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

Her mission could be over because she ate KFC, a chihuahua moment, a fainting companion, kind-hearted Rosa, a week of no make-up, and shame on them with the shopping cart!

Wow, so where can I possibly begin with this week... my comp and I have grown much much closer given the things that have happened. Let me start from the beginning.

On Tuesday we were teaching the lady that sells pechuga (I know, again? How could we?:)) and it was a swell lesson and all was great. I gave the closing prayer and normally, after prayers my comp is super talkative and says ok! when can we come again?! and gracias and yada, yada, yada. But after I began talking to the lady and turned to look at my comp and found her leaning over on the handlebars of her bike. (She taught while sitting on her bike and I had mine leaning on the table) Slowly, she began to tip. I quickly caught her and lifted her up off her bike and carried her to a chair. Her skin was ice - might I mention it was way caliente (hot) outside - and she almost threw up on me, but thank heaven for my super fast reflexes (haha), I dodged the spew. She came out of her almost unconsciousness and asked for her jacket, for her moreñita (mother), and she was really pale and her lips were white. You could say I was just a little bit nervous, so we waited a moment to let her stabilize and then I helped her slowly walk to a member's house. They then drove us to a nearby mini hospital and they took a couple of mini tests and I called Hermana Egbert. She told us to go home and rest and that I need to stay with her and watch her incase anything else happens so that I can call and speak in English. (Because normally if one of us is sick, the other makes calls to members and continues to work, but in this case where I am the only one in what seems like a 50 mile radius that speaks any English, I got to stay with her. Yay!) We went home and she slept the rest of the day and the rest of the night. 

Whaaaaat? Yeah, it’s been a little nuts around here. And think, it gets better.

The next day, whoa, my comp had all the desires and energy to go out there and kick some booty! She was like a new missionary! We went to our reunion de distrito and that lasted for a while, then we contacted in the street. About half way during the day, she began to feel weak and lightheaded again. We took her blood pressure and once more, it was quite low. But my comp really, really wanted to continue working, but I felt a slight (HUGE) responsibility to take care of her and if I need to be the bad guy and say go home, I will. But with her, it’s kind of her way or the high way, so off we went, walking our bikes to the next lesson. I felt totally mixed. Do I make her go home and rest one more day, because I sure don’t want to scrape her off the street if she faints again. Or is she even that bad? Can we keep going? So I started to half cry and she asked me what was wrong and I expressed myself and asked if we could just call Hermana Egbert and see what she thinks. Yep, the verdict was to go home and that the next day we needed to go to Pachuca to visit a doctor. 

Never give up!

So we went to Pachuca and it was the full-blown doctors visit. Because of her previous tumor, it’s especially freaky as to why she’s having these symptoms, so they took a cat scan of her head and she visited with the doc, who took more tests and blood tests. The next day we went back home and blah, blah, blah. It’s been a long, laborious, emotionally exhausting week. I have been so nervous for my comp, hoping that all is well and not knowing how I can help her in the best way possible and ugh... it was rough. And, she’s really tough, frankly. And she didn’t want to tell the doc all her symptoms and all that hurts and I felt inclined to remind her to say everything to help figure out what’s wrong, so we don’t have to go back to Pachuca and we can be more effective, hardworking missionaries. Anyway, turns out she needs glasses and that will help her head and she needs to eat more and yeah, pretty much it. Nothing wrong with her head - YAY!!! And her blood tests were normal! YAY! So all in all, it was good because now we know what we need to do, it’s just going to be getting her to do it. Oh, she’s a tough one. :) She doesn’t want to do anything the doc says, but I kindly remind her that her health is most important and that we shall do whatever the doctor says.

 

Moral of the story this week? I am so, so, so, so grateful for a healthy and strong body. I am grateful for the chance to realize how blessed I am and that I need to continue doing things to help me stay that way. Sure, I’m not the skinniest missionary here, nor the fattest, but I am fit and capable. This reminder of what is important was much needed. The hermanas here are a little crazy about what their weight is and how they look - lots of makeup and lipstick and the like. I, have actually stopped wearing makeup most days because it’s exhausting. Other hermanas talk about their earrings or clothes and stuff like that when we’re not talking about the gospel and I happily doodle backpacks and rafts in my agenda. But I really love these girls and love talking with them - really. They’re great, just different. But I love them with all my heart and I love my new district. We have a blast and are all working really hard. The picture of nunca te rindas (never give up) is my new district. 

So yep, that’s pretty much my crazy week, but my comp and I have grown so much closer and I feel so blessed and we are good friends. Yeah, sometimes my comp is a little mean, but I am leaning how to just deal with it and give her some space and remember that it will all be ok. But we actually have had a blast this week in the buses to and from Pachuca talking and laughing together. 

One other thing that happened is that we went to Rosa’s house to hang out a little bit the second day of rest and she is so great. We were both crying due to the sadness of what was happening and she let us in, fed us, and talked with us. She’s the lady with curly hair that’s more light brown sitting next to me in the picture with the tree on the wall. She also has four dogs, and one, a Chihuahua, doesn’t like ANYONE and won’t be touched by anyone, except for Rosa. This little dog, named Beto, actually hopped up on the couch where I was, all on his own, and curled up on my lap. Oh my goodness, it was a small miracle. Everyone was amazed.

We went to Reloj Monumental – that’s the big clock in Pachuca. It's a big deal, I guess.

The Pachuca's Monumental Clock is a clock tower 40 m high, located in Plaza Independencia of the Historic centre of the city of Pachuca, in Hidalgo State, Mexico. Which was built between 1904 and 1910 to commemorate the Centennial of the Independence of Mexico. Its machinery is identical to that of Big Ben in London. The Monumental Clock is the best known symbol and representative of the city.

WE ATE KFC!!!! WE ATE KFC!!!! So basically I can come home now. My life is complete. Haha, I was so happy. I want to serve in Pachuca so bad. :)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE! I actually completely forgot about it, because that was the day we went to Pachuca. But I thought about it a lot this week and missed our family dinner and hearing what everyone is thankful for - one of my favorite traditions ever. Love it! 

Happy Birthday Joe!

One little boy that we went to teach (him and his family) when he saw us coming, yelled “Here come the angels!” It was the best thing ever.

I am living in the picante capital of the world. Boy is the food hot. We ate bombazos and it was delicious. I’m going to learn how to make them and come home and make them for you all and your mouth will be on fire!

We moved our house around this week, same house, but the tables are in different places and we were given a table. It feels more like a home now. Seriously. It’s amazing what a tiny little table can do for a home. And we bought a Christmas tree. It’s probably 1 foot tall and I absolutely love it. Only 9 pesos - less than one dollar. Oh I love Mexico. 

 

My comp and I rode down our street in a grocery cart. Well, I was in it and she was pushing and it was a blast. We laughed so hard and almost crashed and all our neighbors were looking at us like we were crazies. Well, we are a little bit. :)

Still teenagers

So that’s the week! It’s been crazy tiring, but great and now my comp is doing a TON better and we are ready to kick it this week! Thanks for all your love and I love you more than I could possibly express, like, a TON. I pray for you every prayer, think about you every moment, and am constantly testifying that families are forever and that miracles happen. Thanks for always being there and I AM SO INCREDIBLY EXCITED TO SKYPE ON CHRISTMAS!!!! Oh my goodness, I can’t wait. 

Love you to the dark side of the moon and back.

Hermana Anstee! :)