First Few Days in el CCM‏

Hola Familia!

First, can I just say that I love you so much.  I never thought it would be quite so difficult to say adios, but Brady was wrong; going to the CCM is nothing like going to college. My first day and a half started out crazy!! They put me in an intermediate group and said I was a solo sister.  Wondering what that means?  I did too.  Basically, it meant that I had a companion but she wasn't in my district, so I didn't really have a companion.  That makes it difficult because you have to have a companion wherever you go.  So basically it meant that if I wasn't with my companion I had to be with at least two elders.  Even to go to the bathroom!  They would have to walk with me and then wait outside the hall! Crazy right?  I thought so too.  Being in the intermediate group was kind of a bummer because it meant that I was going to be here for nine weeks instead of three.  But then my teacher, Hermano Lee, decided that my Spanish was too good so to make a long story short, I got switched to an advanced group.  I changed districts, zones, and even rooms.  I was really sad to leave my old district.  I don't know how, but in a day and a half I came to love them.  It's amazing how easy it is to love people here, the Spirit of Christ is truly here and the CCM is a very special place.  It was also kind of fun being the only girl in a group of nine boys. 

Now that I'm in the advanced group I have a companion!  That's great because it means I don't have to have elders for babysitters.  Her name is Hermana Memmott and she's from Chihuahua, Mexico.  You would never guess it, because she has blonde hair and blue eyes, but she grew up in the Mormon Colonies.  I didn't even know there was such a thing!  Basically, she has pioneer ancestors that came and settled that part of Mexico, and her family has been there ever since.  She's really great and we get along really well.  She has such a strong testimony and is a great example to me.  She's also going to my mission!  My new distrcit is full of basically native Spanish speakers.  So I went from the hermana that knew soooo much about Spanish to the hermana that knows nothing about Spanish.  It was a lesson in humility for sure.  It's easy for me to speak my mind and my feelings in English, but I don't have quite the vocabulary to articulate those thoughts when I speak Spanish, so it's been a challenge for me.  I know what I want to say, but I feel like I'm saying in the words of a five year old.  I know it will come as I get back into speaking it and as I rely on Heavenly Father to help me. 

The CCM is crazy!  I've never been so overwhelmed in my life!  By about 7:00 in the evening I feel like it's about midnight.  And waking up at 6:30 is not the funnest thing I've ever done.  Hopefully that gets easier.  And by the end of 18 months, who knows, I might even be a morning person! (doubt it).  Basically every second of our day is scheduled.  It's an adjustment for sure.  But this place functions like a well oiled machine.  My brain is going crazy trying to remember everything.  We have class for three hours twice a day, personal and companion study for about three hours and we also have scheduled meal times and gym time.  The gym time is a kind of a joke.  Yesterday we played bocce ball on the missionary fields.  Not really a workout.  But our time was scheduled right after lunch so we had just eaten.  You can also play ladder golf, frisbee, and they used to have croquet, but all the sets broke.  You can play soccer but elders and sisters can't play together so that's a bummer.  There's not a ton of sisters that like to play soccer.  And you're not supposed to get too competitve either.  The white handbook says so.  Also, we have gym at a different time every day, so it's kind of a pain to get ready in the morning and then have to get ready again after gym.  But it's the only way that they can get so many missionaries through. 

The food here is decent I suppose.  It's not the best, but the variety is good.  And don't worry, I've stayed away from the orange juice.  There are desserts with every meal which is ridiculous.  I can't believe how much the elders eat they have like three plates of regular dinner and then about five different desserts.  And they drink soda pop for breakfast!  Sick.  I usually eat Cream of Wheat for breakfast, a salad or a wrap for lunch and then whatever entre sounds the best for dinner.  Last night it was taco salad.  And lots of fruit.  

We taught our first investigator (not a real one).  That was terrifying!  He was really nice though because everyone in our zone had a chance to teach hime and we went last so by that time he was tired and ready to go home.  I think because of that he went really easy on us.  We're doing a pilot program right now where basically you teach the same lesson to the same person three different times in a row to see what you can do to improve it.  They're going to see if this will be a successful change to the curriculum for teaching missionaries.

There is an hermana in my zone who is going to the LA visitors center.  She'll get there in about two weeks.  She our coordinating sister and her name is Hermana Nordhagen.  She's the most adorable girl ever and I told her that Grandma and Grandpa are on a mission there and that they would make her delicious French Toast!  So tell them to give her a big hug for me.  Also tell them that I love them and I miss them and I'm so glad that they're on a mission. 

Could you ask Grandma where in Germany she is from?  There is an Elder in my old zone from Hamburg so we were talking.
Well I'm about out of time so I just want to say that I love you and that I hope all is well.  Also, if you want to write me letters, use Dear Elder, it's free and they get here super fast.

xoxo

Hermana Simpson