Elder Tyler Plowman - Mexico Merida LDS Mission: A WEEK FILLED WITH LOVE AND SERVICE - ADIOS CCM

Merida Squad

Sunset in Ciudad de Mexico

Hola! Como estan? Yo estoy muy feliz por la oportunidad a escribe a ustedes!

What a crazy adventure this week has been, and especially my time here at the CCM! I have 4 days left. This Monday morning at 1AM I leave to go to the airport the fly to Merida, Mexico, where the real adventure will begin. I can not express my excitement to go to the place where I have been called to serve and use all of the skills I have learned here at the CCM. The experience I have had here at the CCM has been one of a kind, and I want to express the way this has changed me and prepared me to serve the people of Merida starting in 4 days. The experience here at the CCM has been more fun than I could have imagined, and harder than I have ever imagined, but through this experience I have come closer to Christ than ever before in my life.

But first I want to tell some physical logros (accomplishments) I have been able to achieve here! So starting here at the CCM on day 1, my companion and I decided we wanted to do 25 push ups every morning and night, and each day do one more. That first day, 25 was difficult to do at once, and now, we are at 50 every morning and night! Also, the other night we did this 20 minute push up challenge where we literally do the amount of push ups that the minute is at, so 1 push up in minute one, and 20 in minute 20, and by the end we end up doing 210 push ups, yeah, I can do hard things! Also, during soccer the other day I literally scored a hat trick, and my favorite quote from someone else was ¨How are all of you guys on one district!? It is unhealthy to have this much talent on one district¨. Needless to say, what this has taught me is how to still be humble through success! I may have had to learn how to not rub this success in peoples faces... whoops. Also, this week I have successfully played ping pong every day during lunch and my companion and I beat the two best people here this morning, OH YEAH!! Also I have learned how to NOT have my shot blocked in basketball every time I shoot by the 6 foot 7 basketball player who is going to Oregon post mission. Needless to say, my hour of gym time a day has been a very special and important part of my life here at the CCM. Oh and also, as an update from last week, I went this whole entire week without spilling on my white shirt!!

Also, I have thoroughly enjoyed the packages that multiple people have received here at the CCM. This week we had two parties with our elders in our district. First was a Doritos party, the second was an Oreo party. You would be surprised at the happiness we feel when we received things from OUTSIDE THE WALLS!! I truly have become best friends with the 5 other Elders in my district, it has been so awesome. 4 of the 6 of us are going to Merida, we are the Merida Squad, pics below.

So going into this next week and leaving the CCM, we did a really good activity yesterday I want to share. We wrote down all of our worries and concerns on a piece of paper for our life in Merida starting next week. I wrote everything, literally. And as we did this we had a chance to think about the things we could potentially struggle with. The best part was, we walked for like 30 minutes just to think about life and then went into this little forest and had a lesson. This lesson was about how unimportant these concerns are and how through the strength of the Lord we can do ALL things. We proceeded to dig a large hole with our teacher, and threw all of our concerns in the hole, buried it, and forgot about it all. These concerns are so minimal compared to the way the power of the Lord can affect us all. Whenever you have concerns and worries in your life, know that you can do all things through the Lord who strengthens you, you are never alone, and get that negative thought out of your mind.

This week my companion and I decided we were going to make this week a week full of complimenting, serving, and loving others. Through this, I have felt so much love for others that I haven't felt before. Service is what Jesus did, and that is what we must do. I challenge all of you to find more ways to love and serve others in your life! Seriously, there is nothing better than serving others.

So the biggest thing I have learned here at the CCM is how to be charitable (and I guess a whole ton of Spanish). Let me share a quick scripture with you. Moroni 7: 45-46 says:

45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and enviethnot, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

This scripture is so amazing. Every day we can use ONE of these different attributes and try to apply it to our life. I have also learned that to be charitable is not only about the way you act to others, but the way you think and who you are on the inside. Charity is literally the GREATEST THING OF ALL! It is to truly love God and our savior Jesus Christ. We are to have a perfect effort in all things, and every day we can learn to be more charitable to others. This is the greatest thing I can ever teach, because it is the greatest of all. Every day I try to be more charitable, and that is the biggest thing the MTC has taught me.

So the next time I talk to you all will be from MERIDA MEXICO! My P Day will most likely change to Monday. I am so excited and ready to go! It is crazy I have already almost finished my 6 weeks here in the MTC! I feel all of your love and support. In Merida my life will change more than ever before, and through my doubts I know I have the faith to do all things through Jesus Christ. I love you all. I send everyone the best of love.

Elder Plowman