¡Hola!

Gah, what a week! Currently, I am very sunburnt from playing futbol earlier with the other elders, but that too shall pass! Also I am eaten alive by mosquitos. If you saw me right now, you probably would not recognize me. This does not help with the fact that the Mexicans already think I look strange as it is.

So, something I have learned about Mexicans is that none of them actually really intend on keeping their commintments when they say they will. We commited 4 of our investigators to come to church - Guillermina, Julio, Hector and Ara - on Sunday, and none of them came. We stopped by each of their houses and they were all either "esta durmiendo" or no answer. That means they are sleeping by the way. It was really discouraging. We work so hard during the week, and Sunday is the time when the investigators can really see what this is all about! And feel the love and Spirit from all of the members together. A rule in our mission is that the investigator needs to attend church 5 times before they can be baptized, to show that they are really commited to this life change. Hence the reason it is so important to get the investigators to attend EVERY Sunday!! Howevver, once we got there, after sacrament meeting, one of the less active members who we had taught showed up! THAT TOTALLY MADE MY DAY!!!! SO HAPPY!!! She was our glimpse of hope in the hot, humid, disappointing Sunday. It is really hot now, but it gets even hotter I am told haha I am trying to mentally prepare myself now.

Random things:

colonia = neighborhood. Everyone lives in colonias but there are no numbers. This is really difficut when we can only contact someone through referneces from neighbors who are members!

I am Hermana Wes to some people because my name is too long and too hard to pronounce.

Solta la sopa = spill the beans but means spill the soup. Like when someone wants you to say something.

I finished 1st Nephi!

torta = sandwich NOT cake

No me gusta Mole! (I don't like Mole!) It is a spice blend of like 20 different chiles. gross gross gross

WATCH UN AMOR PERDUABLE on youtube!!!! IT IS SO SWEET. Love is powerful!!!

Some of the Totonaco words I learned:

ni cuquila - donde fuisteis-(where did you go)

ni conpinpat - donde vas-(where are you going)

tucuguan mina cu - que dice tu corazon-(what does you heart tell you)

aquit lacatiyan - tu me gustas-(I like you)

quiler macat - fui lejos-(I went far)

ju u cani - ven aca-(come here)

tucu la casquina - que quieres-(what do you want)

quilacantlamantita - gracias-(thank you)

quintiku - mi papa- (my father)

mintiku - tu papa- (your father)

This week the members gave us a lot of food. Oranges, grapefruits, horchata, arroz con leche (rice pudding), popcorn with salsa you name it! THEY ARE SO DELICIOUS!!! Also Mexican candy is not actually sweet. It all has Chile. I do not like any of it hahaha everything seems to be spicy here.

Experiences with people: One man told us he would attend church and be baptized if we paid him 10,000 pesos hahaha. A borracho man - drunk man - tried to kiss Hna Dominguez. We are really hopeful for Guillermina. She is 22, has been married for 9 years, and is about to have her 2nd child. She asks so many good questions! We just need her to attend church!! Girls here get married REALLY young and just have kids really young. Life is so different!! Some of the members we ate lunch with this week told me the meat was gato. Which is cat. I blieved them for a little bit but then realized it was pork hahah they thought it was really funny. I have also been told by different memebers in the ward that I am like the girl from Valiente, aka Brave! My legacy has followed me here too! The members also told me that I have the accent down, I just need to work on more speed! I have hope!! Angel, one of our investigators, hid from us in the shower because he did not want to talk. One family in our ward, the children are all members. The mom is not because her husband and her are not married. His name is Hector. We need to get them married so that she can be baptized and then he can be too! Baby steps though! Spanish people are also VERY tone deaf, church is difficult sometimes. At lunch on Sunday, their dog apparently gobbled my water bottle and I did not know and put it in my mouth....fingers crossed that I do not get sick soon!!

This week was a humbling week for me. I think that is something that I need to learn, and Mexico is the place to learn it. I also came to the realization that my mission is about priorities. Good, better, best. My mission is good. Everything I am doing here is good. But what is the BEST that I need to do? That is what I am working on. Exact obedience brings miracles. That is what I need.

I love you all so much! I love this church and I know it is true!!

Love, Hermana Westergard

Hill of death

How I see myself when I return from the mission, How the girls see me when I return from the mission, How I see myself when I return from my mission, How the boys see me when I return from my mission.

at lunch

tacos

dead snake

Mexico is beautiful

I play futbol

Mexican stuff