Thursday, August 28, 2014

Week 2 at the CCM. (Mexico City MTC)


Hello everybody, 

I am glad to finally email you guys again. Oh and Mom, can you please send this to the rest of the family? Things here at the CCM have been super awesome. We like to play a little game whenever we hear an explosion called, "Gunshot or firework?´´ because I think there are plenty of both. Mom, don´t worry, the CCM is surrounded by the Celestial Forcefield.

 So Saturday there was this huge crazy rainstorm, just a total downpour. But, nevertheless Saturday night is fiesta night for the people of Mexico City so they still had their mariachi band playing and everything. We were walking back to the Casa and saw this giant spider! It looked like the one that bit Spiderman. The sunrises here are absolutely beautiful with the palm trees and everything, so I will try to send pics.
 For gym we play lots of volleyball, and lots of Fútbol. Our new thing is cage fútbol on the basketball court which is fun because it bounces off the walls. Except yesterday a kid in our District got a bloody nose and another kid in our District almost got a black eye. I keep getting kicked in the shin, and thats always fun. 

Have you guys ever read the book, "Our Heritage"? about the founding of the LDS church? Its pretty good. We watched a movie on Sunday about the building of the Salt Lake Temple called Mountain of the Lord. All you Utah haters out there, shape up because those pioneers really gave a lot to build Zion and make Utah the nice place to live that it is. 

For our service project we folded sheets in the launderia so that was fun, haha and this Mexican guy walked up to us and told us to carry tables! So we grabbed a table that was there and started carrying it. I was thinking, I never thought I would find myself in Mexico carrying a table down the street. And nobody even knew why we were carrying tables!

 So the mail man rides a dirtbike here, so that's pretty cool. Oh and I have never seen a garbage truck so loaded up in my life!! Apparently there was a Krispy Kreme guy riding a bike down the street giving out free donuts and hats. We were pretty bummed because we couldn't find him. 

I played piano for Sacrament Meeting, and that was definitely a new experience playing for singing in a different language. For the talks everyone has to prepare one for Sacrament Meeting, and then they just announce on the spot who is giving the talks, and whatdya know, they called my name so I have a pretty solid talk on The Restoration.

 Also, back in Utah the trains that drive by just give a little honk, but the trains here just LAY on their horns for what feels like forever, I guess to let the entire world know that there is A TRAIN COMING!!!

 Tuesday they always have Costco pizza for dinner, and that is always well appreciated. They have interesting stuff for breakfast like tamales and deli sandwiches, and as much as i love tamales, I usually go for peanut butter toast, fruit and yogurt. I think just about everyone here is losing weight, and if they are not it is because of the Nutella station they have. Nutella just makes everything taste better. But yeah, still eating a lot of tacos and fruit! I need to stop squeezing limes on my tacos or else my teeth will rot! But don´t worry Dad, I've been brushing twice a day.

 One thing I realized this week is how I guess...selfish I used to be. We are here on the Lord's time, and don´t get a lot of free time but that is okay because we are learning how to be better servants of the Lord, and that is a very fulfilling way to spend your time. But I just realized that a little service project once a month for YM is not being charitable. Charitable means constantly doing things for others. Just finding little ways to serve others can go a long way.

 We teach lessons to fake Investigators still, and that is always like my favorite parts of the week. The spirit is always so strong, and I am getting to the point where I can give whole lessons in Spanish without reading notes or language books. In a couple of weeks we well have the opportunity to teach REAL investigators, and I am very excited for that.

 All the devotionals they have here are always so inspiring, and I love how the spirit can just pour through your body. It's amazing. I know that the church is true with all my heart. There is a page in "Preach My Gospel" with a picture of these people that look Peruvian. Every time I see that picture I am reminded that there is somebody out there in Peru waiting for me, and I can´t wait to be the channel through which the Lord will send his message. 

Topics I've been thinking a lot about are charity, humility, The Atonement, how God is our loving Heavenly Father, and how important families are. I know that this chuch is true with all my heart, and I am so excited to be able to learn how to better serve the Lord.

 Love you all, 
Love Elder Reschke. 
P.S. I took my suit to the drycleaning lady and she said "NO INGLES!"  haha so I just tried to figure out when I could pick it up. For all I know, I gave her 60 pesos and might never see my beloved suit again. Cross your fingers:)

Reflection of Elder Reschke:
                                                                 Tiny little bananas:
                                                           Sunrise in Mexico City:
                                 Mexican peso and Elder Reschke's bed with his mosquito net:
 Elder Reschke with sign: (basic translation: egg for breakfast with bacon and red peppers).
                                                                         At the CCM:
                                         Centro De Capacitacion Misional Mexico City:
                                          Mexico City with the colorful houses on the hills:

                                                              Door to Elder Reschke's room:
                              Elder Reschke always loves balancing on any kind of post or fence:
                                                                       Deep thinker:
                                                               Palm tree at the MTC:
                                                                   Volleyball time:


Thursday, August 21, 2014

Week 1 at the CCM. (Mexico City MTC)

  Hola, from the CCM! 
That is what they call it here. It is like this huge 90 acre campus. My roommate is Elder Fullmer from Arizona. He is a cool kid. We have to other kids in our room. One of them is going on his mission to SLC! haha. We live in these little Casa's with maybe five rooms in the Casa.

 Yes, people actually do wear sombreros here. Yes, they eat a lot of tacos. I don´t know if I have ever eaten more tacos in my life! The comedor (lunchroom) is practically Cafe Rio. Haha just kidding. I think most of the grub is pretty good, but some kids don´t like it at all. They are just the picky kids. They have tons of different fruits to eat so thats cool. The dairy company is called Santa Clara, and every one of their products has been amazing! haha.

 So I guess on Saturday nights its like a Mexican tradition to have fiestas and shoot fireworks off all night! Occasionally I hear a little blast of the kind of music they play on FM 102.3, right outside my window.
 The campus here is beautiful. Ton´s of palm trees everywhere, and the spirit here is really great. Each one of the buildings is named after a prophet. They pretty much only speak Spanish to you here. Classes, hymns, prayers, Sacrament, comder, tienda (store), everywhere they just speak Spanish so they drill it into you real fast. I am progressing pretty well. I can give a prayer, bear testimony, read James 1:5, and invite people to be baptized in Spanish.

 Most of the buildings here are really colorful. Kind of the colors from the vintage 1960s. Turquoise, yellow, pink, green etc. In the evenings we teach the progressing Investigator. His name is Carlos, and he is just an Actor. We have had four lessons with him and already committed him to be baptized! Boo yeah! I know he is only an actor, but the spirit is so strong when we are able to teach him lessons.

 We had a Elder Piper from the 70 give a Devotional on Tuesday. The power of a thousand missionaries all singing "Called to Serve" in Spanish was just incredible. I learned that you can totally analyze any chapter of scripture, and I challenge you to do it because it is really neat. Well, I don´t have a lot of time, so glad to hear all is well with you guys. The church is true. I know it with all my heart, and I am so glad to be able to share this glorious message with others!

Hasta ver,
 Elder Reschke

P.S. We play A LOT of soccer here. It is pretty awesome. That or volleyball. I have also been forcing my compañero to wake up early to go running. I told him he will thank me when he doesn´t get fat on his mission.  

Arriving at the CCM:
They have these really good cookies called Chokis in la tienda. They are way better than chips ahoy. Oh and when it rains here it pours. I bought an umbrella.
It was 100 pesos:
 
The colorful buildings:
                                             Elder Reschke's friend,  Elder Dylan Smith.
                    They ran together (different high schools, same region) in high school:
                                                               Elder Reschke's casa:
                                At the Centro De Capacitacion Mission Mexico City (CCM):
                                                         Classic Abby Road picture:
                                         Drinking the really good Santa Clara Yogurt:

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Travel Day.

    Early Wednesday morning (2:30 a.m.) Elder Reschke arrived at the Salt Lake City Airport.
There were probably over 50 Elders and Sisters, all flying to the Mexico City MTC.


                  After a long wait at the airport Elder Reschke was more than ready to say good-bye:
                                        He checked his luggage and hugged us good bye.
                                    His last words to us were: "I love you.  See you in 2."
As usual, Elder Reschke was first at the line to go:
                   We walked up above the lobby of the airport and saw a sea of missionaries all
                    leaving to serve the Lord.  They looked like "The Army of Helaman!" And, we
                    are proud that Elder Reschke is one of them!


Email received that evening:

Hey Mom and Dad, 
I am here safe at the Mexico City CCM. Our plane in Dallas was delayed an hour. You thought Utah drivers were bad, wait til you see Mexico City! haha, but it really is such a neat place here. The Spirit is strong, and I am glad to be here. 
For dinner I had this spicy chicken pastry thing with a mango, some rice, and some jicama flower juice. It was good!
 Well, just like Dan said, I don't really miss you guys because I am too excited.
 But, I love you guys so much.
 Today I embark on an amazing journey, and I can not even begin to tell you how excited I am. 
Hope all is well, and I love you guys.

Love, 
Elder Reschke