¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!!!!! Christmas is the best! It's the second best day of the year (right after the current day you are living in)
The title of this week's addition of Hermana DeFranco's ramblings is inspired by the fact that I never really seem to know exactly where we are going. I usually ask that question mutiple times a day. Communication is a great thing.
But please allow me to start from the beginning...
In the beginning, God created... no, no, no, sorry. Wrong beginning.
Monday the 16th of December. I woke up at 2:55 a.m. and packed and cleaned and we all got to the Wyview Chapel right on time at 4! We were then informed that our flight was canceled and resceduled for later that day. Yay for going back to bed for another hour of sleep! What then followed was a wonderful mass of miscommunication. In the end however, we somehow got on a train to SLC and made it to the airport a few hours before our 1:00 p.m. flight. We had a nice 4 hour layover in Phoenix. (how do you spell that anyway?) . We made it to Mexico City around midnight and shuffled ourselves through immigration. We were met by a Brother from the Mexico CCM who took us to the CCM. There we had the best dinner I have ever had in my life, cold hamburgers. Seriously, it was amazing. Hunger is the best seasoning 😊
So yes, I got to spend the night at the Mexico MTC. I was very happy. The next morning we took a bus to Pachuca where we arrived in the middle of transfer meeting. Finally, I met President and Sister Egbert (amazing people!) and my trainer, Hermana Laguna! She is from the very south of Mexico. She speaks even less English than I do Spanish which makes communication a constant adventure! She very patient with me though and all I do is follow her lead. If she sits down, I sit down. If she starts eating, I start eating. That's why having a good trainer is important boys and girls, I have to be able to trust her completely because without her I'd be totally lost.
So, my first area: Actopan! It's a happy bustling city, not far from Pachuca. We live right in the center (downtown). I really do love it here. There is a very strong ward here and the members have helped me so much to feel welcome. It's a good thing I'm such a take-life-as-it-comes kind of person, or I'd be very overwhelmed. I feel great though. Life is good. One day I'll even know what people are saying. I exaggerate. I usually have a general idea of what is going on. The problem is, I don't have a huge vocabulary so when people ask me specific questions I have a hard time understanding and answering. Mostly I'm just that really quiet (hard to believe for some of you, I know) white girl who doesn't seem too bright. It's fun :) People are constantly suprised that I really like the food and will eat anything, including spicy food.
As I said, the ward is very supportive. In this mission we have ALL our lessons with a member present. ALL of them. And since there are 2 sets of missionaries in the ward, we need a lot of support. It is so important to make the effort to help the missionaries in your ward! I plead with you, make the time to go to lessons with the missionaries. Your presence is so valuable!
I'm running out of time, so one last thing: study 3 Nephi 21! It's all about the last days and specifically the gathering of Israel (aka missionary work). I especially love verses 9-10, 24-25, and 29. Read them!!
Much love,
Hermana DeFranco
The title of this week's addition of Hermana DeFranco's ramblings is inspired by the fact that I never really seem to know exactly where we are going. I usually ask that question mutiple times a day. Communication is a great thing.
But please allow me to start from the beginning...
In the beginning, God created... no, no, no, sorry. Wrong beginning.
Monday the 16th of December. I woke up at 2:55 a.m. and packed and cleaned and we all got to the Wyview Chapel right on time at 4! We were then informed that our flight was canceled and resceduled for later that day. Yay for going back to bed for another hour of sleep! What then followed was a wonderful mass of miscommunication. In the end however, we somehow got on a train to SLC and made it to the airport a few hours before our 1:00 p.m. flight. We had a nice 4 hour layover in Phoenix. (how do you spell that anyway?) . We made it to Mexico City around midnight and shuffled ourselves through immigration. We were met by a Brother from the Mexico CCM who took us to the CCM. There we had the best dinner I have ever had in my life, cold hamburgers. Seriously, it was amazing. Hunger is the best seasoning 😊
So yes, I got to spend the night at the Mexico MTC. I was very happy. The next morning we took a bus to Pachuca where we arrived in the middle of transfer meeting. Finally, I met President and Sister Egbert (amazing people!) and my trainer, Hermana Laguna! She is from the very south of Mexico. She speaks even less English than I do Spanish which makes communication a constant adventure! She very patient with me though and all I do is follow her lead. If she sits down, I sit down. If she starts eating, I start eating. That's why having a good trainer is important boys and girls, I have to be able to trust her completely because without her I'd be totally lost.
So, my first area: Actopan! It's a happy bustling city, not far from Pachuca. We live right in the center (downtown). I really do love it here. There is a very strong ward here and the members have helped me so much to feel welcome. It's a good thing I'm such a take-life-as-it-comes kind of person, or I'd be very overwhelmed. I feel great though. Life is good. One day I'll even know what people are saying. I exaggerate. I usually have a general idea of what is going on. The problem is, I don't have a huge vocabulary so when people ask me specific questions I have a hard time understanding and answering. Mostly I'm just that really quiet (hard to believe for some of you, I know) white girl who doesn't seem too bright. It's fun :) People are constantly suprised that I really like the food and will eat anything, including spicy food.
As I said, the ward is very supportive. In this mission we have ALL our lessons with a member present. ALL of them. And since there are 2 sets of missionaries in the ward, we need a lot of support. It is so important to make the effort to help the missionaries in your ward! I plead with you, make the time to go to lessons with the missionaries. Your presence is so valuable!
I'm running out of time, so one last thing: study 3 Nephi 21! It's all about the last days and specifically the gathering of Israel (aka missionary work). I especially love verses 9-10, 24-25, and 29. Read them!!
Much love,
Hermana DeFranco