Ok so due to a rather abrupt request from Stephen, I will write out in a new Email. Stephen, I replied that way because it was a lot easier in the MTC to do it that way, since we could not have tabs in the browsers and we could not open more then one window. But now I am emailing from an Internet lounge in Mexico so I can have tabs and what not opened, so esta bien.
Holy smokes, Mexico is crazy, and different, and awesome, and wow, all at the same time. I´ll tell you more about it alittle later.
The flight to Mexico was fantastic. I sat inbetween two RMs who went to other missions, but they helped calm my nerves a bit about getting to Mexcio. You could say Ciudad de Mexico is "modern" but that might be a lie, haha. Nah, it is but it is a heck of a lot more run down., and dirtier. I love it though, it reminds me of a concrete jungle. Houses are a bit funny here, there is usually a metal door on the street, and you buzz the person like in an apartment. When they let you in it is usually like walking into a castle of some sort. It´s hilarious! There house is usually a few feet away from the fron gate, but I know they do it that way for security. So the streets look like walls on both sides. I got pictures.
Real quick speaking of pictures, what I am going to do is send the ones I really like attached to the email and send it that way. When I run out of space on the SD cards I will eventually buy an external hard-drive and transfer them there. The awesome thing about Mexico, is everything is cheap! I got like 5 tacos for 15 pesos, which is basically a dollar. So the external harddrive should be cheap.
Yep I had dinner with Mr. President, haha. Na, President Tervort is awesome, we had ham and potatos and what not. It was dilicous. He is awesome as well, he served his mission in this same area, only back then it was in Mexico East Mission. So obviously he knows Spanish. My new companions name is Elder Barben, and he is from Sandy, Utah. He´s been out for 1 year and 1 month so 13 meses. His Spanish is amazing, and I am super jealous. But, what am I gonna do? Practice. He is pretty cool as well. I call him papá all the time, because in the field your trainer is your "dad" haha. And I am his child, or hijo. My area is called Segundo Congreso-Industrial. It is actually a brand new area and it´s towards the bottom of my mission. It´s brand new, meaning we had a brand new apartment. So most of my spending money was spent on stocking the fridge and obtianing cleaning supplies. Don´t worry though, we will be awesome! My area is only about 2 or 3 miles by 2 or 3 miles, but it is packedwith houses and cars and people! I get 1600-ish Pesos every 1st of the month, and about 600-ish pesos every 15th of the month. All for food, washing, dry cleaning, etc. But, like I said, everything is cheap here so I usually have extra spending money, for suvenirs and what not.
I apologize in advance, my spanish has further damaged my English, spelling and everything.
I haven´t used the filtered water bottle yet, but that is because we buy a big 5 gallong jug of water for drinking and what not. I wash my hands with soap and water every time I touch my contacts, and I am using fresh solution every time I take them out, I am almost certain I won´t have a problem with my eyes.
I, surprisingly, have not gotten sick yet. The food here is good, from what I have had, and it hasn´t really done anything to my system yet. yet is the optionaly term, haha. I probably will get sick eventually but yeah, what can I do?
I am no longer nervous, really, about Mexico. I am still a bit uncomfortable about door knocking, but my dad is helping me with that.
Trust me I have plenty of stories already. I will share with you the majority of them, but yeah.
Ok so mail here is wierd this is what you got to do:
Write on the box for Origin=
Elder Benjamin Winslett
906 Riverside Dr.
Alvin, TX 77511
USA
(Or if someone else not family is sending something have the address be their address.)
Then the destination will be=
Jose Luis Escobar Maya
Apartado Postal 118-184
Gustavo A. Madero
Mexico, D.F.
CP 07051
(I don´t know why it´s like that but yeah, it is that way. The Jose Luis Escobar Maya guy is the owner of the place so it has to be under his name.)
So yeah do that, exactly, and then it should get here. Mail, from what I have heard is reasonably safe. To keep it extra safe, I would find some Virgin Mary stickers and tape them all over the box. Also sending packages via UPS or another company usually is much safer. It usually takes anywhere between 1 week and 1 month to get here though, so if you want to send presents and what not I´d send them now if you can, that way they get here by Christmas!
Well, you know how I said we are in a new apartment, well other then a bed, fridge and desks, it was empty. So we were knocking doors one day and out in one of the parks there was a orange couch. It was deserted so me and my companion "obtained" this couch for our apartment. Haha, don´t worry it was not ilegal. It was pretty embarissing though, carrying that down the street to our apartment.
Next up I have obtained another nickname, this time it is Winnie Pooh. Haha The Mexican´s barely can say our last name so my compnion has been introducing me as Winnie and that developed into Winnie the Pooh, or W. P. Haha. So that will be added to my long list of nicknames.
Ok now for spiritual awesomeness! Ok so we were knocking doors and we came upon this lady, here name is Veronica. She has two children. Anyways, we walked into her apartment and immidiatly the spirit flooded in and we knew she was ready. Come to find out her father was killed in a robbery and she loves the idea of being able to see him again. My companion taught the Plan of Slavation and we set a date for this next week. Sadly, however she didn´t come to church yesterday so we have to push her back one week.
Next awesomeness is we were again knocking on doors and in between two apartments I had a strong impression to contact the people who were walking in front of us. Luckily, she and her daughter turned around for some reason and we contacted them. Her name is Nancy and her child´s name is Betsy. She then insisted on buying us dinner as we talked, so we did so, we got to know her. She then started talking to these other two and Nancy, note that we haven´t taught her anything, started telling them that the Book of Mormon is a great story and that they needed to take lessons from us. so we set up apointments with the other two. Then after that we walked Nancy and Betsy to her house and we set up a follow up. At the follow up we taught her the Restoration and set a date with her and Betsy. She couldn´t come to church yesterday so we might have to push it back one week. The Lord had obviously preparred her and so she will be one of my first baptizms.
Next a funny story. We were knocking again and came across an older man. He let us in and we began teaching. As we were teaching this man proceeded to wet himself. It was so hard not to laugh. He was in his 70s so it was understandable. Come to find out it was his birthday so we said afterward that it´s his birthday he can do what he wants, including wetting himself. We did, however ended up setting a baptizmal date with him so it was still good. He ended up not coming to church yesterday either because of work.
And now another awesome story. So we were refered to a family that there son was addicted to Marijuana (apparently it´s legal down here and anyone can smoke it.) We get there and begin teaching him the Word of Wisdom. Elder Barben then shares his experiences with overcoming addictions (I won´t go into details) and the kid begins to cry. Aparently he has been trying to stop for quite sometime and he has been searching for a way. We gave him ideas to stop, including prayer, gave him a BoM and set up a followup apt. for tomorrow. We know that if he stops smoking, that whole family will be baptized. So that looks uber promising.
Ok, so this mission has whats called the "6 steps" I´ll write about them next week in more detail, but basically these 6 steps almost gaurantee that the Investigator will be baptized. Our mission is on fire right now, because of these 6 steps. Last month they said they had upwards of 60 baptizms in our mission. It´s insane. I´ll tell you the steps next week but I wanted to mention that now.
Ok last thing, I think. Church yesterday was cool, I got to bear my testimony in Sacrament, and then after I got to be a witness for one of the other missionary´s baptisms. There are 2 sets in our ward so we see eachother alot.
Mexico is awesome the drivers are crazy. It´s super packed, rather dirty, but it´s awesome. Now all I got to do is learn to understand these people, haha. the only Spanish I understand is my companions. It will come though, I know of it.
Well, I gotta get going. Lemme know of any other questions, concerns, doubts etc. Enjoy the pictures, too!
¡Les amo!
Elder "Tall Son" " Frijoles" "Winzie" "Winnie the Pooh" Winslett
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