Saturday, August 16, 2014

Esperase para Agosto

August 11, 2014
 
Hello lovelies!
 
I can't believe that I'm saying this, but Happy August!! Tomorrow, August 12, makes three months in Mexico, and I am very proud to say that I have yet to be sunburned!! Huzzah!!
 
Alrighty, here's catch-up from last week:
 
Last week's highlights:
-Somebody legit thought I was 17.
-The city buses here are super fun and have all sorts of different stickers and decorations and stuff. I saw one pass that said TRANSFORMERS across the windshield. All I could think was "changechangechangechange!"
-For the very first time in my life I ate octopus. I even saw some of the sucker things. I covered it in lime juice (like everyone does to everything here) and it was uber tasty.
-Mexicans are super tough. I knew this, but I just keep seeing it more and more. Like when one member had a cut/burn thing on his arm and he just straight up put lime juice on it. Like It Was Nothing!!
-One day while waiting for our food I found myself randomly singing our National Anthem. Good news everyone: I still love America. (As if I could stop.)
-One of our investigators wants to close his Carneceria and open an Oxxo, which is kinda like a 7-Eleven without the gas. He asked me if I wanted to work in it. Not my companion, just me. He said I could split my time there and with the missionary work. I cannot even begin to explain how hard my companion and I laughed.
-Testimony meetings here are fun because:
  -People go up just to announce that they're engaged! And then close said announcement “in the Name of Jesus Christ, etc.”
 -Your investigator, who is sitting with members and not with you, decides to go up to the pulpit…
 -… and then calls you Senorita Anderson…
 -… and then offers a prayer because he's not familiar with what a testimony meeting is.
-My mission is making me (even more) weird because I say things like: “Woah! Someone ran over that mouse. Look! Wow, there's its brain! And its insides! Cool! Ok, let's go find that referral!"
 
This week’s highlights:
-“First Aid in Spanish” for a ward activity....uhhh......huh???
-That awkward moment when you street contact someone and they say "come over any time!" Then when you do come over she doesn't remember you and says, "Are you from a religion? No thanks." We laughed.
-Oh. My. Lanta. Mexican house numbers and addresses. I'm becoming more and more convinced that people just make up whatever number they want. "Meh, this is more or less close to my neighbor's house number. We'll go with this." We were looking for a less active member and the numbers went from 163 to 186, then 200 something. We were looking for #171. I suggested to my companion that the houses had been translated so we didn't have to worry about looking for them. We also laughed a lot about this. The numbers are just so bizarre!
-Teaching kids is fun. We have an 11-year-old investigator who is super-excited and just, oh man, gold. I wish every investigator could have his enthusiasm. Everyone would be active forever. But he is 11, so explaining things to him is fun. Like the Godhead and how Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have bodies but the Holy Ghost doesn't. We spent a good chunk of time explaining “el Espíritu Santo” to him. Eventually he got it and said "Oh! He's a spirit, so that's why he's called the Holy Spirit!" Then when we talked about how he's invisible he said, "And if we throw paint at him? Can we see him then?" We laughed and laughed and laughed.
-He also told us he will be getting married in the temple. Again, he is 11. And he sings Families Can Be Together Forever all the time. And each time he sings it with a different tune. It's adorable and drives my musical ear crazy.
-Don't write "triste Satanás" (darn or stupid, Satan) in your scriptures. It's not missionary-like. I didn't do that. Almost, but not, I did not. Yet. Just kidding, I won’t do that.
 
Photos!
http://mail.outdrs.net/Download.aspx?fid=0&MsgID=B0141003764.MSG&ID=504901
I am petitioning for Disney Princess status. This butterfly stayed on my finger for a good 10-15 minutes of walking. 
http://mail.outdrs.net/Download.aspx?fid=0&MsgID=B0141003764.MSG&ID=504904
 
Surprise! I got transferred to Paris!!! Or not. But there's a random tower that looks like the Eiffel Tower in the Elder's area, so naturally we had to go take pictures with it. For all of you who guessed that I was going to France, here you go.
 

http://mail.outdrs.net/Download.aspx?fid=0&MsgID=B0141003764.MSG&ID=504903
 
 
 
 

My companion and me. She is adorable and a missionary machine and I love her. Also, she thinks I'm funny so that's always a plus. :D
 
OK, about the title: Ever since I got here people have told me that we are going to die of heat in August and that it's miserable. Well, it's actually been really great and rained nearly every day. It's not normal – last year it only rained two times in August – but this year has been awesome and quite possibly the best month since I got here. But sometimes we get a little bit wet from the downpour.
 
http://mail.outdrs.net/Download.aspx?fid=0&MsgID=B0141003764.MSG&ID=504899
 
 

And oh how I love it.
 
Till next week! Love you all!
 
Hermana Anderson

Monday, August 11, 2014

NO TIME!!


August 4, 2014

 

AH! Today was crazy so therefore I have nearly ZERO TIME TO WRITE THIS OR TO ANYBODY ELSE!. SO if you sent me something, first of all, THANK YOU!!!! :D Second, I promise I'll write you back next week! Here are some pictures to hold you over until I can give you highlights next week:

http://mail.outdrs.net/Download.aspx?fid=0&MsgID=B0140708313.MSG&ID=415314

This was during a SUPER-cool lightning storm

 

http://mail.outdrs.net/Download.aspx?fid=0&MsgID=B0140708313.MSG&ID=415315

I don’t know why this exists....it scares me

http://mail.outdrs.net/Download.aspx?fid=0&MsgID=B0140708313.MSG&ID=415316

Guess who bought the new key ring for the house keys

http://mail.outdrs.net/Download.aspx?fid=0&MsgID=B0140708313.MSG&ID=415317

A big girl missionary!!

 

Love you all!! Have a fantastic week, and don't forget to smile!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hermana Anderson

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Guess Who Forgot a Title Last Week. This Hna. Sorry.


(Editor’s note: Dallyn did not include a title with her last blog entry. Rather than publish it title-less, I named it based on a statement from her first paragraph.)

Hello everyone!

Happy Monday! Let's just jump right in!

 

Highlights:

-We have a new district leader, Elder Bloxham. In his self-introduction in our District Meeting he said, "I would prefer it if you called me by my proper title: King of the District." This transfer is going to be really fun. Also, he's from Saint George but tells people he's from Sweden. I can now finally keep a straight face when he tells people that.

-When going through our ward list, I saw that we have someone named Baltazar in our ward. If you haven't seen Arthur and the Incredibles, please do so now. It's cheesy and ridiculous, but it has David Bowie in it so it's OK.

-It's hilarious to watch a 70-something-year-old woman and an 80-somethng-year-old man call each other crazy and make fun of each other. No, not a brother and sister; they're married.

-I am now the only missionary in the ward that is not CRAZY about Coca-Cola. One out of four.

-Happy Birthday to the mission! It was created one year ago this month! Woo!

-Presidente Munive told me today that there are three more elders in the mission than sisters. Our takeover is eminent...dun dun dun!

-People keep telling me I look like the girl from The Fault in Our Stars. Guess what I wish I had read/watched before I left. Guess what is on my list of things to do when I get home.

-Advice about being a missionary: don't zone out. Even if your investigator talks about nothing. I zoned out this week and the conversation somehow went from baptism to the heart of Christ being in a church tower in Guadalajara. And it took like 15 seconds to get there.

-Missions are funny things because I think things like, "Well, it's Preparation Day, so normally I'd just wear a t-shirt, but since I'm eating with the mission president today I guess I'll add a scarf.

-I had my first Mexican hot dog. Where the hot dog usually goes was a grilled chili wrapped in bacon and smothered in like four different sauces. The hot dog itself was in one of the sauces, cut into little pieces. So. Good. So not healthy.

-The funniest thing I saw all week was three guys dressed super-cowboy: boots, hats, felt shirts … the works. But one was on a motorcycle and the other two were in a square-ish sidecar. Oh how I wished I wasn't in a lesson so that I could laugh hysterically like I wanted to.

-I got to paint! That's pretty much a rite of passage here, so I am OFFICIALLY a missionary. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. I'll send pictures next week because this computer is old and won't let me.

-I saw an angelfish that looked like a punk. It was white and black and straight-up looked like it had a mohawk and an attitude.

OK. Hermana Mendez. She's awesome. The more we work together, the better it gets. I've already learned a lot, and every day I see more and more why we are working together here and now. One reason is that we're both really organized and dedicated. Our Area Book is a mess and needs lots of dedicated organization to get it all better. Also, our list of members is not accurate. For example, one ward member has an address somewhere in Utah. True story. We said, "Well, since we aren't blessed to have a car, I guess we won't be visiting this member, because it's a little far to walk." I think we're funny.

 

At long last I can say I love my mission. It sure isn’t easy, and sometimes it just plain stinks, but I've gotten to the point where, yes, I love it. And the people. And the food. And I’m used to sweating so the heat is just whatever at this point. But I am so glad that I'm here.

Till next week! Love you all!

Hermana Anderson