Pitching the Gospel in Mexico: It's Hawt

Monday November 4, 2019

I am alive and well. Right as I started to feel comfortable in the MTC I leave. When we were landing it was pouring rain and really humid and was really green. On the way to the mission office it felt like a dream. We are having interviews with the mission president and then we will get with our companions and go to our areas. I'm super excited to get out and get to work. Hopefully I can learn the language haha I have no clue what everybody is saying right now. Love you all!

Elder Wilde

Me with President & Sister Whitworth Me and my new companion Elder Brown

Elder Lopez, Elder Montes, Elder Wilde, Elder Brown

Me and Elder Taylor at the mission home

Me and my new companion Elder Brown

Tuesday November 5, 2019

Alrighty where do I even start? We flew in yesterday and went straight to the mission office. When we were there we had our first interviews with President Whitworth. He asked me about my likes and asked me to share my testimony. After I finished sharing my testimony he said he loved it and is really excited to get to know me better. So basically you could say I nailed it and will be AP after I finish my training. Just kidding, totally a joke ;) But my Mission President is really cool and I like him a lot!

Elder Brown is my trainer. He is from Vernal and went to Uintah High School. We honestly have nothing in common but who cares because I can make friends with anyone. I just agree with whatever and smile haha. We share a house with Elder Lopez and Elder Montes so hopefully they can help me with my Spanish. Our house is in Macuspana, our area is Gaviotas and we cover the Libertad ward. It is a straight party.

Yesterday we stopped by the house of the Lopez Melo family. I go in and sit down on the couch and the mom says something to me and I am lost. I understood like one word every 3 sentences then I would smile about it and they would just laugh at me. I understood them when they asked if we wanted a Coke so I definitely said yes. Then Elder Montes translated a word for me and one of the daughters who is about our age asked Elder Montes "do you speak english?". Well I understood that so I say "Yo hablo perfecto Inglés" and that got a good laugh out of them. Basically I am a straight clown to them so this is gonna be fun.

I finally got some real Mexican food and it definitely doesn't make me miss the CCM. We ordered some tacos and they delivered it to our house and they were so freaking good. The only bad thing was that it took a good hour and a half for them to deliver so we didn't even eat them until about midnight. Nothing better than some street tacos and some ice cold Coke! This morning I tried a new drink called Pozol and I did not think I'd like it but I actually like it a lot. It is a bitter chocolate drink with corn in it and it is kind of good. It is basically like drinking watered down chocolate milk with a tortilla. Maybe I liked it because it was cold, who knows.

Now for the creatures. Turns out, I'm not the only creature in Mexico. There was a spider as big as my hand on our wall and a gecko this morning. Then we walk outside and there is a giant iguana and it was so sick. Apparently they eat them here so I am excited for that. There is also a stray dog about everywhere we go and it is kind of sad. Now that I think about it, wouldn't be surprised if the tacos last night were from a dog... just kidding, I think! There are lots of crocodiles here but I am yet to see one. I'm thinking I will be like Steve Irwin and go be their friend when I see one. The monkeys aren't in my area and I am super bummed because I was tryna be like Aladdin and have a pet monkey.

Now time for the weather. It is one of the cooler months and it is still super hot and humid. I feel sticky all the time and I'm always dripping sweat. The shower is ice cold and it is the best! The only bad thing about it is there is no such thing as drying off. When I wipe myself down with the towel, the humidity makes me wet again. Gotta love it.

I have always been a pretty patient and positive person but not gonna lie the doubts are hitting me. Elder Fogg is in our district and he helped me today. He was saying how I shouldn't worry at all because the people will love me even when they don't have any idea what I'm talking about. I also was reading in D&C when it says something about being able to share the gospel in different languages. It reminds me of the saying "you will make 100,000 mistakes before you can speak the language". I know there is a reason I'm here and as long as I trust in the Lord I will be able to do his work.

Love you all, stay sweet.

Elder Wilde