Monday, January 27, 2014

{Week 7} MEXICO!!! January 27, 2014

Hola mi familia! Greeting from Mexico!! This week has been crazy. I have so much to write about I don't know where to begin! When we arrived at the airport, Pres Morales and his wife and the assistants to the presidents picked us up and took us to the mission home. Driving is crazy here! Seat belts don't matter here, and we crammed all 6 hermanas into the presidents SUV with him and his wife. People drive as fast as they want here it seems. There are giant speed bumps everywhere to slow traffic down, but they just go faster in between to compensate. The hermanas spent the first night in the apartment of a couple elders, and the 6 elders stayed at the mission office. When we got here the president asked what we wanted to eat, and we said tacos!! So we went for tacos at a restaurant down the street. The restaurants here are amazing. They are open to the street, and they all have a thing with chunks of meat stuck on it slowly cooking in front of a fire. I'll take a picture sometime for you. The next day we had some really quick training, then we were assigned companions! We sat at the front in a chapel, and all the missionaries who would be getting new comps sat in the pews. We all introduced ourselves, and then they announced companions!!
 
My companion is amazing. Her name is Hermana Gutierrez, and she is from Chile. She is 30, has been here 4 and a half months and barely speaks English, but I barely speak Spanish so we get along great!! She is super patient with my Spanish which is wonderful. One of the American sisters who has been here 6weeks told me she was really hoping for an American comp, so she is really happy we're companions. After we got our new comps, we all gathered our luggage and jumped into vehicles, but before that I saw both Elder Evans and Elder Anderson. They were both really nice, and Elder Evans told me don't stress, Spanish will come. We took a combi with Hermana Lopez and her comp, and Elders Zapedo and Sibrian. Combi's are pretty much super old vans that remind me of the mystery machine in Scooby Doo. Elders Zapedo and Sibrian share a ward with us. They split the area, so we're opening a new area. We spent a lot of the first day with the Elders as they helped us move in and introduced us to a bunch of the members. Zapedo is from Honduras and Sibrian is from El Salvador. Sibrian is pretty quiet, but Zapedo is crazy! He thinks my lack of Spanish is hilarious and is constantly teaching me new words. Because we share a ward we see them a lot. He also likes to teach me random Spanish tongue twisters, which is pretty funny. They helped us move in because we got a new home and had no furniture, so they moved in the beds and tables etc. We live in a small house on the roof of a members home, Hermana Sam. She is so sweet and always gives us hugs. Actually, all the females and children under 8 give us hugs and kisses all the time. I've never been touched so much in my life lol. Hermana Sam's house is actually really nice (for here) and our house is pretty nice too. But to get to it we have to climb this staircase that you can see through because it's just bars and I'm always terrified someone is going to see up my skirt! They gave us a blanket when we got here, and Hermana Sam gave us each a huge comforter as well, and I sleep in fuzzy socks and my MTC hoodie with my pajamas, so I'm perfectly warm. And I've only seen one bug! It was a spider, and it was tiny, and it's dead now.
 
Our area is pretty small. And one corner is apparently peligroso (dangerous) but we haven't needed to go there yet. Our only contacting here is in between appointments, and since it's a new area, we've only really had appointments with members. We do have one investigator family that we're continuing to teach. Eddy and Teresa have previously committed to baptism for Feb, and we're just continuing to teach them. They need to get married though so... don't know if it'll happen as soon as we'd like. We contacted this one lady, Ana, and she agreed to meet with us. So we did! In this mission, our first lesson is always the doctrine of Christ and the baptismal invitacion, so I got to invite Ana (and her friend who came too) to be baptized, and they said yes!!!!! We meet with them again tomorrow. She is so sweet!! She gives the most enthusiastic hugs, which is saying a lot because everyone hugs, and always says les quiero! Which is I love you in a friendly sort of way. We were really tired last night and were on our way home when we ran into her again, and she was so happy it just brightened our day!! I love her! I love all the people here!
 
We had to go to the Immigration office to get our mugshots taken, so all the foreign greenies met at the mission office one morning, and we all took the metro together. The metro is crazy!! It was literally push and shove until literally no more people can fit. We were pressed up against complete strangers, and at one point the lady beside me leaned over and rested her chin on my shoulder!! Gratefully, at the really crowed metro stops they have separate cars for the men and women. It took us about an hour and a half to get to the immigration office, and I went first, and 10 seconds later I was done. So my comp and I left the group and took the metro to temple square so she could meet with the doctor, because she has some problems ... I didn't really understand. But anyway, the temple is beautiful!! and the grounds are really well kept. The streets are filthy in Mexico. Trash everywhere. But all the trees and bushes are perfectly pruned in funky shapes...
 
I haven't been sick!!! Everyone else has had a few stomach problems, and Hermana Lopez apparently has a giant ulcer from all the chili! (really spicy salsa. It's in everything.) Pres Morales told us "don't eat the chili" so I've been sticking to that. I also take the pills you sent me with. So far all I've had is a little diahhrea, but nothing major. The food is... good. So far all we've had is a lot of chicken and tortillas. And pan!! (bread) the pan is so good!!
 
There is one family, the familia Villa that is active, less active, recent converts, and non members all in one, and they own a restaurant. They feed us lunch a lot there. The first time, they brought our a bowl of pasta soup and a basket of pan. I ate it and it was good, and I wasn't hungry anymore. Then they brought out the second course, noodles in cream!! And it was really good and I was full. Then they brought out the main course. A giant piece of chicken with some veggies. And I had to force myself to eat it. It was good, but I was so full!!! The next day we went there again, and after the second course I tried to tell them I wasn't hungry. They all kind of looked at me, and then my companion told them to bring it anyway, so I ate it. They don't understand here that we don't eat that much at once!! I've figured it out though. We eat at 2 everyday with a member, and it's always basically the same. So I have an orange for breakfast, and don't eat again till lunch. That way I'm hungry enough I can eat it all!!
 
Hermana Bennett is in my district, Hermana Lopez is in my zone, and Hermana Gurley's comp and mine are in a choir together, so I get to see them all a lot, which is really nice. The choir is singing for a general authority on Feb 8, but the president will only let 12 missionaries be in it, and we got here to late so I'm not in it. But while they practice I get to hang out/study with Hermana Gurley, which is really nice. They're singing the EFY medley and it sounds great.
 
Sunday was stake conference. I pulled out my notebook to write notes, and then they started talking and I remembered oh yeah... Spanish. I don't speak that yet. I generally have no idea what anyone is saying, but it's ok!! I love it. Sometimes they try to speak English to me, but the English they know is the Spanish I know...
 
It's great here. Super different. I forgot my camera so no pictures this week (sorry). It's hard work, but I LOVE it. I was riding the metro last night on our way back from choir, and I thought - I'm on a crazy metro, in the middle of Mexico City, in Mexico, learning Spanish, with no worries other than teaching about Christ!! How much better can it get!
The church is true!!! Be good, say your prayers, and I'll see you all later!!
 
Love you all,
Hermana Taylor
ps. others have had lots of whistles at them, but I've only been called blondie once.
LOVE YOU!!!

2 comments:

  1. What a wonderful letter. I served in Arizona in 72 but only a little exposure to the Spanish people. Even so, the words and stories of love and conversion is like a blast from the past.Hermana Taylor writes just like her personality and it is so fun to read. I am so glad that this letter was shared.
    Robert Mothersell

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  2. What a nice blog! Very nice set up and great to get caught up on Sister/Hermana Taylor's experiences. Well done.

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