In any case, I am here and I am happy. President Lopez gave us the greatest zone class ever. He basically said now that we actually have to get investigators to like church so that they come to church after they are baptized, we are going to start loving and having fun with investigators in addition to teaching them. Companionships are going to start having a party at the chapel every week with investigators, recent converts, and other members. The missionaries are going to organize games and fun and everybody gets to goof around in the chapel for several hours. He told us to get party music to play, to not worry about coming home on time, and just to make sure by all means that people like coming to the chapel, because if they come on friday they're going to come on Sunday, too! ... so the work has completely changed recently. President said that he prefers missionaries who have very few lessons per week but who baptize to missionaries who run around like chickens with their heads cut off, teach a ton of lessons, but don't gain true converts.
I really do enjoy playing the piano in sacrament meetings here. So do the members. It's so much easier to sing to accompaniment, and they enjoy my help.
As a zone we went to the beach today, which was actually a pretty relaxing experience. Oh, gulf of Mexico. Who would have ever thought that I would actually swim in you on my mission? But I did. Because the Xalapa mission rocks.
This week I also came to the realization that missions do end. At the very start of the mission, it seems like the 2 years is an eternity. For some reason is just recently hit me that yes, the mission does end. I look around and see members of the ward who are RMs, and recent RMs, too. I can't quite describe it, but I do believe in that light at the end of the tunnel.
That makes so much sense as to how I learned Spanish. (note from Mom--I sent Abram an excerpt from something I read about 2nd language acquisition that explained how he picked up Spanish so easily). Mexican on the inside. A sister in the ward told me on Sunday, ''Elder, you are a Mexican.'' I responded, ''On the inside.'' She then told me that my mom confirmed her as my friend on Facebook and said she's going to talk to you. I told her Mom speaks enough Spanish to respond, for sure.
Any other random thoughts I have... yes! I absolutely understand why missionaries do nothing but watch TV the first week they get back. I get it. It's just a feeling you receive after some time in the field.
This Friday is the Church's independence day party, which is going to rock. I will make sure to take lots of pictures. We get to wear the fake bigotes and the giant sombreros and everything. I'm so pumped. I've got the Mexican spirit flowing in me.
I do find it so funny that a lot of people here have American names, but they have no idea how to say them.
On another note! If you could send some ''party cds'' in the package, too, that'd be great. President told us that what we play in those activities doesn't have to be according to mission rules. In fact, his music rules are already super lax... but he told us to get fun music to play so that there's sound in the background and people have more fun. He straight up told us to do that. A lot of people have these little USB music things, but that's a hassle for me. Ask Aubs or somebody what some good party music is. The 1direction CD or Coldplay's new CD or something? I don't know! But we all have CD players now because we're all supposed to do these activities.
Anywho! Love from Elder Dorrough. Until next week! Every week goes by faster and faster...
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