Week 5

It’s crazy I will be on a plane in 5 more days heading to California!  It’s really exciting but I’m also really sad to leave. I have grown to love the members of my district just so much over the last 6 weeks. We are like best friends. It’s going to be weird not seeing them everyday :(

I'm also a little scared cause like this, the CCM, is like a safe place. We got a huge barbed wire fence and we know our schedule and just everything is set up and nice. I'm scared to leave the ummm. what’s the word. uhhh. security and routine of the CCM. But I will in 5 days and it will be good.

It sprinkles every night without fail and we almost always have a big, big storm between 3 and 7. Normally at 5 but it’s not always consistent. At least once a week we get hail. Never go outside in hail. It hurts. But ultimate Frisbee is always fun after the rain. I'll send my muddy picture!! :)

              

                   

I am in Branch 4 District E. It’s the best district here!!! We have more fun than any other district. We all sit together at meals and we do gym all together and we talk to and try to make friends with the other districts!! :)

        

                                    

I asked him: How is the Spanish coming?  On a scale of 1 to 10, one being the first day you got there knowing nothing and 10 being can hold a conversation with someone.  Where are you?

 I’m at like a 6 or a 7. If they talk slowly and pronounce everything I can understand fairly well but when it gets fast and they slur the words I’m so lost. Lessons are kind of rough sometimes I get nervous and I get self conscious and I don’t want to say anything wrong.  So I like freeze up and my head goes blank and it just sort of stinks. I've decided I’m going to talk to people around me on my flight and in the airport so that I can get more comfortable with just talking :)

Have you been able to talk anyone into an English free day yet? 
  Nobody wants to and it’s hard because all of our Spanish is gospel related so far. I just learned how to count and the days of the week and the months this week. So we try as much as we can but it’s kind of impossible. Maybe I’ll be able to get someone to do it with me the last couple days. I'll keep trying.

If you’re not sleeping well at night, are you sleeping in? or sleeping in class?

  No I force myself to stay awake and I suffer though the days. I'm kind of living and pushing on because I know I’ll be able to sleep in California.

What have you learned about teaching the Gospel that you didn't know before?

  How much harder it is to do in another language!!  I could do this pretty easy speaking English. But since I have the Spanish of maybe a 5 year old I have to figure out how to simplify everything and then say it in Spanish. I have no sympathy for English speaking missionaries. Unless they are learning English and it’s not their first language native English speakers not much. :)

What has been your favorite part about the CCM?

  Oh it’s for sure my district! This group of kids probably has no equal. Everyone is just so good and tries so hard but we also just have tons of fun. We have super spiritual moments and some not so spiritual ones but more spiritual then not :) We help each other out all the time service, service, service! Well for the most part. We have made Elder Watchmen fall out of bed at least 7 times and scared him half to death like 8. It’s fun but we prefer the spiritual moments when we are all learning from the spirit together and individually. It’s so cool the stuff that happens :)

One of our Hermanas went home on Monday. We don’t know why. She didn't tell us and we didn't ask. All we know is that it was a family issue and that she will be back out again later. So it’s sad but it’s ok. I miss her in class she had some of the best insight into the scriptures and doctrine ever and it was a lot of fun to talk to her!!!

Ummmm. I’ve lost 13 lbs... We go to the scales in the clinic on Mondays and most people have lost a little or stayed about the same. I barely fit into my pants. :/   I have to tighten my belt to the 4th hole I used to only go to the 2nd. I'm eating I promise!!! I really have no idea what’s going on. I think it’s mostly muscle mass. Then again I have about 2 inches of space if I pull one side of my pants. So maybe not all muscle. But I realize that’s not ok. But I think part of it is that I’m used to eating throughout the day and not only at 3 meals so I don’t eat enough I guess. I don’t know how to fix that. I'll just have to have some food for in between meals I guess. But also the food they serve here has very little unnecessary things. There isn't a lot of grease or fat. It’s pretty healthy and your body uses most of it to run itself. So I’ll probably jump up once I get to the states.

Well I think that’s it for today!! I’ll start loading up the pictures I’ve taken in a few minutes!!!

I hope everyone has an awesome week!!!

I'll message you all again soon!! and I’ll give you my apartment address!!

Please write letters!!

I can get them fast starting next week and I can respond to them more quickly!!!

I love you all!!!

Elder Zach Gore :)