Pictures from June to August 2014

We got a package from Brandon in it today. It had some great letters and his SD card so I finally get to see pictures of him! I loved seeing what things were like. He is a great writer. Love this kid! :) 

Lots of the pictures I guessed on. He didn't send me anything that said what each picture was. He'll have to explain it later.

 Kaden Buchmiller - an old friend from Logan UT

 Mexico CCM

 Mexico CCM

 Mexico CCM

Mexico CCM 

 Mexico

Mexico 

Mexico 

 Mexico

Mexico 

 Mexico

 Mexico

Mime 

Mime 

 Mexico temple

 Mexico temple

? 

Mexico temple visitors center 

Mexico temple visitors center  

Mexico temple visitors center  

Looks like a church distribution center? 

 Mexico temple visitors center 

Mexico temple visitors center  

Mexico temple visitors center  

Mexico temple visitors center  

Mexico temple visitors center  

Mexico temple visitors center  

 Mexico temple visitors center 

 Mexico temple visitors center 

 Mexico temple visitors center 

Mexico temple visitors center  

Mexico 

 Mexico

Mexico CCM (note the barbed wire) :) 

 Cafeteria

Ha ha! This is totally something Brandon would do. :) 

A teacher of Brandon's at the CCM

Apartment in Bellflower, California 

Apartment in Bellflower, California  

Brandon's cherished Lego set 

 Brandon's cherished Lego set 

Nice library! 

Really nice library! 

August 4th, 2014

Hey Family! :)  

It was an awesome week! :)  So answer to your questions real quick, the all-nighter went good.  It was a bad idea though because I was so tired the next day and pretty much falling asleep all day.  I kinda slept on the first flight but then the connecting I talked with the people I was sitting with and planted a Book of Mormon so that was pretty important.  It just was at the expense of my sleep but it’s all good.  I was the only missionary who didn't go to sleep that night.  I was just doing stuff!  The rest took little naps.  No problems with my flight!  It was all good!  

I am serving in Cerritos in this kind of rectangular area.  Don't really know where it is but it seems like a bit of a poorer area and stuff but it’s pretty nice!  California is in a big drought right now so everything is kind of yellow and brown but it’s all good.  It gets super hot though and the humidity doesn't help AT ALL.  

My companion is pretty cool!  His name is Elder Petersen from Cache Valley.  He's really into video games and weird noises but he's a good trainer!  He will be out a year in a couple weeks and I'm going to make him a cake or something. :)  

I don't really know anything about my missionary ATM card right now.  I don't know my pin so I need to ask them to send it to me which may take some time.  I am just going to have to use my personal one until I can get that figured out and they will reimburse me on the food I buy.  I get 30 dollars a week for food once a month I think.  

President Tew is pretty cool!  He's a nice guy and really spiritual.  I only have had one training class with him but it was pretty incredible.  Made me see things I haven't ever seen before with really simple statements like ‘In the name of’.  

Spanish is coming.  I think I am at the brink of being able to talk and understand people.  I can talk, just fine-ish but it’s the understanding part I'm having trouble with.  I am seeing big improvement already though from when I got here so I really hope I can get it soon.  

My bike is good!  It's super old and has no shocks or cushion or anything and Grandpa probably used it when he was growing up here. :)  It’s good though!  The rear brakes do not exist so that's interesting. :)  But it came with a lock and a helmet so it’s all good!  

I will send my SD card when I can. :)  

Are the kids excited for school?  I'm trying to get a box together to send to you guys but it doesn't look like its going to be this week... My companion has a box he wants to send too but he's not done so I gotta wait...  Sorry!  It will be worth it!  

Ok so this week I got here and we went to work but the problem is that this area is having a hard time with investigators and just people in general wanting to talk to us.  We haven't really done any proselyting or anything and no one we visit will really talk to us. So that's hard but it’s good!  I love the study time we get in the mornings but this next part is the coolest thing ever.  So the whole mission runs every morning.  Apparently a long time ago everyone got really sick and no one knew why so an apostle came here and said that if everyone will run 20 minutes a day they won't get sick.  So that's what we do!  I love it so much. :)  Everyone is kinda out of shape though so I don't get too much out of it.  I work on form though. :)  It's so cool.  I am also getting into Legos again. :)  On Friday I think we went to get lights and a tube for my bike because I popped a tire already and we saw these awesome Star Wars Legos.  I got an x-wing Lego thing and it’s pretty much the best decision I've ever made.  I love it so much. :)  I am going to get one per transfer I think...It was so much fun because it reminded me about how much I love putting Legos together and playing with them. :)  I feel like a little kid almost again who is learning how to talk and plays with toys and stuff. I love it though - it’s amazing.  

As far as the food goes, nothing really spicy yet.  Pretty disappointed. :)  I hope it comes soon!  I got this amazing eggnog popsicle thing though and it made me remember what heaven is like.  We haven't had all that many opportunities to eat at members houses though so that's too.  Also with music- missionaries here pretty much listen to whatever.  As long as it’s kind of smoothish but pretty much anything piano guys and I’ve heard David Archuletta and yeah - so I'll update you on that stuff!  It would be kind of cool to get some CD's. Maybe. We'll see.  It’s kind of hard to get what this area is like but I’m slowly getting it.  It's pretty different living in a big city like this and harder to remember where things are but it'll come.  We bike everywhere and it doesn't help that we are the only companionship in our district without a car and we don't even live in our area but it’s all good!  I'm way excited to be able to actually do stuff!  I can't wait!  

I love you guys!  Talk to you next week!

Elder Passey

July 24th, 2014

Dear Family,

That’s so awesome about trek. :)  I’m glad it wasn’t as girly and sissy as we thought it was going to be. :)  It sounded like such a good experience.  

I moved my time to getting up to 5 in the morning every morning where I do pushups and abs and planks and stuff for like half an hour and then study scriptures for another half an hour and then get ready for the day.  I’m at 85 push-ups now. :)  

I don’t think I will miss much about Mexico.  I really want to come back and explore though.  I’m buying a bullet proof vest before I do though.  

My teacher is pretty cool I’ve decided. :)  I didn’t like her the first few times but now she’s good.  This week is easily the hardest with learning Spanish.  We have the hardest stuff that doesn’t make any sense.  Story about that is yesterday in the night class she was trying to explain this stuff to us and was all like Es facil no?  Which is like its easy right?  And I just started laughing.  I laughed so hard because it was so not easy and it was either laugh or start crying.  She eventually figured that it was really hard for us because we couldn’t really do any of it and she eventually gave up it seems like.  I’ve got to learn it sometime though!  Fun stuff!

I’ll make sure to take lots of pictures. :)  Also can you maybe check American Airlines to see their baggage fees in case I have to pay?  I don’t think I will but I just want to know what their standards are and if I have enough money.

I am really excited. :)  I can’t wait.  I am not ready though.  This Spanish is going to kill me.  I am fasting this weekend both that I can learn it quickly and that my trainer will be pro so I can get lots of help and more time to get it down.  The sad part is that I feel like I have it down better than most of the people in the district.  They just can’t teach enough in 6 weeks.  I know it will come though.  

Ok so this week was pretty crazy.  I can’t really remember any specific details from my entire CMM stay here.  So I’ll just type what I remember here.  

So, a note about Mexico.  Pretty sketchy place.  We hear gun shots all the time and apparently there was this one guy who bumped into another as they were walking.  The guy who got bumped into took out a gun and shot the other guy a couple times in the leg.  All the Hispanics act like it’s completely normal!  The police men have semi-automatics too. (I tried to sneak a picture without getting shot)  Apparently if you go hiking the Mexicans will just take you out from their houses.  That’s why the bulletproof vest.  

Last week we played soccer in the rain and it was so much fun. :)  Since the ground is so saturated, there were pools of water inches above the grass.  Crazy experience trying to kick the ball in that and having the ball go a couple inches and you go flying.  At the end we all did a penguin slide and oh man it was so amazing. :) 

So since basically my entire district is going to California we all leave at the same time on the same bus so we all are pulling an all-nighter and partying it up.  It’s going to be sweet!  We all talk about Compton all the time. We have decided that Brown and I will get teamed up as a companionship to go to Compton.  We will be Compton comps. :) What will happen is someone will shoot Brown and the bullet will go through him and then through me and hit Elder Cahoon because he got transferred at that time to Compton to be a trio with us.  The bullet will crack elder Cahoons nametag and stop in his white bible.  He will then perform emergency surgery on Brown and save his kidney because that’s what the bullet hit when it hit him.  Don’t worry the bullet doesn’t hit anything vital with me.  We will go to the hospital in Long Beach and be out in a week back to the work.  It’s going down.

So yesterday was actually pretty depressing...  We found out one of the people in our district is leaving today because she has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.  We all have been a little depressed because of that and yeah...  It makes all of this a lot more real and sad when missionaries go home.  

On a happy note I got a haircut about an hour ago!  I look pretty goofy because she put gel in my hair and I haven’t used gel in forever.  I kind of hate it now.  Whatever though.  Today is the day for craziness since it’s our last p day here!  We have all sorts of fun stuff planned out like going on the roof of this building and taking pictures and yeah just having fun!  Got to live up the last P day here!  

I still haven’t given a talk on Sunday and I may not because our zone is huge now.  Some people won’t speak so I might not but we will see!  I better be prepared for it because last week Elder Cahoon gave his second talk and since he already gave one he didn’t prepare at all.  It was pretty hilarious.  

They have really stepped up the food here since all the new missionaries have come.  It’s way nice to have tons of people here now because they care more about what they serve us it seems like!  I believe its Jeremiah 4:19 that the oldest district here decided was the motto of the CCM.  They left before we were here a full week. :)  Read and enjoy. 

Anyway I should probably stop now. I don’t really have much else to say. Thanks for everything!  Love you guys!

Elder Passey

July 17th picture

My district. 

Me in the front, then Elder Gardener, Elder Stevenson, 
Elder Brown, Elder Montgomery, Elder Kemp, 
then in the front Elder Cahoon, and Elder Cottel.

We were being serious. :)

July 17th, 2014

Dear Family,

Have fun at trek!  Even though it is super wimpy and girly!   That window washing stuff sounds sweet!  I’m impressed its working out so well!  The kids are going to be rollin in la mula! :)  

Thanks for the info! :)  So the missionary stuff is sweet!  The only thing is that my bag broke the first week.  I was able to fix it though - just annoyed at it.  And today in the morning someone walked off with my sweet laundry bag!  I’m kind of annoyed that someone would do that!  I mean come on we are all missionaries here but whatever...  Hopefully it will turn up and if not I only have one and a half weeks left.  

One more P day here!  I get to email you guys later on in the week next week or maybe even Monday.  I don’t really know what’s going on.  I only wear suits on Tuesdays and Sundays.  I have tied my tie spiffy and you wouldn’t believe how many compliments I get on it!  Lots of people want me to show them so I’ve showed them how to do it a whole bunch. :)  Fun stuff!  Pretty much everyone who works here is Mexican or has lived in Mexico for the last millennium.  I haven’t gotten any letters except one from grandma

Ok best thing and worst thing I’ve eaten.  This one is easy. :)  WORST thing this week was this morning actually!  Imagine that!  I got this plate and it had tortilla looking stuff on it with verde sauce.  I figured I would try it.  It tasted AWFUL I almost gagged after that bite.  It tasted like they dropped the tortillas on the ground and then thought hey lets wash these off in the sink!  So they put them in the dishwasher and let it soak for a couple weeks and then remembered it this morning threw some verde sauce on it and goat cheese and put it out for the poor missionaries to eat.  I actually don’t know what my best food I ate this week is. :)  Usually I’m pretty hungry so I just shovel everything down.

  

I am sick and tired of volleyball right now.  I’m playing a lot of ping pong and basketball though!

So on Friday I was invited to play soccer. :)  It was so much fun and I scored twice.  Once was a sweet volley where someone kicked it to me and in the air I kicked it into the goal off the goal post and the other was cool because I put a top spin on it and it actually rolled through the goalies hands. :)  However, like 5 minutes in I got hit in the face with the soccer ball and it broke my new plastic glasses!  It broke the frame and it hit about half an inch away from my right eye.  Cut up my skin there and everything.  I bought some super glue and glued them back together this morning but I lost some little plastic pieces so I don’t know if it will work...  I’ll let you guys know later!  (I fixed it this morning)

On Saturdays we had this awesome tie trade thing going on. :)  Saturdays are the worst because we are just holding on for Sunday and it’s hard so we decided to turn it into tie trade Saturday.  This other district in our zone who was leaving on Monday joined in. (We were pretty good friends with all of them. :)) and I traded a whole bunch of my ties.  I kept my favorite ones and the special ones though!  Don’t worry!  Just the ones I didn’t love as much or wanted a change.  Crazy thing happened that night though.  So I was wearing my pink tie that day and I would have traded it but I figured that I was wearing it so people couldn’t really tell if it was up for trade or something.  But what happened that night is we had a substitute teacher who is getting married sometime this week and after class he pulled me aside and said he was looking for a pink tie that’s the perfect shade and color and everything for his reception to match his wife’s dress and he said my tie I was wearing is the perfect color.  He then asked if we could trade on Monday and I was all like Heck yeah!  I would have given him the tie right then and there!  I took it back to the dorm and scrubbed it because it had some marks on it and ironed it and everything then on Monday we traded and I got a cute purple tie. Also I got a skinny tie!  I've never had a skinny tie before!  I'm not sure I like it yet. :) So yeah, that's pretty fun!

The language is coming good I almost automatically translate what people say in English to Spanish and I know it will come really soon.  Just lots and lots of practice! 

I am so excited to leave!  It feels like I’ve been here for an eternity.  Only a week and a half left then I’ll be in the new group again!  We got a new night teacher and she is mean.  No bueno. I don’t like her very much and she doesn’t like us either but its only for a little longer!  I bought a shirt yesterday with the CMM stuff on it.  I’m also getting used to those goofy sandals I bought the other day!  I don’t know if I told you but I bought these cheap sandal things that hang on to your feet by the little piece of plastic that goes over the top of your foot.  I like them though!  I’ve never really owned any sandals before and it’s fun to have a change from church shoes.

I really miss music.  I didn’t think it would be that bad but I pretty much think about it all the time and try to sing songs in my head and sometimes out loud if I feel it.  It’s the same with movies

It’s overcast like pretty much every day here. I bet every day double or nothing that it’s not going to rain.  I owe one guy 10000 pesos and Elder Brown 4000.  I’ll win sometime though. :)

We are going to play some soccer today and take a nap!  I’m way excited! :) 

I’m so glad we went camping before I left.  I was thinking the other night and there isn’t something I would have rather done as a senior trip thing. :)  All these people here talk about going to like Bermuda or something and Disneyland but that camping trip was amazing. :)  Just thought I would let you know. 

Anyway I’ll talk to you guys later! :)  Have fun! Love ya too!

Elder Passey

July 10th, 2014

Dear Family,

Holy cow that’s crazy about the river rafting thing!  Dang that’s scary!  I wish I could have been there to see and help but yeah I know you guys had help. Thanks for the long message - it’s really fun to read. :)  

Well the schedule is the same every day.  I get up at 6 to work out (I’m up to 65 push-ups and abs workouts) then I take a shower because I’m usually the first person up by that time.  Then we go to breakfast and class after that from 7:45 to 12:15.  We eat lunch then and then go do this technology language thing for an hour and then back to the class room from 2:15 to 4:45 when we go to gym for an hour. We then get dinner and after that if there isn’t a devotional we go back to the classroom from like 7:00 to 9:30.  In the morning and evening we have a teacher teaching us and we switch off mornings and evenings to teach them as a lesson because they’re pretend investigators for us.  But for the rest of the time we just study - although my district cannot focus...  It’s really hard to get studying done because they all are usually doing something loud which is fine every once in a while – but not all the time. I’m just so tired all the time that a lot the time I know it’s only the spirit keeping me awake and driving me forward to pay attention.  

I can feel myself going crazy very slowly.  I laugh at the most random things way too hard and the other day I drew a face on my hand so I could talk with someone sane. The other day we watched a part of a video on this woman called Ingrid who didn’t have legs and we were supposed to teach them.  I was paired up with Elder Brown (He’s the tall one with glasses going to Long Beach) and I was Ingrid but I said I should be Ingrod because its more manly.  So he started laughing and said you got an ingrod toenail?  After that we just lost it.  Our teacher was standing right next to us as we laughed for like 5 minutes straight.  Brown kept trying to talk but just started laughing again.  I was seriously crying.  :)  I find it easier to laugh here which is pretty fun. :)

Devotional days are the greatest ever.  I’m convinced that the General Authorities save their best talks for devotionals.  They are even better than General Conference talks! This last week on Sunday they showed a recorded talk from Elder Holland and it was so good.  It convinced me that I need to take my studying on a different path and study the life of Jesus Christ.  I know he has a spiritual gift to say what the Lord wishes him to say.  He spoke about the life of Jesus Christ and I know that I can’t teach people without loving Jesus as much or more as this gospel.  I am well on my way too.  It’s incredible how he put things with what he said and yeah...  I love his messages so much.  Then on Tuesday we had a devotional live from Elder Anderson who talked about unseen things.  The start I didn’t think was as great but when it got going I got the implications of what he was talking about.  The powers of unseen things sure are great - like testimonies, feelings, and especially the power of the Spirit.  It ended up being a really good talk.

They serve cheap fake Mexican food.  I’m way disappointed.  Nothing spicy at all!  The ice cream here is to die for.  I would seriously come here just for the ice cream.  It is way better than anything at all in America and I’m pretty sure they only give us the cheap stuff.  The one thing they do so well here better than anywhere else is the desserts and lunch.  I look forward to those every day.  We have had cake, pie, ice cream, Oreo stuff (possibly my favorite), and anything else you can think of.  They had this chocolate and caramel cake the other day where the caramel was like a custard and oh man it was so good.  They do try to keep us healthy though!  And I can get sugar cereal for breakfast or dinner which is fun. :) Feels just like home!  

I’m in a dorm room so it’s me and my companion in one room, then Elders Cahoon and Gardner in another room and then two Latino elders in another room.  It’s fun with them there. :) The schedule is so intense that it’s hard to keep awake all day and I’m always exhausted. But it’s all right.

I’m kind of in a rut with Spanish but I know it’ll come easier. I know I can get over it!  

I’m studying my scriptures in English most of the time and right now I’m studying the life of Jesus Christ.  This week I decided to read and study Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts by the end of Saturday.  I’m in the middle of Luke right now and it’s by far my most favorite book.  I love having the opportunity to learn more of the life of Christ.  

The weather is about 60 degrees as a high.  It’s really nice actually.  We kind of celebrated the 4^th of July.  During lunch they had red white and blue tablecloths and we had pie and barbeque sandwiches.  They tried which was nice. We sang the national anthem too which was fun!  

I love you guys! The days are flying by!  It feels like yesterday since I emailed last. This other district in our zone is leaving on Tuesday and when they leave we will be the oldest district in our zone!  It’s crazy to think that I’m more than halfway done with this place. It’s really not that bad and it’s beautiful!  I can’t wait to get to California though. :)  

Ok well see ya next week!

Love,

Elder Passey

July 3, 2014

Dear Family,

I haven't gotten any letters yet and the apprehension is killing me, but it's ok. :)  You probably shouldn't send letters coming up pretty soon because I might leave before I get them.  There are some people who have to wait for 4 weeks until they get theirs.  

I'm sleeping great!  Everything is fine!  We went to the temple visitors center today. :)  It was so awesome and sweet.  I got some legit mexican stuff for birthdays or just whenever.  I've decided my companion is just like that one elder something we had who talked about books and video games all day.  His name started with a W I think. Anyway he's so much like him so that gives you some idea.  He picks his nose and eats it.  The other people in my district have told me to talk to him about it but I don't know if I can. might have to though if it gets worse. 

Spanish is good.  So the language is tough.  I can kinda talk with natives though very slowly and with bad grammar and everything.  The whole experience is just really intense.  The investigator thing is so complicated.  We teach two pretend ones who are actually our teachers and then we do this weird thing with volunteers.  

My teachers are very different.  My morning teacher Hermano Hernandez is really nice and knows a lot of english, which is good.  He's not married and 26.  He's going to LDS Business College soonish I think.  My other one is Hermano Sanchez and he's like 21 and married.  He is probably rich, we think, and doesn't know as much english so he really pushes us to learn the stuff.  

Ask Mike about KD. :)  And we added some hashtags DFD BRB.  DFD stands for diarrhea for days and then be right back.  It's so funny. :)  Go inside jokes!  I have not suffered from KD though. :)  Just to let you know.  

Sundays are the days to live for though.  Best day of the week by far!  We have to prepare a talk every Sunday and they randomly pick the speakers.  I haven't had to give a talk yet but it'll come soon I think. :)  I'm ready!  There are lots of meetings but at the end of the day we have a devotional by apostles which are so good!  They aren't giving any more because it's July or something, but they're playing recorded ones.  Then we watch a movie after that and I love it all so much!  

We've decided this place is like spiritual prison.  12 foot walls with barbed wire and it just kinda drains you.  Then when we get out of here we'll be in spiritual paradise!  Yay!  Everything is so hard and intense but we have fun still as much as we can.  It's hard to keep from getting discouraged but its important to be patient!  I'm so ready and excited to get out of here though.

Yeah the food is fine!  I'm getting used to it but there's a stomach virus going on here.  We can't even shake hands or anything anymore.  

It's fun to workout in the morning by myself.  Nice peaceful time to myself.  Pretty much the only time I have so I enjoy it the best I can.  I went running with some people in my district and that was so much fun!  I raced them in a sprint and destroyed them. :) Kinda fun.  Elder Cahoon is about as fast as I am with Cross Country and Elder Gardner is a little slower, but still really close.  Elder Gardner is part of the team who won state for Cross Country so that's kinda fun to talk running with those two. :)  

I hope you have fun with Trek!  It's going to be so awesome!  I loved it.  

That sounds like so much fun with the park and the reservoir. :)  Too bad you didn't catch anything.  Crawdads aren't very good or fun anyway though.  

Have fun with the reunion stuff!  Yeah I know service is really great to help feel better and everything.  

I'm way excited to send some pesos to you guys. :)  Especially Dad.  I'll save my letters and send them one at a time so it's kinda like I sent them all when I wanted to. :)  

I am way over homesickness now,

just to let you know.  I still think about you guys but it's not sad anymore.  I'm just happy we are a family and that I can help bring others to this gospel so they can be as happy as we are! :)  I'm writing in my journal every night so maybe when I fill it up I'll send it to you guys.  That would be fun.  Anyway, bye!  Talk to you guys next week!  :)  Stay happy and eat lots of ice cream!  (the ice cream here by the way I've named celestial ice cream.  It's so good...)

Love you!  I'll email next week! :)

 (I think this is at the Mexico temple visitors center)

(The missionary in the center is wearing Brandon's glasses so he looks like Brandon, but Brandon must be taking the picture.)