Tapachula, Mexico: ¡Vamos a sudar! (sweat:)

HOLA!!!

First of all I cant figure out apostrophes and many other things on this computer so disculpe and feel free to edit father.

Second of all, HI, I'M IN MEXICO.  I don't even know where to start! The airplane here was long and crazy and we almost lost people at every layover, the scariest being in Mexico City when half our group was gone and they were closing up the last call for our flight to Tuxtla.  AHHH! But they came running the very last second and we made it on.

I sat by this nice man who I was actually scared of because I didn't know how to speak Spanish or talk to strangers yet, so we sat in silence forever as he kept falling asleep.  I kept thinking, "This is ridiculous, you're a missionary, share the GOSPEL!" But every time I got the nerve he was asleep again.  But DON'T WORRY, I did! We started to talk and after a while he started asking more and more questions so I reached a hand behind me and mouthed "Book of Mormon" and one was passed into my hand, and I was like, "So here's what we believe in!" and told him about the restoration, pulled out a pamphlet, shared the Joseph Smith story and he was incredulous.  He was like, "Can I see it?" and I was like "Yeah, its yours!" And he kept asking, where did God appear? And I told him about New York and when I was able to visit the place and anyway he lives in Pueblo but I got all his info and am trying to send missionaries to him but it's hard when nobody understands what I want.

So the first night we got in around 2 a.m. and woke up at 630 for a day of awesome culture shock and adventures.  I actually had no culture shock, it was super exciting to me but a lot of my group was like "Whaaaat is going on?"  I think Ecuador helped a LOT.  But just as I was thinking "This isn't too hot, I can deal with this," I got called to the Tapachula area and everyone was like, "Ohhhh you're going to sweat your eyes out."  And right they were.  But its really not that bad once you decide you like being sticky and dripping all the time.

[Here you can see that Kelsi is in Tapachula, Mexico, right near the border of Guatemala.  In fact, she is 6 hours from the mission headquarters in Tuxta Gutierrez, but only 2 hours from Linette's mission home in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala.]

My companion is so funny.  She's this little rolly Mexican girl who laughs at me all the time when I say perfectly normal things!! She likes to work hard but sometimes our work hard ethics are different.  I like to move fast and be efficient and she likes to follow the same pattern all the time.  But it's cute.  We have fun.

The first few days were crazy.  I arrived at my apartment after a six hour drive the first night and had lots of fun surprises.  Like, oh look the sink has a hole that empties into a bucket, oh there's bugs crawling everywhere I look, oh sometimes I turn off the shower and the sink turns on over there, wonder how to make that stop before the bucket fills up, etc.  With every new thing I'd just kind of stare at it for a minute, adjust and get over it.

I realized that first night how very blessed I was to be going back to clean things and opportunities in a short while while the little boy playing on his trike outside in the dirt had no idea what those things were.  But I've kind of discovered this week as we visit this person and that, that those who live in fenced in enclosures with a tarp over the top and those who have three cars and big houses don't have much of a difference in happiness, but the family situations affect everything.

The first day was hard but exciting, and super long.  I smiled all day and talked to people and worked my hardest and by the end when my feet almost fell off, my companion said, "We didn't walk much today.  Some days we walk a lot." And I was sitting there trying to think of a time we weren't walking.  But it's fun.  There are ups and downs, and I've had moments that felt impossible, but overall, Im feeling pretty at home, in a completely opposite of everything I know way.

Sometimes I understand people! Which is always often.  And a lot of times people laugh at me and I have no idea why so I just smile and assume it's because I'm adorable or something.  Haha.

The people here are extremely friendly, and the first time we made a contact I was shocked that the lady was like, "Yeah, you can come over, yeah I want to hear," and I was like, "Wow this is going to be easy."  But that was before I knew about the game.  The Game in which everybody tries to please us and then hides like crazy when we try to teach them.  Seriously, we can always hear them inside but they either send their kids out to tell us they're gone or else they just never answer.  Sometimes they even shout that they're not there.  Goodness.

There've been some cool moments teaching and a lot of praying for these silly people who hide from happiness.  The other day we tried to find an investigator and her husband answered and started crying when we said we were missionaries and telling us all about the hard things in his life and how he's so glad we were there and we promised to come back the next day and he kept asking if we were absolutely sure.  Well we went back and no one was there all day long.  The whole day was like that yesterday.  We crossed our area probably 6 times and knocked on every investigator, name, old investigator, and contact we had and got nothing.  So we sang, talked to EVERYONE, laughed and kept going all day.  It's just crazy how much I am learning.  I feel like I've been out forever.  I used to hear about the stages of missionaries, at first it's shock, homesickness, adjusting, happiness, hard times, etc.,  all spaced out over months but I feel like Monk in that episode where he passes through all the five stages of grief in like two minutes and then starts over.  But its awesome.

Today we got to go as an entire zone with president up to something called piedra de Lehi or something.  It was all these old carvings of the tree of life and stuff and I don't quite understand it but it was so fun and cool.  There's a few adorable white girls who just make my life so good every time I see them.  They are the sweetest and asking how I'm holding up and all that.  One is from Herriman and is actually Spencer's friend or something.  I recognized her from this one time I was in Lexi's car and we backed into hers (Hermana Knight).  Connection!

Also today I washed my clothes on a cement thing.  It was awesome.  And I attempted to clean the bathroom this morning but we had no chemicals and all I really did with my dish soap and nasty scrub was get black suds everywhere.  But it looks a lot better.  I learned that the toilet in actuality is not meant to be yellow as I hithertofore (word?) had thought, for the yellow part came off at my scrubbing.  Ew.

Sorry for the scattered-ness.  Also I'm so sorry but I'm going to have to send pictures next week because I forgot my USB thing.

More spiritual things to come.  God lives and He loves each one of us! I have felt His presence so much this week, and when I can't, I just have  to forget myself and work harder and smile and it always comes.  He is so real.

Thinking and praying for you all always! ¡Nos vemos!

Week 5: Miracles and Mandibles

Buenas dias familia!!

This has been a crazy week.  Also I like leave for Mexico in three days or something so that's super fun.  We got our travel plans and we are leaving here at 7:30 am Monday morning!! Which means any dear elders or letters sent after Friday won't get here just FYI.  

Okay ready for these?

Miracles and Memorable Moments:

So once upon a time my companion and I were the only ones at the West Campus cafeteria except for two elders, because everyone else in the world had gone up to Main for dinner before the devotional, which they sort of ask us not to do but it's fun--whatever.  So there we sat and the nice cafeteria man came over and informed us that the general authority who was speaking that night would be there in a few minutes if we wanted to stick around.  So we're like, psh, OKAY I guess we could.  Seriously though we were so excited.

Sure enough we waited about twenty minutes and in walks this squad of Elder W. Craig Zwick of the seventy and his wife and granddaughter, the MTC presidency, some police man and other happy-looking folks, all there to meet missionaries who weren't there.  Except yours truly and her lovely companion.  So we went over and got to talk to them forever and hang out and Elder and Sister Zwick told us stories of Tuxtla Gutierrez and we got to hug her and her granddaughter.  (Story break: one of the things they said was the Tzotzil people in Tuxtla Gutierrez have a phrase they use and I can't remember how it's spelled, something like 'koo-la-something' ["K’uxi elan avo’onton"] that means "How is your heart?" To greet each other.  Isn't that special? I'm going to start asking people how their heart is.  Goodness. Adorable.) 

It was just the most special thing and we walked out of there skipping and smiling, only to see our bus driving away.  So of course I start running after it and hollering like the dignified missionary I am as my companion dies of laughter behind me.  But alas 'twas gone.  So we went to our apartment, which was locked, and started walking back to the bus stop as bus #2 pulled up while we were yet afar off.  Here I go again, sprinting after it, shouting to the one lone man on the empty campus "STOP THAT BUS!" (of course he couldn't hear me, he was way up there), and then I pause in my running to turn around and assure my companion "Don't worry, I told that nice man to hold it for us" and kept running and that was just it, she lost it laughing.  But I did get up to the bus right as it turned off its brakes and waved, and he opened the door and informed us he was going to BYU and was not in fact our bus.  But we made the third one, never you worry.

The devotional was so wonderful--Sister Zwick talked about patience and how it is more than just waiting, but is acting with hope and faith that things will work out.  She said a lot of times we don't get what we want at the time because sometimes "more blessings come through waiting than receiving," so we are able to grow more by being patient than we would by getting the answer we think we want.  I thought that was very interesting.  Everything in this life has an ebbing period, where it has to retreat and store energy in life's cycle--she talked about her tulips that turned all dead and nasty before they could come back in full bloom.  So we have to be patient with those times in our lives when everything isn't in full bloom and know there is a time for everything and we may be receiving the nourishment and growth we need to bloom later.

Elder Zwick taught us about the work of salvation which is hastening, and how each of us must allow that work to happen inside of ourselves in order to be the servants we want to be.  Some of the most sacred moments we can have are when we pour our hearts out alone and know that God is listening.  It was such an amazing talk to listen to.  How amazing that every one of us on this earth right now get to be a part of this hastening work, and we don't want to miss it! The Savior Himself is leading it and we are to become actively engaged, work with missionaries as members, apply every principle in ourselves and stand as a witness of Christ at all times so we can be ready when He needs us.  He also gave us a shoutout as the West campus missionaries at the cafeteria, which I don't think everyone realized was exactly four people, but anyway.  They are such special people.

Memorable moment number two is one morning as I walked up the stairs innocently, but alas had my hands in my pockets.  What a terrible decision.  And so when my foot missed the step, my face plunged toward the awaiting concrete-and-metal step ever so quickly and I broke my two front teeth in half.  Just kidding, that's what you'd expect to happen though right? The miracle is in the fact that only my lip was cut and I have a beautiful gash on the space between my mouth and my nose, which I later learned is called a mandible.  We had a great job of searching for a bandaid on that campus, because turns out the health clinic over here on West campus doesn't have or know anything about bandaids (what?) but we eventually cut a giant one into a little rectangular Hitler mustache for me which we all enjoyed quite a bit.  Anyway, every day since then I have been ever so grateful that I still have a face and all my teeth.  Wow.

And to complete my happy week, I was a little sick all week long.  And by a little I mean I was coughing my lungs up every day and it was nasty, but luckily I have some wonderful hermanas taking care of me and a wonderful God helping me to have the energy and strength to keep at it.  I felt His hand so much this week helping me to keep going when moments were rough.  I decided that impossible moments and really rough days are such great gifts for each of us, because we can't see it but we are growing so much in that time.  I can't remember if I already shared this quote, but a couple of weeks ago we talked about a man in the Willie and Martin Handcart company who said he would not have changed his decision to travel with them because "We paid a great price to become acquainted with the Savior and that price was a privilege to pay." What an amazing perspective, right? That is something I am learning more and more everyday.  My companion and I were talking about those times when you really don't feel like moving forward or you don't feel like enough for the Lord, but even when we feel this big (.) and we think He deserves more, we should still give Him all of this (.) and He can make up the rest.  Did that make sense?

Yesterday I fell in love with Mosiah 2 and 3.  I love how he tells us how small we are and how much God gives us every day.  He is lending us breath and strength and life every second and there's no way we can ever get out of His debt.  We talked about how we often don't realize where everything around us is coming from, the wind, the moments of happiness, little miracles, but that God is constantly pouring life and help and blessings on us every day.  And in those moments when it stops for a second or we get hit by a little acorn, we wonder where in the world He is.  What a silly thing.  There's power in thinking about where all the blessings we have come from.  Reminds me of the mormon message, I think it's called "Earthly Father, Heavenly Father", go watch it.  Sometimes we are like fish who don't know what water is even though we completely depend on it every second of our lives.  So we're going to go teach some fish about water, teach people about the God who is already so involved in their life and giving them the breath, love and blessings they need to make it through each day.  

Well, I am off to Mexico it looks like.  I am SO EXCITED.  And I love this work and I love you all! Keep going, chins up!

Hermana Wilson

p.s. Here is us with our investigator from Guatemala Hely. She is so cute. We have a very special relationship and her husband says she talks about "Miss Wilson" all the time at home. What a sweetie. We just talk and talk whenever I see her, I'm sure it annoys my companion a little bit, whoops.

And this is us fruity pebbling after long hard days. Hermana Brau bought a huge thing of the dinosaur fruity pebbles and it is the best tradition ever. Love these hermanas!

Week 4: What is Español?

Has it already been another week?? Time is crazy here. I loved hearing from you this week, it was awesome.

So much power this week. We watched a devotional from Elder Holland and it was so cool. He talked about pushing ourselves, learning everything there is to learn, stepping up to the plate... He shared a poem that was something like,

"Come to the edge."
"No, we'll fall."
"Come to the edge."
"No, we'll fall!"
"Come to the edge!"
We came to the edge, He pushed us, and we flew.

Pretty cool right? I think it's so important to remember that our human minds are so wrapped up in what they see and what logically makes sense in the physical world, but that they know absolutely nothing about what's really going on. He's got this taken care of, He's got armies of angels and all power and I'm sure if we could see with spiritual eyes we would wonder how we ever thought anything was impossible.  He also knows that change is really really good for us, and we are all convinced that it's really really bad. But as one of the presidency said this week, "we don't learn all God has planned for us if smooth waters is all we seek." He says to follow Him and He will make us fishers of men.

Another cool theme this week was "The Way." 2 Nephi 31 is AMAZING. It tells us exactly how to follow Christ - the gospel of Christ: faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end.  But then it also says none of that does a thing without the Savior Jesus Christ.  Every single one of those things is directly connected to Christ and is meaningless without Him.  And so without the "merits" of Jesus Christ we "have not come this far" nor can we go any further.  I don't know how to explain exactly how it clicked in my mind this week, but I always sort of separated those two things before.  Christ says "I am the Way" and He also says "This is the Way" (His Gospel) but He is the gospel and it completely depends on Him and we need to as well.

And the Prodigal Son.  I just watched the newest mormon message on the "other prodigal son," the older brother who was jealous of the party his father threw.  What a silly thing to be.  Have you ever wondered why Jesus left the ninety and nine to find the one and why the father was SO happy the older son came back? One of our teachers last night kind of put it this way - those who have had the light and walked away from it are walking toward a lot more sorrow for themselves than those who don't know about the truth in the first place, and God knows that.  And that is why He is so concerned about every last one of them and rejoices so much when they come home.  It's important for every person to come to the light of Christ but I think there is a very special relationship between the Father and the son who comes back.  Just think of Alma and what marvelous light he was able to behold.

Anyway, sorry I'm not focusing super wonderfully right now for some reason.  My eyes keep going to this beautiful white wall above my laptop.  I can't believe you got a nice Guatemalan lady (I mean I can because you told me it was going to happen but right).  That is so wonderful, you should keep her there for a year and a half so I can meet her.  We're teaching an adorable Guatemalan investigator right now named Hely.  She's about 55 or something and is the cutest thing I could ever imagine.  We are such good friends and for some reason I can speak Spanish when I talk to her better than with anyone else.  I hope everyone in Tuxtla is just like her.  She also talks a lot so we struggle every time to squeeze some doctrine in but she's so receptive at the same time.  Amazing desires to follow Christ and learn everything about the gospel.  It's kind of like she's teaching us every week and we just smile and try to keep it doctrinally-centered, away from politics, and keep her doing challenges.

Yesterday Hermana Hickman and I spoke only in Spanish allll dayyyy.  Ask me if there is any Spanish left in my brain.  The answer will be at the bottom of this email.  Actually I'll probably forget by then.  No.  There just isn't.  But we're going to keep doing this.  Can you believe I leave for MEXICO in a week and a half? If it's as fast as this week was that means I'm leaving like tomorrow.  Sorry for all my exaggerations with time, but that's what it is.

I love the MTC.  Every place we go to is the perfect school for us right then and we're just supposed to learn.  I always felt that way at BYU and now that I look back my home, high school, EFY's, family reunions, everywhere was the perfect school at that time and now I just get to learn about everything that matters.  Good grief.  There's not even enough time.  I challenge everyone to learn something right now! GO.  And then learn another thing.  And just always do it because that's what we're supposed to do in this life and that's how we keep Satan away.

One last thought for the day.  Moses 1.  Read it and look how extremely sure Moses is about who he is and where he came from and how that helps him have power over the adversary.  My companion and I were talking about that the other day and then we looked up the mormon message of Dieter F.  Uchtdorf's "Your Great Potential" or something like that I can't remember exactly, and talked about the humongous power there is in knowing who you are.  If everyone in this world understood who they were, what potential there was for them, what they were made of, Satan would have NO power on this earth.  So let's keep him weak folks.

(FYI? I love you so much! I'm praying for you and Zary and hope everything goes okay.  Give her lots of kisses today for me and hug each other mucho.  I know God has a plan for her and will be sending her lots of angels throughout her life.  Si se puede! Love you!!)

Hermana Wilson


p.s. Here's a random picture I drew on the whiteboard one morning of the other district in our family.

And then of course we made them pose in exactly the same way.

I love you both so much! I don't have a ton of time today. 11 days til Mexico! Hopefully you're home that morning because I think I get to call home. Wooo!

I feel like there's something I needed to ask but I just sat for like 5 minutes and have no idea. So it'll be good! Thanks for the dear elders! I'll try not to eat mayonnaise.

Hermana Kelsi