Huatusco

This week was another pretty good week here in Veracruz. However, I got transferred once again to another area- this makes it the third area in just this transfer, and my third companion as well. They actually sent me to an area that is literally in the middle of nowhere. Its un pueblito called Huatusco, and the closest "city" is a solid 1:30-2 hours away from us. We actually don't have to go to any district meetings because we are so far away. I freaking love that. However, President told me that I will only be here for like 1 more week, and then I'll be going back to my old area. Right now I'm actually opening an area for two weeks, and then I'll be returning and opening another area next week--this should be pretty fun. 

Elder Salazar and I kinda knew that we were going to be transferred due to our interview with President. He told me "va a ver Elder Hall"--which pretty much is slang for telling Elder Hall that he's about to be changed, or there's going to be a big change in my mission. 

He  told me and Elder Salazar that he can trust us with anything, and we are his two most trusted missionaries, and he has complete confidence in us. We need to know that he's gonna put us in hard situations to help strengthen the mission. So that next day we got word that we were going to be transferred, which sucked. 

But now i'm literally living in the middle of the mountains and its pretty awesome.  I'm tanning pretty dang well here so that's cool. This area is pretty weird and all backwards with everything. 

We are going to be working hard this week and I've got a pretty good plan to help this area in this last week that I'm here. Usually its the poor people that are the most receptive to the missionaries but not here--they hate us. As we say here, "son católicos con huesos colorados." However, the "rich" part of the community (I hear) actually accept us pretty well. The thing is they are all Italians, and they are a really, really tight nit group. So I have a pretty great plan of just going up to them and enter into their circle of friends. It shouldn't be too hard due to the fact that I look a lot like them (a little whiter, dirty blond hair, blue eyes, and tall). They also like accepting us into their houses to talk and they treat us just like family when we have their confidence. So I'm gonna try to take a different approach to this one. I'm gonna just try to gain their confidence, and just try to enter into the status of a true 'Italian'. I'm just hoping to get at least like one or two of them to church this week because, where one or two Italians go--they all go. And then we will slowly start working our way down to the other levels of the community. Since the Italians own literally all of the stores and restaurants here that should help us out a little bit. It seems that they get something they don't just keep it to themselves--they love to share what they have with literally every single person in the whole world. So yeah--we are gonna go that route this week and see how it turns out.  

Another pretty funny thing is that we have gained the confidence of the branch really quick. Just yesterday we had like every single person in the branch ask us for a blessing, and wanted us in their houses, and in the houses of all of their friends. And on top of all of that they put me and my companion in charge of the Primary Program next week. I'm pretty excited for that one. 

However, something I have realized is that time flies by when you are on your mission. It has now been a little over a year. Its been a year of a lot of things. A year of:

1.Bathing with a bucket of hot.

2.Flushing a toilet with that same bucket.

3.Speaking Spanish.

4.Doing stuff for others 24/7.

5.Washing my clothes in a bucket of water and soap.

6.Putting up on a clothes line.

7.Mexican Food

8.Racist comments and looks just because of my skin color.

9.Hate from every side.

The thing is I wouldn't have changed any of this for the world, or for any other experience. I've gained a lot over this past year, such as:

1. A testimony

2. A lot more patience.

3. Such a profound love that I didn't know existed.

4. I feel like God has faith in me just like I have in him.

5. Funny jokes and memories.

6. Great new friends from all over the world.

7. New families (that are Mexican)

8. A better character (don't get me wrong I have my same personality).

9. A different view on life.

10. Just more joy and light in my life.

Its a weird thing, but this year has probably been the happiest year that I have ever had, and its also been the poorest I've been all of my life. It makes me see that money really isn't a big factor in what makes somebody happy--its the things they are doing in their life. And its also about the people that you are around. I'm excited for these 11 months that I have left, and can't wait to see what they hold for me. There's going to be a ton of ups and downs, but that's life. We grow from those moments and can learn and grow from all of our experiences in life. 

That's what I got for this week. 

Love you all. 

"Church is true go be awesome."-Anne Bagley