Glad to hear you all had a good 4th of July together! The 4th here was just business as usual, but something cool did happen. When we all went to lunch, the tables had red, white, and blue tablecloths on them and they were serving BBQ sandwiches, apple pie with ice cream, coleslaw, and waffle fries! It was the most I´ve eaten since I´ve been here! Then about midway through lunch, they let all of us Americans sing our National Anthem! I had goosebumps the whole time and almost got a little emotional, it was sweet. It was nice of the people there to let us do that. Sounds like the parade wasn´t very good, but is it ever? haha. Glad to hear that Luke made it home too! Boating sounds like fun! I love Pres. Hendricks, that´s nice that he´d take you all out. He´ll have to take me when I get back haha.
I´ve done everything in my power to get my money back, but it is out of my hands now (literally) haha. I´ve talked to the head of security and maintenance twice and he said he is doing all he can, but I´m not exactly sure how much that is. I´m hoping I´ll be able to get reimburse for at least some of it so I can have some when I get to LA. If not, I´ll have my debit card I guess. Dad--Please call the bank if you haven´t already and let them know I´m in México and that I´ll be in LA.
I sure miss the smell of mint in the Summer! That is one of my all-time favorite things. I remember smelling that out in the hop fields last summer in the mornings and that would basically get me through the whole day. It doesn´t get super hot here, but it´s pretty muggy. Oddly enough, I actually kind of miss being out in those fields! I have some good memories being out there. I think I´ll have to work out there again when I get back so I can talk to all the other workers haha. And Nolé won! Nice! I am fine with him or Fed winning ever Grand Slam haha. It seems like Fed just isn´t able to play to the same level he used to though which is too bad. I´m also glad to hear that lady got excommunicated. I´m surprised it didn´t happen sooner. It isn´t good for stuff like that to be happening within the Church, that isn´t what it´s all about.
This past week was pretty good. Fast Sunday was great, I think it was the first time I´ve actually fasted for over 24 hours. Most of the time I´d try to eat as much as I could up until midnight and then eat as soon as we got back from Church haha. I think I´ve learned a little bit more about what it means to fast since being here. I´ve fasted a lot since being here, and I know we can receive blessings from doing so. I didn´t hunger or thirst once the whole time I was fasting on Sunday (from Saturday around noon to Sunday at 1 in the afternoon). My branch President told me he wanted as many people as could to bear their testimonies and that he wanted me to be an example to them, so I bore my testimony. I was able to say everything I wanted to say in Spanish and it all flowed smoothly. It was a fairly simple testimony, but I pondered on it afterward, and it was a testimony to me that the gift of tongues is real. Just a few weeks ago, I arrived here not knowing how to even pray in Spanish. It is difficult, but there are times like that that keep me going. The first counselor came up to me afterward and commented on my pronunciation and accent, he said it was perfect haha. I was glad to hear that.
It is crazy to think that in less than two weeks I´ll be in the City of Angels! I am stoked to get out there! I know I won´t be fluent, but I know I will learn the language a lot faster when I am constantly talking to people who only speak it. Maybe LeBron will even be there! Haha I´m not sure I could root for the Lakers, even if LeBron plays for them.
I had the chance to go to the México City Temple´s Centro para Visitantes this morning and it was sweet, I will include some pictures. The Temple is HUGE! I knew it was the biggest outside the US, but it is still a lot bigger than I thought. The Visitor´s center is also really nice, it was fun to have something a little different. I finished the Book of Mormon in English on Saturday and started it side-by-side in Spanish and English as soon as I finished. A few chapters I really enjoyed there at the end were 3 Nephi ch. 13-15 and Mormon ch. 9. I hope you enjoy them too. I´ve been kind of under the weather the past week, but I´m on the uphill. I had a pretty gnarly cold. I was craving some nice, hot, limón mate to get me through it haha. I also met a missionary here who is going to serve in the Washington Kennewick Mission! His name is Elder Budica. And what are the odds that he is from the LA area? Haha it´s like we´re switching places for the next two years.
I love you all so much and am thankful every day for your help in getting me here to this point. It may not be 100% correct, but I will try to share part of my testimony with you in my new language. Yo sé que Jesucristo es nuestro Salvador y el Redentor de humanidad. Estoy agradecido por la oportunidad servir mi misión y compartir este mensaje con a las personas que son listo escucharlo. Es muy importanto compartir este mensaje con el mundo porque tenemos la plenitud del Evangelio de Jesucristo a través del Libro de Mormón, el profeta José Smith, y Jesucristo, el Hijo de Dios. Yo sé que Dios y Jesucristo nos aman y quieren ayudarnos. Gracias por tus ejemplos y amor!
Elder Reynolds
Also, I may not have been able to see the new Spider-Man before I came, but the actor is here on a Mission! Haha this guy looks exactly like the actor (I think his name is Andrew Garfield) so I had to take a picture with this kid, Elder Willes.
I love you all!
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