Things here at the CCM are going very well! The first day that we arrived here was an adventure! On the flight from LAX to Guatemala the back of the plane was empty, and so Elder Konold and I went to an empty row, so I got to have a window seat! We did not really talk because we both slept haha! We arrived at the airport and were picked up by one of the teachers here at the CCM. Then, we got on a kindof ghetto school bus and rode about 15 minutes to the CCM. The drivers here are insane! Literally, multiple times I thought that we were going to hit a motorcycle because the bus would come within half a foot of him. There are not really stop lights, so they just merge into the road slowly.
Before arriving at the CCM the bus randomly stopped at a gas station, the greeter hopped out and just left. That was kindof scary! But then this morning at the temple he was our ordinance worker! Haha!
Also, Dad, right as you enter the Guatemala City temple you see the same picture that we have above our fire place! What a wonderful sight! It is also very small.
But, back to getting here. When we arrived at the CCM all of the elders came out and helped us carry our stuff in. They gave us room assigments and companions. I am on the second floor and in the only room that has a shower and bathroom in it! All of the others have to use the showers in the bathroom.
My companion Elder Thorne is from Spokane, Washington and was on the track team at University of Arizona. He is also going with Quetzaltenango. Dad, you were right, there are quite a few guys going to Quetzaltenango, I think 7, all but 1 in my district.
We share a room with two other guys, Elder Brown from Salt Lake going to Honduras and Elder Rodriguez from Provo going to Honduras. They are cool guys, but Elder Brown talks about his girlfriend A TON. Oh well. After this we went to a bunch of orientations and met our district. In my district is Elder Hickerson from Fresno, Ca going to Honduras, Elder Olsen from Logan going to Honduras, Elder Manning from Nevada, Elder Harward from West Jordan, Elder Maynes from Riverton, Elder McVey, Our district leader from Boise, Sister Carnahan from Hawaii, Sister Craner from somewhere in Utah, and my companion Elder Thorne. I love them all so much. We spend all day together and I love it. The other guys who flew down here with us are in other districts, and I see them quite often at lunch and deportes. Elder Konold is not in my district but we talk quite a bit and are good friends.
As for daily life in the CCM, pronounced Say Say Em Eh, it is pretty plush. We wake up at 630 pronto. We have until 730 to take a shower, iron our clothes, and get read for the day in general. At 730 we go to breakfast. There food here is pretty amazing. It is a mixture of authentic Guatemalan food and american food. They put sauce on EVERYTHING, but I love it! For the first couple of day my stomach was kindof weird, but now I am all good. So, at 800 until 1000 we have personal study and language study for an hour each. Then, at 1000 my morning teacher Hermana Cuque comes. She is from and lives in Guatemala City and just finished her mission 5 weeks ago! All of the teaching and most talking in general is in spanish, solo espanol en la classe. Still getting used to it, but even after a week I can comprehend so much. I am also able to speak ok. I am pro at praying and bearing my testimony in spanish haha! My brain is pretty confused though because it trys to convert everything in spanish. The gift of tongues is so so so amazing! Words come very easily, especially when teaching lessons or praying or bearing testimony. So, at 1245 until 1330 we eat lunch. They want us to sit with the latinos and speak with them in spanish. I dont have much interaction with the latino hermanas, but the latino elders are some of the coolest and nicest guys that I have every met. They are very patient with my gringo spanish haha.
After lunch is more learning grammer and gospel until we have deportes at 1530. I am writing military time because I cant find a semicolon. I have never loved sports as much as in the mission field. I wrote more in my written letter that will be there in like a week. We show again after deportes and study from 1700 until 1745, which is dinner. After dinner my night teacher, Hermano Morales arrives. He is amazing but I have only heard him speak like 3 english words. He says he only knows Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday, but it is a running joke because we all know he speaks english haha. Hermano Morales also acts as our investigator. After dinner until we plan at 2100 we are preparing lessons for our Jaime Orellano, aka Hermano Morales, which we can only speak spanish. I am lucky because Elder Thorne can speak and understand spanish really well, but it is sometimes difficult like being the junior companion haha. Everyone else in our class is just starting spanish, but I can see my own spanish improving so much because I have to catch up with Elder Thorne. When most people on speak spanish to you, it comes pretty quickly. At 2130 we arive back at our rooms and prepare for bed at 2230. This includes writing in our journals, brushing our teeth, and hanging out with the other elders.
Well, I dont have much time, but I do want to share how much my testimony has grown. Feeling the spirit 24 7 is the most amazing thing ever. On sunday I had the opportunity to share my testimony in Sacrament meeting in spanish and it was one of the most amazing I have ever borne. Even though it may have been jumbled, I felt the spirit so strongly.
Yo se que el libro de mormon es verdadero. Yo se que jesucristo es el redentor. Yo se que el evangelio de jesucristo es verdadero. Me amo tu, mi familia mucho. Yo estoy agredecido por el oportunidad para servir un mision. I dont have much time, but I love you all so much. There is no other place I would rather be right now then here in Guatemala. I love Jesus Christ and his gospel and I know you all can learn too if you dont. Time is limited when you are on his time, so I must go!
I love you all so much!
Elder Richardson
(Gabe sent another little note and said the keyboards are really weird! His friend Elder Konold also mentioned it in his email) :)
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