Mission time

July 21, 2014

 

Hello all!

So, I'm pretty sure I was just here writing you, except not because I did a lot this week, except yes, because this week went super-fast. Maybe I am finally starting to feel "missionary time" where the days are long but the weeks and months are short. We'll see.

 

Highlights:

-We asked a less-active member, "What's your favorite hymn? We'll sing it for you" "Well, I like lots of hymns." "What's one of your favorites to listen to?" "Well, I love the song from Titanic." It was a joke. Thank Heavens.

-Baby chihuahuas are super-cute!

-It's really freaky to find out that your investigator has an identical twin … not because your investigator told you but because you go to her house and start talking to the twin. And she has no idea who you are.

-Basketball courts seem to be universal at Mormon churches; they have them here too (but outside, cement ones). But basketball is not universal. There was a group of guys playing soccer on the court this week. Hey, I'm in Mexico, what can I say?

-The people here are super-honest. Especially the old ladies. When Hna Martinez was making plans with one of our investigators to come do service for her, the investigator said "No, don't worry about it, because she (gesturing to me) isn't used to working." What the rude! Not all Americans are lazy! Ugh. Just be Christ-like, swallow your pride, and smile.

-We had more clouds and rain this week. One word: Heaven. They were actually conditions that people could live in! But it was a trick. The heat is back, and seems to be making up for lost time …sigh.

- At the end of our Zone Conference, Presidente asked me whether I've gained or lost weight. I said I’ve gained and he said "What! You look smaller!" So no one, including me, has a clue what's going on with my weight. I promise I won't bring it up again ... for a few months.

-Something hard about being the only gringo in your ward: When someone mentions chimichangas at lunch and you can't laugh with anyone about the part in Napoleon Dynamite when Summer Wheatly says “chiminy-chanagas”.

-Apparently I look French. One investigator is never home, so we have to teach her in her store, and sometimes customers come in. More than one guy has come in and asked me in French, "Do you speak French?"

 

Transfers! I am in the same area, but with a new companion. We've only been together for a few hours, so I don't know much about her, but everyone says she's awesome. She was half of the companionship that had the most baptisms last month, so I believe them. She's also really nice, and said she's excited to work with me. Fortunately my stressed-out self from last week has chilled out and I have managed to be normal so far. Yay, me! Next week I should have a picture to send.

Something interesting that will probably start rumors but I'm going to tell you all anyway: My District Leader, Elder Estrada, told me that Hermana Mendez, my new companion, is a Sister Training Leader. Well, we have this thing here where the STLs are paired with other STLs, unless they are training new sisters. Well, I'm "done" with my training (gulp! Now I have to be a big girl missionary and work 10-9, instead of 11-9!), so the second scenario doesn't apply. So … I don't know if I'm an STL and just don't know it, or if we're an exception to the rule or what. Maybe Elder Estrada is just crazy. That's a very real possibility.

 

I can't help but feel that this transfer is going to be so great! It'll be in August, so I might die of heat (or just want to) but I feel like it's going to be super-awesome and super-important for me. I guess we'll see!

 

Con mucho amor,

 

Hermana Anderson