Surviving week 2 at the CCM

Hola familia y amigos!

Our progressing investigator I was worried about is now our teacher.  I cried when I found out because I was embarrassed.  It is so awesome, though. "Esdras" aka Hermano Candia used fake teeth and drew on a uni-brow when he was our investigator.  Hahaha!  He is the best!!!! SO funny.  However, our third lesson with him was awesome.  I cried during it because after telling him about the First Vision, he said he was tired.  Uh, WHAT!  In that moment I realized how badly I wanted him to feel what I feel.  We got a new investigator on Monday and he is actually our morning teacher.

I have played a lot of ping pong since I have been here. I’m gonna be a pro by the end of this six weeks.. Oh my gosh, I love it. 

Short story. This elder (Elder Hammon) kept going on and on and on about a B on a mountain because here in Mexico there is a literal B on a mountain. We mock it all the time and I love it.  He is so funny and says the strangest things.

On Sunday, we watched Testaments. LOVE THAT MOVIE.

We went to the temple today! We weren’t able to go in and do a session because the temple is closed for cleaning.

Yesterday we had a service activity and we had to clean the windows... well..... sweep the windows.  While I was sweeping one, a guy came over and jumped in front of it and I screamed. We saw him later and he said he was genuinely sorry. I didn’t care, I thought it was hilarious.

Today our P-Day schedule was switched around for a special devotional given by President Clarke, a member of the Quorum of the Seventy, and I sang in the CCM choir today! So fun. FRONT ROW SEATS AUTOMATICALLY.  Woo!
My district is FABULOUS.   I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. My district has gotten so close.  I found out a lot about a couple people and it makes me realize how truly blessed I am. Although I love everyone so much, we are having problems with the companionship that lives with me and my companion. They aren’t getting along too well, and that stinks because they are the female zone leaders. 
It shouldn’t affect us, but it does and it stinks. 

On Sundays we watch a goodbye slideshow of those leaving. My district was getting so upset because that will be us in 4 weeks.  We spend so much time together!

Our schedule here is very strict, and our days blend together.   Always somewhere to be, however, during language study at night, its usually.... “Let’s talk and get to know our district better.”  Hehe

Yesterday we got donuts and juice from my Grandma and Grandpa!  My district appreciated that!!  

**There is a company that you can order through to send goodies to your missionaries since they ask you not to mail packages ~Angie**

My favorite quote this week was during the devotional today: "If you go out and help Gods children, you have the right to have Him help your family.”

I love you all! Praying for you all!! Love hearing from you!!
Hermana Orchard

The district LOVED the donuts & juice Grandma and Grandpa sent us!

Picture in front of the temple!

We follow Jesus Christ

First P-day letter! (Preparation Day)

Hola familia y amigos!! 

This has been the hardest, but one of the best weeks ever. When we landed in Mexico, we got on a bus and headed to the CCM (MTC, but here it is the CCM. Pronounced SAY SAY EH MAY). The driving here is wild. No one follows any traffic rules and it was kinda scary! It is so noisy here in Mexico. There are so many fireworks that go off because the Catholics are celebrating Patron Saints of EVERYTHING! 

My district is awesome. There are 8 of us and we are always together. We have a ton of classes throughout the day, so those are the people I am always with. Hermana Dietze is my companion from Arizona and she is just great. I love being with her. We live in a casa and in each casa, there are 5 rooms... in each room, 4 girls. Obviously Hermana Dietze is with me, but so is Hermana Johnson & Nyre. They are so wonderful! I really love being with them. So, they are in my district... then we have Hermana Winks and Ferguson. The Elders are Elder Reynolds (district leader) and Mihu. They are all so cool and we have really connected in this past week. At the end of the 6 weeks, we will either love or hate each other. 

We have had plenty of devotionals... including Elder Anderson! He is one of the twelve apostles in our church, and he came to speak to us! We also shook his hand, and the hands of a member of the Seventy! We watched a couple videos, and I cry often because of those dang videos. As I said, we have had lots of classes about teaching and what we should know, but we were THROWN INTO THE LANGUAGE FROM THE START. No English. It helps, but it gets overwhelming. 

The food here is great. I love it. The water is CLEAN, at least here in the ccm! I am actually really proud of myself. Eating healthy. exercising daily and I have never drank so much water in my life! I love it and I feel great health wise. You may not recognize me when I get home (KIDDING)! 

Interesting fact. My transfer group (meaning the group I arrived with) is the smallest group they have ever had here at the CCM, as well as the first with many more sisters than Elders! So nuts to be apart of that! 

The Lord has truly blessed me with energy. You know how I would stay up way too late and wake up late, as well? Getting on a new schedule wasnt hard at all. It did not take long to get used to. I have also realized how much I love playing Volleyball. I play for like, 40 minutes each day, then we ride one of the excercise bikes for ten or twenty minutes... then we run home. It really is a great routine. 

My letters arent flowing too well, but I just want to tell you EVERYTHING. Before each Sunday, we are to prepare a talk about the topic of the week. This past week, the topic was the Atonement. So, I prepared a talk, EVEN THOUGH OUR ZL (zone leaders) TOLD US WE WOULD NOT SPEAK! It was our first Sunday, after all. I am so glad I prepared a talk. The district leaving bore their testimonies, and I thought Sacrament meeting was over. You do not know until Sacrament meeting who is speaking. Our branch counselor got up, spoke all in Spanish, when I heard my name. Yupp. I was to give a five minute talk about the atonement in spanish my first week there. I killed it, though (; Or so I was told... I did not understand most of what I was saying.... 

Sundays are my second favorite day of the week (first being Tuesdays because it is pizza day.... jk, I love reading all your letters, of course!). Sunday was calm and we watched a ton of videos. I loved it so much! My favorite quote this week was from President Uchtdorf... "God cares about you. He will listen and He will answer your personal questions. The answers will come in His own way and in His own time, and therefore, you need to learn to listen to His voice." Right in the heart Pres. Uchtdorf. 

Unfortunately, I need to go. I love you all! Praying for you all!! I love being a missionary, even when it gets tough.

 

Hermana Orchard

 

First day at the CCM (Missionary Training Center)

Mission Possible

Officially (safely) landed in Mexico

Heard from Hermana Orchard,
She only had a few minutes to write, and thought I'd share part of her email:


Hey mom!

This email is supposed to be pretty short, but I just wanted to let you know that I am safe here in Mexico. Mexico is pretty bizzarre. It´is exactly what you think it would be! There are crazy drivers and it just looks wild.

 

Im supposed to copy and paste the following message-

Your Missionary's mailing addres is:

Sister Katherine Orchard

November 25 7-A

Carretera Tenayuca-Chalmita #828

Colonia Zona Escolar, Gustavo A. Madero

07230 Mexico, Distrito Federal

Mexico

The estimated departure date for your missionary is NOVEMBER 25. The use of the

above address on all correspondence will greatly faciliate delivery to your missionary

at the MTC. Please don't send packages.

 

Today is actually a relaxation day! We can unpack, relax, do dinner, go to the gym... I look forward to it.

MY PDAY IS ON TUESDAY! WOO!

I miss you all so much already...

I need to go... but I LOVE YOU.

I miss you. Ill pray for you. I feel safe and completely comforted here, so it will all be okay.

Hard, but okay ;)

I love you again.

Hermana Orchard

See you later!

Tonight at 7, I will be set apart as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This will be my last post for the next 18 months! I will be able to read and send emails once a week, and my mom will post these here for me.
Feel free to email or write me! (Contact info is here on the right)

Love you all! See you in 2016!
Kathy