Week 4 - A Visit From Elder Bednar

Hola Everyone,

So, my time in the CCM is starting to come to a close.  I must say it is a love/hate feeling.  I am going to miss my District and the pre-made food.  I am excited to get into the field and really work hard!  I can’t wait to test my Spanish!  This week has probably been my hardest week in the CCM and also the best.  My Spanish is sort of getting pretty good I must say!  I still struggle to pronunciate things and understand sometimes.  However, I can testify that the Gift of Tongues is real.  I got to meet some Latinos going to Pachuca and that was cool.  I love speaking Spanish even though its’s hard, its fun.  Latino people are the best, they are kind, loving and also laugh at all the jokes I tell them!  I just can’t wait to teach the Latino people. 

So, this week we had a really cool experience.  Elder Bednar came and gave the CCM a lesson.  He talked about faith and how we can have better faith.  He also talked about how when we get home from our missions, we need to look for a good Gospel Centered girl.  However, he told us not to look for a perfect girl because there isn’t one.  Marriage is something that must be worked for!  God will ordain any worthy Man and Women’s marriage.  He also talked about how the restoration of the Gospel happens every day.  It is never done!  He told us that if we think 189 temples are a lot, we should “stayed tuned”!  He also said we will see miracles that have never happened in this dispensation.  He was just so amazing to listen to!

He gave us a blessing that we would get lost in the work.  I loved hearing from the Apostle.  I also noticed that he never testified that Jesus Christ is resurrected or anything, he always said “I witness”, most of the Apostles say this.  I believe they have seen and talked with the Great Jehovah.  He told us “we died in Pre-mortality to be born into mortality.  We died in mortality to be born into eternity”.  He also said, “missions are boot camps, they prepare us for the rest of our lives.  It’s to often that missionaries go home and go inactive.”  We must always keep our covenants and stay on course or we will regret it in the next life.

I have gotten a strong testimony of what I want my life to be when I come home. When I come home, I want to be strong in the Gospel.  I want to marry a woman that puts God and the Church 100% first in her life.  I want to have a solid marriage and be solid in the Church.  I want to be married in the Temple and be Sealed Forever to my wife.  I want to have Kids and be Sealed to them forever.  I want to have a home of Peace and Love.  I know many of you are probably thinking, “why are you thinking about this on a mission!”  I testify to you that this is something that the Lord wanted me to gain a testimony of from Elder Bednar.  I testify that marriage is ordained by God between a Man and a Women.  I testify that this Gospel is the greatest thing on the earth and this it is true and perfect.  I testify that Jesus Christ stands at the Head of the Church.  How blessed we are to have a modern-day Prophet.  How blessed am I to be a missionary and wear Jesus Christ’s name on my heart every day!  I love being a missionary and I love you all.

Love

Elder Fawcett

New Hair Cuts for Elders Fawcett and Williams

CCM Laundry Room

Mexico CCM Mural

# of Missionary's in the CCM

My Class Room

Class Room White Board

My CCM District

Where We Study

My Mission

Missions in Mexico

Our Dorm

The Wall!

Week 3 - Feeling Like Indiana Jones!

Hola Everyone,

So, I know I just barely wrote. However, my P-days in the CCM are on Wednesdays. The only reason why it was on Friday last week was because we went to immigration, which is what I am going to talk mainly about. On Friday we left the walls to travel an hour away from the CCM. I was sadly not permitted to bring my camera and a missionary always follows the rules! So, to start, I didn’t have to ride in the giant yellow bus (which is what we usually ride in).  My District and I got the privilege of riding in a giant “White Kidnapper’s Van”. It was nice to be comfortable for a moment while we were driving out of the CCM. However, that comfort was short lived. I know I have talked about the streets of Mexico a little before, but I finally have something I can compare it to. This comparison came to me as we drove to immigration. Now I don’t know how many of you have been to Disneyland, but driving in the streets of Mexico is like the Indian Jones ride. From the best memory I have of it, I relate it to the Indian Jones video before you ride; “You may experience sudden stops, jerks, bumps, and falls as your car bumps and jerks around the track."  As your car bumps around the track, you have to hold on for dear life even after you’ve been strapped in! Here in Mexico, it’s the same idea. You experience sudden stops and stalls of the car; then sudden jerks from mostly people not using their blinkers. And here in Mexico, their stop signs are just speed bumps because that’s the only way they slow down!

Anyway, we finally arrived to this run-down building.  As we were getting out of the van, people stared at us. Some looked very unhappy to see us and made faces. Others however, smiled and said hello. We all lined up and went inside. Once inside we talked to an employee and they fingerprinted us. And just like that I became a Mexican Citizen (Fiesta!). We rode back to the CCM and I got to play some basketball. Elder Niccum and I were the only white guys playing. It was hard to understand what the Natives were saying, but laughter and cheering is easy to understand. I got a realization at that moment that I love Latino people. They are very kind and funny.

In closing, I would like to testify of Jesus Christ. I know with my Whole Being that Jesus Christ loves me. I love Him so much. I am so grateful for His Atonement and the chances he has given me to repent. I can never thank him enough. I testify that He misses and loves us. He wants us to live with Him and Our Heavenly Father again in the next life. He is our Greatest Brother and our Greatest Friend. I am so beyond grateful for the opportunity I have to bear His name on my heart. I can’t wait to walk the streets everyday and share His Gospel with the people. I am grateful I am a member of His Church. I love my Savior and Father in Heaven. I love being a missionary!    
                                                                              

Love you all,

Elder Fawcett

Pictures from Today's Temple Trip

Typical CCM Breakfast

Elder Fawcett and Elder Wells

Outside the CCM

Carrying Gas in a Damaged Truck!

Can't Wait to Go, 2+ Weeks

City

Hill Side

Bus Stop

Sure Miss This Place!

Beautiful Mexico City Temple

Week 2 - Sickness Strikes!!!

Hola Everyone,

A lot has happened this week!  First, I will start by talking more about the CCM.  This place is very beautiful, the grounds are kept up here very well.  The CCM is built up on the mountains of Mexico City (As you might see in my pictures).  The grass in the CCM is very green and there are lots of palm trees.  There is also NO air conditioning in any of the buildings.  So, sometimes it gets Hot!  The weather here is weird but always the same.  Every morning we wake up and it’s cloudy and sometimes rains.  By mid-day, it is always sunny and pretty hot, however, pretty much every night, it rains and we have thunder storms.  The lightning here is really pretty and the thunder is very loud.  Every night we walk home from our classes in tons of water and in the mornings, the ground is still soaked.  Everything here is great though.  The food has some moments when I have wished I could have eaten some American food but it is mostly good.  We get to study the Gospel and Spanish with Mexican houses all around us and of course the little green parrots that love to chirp while we study.

So, I would like to share what a day in the CCM is like.  We wake up at 6:30 every morning and have 30 minutes to get ready and then we have to be in class doing Personal study by 7:00.  We study for an hour and then we eat at 8:00.  After breakfast, we go to class till 1:00.  During that time, we study Spanish and “Preach My Gospel”.  We eat lunch at 1:00 and then have gym time until 3:15.  We go back to class and teach our Teacher as a fake investigator until 7:15.  We then go eat dinner.  After dinner, we study until 10:30 and then we go to bed.  Now, I know most of you probably think that this schedule is boring and terrible but, it’s not! I love it!  I feel like I am finally living a “real” life.  After living here for a while, I have realized that living as a missionary is the true way to live!  I can focus on real life problems!  I don’t have to worry about how may “likes” a social media post gets or have to respond to texts.  I am free from the fake problems of modern day life and I Love it!

So, once again, I have had so many Spiritual experiences that it is hard to choose which ones to talk about.  Earlier this week, I had the chance to go to the Mexico City Temple.  It is very big and pretty.  It is weird to be out in public as a missionary, even just outside the Temple!  While being out, I can feel the warm feeling of the Spirit, but also I feel like there is a light in me.  I don’t know how to describe it, I have tried my best to but anyways, the Temple has escalators inside (which was cool), because it is so big.  Going in the Temple as a missionary is so cool.  You feel more of the Spirit with you!  I could also feel someone else with me and I don’t know who it was for sure, but I think I have a really good idea!  I know I have said this before, but I love my District.  Seeing them in the Temple has really given me a stronger testimony that I knew them in the Pre-Mortal life.  I also know in the next life that we will be laughing together with the people we have the chance to convert on our missions.

This was my first week of TRC.  TRC is when members of the Church in Mexico City come in to the CCM and let us teach them.  They speak No English, None!  Elder Niccum and I’s first time was very scary.  We went prepared with a lesson on Faith and Ether Chapter 12 to testify of our lesson.  We did struggle to speak and understand!  Spanish is Very difficult.  However, (Please open to 2 Nephi 32: 2-6)

2 Do ye not remember that I said unto you that after ye had received the Holy Ghost ye could speak with the tongue of angels? And now, how could ye speak with the tongue of angels save it were by the Holy Ghost?

3 Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.

4 Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark.

5 For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.

6 Behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and there will be no more doctrine given until after he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh. And when he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh, the things which he shall say unto you shall ye observe to do.

we were able to convey our message through the Holy Ghost.  I can testify of this.  After teaching, she gave feedback to our teacher and said that she had felt the Spirit a ton.  Even though Elder Niccum and I only speak poor broken Spanish, we were able to touch her heart.  I do however shed a tear of sorrow because I knew in my heart what she needed to hear as I looked into her eyes.  The only problem was I couldn’t transfer it into Spanish.  I know this is common for a lot of missionaries at the beginning of their missions.  No pain is greater than not being able to share your heart’s message with someone just because of the language!  I felt a little better when she said she could feel the Spirit a ton.  It’s still very hard to not feel a little discouraged though.  However, I know the Lord will bless me with more and more Spanish every day.  I know with patience, hard work and most importantly, Faith, Spanish will come.

Also, for those of you that have heard, yes there has been a big virus going around the CCM. I was lucky enough not to get it!  It caused lots of nausea and headaches.  But it has been taken care of and people are recovering.

In closing, I would like to say that Spanish is very hard, but we practice it a lot. For example we are on a 3 day English fast so no English for 3 days, so I am sorry if my wording in this letter is weird, no hablo ingles, solamente espanol.  I know that I was per-ordained to preach the Gospel in Spanish.  I can honestly say that I Love being a missionary.  The good times always out weigh the bad ones.  I love being able to represent our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Everyone please remember that God and Jesus Christ love us and are always there!  If you don’t feel them there, it is because we are paying too much attention to the World!  I love being a missionary and I love you all.  I love this Church and am grateful to represent it.

Love 

Elder Fawcett

Mexico City Temple

Ride to the Temple

Beautiful City Sites

Yep! Going There in 3+ Weeks

Peru, Thinking of My Brother!

CCM Facebook Picture

Elder Fawcett and Elder Niccum

Dinner?

Week 1 - My First Week in the CCM

Hola everyone,

I know I have many questions to answer and I will do my best to answer them. Once my airplane landed in Mexico City, Elder Wells, Elder Underwood and I got off the plane and walked into the airport. We got our luggage, filled out some Visa paperwork and then we were greeted by two Elders. They took us to some buses which we boarded. I sat next to Elder Smith. We both looked out the window at the Mexican Streets. Here in Mexico people simply don’t care about traffic laws or even blinkers. There are a lot of horns and yelling. 

We arrived here at the CCM and met our Companions. My Companion is Elder Niccum. He is from Alpine; Utah and he was the QB for Lone Peak High School.  After meeting him we went to our dorm. We then met Elder Conover from Denver, Elder Williams from Phoenix Lake, California, Elder Kasteler from Draper Utah, Elder Loveless from North Carolina, Elder McCubbins, Elder Rawlin from Clearfield Utah, and also, I met up with Elder Wells who is from Salt Lake City Utah. This is also my whole District. After eating dinner, we met the Sisters from our District which are Sister Holmes from North Carolina and Sister Fagatoa from an island off of Fiji.

Anyways, that’s an introduction to my District. We all get along very well and I love them. I want to focus mainly on Spiritual things in this letter because those are the most important to me and for others to hear.

The CCM is a special place and there’s a very special Spirit here. Each day I go to bed with a full heart and teary eyes, even though each night there’s almost nonstop sirens and dogs barking. Being in the dorm right next to the wall doesn’t help either! However, through all that I am still able to feel the Spirit each night and get a good nights sleep. On the second day, we were in our classroom practicing our Spanish when the President of the CCM walks in. He put a chair in the middle of the room and asked Sister Fagatoa to come sit in it. He then asked all the Elders in my District to come up. Not knowing what we were doing, we all walked up. He told us to form a circle around her. We then put our hands on each other’s backs, my hand on the Presidents and Elder Nickum’s hand on my back. We all then put our right hands on top of her head and set her apart as a Full Time Missionary (I don’t know why she was not yet one). We all cried as we shook her hand. That was one of the most powerful Priesthood experiences I have ever had. I could feel the Lords power flow through all of us.

Unfortunately, if I were to write about every experience I have had I would never stop writing so I’ll share one more. Elder Conover is by far the most spiritual person I have ever met. During a devotional about Jesus Christs Atonement, he began writing in his journal. He did so for over an hour, until we returned to our dorm. Once he was done he read it to Elder Niccum, Elder Williams and I. He told us that they weren’t his words and that it was inspired. I believe him and I’ll send a picture of it. Once he was done reading we were all speechless and in tears.  We took the story to the President and we think he has a plan for it because its amazing. I implore everyone to read it.

In closing, I would like to say that a Mission is the hardest thing I have ever done! However, its worth every ounce of sweat, blood, and tears. I know this is where I am supposed to be. I bear testimony that my District was a blessing from the Lord. I know I knew them in the premortal life and that we were preordained by God to serve the people of Pachuca. (Me, Niccum, Williams, Conover, both Sister Holmes and Sister Fagatoa, also Wells are going to Pachuca; Kasteler, Loveless, McCubbins are going to Puebla). I have personally grown to know Jesus Christ more in this week than my entire life. I know he Lives and one day “I will wet his feet with my tears.” I love being a missionary. I love my family. I love my friends. 

Love

Elder Fawcett

1 August 2018 CCM Group

First Class to Mexico!

Elder Fawcett and Elder Wells

Steak and Shrimp on the Plane

Baggage and Customs in Mexico

Elder Fawcett and Elder Smith on the Bus

Streets of Mexico

My Bedroom

Closet (PopTarts and Licorice from Home)

Elder Niccum and Elder Fawcett

Elder Karras and Elder Fawcett

Setting Apart Sister Fagatoa

Elder Conover's Story

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