Moctezuma - Este Semana

Pues where to begin..... 

So I ate green chili pasta because I thought it was spinach..... yeah it wasn't good.  I was on division that day with one of the sister training leaders and we were at the Visitor Center so I got a blessing from an older man that works there. But he is into natural medicine so he made me take his magic juice and swish it in my mouth as he gave me the blessing and it tasted like windex lol but yeah that was something crazy this week.  Don't worry, I feel better now and also I love the food here but man it gives me the runs... bad but that's okay I will slowly adjust. 

We had stake conference this weekend and Elder Valenzuela; one of the 70 was here and it was really good. Also so a guy named Valentin is a recent RM in our ward and we have been working with him a lot because his family isn't members and he's such a good teacher he comes to citas with us. Anyway he's famous. He has a mormon.org profile, and  "I Am a Mormon" video and yeah he's so great and we just love having him help us because he really is like an amazing teacher with so much life experience. 

Mexico is great we have about 8 progressing investigators that are all doing great and slowly gaining a testimony of the truth. We actually teach two different hobos so that is fun and its in the park. Also last night when we were walking home from a cita; Valentin and the elders quorum pres. yelled at us to come join them and they were talking to this lady. Anyways we went over to them and she is like awww I have been looking for the missionaries. My daughter is Mormon and I love your church. I have all the pamphlets and the Book of Mormon, I have seen the movie about Jose Smith and I love seeing my grandson bless the sacrament when I got visit them. So we are like YES and we are going to visit her this coming Wednesday. Its funny how she ran into Valentin and the elders pres, she was walking and her phone wasn't working and she saw these two men in suits because they were home teaching and asked them to fix her phone so yeah so is how we met Rosa Maria and I am sure I will have more to say about her next week. Also out of all our p. investigators half of them are under the age of 18 so haha its fun we are just teaching a bunch of younger kids who are going to change their lives and their families lives and become AMAZING! Also one of our investigators Nacho smokes so we made him a quitar fumar kit with pictures of Christ to put in his taxi, candy for when he wants to smoke and of course some nice church tunes for his taxi. Also last night we had the most amazing chocolate flan cake thing and I am going to get the recipe and send it to you guys because it is so GOOD! Also if any of the boys have ideas of fun games and stuff to do for family night PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.... help you sister out with fun ideas. I need some fun games so we are not known as the boring Sisters.

As to describe Mexico its kinda like living in "In the Heights", the musical. It looks like a really run down part of NYC and everyone lives on top of each other and knows everyone's business and there is always people selling things on the street and its just great. And oh man the bread stores on every corner are such a temptation because they smell so good but Rhoten can resist the temptation because she is #healthy #allldayeveryday.   Mexico is great, Spanish is getting better and the gospel is TRUE! Also it is rainy season here so #holla at my crocs because they are champs!!! Also yeah, I don't really do my hair because it just rains everyday and whats the point because it just gets massive and crazy. 

Also Mom can you email me more pics of the family and stuff and good quotes and IDK stuff that I can print out and put on my wall in mi casa?  I am glad everything is going well at home and that life is good. Also mom, your New York Minute trip sounded so fun and we will have to go in 16 months. I loved your pics and the one with you and Ramin,that man is fine and has the voice of an angel!!!  Also I loved all the pictures of the house being redone. I just want you all to know that I love you all so much and pray for you everyday. Also when you send my shirt, please send a bunch of english CTR rings for the niños here!!!  Cover the package with Virgin Marys on the outside!!!!  No rush in sending it, just whenever!   Also if Dave has any free time I would really really love the p.o.s in español but it doesn´t have to be right away or anything, hope I don't sound like I am always asking for things. Lol but life is good and its hard but I am learning a lot and growing in a lot of ways. But love you so so so so much I will try to write a letter letter this week if I get time so I can tell you more things in detail and sorry for all my spelling errors.

love you

This was taken when Elder Christensen came to visit; I am right behind him!!!

Moctezuma - Mi primero semana en Mexico

Well well well... Life here in Mexico is jist! Not gonna lie at first it was really hard like really hard and I was frustrated because I couldn't talk and didn´t know anyone...but now it is WAY BETTER! I still can't speak it but I know the people and I am learning to love Spanish even though it is muy dificil! My trainer Hermana Rhoten, is awesome though and such a good teacher! Also this will make you happy mom; she is super healthy and so we always use our work out time in the morning and eat good at nuestro casa and she makes spinach smoothies en la manaña so that is good. Also she is just super chill and will be going to Rexburg this fall when she gets home from the mish so Jared will have to meet her. She will probs be in the gym all the time running when it is cold because she is a big time runner. But yeah we get along really good and she is a humble teacher. She is also very active so that is super nice! Today we had a zone activity and usually when it "ends" the people that don't like to be active leave and those that do like to stay and play basketball and stuff so we stayed with the elders and it was just fun to play around for like 2 hours and not think about Spanish! Also for our zone activity we did finger painting of pictures from the pamphlet for those that like being artistic so that was good! 

Dana and her companion

Zone Conference; finger paintings

Also guess what......

   We had a baptism yesterday...My 1st one! So Manuela, the women that was baptized; was actually dropped from the missionaries a couple months ago because she was wouldn't accept a baptismal date and was being stubborn... anyways Rhoten being her wise and hardworking self looked at her log in the carpet "area book" and was made a cita with her just so we could talk and get to know her because we both have never taught her before. Anyways we went and found out why she didn´t want to get baptized and it is because she thought she had to take a test before her baptism and she forgets a lot of things....anyways we answered that question for her and then went through the baptismal interview questions and she knew everything. So we set up an interview for her on Sunday and fasted that she would get baptized. And she DID! Her son is a recent convert who got baptized in October and has the priesthood so he was able to baptize her and she had enough assistants because she goes to church every Sunday with her son! So yes she was baptized and it was super cool because we had only taught her once but really we didn´t even teach her. So that was yesterday and it was great. 

1st Baptism!

Also we have like 5ish investigators and they are all great (maybe more can't remember) but we have this one; her Name is Alison and she is 10 and the cutest 10 year old ever. She and her sister that is 15 are investigating the church. She accepted a fecha this past week (baptismal date) and should be baptized on June 7th. You can just tell she has been prepared from God to hear the gospel and accept  it. But ye,s I just love her and she is so so cute and perfect and always keeps her commitments and now we just need to work on her parents... But yes, the work here is great and we are always busy. The ward here is great too. There are a lot of willing members that will work with us and go to lessons and stuff. The ward is Moctezuma and the stake is Moctezuma and our area is called Moctezuma so that is easy to remember. 

Oh also this week Elder Craig Christenson from the presidency of the 70 came and it was really good. It was a mission wide conference so we met in the old CCM that is right next to the temple. The whole conference was in Spanish but I understood a lot because he spoke a lot slower than the latinos. But it was really good and fun to meet some of the other hermanas. There are a lot of Hermanas from the visitor center because they are included in the mish. So we have Hermanas just only like 11 proselyting. President takes some of the sisters from the Visitor Center in the field though. 

Las hermanas in front of the Christus

Also this week, I saw one of my CCM teachers at the visitors center. WE were there to watch "Meet the Mormons" and it was really good and then I looked across the aisle and there he was with this girl friend so I talked to him for a little bit right after but then we had to go with our people.

But yes everything here is really good and like I said it is really hard but good and I will send you pics in a second.  I love you all.  Seth is so cute and I miss him and everyone else.  Anyways nos vemos love you all lots.

Moctezuma

Well, I made it into the field and its crazy. My comps name is Hermana Rhoten and she is from Washington state. She is super awesome and paciente with my terrible Spanish. 

Hermanas Heywood and Rhoten

I loved talking to all of you this past Sunday; it was so good to hear your voices! I left on Monday morning at 6 and I didn/t really sleep much that night because Beck had to leave at 3 am and Turner at 5 so we all packed together till like 1 and then we took a power nap till about 2:30ish and then I didn't sleep after that so I was SO tired the next day. Also lo siento this computer doesn´t spell check my English, so sorry mom you will have to edit it. But we got picked up from the assistants around 6ish and then we drove to presidents house which is in the west mission or something. So it took us about an hour and a half to get there. At his house we had a breakfast full of eggs, rice, beans, this tortilla thing and cheese cake...yup I am officially in Mexico real life. Also the had the BEST horchata I have EVER TASTED IN MI VIDA! So yeah; I had a spanglish interview with President and it was good. The biggest thing he told me to do was start reading El Libro de Mormon cover to cover and not to worry about the meaning of everything but just to read it out loud. So we will start doing that during language study. My area is called Moctezuma and it is pretty big I believe for the mish... I mean our mission is really small but its a bigger size for the mission. I guess in total our mission is 13 miles long yup! But everyone here lives on top of each other and some of the houses I have been in are just one room with bunk beds where the whole family sleeps, eats, watch´s t.v ect. Our area is fairly poor but the people here are so nice and always listen to my terrible Spanish. We taught a good lesson yesterday with this women named Rocía she is way nice and it was her 1st lesson with the misioneras. She saw the movie "Meet the Mormons" with one of her friends and invited us over. Ah I just love her and she even can speak a little bit of English so that is great. 

   We live with members and our casa is orange and cute. Its a nice house for Mexico and we even have a couch. The bathroom is small and for the kitchen we have a stove, microwave and a fridge! So yeah its nice here. My 1st day we didn't get to the offices till like 2ish and then we went straight to a dinner apt with the members that live in the house with us. He is in the stake presidency. We also had dinner with an hermana from this mish who just got released over skype and her parents are here. Her mom took a pic of me and tried to tag someone from our family on FB but we couldn't find anybody. My spanish is bad but thats okay. Not gonna lie the 1st day when we went out to do contacts is was HARD and i was really frustrated. But slowly my ear is adapting to the people. In lesson I don´t talk a ton because I dont know what they are saying half the time but yeah its only my 3rd day so it will get better. But Hermana Rhoten is great and really good at Spanish. And all the people I have met have been supér supér nice! 

Sounds like everything is good at home and that volleyball is doing good. I wish we would have been able to talk longer on Sunday but that's alright we can talk in 8ish months. Hm Rhoten said they were only allowed to skype for 40 minutes so its not like the field is all that much better. Pero esta bien. Leaving the ccm was sad and it was hard to say goodbye to the district but that's alright we have a big email group and everyone has emailed a little bit about how hard it is here. Like yeah its hard not gonna lie but I know there is only up from here. Also 11 sisters just left the mish on friday and then me and one sister from Provo came so now in total only 11 sisters are here. Pero 4 go home in June and 5 in August....yup so basically after august I am gonna be one of the old hermanas and train.... so yeah it is really important I get more confident and learn Spanish fast!! If anyone has any good tips please please please tell me and please pray for the gift of tongues for me. But everything is really good I have met a little bit of the other missionaries here. They are all super nice. Leaving the CCM, I was the only sister (because the other one was in Provo that's why I couldn´t find her) and the rest where latinos so at presidents house everything was in Spanish besides my interview... Also this Saturday we have Elder Christenson coming here and so I will get to meet the rest of the Hermanas here. 

Life is good and mom I don´t know if you heard but Lisa got her mission call to Orlando Florida English speaking so that is exciting. And I heard from Ash (Trinidad Tobago Mission) and she sounds like she is good and she is working on all her Visa stuff right now... oh guess what else I have a green card here in Mexico...its kinda funny but they keep all the important stuff in the mission office...which is right next to the temple. My area is really close to the airport and so there are a lot of planes that fly over and stuff. Oh also if you are wondering I am just in a little internet cafe and you pay 2 pesos an hour so its really cheap. Oh also rainy season is just starting so my hair is crazy curly and its kinda cold at night. Yesterday is basically rained all day. But everything is good here today we went to Walmart which is out of our area but we can get permission to go and get groceries. Anyways here are lots of pics from this week. I love you all and I hope Luke was able to pass his test and Jared likes his job a little bit more. Please pray for my Spanish because right now it sucks. Love you all!!!

1st mexico house!

La Cocina

Mother's Day/Dana heads to the Mission Field

Our Mothers Day phone call was short and audio only.  It was great to hear her voice though and she was filled with excitement and....gosh, we really miss her!  She left the CCM this morning at 6:30 to take the bus to the Oeste Mission Home.  We received this picture about 9:00 Arizona time and were so grateful to see her delivered safely.  Can't wait to hear about what happens next.  I am sure her Pdays will now switch to Mondays so hopefully we can update the blog by Monday evenings.  I am thinking it will be a week before we hear from her again.  (posted by her Mom)

What?  The only hermana?  

She's really leaving the Celestial Kingdom of the CCM....

Dana said it was sinking in that they were really leaving when they got their
filtered water bottles!

Last and Final Semana.....

Well well well this week was interesting to say the least..... 

We are on the down hill here at the CCM. On sunday we got to watch meet the Mormons and it was so dang good, even better then the first time I saw it. Beck and I might be singing a musical number this Sunday so I will let you know how it goes. Also this Sunday I am calling at 3 mexico time and I am sorry I cant change it things have been really strict lately...hmm wonder why. But sorry can't change it so maybe Luke can speak a different Sunday or something. Also I got my travel plans today. I am leaving on Monday at 6:30 am and there is me and 4 other Latinos getting picked up by the mission office. 

On the spiritual note this week I had to teach the Book of Mormon to my district and so I decided to teach Alma 38 and it went really well. I tried really hard to get a chapter that would motivate my district to finish the last week strong because we have all been kinda slacking lately. Anyways it was the best moment of the week and we all just had a good spiritual talk and our teacher Hermana Martinez shared a really good moment and yeah I am just glad it turned out and everyone could take something away from it. 

The Spanish is getting better, we are learning subjunctive and its hard but that is okay. I am so excited to be in the field next week and learn who my trainer is! Ahhh I will be sad to leave my comps. Beck and I are talking about everything we are gonna do after the mish. We always talk about our favorite musicals and we are determined to get to New York some time in our lives to go see all the good ones. Mom thank you for sending me all the tony noms it sounds like an American In Paris and King and I are pretty good. Mom if you go to New York with padre please please please get me a les miz shirt because I was lame and didn´t buy one when we were there. 

It will be sad to leave my district next week but we will probs all keep in touch with emails here and there because we are all pretty tight. I am the last one in my trio to leave and second to last in my district. One of our elders is leaving on Tuesday because he is going back to the states but the rest of us are all over mexico. One of the comedor workers lives in my mission and we have determined that he is inviting me over for dinner, also one of my teachers, Hermana Martinez lives in my mish so I can see her again! Sorry this letter isn't all that exciting, I forgot my journal.  I am sure my letter next week will be better and I will talk to you guys on Sunday. I will just call Dads number! I love you guys all so much. I will talk to you at 3 my time. Love you all

Dana