Quito!!

Jeremiah seemed to be short on time, but we are so glad to hear from him! The attached pictures were sent to us from Sister Richardson. She also told us his companion is Elder Budge "a very happy and good-hearted elder from Utah". In a quick note to me, Jeremiah said his companion is "fantastic". We appreciate your prayers and thoughts for Jeremiah as he adjusts to life in Ecuador.

I'm sorry this will be very short. My companion (mi padre, my trainer) has been sick so we had to go down to the offices today, and we didn't get back until late.

Wow, all the things that are happening down here! It's a very different place. The area I'm in I believe is called Calderon. It's a very big sector (for the city, at least) - maybe as much as 20 minutes from end to end by bus. It isn't in Quito proper, it's probably what equates to suburbs here. So, I'll just list a whoie bunch of stuff about the area and maybe that'll give you an idea of what it's all like.

-Most people just work in little stores they have in front of their homes. There are supermarkets and whatnot, but they're few and far between. All of the shopping we do in the week (like, if we need something badly or want a little something to eat) is done at these little stores. And they use American money here, which is really convenient. Some of the coinage is different, though. And they never use one dollar bills - always coins. Which I think is pretty cool. They've got the gold Sacagawea  ones, but also for some reason the first 20 or presidents. My goal is to collect them all by the end! I've got Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, and I think John Adams so far.

-There are tons of stray dogs. All you have to do if they start barking at you is pretend like you pick up a rock and are about to throw it at them, and they'll back down. But it can be a bit scary sometimes.

-It's pretty crazy how many people they can fit into a bus sometimes. No wonder it's so easy to get robbed here (apparently they have a few cases each month with the missionaries)! I haven't so far, but I'm being careful. I looked like a fool the first time I got onto a bus, flopping around as I tried to hold on. But I'm already getting the hang of it - it's our main mode of transportation here, other than the occassional taxi.

-Dusty, dusty. I don't really know why, but it is in this area.

-Two things you'd never see in the States: payphones and pay...internet? That's what I'm using right now, actually. Lots of stores have little desks where you can pay to use the internet - I guess because not everyone can afford a computer here! that's for sure.

President Richardson is great, and I can really feel the love both him and his wife has for us. I'm sad I won't be able to serve with them the entire time - I'll have a different President for the last couple months.

Sorry I don't have any pictures today! No time.

The most important thing I have to learn is losing myself in the work. That is the Character of Christ. I can't think of myself, I have to turn outward and help OTHERS. That's where I'll find true joy. I love you all!

Elder Budge and Elder Scanlan

New Missionaries and their companions

President and Sister Richardson with Elder Scanlan

The newest arrivals to the mission

Dinner at the President's home

CCM Wrap Up

 We heard from Jeremiah just as I was posting this to his blog today (he sent this email last nite). He made it to Ecuador safely! He says it is very pretty and at least people drive in their correct lanes.:) He will be in the mission home for a few days and will receive his new companion and area assignment on Friday.

Man, what a crazy six weeks this has been! I have LOVED my time here in the
CCM. Nowhere have I felt more spiritually fed, every single day. I don't
think I even realize how much I'm going to miss it. I'll probably have
withdrawal over the next week or two. We'll see. But I am SO ready to
leave, and can't wait to get going to Quito! My plane leaves at 2:00 in the
morning tomorrow. I hope I can get enough sleep. It's a little harrowing to
be going out into the real world, where not everyone is Mormon. The CCM - I
don't know if I ever explained this - is a walled-off, gated part of Mexico
City. And not one of the particularly nice parts, either, apparently. I've
only had contact with "outsiders" maybe three times - when I went to the
temple, and the two times we taught TRC, which is when we teach volunteers
(the rest of the time it's either teachers or other missionaries). But hey.
It's gonna be great.

Elder Neil L. Andersen

I keep forgetting this even happened not two days ago - that's a testament
to how spiritual this place is that I forgot that I SHOOK THE HAND OF AN
APOSTLE. Well, it was super quick because he wanted to shake the hands of
all the missionaries and we had a giant line that they kept moving pretty
fast, but hey. I did it. This is only the second apostle I've ever had a
change of being close to in my life, the first being Elder Bednar who I
recall gave a fireside or some sort many years ago up at the Greentree
building (am I remembering that right, people?).

Also, I got to be in the choir, which was awesome, because I got to stand
pretty much right behind Elder Richard G. Maynes (who was along for the
ride with Elder Andersen I guess) and thus not more than five feet or so
from Elder Andersen. We sang I Stand All Amazed (in Spanish), which was
also great because it's one of my favorite hymns.

No pics, sorry, we were specifically told not to. That would've been a mess.

And not surprisingly I suppose, Elder Andersen decided to talk to us about
the Atonement. It was a great devotional.

I think that's one of the most important things I've gotten to learn about
here. And what I've learned is that I'll be learning about if for my whole
life. But I am so grateful for a God who loves us so much He sent His only
Son to atone for our sins. That is the message I want to bring to the
people of Ecuador. I relearn it every day, and in the most unlikely of
places - but maybe that's not unlikely, because it's something that can
touch every one of us. I hope it does.

Everything I Needed In Life I Learned In Band

The other thing I'd like to mention is a little I've learned about
dedication. I've gained the reputation here in my district as the
hardest-studying missionary - I won't say it's undeserved, I suppose. They
asked me why I can do that so easily, so easily dedicate myself to
something and I thought about it a lot and this is what I think is the
answer.

I learned it in band.

(Mr. Armstrong, Mr. Matchett, Drew, if you're reading this you have every
reason to feel validated, and maybe share this in a pre-game pep talk or
two.)

I seem to remember a poster or piece of paper stuck up on the band room
board that said this, or something like it. And you know what, I think it
WAS in band that I learned how to do this! All of my study habits and
ability to focus came from pushing through those last minute attention
drills or the countless hours I spent trying to get that stinking trumpet
lick in Chester under my fingers. Because I learned that process of
relentless practice, I knew how to apply it out here - and it was just
second nature. I slipped right into to it, because I'd been taught to
expect nothing less of myself and that dedication. And I enjoy, it too. I
know the results come because I've seen how they come in the past from this
kind if practice.

So, join marching band.

I'm surprised at how much I miss it. I really miss music and being able to
make it. I love how music can be used to praise God - like singing in the
choir!

Well, if that wasn't the geekiest way to end an e-mail. I have so much more
to write about but...another time. Next time you hear from me I'll be in
Ecuador! Hasta luego!

Elder Scanlan

 My classroom...I'll miss it, but I won't! I practically lived here for the past month and a half.

 The district and our teacher Hno. Juarez! He'll be going to BYU - I'm going to hunt him down there.

 Teacher and first "investigator," Hno. Medina!

Understand Your Purpose!

This e-mail will be short, but I hope you learn something from it.

I've been thinking a lot about what I need to do to be the missionary the Lord wants me to be. At times it's hard to forget that all of you back home are enjoying Super Smash Brothers and Five Guys. I'm deathly afraid of not being able to do the work here, but I've felt very unfocused at times, and find it hard to want to teach lessons to our "investigators."

Here's what I learned: I will overcome that when I understand my purpose.

My purposed here is to invite others to come unto Christ. To have faith in Him and His atonement and the plan that God has prepared for us so we can live with Him and our families forever. When I truly remember all the things God has done for me, and the love that I've felt from Him - because it is real, and don't you ever forget that, and if you don't know it yet, pray to Him and read his words and you will feel it - when I remember that, I can remember my purpose here. To share that with others.

Then, I can do anything. That isn't to say it won't be difficult, but when I understand my purpose, I will want to go out every day and leave everything behind. It's why I came here in the first place. Because I want to show others the love God has for them. So many, as the scripture says, have been kept from the truth because they know not where to find it! It´s very daunting, at times, to be a missionary. All my life I've looked at them and said "wow, I can't believe they do that. It must be so hard to do what they do, and they are at the center of so much of what our church can offer." And now that has to be ME.

I need to devote all my time and energy here, and in Quito in a week! I can't wait! This might be the only e-mail for two weeks - I leave from Mexico City early Tuesday morning, and I don't know if I'll get to send anything when I get there. There are 20 of us going. Can't wait!

Also, we got to visit the temple grounds this morning. It's a pretty sweet temple. Check out the pics. Sadly, we couldn't go inside, because it's under construction, but we got to go through the visitor's center this morning. It was funny for me in a way - I've been to the Washington DC temple and visitor's center. It's really crazy how different these two world capitals are! And yet, it is the same Gospel.

Oh, one last thought: goals and planning are awesome. I'm starting to learn that. Actually, I might've talked about this before. So I'll share a goal with you: when I get back, I'm making it an ACTUAL GOAL to learn Japanese! We met a Sister missionary here at the visitor center who speaks Spanish, French, English, Russian, and Castellano. how cool is that! Set some goals, and achieve them! It feels pretty great.

Mexico City

Mexico City Temple

Exchanging ties with an Elder in the CCM

General Conference

For those who may not know, General Conference is a semi-annual meeting of our church. It is broadcast world-wide and contains many uplifting and edifying speakers. You can find more here
 https://www.lds.org/general-conference/sessions/2014/10?cid=HPSU100514465&lang=eng.
  

Jeremiah seemed to be short on time this week, but we are so happy to hear from him. There weren't any captions for the pictures, so I tried my best.:)

Man, how awesome! I took a good 20 pages of notes (in my little notebook, so I guess it's not THAT impressive). I don't even know what to share, honestly! I think I'll share my overall impression.

It seems like the theme was "listen to the prophets." I think it's rather timely and very applicable to all of us. The point here is that prophets are the mouthpiece of God (Amos 3:7). We must listen to their council, no matter how hard it is to hear. I've been studying the first bit of the Book of Mormon again, and it reminds me of how Laman and Lemuel were always getting worked up because Nephi was simply telling the truth. Likewise, we shouldn't murmur. We have to decide where we truly put our trust - in man or in God and his teachings. It's really as simple as that. It's very hard to follow, sometimes. But ultimately it is part of learning humility. We have to humble ourselves and show our love for the Lord.

Also, I found it interesting that TWO talks were about lifting up the poor. I don't know that I've heard that much in recent General Conferences. Holland's talk was incredibly powerful. I hope we can all follow that council.

And how cool was it that they let speakers talk in their native language! The second they announced the Cantonese speaker there was a buzz in the auditorium (that's where we watched all the sessions). I thought it was incredible. The Spirit testified to me that these truly is the church of God. Not just an American church or something else. It's global in its reach because God's reach is global. Sadly, the Spanish talks were translated for us as well. The latinos were all in a different place watching conference, so they got to hear it in Spanish. They were pretty happy about that, to say the least. So cool!

Speaking of latinos

We have a whole bunch in our casa now! It can be awkward at times because not all of us Norteamericanos have great Spanish (I should honestly be practicing with them more) but they're cool. We bonded with them by racing paper boats in the drains outside our casa while it was pouring rain. Apparently one of them is going to be a pro soccer player! And the Peruvian gave us all some real chile seeds to try. They were pretty darn hot! I loved it, of course. Right up my alley.

Sorry I don't have much time. I'll leave you with some pics!

Watch conference! Send Elder Bednar's talk to your friends! I love you all!

Elder Scanlan's district, I assume.

Doritos...not sure why these are picture-worthy.:) I must be missing something.

Elder Bednar is the Best



We have some pictures this week! Hooray! 

Maybe the spirituality of this e-mail can make up for last week's. Because that's most of what I have to talk about!

The Character of Christ

So for our Sunday Devotional we watched a recording of a devotional Elder Bednar gave at the Provo MTC for Christmas a couple years ago. It was called "The Character of Christ." Apparently these devotionals are only available to missionaries and MTCs, which is pretty sweet but at the same time kinda sad, because I wish all of you could hear this one. It's really incredible. President Pratt (the President of the CCM if I haven't mentioned that already - actually he just walked through THE VERY ROOM I'M EMAILING IN not 20 minutes ago) made a point the we need to be taking notes, and if not we needed to "repent" of that, haha. So take notes on Conference! Which I'm super excited for, by the way. I think we get to watch it in English, but I might steal one of the headsets for the Latinos for a session.

Anyhow, what followed was one of the most intense, revelatory, spiritual talks I've ever witnessed. Bednar started off with a quote by Elder Maxwell: "There would have been no atoning sacrifice without the character of Christ."

You could think about that quote alone for days.

Bednar continued to explain exactly what that meant, to him. And the ultimate point is that when Christ could have turned inward, could have pitied himself, could have been selfish, or complained about how hard it was for him, he turned OUTWARD instead. This is the ultimate fight we all have to face - fighting against the natural man. (Bednar compared the natural man to the Cookie Monster. It was really funny seeing Bednar, of all people, imitating the Cookie Monster.) It really got me thinking. I think that that might be what Godhood truly is. Complete self-mastery - but with the ultimate goal of helping OTHERS rather than yourself. I dunno, tell me what you think.

This turning outward, to others, is what we are trying to learn here in this life, and doing so is truly living Christ's teachings and being a Christian. This is what creates lasting conversion. It's important to have a testimony, first, but conversion comes when we try to become the person that Christ wants us to be, the way he set the example. And the way we can do this, and be converted, is not by our own willpower, but through the ATONEMENT of Christ.

For me, this is directly applicable to missionary work, and that's the point that Bednar made, as well. I can't care about myself. I can't whine about "the work isn't going well" or "I'm not having baptisms" or "I can't learn that language." That's self-pitying, turning inward. Instead, I need to turn outward, and find those people who I can serve. Pretty amazing, huh? I've already bought some sticky note tags and tagged this part of my notes specifically. It's special.

Fast Sunday

And of  course, that's not all! Last Sunday was Fast Sunday (for those of you non-Mormons who don't know what that is, ask your nearest friendly neighborhood Mormon). That gave us special time to study when we weren't eating and I learned some awesome things. I really love digging into the scriptures and finding all there is to learn. As a preface, our afternoon teacher showed as a video called "Missionary Work and the Atonement." Also really powerful. Please check it out if you get the chance - I'm not sure if it's Church-published, but it's very cool. I think he found it on Youtube. It's got Elder Eyring and Holland talking in it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6FKiNVbw3Y (Here's the link)

One thing I learned, and I only have time for one, because my time is short, is in part how to love others. Well, I hope I can use it that way. Like I heard once in General Conference, it's important to see others as what they can become, not as what they are. As I was studying, I can't remember exactly what I was studying, but I looked up briefly at the rest of my district in the classroom with me. And I realized - holy cow, every single one of these people in here with me can be Gods some day. And not just them, but EVERYONE on this Earth! I think I was studying the Plan of Salvation, actually, and I thought about Moses 1:39. That´s pretty incredible - that the ultimate destiny of all us silly little humans is to become like our Heavenly Father. We can ALL do that, and no one is exempt. It just put things in a different perspective for me. I can start looking at people like that, rather than focusing on whatever minuscule faults they have in the present. And it gives me a lot of hope. In one of the Epistles, in the New Testament, I can´t remember exactly where I was reading this, it said something akin to "If we're the lineage of God, then why would we supposed God to by a rock, or a tree, or a fish?" We're destined to be something great. And it can be done through the Atonement of Christ. Keep that in mind.

Mexico is Weirder Than You Think

Because it rained like I would only expect it to rain in South-Western PA yesterday. I had to run back to my casa to get my trench coat so I wouldn't get drenched. Yeah, I was wearing a trench coat. In Mexico. Also,  I have no idea why, but apparently the people outside the walls somehow got their hands on a ridiculous amount of fireworks because there is almost always something blowing up at any given point in the day. I'll try to take a pic of the smoke some time.

Nos vemos!

                                         Tortilla soup! Not bad, but not as good as yours, Mom :)

                                                                   The Elders of 14B!

 I've been told the B represents Bautismo (actually it represents the name of the school that was converted into the CCM, but hey). I love the houses on the hills.

                                                              The Entrance to the MTC

      That's parrots. That's right. Parrots LIVE ON THE CAMPUS WITH US. Be jealous.      
                                         
                                            I think that's a gym outside the walls. So Mexico.

Tienda Time!

Still no pictures from Jeremiah. We are working on it!

So this is going to be a huge problem. Time is really strange here in the CCM. I cannot believe I've been here for not even two weeks. And yet I'm already saying to myself "Agh! I'm already a third of the way done!" I have so much language to learn BUT it's going well. I can mostly understand most natives as long as they slow it down. Apparently they talk faster in Ecuador. So. Oh yeah but the problem is because of this weird time fluctuation, to ME I seriously can't remember what happened this week, or last, or even a couple days ago. I'm finding it harder and harder to write in my journal because I just can't remember everything. I think it's because I'm used to it, now. I'm used to Mexico, so things that would seem weird to you guys back home don't seem weird to me at all! Anyhow, so today I'm going to talk about...

The Tienda

My first introduction to the Tienda was when our first teacher took us over to it as part of our little guided tour the second(?) day. He said, with outstretched arms, "Aqui, el Espíritu es MUY fuerte." Here, the Spirit is VERY strong. To those of you non-Mormons who don´t understand why I found that hilarious, ask your nearest Mormon.

Anyhow, I should stop carrying my wallet on me. Because every time I pass the Tienda I feel a mighty urge to stop in and buy...something. Tienda translated literally is tent, I believe (my father dwelt in a tienda - for those of your non-Mormons who don't get that, ask your nearest Mormon), but it´s really the campus bookstore. And not really bookstore, more like everything you need store. It´s not very big, really, but there´s a lot in there. Namely, lots of snacks and goodies. Lots. I've discovered my new favorite drink - Lift. It's a Coca-Cola product, and might have existed in the States and I just didn't know about it (I'm going to hunt it down when I return) but the flavor I love is basically carbonated apple juice. It's amazing.

There are also mentos (which I badly need all the time since we're not allowed to chew gum and I want to brush my teeth after every meal), ties, clothes, shoes, pencils and pens, everything you need. And everything is relatively cheap! Everything is in pesos, so when I first looked at the tag for, say, a bottle of soda, I was like "8 BUCKS??" but it's in pesos, so that's not even a dollar. Anyhow, es muy importante.

Investigators, Round II

Our investigators right now are just our teachers pretending to be investigators, but that doesn't make me any less nervous. I can understand them pretty darn well, but I just don't have the vocab to answer! Well, I'll work on that. Not surprisingly, my district thinks I'm a little crazy with how much I study (and they might be right, but I like it because I'm a nerd), but my goal by the end of this six weeks is to be able to converse with any Mexican off the street. I think it's reasonable. I'll admit I do think I know the most out of everyone in the district so far. The way I think of it, the more I can talk, the more people's lives I'll be able to change, and when viewed with that perspective, I think ANYONE could be motivated to keep working.

I've been using my dictionary so much it's already getting pretty worn. And we also make these cards every day (well, we're supposed to) of words and phrases to memorize that day. I'm hoping to have a giant stack of them by the time I'm done here.

But yeah, they keep us busy. We're pretty much always at a class, teaching someone, or moving in between the two. Or watching special devotionals (there's one tonight! can't wait). We only teach one investigator a day, but that's just for now...and in the field it might be way more than that!}

On that note, here's one thing I've learned. The Doctrine of Christ is remarkable simple and pure. That's what we have to learn here - that was, and is, still a challenged to me. What can I teach people? How can I achieve my missionary objective, to invite others to come unto Christ? Well, it's really a lot simpler than I thought! Really, it comes back to the 4th Article of Faith and the missionary objective itself. Faith, repentance, baptism, the Holy Ghost, persevering to the end. That's really all there is to it, in the end! When everything is boiled down to those few points, everything is mas clara.

But that doesn't mean I've been able to teach it well, haha. It'll come, I'm sure. I just want to go back and study! Although it IS nice to relax a little on P-Day. And pizza night tonight! And a devotional! They keep us busy, and that's good. As excited I am to get out into the field, I should enjoy my time here. This is a special place! Nos vemos!

The Saysayemay

So it sounds like Jeremiah is having problems uploading pictures. Hopefully we can pictures soon. But it is just great to hear from him.:)


That's how it's pronounced in Spanish here. The CCM! Holy cow I can't believe I've been here a week. It feels more like years. It's already kinda hard to remember exactly what home was like! Not really - I love you all and I miss you all. Thanks so much for the letters and e-mails. I could spend all P-Day writing this post, but we've got other things to do. Where to begin...

On the Plane

I have to get out my journal because I can't even remember...OK, here we go. So on both the plan to Atlanta and the one to Mexico City I got the whole row to myself, which was awesome! It took loads of pictures in the clouds. This was the first time I'd flown since like 8th grade, so it was super fun for me. At Atlanta, I managed to find some other elders - Elders Enosa, Wilky, and Phipps. They were cool - Elder Phipps is going to my own mission, actually. Then we flew down on the same plane. I was a little worried about customs and stuff. And of course I didn't fill out my sheet in pen. So when I went up to the desk the guy took a glance at it and slashed a big X in it, then told me something in Spanish. He pointed me to a place where I could fill it out again, though, so that's what I did, and thankfully got back through.

Then was the most eventful car ride of my life. There were six of us elders (we met two more at the airport) and the driver crammed into the mission van. And Mexican drivers are craaazy. There were a multitude of times where I thought "there's no way we can make that gap" or "that bus is totally going to hit us." I and the other elders were bracing ourselves constantly. But we made it ok! I guess that's just the way it is here in Mexico. They don't use turn signals often - they just make a go for it. And so everyone just drives crazy. You know it's a problem when there are more rows of cars on the road than there are lanes. I wish I could've taken pics, but I didn't want the other elders to think I was weird or something...

First Day

The first couple days are a lot of meetings, and so they kinda drag on a little. Meetings on safety, on the campus, this and that...and I couldn't find mi compañero. So it was this elaborate dance of switching off with elders to go places so that everyone always had a companion. I eventually found him that night! And the next morning we found out he was our District Leader! I like him - he's a good guy, maybe a little (or a lot) more energetic/crazy than I am, but he's good. He's obedient and he works hard (when he's focused). That might be one of the hardest things about a mission. All of you know I kinda like to do my own thing, and so learning to adjust to a companion will be difficult. But I think I'm starting in a good place.

Spanish Woes

Now that I'm in the thick of things, it's Spanish classes all day. The teachers all teach in a mix of Spanglish or even just straight Spanish. And the second day (the first FULL day) you have to teach your first investigator. In Spanish.

It was pretty tough.

I'm so glad I did the work I did over summer, because my companion knows nothing. He took three years of German! That's ok, though. We can work through it. I can understand our investigator pretty well, and our 3rd lesson yesterday actually went pretty well. The biggest problem really knowing how to respond. My Spanish isn't quite there yet, and I can't really understand any of the native speakers when they're on full-blast Spanish mode...but it'll get there. I am learning so much every day. I'm getting a good amount of time studying (though it never feels like enough!).

We can do it. I just keep in my mind the promise in 1 Nephi 3:7. The Lord has prepared a way.

Some Things About Mexico

Yesterday/today was the celebration of Mexican Independence. We attended a ceremony full of dancing and singing yesterday - check out the Mexican anthem. It was pretty fun to sing, if a little hard to get the hang of. Several hundred missionaries belting out the second refrain of "y retiemble en sus centros la TIERRRRRR-A!" was a sight to behold in the auditorium.

There was fireworks all last night. Mi compañeros in mi casa (the house we stay in) had a little hard time sleeping. Well, we think there were fireworks. At pretty much all times of the day, every day, we can hear SOMETHING exploding. They know how to party here in Mexico.

The food isn't bad. Apparently it's not quite full-on Mexican, though. Which is probably good, because my companion has had diarrhea and one of my roommates was sick yesterday and Sunday.

It has rained almost every day here. I didn't expect that! It gets warm, sure, but the mornings are pretty chilly, too.

My birthday was great! All the elders en mi casa came and sang to me. And thanks for all the birthday wishes!

Ok my time is short. But let me tell you, this is hard. This is, and is going to be, the hardest thing I've done in my life. But it's worth it. Every day I relearn my purpose here. How important this message is. I keep thinking of the scripture, if I can bring just one person unto Christ...how joyful I would be. There's nowhere else I could be that is more important. There are people out there who, even though they might not know it, need to be saved. I wish I could spend a little more time on this spiritual thought, but really, that's the most important thing.

I don't know that I've ever cried so much. The Spirit can be so strong here, and come at the strangest of times, but it's comforting. I need that, I know. Heavenly Father's just letting me know each day that what I'm doing is the right thing. That I can have a difference in someone's life. I need to be here for others. I matter the least.

Elder Scanlan