Week 4!

This week started out ROUGH! All sorts of drama in our district (with the zone leader driving everyone nuts and nobody handling it correctly) and it was just a mess.  You could feel the awful tension in the room every day.  

But then on Sunday the new CCM president (President Hansen) gave the most amazing lesson, and we all got to bear our testimonies afterwards of the divinity of our mission calls! Obviously I had a few experiences to share. I think my testimony was the longest, haha. After that, Elder Olson and I went to the bathroom upstairs to do our planning.  I know it sounds weird, but nobody is ever in there, so there are no distractions. Eventually Elder Cox and Elder Vanfleet came in (other elders from my district) and we all just talked about everything going on, and eventually everyone except for two elders were in the bathroom together sharing experiences and testimonies.  It was awesome. Our district really needed it. Since then we have all been so great, and close to zero tension. It's been a lot better.

Last night I got my camera taken away for having it during comp study...woops!  Haha!  Oh well, I shouldn't have had it.  Luckily I got it back today in time for emailing!!! 

We went to the temple today again, and they did the session in English which was unusual.  But I did most of the talking in Spanish just to practice.   I actually think I like it more in Spanish.  Haha.  

 We got a new group of Latins and gringos!  Everyone seems pretty nice, but I miss Elder Valanzuela and Elder Rincon more.  Those guys are studs.  We just found out Elder Valanzuela already has a baptism date set, and he's only been out a week!!

Things have been good here, I'm beyond excited to get the HECK out of the CCM.  I'll keep you guys updated.  Love ya!

Hey Guys!

From Marci:  Elder T Leish had a much better week and seems to being doing better with the homesickness!  Thank you so much for your prayers on his behalf.  They are working!  

It's finally P day again!!! Today we went and took care of our Visas so we got to see a little bit of the city.  The more I see of this city, the more I fall in love with it.  It's covered in street vendors which is super cool.  Also, there's always traffic, and they drive like crazy people here.  It feels like there are no rules.

Today was kind of a hard day, we had to say bye to the Latinos that we lived with, and all the other Latinos, and also the Nortes that were here before us.  It's just us for the rest of the day, then we get a new shipment of people tomorrow.  I'm excited to meet my new roommates. 

My Spanish is improving a lot, I've gotten to where I can have a full conversation with people, and every time I talk with a native, they compliment my Spanish.  That feels pretty good, even though I know they are just trying to be nice.

I do have a few things I would like you to send.  I need some more pictures, like physical pictures in an album, or for my album.  Have someone like Collin go through my google images and find some good pictures of Havasupai, the family, the swags, all the goods. I need more.  Also, I've been CRAVING Cheerwine (one of his favorite sodas...despite the name...).  I don't know if it is possible to send soda, but if it is, I would love some.  I would also like a couple hacky sacks. Just some cheap ones that I can carry around on the street with me.  When all my friends were leaving I wanted to give them some, but I didn't have any to give away. 

We also got to do our first Proselyting activity!!! We went out and talked to real people!! Elder Olson and I were awesome! We got 5 references for the missionaries, and we handed out like 13 pass along cards, and handed out two Books of Mormon! It was a really cool experience.  They just dropped us off and said "Alright, see you in 3 hours" and we just went.  SUUUPER cool.  We finally got to do some exploring.  

I love you guys so much and I can't believe I'm actually here! I'm excited to be one week closer to getting the heck out of the CCM and getting into the field! Love you guys.

Elder Leishman

Apparently this is a reference to the smelliness in the CCM.  LOL!

Week 2!

From Marci:  We were able to email chat a little with Tanner this week, and he is a bit homesick . . . which is to be expected!  He could probably use a few prayers on his behalf and happy thoughts his way!  He didn't have a lot to say this week, but here it is!

Wow! Its already been two weeks!?!?!I thought my two years were already up! I kid, the days are long here. 16 hours!!! 

I honestly never thought I would be so sick of eating rice, but every day, for nearly 3 meals a day will make you never want to eat rice again.  

This week has been really uninteresting.   Just really busy.  I can't wait to just get out of the CCM and start teaching.  

I have been a little emotional this week.  Everyone was showing each other pictures of their families, and I didn't get through the first picture without crying.  I love showing people my pictures and I love telling them that I literally could not have a better family.  

Today we went to the temple again which was cool, but it was REALLY early.  I´m not sure I like how early we have to get up for it, its worth it to get out of the CCM though, this place is a little crowded.  

I love you guys more than anything in this world. Sometimes I wish I didn't love you so much because it would make this a lot easier. Thanks for the pictures! Please keep sending them. I love you guys so much!!! I uploaded something like 90 pictures today so go check them out.

 

The CCM

The chapel - in the back of the gym

Tanner and Elder Levi Reinhold

Elder Leishman and Elder Olson

Tons of graffiti everywhere

A shout out from Tanner to his bros that he needs clean memes

First P Day (ever!)

1.03.17

Happy New Year!! It´s 2017 which is pretty cool.  Man, this country is WACK.  For starters, they had to have a talk with all of us about having to flush your toilet paper...apparently here you just use it and throw it in the trash can because their plumbing sucks.  

   

The missionaries warned us that one of us would have to give a talk in Spanish on our first Sunday, and that they would choose at random during sacrament, so we ALL had to prepare a talk,  So of course, who do you think got picked.  ME.  I had to get up in front of everyone (only like 65 people) and give a talk in Spanish.  That was a pretty cool experience.  I must have done pretty well because Hermana DuVall (MTC presidents wife) came up to me afterwards and told me how great I did, she said she could tell i have been studying Spanish for a long time.  

I have asked EVERYONE here (including the natives) if anyone here is going to Bogota Sur, and no one is.  Which means I'm the only missionary here going to my mission.  I talked to the security guard, and he went to my same mission.  He talked about the snakes, and the crazy stuff in the Amazon.  But the worst of all, GIANT BIRD EATING SPIDERS!!! So we´ll see how that goes, because I hate spiders.  

I felt a real tender mercy this week, and it´s been one thing that helped me not die here.  My companion was playing soccer during physical hour, which isn't really my thing, so I just ran laps, and watched a little bit.  One of the teachers Hermano Escobar (yeah, Escobar) came up to me and asked why I wasn't playing soccer, i told him it´s because I am bad at it. He asked me if I play "Ajedrez" and I had no idea what he meant, and after a bit of translating I found out was chess.  Which was a total tender mercy.  I hadn't told anyone that i like chess, or I've been going through a chess phase, but God put Elder Escobar in my life as a way to help me out.  The CCM is hard, and God knew I needed a little push to get along, so I know that that was God´s hand in my life.

My companion and I live in the same room as 2 Latino Elderes: Elder Rincon, y Elder Valenzuela.  They are probably the two coolest Latin Elders in the whole CCM.  Elder Valenzuela speaks pretty good english, so we can learn a lot from him so that´s pretty good.  

  

I can´t lie, the CCM is REALLY hard. Today we went to the temple, and we talked with a missionary in the Bogota Norte mission, and he said "The CCM sucks, you just gotta make it out of the CCM" So I guess that's kind of where the endure to the end comes in.  I love you guys, and I can´t even begin to describe how much I miss you, and it's only been a week! I just wish you guys could come with me.  This place is so cool. There is graffiti everywhere, even on people houses, and they just leave it there.  The food here is good, but nothing compared to Mom´s cheesy potatoes and Dad´s steak.  #neverforgetti ​

Roommates - Elder Rincon, Elder Leishman, Elder Valenzuela, Elder Olson

Tanner and his companion, Elder Justin Olson

Hermana _____, Hermana Jerrica Thomas, Elder ______, Elder _______, Elder Justin Olson, Elder Tanner Leishman