Week 12

Hey guys

   I'm so glad to hear from you. I really enjoy this hour to write to you all and the letters was excellent. My shoes are good the echos are really nice and are holding up nicely. They are always dusty and shining them is practically useless because within an hour they will be just as dirty again. The orthopedics are life savers, I haven't had any pain in my feet even though we walk a ton. I always feel like I'm blessed with this kind of stuff. I see people's pants ripping or shirts tearing but all of my stuff is holding up nicely. I'm sure it's only a matter of time though.

     I love hearing about the ward and other missionaries in the ward too. It does my heart good to hear that the Coopers are preparing, they are really going to love serving the Lord. The honor to see miracles every which way you look is the best thing for anyones testimony, and I think if I've learned anything this week it's the power of my calling. I got to give two blessings this week. All the members and inactive have a lot of respect for the missionaries and love to receive blessings here. So me and elder Mathis are constantly busy with the inactive. There is like a inactive every corner because ( I might have already said this ) but 70 percent of the members here are inactive, but this week was more walking than ever. 

    I'm in the best shape of my life right now. Only my back pains me after hauling the backpack full of libros de mormons around. I feel great though. I sleep like a rock every night and the only mission rule that is hard is the waking up in the mornings. I'm still not used to 6 to 6.30 wake up. I did enjoy my time staying up late, but I get to see the sun rise every morning during my morning work outs I get to see it come over the volcanos and it really is a sight to see. I'm so blessed with my apartment and the beautiful view that we have. We were running low on food again this week. I had to resort to oatmeal with no sugar and extra water to make it last, but as for dinner... We are always booked. Speaking of which, some of the food here does not suit me well, but other food is amazing. Like I said earlier I'm in the uttermost south part of the city next to the jungle and it's really poor because we are on the side of the mountain, so the food is not the best either. 
The other day I had cactus and onion tacos. I thought I was going to die. They have cactus all the time here and it feels like I'm eating rubber. Always I have had the runs now for 6 days. Some days I almost didn't make it back to the aparment before I exploded. It's really getting to my stomach but I feel fine for about 3 hours after.

     I dont have too much use for my gold watch because if I wore it out in the open it would be stolen fast, but dad your right people don't really have any beaf with the missionaries. They just like to make fun of us because we are white and we look rich with our shirts and ties, but on the 12 was the dia de la virgen ( Day of the Virgen). They abosolutly love the virgen Mary here actually they call her guadolupe for who knows what reason becasue there is a word for Mary in spanish. But fireworks were going all night and drunk people everywhere. Since alot of people here are die hard catholics. 

  There was a lot of parties and we almost didn't get to see anyone. About the akas. It's the guards that have the akas and the thugs that have the pistols, but I still have a smile on my face from all the stuff I have seen here.                  Ashley was totally right when she said that you have such a whole another view on the world when you go to Mexico. I have seen super rich people, more in the middle of the city, and super super poor people, but they are the most humble which is why I love this area so much. I really do love this work it's just hard with the language still. I can understand so much better than when I first arrived but people speak so fast and they don't have good sentence structure here that it's hard to follow people sometimes. I love spanish though I just feel like its always been part of my blood. 

   It's funny because there really is no such thing as a burrito here. Only way up in the north do they have burritos. its always tacos tacos tacos with things like panista which is simply ground up pig guts and you throw it in a quesadilla. It was not very good but you have to stuff yourself with whatever is given you here and you have to clean your plate or else. Elder Mathis is a funny guy because he is like a hard core boy scout, he works all year round with the scouts and he's kind of a nerdy scout. He always has stories about skits that he's done and merit badges that were hard, and he doesn't like how the church runs the scout program, but I just laugh and try to enjoy his personality, which really isn't too much like mine; but after the scouting experience I have had, I would never complain about how the church runs it. Jeff is the ultimate leader and has prepared me more than anything for this high adventure. Which literally is high. That's why it's so cold. It's so high up even though it's sunny every day. I love the sun but I would much rather have snow or oregon weather right now. I'll probably eat my words but I miss the cold during Christmas. it really doesn't feel like Christmas. Only rich people can afford to buy lights and only a few people have trees. Speaking of which we got this little arobilta which is a small tree. I think it's perfect for out little apartment. 

   I'm really sorry about no pictures. It's always hard remember to bring my camera to the internet shop on p-days. We barely bring anything with us and the internet is really slow so the pictures take forever to download; but I promise next week I will upload most if not all my pictures here, they are some good ones, but I can't pull out my camerea for the really cool stuff, and the videos I might have to send home, since Elder Mathis is a district leader, we have meetings twice a week at the stake center which is way far away from us, we are kind of in the middle of nowhere mexico. I am actually getting tan and in the middle of december too haha. 

  We get to go to the temple this month so one of these days I will get to go through a spanish session, I'm way stoked. The language is still really hard, but we got this family as investigadores and within the first lesson we got 3 fechas or baptism dates. I'm so stoked, this is why I love my misison, in  fact that I'm actually saving souls, also I have learned more than anything this week that we are in a war just as cruel as the Nephites wars with Satan. He is working really hard and I can actaully see his hand in these people.  The people here are really flaky and are afraid of change, my first investigator with a date fell through and said that she never wanted to see us come back again. I was heartbroken but it seems like nothing can get me down. I love the elders in my zone and we are all way happy. We don't get to play sports here because it's really dangerous and too many times missionaries get hurt, but for a christmas present,  we all got to play soccer and I can tell you that soccer here is way different than in the states. These mexicans have skills unlike I have ever seen, but it was way fun. 

 We all had to sing and or dance in this christmas program thing. My districe did white Christmas and I had a solo along with elder Mathis wand we danced too it was awesome. Also I had to give a talk in church this last sunday on service. I thought it was awesome and everyone loved it. As long as your humble about your spanish no one thinks twice. I saw people crying and it was exactly what I needed to get my hops up again. I can't wait to receive those chanlcas or flip flops. I need them I have to use this garbage bag, it's really quite funny when I shower. Also our toilets butsed as usual so we have to flush it with the water that we use from the showers. I really can only write 1 100 of all the cool things that happen here and I love the time I get to warm my fingers up by typing as fast as a can, I don't know why Mathis doesn't write more, he always is finished when I'm halfway though, but I love the guy and were doing really good together. 

 I love the people as usual, the food is at times too much for me to handle but I can stomach it. I think because I'm new they have different food for me, ike these weird chicken things that were no bueno, but I love you and Mathis is pushing me out the door. Until next week


 Elder Ordway!!

Week 11

Hey everybody:

   So I finished another week, and this week was just as crazy as last week. I expect every week will be though. I just saw a guy get thrown out of his store that he runs. His shirt got ripped off and he got the crap beaten out of him by 9 guys with guns. People all over the streets just have AK's and are always drunk. Dogs here are bad. I didn't see it last week but this week, I was fighting dogs off all week, especially in the jungle is were the wild dogs are and one bit me but I only got a little scar on my hand . It didnt enter though, but I never thought I would be using the book of mormon as a weapon.

   We got a baptismal date this week with a lady who have a lot of trouble. Every lesson is a cry fest with her, but we do our best. Here are some die hard Catholics and would never think twice about letting us into there house, in fact almost everyone here is Catholic, which means they all believe in God, which means that I haven't had to teach that lesson nor will I probably. Also there are no seat belts in this place. Every taxi and car just drives crazy without a seat belt. Our ward had a Christmas Party with pinadas and food it was cool and we got a family of investigators to come. 

   Me and my comp are really cool  or in nos caimos bien or we fall well together. The language is still really hard, people are speaking way to fast for anyone to understand. People will just ask me direct questions and I won't understand a single word. It's all good though. I'm learing more and more every day. A lot of it just doesn't make sense, you just have to memorize over and over and over again. Today is p-day, and I woke up and worked out. We work out every day here and it's great. I'm already getting really strong. Well at least alot more strong than I was working and eating at wendy's. 

I got my first mexican hair cut today and me and Elder Mathis baked a cake together. We are going to give it to this family that lives near us. They aren't very rich but they are always giving giving giving to us everything. Things are so different here, like literally everything. You have to be careful what you say because you never know if people are going to take offense to it. People really don't like americans here because they think they are all racist. We get made fun of daily by people all over the streets. It really doesn't get to me thought because I can't understand what they are saying. Even the members will make fun of us because we can't roll our rr's or because we have alot of arm hair. We have to turn on our biuoler every morming at like 6 because it takes a while to warm up. I honestly cant remember what I've said and what I haven't so I'm just going to speak my mind as fast as I can. 

  Something really popular here is rice and bananas toghether, go figure but people love it . I'm like in the poorest area in the whole mission which is awesome. I love it. People are so humble and they will just spill all there thoughts and feelings to you and start crying half way throught the apostasy, but people here are reallly flaky. They are never home when they say they will be and it ruins everything. It's pretty cold here actually now that I think of it. It's really high altitude so it makes climbing the hills in my area really hard, btw my area is on a side of a mountain and part of it is in the jungle. It's way cool but it's alot of walking, constantly we have to climb and lower and climb, it's destroys your knees like no other. Some of the micros here play really cool spanish station,  and I can help but fall alseep every time I get a seat in the micros. I'm always so tired but I love it. I've seen like 80 people on a micro. its crazy. those who have bags on micros are hated becasue it takes up to much space. one of our investigators wants to get baptized but isn't getting married until May. dahhhhh!!! because the people here are so rich. 

   The food isn't the best. It's good but really different. You wouldn't find a burrito 100 miles of here, but once I had enchiladas, once. A meal here is different too because they always have a first meal which almost always is some kind of macaroni soup and or rice and bananas. Then they give you the main meal which includes really fatty meat and tortillas. Always tortillas. I haven't had a meal yet that I couldn't stuff into a tortilla. I love it. We are really busy every day and in reality we could use like 8 more people in our area and like 900 more in our mission. I love it because the people here believe in the Santo Muerte or death as an actual being and the fear him so they sacrifice animals. I never thought I would be in such a different place as this.

  I always under estimate how different our cultures are, and people are really small here. I think it's so funny that I'm the tall one and people always have me grab things for them. I'm like not tall though so its weird. My whole world feels shrunk in. My legs can't fit in micros seats and my head hits things now. Tall people are so lucky. The sour cream here is funky too it's like really liquidy like a cream and it's not very common. People love their pollo (chicken) here though. We had hot dogs the other day and the hot dogs here are different to but I like them. It's like a salad on a dog. A lot of veggies and chilis and the ketchup here is different too, people love it on their pizza and it's actually pretty good. We don't get the chance to eat out or at the stands because people always want us over for meals. We spring cleaned our house because I have been sick for 3 weeks now. It's no bueno. I'm fighting athletes foot, and it's a battle that I'm losing,  I hate it. And with our toilet every other day we have to fix it. Either the water pressure or something is just crappy made, or  it's mother clogged for like 5 days. 

  I also love here how spiderman is called hombre arana. I always laugh at that, there is so much to talk about and I literally have the most interesting journal ever but what really makes my mission awesome is the missionary work. We work really hard with the members and we are constantly late for things because here in mexico people love to talk and talk fast. So they will talk 40 minutes after the appointment. The work is truly inspired of the Lord though. I have seen miracles that I didn't think I would see ever with people and dogs and toilets. You would never have a stronger testimony of this work untill you go on a mission and see with your own eyes the miracles that the Lord has in store for you and his children and his work. I'm so glad to be apart of this and there is no way I'm coming home early. This is where I was meant to be and the fact that I can actually help people is the best feeling ever, all I want to do is do service for poeple

 I'm always sad that they say they don't have any work for us to do, but this city had so much personality and the people here are either really mean to us or too nice to us. My stomach has double but my weight has half. All the walking and working out in this high altitude is rough, but my leg muscles are beast or at least they will be. I miss everyone so much especially at this time of year, I want to be home so badly sitting at the table for some sour cream chili bean bake or taco bell. I still swear that taco bell is the real mexican food. 

Did dallas get the preisthood yet??  oh bty my address is    

Av. Progreso 106, 3° Piso

   Barrio Santa Catarina, Coyoacán

     Districto Federal 04010 

México

I think it's in my packet that I left home, and sorry for my spelling. I really can't spell anything anymore now that I'm learning spanish. The biggest problem we have here is that everyone drinks, everyone smokes, and everyone lives together and isn't married. That and no one likes to come to church. We have a ward of about 60 people and we share it with 2 other missionaries. So we are working really hard to get baptisms for this ward. The bishop expects a lot out of us. 20 baptisms this month between 4 elders. I have faith though, but time is running out. As far as the christmas spirit goes, this is how you should feel when chrsitmas comes. True love for the Savior and his Atonement. We go around and sing to the members because (there not very good at singing ) We sing christmas songs and share the story in Luke about the Savior's birth. 

I miss you guys way to much and can't wait to call you in a couple weeks. We might be able to skype but I'm not sure yet. 

I love you guys 

Elder Ordway!!!!

Week 10- Mexico!

Hey guys:  I'm officially in Mexico. 

I've been here for a week and there is so much to talk about ,so much in fact that I probably won't be able to say 1 tenth of what happened. Luckily I have my trusty journal with it all, but the flight was good, we left the mtc at 5 in the morning ,meaning that we needed to wake up by 3:30. By the way, this mexican keybopard is completely different,so my typing will be even worse. but we almost didn't get on a shuttle to the airport. 

We flew out and landed in Phoenix, in Phoenix airport we caught our plane to Mexico. It took us a while to leave, and the flight was like 3 and a half hours or something. we had to fill out these immigration forms and I honestly had no idea what I was doing, alot of it was in Spanish and I really can't speak Spanish very well. We landed and the mission President and the AP's picked us up. We headed to the mission home where we dropped off all of our stuff and them we headed to the Presidents house. We had echiladas verdes which were bom, made by his wife. All 15 spent the night in the mission home and the next day we met our comps. 

My comps name is Elder Mathis and he's an awesome guy. He doesnt talk to much but nonetheless he is really good at spanish and he's like 8 inches smaller than me. I'm actually like the tallest person in all the city, not really, but I'm always looking over these small mexicans. The people here are amazing, they are so ready to accept the gospel, and if you know how to use your words right, you can always get another visit, in fact one lady was saying that she hated Americans and that she didn't believe that babies are innocent, nonetheless we got a second cita with her (cita is date).  We took a taxi to our house and I unloaded everything I have, our house is pretty shotty but it is one of the best views of the city possible which means that we have to climb a mother hill every time we go back to our apartment. There is like no food in it and its always cold , but nonetheless it's home.

 Believe it or not I already have athlete's foot. Within 2 days I got it. For that reason I hate mexico, but I'm in an area called contreras dos which is placed on a side of a mountain. The higher up you get in the city the more poor the people are and the people in my area are really poor. I literally had no idea how blessed I was until I left the MTC. Like is hard here for the people. Always having to earn their living and no one here is richer than me. There are a few areas with really really really nice houses, but for the most part everything is made of  cement and brick, houses are stacked 3 high and no one has a front door. They live in little communities with like 4 -7 families and there is always like 6 living in each house.  The member love to have the missionaries over for dinner, we are booked for the next 3 weeks, which means that we don't have time to eat at the taquerias, the little taco shops. Everything here is really cheap. its like 20 cents to ride the micros(bus) and like 2 bucks for taxis. 3 dollars can stuff two elders full of tacos, and the graffiti here is redic, I have never seen so much graffiti, and people. 

The streets are jammed full of people, all walking around and driving. Every other car is a taxi and the rest are micros. Micros are like little busses. We take them everywhere, because our area is pretty big. We take a lot of buses, taxis and micros, and the subway a lot, which makes it hard to learn the city, because there is always a need to take the micros. as far as the food goes, I love it, it's exactly what I wanted for mission food. Sometimes its a little fatty or too many bones for my taste. but its really good. people here don't eat dinner or breakfast, they just have one really really big lunch at like 3. being on the side of a hill is tough, I gained 12 pounds in the MTC and now I'm losing it fast, but it takes a lot out of me. The micros are always full of people and you sometimes have to stand for 1.30 minutes at a time on the micros. The drivers here are crazy, in that sense though, they are really good, because they can do stuff with cars that I would not dream of. every car here is a stick shift bug too, haha, but things are going great. All of mexico is doing this thing where you focus less on baptisms, but focus more on making the inactive come to church, because 70% are inactive here. There are so many catholics is ridiculous as well. You have to be very careful with your words to make sure you get another visit. My favorite lesson yet was in the back of a tienda, or a little store. ( there are these little tiendas, everywhere, I mean everywhere, all selling the same thing coke products. Coke here is like air in eugene, but we taught the first lesson to a investigator. The language is harder than I thought. I can't hardly understand anything that people say or when they talk to me I really can't understand. They talk lightning fast and  everything. I know really common frases like where do you live, how much does it cost and who's turn is it to say the pray,  but what they teach you in the MTC is nothing like what it is here. People have no mercy with the language. Your not allowed to speak english, but if you really have to you can. So all I can really do is testify, and the people here love to hear me give the prayers. I always get called  to give the prayer. They love to here me struggle. 

Church was awesome. It was fast and testimony meeting and unlike the United States as soon as the counselor is done talking,half the congregation gets up to bear their testimony. Ididn't even know what was happening before it was to late to introduce myself. No one drinks the water here and in fact drinking water is a pain because it means that you have to use the bathroom, and as a missionary it's harder than you think to find a bathroom. You drink only that which you need to survive here because everything that is drinkable is in bottles. there is no water pressure here either so every toilet clogs every time and you have to throw the toilet paper away instead of flush it. which sucks and stinks literally. There are no plungers either so you have to get creative with water buckets. Sorry for those who didn't want to hear that last part. 

We have to take micros all over the city, and its a pain because no one has cars here in the city. So everyone takes the micros. there is also like a smog covering the whole city although I'm at like the highest part of the whole city, I can only see maybe 1 sixteenth of it. speaking of which. the city is massive, I really mean massive, unlike anything I have ever seen before. It's takes 3 hours to drive across the city no joke. It's 2.30 trip to the temple which we get to do once a year. oh yeah church. in Priesthood, they had people come up and give blessings to the sick. 

In Priesthood meeting, I saw like 4. I participated in one with some other elders on a comp exchange and I gave my first one in spanish to my comp who asked for one. I've been sick since the MTC with a cold. Our house isn't the cleanest and especially not the city so its hard to fight it off. It took me a while to get used to pesos. The peso is about 1 /13th of the dollar and its like 1 peso for a gumball here. My mission President is hilarious and really nice. He's strict in the things that we can't do like listen to any music whatsoever and a few other things. but on the micros sometime there is american stations playing like 94.5 that I love to listen to. I'm not a big city kind of person and it's hard to deal with its compactness, but I love the sounds here. All day and all night long you can here dogs barking and chickens crowing. There is a dog like every other foot here. None of them are spaded or nudered so they just go around and multiply. There is garbage every where and sometimes like 2 feet high of garbage. The people are so funny in the way when compared to Americans, because they are so nice and they never get to see gueros or gringos, which means white boys. People are always looking at me for how tall i am ( believe it or not) and how white I am and the fact that I'm wearing a shirt and tie. People call us gueros all the time but it really isn't that offensive, at least I don't take offense to it, that and girls that are like 18 or 17 here are always looking at you and smiling, but they all look like there 13 here. One family investigator we had had a daughter that was 18 and she looked at me the whole time. In fact the girl sitting next to me right now is staring at me, I'm not sure if its because I'm white or because I type like 50 times fasters than the people here do. 

In the midst of all this ranting about how bad the city is, I absolutely love it. I love the mexican people and it's an honor to be in the city with them. I love how hard my mission is, it's exactly what I needed to learn how blessed I am. Life is just hard here and that's normal, but I love my comp my apartment, my area, my call, I love the food and how cheap everything is here. I love my view from our balcony and the fact that there is no embarrassment anymore because your on your mission with no social life. I miss american food though. It's just not the same as a good burger, but I feel the spirit and the help of the Lord do things that I would not be able to do especially with the language. I cant understand anything but the Lord helps me keep my courage up to talk to people. I cant wait to come home and talk with Maria and Ellie and whoever else I know that can speak  spanish. oh an most important, make sure Ashley  hears this part. that one night at like 9.30 we walked past this dance party dinner thing and they were playing the song moli moli from the chipmunks adventure. I smiled for the next 5 days. I love the shops on the side of the roads, and the fact that I'm the only person who doesn't where a coat here. because it really isn't that cold, they just like there mexican warmth. We got the chance to watch the Christmas devotional in spanish, so I didn't understand but I could still feel the spirit. I miss everyone and its so hard to think of how awesome my life was back home, but I love it here and there is nothing that would make me come home early. 

I love you all and will talk to you all in a week. <

love, 

 Elder Ordway

Week 8- Bonus Letter!

Hey guys. 

So I had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! Although it wasn't as good as normal, I was pleased with how it turned out. 

We actually got to sleep in for a bit . I slept in for an extra half hour. Which really isn't that much, but it felt amazing. Me and my District sang christmas songs in the nap room while we talked before we got ready for the day. Since it was our P-day and thanksgiving, we didn't have as much free time, but nevertheless it was very relaxing. 

I am getting sick, I have a bad soar throat and my nose is plugged up, but every time I get out of the shower it feels alot better. Anyway Holman had to go do his Laundry at 5:00 in the morning , so I comp exchanged with Elders Barcus and Measer, which are my two favorite elders in my zone. We got alot of time to relax before the devotional. During the devotional thought, Elder Holland came to speak to us!!!! It was the best devotional I've ever been to. It started out with his grnadchildren who are very talented, singing and playing the piano to invite the spirit. His wife spoke to us and it was very very good, and then He got up there and spoke on take things for granted. I was blown away at how he could testify, he surely is an Apostle of the Lord, no one else could give a testimony like that except Thomas S. Monson. He talked for like 2 hours and I enjoyed every single second of it. my whole focus was on his words and the spirit was unreal. I left that devotional with a smile on my face the rest of the day. 

We then were lucky enough to do some service for the people in Africa. we made boxes of health and school supplies. Then I played some piano, Elder Barcus was teaching me how to play again. I'm surprised i remember as much as I do. We took a temple walk on a beautiful day. They have this nativity set up at the temple which is cool. Elder Barcus also accidently threw my card over the fence, the card that gets you into lunch, I had no choice but to hop the fence and get it, but it really wasn't that big of a deal. We then went to a thanksgiving program where we had people signing and playing the violin and the piano very very well. about as good if not better than Daniel Bodily. It was very entertaining. We then all gathered together and watched the movie 17 miracles. For those who haven't seen it, its a very sad and spiritully moving video, about the saints crossing over, and every single person at the MTC got their own bag of popcorn, that's like 2300 bags. 

I came home and enjoyed the scriptures and my experience. I wished I could be home eating dinner and playing on the turkey bowl, but am so glad to be a missionary of the Lord right now and I feel honored that I'm called to Mexico. I can't wait, and this week feels so long. For lunch we had the MTC's version of a thanksgiving dinner which wasn't too bad. It was better than normal. Overall it was a very relaxing p-day and thanksgiving. The only thing that would make it better would be if i was able to go into the temple. That always starts my day amazing. 

Im never going to forget the words that Elder Holland said and I feel really lucky that we been in the MTC the time that I am in it. Meaning that right when we got in, we heard from Elder Bednar and we had General Conference with that amazing announcement. We then enojyed snow and good weather and ended with a wonderful thanksgiving with Elder Holland and his family. We got to talk to the MTC president for a couple minutes when we saw him outside. and being here really makes me grateful for the wonderful life I had before and the amazing friends and family that I could see every holiday. Its hard not see see everybody, but i figure that everyone (men) have got to serve a mission sooner or later and that I'm not the only one missing my family. It's now the friday before I leave and we are in a all day "in-field" orintation about what its going to be like in the field. 

I miss you guys and can't wait to call you guys this monday mornigng!!! I hope you will be there!!   

Love Elder Ordway

Pictures from his last week at the MTC

Week 8- Last Week at the MTC

 Hey guys!!

I'm actually writing on wednesday night right now. I'm in the laundry room also doing my laundry on wednesday. This is only because tomorrow on our P day, we have thanksgiving!! For us though our thanksgiving is a normal day, not even a p day!! we don't get our p-day this week!! but thats alright, this is the Lords work afterall, not mine. We have a big old service project we are doing tomorrow for the people in New york. I don't know excatly we are doing, but I'm stoked to actually be able to help people indirectly.

This week was really good. I have one more day of class with my teachers. I think they are more sad than we are. Our new district is really cool. We got 9 guys who are all really cool. They have only been here a week and it's way fun to be able to help them with spanish and with their lesson plans. Actually helping and teaching people is all I want to do right now. Although I love studying!! after two months of just studying. It's hard to focus, but im way excited for Mexico. We all have our travel plans and are trying our hardest to stay on task. But it reallty is hard. speakling of which. I will be able to call you guys this monday at around 7 in the morning. Maybe earlier. I have 300 minutes which is more than we probably need, but if anyone wants to talk. I will call home from the Salt Lake City airport at I'm guessing around 7. We then fly to Phoenix, where we have a 30 minute layover till we catch a flght to mexico city!!! I can't wait. I dont think i can say that enough!!

But I'm really getting into the mission library books. Right now im in Jesus the Christ and True to the faith, but I wish I had read them before. They are so good and tell you exactly what we believe and what to stand for,  and Jesus the Christ goes into so much detail its crazy. Me and my whole district are feeling pretty cool knowing that we have been here the longest out of the whole MTC, except those who are here for 12 weeks. no bueno. I dont know how they can do it.

I got your package and I was so stoked to open it. I loved all the ties especially the blue one!! thats excatly what I wanted and needed. The meds and all the stuff in the bag was way needed or at least will be way needed when I get to mexico. I might be sending home some letters and dear elders. I don't know yet,  and I also received the package/letter from Viviana. Although I can't read all her spanish I love the tie and the card. I really dont have any fear for mexico. if there is anything I have learned here its to trust the lord in all that you do and say.

I was craving some sour cream chili bean bake the other day hard. I didn't know how i was going to make it another hour without some Lord of the rings too. I feel like im pregnant in a way. That i have these really deep cravings for everything. listening to music, watching shows like who's line is it anyway, or homeade pizza,.

The dear elders are very nice, I hope I can get a couple letters out  before I leave, but since I dont have p-day tomorrow I might not be able to. Jeff's are way nice and informative.

I hope you got my letter that I sent to my class mom. if you could give that to them, that would be awesome.

Also the card reader in your package was more than needed. Im really happy right now,. Me and Elder Holman are doing good. He still expects perfection out of himself which then puts alot of pressure on me becuase he expects the same for me, but I have learned patience like no other here. Companionship inventory is no longer awkward and we no longer blows up at random times. but he is very spiritual and will be an awesome missionary.

 I sung in choir the other day, they were singing "come thou fount of every blessing" which I already knew and I love that song to death. it went really good. I miss ward choir and I feel bad now that I didnt give it the time and effort that I should have before.

One guy in my district is being transferd to get this Kentucky?? for 6 weeks. He didn't get his visa and is now staying in the U.S. now but I love this and just wish that I could get out and help people. I feel encaged now that I have my travel plans. It's harder than I thought.

Anyway, Yo se que el senor bendece mi vida en muchas maneras y que jesucristo sufrio por mis pecados para que podria llagar a ser perfecto por medio de la expiacion. tengo un grande testimonio sobre revolacion personal y la poder del espiritu santo en tesificando la verdad a todos las personas. me gusta esta trabaja y estoy muy agredecido saber que puedo vivir con mi famila siempre y etoy animado por la dia que mi famila completa puedan estar en el temple juntos. amo mi familia. yo digo estas cosas in el nombre sagrado de jesucristo, amen.( I know that the Lord blessed my life in so many ways, and Christ suffer for my sins so I can get to be perfect thru the Atonement. I have a big testimony about personal revelation and the power of the Holy Ghost, testifying the truth of all things to people. I love this job, and I'm grateful to know I can be with my family forever, and I am looking forward to the day we can all be in the temple together once more.  I love my family and I say this things in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen)

I love you guys and will talk to you monday morning. bye!!!!

Week 7 Back and Forth Emails with David

***Please read from bottom to top. It will make more sense! *** 

From: Michael Ordway [mailto:michael.ordway@myldsmail.net]
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2012 2:42 PM
To: Dave Ordway
Subject: Re: Dad

 

I actually have to go, but i might be back

On Thu, Nov 15, 2012 at 3:40 PM, Michael Ordway <michael.ordway@myldsmail.net> wrote:

oh oh oh. how is work though?? are you still really busy working over time and whatnot?? has the gas thing came in yet?

On Thu, Nov 15, 2012 at 3:39 PM, Dave Ordway <Dave.Ordway@farweststeel.com> wrote:

No she is not going to the Civil War Game. That is the following week. The Ducks play Stanfor this Saturday. She is going to watch them play, I think, Cal.

 

From: Michael Ordway [mailto:michael.ordway@myldsmail.net]
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2012 2:37 PM

To: Dave Ordway
Subject: Re: Dad

 

Oh what!! she gets to go to the civil war game?!!!! Have Oregon already played that many games, what about stanford??

On Thu, Nov 15, 2012 at 3:35 PM, Dave Ordway <Dave.Ordway@farweststeel.com> wrote:

She is going to be here Saturday night after the Beaver football game. She is going with Leaf then she will be coming home. He is picking her up from the Airport and taking her to the game.

 

From: Michael Ordway [mailto:michael.ordway@myldsmail.net]
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2012 2:33 PM

To: Dave Ordway
Subject: Re: Dad

 

Haha yeah i am!! ive gained 10 pounds. but my cloths still fit, its the pants that are getting tight. but i still think im going to lose it all when i gt to MExico. When does Crystal come home?>?

On Thu, Nov 15, 2012 at 3:32 PM, Dave Ordway <Dave.Ordway@farweststeel.com> wrote:

Yes, I got it this morning. How are your clothes fitting? Are you gaining weight there at the MTC?

 

From: Michael Ordway [mailto:michael.ordway@myldsmail.net]
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2012 2:31 PM

To: Dave Ordway
Subject: Re: Dad

 

OH im doing really good. just doing laundry agaain. did you get this weeks email??

On Thu, Nov 15, 2012 at 3:29 PM, Dave Ordway <Dave.Ordway@farweststeel.com> wrote:

How are you doing!?

 

From: Michael Ordway [mailto:michael.ordway@myldsmail.net]
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2012 2:29 PM

To: Dave Ordway
Subject: Re: Dad

 

Yeah im here now!!

On Thu, Nov 15, 2012 at 12:53 PM, Dave Ordway <Dave.Ordway@farweststeel.com> wrote:

Sorry, I was away from my desk, are you still there?

 

 

From: Michael Ordway [mailto:michael.ordway@myldsmail.net]
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2012 11:25 AM
To: Dave Ordway
Subject: Re: Dad

 

im here now!!

On Thu, Nov 15, 2012 at 10:42 AM, Dave Ordway <Dave.Ordway@farweststeel.com> wrote:

Hi Michael! Are you still there?

Week 7

   Hey Guys.!!! I'm back!! This week has been another awesome week. Me and my comrads in my district have been doing awesome. We are all pretty wild bunch of guys, but i have seen the atonement work on every single one of them. We have all grown up so much just in these two months in the Mtc. Our teachers no longer have anyting to get mad at us about. But I think they liked it. Our teachers taught  a district before us and they said that they were all a bunch of quit, peter priesthoods, Which makes me think that they actually really like us, because ther is so much personality in our group of guys.

         Being the oldest district now means that we get to host, so I hosted for my second time. Basically you pick the missionary up at the curb, they have about 30 seconds to say goodbye to their whole family. I love they way I said goodbye. Very meaningful and I could take my time saying goodbye. I still remember going up the escalater and rasing my hand up. We also got a new district in our zone. 9 guys all going to Spain. I have only seen them a bit since they got here yesterday. But we get our travel plans tomorrow!!!! I'm so stoked. I can't wait for Mexico. Our district leader made me "police officer" kind of as a joke, but my job is to go around and tell people what they are doing wrong. Out of fun though, I'll go around and say stuff like "as police officer I demand you to put a shirt on over those garments or brush your teeth from the bottom up." its all good fun though.

       Me and Holman were chosen by our teachers to represent a first lesson to all of the new missionaries. That means that about 100 Elder and sisters sat and watched me and Elder Holman teach a first lesson. We were hooked up with our mics and it was an awesome experience. We got to do it 2 times, with 2 different investigators. The only thing is, is that I literally can't give the lessons in english nor do I have the Joseph Smith story memorized in english. but being able to bear your testimony in english and put some heart behind it was awesome.

      I had the chance to email dad back and forth last week and that was a great experience. There was snow all this week on the ground, but your not allowed to throw snow balls. maybe one or two. but we have stopped. I dont know if i told you guys, but all this week iI had a big old scar on my head. from a  rug burn I got in the residency. An elder tripped me up from behind and my head got way rugged burned. Literally everyone that saw me looked at my head. half of them thought I looked like Harry Potter. I thought the scar looked awesome! but after a while it was embarrassing. I ripped the scab off and it pretty much went away. I wasn't going to teach 100 or more elders with a big old scar on my head. But it did make for some good jokes and pictures. It's really cold here and especially the last few days, with all the snow on the ground, good weather was hard to come by. I love the Oregon amount of snow and variety. Here it's just snow on the ground all winter long and cold all the time.

    I miss ultimate frisbee a lot. I never realized how fun it was until I couldn't play it anymore,  and I also miss my soccer. With all the snow on the ground and the cold, I am not allowed either to play soccer.

    My spanish is continually increasing, really what I struggle with now is the irregular verbs. There are my bane and I wish they didn't exist. its so hard to remember a defferent word  in every tense. but I love the spanish language and I'm glad I dont have to be here at the MTC for any more than 9 weeks. I've been told that finnish is the hardest language, than chinese, than korean here. Im not sure how valit that is, but i feel bad for those missionaries that have to be here for 12 weeks.

   English speakers are here now only for two weeks, that sucks too, u dont have anytime to get to know or love anybody. Being here for so long, I have learned the importance of study guides. making sure that your always were you should be by the end of each week. I cant wait thought to be merissed in the langauge and culture. We actually dont learn anything at all, ANYTHING about our country or its culture. I literally have no idea about how mexico is going to be like except for day of the dead on the 1 and 2 of november. Me and Holman are doing well too. We are teaching the commandments to both of our investigators now. One of them is not married but has a kid and so she is a bit harder to get baptized.

    I just put my suit in the dry cleaners so that it can be clean for when I go to Mexico. since we have to wear it every day here, it shouldnt get to dirty if im not wearing it much. This was also my last day at the temple for a while. since this thursday is thanksgiving. the temple is closed and I wont be able to go. So I enjoyed my last omelet there and am stoked for when I can enter into the Mexico City temple (if my mission president is cool with it)

   I also realized that when you are giving the Lord your all, he will fill the rest, but you really can't expect any blessing or miracles if your don't give your best and you don't have faith. Although Christ went around healing people, it really was according to their faith that the miracles were done. Faith is so huge in this work. Although I haven't had really any big hurdles to jump over, I'm excited for the opportunities to test my faith and in the end growing from it.

 Yo se que este iglesia es la iglesia verdadera de jesucristo, la mismo iglesia jesucristo establico en la tierra en su minesteria. estoy muy agredecido servir y mostrar my amor por las cosas que jesucristo hizo por me. tengo un grande testimonio del poder de la expiacion. yo se que todos los personas puedan cambiar sus vidas por el mejor, y que estoy un representante del jesucristo en todo que hago. yo se que estamos hijos de Dios y que Dios nos ama. Este es el plan de dios, volver y vivir con dios otravez mediante nuestro obras in esta vida. quero my districto, mis maestras, la ccm (MTC in spanish),y mi famila. me gusta me idioma y el poder del espiritu santo en my porgrecion en mi idioma.yo digo estas cosas en el nombre de Jesucristo, mi salvador amado,amen. ( I know that the church is the true church of Christ establish on Earth. I am grateful to serve and show my love for all the things Jesus Christ has done for me. I have a big testimony about the Power of the exaltation. I know that people's lives can change for the better, and I am a representative of Christ in all that I do. I know that We are sons and daugthers of our Heavinly Father, and he loves us. This is his plan, to go back to him, and live with him again. I love my district, my teachers and the MTC and my family. I like the language and the power of the Holy Ghost in my progress with the language. I say this things in the name of Jesus Christ, my Savior, Amen).

    I love you guys and hope that you can understand my testimony. I do know this church is true and that this work is real. And i will write you this next week.   

Love, Elder Ordway

Week 6

OH man, another great week here. I just feel so good now. Like about almost everything!! Me and Elder Holman are doing great!! He has changed a lot and so have I. We give in my opinion the best lesson in class, people are getting dropped, but we are getting baptisms. We got our second baptiosm this last week, with an "investigator" named Yvonne. She is married, but really catholic. Every time we walk into her "house" the spirit is there and I truly have learned the meaning of the scripture that says"lean not unto thy own understanding" and the one that says "the spirit will tell you what to say in the very moment it needs saying" I dont have the best memory (no thanks to dad) about the scriptures, but I am working on it. I regret so much not paying attention in seminary. It would be so worth it on a mission now. Same with all the quotes and papers that I was given all throughout church and seminary. They are so useful now. I have a new appriciation for everything, literally everything. I am so much more grateful now that i can see all that I had and I cant believe I had the capacity to complain before My mission.

Im sorry about my spelling. It's so true that the more I learn spanish the more I dont like the english language. English just has no rules and it's all about memorization. Spanish is coming nicely. We gave a 5 minute first vision lesson to our branch President on sunday and it went well. Holman messed up his part, but it was ok because the spirit was there anyways.

I was blessed enough to give the first vision scene "vi una columna de luz, mas brillante que el sol, directamente arriba de mi cabeza. Y esta luz gradualmente descendio hasta descansar sobre mi. al reposar sobre mi la luz, vi en al arie arriba de mi a dos personajes cuyo fulgor y gloria no admitan discriptcion. uno de ellos me hablo llamando me por mi nombre senalado al otro, este es my hijo amado, escuchalo!!"( I saw a column of light, brighter than the sun, directly above y head. And that light gradually descended till is rested above me. In the light, I saw in the air two personages whose glory had no description. One of them called me by my name, pointing to the other saying: "This is my beloved son, Hear Him!!")  It was awesome, the Joseph Smith story really brings the spirit into the room,  and I don't think I'll ever forget that in Spanish.

Well the day that it was elections our district spent the whole time talking politics. Although I'm not too schooled in politics, I do love listening to people argue and cut each other off just like on t.v. I did get the voting ballat and so I sent that in, but being in Oregon, not sure it did to much. People were very very sad here after the announcement,  but being in the MTC everyone was huddling around this teacher with an I-phone wanting  minute updates on the states. It was crazy to here and see that. Definitely being in the MTC when stuff like this happens is something I won't forget. I feel like I already have cool stories to tell people when I get back, and I haven't even left the MTC.

It's just so weird to me that everyone here wears suits and it doesn't look abnormal. We will all be in class and eating dinner and you see 2000 people wearing suits and all looking good, but you just don't see it anymore. Like being at a bording school or something. I also feel like  I need some new ties, mine are all bland now. Although I like them, I definitely can't wear the ties that I wore before my mission, I feel like I'm sinning. There just to bland.

Soccer is really fun, it's told that its supposed to snow this friday, and We play soccer on Saturday so I hope that we can still play. Everyone in my district wants to play soccer, so we are counting down the days and feel truly blessed when God blesses us with good weather to play. I'm realy good at juking people now. Soccer came so hard to me because  I am good with my hands and fingers. Frisbee is still my sport, but soccer is my joy now.

There was this noise in our room, but it wasn't just a noise, it shook our entire room, it felt and sounded like a jack hammer on the side of our building. Really weird. it went on for like 20 seconds. So if you remember, when we went to Utah for that super adventure. We stayed at Jeff's uncles house Brother Zwick. Well he spoke to us at the MTC 2 days ago. Him and his wife both gave wonderful talks and I had no idea that he was leader of the construction company that built the Portland Temple. He talked about being disciples of Christ and he talked about his son. Everyone thought it was cool that I had been inside his house and talked with his son. I got bucketed with cold water twice the other day. If your not paying attention, elders will dump freezing cold water on you over the top wall.

During soccer, holam is always yelling for the opposite team to pass to him and he gives commans to the opposite team telling them what to do. I absolutely hate that, but I deal with it. It's worst than i make it sound. There is this girl at the entrance to the cafeteria that is pretty good looking, but she flirts with every Elder that walks through there. She works at the MTC, I just think its funny.

Twice a weeks they have ice cream here and I tried my new favorite ice cream..."Graham Caynon" its tastes like the crust of cheese cake ice cream. It's was amazing. I also got to host yesterday which was awersome!! When families drop there elders off at the curb, I take all there luggage and show the MTC, the dorms and class and stuff, it was way fun and you look like a boss when you get to show elders around. WE are learning to teach people the law of chastity, it's harder than I thought. Many people, this is the hardest commandment to follow and it is kind of hard to teach with the spirit, when you have to tell them that she or he needs to move out or get married, or both. Every night our zone leaders go around giving hugs, one of them crack everyones back, he went to one elder in the new district and after like 3 seconds he passed out and went limp, I was like 4 feet away and didn't even notice!!! but he said that he woke up on the floor and was freaking out, Elder Payne (ironically) felt bad about squizing so hard. I also learned the the english word "get" it way overused and there is no "get" in spanish, every time we use it in english, it takes a different verb in spanish. for example" I got it i got it" "get in the shower" " get out" "get sum!!" "got milk" these all take different spanish verbs and its very annoying, you have to think fast when speaking spanish. especially with direct and indirect object pronouns. I love being an elder, getting to talk about deep doctrine is so fascinacting. Ill let you go, I might send another email while I'm doing laundry, but I love you all and I miss you.

Love Elder Ordway

Week 5- Pictures