He is the gift, eating cactus, hair removal, building a chimney, a love for laughter, Teotiuacan, and she's there to stay... for 18 months.

HOLA MI FAMILIA!!!

Holy smokes... this week has been absolutely wonderful and frankly, I can’t even remember it.

But first I want to say I am so sad about Janell Berry. She will be in every prayer and fast and I am wishing for the best for her. I can’t quite explain my sadness for her, but I am so wishing for the absolute best!

I also want to say I am sorry to family and friends whose emails I couldn’t reply to. One hour just isn’t enough time to read and respond, so please forgive me and know that I love you all and appreciate all of your support!

Could you maybe send me some stamps? That’s one thing here that’s very expensive and it would be lovely to get some.... if packages ever get here... :)

So I don’t know what my problem is, but I had another issue with a man trying to kiss me. Bahahaha, oh my gosh. We were doing intercambios (exchanges), so I was with Hermana Guerrero and we were teaching one guy who was very nice and his wife and they were so quaint. We are in the street, right? So we are saying the opening prayer with them and all of a sudden when we open our eyes there is a looming bean pole of a man who starts telling us that we can’t give “him” lessons because his woman is really jealous, because he really loves to love women and I just burst out laughing, couldn’t help it. So he tells us that we are beautiful and then moves toward me and tells me he’s going to kiss me! WHAT?!?! Seriously inches from my face. I scream - TENGO UN NOVIO! (I have a boyfriend), because that’s just the first thing that came to my mind... and I hopped on my bike and started riding away. I turned back and my comp is cracking up behind me, and oh my gosh, we laughed so stinking hard. Oh the struggle is real. 

So on, I guess, a more serious note, my comp and I killed it this week. I am learning that there is no better cure for any sickness than hard work. We had more lessons than ever, by one third! Normally it’s 40 lessons per week, this week it was a FREAKING 62!!! Booooyahhhhh killinngggg itttt... (in the best way:))

 

Our neighbors brought us a Christmas tree and decorations!

This week I realized something - I am here to stay. I am here, no matter what, for a year and a half and I might as well act like it. Lately I’ve thought a lot about home and how much I miss you all and fun activities to do, but this week I realized that I need to give all my heart, might, mind and strength to this work and have zero regrets. I can’t daydream about silly things that don’t matter during lessons (Walter Mitty moments) any more and that I want to live in the moment. I want to soak in every second and truly live and be a sponge of this incredible experience. Maybe that’s why this week was so good... 

I love people who can laugh. We were in consejo de barrio (ward council) with all the leaders and the bishop talking about how we can better help the ward and I had a little out of body experience. Everyone was laughing and loving and it was amazing to watch people. There are some who truly laugh, some who laugh to be seen laughing, and some who don’t find anything funny. I like people who laugh because they are happy. I think laughing is being happy all over, but showing it in one principal spot. I love laughing.

So I also love nopales, which is cactus. They scrape off the pokies and cook it and oh so good on tacos and really good for you. The fiber makes you feel full without bad stuff, but of course I don’t like them for that reason, they’re really yummy!

So now I eat salad. And eggs. And I still almost cry every time. But I’m learning.

I also really like horchata. It’s like... rice milk with other stuff... I’m not really sure what, but it’s delicious!!!

We have been teaching our golden investigator more and more lately and this week we taught lesson three, where we teach about baptism. We were teaching this subject, yes, with the intent to ask her if she would prepare to be baptized, but hadn’t gotten to that point yet. We were teaching and about to move on to the next point and ask at the very end of the lesson, when she said, “Ok, so with all this talk about baptism, are ya gonna ask me to be baptized or what?!” WHAT?! Oh my goodness, she basically asked to be baptized. My comp went completely red in the face and had a total lack of words, so I just piped up and said, “Well Silvia... yeah!” So she now has a date for THIS WEEK!!!! AHHHHHH!!!!

But with others, it’s been a little difficult. It’s hard to let people have their agency... haha, but really, I am learning that we just need to rest assured that we are doing absolutely everything we can possibly do. Everything. And after that, it is their agency and everything is in the Lord’s hands. Everything happens for a reason, but oh man, prayer and fasting is real. 

 

One of our other roommates.

My comp and I were biking along when my comp went over a speed bump and her bike just broke. I mean, broke. The chain fell off, the wheel was crooked, it was a mess. And my comp almost broke down too, with all of the, “What are we gonna do?” and all. Well, we pulled everything off to the side and I pulled out my leatherman and fixed the wheel back on straight and tightened a few screws here and there and then put the chain back on and put it in the right gear and yeah... it works! Haha, it was lovely! I love it when things like that happen, it’s a nice break. Probably the only time I feel useful. Haha jk... ish.

We went to TEOTIUACAN today! It was absolutely amazing. I took TONS of pictures and absolutely loved it! It was amazing. I don’t really have the words to describe it all. I guess we will all just have to return as a family... right? :) Not all of the pictures downloaded so I will send the rest next week – slow internet today.

 

By the way the house with lights... I have no clue who’s it is. Haha it’s just pretty and the lights seem to move. 

I am actually able to eat pretty healthy. This week two people have said that I look thinner, especially in my face. (I must say I don’t feel like it... but hey! I’ll take it!) I haven’t had any issues with the food besides eating salad now, which is a little bit of a bummer, but it isn’t too bad. They don’t have dressing here... only limes, so I don’t know if it’s better with dressing or what. I love the tacos here and the pechuga actually... and the rice and the beans. 

 

Building a Christmas chimney.

Love the smiling faces.

I can’t possibly describe how much I love the Mexican people. I know I’ve found people I knew in the preexistence. I know it for a fact. Gerardo Corona, he’s in his 30s, but acts like a little kid and we act like little kids together. Where my comp is a little more serious, I get to play and have a blast at their house. There’s a pic of an arm without hair and tape with some hair on it... his wife and I put tape on his arm and we got to rip it off, because we were constructing a chimney for Christmas (people don’t have chimneys here) and it was HILARIOUS! Seriously, he almost cried and we all laughed so hard. This family is amazing and we are super close with them.

Ouch!

I am so eternally glad I chose to serve a mission. I can’t even explain myself... a complete lack of words. I have learned so much in these past two months, and grown so much more than I would have in years back home doing normal things. It’s amazing the changes that are happening and I feel so, so, so grateful, especially in this month of December. We get to share the special gift of the Savior. If you can, watch the video HE IS THE GIFT. It’s awesome and true. The first gift wasn’t gold, frankincense or myrrh. It wasn’t in a package with a bow. It was love and I love sharing this with other people. I’m learning that I may not be able to give much, whether it be money, presents, or even at times knowledge/hope about this gospel... but I can always give love. My goal is to leave people better than I found them - every single person, every time. And this is something I know I can do.

I will let you know when we find out about skype and when and how and all that jazz... as for right now we don’t have a clue, but I will find out for sure!

Do YOU know I love you - you three, my sweet little family? Know that I think about you every day and in every prayer? Because I do, so very much. Thanks for your support and love. Love you times a bajillion zillion.

Mwah!

con amor (with love),

su hija siempre (your daughter always),

Hermana Ansteeeeeeeeeeeeeeee :D