Four weeks in the CCM

I miss you all so much.  It's always a little hard to do emails because it always makes me feel just a Ted bit homesick. Haha, get that.  A Ted bit homesick.  I crack myself up.  Anyway...I miss you guys, not a day goes by that I don't think about you in some way! I love you guys, and as hard as it sounds I try hard not to think about you because I have other stuff to think about. I have read the part about Gordon B Hinckley and how his dad told him to forget himself and go to work, in Our Heritage book about 10 times and I pray so many times everyday to try and help me focus more. I have also been praying mucho to have the spirit as my constant companion, because that's who really teaches lessons, that's who really converts people. I am trying my hardest to give it everything I got down here and sometimes I get so frustrated because I can't do things right or I get corrected and again, that's when I turn to the Lord. I've grown to love praying. I love praying!!  I've learned a lot about myself from it. It's truly one of my greatest tools at this time in my life. 

This week has been nuts...My friends in district 10B left for el campo, the field. and now it's just us, until last night when we got our new district in, and boy are they awkward. I hope I wasn't that weird when I got here. There's a couple kids from Utah and one from Idaho who played lacrosse!  I feel very comfortable with life at the CCM now, and we leave in just under 2 weeks!! Is that nuts?! I can't believe it, I feel like I got here yesterday and I still feel absolutely not ready for el campo.

It's blazing hot down here so I bought some mesh garments and they seem to be doing pretty good, I like them a lot actually. 

This week my companion has been having some health problems, he's had a couple anxiety/panic attacks and he's been in and out of the emergency room all week. He's also been riding my last nerve pretty hard, again that's another thing I pray for constantly. Lord gimme strength!!  I'm healthy as a horse like usual, my leg is almost cien porciento (100 percent) I have regular bowel movements, thought you'd all like to hear about that one, I still constantly lift my leg to fart, and I'm still class clown. 

This week when all my zone friends left one Elder, had to stay an extra day and I had to stay with him in his casa and I got absolutely no sleep. His name is Elder Finch and I freaking loved that kid, so flipping funny!! 

Last week there was a large group of latino missionaries here at the CCM and one Elder, who is in the picture, Elder Vaca, who is from Bolivia was getting bullied by his companions and it got to the point where he was outside one night just balling his eyes out. Now for those of you who don't know, Bolivia is one of the poorest countries in South America, so the fact that his family could even send him on a mission is indeed a miracle.

When I found out about his treatment, my heart ached, we talked it over in our district and I personally made an effort to be more of a friend. I gave him about 5 of my ties and he gave me a hug and his face just lit up, ear to ear, I didn't understand the feelings i felt until now that the spirit was there and the spirit was touching me strongly, Elder Vaca is now in the field and I hope and pray he is doing well, I don't know him well but I love him. 

Make an effort to reach out to those around us. 

I have been just living it up down here and loving it. The food is starting to suck though... It all tastes the same. It all tastes like beans. Even pizza on pizza night doesn't taste the same. I miss home cooked meals, pretty bad.  Mission life is super hard but it's super rewarding, I've gained an enormous testimony and my Spanish has improved mucho. 

I love you guys so so much and I pray for you all so much. You're all amazing and I know that Erin is with us all. I love that girl, this is probably the first time in a long time I've felt like I'll actually get to see her again. 

Here are some pictures for your enjoyment...

My new bike...HAHA!

Elder Brewster

The view at the CCM

We cleaned the kitchen and made brownies with mi amigo Esteban the chef!

The gang cooking

The brownies

I love you guys so much. Keep me in your prayers!

Love,

Ted

P.S.  To all my lame friends that haven't emailed me yet...I can't email you until you email me first! I don;t have your email address!!!  So be a friend and email me at ted.galbraith@myldsmail.net