Out Of The Compound ...

So the joke around here is that we are in a compound. We are surrounded by gates and we can never leave. 
BUT EXCITEMENT!!!!!!!! Today we were allowed to leave!!!!!!!! 
We went to the temple. It is about a 40 minute drive. If you look it up on the internet it says we are right next to the Temple, but that was the old CCM. The visitors center was awesome. I loved it. First we took a tour , then went shopping. I bought a cute shirt and a HLJ - Haz Lo Justo (Choose The Right) ring. The day was very uplifting.
I LOVE IT HERE IN MEXICO!!!!! Everyone is so nice, little kids are always so happy, people smile and wave. Don´t get me wrong there are some scary things here as well... Like the driving. Cars get like 2 inches away from the bus, in my head I am thinking oh my, oh my, oh my.... WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!!!! 

 I think everyone would love my teacher In the morning, Hermana Arnaud. (Arnó is how it sounds) she is super great. She is always telling my companions and I that we need to stop stressing out. 

I am in a district with 9 people. 6 elders, 2 companions and myself. The girls and one of the Elders are going to D.C. when we leave....  I think it is super wrong that they put all of us together and we become a FAMILY and then they just tear our family apart.... So My companions and I decided that we are going to keep in contact with each other. We are going to have a district 12c meeting in 2 years here in Mexico... 

Other Stuff:

We were having a bad day, some girls in our house heart attacked our door. Yippee for companions eh?

The temple here is absolutely gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I loved it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today we have a devotional, no one will tell us who it is. I have to sing at it.... super scary. We have a super small choir. Someone told the director that I could sing and now I HAVE to be there... oh well its not that I don't want to sing its just that I have so much on my plate. And I have to sing in Spanish.

Learning to Speak Spanish is GREAT but also super hard... our teacher says we need to work on our unity... so that is what we are trying to do.

The CCM is AWESOME. The weather is perfect, the people are super sweet, and the food is spicy.

We play volley ball everyday. Tonight we are playing in the dark... it will be fun

I hope all of you have an amazing week.
Hermana Karlie Atkinson
Missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Washington D.C. South Mission

Life In The CCM (Centro De Capacitacion Misional Mexico)

So it is pretty great here... it rains all the time... but it is super fun... I love it. 

Life is pretty simple it starts at 5:30, because getting 3 girls up and ready is kinda hard.... So we get ready and walk to class, most of the time 1-2 minutes late. We eat at 7:45, which honestly the rule for my companions and I is if it doesn't look edible we don't eat it...  so most mornings the food doesn't look great, so we eat fruit... We found this one fruit and it was so pretty and red.... and juicy and cut like a cantaloupe and we thought it looks good so we ate it... Papaya is nasty guys... it looks amazing it doesn't even smell to bad but it is like eating rotten eggs or something even worse..... it makes me sick to my stomach..... so after that nasty experience we were hesitant about eating lunch but we went and saw spaghetti noodles with some deep red sauce next to it and we were all so excited that we hurriedly got some and got our salad and sat down to eat. Expecting the first and most delicious bite of food I had eaten since I had got here and was immediately crying and my companions thought it was because it was so good.... not it was pure hot sauce that we had liberally lathered on out noodles.... so mouth on fire eyes watering we ate some more fruit... but not papaya.... So normally we try to eat one new food from the store everyday and we were pretty sure that trying a food wouldn't be a good Idea but the elders in our district said that this thing called a milch bar was good so we went to trying and we open it and its chocolaty and so I take a bite and it was horrible... it had ciles in it and it tasted like a protein bar so we gave the rest to the elders..... all in all though the food isn't too bad. 

So on another funny note Our district plays volley ball together 2 a week so we were playing and I was being super competitive and jumped to tip a ball at the net and completely ran into an elder and we both backed away quickly and it was super awkward....... he backed up and kept saying I AM SOOO SORRY! it was super funny and weird....

But on a Spiritual note elder Neil L Anderson,  Elder Maynes and Elder Piper came to have a devotional and shook all of our hands... they had such good talks and they were super uplifting....

so all in all it was a good week we finished teaching our first investigator. who then became our teacher. we have had lots of friends leave but we are still happy for them because now they are out in the real world. we and ate some really good food. Tuesday is pizza night... we have ate some really bad food. we have laughed and goofed off we have built a pyramid of chairs we have danced in the rain. we have fallen in the rain we have butchered  talks and prayers in Spanish... btw they make you prepare a talk in Spanish every Sunday and you have sacrament with your zone and they randomly call on people to give their talk. My companions have decided to buy a second water bottle to they can put hot water in it to keep their hands warm... they are both going to freeze in Washington D.C. One is from Arizona and the other is from Utah... I feel bad for them but on the bright side is that we get to be with each other our whole mission. The hardest part  of being here is that you get to know and love so many people and then you have to say goodbye but at the same time it is also a really happy thing because you know that they are going to go out and change lives.... But for my uplifting thought today is what Elder Neil L Anderson told us.... Love yourself because you are going to have to live with yourself forever... well I love you all 

Hermana Atkinson.

Missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Washington D.C. South Mission

GOSH, I love it here! It is amazing! The weather is perfect and I love that it rains every night between 6 and 8 just like clock work. Mexico City is such a big party town, we can hear all the parties at night, spanish music so many people. The drive from the airport was the scariest experience of my life! I have never seen so many crazy drivers all in one place. But seriously, Mom there are some gorgeous birds here. I love watching them and when I see a super colorful one, I think of you. I will try to get the birds in pictures, but we are only allowed to take pics on our p day. My district leader gets our mail and he left it in his room :( ..... but I have read your funny letters, they really made me laugh mom. Thank you so much! You would be so proud of me mom my closet is completely organized and all my clothes are clean...

The flight to Atlanta was hard and when I got to my terminal, there was a big group of missionaries all waiting for the flight to Mexico City. When I first saw them and walked away because I was crying. After I got myself under control it was so good to have so many other Missionaries to travel with, in fact I haven't cried since …..... until right now!

I love my district and my zone, I really do. There are so many Missionaries here! They separate us into branches and the first counselor in my branch interviewed me this past Sunday, he talks sooooo much my interview lasted about 3 times as long as my companions.

I miss home but I am the senior companion in my trio and the other girls are so home sick that I don't want to make them sad. So I try not to be homesick or at least not to show how homesick I feel. Today was the first time I have cried since meeting up with all the Missionaries while getting on the plane to Mexico. I have been way to busy to get too homesick and I as the senior companion, I try to focus on my companions' needs more then my own.

Teaching in Spanish is super hard, but my teacher says, “Practice makes a teacher”, He says that is a popular Mexican saying so I just have to believe that. :) Spanish is coming along, teaching in Spanish is quite tricky and sometimes embarrassing. We get to teach real discussions with investigators, and I was asked to say the opening prayer for the discussion. WELL when I started praying, I mispronounced a word and accidentally said something not so nice... but I have learned so much. We get to go to the temple visitors center while we are here....

Seriously, it is so hard and part of me wants to come home. I know I have so much I can gain and to share with others and that keeps me excited to learn more. It is just so different here, the fruit is different! The salad... different, all the food... different! BTW, bolognese (yes, that is how its spelled) lasagna is the grossest thing ever! Today we had oatmeal and I know it sounds weird, but it just made me sooo sad because it reminded me of home. I have learned so much already. HEY, they have Japanese peanuts here! I guess that makes sense since they are really a Spanish thing. I will buy some and send them when I get to Washington D.C..

On Sunday we watch videos and it reminds me of home and how we would always watch Saturdays Warrior and some of those other silly Mormon movies ...

I miss you all so much, but I memorized this scripture and I feel like it really helps. I only know it in Spanish, Philippine 4:13 Todo lo puedo en Cristo que me fortalece, it pretty much says in Christ I have strength... Well I will write next week I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!

Hermana Atkinson
Missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Washington D.C. South Mission