{Week 11} Aculco - February 24, 2014

Hola mi familia!!

I have loved this past week. Hna Aguilar is wonderful! I've learned so much from her, and she helps me a lot. She finishes her mission on March 4, and then heads home! She is 23 and from El Salvador, and loves pink things... She's really spunky and sweet. I love her and am glad I get to be with her for 2 weeks.

Hermana Aguilar and I

But in other news... on Friday we went to the doc for a checkup for Hna G, but first we stopped at the mission office so she could talk to Pres Morales. When she came out, she was crying and told us that she was headed home to Chile the next Wednesday (26th). The decision had come from Salt Lake that because her condition was serious, they were sending her home. She was sad, but at the same time feels peace. I think we all know it's for the best. D&C 126 was a big comfort for her...

Our hospital room the day we left, so she looked tons better!

I'm sad that both my awesome comps will be gone in a week!! And I really want to know what will happen to me, and who my next comp will be. I love Hna G and A, but it's also been a little difficult, because they both want to say goodbye to all their old member friends. Pretty much all Sunday was spent eating and visiting with their friends, and while it was fun, it was not productive. And then today, P-day, Hna G had another checkup at the doctors. Hna A opted for splits so she didn't have to spend her last P-day traveling across the city, so Hna G and I set out. She didn't know where she was going so I navigated (I now know the metro really well, certain buses, and downtown where the hospital is, not to mention I know my area almost perfectly!! I can navigate my way around one of the biggest cities in the world!). It was fun... not really. I haven't actually really had a P-day yet, because we go to the doctor's every P-day, and that's 1.5 hours each way, and then 1 or 2 hours in the doctor's office. It kind of stinks... especially because each P-day the district or zone gets together and has a lesson then an activity, like basketball or soccer, and people wear JEANS. We usually have time to go to the lesson, but always have to leave before the activity. I really want to play a sport and wear jeans!! But esta bien... next Monday.

My trio!!

On Saturday, we went to our last cita, and no one answered!! But we knew that some of the family lived on the 3rd floor, so we thought we'd go up there and see if we could find them. We got up there, and found the entire family and a bunch of other people having a fiesta!! They ushered us into the room, sat us in the middle, gave us a whole bunch of food, and continued the party!

Hna Aguilar and I at the fiesta.

There was mariachi music and dancing, and absolutely everyone can jive really well. It was really tempting to join them... Then they brought out the cake, and it was then we realized the whole party was a kid's 5 year old birthday party! It was hilarious!! But a lot of fun!

The birthday cake at the fiesta.

Then when we got home, we realized our neighbours had decided to have a fiesta too...until 4 in the morning they were blaring music. And the funny thing here is that a lot of people play American music, and sing along knowing all the words, but no idea what they mean. It's kind of hilarious. Gangnum style was a favorite for the fiesta next door. They probably played it 10 times. Needless to say, we were pretty tired the next morning due to lack of sleep.

Spanish is hard. I still have trouble understanding, but I do understand a lot more. It's even more difficult to speak!! But I'll get there... eventually...

Our capilla (chapel) and the RS pres daughter, the security guard (because there's a
fence around everything here and a guard at all the chapels), and my comps.

My awesome comps!

Mom you keep asking and I keep forgetting to answer, but we write in an Internet cafe down the street. And the keyboard is Spanish, so similar but a few small differences that make it tricky to type, so if there are mistakes, that's why! Plus I'm in a rush, plus the computer is in Spanish so every word I write in English has that little red line under that means it's spelt wrong because these words don't exist in Spanish.

All three of us sleep in the same apartment - bunk beds!! I get the top... yay. Now I'm closer to the spiders. I cleaned out all the cobwebs I could reach but... The hardest part is the morning, because our shower has only 10-ish minutes of hot water, so we all have to go super fast or the last person gets a cold shower. And right now it's still a little chilly in the morning, so a cold shower isn't great!

Our newly arranged house. Hna A has a TON of stuff...

I love it here. And I'm learning tons. I hope you all have fun in the cold in Canada! I love telling people how cold it is there and about the snow.

I love you all!! Be good, say your prayers, and have a lovely evening.

-Hermana Taylor

A whole bunch of us at a members house for supper -

Left to right - Dana (members daughter), Hna J (Dana's mom) Hna G, Hna Bennett from the MTC, me.

 Front: Hna Mercedes from the Dominican Republic, Hna A, and Hna J's sister (don't remember her name).

This is Hna J's house, and is where I slept all day that one day...