Lo Siento, No Lo Siento

You know that commonly used and somewhat stupid hashtag comment that way too many people use on Instagram and Facebook? You know the one... #sorrynotsorry, well that seems to be applicable to my entire life here at the CCM, even if it is only because my compañera uses it on a daily basis. Thus, the theme of my second week in the CCM is: lo siento, no lo siento.

This week was interesting because we went from being a baby district to a father district. Our district leader was made our new zone leader and we got a new district leader who couldn't be better fit for the role. We have progressed in our Spanish language skills- by small but seemingly large amounts- and we have all become even better friends than we imagined was possible. My district is my family here and I am so very grateful for them! Although, I was really sad to see our father district leave, I think the higher responsibility of being leaders has made us a better district and has made all of us as individuals better missionaries. A new district came in for our zone yesterday and we are so excited to start showing them the ropes here.

Sunday morning was rough this week though and here is why. THE BUGS IN MEXICO THINK I AM CANDY!!!! I woke up Sunday morning with a giant bug bite on my neck. It was actually huge! It looked like I had been whacked in the neck with a baseball. It got really swollen and had puss come out of it. Maybe that is too much information for all of you, but I just had to share. It was gross!! People here told me that it was just a mosquito bite, but I have never had that reaction to a mosquito bite before so who knows. Maybe the mosquitoes here are just really intense. I also got a bug bit on my leg while laying on the grass and another on my hand while sleeping last night. The second two were not as bad, but either way, apparently the bugs here think I am some kind of delicacy.

I have come to learn that P Days are some kind of wonderful! Getting the time to get ready as slow as I want, play tennis, volleyball, or lay in the sun all day is just a feeling that can't be beat. Plus, the food tends to be better on P Days. In our district, P Day is something worth writing songs for... which we did. Needless to say, my district fits my personality well.

One of my goals while I am here is to re-read the Book of Mormon from start to finish. I am about 200 pages in and it is amazing! I have read it before and I have always loved it, but there is something to be said for reading it through in a setting like this. I feel like I am getting so much insight out of it and noticing things I have never noticed or thought about before. It truly is an amazing work of literature and the fact that it contains so many gospel truths just makes it that much more amazing.

I am shorter on time this week than last week though, so I hope you enjoy the pictures below and you will be hearing from me again next week.

Much Love to ALL!!!!

Hasta luego!

Bienvenidos a el CCM

Hola everybody! I have safely arrived at the CCM (aka. the Mexico City MTC). I have successfully survived my first week of missionary boot camp and am currently up to my ears in Spanish language study and gospel doctrine study. 

Life here, south of the border, is not what I expected, but in many ways it is better. The food is better than expected...for instance, today we had some insanely good enchiladas, the weather is warm ans sunny and I occasionally get to study outside, and the people here are all incredibly happy to be here. I have yet to decide if I am weird for not being as ecstatic as they are, or if I just have better self control because I am at least two and a half years older than everyone else.

My companion is a cute sister from Kansas City who understands almost all of my pop-culture references and is perfectly willing to bust out into song with me while walking down the streets of the CCM. The CCM, by the way, is a huge campus with lots of room to move around and lots of air to breathe. I think being here is much better for me than being in the Provo MTC could ever be. It is like a little bubble protected oasis of well dressed excited teenagers from the United States smack dab in the middle of Mexico City; (Okay maybe not actually in the middle), but it is interesting to hear all of the sounds of Mexico happening outside the protected security gate perimeter of this mini-Provo-like place. 

Anyway, my companion's name is Hermana Miller and she is very sweet. Our room companions are Hermana Te'o from Hawaii (her brother is kind of a big deal in case you are a football fan), and Hermana Welch fro Mesa Arizona. We all get along quite well although i wish one of them was more willing to run or go to the gym with me. However, they prefer to spend their time laying in the sun and watching the guys in our district play Ultimate Frisbee of Beach volleyball. I am grateful that we get along though and as for the other Hermanas in my Zone, they are much more willing to jump in on the games of Frisbee and Volleyball and do ab workouts and such during our daily gym time.

Spanish is an interesting language. It is very similar to French in a lot of ways (although I still think I like French a whole lot better) so I feel like I am learning at a decent pace, although not at quite the rapid pace I had hoped for and expected. I have been making flashcards like crazy though and am looking forward to a few weeks from now when I look back and think about how silly I was for thinking it is impossible.

The funny part though, which I didn't at all expect, is that they don't really teach you the language. They re-teach you the gospel and expect the language to come with it. It is weird because in some ways it really does work, but, let's just say I now understand why so many missionaries have terrible grammar when it comes to the language they learn for their missions. 

I am in District C in zone 10 and I think I definitely got placed in the best zone here. All of the people in my zone are incredibly lively, fun, and funny. We are known as the rule breakers because everything our zone does that isn't technically against the rules gets outlawed every time a new district comes in and an old one leaves. Our zone is notorious for: causing nosebleeds and other injuries when playing sports, tie-trades, extra tienda time (the tienda is the small store on the MTC campus), for yelling CASTIDAD! to each other in the hallways (castidad is the spanish word for chastity), and for always taking all the Nutella out of the comedor after meal times. Needles to say, I got put in a zone with a bunch of hooligans just like me, except that they are even worse than me because they are all between 18 and 20 years old.

It is such a weird feeling to be learning from people younger than me, but in a lot of ways I am learning that young people have a lot to teach. Most of the people here have never even been away from home though which is crazy to think about having lived away from home for four years myself. There are some girls in my casa who didn't know how to work the washing machine and dryer. I was baffled! How can someone be graduated from high school and not know how to do their own laundry!? It was crazy! But some of them are incredibly smart and have some awesome views on life and the world and I am excited to get to know them better.

In other news, I got to speak in my branch in Sacrament meeting on Sunday. My talk had to be completely in Spanish though so it was terrifying. The Elders and Hermanas in my father district helped me figure out the best ways to find what I want to say though so I was grateful for that, but still, it was incredibly intimidating.

All the Hermanas in my father district have told me that the first week is the hardest though, so hopefully next week will just be a huge improvement. I guess I will let you know then!

I love you all immensely and hope that nothing too exciting has happened while I have been away. I was informed that the Seahawks made it to the SuperBowl though so I am pumped about that-although I am admittedly pissed that I won't be able to watch the game- but I guess of all the sacrifices I have had to make, watching my favorite NFL team is one of the least of my worries.

Anyway, GO HAWKS!!!

Love you all!

Adios,

Love Hermana Eyre

Pre-Adventure Details

Hello one and all!

Welcome to what will hopefully be the hub of information for all things Aubrey for the next 18 months!
While I am on my mission, I will put weekly posts here (via the help of my lovely sister Chelsi) to let you know all about what I am up to with life on the Equator. I will be sure to detail everything from the amazing conversions of the inspiring people I will meet to the sensations of all the sweaty humidity and painful bugs bites I am sure to experience.
This is my first real time leaving the country (I've only ever been as far as Vancouver, Canada) so I know I will have a ton of things to share.

Feel free to email me too! I know I will want to hear from all of my friends and family as often as possible.
My email for the mission is: aubrey.eyre@myldsmail.net

Much Love to All!

Adios!