Mexico, Mexico City South - Spanish Speaking

Monday, April 22, 2013

Bueno bueno bueno


Okay thanks for the emails! I really appreciated them and enjoyed reading what has happened this week. 

This week I had quite a few rico meals. That means delicious, FYI. I am practically fluent. lol. So one of them was with the familia B... They are in my ward and the dad is second counselor, I think. Anyways, the kids are soo fun and loco. They have two daughters about 9 and 7ish that remind me of Jamie and Ashley when we were that age. Haha I about peed my pants when I made that connection. I swear the older one is Ashley's younger, Mexican twin. They are the same person. She is hilarious. I took a picture with them so I will send that. Another really good meal was with their aunt who lives down the street. She is young and has one son about 3 years old. I think she is divorced. Her enchiladas were sooo good. They reminded me of the Kocherhans enchiladas. It was a nice reminder of home. But yeah  - if you were wondering about the food I actually do enjoy it. We only techinically eat one meal a day around 2, but it is sooo much food. It is definitely enough. I have cereal and fruit in the mornings before I study/while I study, and sometimes if we have time I will eat some fruit or crackers or some kind of snack before I go to bed. And the question I am sure you are all asking is "have you eaten flaming hot cheetos". Duh. If there is a will, there is a way. They are different here... I am getting used to them. I like them, but I can't decide if I like them more or less. Haha, it is such an important thing to contemplate, I know. 

This Thursday we had intercambias which is where the junior companions swich with the other senior companions in the same district. So, I was with Elder B.! It was my favorite day so far. He leaves in less then two months and is on fire as a missionary. I learned so much from him. Our first appointment was with an elderly couple, who are investigators. We went in to teach to them the Commandments. So these folks are quite the characters. The wife is ALWAYS right. She is always correcting her husband and he just sighs and lets it happen. So if she has to be right you can only imagine how this conversation went. Elder Beal started off asking them what the commandments were. So she started naming them off and was so convinced that so and so commandment was number 3 even though in the Bible it says it is number 4 or whatever. So that was interesting. Also, her interpretation of the commandments was slightly/ really different. For example, she just went off and was like "the third commandment is to sanctify our fiestas". I just about rofled. Elder B. and I were whispering in english to each other because they can't understand (that is a benefit to having a companion that speaks english) and he was just like "what the heck is she talking about... oh, here we go again". HAha it was soo good. But I kept my cool and was respectful. I swear. So then we went into the Bible and were reading each one and explaining it. We got to "thou shalt not kill" and Elder B. whispered to me to talk about the Word of Wisdom with this one. Never have I ever heard about those two principles going together so I was hecka confused. I felt really dumb and stressed because I had like a split second to think about what I was going to say so I just said "uhh idk" to Elder B. and that was right when she finished reading the commandment and looked at me in horror and said " *GASP* No CIERTO!?!" So I was freaking out and was like noooo nooo siiiiiii siiiiii cierto cierto muy verdadera. UHhh. Then I explained how my spanish was less than, well yes, good and I had only been in Mexico for 3 weeks. So that was a slightly close call to leading someone into apostasy. Then he explained the Word of Wisdom with this commandment and I loved it. He said that we should not kill ourselves with substances that are harmful to our bodies. How simple is that? Yes, and it makes so much sense. Okay. Then I explained the Law of Chastity and they were all gunghoe. Entonces, that was a very, very, very fun lesson and yes.  
Then we taught two more lessons that day. First, we read the last chapter in Moroni with a family. That chapter is soooo good and I love it so much. It was so easy for me to share my testimony about those verses in Spanish. I think they recieved it well and felt the same spirit I felt. I liked that family alot and that was the first family I feel that liked me. HAHA. So yes. Confession. I feel like so many families here hate me on a much lighter note because I don't speak Spanish and I can't talk to them, so I seem stuck up or uninterested in them. Yes. It has been a challenge but the language has improved drastically in the past couple days so it is getting better. For example we ate with a widow in the ward today and she and I talked ALOT. When I told her that I have only been learning Spanish for 10 weeks and that I have only been in Mexico for a month she was so shocked and nice. That made me feel good. 

This friday we have Zone Conference. I love when we have conferences because I see other missionaries and I feel like I can speak again. So funnny. There are 3 Elders from Mountain View in my mission. Well as far as I know. Elder G. is here! (As well as Elder B.) He graduated 2010 and was on the swim team with me! It was super fun to see him and catch up. He leaves in 4 or 5 months and had some great stories. Small world. Oh yeah about Kendall Brown, Corbin McAllister and Xan Villalobos being companions and in the same district... that is insane. HAha they are going to have a blast in the MTC. Oh, how I long for the MTC... Everyone that is about to go to the MTC, enjoy it while you have it. It is such an amazing place to LEARN the gospel through the spirit and incredible teachers, have fun, and make wonderful memories. There is really nothing like it anywhere and you only have it for a few weeks. After that you get thrown out into the mission and it is NOT the same thing at all. The mission is sooo great and hard and you learn so much but it is not similar to the MTC. So yeah don't hate on the MTC like some people. Appreciate it. OKay glad that is settled. Back to the conference. I am convinced that I have the BEST mission president ever. His wife is amazing too and I just feel so safe and blessed to have them as my parents in the mission field for the next 21 months. President Valadez is so goofy and great. He wears his pants so high and I love it. They are both so knowledgeable of the Gospel and so nice. So yeah I learned some good things. PS they dont speak English, but that won't matter in a month. Why? Because I will be fluent. Yes. I actually have to be fluent in two months at the least because then I will be a trainer. Oh bless that pour soul. I have the faith. 

Okay so last thing. There is the guy named F. who is twenty years old. He is the guy that contacted US in the street. Anyways we were able to find him! It was tough because he moved and every house we went to said he was at the house we were just at and yeah, super struggleful. But we found him. He is pure gold... he has every perfect question that an investigator could have, and he has the perfect desire to know the truth! We asked him why he was interested in us and he replied saying that he feels like something is missing in his life. He has attended a bunch of different churches but they don't have every answer he needs. Obviously we had the perfect segue into the Restoration and the First Vision. It was fun to talk about Joseph Smith and how he had the same questions and desires as F. It really struck him. So we only had time to talk to him for a little while and then give him a pamphlet. But we are meeting with him tomorrow. I was so ready to teach him everything that night and baptize him the next day! It was soo exciting. But patience is a virtue. So we will teach him the lessons starting tomorrow and I will let you know how it goes! 

I wanted this to be on the blog. Thanks so much for emailing it to me. Love it so much. 
“When our hearts are broken, we are completely open to the spirit of God and recognize our dependence on Him for all that we have and all that we are.  The sacrifice so entailed is a sacrifice of pride in all its forms.  Like malleable clay in the hands of a skilled potter, the brokenhearted can be molded and shaped in the hands of the Master…Those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit are willing to do anything and everything that God asks of the, without resistance or resentment.  We cease doing things our way and learn to do them God’s way instead…There is yet another dimension of a broken heart – namely, our deep gratitude for Christ’s suffering on our behalf…When we remember the Savior and His suffering, our hearts too will break in gratitude for the Anointed One.  As we make the sacrifice to Him of all that we have and all that we are, the Lord will fill our hearts with peace.  He will ’bind up the brokenhearted’ and grace our lives with the love of God.” Elder Bruce D. Porter

 Okay so about the volcano. There is one right above me.... HAha but my companion said it isn't active and I haven't seen smoke or gas come out yet. But if it did blow, I think I would drown in lava because that is just the way that goes. The longer computer time we have is because my district leader said he got instruction from my mission President. So yup. The Lord is blessing the missionaries right now to be allowed to write friends and family. It is always the perfect boost of energy for the week. On Sundays we greet and say hi to people. This Sunday I had the opportunity to pass the sacrament! It was my first time in years! Super fun. But yeah we also teach a class for the teenagers. My companion never tells me what we are going to be teaching so it is rough. I will make sure to remind him we need to plan the lesson together so I can contribute. Haha. A quick shout out to Dallin Larsen! Good Luck bud and I know you will be great. Remember the Lord is with you! Try to learn as much as you can in the MTC! Hillary Owen also! Good luck and you are going to be an amazing Hermana! 

I am so glad that Andrew had a wonderful Patriarchal Blessing. Nice work Patriarch Higginson! Super cool! I love having my patriarchal blessing on the mission. It sounds like the family is doing great things at home! Love you Mom and Dad - thanks for the letters! Love you sibs. Keep working hard in school. You have one more month!! Si se pueden! I think that is all. I will send pics now. LOVE you all and I miss you! 

Con Amor, 

Elder Macdonald



The MTC crew at immigration last week

His "address" on his gate

Notice the dog hatin' on him...

The family in his branch (Jamie and Ashley)

"A weird tree with fake squirrels.  I need to meet these people!"
His house

The fridge

With the Assistants to the President

1 comment:

  1. It sounds like Elder Macdonald is doing great!! I am glad he found his cheetos haha and I love that he made that comparison with the kids haha! I love reading his letters!

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