Listen to the Spirit

Mexico City Temple

Ephesians 6:10-18    Hola mi familia,
It's crazy here!  Me and my companions just had what I consider the most spiritual moment I've ever had in my life, and also one of the hardest.  I won't go into details on that but it was amazing!  I have so much left to learn and do.  The real investigators they pulled in were really nice.  Some of them were members but for the most part they were real.  I got another companion, kinda.  He's Hispanic and we are only companions every once and a while.  It is his first week and he knows no English and so it was fun talking about how to teach.  During the lesson we both said some funny things in Spanish that made no sense but the investigator was nice and put up with us.  We had him commit to read the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith History.  We will see later on if he did but I know he did, just from the spirit that was in that room.
It's amazing to hear from everyone!  I love getting e-mails!  It's the only real thing that slows my mind down.  The Spanish has my mind running so fast that it is hard to actually think normally now.  As far as it goes, it is literally the same thing every day.  At this point, the lessons have plateaued for the moment.  My whole class can now carry a conversation and we almost always speak in Spanish around the dinner table now.  And we only speak Spanish in the afternoon.  But don't confuse this with ease, we are speaking in a kinda crappy way.  We all make little to no sense to the investigators.  I know for a fact that I speak it and they get my point but it is like talking to a toddler who has a Spanish to English dictionary.  We are always looking up new words.
My Companion, Elder Tanuvasa has gotten better.  But I got sick and Elder Fie eiki got sick, as well.  It was just a small cold and we are almost over it now.  The cough is just clinging to life.  We are going to the temple again today.  I love it!  I encourage you to look up a picture of it.  We have stopped working out for a little bit as to get feeling better but will soon start again.
This week has been rough because I crave music that is not church related, like Eye of the Tiger, We will Rock You, All you need is Love, or anything Queen.  And I long for an ice cold Coke (the CCM/MTC does not have ice or Coke) it kills me!  So, if you get the chance, drink one in memory of me.
The walls have seemed to shrink.  We are all starting to go stir crazy.  We long for some real walking and talking.  We know we have so much left to learn and practice but we also just want to see something and feel free.  It's ironic because we are a bunch of Americans trying to get over a wall and go into Mexico, when in America some are thinking we are building a wall to stop people from Mexico from coming into the U.S.  We always joke with the Hispanics that that's the case.  The Hispanics are so funny!  Now that I can kinda understand the jokes, they just crack me up!  It's just like sitting through a whole comedy show, but it never ends.  They all could be great comedians one day.

My casa.  I don't have a picture of the inside but just imagine
one big room with 2 bunk beds and a table.  The bathroom is
just a regular bathroom.

The district is family & audit is for devices.  Wake up at 6:30 at
the latest.  Our goals, I challenge you to do them as well.

It's so weird.  This was next to the nicest mall that I have ever seen.
It is a 'homeless home' (translated).  It goes without saying that the
concept of money is weird here.  I don't understand it.
It is different than America.

My CCM familia.  Everyone is amazing and I think they are the
reason why I am not getting super homesick.

I love and miss everyone!  Don't kill my dog as I am gone, I want to see him again.  I miss you and am praying for you.  Please take my messages to heart.  Listen to the spirit!  If there is one thing I wish I did more of when I was home, it would be to get used to listening to the spirit.  I love you! -  Elder Cazier

To Dad,  I am fine and the wall around me is 2 feet of thick concrete, 15 feet high, and it has about 5 feet of barbed wire, plus I have God on my side!  Outside of this, it's really nice and almost like a haven from all things.  I have no idea what is going on in the outside world except for the sounds I hear come over the wall.  Those sounds are slim to none, we barely hear the trains that are only one block away.  It's crazy what a wall will do, but enough about that.  How's life going?  I hear you are working hard.  Is it going ok?  How is K.J.?  I worry that he's having a harder time without me than I think.  How's Grandma Cazier?  I just know nothing.  It is kinda weird.  I can't wait for Christmas when I can call you!  I just can't wait!  The CCM is kinda weird, it's like school but as a job.  That's really just what it is.  Love you and miss you!  -  Elder Cazier

To Hinckley,  Hey, Bud.  How's it going?  I hear you are doing well in physical therapy.  I miss going with you and chilling with you!  I just wanted to let you know that you are in my prayers and that you are so much stronger than you think you are!  I know that the best way to receive help is by helping others.  I just barely learned that.  I have no idea why.  If you look for a way to help those around you, I know that they will open back up to you.  It is happening to me.  I was the only one to not speak Spanish here.  The feeling I got was to help those in the class with anything no matter how small.  Now I still am the lowest level of Spanish speaker known to ban, but I help everyone and it makes me happy.  And they end up helpoing me in the end.  I know that you are special!  I also chalenge you to read your blessing, it tells you tings God wants you to know.  That's all I can say about that.  I love you bud, and care for you deeply, and want nothing more than for you to be happy!!!  So go out and be happy and don't let anything stop that!  Learn to laught, tell jokes, and live the life that God wants you to live!  It's you that matters and it's you that God loves.  Hank, I don't want to hear that you are fiving up, EVER!  You are too strong for that!  you are a Cazier, which means even more!  So don't even think about it.  Love you, Bud!  -  Elder Cazier

Share the Love and Joy of the Gospel

The MTC used to be a School.

Here I am with some Art that is here.

1 Nephi 15:11   I am missing everyone so much!  It is hard to look around and think where I would be right now if I wasn't on my mission.  It's super Crazy!  Sorry for the late response, they moved my P-day to today this week and so I could get my Visa extended.  It's so Crazy, the CCM (MTC) is kinda in the bad part of Mexico City.  Today we went to the good part to get our Visas extended.  It was almost like home except with skyscrapers and stuff and returning was even more crazy because we were able to see how sad it really is just outside the walls surrounding us.  

These are the Neighborhoods here in Mexico.

It is crazy because you will see this and then

right across the street there will be a super 

nice, modern shopping center.

My Companion Elder Tanuvasa has gotten really sick with Walking Pneumonia.  It has been going around the CCM because we are all super packed in together here, it's kinda crazy, but he is doing a little better as of now, but it may come back, we don't really know.  

I received the package you sent me.  Thank you so much!  Most of the candy was amazing, just like everything else.  But the suckers were like the Cinnamon Challenge with Jalapeno.  They were very interesting, I'll have to send some home when I'm out in the Field.

The game is over... My mom guessed what the Wooden Picture from last week was.  It was the Tree of Life.  I will send it home, as well, when I get out into the Field.

It is still really hard work out here.  We are teaching our first real investigators next Saturday.  They bring in members and investigators to learn.  We are all freaking out!  But we all know that we will be blessed and that we will do all we can to share the love and joy of the Gospel.

As for what we are doing right now... It's the same as last week but just more challenging.  I am able to read Spanish and understand 90% of what the real Latinos are saying.  Well, I get what they mean. I don't necessarily understand what they say, per say, but I know what they mean.  They are so funny!  I don't know how they get anything done at all.  They are always making jokes and teasing people.  It is so funny to watch them play a sport or hear them talk to you.  I am always laughing here!  It is amazing!

Tell Kai (our dog) that I miss him.  I dropped a chip and walked away thinking he would come and eat it but later I stepped on it and made a mess.  I feel bad that I am not there to spoil him.

Love you and miss you all so much!!!!!!  -  Elder Cazier

Mexico City Temple Trip

Mexico City Temple Trip - October 12, 2017.

I am Loving it here!

3rd Nephi 5:13   Como es mi familia, I am loving it here! The work is hard but I am learning fast.  As far as it goes, I am having full conversations with my companions.  I got another companion right after I sent the last e-mail.  His name is Elder Tanuvasa, he is from Utah but his mom is from the Islands and Elder Fie'eiki is Samoan.  They came in knowing Spanish and are fluent.  We have been talking only in Spanish for the last couple of days.  It is amazing, the gift of tongues is amazing!
I hear it's getting cold up there.  I've had like 70s and 80s down here.  It's really nice, but we just had our first freak rainstorm.  It was insane!  We were walking and out of nowhere, just a heck ton of rain just poured down on us.  It was only like 10 minutes long but it dropped like 5 inches of water.
My companions are getting gifts from a site called 'Missionary Package Mx', I believe.  They only get food, but it's all amazing. *For K.J.... They literally have the best chips down here!  It's crazy!  I can't send any home right now but once I'm in the Field I will.  The candy is amazing, they all have huge amounts of REAL sugar.  The chocolate does not have much wax, it's like they took all the crap out of candy and left the good stuff.
I am the richest Missionary here because I came with $200 American, which transferred into about 5000 pesos.  Which means I'm the big man here.  I love going into the store *tienda... and just getting someone something, it makes them so happy.
We have a casa *house which is nice.  We share it with a group of Hispanic Elders and throw a party every Saturday and Wednesday night to relax. It's Amazing!
We are about to go to the Mexico City Temple and do a session.  I love it here and just can't wait to go out of the walls and see what the real Mexico is like.  This is like a slice of America dropped into Mexico.  It has a lot of Hispanic cultures though, which is amazing.  Some Elders are getting sick because of the food they are serving.  They just get the runs, but that hasn't happened to me yet.  I love the food!  It is like better Mexican food than the stuff back at home.  I can't even describe it, it's that good.  They love the fruit flavored stuff so I had strawberry syrup this morning, it's really good, REALLY GOOD!  They serve salad every day and have veggies and fruits everywhere.  It is amazing!
I've gained 10 pounds but it is in muscle.  My companions are... Fie'eiki - Bodybuilder and Tanuvasa - Runner.  We have been doing a 4 mile run each morning and then hitting the weights.  I thought that I worked out a lot, but, oh my, we do almost a 2-hour workout a day plus gym for an hour and a half.  It's Crazy!  We're waking up at 5:30 and going to bed by 10:30. Just Real Fun!
I love you and miss you.  Everyone but me has a working Ipad to read e-mails and send e-mails to their family.  Mine is broke and won't let me read e-mails so I just have P-day.  But I love sneaking in an e-mail during some free time and study time.  It keeps me motivated.  As far as it goes, I have Spanish study from 8am to 4pm then Spanish Lesson giving from 4pm to 9 pm, then bed.  We get 30-minute breaks for food, sometimes more.  Where my casa is, is in the very back on the farthest place away from our classes so we do a lot of walking back and forth to get things and go home.  In all honesty, I am doing a ton of physical activity.  It's nice and I love it!
I forgot one thing.  That is the cord to hook my camera up to the computers.  It's an A/V out... no clue what that means but my companion has one and is letting me borrow it.
It's so colorful here, the shades of green, oh my, there is so many on just one tree.  We have a bunch of green birds that live here as well.  We all love them because they squawk and distract the teachers, and they give us a break. I just want to say I love you!

Me and my Companeros.

Elder Capson * He's from Idaho Falls.

Can you guess what this is?  The answer will come next week.

When I am in the field I'll send it to you.

I'll check my e-mail when I'm back from the temple if I have time.  The traffic is super scary here.  there are laws but no one obeys them.  We had a car drive in-between us and another bus on a 2 lane road when we got off the airplane because the busses move slower than the cars.  It's Crazy! -  Elder Cazier

To Dad,  There is a church just outside the CCM and it fires fireworks every time someone is baptized.  So far we have heard so many fireworks.  It is insane!  It is also a driving force.  It makes me want to work harder every time I hear one.  I want to share the gospel with that many people as well. We hear at least 15 a day :)

Everything you taught me is coming to good use now.  I have people from around the CCM asking me to shine their shoes for them and to iron their shirts.  I have to thank you for that skill.  I love you, papa!  -  Elder Cazier

It's Official

HEY!!! I miss you! I have made it home safe. The plane was fun, I was able to give out the Spanish Book of Mormon I brought with me while on the plane, well, in the airport. I have met my companion, his name is Elder Fie´eiki. I will not be able to respond till next Thursday. But I look forward to hearing what you have to say, and I already have a lot of good stories. LOVE YOU!!!
-Elder Cazier
P.S. It's official I have the tag!

And So It Begins...

If you were to ask Kaysen, this day has been a long time in coming... He received his Mission Call on June 3, 2017 and now, just 4 short months later (to the day, I might add :) he is off to Serve the People in Mexico!

He was so excited to go that he practically ran to the Security Check to get on the plane... forgetting to hug his momma one last time.  His excitement is contagious!!! There were no tears, just joy and happiness for Kaysen's Righteous Desire to Serve the Lord!

I did happen to grab Kaysen and steal one last hug before he boarded the plane...

It made my 'Momma Heart' sooo happy when I received this picture later in the morning. Thank you so much to the kind gentleman who was gracious enough to take some time from his day to send a picture of a new missionary to his loving momma! You made my day a little brighter!