FYI--Elder Connolly's correct mission address

Pouch Mail:

Elder Richard Kent Connolly
Mexico Merida Mission
POB 30150
Salt Lake City UT   84150

Pouch Mail Instructions:  To prevent possible fines, only postcard and letters that are single sheet, folded into three-panels, and taped at the top only (no envelopes)may be sent through the pouch.  Packages cannot be sent through pouch mail.

Mission Office Address:  for packages and envelopes:

Elder Richard Kent Connolly
Mexido Merida Mission
Calle 45 #527 Q y Calle 70
Col. Centro
97000 Merida, Yucatan
Mexico

To send a package with a private courier, they will need the mission office telephone # :  52-999-923-5860

#1 Carta de México!

Hola Familia!

¿Qué pasan? holy cow, first thing i have to say is this keyboard is way different than american keyboards so its hard to get everything çórrèct.... haha

wow.........haha its crazy. well i dont know where to start. ¿the airport? or ¿CCM? or the ¿mission office? haha. es loco, estoy finalemente aquí!

ummmmmmmmmmmmmmm, I'll start on the morning of the lunes (monday).  I got up at 4:30 to get my companion off at 5, I left at 6. I was literally running all around the whole MTC making sure I had everything, I left some stuff in my classroom, like my camera charge! I would have been sooo mad if I forgotten that. BTW I'm soooo mad, I forgot my SD card connector, I have sooo many pictures to send home and now that I finally have a computer with Firefox webbrowers and no restrictions to send pictures, I forget it!

 

 Monday! Monday is my P-day. Anyways, get to the airport, my carry-on was a cardboard box ha, with all my books... it was fun to talk to whoever I got to talk to at the airport! I tried to use my TracFone thingy in Mexico City but it didn't work.... and the stinkin' payphones were as old....I can't think of a comparison, but really old ha. Waited for an hour or two, get to Merida! I was going crazy... like what am I doing here??  Then it only gets worse when I get to the converbelt for my luggage.... and my big bag doesn't come... yeah we were just talking about how sometimes workers in Mexican airports take your shoes or other valuables from your bag... how about if they just take your whole bag???  (holy cow this keyboard is really different, I'd have another 5 paragraphs done if I would't fix all the errors( ha)

anyways, long story short, it was in Mexico City, so I got it the next day... phew!

We met the mish pres at the airport with the 3 APs, went to the mission home, way different than I expècted. but cool. I don't think anything was what I expected. The pres left, and the ap's took us upstairs and we ate and then they handed out our HAMMOCKS! haha it's so dope. Mine is red, yellow and orange. but then they took out the ceiling tiles above us, tied out hammocks to the ceiling and we ended up sleeping in that room, it was a memory. That night was probably the funnest night of my mission. It was the last time I was with all my mtc district(slash...)zone, the homies I was with for the past 2 straight months, and now we are all over the Yucatan peninsula somewhere, some like 6 hours away. It was sad to say goodbye to them. The room had AC and Pres. Salinas said enjoy it because its the only time we would have AC our whole mission ha, so we had it on high, and EVERYONE woke up around 1:30am in the morning shivering hahaha! It was sooo funny, we all put on sweat shirts and stuff, except me cause my big suitcase with all my clothes wasnt there.... so I froze the first night... and how I wish we had an AC last night... haha. We also met some native new missionaries that came from the Mexico City MTC, they are really tight.

okkk  I'm skippin' ahead because I don't have much time. First off, I am getting fed VERY well here, holy cow. MEMBERS our SO AMAZING HERE! They just keep dumping more and more and more and more...oh by the way, you don't know where i am yet haha....

Real quick, TJ (or Emily?), you know Sam Cannon? He's your age right? Well I don't know the chances of running into these people, the husband is from Provo and the wife is from Mexico, they live on the other side of Mexico, the west side, where Sam served, he was a missionary there. Anyways they are staying at their daughters house and we were over there. they are hilarious, just way chill people, they are retired, but anyways, what I was getting to is they will take and bring packages to and from here for me. they really enjoy doing it. I get them your email mom, they said they were gonna email you. Their name is McFarlands. but someone ask Sam Cannon about them ha, I'm sure he´ll know them, they took packages to and from Mexico for him when he was serving.

OH my area... I'm in Mérida, and my area is Brisas. Our house is pretty sweet. My companion is a native from Oaxaca (I know Dave would be proud!) ha, Elder Chavez, he's the district leader and has been out a year and 1 month, his first time being a trainer. I'll put some pictures on here next Monday. My Mish Pres. is way tight. I have learned a ton of Spanish, my companion can speak a little English, but not much. ALL the missionaries from the provo MTC got put with natives, no gringo to gringo goin' on ha. I am forced to speak spanish all day and its helping. I know alot more than I thought I did. I met our bishop here yesterday. He's way chill ha, and the people here are soo laid back and nice-- and the houses are soo small-- like 1 room, or 2 rooms. We did laundry this morning, a member lets us use their washer, It's pretty ghetto but it gets the job done haha. and it is VERY HOT and HUMID here, wow.... I walked off the plane and was sweating. The only thing I wish is that the shower water was colder!!! Never thought I'd say that... ha and I'm being serious...

Well today was a Pday obviously, just for new missionaries so we could get food, do laundry, write home.... ya know.. whatevs. I did my laundry, went shopping at WALMART... hahaha, side note: DAVE CONNOLLY, those like 170 Pesos you gave me saved me, I get any money from the mission for like a week for some reason... and I'ts the only pesos I have right now.

Also at Walmart I spent like $450.... in pesos!   I am curious mom how much american $ that is, so look at the bank statement, I used my debit. We take the bus alot, apparently our area is pretty big, I haven't seen it on a map and I get sooo lost walking around. The drivers here are crazy- ha. It's just a different culture, cultural shock for sure. I saw two 3 foot long iguanas today haha, and there are horses, lambs, stray dogs and other animals just walking around.  Like 4 of our investigators got baptized either last Saturday or the Saturday before....right before I got here, of course!!!... ;) haha.  So we are teaching lesson 5 stuff to pretty much all of them (lesson about ordinances now they are members, like go to temple, missionary work, ward callings, etc.). I want to find new ones sooooo bad!

I'm ordering a new hammock that's double stitched and has my name is it tomorrow, a member here works at the jail and she says the inmates make custom Hammocks that are wayyy better than ones sold on the street and wayy cheaper. so I'm stoked about that. Dave:did you get like that biggest hammock you can make? like the one that married people get for 2 people in 1? haha.

Well I gotta go, we have our first appointment in about 30 minutes. just wanted to let you all know that Elder Connolly is safe and sound, doing well, stuffed at the moment with some of the best food I've had in awhile...(wow the MTC food got old suppa quick...) haha, and happy to be here. It has been an emotional rollercoaster the past 2 days, for real. but once I'm out walking around and meeting people and stuff, I love it.

This is the address of the mission office (my companion typed it from memory...I want to make sure I'ts it, so I will tell you for sure on Monday if that's 100% correct)

Mision México Mérida
Calle 45 #527 Q por 70 y 72
Colonia Centro
CP 97000
Mérida Yucatan, Mexico

Mom: did you get the package yet of stuff I sent home from the MTC? And thanks for the package fromIngunn at the airport, I know allllll about that book for missionaries haha, I've seen it a million times, he's been working on it for awhile. all my friends are in it as the people in the pictures and stuff. It's funny, but thanks.

Dave: I have some Q´s for you, I'll write you later.
Dad:keep up the golfing, I cant wait to go.
everyone else:..... God speed.

FYI- merida is only 1 hour ahead of SLC, I thought it was 2.

I better go, we have an appointment to get to in a half hour, and we don't have bikes :( .... esta bien, its chill. walking good for you!

¡Tengan buena semana!
Con mucho amor,

Elder Connolly

Elder Connolly at airport headed to Mexico!

Elder Connolly helping E. Brinton get checked into the MTC

Elder Connolly got to help Elder Brinton check into the MTC! He loved it!

Elder Connolly helps Elder Brinton get checked in at the MTC!

Elders Brinton and Connolly

Last MTC Letter--#9!

Hola Familia!

 

Wow, the last one. This is crazy. The MTC comes at ya fast! I've just been starting to pack and stuff, it seems crazy to be finally here. We had in-field orientation yesterday on Friday, that's why my P-day is on Saturday this week and why you are getting this email a day late. we learned sooooo much, mostly just stuff about working with investigators and KEY INDICATORS haha, like the most important part of mission stats and I had never heard of it before yesterday. and they told us about the new missionary system. I think I told you all about the new curriculum here at the MTC... well there's a new training system in the field now. It's a 12 week program, mostly letting the junior companion, or the greenies...(like me) do almost everything. I still have a zillion questions about how it's gonna work, but I'm verrry excited. the whole point of the program is that after the 12 weeks, I could be a trainer. It's intense, and I'm soo excited. I've been praying for  the hardest working companion as my 1st.....is that a dumb idea?? haha. Just as long as he has some patience, I'd be down ha. It's such a mystery who I'm gonna be with next week! ahhhh

 

1. DID YOU GET THE TRANSLATOR?  I sent it Friday on one day mail--for some reason, they didn't send the one that was supposed to come to the MTC on Tues...

yes, thank you

2.  Did you try the debit card in the MTC--I got the $ with it so it should work!

yes, it works, thanks you

3.  Did you get the $80 cash?

yes, thank you

4.  What dorm did you live in at BYU--I was staying in Taylor Hall--they are nice now!

I lived in Merrell in Helaman Halls! yeah they are nice now.I'm sure alot nicer than when you were there-- haha!

 

Well fam, the Richie that is leaving the MTC has changed from the one that entered just 2 months ago. I'm still me though, I've just got a few more books, lots of memories, TONS more knowledge, a different attitude, stronger testimony, got a skip to my step and a smile. I'm so excited to get to Mexico, I don't think you guys can comprehend it ;) haha.

 

I leave Monday at 9:55am and won't get to Merida until about 6:30 pm local time, which I think is like 4:30 in SLC, with stop in Mexico City on the way. I'm excited to talk to you Monday morning. Love you all! You da best!

 

I'm lacking in the DMD this wek haha, im sorry its short! we did have 2 great devotionals but I gotta get off. I need a nap.... :) haha.

 

Love you FAM! Ill be in MEXICO time you hear from me!

BOOOSH!!! Later!  (can anyone tell me what "BOOOSH" means???? MOM)

 

-Elder Connolly

MTC Letter #8

FAMILIA Y AMIGOS!

 

I GOT MY VISA on Wednesday!!!! Then yesterday i got my Travel Itinerary!!!!!   Sooooo I'm outtie to Mexico City then to Merida on the morning of Monday August 22nd... Am i stoked?? yessssssssssssssssss!!!!!!! it seems sooo REAL NOW!!! Holding the ticket out of this place!! YAHOO!! 10 days and ill be sleepin' in a hammock...... DOWN!

 

Story of the Week:

#1--- I have to talk about the bus ride up to the Mexican Consulet (spelling?). Anyways, if you happened to be down by the Bees stadium on West Temple on Wednesday, you would have seen 20 missionaries chillin' waiting to get our VISA. We got to leave the MTC campus!

It was like the most anticipated event in the past 7 weeks! We were sooo stoked when the bus turned out onto the street, then within 15 minutes the excitement comparable to Christmas was dead, and half the bus was asleep.... haha. Turns out the real world isn't as exciting as we thought haha, haven't missed much I guess. but it was funny, I guess the outside of the car says MTC on it, so the surrounding cars know we are the missionaries, so people enthusiastically wave at us. One guy pulled out a pass-along card from his dash board of Jesus Christ and pinned it against his window, it was hilarious! haha. and I dont think I've been more attentive to billboards as much as I had on that ride, so I guess there is an Amy Grant concert on August 20th at Abravenall Hall, yo pienso?? and looks like the demand for plastic surgery and "lipo fat sucktion" (spelling?) is getting higher and higher..... it was every 4th billboard on the freeway..... haha. Anyways, that was my exciting 50 minutes bus ride to SLC this past Thursday.

 

#2--- We got to host the new missionaries this week! (pick them up from their car and escort them to their rooms). and I also get to next week so I'm gonna keep my eye out for Elder Sam Brinton!!! haha it was hysterical, we got picked out of the group to host the international missionaries that knew no english.....maybe 20 words. I got put with Elder Lee, from Korea. hahahahahah it was soooo funny trying to communicate with him, and I was probably confusing him because I was talking to him in Spanish subconciously about half the time haha. The first thing he said was, "very hard" haha, I laughed, it was an experience. Languages are amazing, wow.

 

#3--- So im onto my 2nd 8GB SD card for my camera. I'm at around 700 pictures and maybe 50 videos haha, I have this place pretty well documented by now ha, my camera is always with me ha.

 

So I heard the NBA is in lockout?? anyone? and also we talked about the stuff goin' on in England, the riots and stuff. Scary world.

 

So something I wanna share with you guys that I've come across in my studies is Alma 32. If you have time, read verses 26-43( the end of the chapter, can't remember exactly). I love the word "experiment" in verse 26. That's really what faith is all about, putting it to the test by experimenting. and then we get the metaphor of the infamous "faith is like a little seed, if planted it will grow"- primary song, verses haha. Then the hard times will come in verses :38-39, and we gotta be faithful still! (I'm kinda guessing the verses, sorry if they are wrong, I don't have my scriptures with me)

 

Also, since this past Sunday was Fast Sunday, the MTC schedule is a little different. We have a mission conference, 2 hours from 10-12, and it is great. we had 6 speakers, mostly the MTC presidency, I wish I could share with you what each said, but basically the each picked one of the principles in Lesson 3 of Chapter 3 of Preach my Gospel: the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which are: Through the atonement we can be cleansed from sin, Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Recieving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End. One of my favorite Christ-like characteristics is "Long-suffering". It's like patience in your afflictions. I've been studying that alot in the B of M.

I just got back from the temple, probably for the last time for awhile, I hope to be able to go in Merida a couple times, there is a temple..... I will be packing next P-day! we'll see if there is time

 

Hope the CONFAM benefit for Bri goes well, i know its comin' up sometime! 

 

Well that's all I can think of and time is counting down fast. Love you all, hope this email made sense!

 

I love my FAMILY!!!

 

-Elder Connolly

Week # 7 @ el CCM

 

HOLA mi FAMILIA!!   Mom, I DIDN'T FORGET YOUR BIRTHDAY!!! FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS!!!   Como estan? I have been out in the field long enough for 1 transfer! 6 weeks. this also means I have made it through 1 planner! and I just started a new moleskin journal. There is also a completely new cirriculum here at the MTC that is cool. They changed the TRC all around, we now teach people as they are instead of them as role actors. It seems more real. It's harder to teach because we have no idea what we are going to teach the people who sign up- we just show up, get to know them, and teach whatever the spirit prompts us to teach, whatever they need to come closer to Christ. We have to prepare to teach everything. Its alot of fun and I actually like it alot better. Also, we have a new identity ourselves and other people in my district teach us like we are the investigator 3-4 times a week. Its a great new system brand new this week.   I am back to a 2-some companionship, I love it! I have been in a 3-some ever since Elder Thomson left the first week. Teaching is going a lot better with just 2.  I feel I can teach better when it's not crowded with 3 people and it easier to stay unified with your companion that way, So I am stoked. An elder in an older district had surgery on his leg so he moved into our room and is Elder Oborn's companion, and my companion is my first again, Elder Shipley.   Story of the Week; We stayed up until about 2am on Sunday night because the oldest district was leaving at 6 the next morning, so we just chatted......(I'm pretty much obedient in every other way.. :)  ....anyways, a security guard came and knocked on our door at like 1, we thought he was gonna be mad, but he just came in, understood our situation, and sat down with us and told us some of his craziest mission stories for like a half hour. He served in Ukraine and he is 33, is married and has a few kids. It was awesome! He was such a G.   Story of the Day: Wow!  It has been a busy P-day, I'm sorry I am writing later than usual. I just got back from the temple and gotta go eat really quick before class at 6.  P-days are getting more and more  busy. We got 2 new districts in our zone this week, and a new elder that lives a few doors down from me was my roommate on Heritage Tours last summer!! haha it was so random, and its cool!   We had an amazing DEVO on Tuesday about faith. I think the biggest thing I am going to miss about the MTC are the devos/firesides- they are the bomb. They should broadcast them so people in the field can watch them. Anyways, faith is not an event, it is a process. Exercising  faith is a process, and then LEARNING by faith is the result. There are 2 preconditions of faith, hear the word (know the promises/covenants) and having a soft heart. Once you have those, then begins the 3 step process. 1. you have the hope and desire for something. 2. your hope and desire must lead to action- faith without works is dead (James 2:17 I think?), and step 3) you now have the witness that faith will work, aka proof, confirmation, evidence, testimony. You can,t however act of the witness, you can only act on the hope and desire. YA GOTTA WANNA!!! haha   Alright, now I thought a few more things, -Mom I still need my shaver charger, its the same as dad's so get one like his and send it -shaver for cutting my hair, make sure there is a 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch clip, only ones really important -Ryan Erickson's address- dad I know you have his phone number, call him and get it, and send it! -also mom, can you go to Walmart and get me a jump rope? not an expensive one, but just make sure its light weight.   Thanks for the Vosens, the Flag and the Mexico Map!!!! You all rock!   Mom, I completely forgot about the missionary newsletter post, I will have to write it to write it to you tomorrow, I'm not prepared!       So i gotta go... and got about 10 minutes to eat before class! love you all, you da BEST!!   -Elder Connolly

Elders Earl, Connolly, Christiansen, and Garcia

 

Week #6-- Weeks just keep on Rollin'

Hola Familia!

Onto week 6! crazy. time is going fast. Sounded like Em's wedding went well, and hope all is well with them. Where did they end up going on their honeymoon?

 

Also i got a my mail on Tuesday cause the mail was closed on Monday for the 24th of July, and i lost them! im sooo bummed, they have to be somewhere, but ill keep looking! if you can, maybe send them again, whoever sent them!

List of stuff:
-east directory. POR FAVOR!! whatever you can get, send. preferably 08-09.
-im serious about the mexican flag mom, can you send one!? and a BIG foldable map of Mexico. Gracias!
-I need my BYU ID number!!! haha i forgot it and it asks for it on the deferment papers mom! can you find it out for me? what should i do? i filled out the rest of the paper, should i send it to you and you find out my id? i have absolutely no way of figuring it out on these stupid restricted computers haha, i could if i was on a regular one.

-someone wanna send some popcorn that you microwave? i kinda crave it sometimes.... haha

Thanks:
-Thanks for the cookies mom! I ran out like the day before then I got more, it was great!

-also tell Lynn Bello thanks for the peanut brittle and he wants my emails, so talk to him and get his email so you can put him on the forward list
-Thanks for EVERYTHING...(cause I know I'm forgetting something :) )

Story of the day- sooo I got my hair cut today. I show up- the guy asks me about how sad will be to cut my curls off. I Itold him i would.... :) then when he was just about to start cutting my lochs, the phone rings.....I hear him arguing that on his invoice, he got 5 minutes of overtime payment extra when he remembered he left 6 minutes early on that day....only at the MTC... took maybe 8 minutes to resolve that. was it necessary??? yes...honesty is the best policy, even if its just 20-30 cents... :)  ...then topic of conversation while he was cutting my hair?....how to train your pet chickens not peck their eggs open after they hatch them by putting a golf ball in the nest, which will hurt their beak when they do it and cause them to not do it again to the real eggs....wierd??? Sooo... moral of the story, mom I need you to send me that shaver that Em and Dew gave me at the shower, make sure there is a 3/4 inch and a 1/2 inch clip!! those are the 2 most important. I'll be doing my own haircuts from now on!   hahaha!

Story of the Week:
So I got my VISA!!! Not.... they called us to the travel office!! so we ran over there screaming and yelling with excitement! Then we get there..." oh only the Mexico City East Mission has their visas....sorry Meridians...." :( it was rather disappointing. as of right now, we dont have our visas, 3.5 weeks to go!  I hope they come. but then again, I would be down to go state side for a bit, get a taste of state side and not, we'll see what happens, I'll keep you posted.
Anyways, this week was great. I restarted the Book of Mormon last week... this time in Espanol...and it takes aloooot longer. but its great, I notice stuff reading it slower. I'm in 1 Nephi 22.

 

We had an amazing Devotional this week, about Sanctification. He listed like a million synonyms or how we can be sanctified, here are a few:

-repenting, cleansing, growing, rejecting (wrong stuff), accepting (right stuff), seeking, avoiding, thanking, appreciating, helping, laughing, crying, choosing, sacrificing, struggling, opening, exhaulting, understanding, embracing, abandoning, loving, submitting, regretting, giving, sorrowing, agonizing, striving, purifying and like 50 more. I tried to write them all down.

 

We talked about how we have to sanctified into new beings, and in my case, into missionaries. He asked us why were were here. We talked about some reasons why missionaries comes, for the right reasons or wrong, then said, "regardless of why you are here, you are HERE now, and what are you gonna do about it?" Attitude is everything, same goes with regular life, away from missionary work. It takes work to change for the better. He talked about the "Refiners Fire", burning off the impurities makeing substances stronger. He made the comparison to getting stronger biceps, you work your arm, add weight, do some curls over and over again diligently until it becomes easy, then add more weight and do more curls until it becomes easy again and so on. Start with one, then add more and more as they become easier and you can eventually become more "Strong" or Christ-like. THis process of Sactification is key in everyone's life: to become more like Christ. "Always try to do the hard thing."

 

Also the Gift of the Holy Ghost... its a GIFT! We have to accept it to have it with us!If we don't accept it, its our fault to not having it with us. Read D&C 8:2-3, how the spirit talks to us. Then read D&C 88:33, about what good is a gift we don't accept it??? we must recieve it. An act of faith is generally required to receive the Holy Ghost. 

 

Anyways, I was on a roll haha. but im running out of time.

 

Well I love you guys! send some pics from the wedding and stuff! let me know whats goin on at home and stuff! Love you ALL!

 

Haz Lo Justo!!! Nos Vemos!

 

-Elder Connolly