Week 5 - CCM

The End of the CCM...Barely

This is my name tag with my last-week-green sticker.

Hello everybody!

This is my final week at the Mexico City MTC. The last six weeks have flown by fast at least for me. Thank you everyone that sent letters and packages. I have very much appreciated them. This week I have been working harder to finish strong but there have been some good things happen.

One of the elders was possibly going to get sent home this last week. We were all praying for him and we actually had a day of fasting for him. He ended up getting told that he can stay which was a huge relief to him and to the rest of our district's joy. I won't go into too many details but one thing I want to share is that the Atonement is real. As I saw him have that relief and get to focus I saw how the Atonement worked in his life. It was very nice to see and was a reminder to me of the importance of Christ's atonement. The Spirit was felt so strong and I am thankful that this elder in my district could stay.

This last Sunday our district gave a special musical number during our sacrament meeting. We sang "I Need Thee Every Hour". We sang the first two verses normal (in Español), third softer and quiet, forth growing louder to the chorus which we sang in English. It was very cool to see that as we reached the third and forth verses, everyone began to smile and it was person by person. That's why I love music so much. It speaks in a way that words can't. Even though I have had little opportunities to share this talent with others I will continue to hope for times to come that I can share my talents. This moment I will not forget.

While wrapping up my time here I have reflected and seen the Gift of Tongues work in my life. Things have been starting to click, memorizing has gotten easier, and my pronunciation isn't all to bad. That is the power of the Holy Ghost. It works in all of us, shapes and refines us, then we reap the blessings from that hard work. 

Our Tuesday devotional was about Becoming Like God. This is something that we need to remember, especially when we are discouraged. No one has ever been able to be able to do something really well without practice and study. Even Jesus Christ studied and learned from scriptures because he didn't automatically know everything. The same goes for us to. We can get better but it is a process, not an event. I pray that all of you will remember that and continue to strive to get better and become.

So here is the plan for my travel to Ecuador. Me and one other missionary (una Hermana) get onto a bus to go to the airport at 8:00 Monday night. Our flight leaves Mexico at 1:28 Tuesday morning. We fly from Mexico to Columbia to Quito, Ecuador and will arrive before noon Ecuador time. The reason of the title is that they did not have me or the Hermana on the bus schedule. I thought maybe I was staying till the 25th. I was able to talk to someone about it and he got it all straightened out. It would have been interesting otherwise. Elder Frey flies out early Monday morning and Elder Maruyama flies out early Wednesday morning. They will have to figure out something to do with Elder Maruyama. 

I love you all! I pray for all of you. I hope this week goes well and that you will continue to become.

--Elder Ogden--

p.s. We have gotten a ton of rain, most likely from the hurricane that is up north. 

This is basically what every day looks like for me