Zachary lamoreaux first week

So the first week was really great, and a little horrible. The plane ride was so long. It took 3 hours to Atlanta and then 9 to santiago. In atlanta i met up with about 30 missionaries, it was crazy, i walked around a corner and boom there everyone was.We landed around 9 am and the security went reawlly smoothly, nothing went wrong. But it was so long. We sat at the airport for like 3 hours. Then we took a bus over here to the CCM (MTC in spanish). Santiago is so crazy, its kinda like northern utah, because it is surrounded in mountains, but it is so green down here, and there is so much vegetation, its crazy. And there are so many people, people are everywhere. And the traffic is so crazy, it´s a good thing im not going to be driving cause it doesnt make any sense. There are so many one way roads, and signs are everywere. Anyway, we got seperated into districts when we got to the CCM and im in district 8, its a north american district, and they are all so awesome. Our district is made of 10 elders and 2 hermanas (sisters). I love my district, i have some stories too. Our district lives in Alcanterra, its not on the CCM campus area, its about a 10 minute drive away. Its basically overflow for the CCM, but its way better than the Dorms here. Alcanterra is so sweet, its the old swedish embassy, and we sleep there and eat breakfast there. We have this maid type lady, who is more like our second mom, she washes our clothes, and makes our food, and everything. Her name is Cecilia, she is so funny. She is trying to learn english, and every morning, she walks around and makes us tell her a word we learned in spanish from the day before, and we teach her an english word. And if we don´t like put our names on our clothes, or eat all our food, she makes us do push ups, it´s pretty funny, and i haven´t had to yet. My companion had to do them once though, it was so funny. He is awesome btw, His name is Elder Hubler, he is from california. He is awesome, fun loving, always a part of the conversation, and has a really cool testimony that is very powerful.

The first day was like orientation, it was so long, and we were all so tired from the plane ride. I got my name tag when we got to Alcanterra, and they exchanged our money for us. Everyone is so nice down here. We also memorized the Missionary Purpose in spanish, that took a while. We open every meeting with a hymn, a prayer, and the Missionary purpose. Then we finally got to sleep, but im always so tired here. The second day was also like orientation, but for the CCM instead of Alcanterra, it was so long and miserable too, we had to have our suits on in the chapel and it was so hot. Oh the weather, it is so nice down here. It´s amazing, ive worn a short sleeve short like everyday. My District really got to bonding those first couples days though, cause we were all so tired, and just wanted to sleep. I think there are 60 new missionaries that came in the same time as us, Including all the Latinos who will only be here for a couple weeks. And i think there are like 100 missionaries here at the CCM total. 

The third day, friday, we actually got a normal day, and the days here are long, but nice. They give us a lot of breaks, but there is just so much going on, and especially cause we don´t speak the language, its so hard. But its actually really fun, maybe it is just because my district is so awesome, and we laugh and are really cool with each other, but its kinda fun. The normal days, we wake up at 7, do personal study, eat, exercise, get dressed at alcanterra, then we get into these like passenger vans, and head over to the CCM at 10, then it is all classes besides the breaks, and meals until 9:30. I have learned so much spanish already, i can understand quite a few conversations, while my talking isnt coming nearly as fast. Our district leader, Elder Gutierrez, can speak spanish really well, his parents are from Peru, while he is from Conneticut. He is super awesome, and leads our district well. So he interperts a lot for us. Also our teachers, especially Hermano Antileo, are so awesome. They are all in there 20 somethings and have just recently returned from their own missions. Like twice a week, we have to teach them as like mock investigators, and it is super scary, while we learn alot. The language barries is just so huge down here, and it is really hard to get over it, but its coming. Guys, im doing really well down here, and i feel really close to my heavenly Father, He is helping us so much. 

So sundays are awesome at the CCM its devotionals and games all day. I even got to pass the sacrament, and it was very spiritual. I have to share one the sciprtures we got from a devotional we listened to, by Elder Bednar. D&C 122, I love that chapter. Go read it, like right now. "The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than He?" Anyway yeah, i like that one. 

Ok, story time, so We have this Elder, Elder Nasilai, he is this big tongan kid, he is hilarious, and really chill. On friday, we all went to the bathroom, and he went to wash his hands, and he broke the handle off the sink. And water started spurting out of the handle, it went all over, it was flying all over the walls, and the windows. It started flooding like the floor. We were dying laughing, and he was trying to screw the handle back on, but the water was getting all over him, so he said "screw it," he dropped the handle and ran, this huge Tongan kid. So my Companion found like the water valve below the sink and just turned it off, and then we got the janitor, and he worked on it for a min, but it still isnt fixed. And then on Sunday when we were getting out of Sacrament meeting, and we went to the bathroom, afterward, we were standing outside the bathroom waiter for Elder Nasilai, and we couldnt see him for a second, so we walked back over to the bathrooms, and shouted, "Nasilai." His response came from the girls bathroom, lol, so we got told him he was in the hermanas bathroom, and he came bolting out, like trying to put on his belt as he came out the door, it was so funny. And then, yesterday, he forgot his water bottle at Alcanterra. We can only use water bottles, cause they dont have drinking fountains here, they have like the water coolers, with the big jug on top, and the spouts for hot and cold water. So because he wouldn´t waterfall out of Elder Hublers bottle, every break, this huge tongan kid, got down on his hands and knees, and tried to drink the water, it was hilarious.

Anyway, im running out of time... Im doing so well down here, its actaully really cool. I miss you all so much, and i love you all so much. I forgot my camera cord today, so i cant send pictures, but i will for sure next week. Anyway, im sorry i dont have more time to review this and stuff , and ill try to respond to some emails in the next 4 minutes, but i love you all so much, and dont worry about me, im actually really good.  The pics we took today, the one with less people is my district. My companion is to the right and in front of me. I love you all

Ciao (they say that a lot here as goodbye), 

Elder Lamoreaux