definitely cant tell but its raining in this photo...and I'm still trying to recover from the cockroach that crawled over my foot in a lesson...love it here. SO MUCH
Dear My Loves,
Im in Mexico. Is that not the craziest thing youve ever Heard? I would like to apologize in advance for the bad spelling and gramar that is about to go down in this e mail. This keyboard is messed up. Haha and everything Im typing is underlined in red because its not spanish. Hahaha oh geez. My life lately.
Anyways...so the journey to Mexico sure was an adventure. I woke up at 1:30 in the morning at the MTC because we had to be at the travel office at 2. Then I spent a long day in LAX, Houston Airport, and SLC airport. I talked to everyone and their dog about the góspel. It was great. But it was hard to. There was a lot of mean stares and rude comments. Must admit, I wasnt expecting that.
But along with the death starrers there were kind people too! We met 2 Darling Oaxacans while we waited for our delayed plane and I chatted their ears off in bad spanish. It was great. They mostly just laughed at me.
We then boarded a skkeeeeettchhhy Little plane (honestly the smallest plane Ive ever been on in my life) and flew to Oaxaca. The turbulance was freeeeaky but good thing prayers work because we made it there alive! The misión pres and his wife greeted us there and took us to get hamburgers because were american haha oh geez. Then they dropped us at a hotel to sleep for the night. We got to the hotel at 1:40. I had been traveling for 24 hours. My brain hurt, my body hurt, I was tired, I was nervous, and I hadnt understood anything the misión pres and his wife had tried to say to me. Dont get me wrong They are AWESOME and so loving but I just dont understand what theyre trying to say to me most of the time...my life in a nutshell lately.
So then I slept for about 4 and a half hours (the previous night I got 3 hours) and then woke up and went to the misión home where they then fed us jello for breakfast and told us a bunch of stuff that I now don't recall about Mexico.
Then I got my new comp Hermana Galvan! She was the first American sister to come to Oaxaca! She speaks Spanish because her parents are both from Mexico. She also speaks English but only speaks English when were planning. Totally lost. Turns out I dont speak spanish...
Our first day we taught 5 lessons. WE is a strong word though. I didn't really say much. I mostly just sat there trying to figure out what they were saying and when I heard a church word I recognized I'd try and bear my testimony about it. Key word is TRY. Half the time I don't think they understood what I was trying to say....
The second day on the mish we taught 9 lessons and i participáted more!! Hooray for Ruby.
My área is in the city and boy oh boy is it GHETTO FABULOUS! i love it. Graffiti everywhere. People living in little cement huts or houses made up of wood posts and aluminum. The people here really don't have a whole lot. But they are SO NICE. Oh my goodness I've never received so much free food in my life. And i think I've kissed more cheeks in the last few days then I have in my entire LIFE. I love it. We walk everywhere, but when we're in a rush we take the taxi. The taxis are hilarous. They smash as many people into them as posible. The other day I was half on top of a huge Mexican and his kid was on top of me. Haha oh gosh its great.
I stick out like a SORE THUMB here. I am the only white person I've seen since Ive gotten here. People stare!! People call me gringa all the time. Its hilarious. Little kids randomly come up and touch my hair during lessons all the time. I sure am a strange sight around here!
My área is like a ghetto San Fransisco meets farm town. The streets are so steep sometimes I feel like I'm defying gravity! And our bags are heavy...Man I love the scriptures and everything, but sometimes I wish they were a bit lighter.
I shower from a bucket every morning and we flush with a bucket. Haha its great. And cold. but mostly great. The food is AMAZING and I would be gordita if it weren't for the intense hill walking all day everyday.
We had a baptism this week. A 17 year old Carolina who has a 5 month old baby. Shes had a rough life, but changed and is now a member of the true church. WOOT.
I invited the most darling old man we're teaching to be baptized during our first lesson and guess what he said. HE SAID YES. I love it here. i honestly am so happy. And lost. But mostly happy! I really don't understand what anyone is saying 87 percent of the time, but its all good. I'm getting better and better everyday. And everyone says that Im way better than the other white people they've seen come through here! YAy.
im so sorry I cant write more but we get like 40 minutes on the computers here.
NO TIME. But I love you all dearly. I love teaching. I love Mexico. I am lost, but I am happy.
Sometimes its really hard. Sometimes people chew you out in spanish and all you understand are the words crazy, hell, the devil, and white girl. But then you meet a tiny little old man who is 97 and still kneels to pray for every prayer and he tells you that he prayers for you everyday. And then things are better. God's looking out for me; I just know it. Everyday is an adventure.
And speaking of adventures...I just found out they're doing an emergency transfer so in 15 minutes I'm taking all my stuff and getting moved to a new área with a comp that only speaks Spanish...wish me luck! And pray. Please oh please will you pray?
I am happy. Oh so happy. And oh so Gringa.
Mexico forever my friends.
Until next week,
Hermana Matesen
haha oh my life right now...so happy. so dang happy.
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