A Ginger Takes on Mexico: Nothing Worth Having Comes Easy

Hola todos!!!! (Hi Everyone!)

SO LOTS OF STUFF THIS WEEK!!!! First, the title. All of our prime investigators, or namely ALL of our investigators live atop the BIGGEST and STEEPEST hills. But it is worth it! Knowing they have a desire to learn more and knowing that they are as happy to see us as we are to see them, the sweat pouring out of my pores is only slightly noticeable. It all works out! We had 3 investigators come to church this week! 3! Marian (she is 15, and she told me to talk to her in tu form - more personal form of verbs that people use with family and friends EEEEKKKKKK :) ), Felipe (he used to be an alcoholic, but is changing, he was 10 minutes early, he was very adamant that he wanted to walk of his own accord and he did not want us to pass by for him, and then he was early!!!!), and then Maria (she is actually Armandos wife, Armando is not the person we thought we was :( but I think the real reason we were teaching Armando was to finally find Maria, I do not really know what the deal is with Armando at this point). BUT YEAH!!!!! SO HAPPPPYYYYY!!!!!!!! MAYBE I AM A GOOD MISSIONARY AFTER ALL!!!!!!

We met a lot of new people this week too!!! Another Maria, she is this sweet, beautiful viejita. Her son just died, so we focused a lot on the plan of salvation. I never want to go to the doctors here in Mexico for a couple of reasons. However, the major one is that their first option basically is amputation, because it is the most expensive. There are so many people here walking around missing limbs, it is because its like oh your finger has a sliver? CHOP OFF THE ARM. Yes, i never want to go to the doctors here. Anyway, her son had diabetes and couldn't feel his feet, but got an infection or cut himself somehow but did not feel it, so his foot was having problems. So the doctors cut off his foot and then eventually his whole leg and then he got another infection and died :(. This poor woman misses her son so much. But she is very open to our message, I hope we are helping her through this! Another new investigator is Isabel! She also lives atop a mountain of stairs, but like I said it is worth it!! She is super open, and I think she has a really good relationship with her husband because she did not say anything about needing to ask permission or anything, so we are excited to teach her too!! Betty was finally home when we went by one day! Her brother was listening in on the conversation and wants to come to church next week with his sister! I feel like things are finally starting to fall into place! Her brother - Alexander - has a girlfriend in the United States and spent 2 months walking to try to see her. It was not legal of course, but he said he was like 4 meters from her house and he got deported back to Mexico. I am seeing the other side of deportation and Mexicans view of the government here. Everyone always asks me why is it so easy for me to be here in Mexico, but they cannot go to the US, I do not have the answers. I feel bad though :(

AND we have a new MIssion President! Presidente Saucedo, he was the old mission president of Guadalajara Mexico. So President Johnson from the 70 came down to speak to us, no one knew why, and BAM new mission president. But only for 2 months, and then we are getting a new one. I was not expecting it at all, no one was. A lot of the Elders were really upset, especially the ones with only a couple months left.

Random: there is a phantom cockroach in our apartment, always near my stuff. But i see it and then move the table/take off my shoe to kill it and then it is gone. I DO NOT KNOW WHERE IT IS!!!!!!! GAHHHHH. I am just grossed out by the fact it is crawling in my stuff somewhere, and I do not know where. This bug is NOT out of sight out of mind.

Food this week: a member in the ward owns a restaurant and basically made us KFC chicken! I had lentil soup - I thought of you momma, I think you used to make a soup like that? And we had platanos asados, which is like grilled bananas with cream and cheese. YUM. Still love food a lot.

I love you all!!!! This church is true, and I have so many blessings! We all do!

Hermana Westergard