Happy New Year's Eve 2014

Felicidades en este Miercoles!!!

I keep hearing how gosh darn cold it is back home and I keep feeling very grateful that I'm here in the warm south.

I have a picture of my district today. It's all of us at the front of the CCM campus. The other is of me and my companion doing the angel pose, and the third is just me.

Christmas was...different. We got to view a number of different devotionals. One was live from Provo and Elder Nelson addressed us, another was live at the CCM from the presidency of the Mexico area, and another was a recorded devo from Elder Bednar. Elder Bednar's recording impressed me greatly and gave me a new means of studying the El Libro de Mormón. I bought one of the hand out copies at the tienda for 14 pesos and have begun reading it from the cover to cover so that I can mark the verses that talk about the attributes of the savior and the attributes and strategies of the adversary. When I have finished reading the book, it will be completely covered in blue and yellow highlighter and will have a summary of what I learned in the front of it. This was Elder Bednar's challenge to us as missionaries as he taught us about following the example of Christ and being his representatives.

Then we got to watch Meet the Mormons. It was the premier of the Spanish subtitled version of the film. The subtitles were made right here at the México CCM. It was my second time watching the film, but I still enjoyed it. It doesn't give a very broad representation of our faith, but it certainly portrays our beliefs and culture accurately. It reaffirmed that I am at the right place in my life right now and the fact that I want to serve in the capacity of preaching the restored gospel.

It's fascinating how attached you can get to people in only three weeks. An older district in our zone is leaving next week and I'm really very sad about it. They have been great examples to me and my district and I really do love them. I'm excited to see how they do through the rest of their service.

Elder Scott wasted no time talking about his wife during Sunday's devotional. He then taught us an amazingly powerful lesson on prayer. We also got another lesson on making specific prayers from the second counselor of the CCM presidency in which he spoke about Abraham's servant and how he prayed in order to find Isaac's wife. Read it, it's actually quite interesting. I learned about making my prayers more personal and feeling more intently for the answers of the spirit. I also learned that, if you goal is righteous, it is very possible that our heavenly father will bless you with the things that you specifically pray for. 

At the end of the night we watched the film Mountain of the Lord which is about the building of the Salt Lake temple. It reaffirmed my testimony of the house of the Lord and just how much I love attending the temple. It also reminded me, in a very big way, how grateful I am to have been called to serve in a mission with a temple in it. According to Hermano Ortiz, we will likely be able to attend the Monterrey temple once a month while we are in the field, that is very exciting for me.

Yo sé que el evangelio de JesuCristo es la verdad, y está en el tierra hoy. 

Yo sé que el los templos son los casas del Señor y que la trabaja que está alli es la trabaja de salvación.

En el nombre de JesuCrísto, Amen.

Con mucho amor,

Elder Sean Joseph Lambert

Week 2 Day in the life of Elder Lambert

Felicidades Familia y Amigos!!

Another week at the CCM. We finished with our first mock investigator and she is now teaching us in the night. Our day teacher (Hermano Ortiz) is our new investigator. He makes it a lot harder, even though he speaks English some of the time. I am enjoying this experience immensely.

As a district leader, I lead discussions after devotionals, get the elders' mail, report on their progress to the branch presidency, lead some meetings, and hand out branch letters each week to be turned in. Aside from that, I need to make sure that my district elders are being good examples of the Savior by being dignified and obedient. I read D&C 121 and pray a lot in order to receive inspiration on how to act on this responsibility. I am grateful for this opportunity to grow as a leader and as a missionary.

Our choir is made up of two zones and we are singing I Heard the Bells and Once Within a Lowly Stable. I have a lot greater respect for my former music instructors now. It's amazing how a bunch of 19 to 22 year olds have such little capacity for reverence. I love them anyway though. We are singing this very night at the big choir festival.

A typical day at the CCM (pronounce Seh-Seh-Emeh) begins at 6:30 AM with a prayer and getting dressed and ready. Breakfast lasts thirty minutes and almost always involves Fruit Loops. We then do some personal study until Hermano Ortiz arrives when we have a hymn, prayer (in Spanish) and a spiritual thought (also in Spanish). We then begin learning the language and teaching process for the next two hours after which we mock teach Hermano Ortiz. We then plan for the next lesson and begin personal study again. Next we have lunch and another period of language study on our own. Then we have an hour of gym time. I usually play volleyball if I can help it, but every other day we do weights. Then we have an hour of the Church's language learning program after which we do some more studying before Dinner. After dinner we either have evening classes or some kind of devotional. Then we meet as a district and go to our casas at 9:30 where I shower, journal, pray, and head to bed.

I'm getting better at Spanish each day and I'm truly grateful for the training I got back in school. It has certainly come in handy. Also, thanks for all the personal emails I've been receiving. I will be sure to reply to each one if you send me something.

This week we had an elder in my district leave for some kind of personal reasons. It was very difficult because this elder's spirit was so strong and his humor was inspiring. We all deeply miss him and hope the best for him. I had the opportunity to give this elder a blessing of comfort and counsel. Never have I felt the spirit guiding my words more strongly. I've given blessings before, but this was different. There is a true power to the priesthood and I am grateful that I have had opportunities to share it with my family and new friends. 

I love you and miss you all and I hope that everything back home goes well. 

Mucho Amor y Feliz Navidad,

Elder Lambert

Bienvenidos a la CCM

It has been one week but it has felt like a year. A good year, but a year nonetheless. My first night, I was given a badge, a handbook, a schedule, a room key, a set of scriptures in Spanish and a companion. I am officially a missionary for La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias. I arrived at the Centro de Capacitacion Misional on Wednesday evening where we were given our stuff, ate, and met out companions. 

My companion is Elder Uhi. He is a fine Tongan elder from Salt Lake. He is somewhat soft spoken, but has a very strong spirit about him. Ive enjoyed learning and teaching with him quite a lot. Turns out he knows his fair share of Spanish and he has a magnificent tenor voice! My other roommates in my casa are elders Carlson and Hendricks. Elder Hendricks is a fine gent from a small town in Arizona. Hes got an interesting sense of humor and a great knowledge of the gospel. Elder Carlson is older than most of the other elders at 22 and has been an amazing help to me as a leader. Oh, did I forget to mention that I was called as district leader this Sunday? Elder Carlson was originally the district leader, but was then called to be the zone leader when the older district went of to the field. I was then asked by our branch president, El Presidente Gomez, to be the leader of my district.

The first full day here was one of the longest days I have ever experienced. It involved countless lectures about mission rules and orientations as to what goes on here at the CCM. It was extremely overwhelming to say the least. Things got better the next day, although that was when I got my first investigator....in Spanish. Along with the Spanish study, we get to learn how to teach by, well, teaching. The days are filled with various classes, devotionals, and discussions, all leading up to the lesson at the end. We have 20 minutes to teach a lesson on what we think the investigator needs to hear in Spanish. It was a bit nerve racking it first, but I think Im getting used to the idea. All the Spanish I learned is coming back to me.

Here is a little bit about the CCM:

Contrary to what you've been told, the food here is great (I know, always thinking with my stomach, right). El Presidente Pratt is a bit brash sometimes, but Hes a really loving man with a great spirit. Our (my roommates and I) first one on one experience with him involved being five minutes early to a meeting: There were two hermanas in front of us and he said, "Hermanas, you're beautiful...but your late. Hurry up." Then, in reference to us: "Elders, youre ugly....and you're late. Get to class." Interesting fella...

The campus used to be a Church high school until it was turned into an MTC a year ago. Youll all see more pictures from around the campus next week, just believe me when I say its beautiful.

Each district is assigned to an instructor who will teach them Spanish and how to plan, study, and teach. My district is made up of a bunch of really awesome elders, but no Hermanas :( We will all be involved in a Christmas Choir festival on the 24th with the rest of our zone. Guess whos gonna be leading our choir!

 We had a Christmas program this Sunday called La Posadas. It was a traditional Mexican dance program in celebration of the birth of the Savior. It was probably one of the most fun things we've done here at the CCM.

 We have gym time each day and get to decide what to do. Mainly, our district has been involved in sand volleyball and cage soccer. All this physical activity is wearing me out but its a LOT of fun.

We got to go to the the visitors center for the Mexico City Temple today. The temple itself is closed, and not being able to do a session is the one legitimate regret I have so far.

The beds are less than stellar.

I´m excited to continue on this adventure and to lose myself in the work and service of the Lord. Every day is a huge spiritual experience and I'm growing every single day. I hope I'll be ready when the time comes to enter the field.

Estoy muy emocionada a Invitar a las Personas a Venir a Cristo y Ayudarlas a Recibir el Evangelio Restaurado Mientras la Fe en JesuCristo y su Espiacion, el Arripentimientos, el Bautismo, La Recepcion del Espiritu Santo, y Perserverar Hasta el Fin.

I love you all,

Elder Lambert.