Yes, I´m really here. It´s pretty crazy mostly because it
feels so normal. The casas with walls around them that threw me off in Ecuador
feel like coming home. Speaking Spanish is fantastic - I missed it, but I´m
still working on picking up the local vocabulary and understanding
conversations about people and places that are totally unfamiliar to me.
Our travel day was crazy long. We got to Tuxtla Gutierrez at
4 in the afternoon, and the only problem we had was Elder Stephens accidently
sending his carry-on through the checked baggage place in Mexico City - he had
to go ask the airline to get it for him - behind security, and we
couldn´t go with him. It took him longer than we expected and we didn´t know
how we were going to find him again. We did, and we got to our gate at
the final boarding call. The ironic thing was that the plane was so full we all
ended up putting our carry ons underneath anyway. that was the first time that
I was super duper glad I already speak Spanish.
The other interesting thing about the travel day; Our flight
from Atlanta to mexico city I got moved up to first class, the guy next to me
wanted to sit with his friend, who was in first class. I felt like a princess!
First thing the flight attendent asked me if I wanted a glass of orange juice -
it was in an actual glass! They also served me what was basically a four course
breakfast - incIuding salmon and capers. I didn´t even know what capers were.
I´m looking forward to telling people that the first time I flew first class was
on my way to my mission. ;)
The part you´re actually waiting for! Chiapas is BEAUTIFUL:
Seriously gorgeous. We spent saturday night in the mission home - after
Presidente Cardenas and Sister Cardenas fed us like royalty (steak and papas
rellenas, guacamole, frijoles and tortillas and a spicy salsa and something
unkown but delicious for dessert - there´s your answer Dad, the food is
fantastic).
Something that stood out to me - I wrote about in my
journal. Sister Cardenas and the President, and all the missionaries, talked
and joked and generally just enjoy one anothers company. It goes well with
something President Cardenas says a lot - if we´re not happy, what are we doing
here? We didn´t come for an excercise in suffering. We have challenges, and when
we overcome then, we see how much we´re capable of.
They did say that our 'generation' of arrivals (it was just
the three of us from our district) altogether have the best spanish of any
North Americans they´ve gotten and people have in general been very impressed
with how well I speak. That´s gratifying. I feel like it would be so
frustrating to arrive and want to tell people everything I know and feel and
not be able to - it was frustrating Ecuador and I´m sure it would be even more
so here. But I can communicate,
-Thought I just had. That whole awful January searching for
Rotary clubs that would host me, I knew I wanted to be an exchange student, but
I think the Lord helped me be persistent because He knew it would help me
someday. My MTC teacher said something along those lines - every no and then
she remembers experiences from her time in the MTC or throughout the mission
that she figured out a reason for then, and keeps finding new reasons for now.
Pretty cool, huh?
Suinday morning we did basic welcome to the mission training
from Sister Cardenas, the assitants and the secretaries, ate pan de avena with
Nutella and Yogur (yup, the yummy drinkable kind) then met our companions and
went to a barrio in Tuxtla Gutierrez. The stake center we went to is actually
right next to the temple, which isn´t much bigger then the stake center. Came
back for more food, then we got on a bus to our area.
I still haven´t made it all the way to Cacahoatan - we got
to Tapachula, which is about an hour away at 10;15 last night and stayed with
the Sister Training leaders. We´re in Tapachula still because an investigator
just moved here yesterday and we were going to visit her later this afternoon.
She has a baptismal date for Saturday! Hopefully this time she goes through
with it - apparently two baptismal dates have come and gone.
IT´´S HOT. I feel like I have a permanent extra layer on my
face from the humidity. But so far, I haven´t felt overwhelmed by it, probably
because I´ve not been walking a ton. I can´t wait to walk though. This is
seriously such a beautiful place. The greens of the trees are technicolor
bright, the buildings painted bright colors, and some trees are flowering
completely pink or bright purple. Oh, tell Gramps that Chiapas is the second
safest state in the country. I will be fine :) The people are super nice
- contacting was just like having a normal conversation and talking about
church isn´t even slightly uncomfortable.
My companion: Hermana Hernandez is from Tijuana, and she´s
been here for nine months. From what I´ve seen so far, she´ll be able to teach
me a lot, and obedience is really important to her, too, so I´m grateful for
that.
Another thing Presidente
Cardenas said is this is the best mission in the world. We are on the same ground
that Alma and Ammon walked, where they taught King Lamoni, the missionaries
that I read and admire in my study were HERE. When he said that, I felt
it, too. Even just typing it I can feel it. I´m so excited to see what miracles
the Lord is going to let me participate in and see while I´m here.
Thank you for being so supportive - like I said in my
package, I know that I have been so very blessed because of you. It´s a great
example for me to be able to share with my investigators. I was worried at first
because I haven´t really passed through any crises of faith or super difficult
trials with my family that can be powerful examples to people - but I
have realized I have an example that´s just as powerful if not more so, of what
the God can do for us when we live faithfully.
Love always,
Hermana Juliana