Sunday, August 12, 2012

Week 2 - August 9, 2012


Hola Familia!!!

Wow!!! What a week!!

To start off, I think I messed up in my first email home. When I said I have been getting tons of letters, I meant it in a good way!!! I love getting letters! Would it be better if I said I don't get any mail? You guys should all feel super bad for me and write me more ;) hahahaha  Seriously Dear Elders and letters are the best thing in the world to read at the end of a long day!!

Today is P-Day. I just got back from the temple and it was awesome. I have such a great appreciation for the temple, especially since being on my mission becsause it is such a nice time to ponder and not focus on learning spanish, but to just focus on the spirit and the people's lives you are changing.

Well here's a little story for you all: So yesterday was the longest day probably of my entire life!!! So at about midnight, Elder Murdock woke up with back and stomach pain. He fell off his bed into the fetal position on the ground. It was pitch black in the room and I heard him whisper "Help!" I immediately got out of bed to see if he was okay. He was gagging and struggling to get air and his lungs started closing. I ran over, and by this time our whole room woke up. We tried to help him so I gave him a blessing (my first one ever) and it was pretty good! Then we called security and they called for a van to take him to the hospital. I went with him while he got tests and x-rays taken. We didn't end up leaving the hospital until 4 AM. They still aren't sure what happened but he is feeling a lot better!! I ended up getting a total of 2 hours of sleep in the last 43 hours! So I was exhausted all day!

One of the guys that is leaving for Columbia, Elder Herrick, is the funniest kid alive!!  On fast Sunday, for dinner we were fed Chicken Cordon Bleu, rice, steamed vegetables, and a roll. Since none of us had eaten all day, everyone was starving. We told Elder Herrick that we hear the record of plates eaten were 6. He attempted the challenge and made it to 5 1/2 plates!!! I ate half a plate and was full... I was more disgusted and lost my appetite because he was sitting right next to me while attempting this!

On Monday, our whole district went the entire day speaking ONLY spanish!! It was crazy!! I went all day and although there were many words I didn't know how to say, it was a huge success! I learned so much that day!!

Last P-Day we played this game with our zone called "life size angry birds." The first day we arrived in the MTC we got these resistance bands to use for when we want to stretch our legs or whatever else. So one guy in our zone has been collecting package boxes since he has been here, which has been about 6 weeks. We stacked all of them up in the hallway and sling shot the tennis ball I brought into the wall of boxes. It was so much fun!!

We heard this motivational speech from this one black minister. Our teacher pulled it up on youtube and let us watch it. Its called "How bad do you want it." That video might have changed my mission and my life. It is absolutely incredible!!! Just watch it!

Also I have been doing crazy scripture study and reading. Elder Murdock and I spent an hour and a half reading and analyzing Doctrine and Covenants 6. It is probably my favorite chapter I have ever read. The last ten verses just give me goosebumps! WOW I SOUND LIKE A MISSIONARY!! I am sorry if that was too weird for all of you! I promise I'm still the little immature Mike you all know ;) hahahaha I'm just a little more spiritual. nbd

I love you all so much!! Thank you for all the support. Danny the night before I left you said that the mission is like a marathon. When you get tired you want to stop and give up but the day you give up, it is so much harder to start back up again. You just gotta put one foot in front of the other and keep workin hard. I know that last mile (month) will be tough and it will feel like I'm almost done but as for now, I am far from done my mission. I am going to work as hard as I can every week to bring the happiness and joy into the lives of the people in Mexico. I know that this gospel will change the lives of so many!! Estoy agredecido por el evangelio y por Dios. Las iglesia de Jesucristo es verdadero y yo se que el evangelio traen felicidad en las vidas de todo. Yo amo mi familio y el evangelio con todo de mi cabeza y estoy agredecido por la oportunidad puedo aqui a mi mision!!! LA IGLESIA ES VERDADERO!!!!!!!!! :)

Con mucho amor,
Elder Mike Payne

(Mike sent me a memory card with pictures on it, so I will post the pictures as soon as I get it!)

No comments:

Post a Comment