asked what kind of animal.  Ash told him that Christiaan had killed a deer.  Bronson was quiet for a while and then asked when he killed the deer.  Ash, by this time, started tuning him out and didn’t respond.  He asked a few more times and then said, “Was it when I was still in Heaven?”  I thought that was pretty cute.)

Los amo y extraño a todos (I love you and I miss you all)!!! 

Elder Schmid

This is a picture of what basically went on for an hour in our room one night.
 It's a chart from a youtube video :)

Elder Scoresby.  He takes everyone's ruined clothes and sews them...
except me, because I know how to.

Our breakfast one morning.  We didn't want the soggy tortilla chips they were serving,
so we grabbed some stuff from our packages and made toast...it was actually pretty good!