I don't know what week it is!

Crazy week this week, a lot is happening!

So when it became the end of the 4th week and into the 5th, we began to change teachers because it was time to start learning in all Spanish all the time.  But luckily we got to keep the same teachers and get 2 new ones to teach along side them who only speak Spanish, which is a challenge but great practice! We were all really excited because we love the teachers that we had and we've had them the whole time we've been in the CCM.

But I got a huge change this week and it's pretty crazy! When the last group left a week ago, so did the Zone Leader for the CCM, so it was time to call new ones. Usually they have Latinos be the Zone Leaders because their Spanish is really good. But that changed this week. President of the CCM stopped me and of course I started thinking crap, what did I do..? But he told me that I was changing companions because my comp has been called as a Zone Leader! That was pretty crazy not going to lie.

My new comp, unfortunately for only 2 weeks, is Elder Jaeger. He is a really cool guy and we get along great! We have a bunch in common and our Spanish is about on the same level, so teaching with him is really easy because we both know a lot and it is easy to talk side by side when we have the same level of Spanish, so it was a really good change!

Yesterday my whole district spoke all Spanish all the time and it was rough! By the end of the day my head was spinning crazy! It helped a lot though and we are doing that from now on! My Spanish is coming along great! I can express myself relatively okay, and it's getting better, but also harder. Yesterday we started learning the Subjunctive tense, which is probably one of the hardest subjects I've had to learn, and it will only get harder, but with time it will come. AND I still can't roll my r sounds, but it's all good because everyone is going to know I am a Gringo anyway, so what's another thing? Haha just kidding.

But we only have one week left, we are almost done, and then it's out to the field. This week we are going out and teaching with the missionaries in the field, so that will be interesting.  Also, I'm not sure how my transfer into the field next week will go, so I don't know if I will get a chance to email you all next week, but I will try my best!

¡Chau!

 Braden's District~His companion is on the far left

 All the missionaries living at Alcantara

All the missionaries at the CCM

Bus ride to the CCM
(photo credit to Elder Jaeger)

Week 4

Ola ola!

Today is officially the end of week 4 here at the CCM! It's pretty crazy to think that I have been here that long! The time has started to go by pretty fast! I only have 2 more weeks and then it's out in the field for me!

Not much happened this week, especially since last week we saw Elder Holland, I don't think much can really top that! But the time is going fast! My only real complaint is that we are doing the same schedule every day which makes me forget one day to the next. It's hard to distinguish what happened which day!

Like I said, not much happened this week.  BUT! Tomorrow is where a HUGE change is going to take place! Tomorrow, we go into all Spanish all the time with teachers! We have been speaking more Spanish than English, but tomorrow we get all new teachers and none of them speak a lick of English! So it's going to be pretty rough, but much needed.

The Spanish is getting much easier and I think I'm getting much better! I'm going to have a huge shock my first week in the field, but for now it's not too bad. I definitely have help from the Lord though because a lot of what I say in Spanish is not in my own memory!

My testimony has really grown and I am learning so much! This week I have decided to start to tackle El Libro De Mormón in all Spanish, and it's a big challenge but it's proving to be worth it!

I hope everyone is doing well! I love to hear from everybody! I love you all!

Week 3

We are officially through the 3rd week of the CCM! This is crazy but I have to start at the beginning.

Last P Day, we were walking in the streets and saw a protest which was interesting. No big deal really... I'm pretty cool stuff.. Haha na just kidding. We found out it was just a peaceful protest so we were all good. I got some pics which i will try to send.

First of all we are having a pretty normal week! Until we got to my birthday... I honestly thought that my birthday was going to be the hardest day this week! I woke up feeling pretty homesick, but I was able to shake it off pretty well until after personal study. Breakfast came, and all of a sudden the Hermana´s from my district walked in singing happy birthday with a 2 cards, a chocolate bar with balloons on top, and a "cake." This cake was a piece of bread with manjar (manjar is basically what they put on everything. It tasted like caramel but it's more like a jam... So basically it's a caramel jam if that makes sense.) and a candle on the top. I wish I got a picture of it, but I didn't get the chance.. I did of the card and stuff which i will also try to send.

Then the day proceeded as normal. Until we were in class and our teacher came back and said, "Wanna know something cool..? Elder Jeffery R Holland is in the Santiago Temple right now!" And we started going crazy like how cool would that be to see him in person on my birthday?! I didn't though.

However, when we woke up the next morning, we were told to put our suits on because we were going to be spoken to by Jeffery R Holland...! WHAT?! Pretty crazy! So basically I got to see him in person!

Anyway, we got to the CCM and started to do the normal classes and stuff. Until we were in a practice lesson with one of our investigators and it was going really well! With 5 minutes left in the lesson, the door flew open and someone said, "Está el tiempo!" and we knew what that meant! We run out of the room and he's standing right there! It was insane! I didn't get to shake his hand or anything, but he was in the same room as me and it was probable the coolest 2 minutes since I've been here.

An hour or two after that he addressed all the missionaries in the CCM, and it was fantastic! He talked so much about the work and got everyone pumped up and ready to go! And then the next day we got to watch a broadcast where he went to the Santiago West stake center and spoke to over 1,000 missionaries in Santiago! It was a great experience!

I wish I had more time to email everyone back, but again I don't have the time and it stinks! But give my best to everyone please! I love you all!

Week 2

So technically we just finished our second week here at the CCM.  Which is pretty crazy! I can't believe that we have already been here for 2 weeks! It doesn't seem like that long at all! So where to begin....

Well, one thing that I forgot to mention is that the CCM is more like a Church campus! Let me explain.. We have the classroom buildings, and the living quarters for whoever will fit. But right near it we have a church building where we hold Sacrament meeting and stuff. But right near it, the Santiago temple is on the "campus" and we pass by it every day. It is super small, like the size of our ward building at home. BUT it is super cool to be around it every day! We had the chance to go through it this week and it was super spiritual! I did get to use a headset because my spanish isn't quite all there yet.. I'll try and send a picture if i have time.

The teaching is super awesome, and hard sometimes. My districts classroom is in the basement of the teaching facility, which is nice because we are right near the cafeteria, but that also means we have no windows for 8 or 9 hours a day depending on the schedule.  Which is super tough but worth it i guess.  As a companionship, me and Elder Lund teach 3 "investigators." We have a morning, afternoon, and night teacher, and all three of them pick one of their favorite investigators from their own mission and have us practice teaching them! Which is a really cool experience! (So far we have 2 committed to baptism and going to church regularly).

I'm having a blast down here.  The people are amazing! When we went to get my comp's hair cut last week, we met a lady who had been baptized and went inactive because her husband wasn't a member of the church.  My comp and I were able to get her information and pass it off to the missionaries in the field, so hopefully we'll be able to hear from the missionaries that they were able to help her and her family.

Since the first two weeks are now over, a group has just left, and all of our Latino friends are in the mission by now.  It was rough saying goodbye, but they are all going to be fantastic missionaries.  A new group is coming in today, but they aren't as big so hopefully we'll be able to have more room.

I wish I had more time, but I don't.  Give my best to everyone! I am glad that they are all doing so well, even though it's a hard adjustment on both ends! We are the first to write today, and we got here late, so I don't have much time.  I wish everyone is well, and i loved hearing from everyone!

Much Love!

Elder Burt