¡Bienvenidos a México!
I made it to Mexico safely!
That is my companion, Hermana Vergara, and me at the Guadalajara Temple!!
I don't even know where to begin. Everything this past week has been kind of really overwhelming and there is a lot to share.
I guess I will begin with my lovely companion.Her name is Hermana Vergara and she is from Pachuca, Mexico. She only speaks Spanish. Yay... She has trained two times before this: one Mexicana and one Americana. She is a great trainer, but she doesn't want to be training anymore. She goes home in December and she would prefer a more experienced companion. But she isreally kind, hard working and obedient: Just what we have been praying for!
My first area is Puerto Vallarta. It is beautiful!! It is rightby the beach and so somewhere around here (where we dont go) there is a touristey place. But, just so you know about an hour ago I washed my clothes on a washboard with dirty water in case anyone got it in their heads that I was on vacation. This area is the hottest in the mission. I tried to count the number of times Sister Wagner told us we were going to die but I lost track at 12. It isnt very comforting when your mission presidents wife tells you you will die haha. But it is really hot here. People carry towels around to wipe their constant sweat. It is so hot and humid I sweat ALL THE TIME. Even when I am asleep, when I am in my apartment reading my scriptures, right now...just all the time. Haha, its great. I really do love it here. :)
We have six progressing investigators. (All but one was found and in process before I got here.) Here are a couple of them that I especially love.
Enrique is going to be baptized on the 9 of August. He is amazing and so happy all the time. He just smiles, smiles, smiles. But all investigators have their own challenges and his is he cant remember anything we teach him! He really loves the gospel and attends church, but he cant remember it all the time. But he has a family so I think that as he teaches his family they can all be a strength to eachother.
Then there are teenage sisters, Abigail and...I cant remember the name of her sister. They have a date for baptism in late September. Abigail is so sweet and kind. Her soul seems very soft...if that even makes any sense haha. She is just such a loving person with a strong desire to do the right.
My companion's favorite investigator is Paulina. Paulina is 17 and very wonderful. She went to the youth activity last week and is very funny, smiley, and energetic. She has a strong testimony and wants to be baptized but her mom wont let her. Paulina wants to serve a mission when she is older. She is a great example to her younger brothers and brought them to church with her.
Then there is 13 year old Ricardo. He is such a sweetheart. We were teaching Enrique on the street when Ricardo came over and was like, 'I have this book at my home and I want you to teach me more about it.' It was great. He actually got taught nearly every lesson about two years ago but he didnt understand and was too young I think, he just was a little too distracted. But he really likes the Book of Mormon and gets excited when he sees us. He is such a little gentlemen and I really hope he gets baptized. He would be a great member of the deacons quorum!
Here, I am really pale. I thought I was tan, but compared to all of these Mexicans I am incredibly white. Sometimes we will be at less actives homes or members or basically anywhere and people will ask if they can see my shoulder because they want to see the most white part of my skin. Also, they think it is hilarious that I can get a sunburn! Its kind of ridiculous, I am not the first white person they have seen so I dont know why its so weird but it is I guess. And I actually did get a little itsy baby sunburn the other day.
We were teaching an investigator (Josue luis verde) and he lives in this really really humble (aka dirt poor..literally) part of town. There is no shade, no fans (there isnt ac but most people get their fans out for us while we teach them) and I just instantly sweated off all my sunscreen and burned.My goodness, it was like the coolest thing ever for our investigators.Josue is awesome though. So kind and so prepared for this message.
I really cant undrstand very much though,and I can speak even less. It is a struggle and at times very lonely because my companion only speaks Spanish. Most people are very kind here though, but there is this less active lady named Hermana Mary who is just really mean and dark. She just lords it over me that their whole world leaves me out. She purposefully tries to say things (phrases, big words, talks really fast) so that I cantunderstand. And then she says slowly really mean things. Like, I am TRYING. It's really frusturating and lonely to not be able to understand or talk to anyone. Sometimes I just wish I had gotten called to English speaking Boise Idaho. But I even though I dont know how to do things the way of the Mexican culture and I dont know many things in Spanish, I do know one thing for certain and that is that this gospel is true! And I am going to share this message until I sweat to death underneath the Vallarta sun because this message is true, and it is for everyone.
Con Amor,
Hermana Wood
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