Mexico Strikes Back

Where to begin. Seriously. Brace yourselves. Prepare for something dreadful....this week. hahaha ooohhh it was a good one in multiple ways.

 

So first of all, Mexico is a living thing and it has the ability to take vengeance as it pleases. For example, this week I used the bathroom. I have done this multiple time in Mexico. But this time, something new happened. I flushed the toilet and nothing happened. So I made the decision to flush again. I count this as the right decision. Mexico wasn’t so sure. SOMEHOW, SOMEWAY, the toilet SHOT WATER BACK OUT AT ME. WHAT IN THE WORLD? Yes, Mexico. The country of vicious toilets. I was horrified and disgusted. Seriously. Unclean water shot back out at me and nailed my leg and shoe. I just collapsed in defeat against the wall of the stall and released what my comp would describe as a mix of a cry, scream, screech, sob, yelp, laugh. And then I just kinda started simultaneously screaming and crying bc I was laughing so hard and was soooo disturbed. ahh Mexico.    Mexico 1. Alaina 0.

 

It will come as little surprise that in a country where the toilets fight back, the food is less than kind to my stomach. hahah seriously after every meal I sprawl out on the floor in real, genuine pain. And I moan. And I lie there, and I debate whether it would be better to starve to death or suffer the stomach pains that I experience each day. So far stomach pains are winning out. hahahaha hopefully by the time I get to San Salvador my rather week stomach will adjust properly and I will be able to consume food and digest it as a normal human being.

 

Some highlights of the week:

First, one evening, one of the elders said, ´Hma Hirschi, will you teach me how to play volleyball? ‘And then...another did...and another...and another. And I think my eyes actually teared up a little and I delivered a much dreamt of line, ´I have been waiting for you to ask me for sooooooooo looooooong´. So now I am Coach Hirschi, and I train my little elders in volleyball and we are going to be Olympic in no time at all. hahahah. It was a dream come true.

 

Also last night, I was exhausted...just soooo tired in class at 9 pm. I was still trying to contribute so my teacher asked a question and I answered and was speaking coherently when suddenly I said something along the lines of ´yes so if we will prepare ourselves...purple.´ Yes. I just released the noun purple. I don’t know what, I don’t know how. Immediately afterwards I said out loud, wait what?? and my district started cracking up. I am getting a little delusional these days. But people. I LOVE BEING HERE. I love it with all that I am. Maybe I am a little strange, but I really enjoy pretty much everything. My Spanish is still improving. I love studying the grammar. I am a grammar Nazi and everyone knows it. But it is A- ok.

 

Our class was playing charades. ---side note. I LOVE LATINOS--- ok back to the story. So we were playing charades and I wanted to take a turn sooo bad. So my teacher let me go. Two of my teachers pointed to a word written out, I read it right quick. The word was caridad (or charity in English). ok ok ok . That is hard to act out, but in a kylie move, I got on my knees and pretended I was a dying grandma I guess...hahah and went around the class handing out some money to all the missionaries. It took them forever to figure out what I was trying to depict, and everyone was in raptures laughing because I guess I was being a little funny. So finally, Hma Lara calls out, caridad!! Sweet that is the correct answer!!! We all smile and think that was a good time and we are all having a good laugh. BUT NO. hahahaha my teachers are straight up DYING laughing. We’re like, uhh what is so funny??? They then inform me that my word was castidad ( which for you non Spanish speakers means chastity). WHOOPS. Then we all laughed for a very, very, very long time. I don’t know what I have made of myself here in the ccm. But my story is spreading along with my fame. The teachers got a real, true blue kick out of that one.

 So, moral of the story. Never play charades in a language besides your own. Your reputation is at risk.

 
Sorry for the length on this bad boy. I just need to recap General Conference reaaaal fast. First of all, it was spectacular. Oh man. Amazing. So many incredible things were said. Sunday night we got to watch the testaments and I cried for joy because I love that movie sooo much. I have been praying to watch that movie at the ccm. My testimony of the reality of a divine Lord and Savior are surer in my mind than ever before. How merciful is our God who has a divine plan for us, his literal children!! It is such an incredible plan of happiness! And the good news is that we have already won the war with evil. Our Lord and God, the Holy One of Israel, has overcome death, sin, and all suffering. I was thinking about this as it really applied to me...and how amazing it really is. My name, my first name I like to think, is engraved in the palms of the hand of the great Jehovah. And while I am having a lot of fun here, THAT IS WHY I AM SO GLAD TO BE HERE,  because I KNOW that Christ came, and that he overcame everything in the world for us, because amazingly, as weak, as faithless as we are, he loves us. And the atonement is real for each of us. My soul was singing this redeeming song of love this whole week and I am filled with an unending joy. And I wonder how my faith could have been so pathetic before now!! We are literally children of an all powerful, almighty, all knowing being.  EVERYTHING HE DOES is for us. Every miracle of this universe has been created for our benefit! For our welfare! I felt so blessed this week I could hardly handle it. I can’t handle it. Each night I just pray and pray and try to give thanks for everything I have been given. But it’s literally an impossible task. Also can we talk about the scriptures for one second??? They are living!! They are so amazing and so filled with the spirit and so incredible. They enrich my spirit every time I read them and ponder them, and they fill me with the spirit of the Lord and they testify of Christ and I love them. Please read the scriptures!

 

Ok a few of my favs from conf.

1. Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith.

2. Give the book a chance. Just give. It. a chance. --in reference to the Book of Mormon.

 

I loved ten million other things. Largely due to the fact that I really grasped the fact that these are living prophets, and their message would be the same as if the Lord Himself came down and preached to us. So with each speaker I imagined the Lord saying so things from the pulpit, and they hit me with a new power. I love this gospel. I know it is true. I know we have to have faith but that a joy and light will fill our souls. Unlike any other....as we come to know our savior Jesus Christ. I am reading Jesus the Christ by Talmage and I can´t get enough. Stay true. Be faithful. Search honestly for the truth. Pray. Pray. Pray. Please pray. God loves His children. He will not abandon us!

 

If you made it this far I will send you a medal next week. I love you all. Stay strong. Choose to be faithful. Find joy in the very fact that you are a child of God and that he has a grand plan for you and that joy beyond our comprehension is waiting for us as we obey and search the scriptures.

 

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY.

 

Until next time.

 

Hma Hirschi