El CCM!!

Everybody! First, I have to apologize for the horrible typing. Im stil trying to figure out this keyboard. But the CCM is great! I got here on tuesday afternoon with about 15 other missionaries, and they picked us up and drove us through the city! The grounds here are so beautiful, and the weather is basically perfect. Every couple of days, some clouds will roll in at about 5, and it´ll pour for like an hour, so crazy.We´re right in the middle of a valley, and I dont know what the Mexicans are celebrating, but they are setting off fireworks and stuff all the time, even during the day. There are always sirens going off, and you can hear that the city is really busy outside the wall. So its nice that we have our little sanctuary in the middle of everything!

Basically they took us to the front door of the main building, gave us an envelope with nametags, a map, and our companion´s info in it, and let us loose. Theres a bunch of residence houses, and we´re in number 43. theres like 5 bedrooms in each house, each has their own bathroom, and 2 bunkbeds in a room.

But I have to tell about my companion! her name is Hermana Taufo`ou. A short lesson in pronounciation: TAU-foo-oh. It took me a full 72 hours before I could say it right, haha. She´s from Idaho, but her dad is full Tongan, so thats where the name comes from. She plays soccer and basketball, and is basically the sweetest girl ever. And she´s going to nicaragua! She´s teaching me how to shoot, but I cant say I´m the best or most capable student, haha. We share our room with 2 sisters on their 4th week, hermanas Tolman and Vance, who are both very nice. Basically everyone is super nice!

Our district is great too. We´re all in a classroom together for most of the day, so we get along pretty well by now. There´s me and Hermana Taufoou, one other set of sisters going to El Salvador, and 3 sets of elders, all going to different places, and all stateside! I just realized that, haha. Everyone has taken some spanish, so we´re all on the same level. We´re all becoming good friends! So our schedule actually changes a lot. Usually we have a couple hours in class with our teacher, Hermano Klabacka, and we switch between language and spiritual study. Then we have lunch, and time to prep and teach our investigator, Lisa! That usually takes several hours, because each companionship gets 1/2 an hour. Then theres always more personal and companion study, and something called TALL, which I cant remember what that stands for, but its a church language learning thing on the computer. On sundays we go to lots of meetings and watch a lot of devotionals, which actually was super great, as long as you´re not tired, haha. I gave my talk on the first sunday here! It actually went really well. I have a goal to always be prepared for sunday talks. But thank goodness next week is fast sunday, haha.

So that´s basically what each day consists of, but it comes in different order. Being a missionary is great! I´m tired 100% of the time, but I love learning more each day. I´ve never been closer to Heavenly Father in my life, and it´s an incredible feeling. I know that He loves us, and for that reason, He sent His son to die for us. I know that´s true. Another great think about being a missionary is that you get to memorize a bunch of stuff! I have the missionary purpose, baptismal invitation, and almost the first vision, all in spanish, and all in the first week! Its basically just the Holy Ghost, and mi compañera repeatedly drilling me, haha.

One of my favorite verses this week is Mosiah 7:33. If we are diligent and trust in the Lord in all we do and in all our work, we will be delivered out of bondage. Hopefully its not literal bondage, haha! But He can help us through our inadequecies and weaknesses to make us strong.. Ive definitely seen proof of that in just this first week here, in others and even my self.

Les amo todos! Everyone have a good week!
And send me letters! They take about 12 days to get here, haha.

Hermana Watkins

I'm Alive!

Trish had a few minutes on Tuesday evening to let us know that she arrived in Mexico safely. We noticed the night before that her travel plans had been booked from San Jose, Costa Rica instead of San Jose, California. Woops!

Mission travel shuffled her flights around and she was on her way. Here's her first email, in all its Spanish-keyboard glory:

I cannot figure out this keyboard! Where is the flipping apostrophe??

I made it! Im in Mexico! Ive only got like two minutes, but im alive and well and im so excited!! Mexico City is HUGE. While we were driving, I was secretly getting jealous of all the girls that are called to mexico, even though its kinda dirty, but its just so interesting! theres so much to look at. But then it got kinda stinky, so i´m good with arizona, haha. theres like 4 different accent/apostrophes... ´`' what do they all mean?? and the qeustion mark is at the top of the board, what?

Anyways, el CCM is so beautiful.  I didnt even know we were coming up to it, and suddenly you get to a gate and see a big grass lawn. I think ill really enjoy my time here! Ive got to go, I love you all, and I don{t even have a tag yet, but I love being a missionary!!!!

Love, Hermana Watkins!!!

Farewell!

Hello everyone! I've been called to serve in the Arizona Scottsdale Mission, reporting July 24, 2013. I leave for the Mexico MTC this Tuesday, and after 6 weeks of study, I will get on a plane and begin serving in Arizona!

If you'd like to email me, my email is:
patricia.watkins@myldsmail.net
I'd love to get emails from anyone and everyone, and I'll try my best to respond to each one I get!

For snail mail, you can send me a letter to this address for the first 6 weeks of my mission (until September 4, 2013):
Sister Patricia Watkins
Arizona Scottsdale Mission
Mexico Missionary Training Center
Ave 510 #90
Colonia San Juan de Aragon
07950 Mexico City, Distrito Federal
Mexico

After that date, I will be in Arizona, so letters can be sent to the mission office address there. I currently don't have that address since it's such a new mission, but as soon as I get it, it will be posted on here.

Thank you to everybody for the love and support! I will miss you all! I'm so excited for the opportunity I have to serve a mission, and I can't wait to get out in the field. I know I have a Father in heaven and that His son, Jesus Christ, atoned for our sins so that we can return to His presence one day. I am so excited to share this beautiful message with the people of Arizona!

Thanks again to everyone! See ya in 18 months!

Hermana Watkins