July 24-July 30, 2025 Week 4 Mexico City MTC

 Hola, hope you guys are doing awesome. This week for me had a lot of highs and lows but overall it was a great week. 

Only low of the week: 

unfortunately, during my Monday night class, I ran to the bathroom to throw up. I think my stomach did not like the Red Chicken or something I ate. I was sick all of Monday night and it was a very painful night. Fortunately, Tuesday me and my companions got to sleep in (I was there hero for that),  and I'm feeling better now.

CCM Community---

The CCM where I am right now is crazy packed. The lines for food are crazy long and it is hard to get a table. That being said I love it. I love all the missionaries. it is awesome to hear everyone's stories and their testimonies. It's like having 1,200 friends. everyone here gets along great and I have made a lot of friends. 

Language: My spanish speaking skills are improving everyday. Our district started our "solo espanol". we have spoken spanish for 95% of the day which is pretty good. My spanish is making progress, but I still have a long way to go, but I'm excited. 

Random stuff

I've played some really good and fun spikeball this week 

My companions and I are getting along great and having a lot of fun (shoutout elder tanner and barlow)

Mexico city the weather is so weird, it's foggy in the morning, beautiful in the afternoon 70's and clear skies, and it pours rain in the evening. It's pretty cool weather. 

Spiritual thought: 

This is my favorite quote and it is the first thing written in my journal, and what I want to live by on my mission. Its by  our prophet, Russell M Nelson, "the joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.¨ I love this a lot, because we can choose to see the negative in all situations or we can choose to see the good. I'm really trying everyday to say what I'm grateful for and be a positive influence and build people up. 

My district

Our first lesson

We are not caveman; we have techology

Costco hot dog

Average line at the comedor

Elder Martin Rodriguez-other missionary coming to our mission that Garret met in the MTC

Number of people in the Mexico City MTC right now

Roommates: McAlister, Hansen, Barlow, Tanner, Wade, Me

1st MTC haircut

July 12-July 23, 2025 Week 2 & 3 Mexico City MTC

Hola! Hope you all are doing well!

I've offical been a missionary for 24 for days and it's been awesome. I love being a missionary, every day is very tiring and busy but also fun and I learn a lot. 

I'm liking my district and getting along great with my companions. Elder tanner and elder barlow. elder tanner is from colorado and elder barlow is from new york. The food is pretty good and theres a lot of food to eat. 

Normal daily schedule: 

The daily schedule here for my distrist is pretty much the same everyday. Wake up at 6:30, breakfast at 7. from 7:30-10 we have personal study, language study and companionship study. I love all this time to study the sciptures and the spanish language. After we have service or helping others (were you practice teaching a lessson) or some workshop (where you learn about the gift of tongues or some other topic) at 10.Service is fun, we have helped with getting ready for meals. After that we have gym time at 11. This is a lot of fun there are a lot of things at the CCM, we have played volleybally,spikeball, pickleball, soccer and gone running and gone to the gym. My companions and I play a lot of sand volleyball and its fun. After we have lunch, then first class of the day at 2. Its preach my gospel class with hermena mendez. After we have dinner then second class of the day language study with hermano cortes.(both classes are only in spanish) After that we go home, have house devo and go to bed.

Random stuff: 

I have been to the temple twice and its awesome 

One kid in my distract broke his finger playing volleyball. 

we can hear a lot of gunshots from the CCM and our teachers are like "oh thats another firework."

Our district had our first only spanish day yesterday and we did pretty good. 

The devotionals are every sunday and they are awesome, we have had ones by President Nelson and Oakes, and Elder Bednar and Elder Uchdorff.

These 2 Elders are going to my parents mission

Gingras, me, Hansen

They were in my MTC district

Garret said he was walking outside and heard someone holler “can anyone take a picture?” He went over and took the picture and of course asked the obligatory question to the girl that had asked him to take the picture “where are you serving?” She replied “Honduras San Pedro Sula East.” He told her “Say hi to my parents.” She of course thought he was joking, but he assured her he was not.

Garret and Hermana Griffiths

Looking Good!

View from my window

Middle Elder is from Chile

All of us are going to Chile:

Barlow, Hecker, Me, Haroldsen

Hermana Jensen from Spokane

Huge moth

Can't an elder sleep in peace

My District in order:

Tanner, me Barlow, Watts, Davis, Hitz, Murdock, Whiting, Porter, Haroldsen, Hecker

Amen

Class with Hermana Mendez

All of these missionaries are going to Chile

Proof of Life

We found Garret in this picture from the Mexico City MTC Facebook picture.  He's really there! 

 

Garret Leaves for the Mexico City MTC

And he's off.  Grammy and Pompa took Garret to the airport today to fly to the Mexico City MTC.  He flew LA and then to Mexico City.  We got an email saying that he made it there safely.  In Garret fashion here was his email:

I made it to the CCM! Love y'all, i don't have my siblings emails, so make sure you tell jades parents and the wilsons that i made it. elder christensen 

At least we know it's really him.