Week 3

Happy New Years Eve everyone! 

This past week has been full of lots of random fun things we've done. I am officially half way done with my MTC stay in mexico. I am also one third of the way into writing in my journal. 

Christmas was good here, the food was honestly kind of crappy that day but whatever. We had several devotionals that day and most were really good. I have been noticing very often a lot of people are falling asleep at devotionals and meetings so that's been kind of funny. We have been putting spoons on people when they fall asleep, like we will bend the back of the spoon and put it on their collar, or slip it in their pocket, its quite hilarious. 

We have made it a thing to go to the roof of one of the buildings here and watch the sunsets. Its a 3 or 4 story tall building but its super fun. 

Some of the Elders here really have just been wasting their time here. During study time or language time, they will be just drawing or playing piano instead. And they arent very good with the language. 

The other day a couple guys from my zone were going to the cafeteria after dinner because they wanted some cereal (they always leave the dry cereal out) and they had gotten a little cup full already but they were really hungry still and I was like oh dude i have a gallon bag in my bag you can just fill that. So they went over there to fill it and they decided not to because there was a lot of people around it. So later that night at like.. 10:15 they knock on our door and hold it up. Apparently they went over there at like 10 to fill it when no one is there and a security guard saw them and they just started sprinting and he was like what are you guys doing? One Elder had hidden the bag in his bag. And apparently you aren't supposed to be in the cafeteria at night which is stupid because, they leave the doors wideeeeee open.

I have started working out with my roommate Elder Craner at 5:30 every morning because they gym is also always open. That's sucked because well that's really early for me. I've actually adjusted to the schedule really easy though. The past couple nights I keep randomly waking up at 4 am though. 

Sunday kind of took an interesting turn, we were supposed to be watching a devotional and they were having problems with the sound. It was a video of Richard G. Scott and it was really quiet, and there was a ton of feedback noise from microphones or something but it was making a really loud noise and it was giving me a really bad headache and I thought out loud "how am I supposed to feel the spirit with that super loud noise" and I looked at my companion and he looked like something was wrong so I was like dude are you okay? and He completely blew up at me. He was like "I am just trying to figure out how I got stuck with the most pathetic excuse for a human being as my companion, all you ever do is complain." I was like UHHHH... okay... I talked to several other people to ask them if I do complain a lot and they were like no I rarely hear you complain. I think he was just mad because I called him out the day before because he takes 30 minute long showers and then takes an extra 15 minutes in the bathroom after that. Of course when I told him this his response was "well if you got back from the gym earlier you could get in first" and I'm just come on have some respect. Our roommates never shower until after their gym time because of him because the water gets cold. However I'm happy to say since I mentioned something, hes been taking 10 minute long showers ;) I'm not sure whats going on with him. He wont say but Im a little worried for him. He's kinda just being bipolar though, and everyone has noticed it and they ask what is going on with him. He acts out at everyone. 

My zone leader is so funny, I've been talking to him a bit lately its been great. I can't remember what someone said, but they said something stupid to him and he walked out of the little store here and was like hey Elder Quinton, "como se dice GAYYYYYY!" I was dying. For those of you that don't know Spanish, como se dice means "how do you say.. (and then you say an English word)"

There's lots more I could write but this email is becoming very hefty and I don't want people to just not read it because its big. Love you all! 

Week 2

Happy Christmas everyone! ;) This week has gone pretty well. Our first investigator is now our new teacher! I called that was going to happen after our first lesson with him though. Things have been going well though. I keep being very suprised at the lack of knowledge of the missionaries out here. I don't feel like I know very much, but I feel like I know a whole lot more than some of these guys. Some just dont even get it. That or they are just distracted and missing their families and whatnot, who knows.

When we do like little mini classes and discussions I always try not to talk too much to give other people a chance but then its super awkwardly silent so I talk anyways. I've found I talk a lot more than i realized but oh well. I started teaching my companion to play the piano this past week! He's doing alright at it, only taught him 2 songs so far though and he has a long way to go. Has no piano experience though and he's doing pretty well. I've also discovered I can play the piano way better than I thought I could. I can make up the most random tunes while I'm playing and it sounds really cool so that made me happy because I always wanted to be able to do that.

I was sick most of the past week. started out with a sore throat and headache. Then my voice was gone and I sounded like the worlds manliest man because my voice went down about 5 octaves which was both amusing, but it sucked because I talk all day and am trying to learn a language too which you knows makes things interesting. Lots of people here have been sick actually. I'm finally most of the way better though, but my voice isn't all the way back which sucks.  

The Elders in my district and I have found the weirdest ways to find entertainment. Lately, weve been taking spoons from the lunchroom and trying to "spoon" people. We trying to stick the spoons through peoples belt loops, lapels, pockets, etc without them noticing. Its actually been quite hilarious.

We've been playing lots of volleyball for gym time daily. Yesterday we played a mixture of tennis, volleyball, and soccer which was really fun. It was on a tennis court. I kicked the ball really hard just for fun knowing it was going to go way out of the court. Annddddddd. It landed inside a trash can. about 50 yards away. Coolest thing ever I wish that had been on video, definitely an accident haha. 

The MTC president down here straight up sounds exactly like "pancha" from emperors new groove. Or sully from monsters inc, same actor. 

Ive thought a lot about like the restoration and whatnot the last couple weeks and that type of thing. Its crazy how much the early church members went through. 

I forgot to say, but last week my branch president pulled me aside and asked if we could talk and I was like uhhhh okay. He wanted to make sure I wasnt mad or upset or anything because the day before he had called someone else in my district to be district leader. I was like no I'm definitely okay. He was like well I wanted you to know that when I met you I was going to call you to be district leader on the spot but apparently he felt strongly that one of the elders needed it instead. So that made me feel good inside that he thought so highly of me so quickly lol.

I had to give a talk this past sunday in church, in spanish. That went pretty well I thought. Every single week we all have to write a talk and then we figure out who is speaking right after the sacrament is done so that is always fun. 

Soooooooo I heard an ex communication story yesterday. Our district leader was telling us about it. Apparently two elders he heard got excommunicated (not from the mtc, it happened like a year or two ago he said). But the reason they got excommunicated is because they baptized a turtle, gave it the priesthood, and took it through an endowment session to get its endowments out...... yes. a TURTLE. I thought it was a little amusing but at the same time am just like "are ya stupidddd?"

There's a lot of elders here too I've found that are just... idk we call it "vultering" or wife hunting. They just flirt with the sister missionaries allllllll day its kinda ridiculous. Im sure there are a lot more stuff I could say. In fact I think most my emails are just about funny stories and less spiritual experiences that I've been having but that is okay. If anyone wants to hear about those experiences they can ask me personally ;) I love you guys! thanks for the emails. MERRRRYYYYYYY CHRISTMAS! 

Week 1

(For anyone wanting to send Cabe an email his address is caleb.quinton.myldsmail.net!)

YES! I love Eileen she is awesome, she is who I went to the temple with that one week that Taylor was in California. Her and 2 other girls. You'd like a sister in my district shes from Florida, has a very southern accent its quite funny.

Okay the food is WAYYYYY yummy. I am loving it. I have had no problems adjusting to it. I eat lots of Mexican food. I keep seeing lots of elders getting seconds and thirds and lots of sugary foods and I'm just like dude you're gonna get fat. I have eaten like two desserts the whole time I've been here. Lots of the elders have been having problems adjusting though baha I've been laughing at them.

 My companion is elder shepherd he is from Montana. He is 18. He has been super frustrating but is getting better. He hasn't been trying with Spanish at allllll and just leaving me to translate everything for our investigator stuff. We have taught an investigator 4 lessons so far. The second day we were here we already started teaching in Spanish. I cant imagine coming here with no Spanish language background. My roommates are hilarious. I know 4 other people going to Reno! Sister Friend (the one that flew with me from Seattle) was in the same endowment session Carsten, Taylor and I were in the day that I left.  Thus far I am the oldest person here that I've met. I have one 21 year old in my zone. I have heard that there is another 22 year old somewhere around the campus but I haven't met him yet. I started making jokes about being the missionary grandpa and until I meet someone older will continue to refer to myself as such.   

As for Pa, weird coincidence.. we were at the mexico city temple visitors center today and we watched a video about eternal families and it got to this part about this grandpa dying (the video was amazing btw) and I got the most overwhelming feeling that Pa was standing next to me. It was so strange because it was just. I'm not sure how to explain it I just felt like he was there helping me. I started crying which is also weird because 1. I don't cry 2. I haven't cried since I left (sorry ;) ) it was a very cool feeling though. 

And very nice! that is exciting! I have some other things that I need as well actually. Don't send them to the mission home yet I wont even get there till January 20th. I'll email you next week about what else I need though. and nice! that is pretty exciting. first date for her eh? I'll attach some pictures. I bought something super cool but I will send a picture of that next week. There's lots more I could probably say but I cant even think of what else to say. I don't have my journal with me so I can't just look in there. It's weird I've only been gone a week though. Definitely feels like its been a month or something like that. If you would please send my singles ward bishop the address to my mission home though, that would be great! It takes like 3 weeks for anything to get here. Apparently there is like a dearelder.com for the Mexico MTC though. You'd have to look up what it is though my time is pretty limited. 

Had an interesting experience though with my comp this week. We had had a meeting and we talked about some stuff in that meeting regarding like being a good missionary and we were walking home and I felt inspired to tell him that missions aren't all just fun and games and that we will be tried more than any other time in our life etc etc. We talked about a lot of things and then I felt the need to tell him That this is where he is supposed to be and that even though its not easy he will be blessed etc etc. He started crying really hard because of stuff that had happened right before he left (not like sins or something). The more that I am out here the more that I am thinking that the reason I'm supposed to be in the field is for the missionaries themselves. I think that there are some missionaries that I need to help.

Made it to the Mexico MTC!

Made it to the MTC!

The Sister Missionary who say next to me on the flight to Miami and from there to Mexico was in the same temple session that Carsten, Taylor and I went to hahaha. Kind of funny. 

Thus far I haven't met anyone older than 20 who is serving. I'm an oldie! (; Oh well though.

We finally just finished with the orientation. My P day is going to be on Wednesdays for the duration of my stay here. I have met 3 people who are serving in my mission. My companion being one of those.

Not a whole lot is new besides that though. I realized that I will be out of the country for 6 weeks, that was kind of a funny thought. Cant think of anything besides that though.

Love you guys!

Open House & Airport

 Mom and Cabe's final hug

 Part of the group of friends

A little gaming after the Open House

Some open house and airport photos:

 Kemiella and Cabe final hug

 

 Dad and Brother final hug

 Cabe's cat looking for him

 He actually got to sit next to a Sister Taylor Nicole Friend on the flight to Mexico, who will be going to Reno as well.