Greetings from the OTM

Adios Mexico City ~ ¡Hola! Oklahoma

This week was our last week in the CMM. It was so fun here and i will miss seeing all my friends here everyday. Our district was very close, is very close. I cant wait to here their stories in their missions. Elder Hl left this morning and I feel rather strange. It is really weird not having him constantly with me. Now I am with Elder T. He is awesome and we leave tonight at 2 in the morning. Ouch. But it should be an adventure.

Thank you for the letters i have received, they were all very kind and one of them smelled nice for some weird reason, so thank you, it made our casa smell better. However, there was an occurance this week that did not smell very nice. During TALL, our online practice of Spanish, there arose a smell so foul that Elder T and i used his medical tape to find a better smell. So we put medical tape underneath our noses and hoped for the best. The smell came again. It was so strong that i think my eyebrows were curling. the source was never found but the TALL room was assumed to be haunted by this smell. It was awful, but the medical tape helped.

We taught our teachers some American slang. They were awesome and they really got us excited about our missions, so to return the favor, we taught them, "Yall feel?" and gonna and other notable american exclamations. They were very pleased and they took notes. Hermana Faces promised us she would use Are you picking up what Im laying down, in her next lesson with American missionaries. 

Yesterday, we went and taught alongside some Latino missionaries. This experience is what i would like to refer to as The Confidence Destroyer. My Spanish is ok, i can talk to the janitors and other native speakers, but man, these kids speak fast. It was difficult to keep up but it was a really great learning experience and it taught me i have a lot to learn. Hahaha

Now for a spiritual thought. every week is spiritual, every day every moment every second is spiritual here if we allow it to be. I have noticed in the way i speak think and act i can invite the spirit. I would ask anyone who wants to, to do the same, think about how you can invite the spirit and i promise you will feel the spirit and receive more answers and help.

Murdoch family, thank you for the pictures of the puppies, i havent seen anything like that in six weeks! 

Gavin, things are going well. I just found an ingles LIbro de Mormón, entonces things are great. i have been looking for one for ages, so i could do as Elder Bednar suggested and read the whole thing with just one question, you should try it. Go find one unused paperback Libro de Mormón and look thru it with just one question, i so excited to start reading it again, im more excited about this than anything, any question will do and you will find the answer.     

Isaac, i must see these by next week. I have never laughed that hard before. the image of the cherubim, oh it sounds lovely, please send this to me as soon as possible, and Will, you too, i gotta see this twilight zone poster.  

Mom, I ran into Elder Gronman? he said you know his mom. Also can you make sure Greg is receiving these emails. He might have sent me his email in my Facebook. And i did not get the letter you spoke from the people but i did get the ones from you guys, and im really sorry but i cant call you from the airport. We asked our Mission President about it and he said im permitted to let you call on Christmas and Mothers Day, if i hear otherwise i will call but im really sorry, but i need to be exactly obedient, that is what i have been trying to do lately. Its not like before i was ordering pizzas over the fence or smuggling in anything, but i just im trying to follow everything. I will call you if i can. 

Dad, there are four people joining me to Oklahoma, so the rest must be Ingles speakers. thank you for the bike stuff and for taking care of that for me, it really means a lot. 

thank you for the prays, letters and help, i love you all and pray for you all. read the scriptures feast upon the words of Christ and thus saith the Father you shall have eternal life, or in whatever case you are in help, support, love, anything, just read pray and go to church. 

Elder Thomas

Where has the time gone? One month down!

It has already been a month! I has flown by, those guys were right the days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days! wow!

     

This week has been great! As I have prayed read my scriptures and worked with my companion we have taught the gospel. It is great, and now that I have gotten used to the food, environment and people I am about to leave. I cant wait to go to Oklahoma but I am very scared, but the scriptures say fear not for I am God lean not on thy own understanding, after reading something like that how can you be worried.

This week as we were studying our sister district came into our room, this doesn't usually happen but they all came in and one of them sang for us. An Elder that I don't know all that well sang with them too. When he finished, his companion had tears in his eyes, and then the Elder that sang told us he was going home. He told us all that we were the real heroes but he was wrong. He is the hero to me. He is the most courageous man I have ever met. It takes courage to leave your family but it takes so much more courage and faith to go back and clean up your act. What a Christ like example. I know he will be back.

This week I found the greatest lasagna in the world. This place has such good food. I eat and eat and eat. I have probably gained more weight. Don't expect me to come back the same, when I come back I will probably look more like George Costanza than Ian. Stocky, short and for some reason wear glasses, maybe I'[ll get in a fight and lose an eye or something, so maybe George Costanza with an eye patch, that would be pretty cool. 

Last night there was a down pour, our house was shaking with the thunder! I love the rain here and I have grown to love this city even though I haven't really seen much of it. We sit in a small valley between two mountains much like the ones at home. In the morning the clouds dance around the mountains like the waves of the sea, it is beautiful. I get the best of both landscapes. Mountains and the sky.  We can hear the pueblo that sleeps on the mountain behind nuestra casa come to life on Sundays singing and dancing. It will be hard to leave here and leave my companion and friends in my district. I have been so blessed, I have learned from them and their example, how blessed I am. 

Grandma, I was able to read your emails and I have not stopped my tears at all, I cry all the time. I feel the spirit in hymns, the sacrament, the scriptures these emails, your prayers, my prayers, I am always crying. Don't worry I have not fought the tears.

Dad, golfing sounds sweet, and so does biking I miss biking more than most things. I cant wait to get to the campo where i can ride a bike yo deseo.  And yes I'm serious about my weight, Wade Hansen told me he can see it when I turn my head he says my neck is fat.

Isaac, that picture of the giraffe is great. save that because I need to see that news story.

Gabe, I understand you are undergoing some brother strength training. I would only suggest do ten hop squats every time you hear a frog croak. Your training will pay off. 

Gavin, I want to play golf with you man it sounds sweet. Join Gabe in the training, it will help him to have a back up if things go south.

Mom, I have heard that Emerson quote while I've been here. I have felt that strength. I have seen the hand of God in my life every day. things are not easy here at all, but I am not the only one who has gone through them. I have felt His strength and help as I have been learning Spanish and the doctrine of this gospel. We watched a talk by Elder Holland, at the end he said all this, all this life, this church, this work comes down to one question, Do you love Him. If you do you will do His work in His church and give your life to Him. So the only thing anyone has to do to find the truth is ask, Do you love Him. And then as it says in Moroni 10 4 and 5, you will know by the power of the Holy Ghost what to do. I have asked and I have found out why I am here and anyone else who wants to know can do the same and you will receive and answer. I know this church is true, I know it and I know it will help the people who need it. 

I love you all and I miss you all, but in the words of Elder J my good friend and zone leader, I want to go home but I want to go home in two years. 

Until next week,

Elder Thomas

Experiment findings, Milagro!, Gaining weight and A bus ride through Mexico City

So as some of you may recall, last week my room and I decided to figure out the level of sanitation in the room adjacent to our own. The results are in and just about every single person knows them. The room across from ours is the abode of Patient Zero to the sickness that has plagued our CCM for the last week. The elder got sick just after the experiment and we avoided him for a while but then an announcement was made at a devotional. "There is a sickness in the CCM, everyone wash your hands más!" And only we knew its origin. Yes, our friends, the elders across the way plagued over six hundred people here with their lack of sanitation. However by the good grace of heaven above we were spared from this intestinal infection. Our room has not been sick. It is a milagro.

To answer a question from last week I must apologize to Metzger. I actually have gained weight. the scale we used was wrong. I have gained 15 pounds. Yes,15. No, I am not fat I am just approaching the ideal weight for a person of my stature. So yes, I'm sorry I gave you all false information and worries.

This morning we were blessed to have the opportunity to go to the temple visitors center. We left the compound and drove there. While on the way there I looked at the city. The rest of the bus was singing hymns. As I looked out I noticed the absolute dismay these people live in every day. I saw a pair of shoes laying on the ground , a little girl and a little boy ran up to them. I thought that maybe they were just looking at them because they were so beat up or something, but as I continued to watch them i noticed their clothes. They were homeless. they were going to wear those shoes. We drove on as the people in the bus sang and i noticed more and more sad things. the singing stopped for a moment and i looked out over the city as we came up onto an on ramp. The people in the buss started singing Nearer my God to Thee. I felt this city was about as far away as you could get. People were literally looking in puddles for food, dogs were roaming the streets with their homeless young companions, even the building were littered with signs of the distress. I lost it. I have never cried that hard in public before. The weight of the problems these people had to carry was tremendous and i cant even comprehend it. But for a moment i felt a love for them. I just cried and wanted to help. I am blessed with food, a home, people who care about me, and then here in Mexico City is pair of homeless kids looking for shoes in puddles. Why have I been blessed so much, even all of you reading this are more blessed then them. I just cannot believe this city, and this is just one city. I believe that the reason i was blessed with all this so I could give them the same message that has helped me live my life here at the CCM and back at home. Christ knows them as much as he knows me, and I can't wait to tell the people of Oklahoma that in two weeks.

Oh and I heard that same talk by Elder Bednar that Elder Covey did, that talk has influenced me a lot. Thank you for the message from President Uchtdorf, and I just got the letter you sent me with the card, so I think it takes mail two weeks to get here. Gabe I did get your message good luck with the play! Thank you Silly Grandma for the messages, I love hearing from you and thank you for the advice. Thank you Grandpa and Grandma Murdoch for your letter. It

I love you all and hope I don't sound like a preacher or arrogant. But I love you and I hope to see you all again so I can tell you stories!

Love,

Elder Thomas 

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Diez! Push Ups, Soap Experiments and Costco Pizza

This week a new rule was introduced into the district. If anyone speaks English, you have to do 10 push ups. yes only ten. you speak in English someone will yell DIEZ! Last night I had to do 70. So if my writing is worse than usual, that is why. I hear Diez! in my sleep i fear that word more than i fear the phrase, `You'll want to go to BYU at the end of this!` Haha, just kidding. 

This week has been full of push ups, tie traders and spiritual talks. One night Elder B, an elder in my district from Las Vegas, were talking and all the sudden a loud knock was at the puerta. I opened it expected an emergencía or something, but it was just a handful of guys trading ties. That is big here. trading ties, I don't quite get it but whatever. So these guys break into our lockers and closets and demand to see our ties. I didn't trade any but i did offer that jar of peanut butter you gave me Mom. However it was fast Sunday the next day so no one was interested. 

     Across the hall we have a bit of a problem. the Elders who live there might not wash their hands. Because we all live in a tight space sometimes we have to go use the other guys baño, to shower, but every time we went in the other guys baño, their soap was in the same place. We were frightened because we shake hands with them occasionally. So we performed an experiment. We put a piece of paper on the bottom of their soap with the hopes that the next day it would be gone. This morning when we looked, it was still there. We have concluded they don't wash their hands, however a new experiment is being performed as we speak, we put some powder under it and we will check it tonight.

          Elder B let me borrow a talk he brought with him. The Fourth Missionary. I just finished reading it this morning. This talk has had a profound impact on me this week. It focuses on donating your entire will, all of your wants, desires and wishes to the Lord. And have faith that if you give up everything, even your thoughts for your mission, He will bless you in wonderful ways. I have been working on that and hope to become closer to the spirit and closer to Him.

Metzger, to answer your question no I'm not gaining weight. All the guys in my district think i eat so much, but the food here is great and i thought eating a whole pizza was reasonable, right? they have Costco pizza here on Tuesdays, oh wait today is Tuesday, Sweet! 

Gabe, your email letter was devoured by technology, i got part of it in an email but the rest of it has become subject to the natural forces that be. it looks like it might have glitched, but i could read that part about you  pre-ordering that game and am stoked to play it with you when i get back! i think they might send me another letter along with the email you sent me, i will look for it and let you know.

Mom, the food is great, always good, i always gets seconds, its usually some mix of Mexican food with an American twist. Pollo con mole is fantastic and last night we had lasagna and i ate a whole pan i think,the classes are about three hours long or so and we have breaks every once in a while, we cant leave the facility but we hear music and cannons on Saturdays, thatss how we know what day it is. the days turn into months and the months are going to turn into years, but while I'm at the CCM sometimes it just feels like I'm still. The spirit helps me take it one day at a time and realize why I'm here and how many people are praying for me. I can feel their prayers and love. Thank you for praying and thinking of me. I can feel you thoughts and your wishes for me to do well. Thank you for allowing me to leave you for two years.

i love you all and will write again,

Adios,

Elder Thomas