A Ginger Takes on Mexico: CAST BE GONE

So. Things are going a lot better physically! The antibiotics that the doctor prescribed for me worked magic, AND THE CAST IS GONE! I am like a whole new person!!! My leg is a little skinner, had A LOT more hair, has weird bruises whose origins I know not of, but it is without cast!!!!! It also looks like a shriveled raisin a little. Taking normal showers has never felt so good.

Random things:

The grandson of hermana Angelica whose house I stay at - Kemish - called me mama the other day.....yeah I have been at their house a lot. I told him he was mistaken and showed him where his real mom was hahaha. I have also been Helping hna Angelica prepare for her nighttime business. I have always been sitting in their house studying and working on other things, but I decided finally to help out and not just be a studying couch potato. For cacalas, you need to shred the chicken by hand into teeny tiny pieces, and she hates doing that. After doing it for her for 3 days, I hate it too. You sit at a table for probably 3 hours just shredding chicken, and more chicken, and more chicken. BUT I do it for her because I love her!!!

This week was Dia de los Muertos. People have decorated altars all over, dressed their kids up like the dead for school, and make lots and lots of pan de muerto. The altars have pictures of the person who died, foods that they like, pan del muerto and these orange flowers that are really popular at this time of year. Apparently, they think that the dead person eats the food, or at least feasts on the smells of the food. It is all very interesting. There are also some people that celebrate Halloween, but not a whole lot. And here, they get money! Not candy! Hna Q was walking and saw some teenagers dressed up and she told them she liked their costumes. Hna Q also had a piece of cake, and the teenager did not say thank you or anything, only DAME TU PASTEL. Which means GIVE ME YOUR CAKE. Hahahahah obviously she did not give them her cake, and they told her they were gonna haunt her for the rest of her life. Dramatic teenagers who want cake are interesting.

I was studying the other day and dropped something under the table. I bent over to pick it up, looked at the underside of my table and found BOOGERS, smeared ALL OVER...with HAIR. Perfect way to start off my day. Some other hermana obviously was not focusing when she was studying. Bleh.

I could see my breath last night it was so cold. That was weird

I got to go to a Noche de Hogar with a missionary who got back from him mission on Wednesday! And one of the first things he wanted to do was share a message with his friend. How great it he!!! The NdH kind of turned into a family council and the mom started crying and things were just all over, but all in all we set another date to visit them! The mom is really, super super Catholic, but she said we were angels sent to help them. If she has that opinion of us now, I know we can change her heart and help her see the peace and joy that the Gospel can bring! Miracles are possible with faith. If there is one thing I have a testimony of, it is that!

In church, another member said that me and Hna Q were a pair of angles. It is difficult for me to try to see us the way that the members see us, but if they have these huge expectations and opinions, I am not going to let them down! I bore my testimony in Relief Society on Sunday also. I was SO emotional. I have been here in Olivo for almost 6 months now, and I cannot describe the LOVE I feel for each of these members. THey are SO SO good to us. I cannot even begin to express my gratitude and how blessed I feel to be here. But I was a wreck and a lot of the members were crying right along with me. Transfers are next week, and I know I am gonna leave. THis place has become my home, the members here have become my family. I love them!!!! Getting so sad just thinking about leaving. Best to leave that to next week.

We are still working our butts off to find new people. It is rough, but every day we start out with the mentality that we will find the people who are waiting and READY to listen to us! We know they are out there!!!

We had a really powerful district class this week. Elder de la Hoz is going home next week, and it was more of a testimony meeting. Some of the elders in my district never seem to take things seriously, but I saw another side of the elders in the class. The majority of us had tears in our eyes. Elder de la Hoz also broke his foot in the mission, so he has sympathized a lot with me. I think I remind him a lot of himself hahaha. But the Spirit was amazing, and I am very grateful to be able to serve with missionaries who have such strong testimonies and who are out here for many of the same reasons I am.

The work is moving forward here in Mexico. Whether on crutches or in awkward lessons through gates, it is always moving forward. I am so grateful for this time to serve the Lord! He loves each one of us, way more than we can imagine.

Love, Hermana Westergard