Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Last Day in the CCM 



Hello People of the United States and possibly Germany!!!!

This is crazy!!! I'm excited but scared. Happy and Sad. Ready to go yet I know I’m not at all. Seriously what could actually prepare me to teach in the field...

Well the answer is teaching in the field. It’s been a crazy day we packed and weighed our luggage. I have to do a little rearranging because I’m bringing back like 5 pounds of new Spanish books. I've decided I’m going to read my Spanish Book of Mormon in a hushed but audible tone and see if I can get my neighbor on the airplane to ask what I’m reading and if all else fails I’ll try to introduce myself. :)

These last couple days have been really cool. We had a mini earthquake while in the temple Thursday. Um Friday we did In-Field Orientation!! Yay... Longest day so far here. No we didn't go out and practice proselyting in México City that would be super scary and possibly dangerous >.<  No we were in classrooms and we did workshops about planning, and ... No it was really just about planning. It was good. Forever long but good :)

Saturday we had Mexican night and it was super cool!!! There was dancing and singing it was really cool to watch.  It was so much fun. At the end of the night we sang all together Army of Helaman and it was super cool cause half of us were singing in Spanish and half were singing in English. One of the most powerful and spiritual and awesome experiences I’ve ever had!!! :)

Sunday we had church and during our district meeting we had a testimony meeting in Spanish. It was super cool. The Spirit was so strong in that room. And the love that we all had for each other and this gospel and for our work was almost tangible. In Sacrament meeting, Elder Larkin and I sang a duet, him on Melody and I on Tenor, for the first verse of "Para siempre Dios esté con Vos" (God Be With You Till We Meet Again). It was super fun. I was a little nervous but I’ve found that I care less about what people think about me singing. It probably helps that so many people have complemented me on my voice. But I sing out and I think part of the reason is because I'm seeing the singing more as Praising my Heavenly Father and so that’s what’s important about it. Not how I sound or how other people think I sound. It is Praise. :)


We watched the Joseph Smith video Sunday night and then we participated at 11 pm (by the permission and invitation of President Pratt) in the Mexico’s Grito de Dolores. It’s their independence cry/shout thing and it was pretty cool :) (you can read more about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grito_de_Dolores  the shout out is near the bottom of the page)

The president of México would say the name of an important person in the revolution and says "Viva _____!!!" and then we would yell¨"Viva!" in reply. It was really cool and I’m glad we got to participate. We had to hurry straight home afterwards because lots of people like to shot their pistols and other firearms in the air and it’s not uncommon for people to have bullets fall out of the sky at them. So we all ran home so we wouldn't be killed or anything.


And now we are at today!!! It’s so much fun. Not really half the district left at 2 this morning. It was really sad :( but we know they will be ok and we are going to try to stay in touch!!! So we'll see how that all goes.

I'll send pictures when I get to California if they let me email to tell you I made it safely!!!!!! I'll let you know what my apartment address is as soon as I find out!!!

I know this Church is true. I know that God and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith and that through Joseph Smith the Church and the Gospel of Jesus Christ Was Restored. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet on the earth today and that God leads His church through him. I know that God is My Loving Heavenly Father and that Jesus Christ is my older brother and my Savior. I know that only through Him can we return to live with God our Father and with our families for all time and eternity.

I say these things and testify that I Know they are True. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

I love you all!!!
Until sometime probably tomorrow or else next Monday!!!

Elder Gore!! :)