The adventure begins...

Hi everyone!

It has been a crazy, but great, first week here at the CCM. 

We taught our first lesson last Friday all in Spanish. It was very challenging. I'm struggling a lot with translating the thoughts and things I want to say into Spanish but it's coming. It is unbelievable how much new vocabulary I've learned in the past week. I can already see my Spanish improving and a lot of what I learned in High School is definitely coming back to me. 

We taught our second lesson on Saturday and I did not feel like that one went as well. My companion wanted to go more off the cuff for this one and teach by the Spirit. I wanted to make an outline. We ended up kind of stumbling through the lesson, rambling a little bit, and I actually got so anxious that by the end of the lesson I was covered in hives. I think we learned our lesson that following the Spirit still means having a plan but being able to adapt that plan as the need arises. 

You know one thing I totally forgot to pack?  Bug spray. There are so many mosquitos here. But you know what's even worse than mosquitos? An infestation of ants. In your closet. More specifically, in my clothes. That has been stressing me out a little bit but we've been spraying some mysterious cleaning spray we found in the closet on them and it seems to be helping so all is well. 

Sunday was a really great day. The focus of the whole day was the Character of Christ. It was mentioned in a few lessons that without the character that Christ had, the Atonement would not have been possible. It was a really inspiring day and probably my favorite of the week. We watched a talk at night from Elder Bednar about Christ and he talked about how, in the times of Christ's greatest affliction, He always turned outward when the natural man in each of us would turn inward and worry about ourselves. He challenged us to study the Bible and Book of Mormon and just focus on the character of Christ. Not what He taught, but who He was. I'm planning on starting that.

Later in the week my companion got sick so I ended up being a threesome with the other Sisters in my district. I really, really like them. I really like my whole district, actually. 

Yesterday, we had a service project. It was to clean one of the houses in preparation for new missionaries arriving. It was kinda crazy. First we swept the whole house, then we just poured water all over the floor. Like tons of water. Then we used the broom to sweep the water around the house. Then we pushed all the water outside the front door. Don't worry, we weren't just making this up. It was all under the instruction of the workers here. I guess when all your floors are tile, that's the way to do it! 

Last night we had a live devotional from Alan Walker, an Area Authority. He talked about how you need to keep your own fire burning as a missionary. He said that our personal study time in the morning is for us to be our own investigator which was good to hear because I had been wondering whether I should be using that time to study in Spanish or English. Now I feel like for the time being, it's okay to study in English. 

Last night we had a meeting with our district as well. We talked about how we ended up on missions, why we are here, how we feel about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was a really powerful meeting and I think it brought us all closer together
  

I am safe.  I am happy.  I am learning so, so much.  And I'm having fun, too!  Don't worry about me, I'm just fine!  Here's some pictures to prove it!

 

My district

The food is getting better - lunch today!

Mi Casa 

Some of the scenery...

Where to stand during an earthquake

Lego hands?  Quidditch goals?

???

Thank you to everyone who wrote me this week!  We only have an hour on the computers so it's a little bit of a time crunch.  If you did not hear from me yet, you will next week.  

Love,

Hermana Meise

Note from mom:  We were SO HAPPY to get her email today!  I had a chance to chat back and forth with her while she was on the computer.  She says the weather is perfect.  Her companion (the one with the dark hair) is also going to the Oregon Salem Mission.  Hayley HATES ants. She always has. Poor thing! Don't know if she is pulling our leg about the earthquake circle...I have a feeling she is not.

Hi from the MTC!

Hi guys!

I`m allowed to write a quick note just letting you know that Ive arrived here safely. Please excuse my lack of proper punctuation, the keyboards here are different and I dont want to waste time figuring out how to do things right.

Mexico City is CRAZY. Theres so many bright colors and they drive so dangerously its unreal.

My flights were all good but I didnt get to sleep much because i kept getting jostled awake. So im still really tired and want to sleep so bad.

The campus here is like 93 acres and we ARE allowed to spend studying time outside! Also you are allowed to send mail and even packages, packages are just discouraged and mail takes a really long time.

Unfortunately, my PDay is Wednesdays so that means I wont be able to write to you until next Wednesday. But write me at dearelder.com because Im sure we probably get those on a different day. Ill also write letters but you probably wont get them for a while.

Dinner tonight was horrible. Im a little nervous about that but trying not to get too worried because its only the first night. Ill definitely be breaking into those granola bars tonight.

Everyone here is super friendly. Like you say hi to every single person you pass which you know is weird for me.......Ill get used to it though.

Over the next few days, well be doing mostly orientation type stuff. Apparently we teach our first investigator in Spanish on friday though.....CRAZY

My companion is from Savannah Georgia. Shes really nice!

It feels like forever since this morning. It has been such a long day. I miss you guys like crazy. I wish I could talk to you but Im trying to power through it. I know theres a purpose and a point behind it and Im sure Ill understand that eventually.

Im excited to be here. It is so so so perfectly warm. Theres palm trees everywhere. Its seriously gorgeous. Im glad Im at this MTC and not Provo. I think Ill be worked hard over the next 6 weeks but itll be a time of a lot of growth and progress. One sister (whos only been here a week) said to us that shes learned more about herself and God in the last week than in the whole rest of her life. Im excited to have that experience.

Sorry to sound so scattered and disjointed, i am so so so so tired and a little overwhelmed.

Write me at dearelders.com and Ill write letters and email next Wednesday!

I love love love love you and miss you tons.

Hermana Meise

Note from mom:  Wish I had a picture of her leaving but I forgot my camera.  Ugh!  We're so glad to know she arrived safely.  We were up until 1:30am packing with a 3:15 wake up call so she really didn't get any sleep the night before.  I have since heard from a sister serving as a Senior Missionary there that packages SHOULD NOT be sent to the Mexico MTC.  They often arrive after the missionary has left.  If they do arrive in time, the missionary may be required to pay taxes and fees to receive them.  Even though she will not get them as quickly, at this point she will probably enjoy "Dear Elder" letters more than an email (see side bar for link) as they will be printed out and she will be able to read them during the week (once they arrive) as opposed to trying to read a bunch of emails in her limited time on the computer on P-Day (Preparation Day - for writing email home, laundry, etc.).  We love her and are excited her first day was a positive experience (excluding dinner)!