Spawn Point for Dogs-Morazan Week Nine & Ten

 Guys I think I found where all the dogs in the world spawn from. Its this town in the middle of nowhere in honduras called Morazan. There is dogs EVERYWHERE and we will be teaching a family and a random dog will walk through the middle of us and then disapear so I think its a community effort to care for all of them. Sad news is I cant bring my phone out so havent gotten any pictures of them

ANWAYS WE IN HONDURAS lots of ups and downs this first week. From my first member food being oatmeal in cold water (I think it was a drink?) to getting to go to the temple TWICE🔥🔥🔥

I don't want these emails to be long but a lot to explain in this one so if you make it to the end respect. So yah my first area is Morazan and there is legit nothing here. There is maybe 30 ward members and we don't have a chapel just a buildin that says the churches name on it. Our house doesn't have water so new experience unlocked, bucket showers. They aren't too bad but they don't hide my crying like normal showers. JOKES JOKES. My brothers all said they cried on there missions but we going strong.

My trainer is only 5 months in the mission and he is dedicated to the work. Our proselyting time ends at 8pm and it will be 7:55 and he will go knock another door. He only knows a little english so a lot of time to think about how crazy all of this is.

Elder Shanklin and his companion

We are one of the only areas to have 4 elders living in a house. Its pretty dope cause the others guys both speak english and one of them this is his last transfer so we got a Best Two Years situation over here. Except I am not a elder Calhoun lol I've been hyping him up that he's going home and he keeps saying its making him have less motivation💀

We went to the temple on Saturday and I had to stand for 6 hours total cause the bus was full and all the missionaries kept saying  "Bro this is such a honduras experience" There were these two kids tho that I got to talk to and I had a convo with one of them about minecraft, fortnite, mrbeast, and he was wearing a georgia bulldogs jersey so I showed him that I was a fan🔥 We are tight now I saw him after the temple and he ran over and dapped me up but Ill probably never see him again

 

Elder Shanklin and his companion at the temple

All the incoming missionaries at the temple with mission leaders

Anways these past few days have been pretty rough and long. Not knowing spanish is BRUTAL and I have so much respect for people who have served language speaking missions.

Yesterday (sunday) was an extra long day and we also cant buy water on sundays. I was hungry, tired, and dehydrated and we went to get dinner from our panchanista. I was really struggling mentally and just needed smth to lighten to mood. When I went to pour my drink the pepsi bottle buckled as I was lowering it and I spilled over the entire table. It sounds bad but we were all dying laughing. It was a cool moment cause it made me remember God always answers your prayers just might not be how you expect it.

PEACE OUT CCM- CCM Week Eight

 There isnt a whole lot to say this week besides tomorrow IM IN HONDURAS so hyped we finally getting out and starting the real mission

 

Elder Shanklin in class

Lots of fun this last week both of our teachers kinda ditched us so we had some subs but its okay we survived and made it to the end. Some guy in our district is Batman so he let us use his mask which was way nice i didnt know batman was chill like that. Sand volleyball and ultimate been going crazy as usual and alot of free time over the past two days to pack and get ready for traveling which has been nice.

 

Little bit of rain in the CCM

Thats mostly it but trust next week there will be some good stuff

 

My mom shares this quote with me alot "God loves us and watches over us but it is usually through another person that he meets our needs!"

-Spencer W Kimball

 

Elder Shanklins district in the CCM

Dont be the reason somebodys prayer doesnt get answered, listen to promptings!

 

Elder Shanklin

 

VIVA MEXICO-CCM Week Seven

 

So you know that team that beat us in ultimate Frisbee last week. Yah rematch happened this week and lets just say it was not a friendly game. Trash talk was going crazy and the contact between teams was probably too intense the CCM. But we came out with a dub so a w is a w. One player on the other team (also going to Honduras) was pretty big in the trash talk and after nailing someone in our district with their follow through, he started some trash talk and all I heard was "shutup mashed potatoes". So yah now there's some beef with the district in our house but we only got one more week so not too big a problem. And you best believe we aint rematching them ,we leaving the CCM as champs.

 

Thunderstorm at the CCM

Elder Shanklin-Honduras and Elder Walker-Guatemala
(friends from AF-See ya in 2 years!)

Elder Walker, Elder White and Elder Shanklin
(friends from AF- Elder White and Elder Shanklin entered the CCM on the same day)

Yesterday was day of independence for Mexico and honestly not to much different from other days. A mariachi band for dinner and some mexican treats for lunch and dinner. At 9pm all the missionaries met at the gym and we did a grito? Idk what its called but we all yelled and then started a giant mosh pit. It was so hype brought me back to the high school dance days back in the prime. The president also didn't shut the mosh down he started taking a video and we were all chanting "VIVA MEXICO" so yah pretty hype holiday.

Thats pretty much all that happened this week. One week till I'm in Honduras with my terrible spanish teaching about Jesus and i am so ready. I love my mission and it hasn't even really started yet.

 

For 2 weeks they speak only Spanish in the CCM

Elder Shanklins teacher-Hermano Torres
They had some fun learning spanish while sorting houses
Hermano Torres is a Ravenclaw -smh

Mexico City on the way to the temple

Some sketchy place the Elders  found at the CCM

Last but not least shoutout to my dad, 8 years ago today my dad passed away but he still is one the best examples of who I want to be. I love everything he stood for. A great father, husband, friend, bishop, stake president. However you knew him as you know he loved to serve. So go and serve somebody you might be an answer to their prayers.

 

Elder Shawn Shanklin-Peru Lima East Mission 1988-1990

Elder Shanklin

 

RIP Elder Falagrady -Mexico CCM Week Five & Six

 

Okay so I skipped last week cause these pdays in the MTC could barely be considered p-days (preparation days). We go to the temple every p-day but its an hour drive so the whole adventure ends up being 4 hours and then we end up having 2-3 hours to write emails, clean, and do the rest of p-day stuff so I get a little distracted but turns out nothing exciting happened this week so ill tell last weeks stories and trust me they good.

 

Elder Shanklin and his district

Ultimate frisbee at the CCM is pretty intense especially if you get the right group of people. Apparently my district is the right group of people cause with 5 minutes left of gym time it was 11-10 my team was up. We were pushed against our goal line and I had the frisbee. My thought was to just bomb it to the other end of the field so they cant block a throw and be right next to the endzone..... that was my plan at least. Ends up when I pulled back my arm to throw it the defender on me (Rip Elder Falagrady) leaned a little too far down and on my throw my forearm smacked his face so hard his front 4 teeth all bent backwards and he immediately started spitting blood... so yah he's okay now tho,  he got to go into the city and see the dentist and got donuts so honestly w (win) for him.

 

Some volleyball during free time

Another crazy thing that happened is one night  t was raining super hard and 70 dudes all went outside in their underwear and were doing pushups and stuff. All fun and games until someone takes a picture of all of them and the president of the MTC sees it. Luckily I have a district that didn't do it but let me tell ya if I had my friends from high school with me I'd be out there in a heartbeat.

Mom note: Russell M. Nelson (prophet) turned 100 years old this week while Ryker was in the CCM. There was a worldwide broadcast and at the end everyone sang happy birthday to him. This is Ryker's recording of the missionaries in Mexico singing to him

CCM is great! In 2 weeks I get to start teaching the people of Honduras and I couldn't be more excited. Spanish is crazy but if I've learned anything its that miracles are real and trust I'm gonna need one to learn this thing.

Mom note: Ryker is playing the piano while the Elders are dancing to his music.

Elder Shanklin