Hola Familia!!!

      So much has happened this last week at the CCM that I dont even know where to start! Ill start by describing the CCM. Its in the heart of Mexico D.F and getting here was really neat. We had this yellow CCM schoolbus of sorts pick us up from the airport. The drivers are CRAZY. Theres people casually walking in the streets, buildings are high,colorful, and jammed packed together like legos, and in some places there werent even any lines dividing the lanes. After driving like this for about 40 minutes we arrived at the CCM. It kind of snuck up on us because its surrounded by a wall thats surrounded by trees on both sides and it literally in the middle of the city. Dont worry theres barbed wire and guards at the CCM. At night after about 10pm we can hear some of the craziness of the city and wonder whats going on on the other side of "the wall" while safely inside.Theres never and absence of cop cars and we are pretty sure we heard a gunshot or something a few nights ago.....probably shouldnt tell mom that. At the CCM it is really nice. There\s loads of lush vegetation everywhere and if it wasnt for seeing the homes on the other side of the wall I would seriously believe we were still in the USA.

My first companion EVER is Hermana Hall. Shes pretty awesome. We talked the entire trip from the airport to the CCM and were ecstatic when we found out we were companions! Shes the middle of 9 kids and played basketball for San Jose State before coming out here. Shes hilarious and we get along\work really well together. 

The food here is great in my opinion. There\s a lot of native dishes that Ive never had before like sheep in some kind of red sauce and theres always a variety of fresh fruit. The pickier kids hate it and make a beeline for the nutella and sandwhich making bar every meal but the food here is actually pretty good. Tender mercy actually, Hma. Hall and I were craving buffalo wings yesterday and the comedor totally hooked us up.

Our schedules are pretty crazy. We wake up at 6.30 and have to be in our classrooms for personal study by 7.00. Breakfast is a 7.45 and after that we have companion study, language study, teaching instruction, and more studying until about 12.45 which is when we have lunch. After lunch we prepare lecciones for investigators and study some more. After our lessons we have dinner at 6.15 and more study. At 8 we have TALL or technology aided language study where we learn various gospel phrases and proper grammar. At 9 we finish that and have a district meeting. Head back to the casa at 9.30 for personal time and lights out by 10.30. Thats pretty much it everyday and its a little frsutrating because you still feel you dont have enough time to learn everything! Despite all of the changes and adjustments, life here at the CCM is great!

It was a little overwhelming because the second day, we had to teach a discussion....IN FLIPPING ESPANOL! My spanish isn't awful, but it definitely isnt up to par and Hermana Hall can say comida, hola, and bano....all very important but our combined knowledge wasnt enough and we were both freaking out. We taught but beause we were nervous and couldnt speak spectacularly, the lesson was a dud. Luckily the fake investigators here have to let you come back and teach another lesson. The second one went better because we were both able to speak and understand more, but pretty much stuck to the lesson and words we had previously written out. Yesterday we had our 3rd lesson with out investigatore, David, and it. was. incredible. Hermana Hall and I have been studying alot and pray all the time por el don de lenguas and el espiritu santo. While in a devotional on Sunday, we both felt prompted to teach David about faith. WE studied capitulo 12 and didnt feel we needed to write anything down....which is insane considering entendemos nada. But we went into the lesson calm and felt everything would go the way it needed to. After talking to David and saying a prayer, he opened up to us about how he had followed through on our challenge to him to read the BOM. His wife read it too and felt the spirit, but he said that he didnt feel that connection and that he didnt have faith or a great relationship with Dios. OH MY GOSH, that was the perfect segway into our lession! I dont have enough time or the recollection to tell you everything that was said, but we really felt the spirit take over that lesson and we KNOW that David felt the spirit. Hma Hall then bore a beautiful testimony in simple but powerful spanish about the gospel and the BOM, which is amazing considering 6 days ago she didnt speak a lick of spanish. Everything about the leccion was un milagro and I know that the spirit of the Lord is upon all of those here at the CCM who are exactly obedient and are using all the tools given to work hard. 

Every single day I receive a witness that this is the only true church upon the face of the Earth and that through it we can find happiness that lasts forever. I am privileged to be a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day saints. We heard a quote this week from the always amazing Elder Holland that said "If you live up to your prvileges the angels cannot be restrained from being your associates". I have seen this in my life as well as in the lives of others and know that as long as you live the way we have been asked to and put the Lord first, you will receive divine aid in all things. I love you and hope all is well!

Con amor,

Hermana Temple

 Here are some pictures. We are only allowed to use our cameras on pday so these were all taken today. There are 4 hermanas total in our district also going to Rancagua Chile Hma Bradshaw is the burnette and Hma Wainwright is blonde and there are 3 sets of elders going to Ecuador and Indianapolis who are way cool. Took a few pics of our things like our CASA numero 5, whats on the other side of the wall, our classroom, our humble abode, and our district. They're all really great people with solid testimonies.