Weeks 2 - Home MTC and Mexico CCM - Very Very Activities - June 12, 2025

Hola Todos!

I'm going to try and cover weeks 2 and 3 in this email since they gave us zero time last P-day.

Okay so week 2 was still home MTC until P-day which is Thursdays now.

Talking with cousin Noah who is on a mission in Chile

Spikeball with Dad, Mom, Zach and Seth

                                                 

I don't really remember much but Wednesday was a very busy day. After my class that day I was running around saying goodbye to family. I also had packing to finish up. I know that doesn't sound like that much, but it was a nonstop day.

Asking Great Grandma Nielson questions about her life.

Saying goodbye to Great Grandma Nielson

                                    

Grandpa Warner

Zach, Lys and Seth

Our family

Grandpa and Grandma Robinson

Great Uncle Dave

Grandma Debi

    The Sommers              

Last p-day was my travel day. It was honestly super fun.

Mom didn't think it was fun.

Alyssa

Seth

One last brother hug from Zach

Dad

I pull up to the gate to see the whole plane is missionaries! As I started looking around for any of my district, I noticed my comp Elder Garner chilling there.

At the Mexico airport

This was super surprising because I thought our flights were at different times because he was flying into Utah from Idaho. He seriously is so chill and we get along really well. I also met Hermana Adams, Frank, Anderson, and Alatini. Once we got to Mexico I was pretty immediately separated from the group. The CCM helper people were just trying to get things done so they split us up and the only person from the district that I was with for the rest of the day was Hermana Frank. Once we got to the CCM it was just non stop moving around and informative videos I couldn't even understand. Eventually Elder Garner appeared out of nowhere. Then I went to dinner and finally met everyone.

Walking to their first day of classes

Walking to first class

All the incoming missionaries on the first day. Sam is on the right side in the middle.

He found his friend Stockton Binks

His companion Elder Garner

Their casas

His casa is on the left at the end

Night view at the CCM out to the city.

The following days have been trying to get used to the new schedule. It's been so fun getting to know everyone and honestly the whole district is very quickly becoming some of my closest friends.

His district:Elders Sibett and Checketts, Hermana Adams, Frank, Anderson, Thuesdon, Alatini and Jonkman, Elder Garner and Robinson

 

Elders Garner, Robinson, Checketts and Sibett

It's going to be a sad day when it's time to say bye to all of them. The classes have been pretty good so far. I'm learning so much Spanish, but It's still rough. Honestly I thought I was doing fine until my lesson last night. Every week we have to practice teaching a lesson to people in Spanish. Elder Garner and I pull up thinking we're all prepared and then we started teaching... and we both realized that we were cooked. My brain has never hurt more than it did while I was trying to figure out how to compose the most simple sentence. Elder Garner was struggling worse than me. Every time I turned to him for help he just looked at me like "please don't make me talk". It was so bad that when we finished you could see the volunteer lady trying not to laugh.

Anyways, I have some good news from Esteban. Who's Esteban? He's the coolest chef in all of the CCM. This morning we went to the temple, but beforehand we were in the comedor getting breakfast and he comes up to me and starts telling me how occasionally the missionaries in my mission get to go to the temple. I'm super excited about this because I thought the CCM would be the last time I see a temple.

The temple was fun! It's such a cool temple! We get to go every P-day while we're at the CCM.

At the temple

Elders Robinson and Garner at the Christus statue at the Visitors Center

At the temple visitor's center, this room is set up to look like the typical LDS Mexican family home.

Temple Visitor's Center

Temple Visitor's Center

On the way to the temple

On the way to the temple

On the way to the temple

Coming home from the temple.

Also people say the food in the CCM is hit or miss. Lies. It's mid. It's always mid. Other than the tacos and pasta. Thank goodness there's always fruits or yogurt that is decent.

Final thing, today's quote comes from Hermano Aparicio. He's our Preach My Gospel teacher and yesterday he told us we have to pay attention because we had "Very Very activities". I felt this fit because the CCM is just go go go. From classes,

to the most emotional devotionals,

At this devotional they sang in the choir.

to service, we just have "very very activities"

Anyways I love you all!

Elder Robinson

From our call:

The casas they live in have 6 bedrooms, a living room and laundry room. Each bedroom has 2 or 3 bunkbeds, 2 showers and one sink and toilet.

Breakfast is usually oatmeal and yogurt. They switch out the juices every few days. They've had mango, strawberry, hibiscus, orange. They also serve a drink called atole, which he says is disgusting. It is made of ground up corn, walnuts or almonds mixed with milk and sweetened with sugar and cinnamon.

Daily schedule:

personal study for 1 hour

3 hours of Spanish classes

lunch

gym time - pickleball, weights, running

service - cleaning casas, cleaning classrooms, stocking the CCM tienda (store) where he bought this tie

3 hours of Preach My Gospel classes

dinner

language study/workshops

The CCM is a huge green space in the middle of the city. As a result, tons a birds live on the grounds, including these green parrots.

He and his companion were designated as the Punctuality Leaders because they are always on time to everything. Everyone follows Sam around because he is the only one who has figured out where everything is at the CCM so far.