A Ginger Takes on Mexico: Time be flyin'

¡Hola!

Time really is flying. I cannot believe it is almost the end of May! AND YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!!!! CAMBIAS (changes) ARE IN A WEEK. AND...my birthday..... I am going to be 20. I feel wicked old. I am becoming wise beyond my years here on Mexico, if you need some advice on how to lessen the spiciness of chile, or need to know how to flush a toilet when there is no plumbing, or need to know how to best fend off 4 snarling dogs, I got your answers! Just let me know!

This week feels like a blur. Honestly, this past month feels like a blur. Everything just blends together! The weather is hot, we eat lots of rice and chicken, we speak spanish, we share the gospel, that is what we do! My week could basically just all be one day!

For the 6th month in a row, Mexico Xalapa mission is the best in Mexico!!! Wohooo!!!!

We had the big meeting that we were all dreading with the new mission president! THERE WERE NO MAJOR RULE CHANGES!!!!! I can still write friends!!!! YAY!!!!! That was a huge blessing!!!!! One new rule, we - the hermanas (sisters) - need to wear tights when we have conferences or big meetings. We need to be more feminine I think. I admit it is hard to tell sometimes when we are all sweating as much as the elders, and we just look like a large pool of sweat. Now we have tights to distinguish us!

We had AMAZING rain this week. It was literally a torrential downpour. I was well equipped with my boots and raincoat and umbrella! My companion on the other hand was not a happy camper. She left boots and umbrella in her previous area, thus she was soaked in a matter of minutes. We had to change a lot of our plans for the day too because it was literally impossible to walk up some of the hills where we had plans to visit. We would just slip and fall! But it is times like this that made for the memories, I love the rain!! I love the smell, the sounds, the colder air, I love it all! It was a beautiful day.

Our investigators were in their houses more this week! It is always disappointing when we get to the top of the hill where they live, and there is a response of silence to my BUENAS TARDES (good afternoon). We have been praying for this a lot too. We need them to be in their houses to teach them, help them with their trials, and just talk in general! Our current investigators are Felipe, Maria, Marian, Leonel, Rey and Mari, Miguel Angel, Juliocesar, Wanda and Maurliciol. We pray every day that we can find them! We make appointments, but people here do not really remember things like that. Everything just seems to be a matter or chance. Felipe and Leonel both came to church this week! Felipe wasssssss not baptized. Turns out he has still been drinking this whole time, and he thought that his baptism was going to help him quit drinking. We postponed his baptism for 2 more weeks, if he does not drink these 2 weeks. The elders visited him with us, and were able to give him a blessing. I have such a strong testimony about the priesthood and blessings, I know that he can do this! Leonel is 16, and his mom was baptized but is less-active. I am always so impressed - especially when younger people - are interested in the church and seek it out on their own accord. I think of how much stronger they are than I was at their age. They are an inspiration to me! We also seem to attract drunk people. We have had at least 2 or 3 very drunk men approach us this week, confessing their sins and pleading with us to help them change. We do our best to console them, give them a pamphlet and explain that we would like to teach them more about what we know, but it has to be a different day. We are following up with some of them next week! Hopefully the Word of Wisdom pamphlets will do some good for them!

We found 2 miracles this week too!!!!!!! Two girls, Marifer and Dana. Their mom was baptized when she was 8, but is not active. Her daughters want to be baptized! They go to church every week with their aunt, and we were eating comida (food) with her on Saturday, and were just talking about life when these two girls came in and told us all this stuff! HOPEFULLY, if all goes according to plan, they will be baptized this Saturday! Miracles do happen!!!!

We helped an Hermana (sister) in our ward make these foam roses for her Gospel Principles class, and they were a huge hit! People in Mexico love when people make crafty stuff, and these roses were pretty legit.

I gave a talk in church on Sunday! I was stressing out so much, Hermana D made me practice like 3 times hahahah she said we had to get my pronunciation right. I have been working on it a lot lately, and Hermana D is super excited with my improvement! I am too!!!!! So I gave my talk, about the Obra Misional or Missionary work. How hard could it be right? It is what I am doing! Regardless of how easy it should have been, I turned red, stuttered a decent amount and used a lot of hand gestures to make my points. BUT, people liked it! OR they just felt sorry for me. Either way, I consider it a success. An hermana told me she really liked it, and one of the missionaries told me his investigator told him that she loved my talk, and wanted to invite me to eat with her one day. Someone else's investigator liked my talk!!!!! THAT IS HUGE!!! It is not just pity! I was, still am, very excited.

Everyone is making plans for my birthday too hahaha I think like 3 hermanas in the ward have said they are going to buy postre (baked goods) and everyone wants to know what I want to eat and do. If I am not alive next monday, it is because I am in a food coma. ALSO, there is a family in this ward that TOTALLY reminds me of me, Ruth and Jess. These 3 crazy sisters are always together - Hilda, Adriana and Rosario - and they are always joking and just feed off of each other's laughs and smiles and crazy conversation. I honestly feel very lost when we are with them because I cannot keep up with the conversation, but I know they are having a good time. Miss my amazing sisters!!

I love you all so much, and I know this church is true! I love the people of Papantla, and I am so grateful for my opportunity to be here in this country.

Hermana Westergard