So, I am officially out of training! We have
transfers this week and I will be staying another 6 weeks in Tehuacan, which I
am super grateful for. I’m ready to see miracles.
I know I’ve mentioned it,
but I don’t know if I have sufficiently explained Montechiquito (Little
mountain). It is a developing pueblito (which is like a little town) about 30
hour ride in combi from the city of Tehuacan. Because it is developing, this
means that there are no paved roads, (o sea, it is complete POLVO [dust]). Some
people even call it Montepolvo. So when we go to visit the people of Monte in
the combi, the windows have to stay closed to prevent everyone from dying of
dust inhalation and I sometimes feel like I am sitting in a moving oven for
humans. That, or like I’m stuck in a clothes dryer. It’s quite an experience.
Nonetheless, I love Montechiquito. The people there don’t have a lot, and as a
result they are really humble and kind. We are teaching a family of an hermana
and her two grown daughters and three grandkids and they are just incredible.
I have to tell you about
an incredibly American experience that I had a few weeks ago. When I say
"incredibly American" I mean that something happened in which
everyone can tell that I am most definitely not from Mexico (MOM thinks I’ve
forgotten that my eyes are blue and my hair is blond…). We were visiting a
sister named America (ironically enough) and I was asked to give the closing
prayer. You should know that my Spanish is getting a lot better and so saying a
prayer is not something that scares me now, so I was feeling pretty confident.
You might say a little bit TOO confident...I decided that I would add the last
name of the family to make the prayer more personal (I decided this as I was in
the middle of saying the prayer). Remembering that I saw a sign on the sister’s
desk that said "Trofeos America" I thought "Hmm..maybe their
last name is Trofeos America" (Because everyone here has two last names,
one for the mom and one for the dad). So I asked Heavenly Father to bless the
family Trofeos America. Let me tell you, I felt pretty good about that prayer.
That is until we were passing their house about a week later and I saw that
same sign on their house and was thinking about how it doesn’t add up that
America would be a first name because the sister’s first name is america..and
Then I remembered that the sister America makes trophies for a living..
Trophies...Trofeos....Yeah. I asked Heavenly father to bless the family
"America's Trophies"...As my compañera would say, "*sigh*
Americanas…"
Ok, so maybe I am not
completely Mexicana yet, but one of the members told me not to worry, because if I keep eating beans I
will one day look Mexican. I guess we'll see after
a year and a half...
I love MExico. I love
this Gospel. I love the mission.
Con amor, Hermana Jones
PS..Listen to this sweet
scripture from Doctrine and Covenants (a compilation of modern day revelation
that the Prophet Joseph Smith received)
"Be thou humble; and
the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand and give thee answer to thy
prayers."
(And later, The Lord
talking to Joseph)
"I know thy heart,
and have heard thy prayers concerning thy brethren. Be not partial towards them
in love above many others, but let thy love be for them as for thyself, and let
thy love abound unto all men, and unto all who love my name.
"Arise and gird up
your loins. Take up your cross, follow me, and feed my sheep." DC
112:12,11,14
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