Elder Spencer Stokes - Mexico Ciudad Juarez

My first week at the CCM is complete. It has been so great. The district I joined added me to their family right when I got here. It has been so great to get to know everyone so quickly and become such good friends with all of them. The schedule here is a lot similar to the one in Provo. 6:30 - I go run 1.5-2 miles with Elder Enclewski and Elder York 7:30 - Breakfast 8:15-11:00 - Class with Hermana Canneles 11:00-12:30 - Teaching/study time 12:30-1:15 - Lunch 1:15-1:45 - Study time 2:00-2:50 - Exercise Time 3:20-4:00 - Language Study 4:00-6:45 - Class with Hermana Saucedo 6:45-7:30 - Dinner 7:30-9:00 - Grammar/Teaching/Study It is still a packed day but I enjoy it more everyday that I am here. I am starting to get in the groove of things. This last Monday we had a ¨senioritis¨ meeting on how missionaries tend to not excel as much in the last two weeks. So I am trying to make sure that I wake up with the right mindset every morning to improve. That is...

I only have a couple minutes. But today is my preparation day in the Mexico MTC. I will have to figure out how to send bigger emails because they gave me an Ipad but everything google is blocked so I do not know how I can get all of my contacts. It was really rough leaving my district behind in Provo. I miss all of them with all of my heart. But the lord sent me here for a reason. I just do not know what that reason is yet. Shout out to Elder Baker because he would definitely not be short if he came out here. Probably 70% of the people here are under 5.7. It is kind of weird actually being tall here.  My new district is good still. Just not the same. They are very friendly and have been letting me get involved with everything. There was a trio so now there is 5 companionships of Elders and a pair of sisters. My companion's name is Elder Reusch. He is from Arizona and is going to Maryland, Baltimore mission. I have only been here for only about a day so I do not have much ...

Three more days. That is all I have left en Los Estados Unidos for 23 months.  It is pretty crazy to think about to me. But I will be leaving to the Mexico City MTC on Tuesday September 17 at 4 am. What would a mission be without some early flights?!?!? I am excited and nervous at the same time. I am bummed out that I am going to have to leave my district and who knows what situation I will be put in with my district and zone in Mexico City. I will put my trust in the Lord and I know everything is meant for a reason so it will be alright. Our missionary purpose is to "invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Repentence. Baptism. Receiving the Gift of The Holy Ghost. And enduring to the end." In so many of our meetings, they have been telling us how we should be trying to do this with our families on preparation day as well. So I am going to share a quick great experience I had this week. ...

How is everyone going?? My life at the MTC has been so much fun most of the time. There is a lot of classes everyday so days can be long. But at the same time I feel like days go by pretty fast. This week was weird for me because everything finally started to hit me that I would be be out of this wonderful country for two years. I am so excited but at the same time I am nervous and maybe a little homesick. My district has been so good at helping everyone adjust to becoming a missionary though so I am getting better every day. I am still only in English classes so that means it is only going to get harder once I start learning Spanish. Every day is the same. Wake up at 6:15, breakfast at 7:00 then start studying at 7:30. Our first classes start at 8:30 and usually go until 11:30, which is when we have lunch. My morning teach is Brother Tanuvasa. He was inactive in the church growing up, but something happened in his life that made him realize how much God has done for him, so he worke...