Guys--the bathrooms here are nuts!

Sorry, just had to think of a good subject to get you guys interested. But really, they are! You know how at restaurants and schools and places, the flusher on the toilet is just right up at the top? Well it's not like that here! They put it at the base of the toilet, so it's pretty much a foot pedal. It's so cool! I mean, why hasn't America picked up on that, it's so much more sanitary! We can put a man on the moon, but we can't even develop the best way to flush our toilets!

Mom, thanks so much for the cookies! I got them yesterday, not really sure when you put in the order, but they were AMAZING! Pretty much the first real American treat I've had the entire time. The food here's been good, but let me put a pretty big disclaimer in. There is some form of beans, rice, and tortillas available at any given meal of the day. I don't pick them very often, cause studies over the past week have shown that too much of that can give you indigestion.

On the first day, the people at the airport gave us this little business card for a website called missionarypackagemx.com that I guess is pretty much like dearelder.com, except they serve missionaries in the Mexico MTC. I checked right before I started writing this, but it costs $1 to send a letter that will be received the next day. I think you found another site kind of like that, mom. Again, thank you so much! (I don't really want you guys to blow a boatload of money sending me mail every day, it's just we don't have very long to check mail, so written letters are nice. And I´m pretty sure that's a good price, compared to postage, and how long it would take to get letters here)

We arrived in Mexico City around 5:00 p.m. on the first day, and customs was a little nerve racking because I realized that when I gave that Lady at the Salt Lake Airport my flight itinerary to get the ticket, she didn't give it back! It turned out I didn't need it, but it was pretty scary to think about what would happen if I didn't get my passport stamped.

Another scary thing that happened at the airport was that at the security check, I forgot to take the quarter dad gave me out of my pocket! They asked me if I had anything in my pocket, and I thought I didn't, but I checked. California quarter, in there for 10 minutes. But they still let me through.

After we arrived in Mexico, they loaded us on a bus with smaller seats than they have in airplanes, (I didn't know those existed!) then drove us to the CCM (or MTC in English). The driving here makes New York City look tame. And it was raining pretty hard. Apparently we're in the middle of the rainy season, so we got a ton of rain the first three days. But other than that, it's been sunny.

My companion's name is Elder Powell. He hails from the Pleasant Grove / Lone Peak High School zone of Utah. Such a cool guy! He ran track during high school, and raced BMX bikes. We've been getting along great, and have had an amazing time so far. And we're both going to McAllen! So is more than half our district, and a few in another zone. Our room mates are Elders Seegmiller and Thane, both of whom are going to Indianapolis. Elder Seegmiller is from Clearfield, and Elder Thane is from the Pleasant Grove area as well. Can't remember what city, but somewhere in that area. Such great guys! Our district is awesome as well. I don't think I can name everyone, but we've got three sisters and a total of 8 elders. The sisters and two other elders are coming to Texas with us. We will be here at the CCM until October 20th, at which point this thing becomes real!

Elder Seegmiller, Elder Thayne, Elder Powell and me!

We taught our first investigator on Friday. Two days after arriving. And the ENTIRE lesson was in SPANISH! I was so terrified! But it turned out ok. Elder Powell is a lot better at Spanish than I am, so he talked most of the time. We taught someone named Alexa, and we taught her four other times, after which we committed her to baptism! My Spanish has improved a ton over this week, mostly because of the lessons with her. I think she's really one of the teachers here, and she'll start teaching us in a few days. Ok, I know I just barely said my Spanish is better, but it probably isn't all that much better, it's just that I'm not as scared to try to talk to people anymore. I can't always understand what they say, but I can usually make myself understood, with a ton of help from an English Spanish Dictionary, of course.

On Monday was Mexican Independence Day! It was really cool, even though it was hard to sleep that night. There was a cultural dance type thing that was really cooI. But apparently Independence Day is the most violent day of the year, cause they all get so drunk they start shooting at each other. Loud night!

Mexican Independence Day celebration!

Our schedule is basically like this: We wake up at 6:30 or earlier, and are out of the house by 7 for personal study at the classroom. Breakfast follows at 8, with classes starting at 8:30. We have classes from then until around 11:30, when we have gym time. Elder Powell and I have used this time for lifting, but you can also play basketball, volleyball, or other sports. Lunch at 1, companionship study at 1:45, and Language study at 2:30. 3:30 starts the investigators, with more companionship study, then dinner at 6:30. District meetings and such after dinner.Lights out at 10:30. That's pretty much it. But it'll change next week, probably.

Sorry if I didn't email you personally, but I forgot to make a list. If you want me to send you a message, or want a personal message or something like that, just contact me through email, and I'll write back on p days (Thursday). Thanks!

I'm pretty much out of time, but I just want everyone to know that I love them. I miss you guys, but I know that this is where I'm supposed to be. I can't wait to get out in the field, but right now, the CCM is fine. I'll let you know how everything goes. Love you lots! Mexico is AWESOME! (not quite as awesome as Texas will be, but pretty close.)

Elder Chamberlain