Week 10 (Anáhuac, Mexico)

This week went well. Most of the time people were not in their houses or too busy for us, but there is a little ten year old girl named Alejandra that is excited to be baptized on Saturday. I could baptize her but I decided not to because there is a rule that you only get one or two baptisms in your area and I would like to baptize someone I know a bit better I just haven't known the language enough to get to know her that well. They have this rule because they want the members to  fellowship the recent converts and having them baptize the person just adds one more friend for them to fall back on. Luz and Manuel are the ones like Abuelita and Abuelito, they didn't have any desire at all before but now they are warming up to the idea of being baptized.

I haven't really had difficult times or been too frustrated it is tough to do because I am just kind of lost in the work I guess or maybe it is just too early. But I have been really enjoying it.

Attitude does play a big role in missionary work. Luckily I am surrounded by positive people who are always looking to  uplift and help others. I got the giant package of goodies this week and that has added to the happiness, there was so much food.

We don't really do much on p-days, there aren't many sites to see here in Anáhuac, and not a lot of time. We usually wake up study, clean, shower, then take our clothes to Cuauhtémoc to be washed, we go to the bank, go to write, eat at subway, and go to any stores we need (clothes, food etc,) after this we go to the church where we have district meetings. in the meetings we role play and are taught lessons from preach my gospel. And after we help clean the church.

We don't really have a lot of time because the mission presidents cut down the p day time it ends at four instead of the time everywhere else in the world. It isn't that big of a deal to me we get everything done that we need to, and I have heard that other missionaries in other areas do hikes every once and a while. And it's hard because our clothes and stuff are in Anáhuac a half an hour away, and we wouldn't have a place to shower or anything which would be uncomfortable because we have meetings after.

Thank you for the package. I really like the ties that you sent me thanks, and wow there is so much candy haha thanks. I was able to pick it up on Tuesday but I don't know when it arrived at the mission home probably a bit earlier but I don't know.

 Sunday was the same as last week it was good. I didn't understand a lot but it was good. we do have Sunday dinners, it switched off between the bishop and one of his councilors. Yesterday we ate breaded chicken legs, beans, and spaghetti.

We eat a lot of meat and its really good but there's nothing like a good steak. But I can't complain with the food. Lots of chicken and potatoes covered in spicy sauces. Luckily the food hasn't been too picante. I am able to eat it all with ease. The beans and juice help take the spiciness down a notch too so that is good. I have eaten a lot of spaghetti here, which is surprising, they have some different red sauce but it is still good.

The weather has been pretty good here too, a bit hot at times but it is cooling down. It is really sunny and at the beginning of this week I noticed the tan lines on my neck and arms, a perfect like on my neck haha. I miss the colors of the leaves of fall, here they are green which is good but it's nothing like the colors of home.

We were able to kind of fix our bikes, well for now. We just filled his tire with air at a gas station and we return every time it gets low. We have tried taking it to the bike repairing guys house but he hasn't been home for a while. I need to fix my bike up too because it is stuck on a low gear and I have to pedal a ton without moving very much or very fast.

Transfers haven't happened yet I don't think they will happen for a couple of weeks but I am almost positive that I will not move, and most people with me won't change either only a few will be transferred.

 This is my district: (Top Left) Elder Garcias from Salt Lake City, Elder Maldonado, me, Elder Ante  (bottom right) Sister Cohou ,Sister Hurst.

Today after I write we are going to head to the store and look for sweaters and jackets and ties, and I will probably buy a jump rope to stay fit, and some more flip flops. We have been browsing around and the prices for good quality clothes actually aren't too bad.

I will have to check out that restaurant when I get back because I will probably be missing the Mexican food. On one of the p-days we want to try and go to the elders in our districts apartment where they will teach us how to make some bread, using a recipe that they learned from a member. They brought the bread to an activity and it was really good and they say it is easy to make.

We always try to leave with a spiritual thought and a scripture. We usually switch off doing it. I usually share Alma 26:12 and I would talk a bit about how I needed god to help me learn the language and that I couldn't rely on myself. But now we are overlapping on families so I will have to find new scriptures to share. It is  good to do this because it helps my Spanish and also leaves the family with some good thoughts.

It is crazy how we take it for granted all of the temples next to our house. Here they bake food during young mens and young womens that they sell to make money to take a trip to the temple.

Thanks for all of the support back home hope you guys have a good week.

Love  Elder Blanchard