Thursday, December 24, 2015

“Be near me Lord, Jesus, I ask thee to stay…”

Every email, I am going to name it after a hymn that I feel has described this week. 10 points if you can find the hymn!
 
First off, this key board is really different so I am sorry for all the grammar errors...
 
Second off, because there are only 150 missionaries in the CCM for Christmas, we are ALLOWED TO CALL HOME!!!! Hopefully you will have reception and will get this email, or I'll be calling the house and leaving a long message... I will be calling at 9.30 am Mexico time. 
 
Lastly... You're probably wondering how this week has been! I honestly cannot tell you the range of emotions that I have felt since I got on the plane. I'll start with the plane ride down to the beautiful (smoggy) cuidad de Mexico. There was 4 other Elders going down to Mexico with me, one of which is also going to Osorno, and he is in my district leader. The other three were going state side. 
 
I sat next to a lady on the plane, and we started talking about why we were going to Mexico. I told her that I was serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. She asked me what that was, and thus began our 45 minute talk about religion and what Mormons believe. I had her read a few scriptures from the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants. She shared with me that her mom had just converted to Christianity and to see the huge change in her mom proved to her that there is a God and that she needed religion in her life. She has been attending various churches, trying to find one that she likes. Talk about a golden investigator! Anyways... while we were getting off the plane, I told her that if she had any more questions, she could go to lds.org or mormon.org and I gave her my mini Book of Mormon. If I had been on the flight I was originally supposed to be on, I would have never met, talked, and shared this message with her. God truly knows us individually and He wants all His children to hear His message.
 
After we got off the plane, there were Elders waiting to pick us up. And oh my goddness!!! The drive from the airport to the CCM took about 45 minutes and I´m surprised we made it in one piece! I think the driver checked his blind spot maybe once... we cut off who knows how many cars and buses and rarely drove inside the lines on the street. What I gathered from the drive was the only rules to driving is when the light (if there is a light, usually it’s just a stop sign) is red, you stop. When it is green, you go. Tambien, at the stop lights, people are standing there waiting and when the light turns red, they´ll come out into the streets to sell you candy, wash your car, or hope on the back to hitch a ride. It´s loco.
 
ugh.... I´m running out of time.... so I´m going to have to leave a lot of stuff out...
 
Mexico CCM 

The food is great! My favorite meal has been their tamales
My compañera is Hermana Hosksins. She is from Palm Dale California and is also going to Osorno. In my district there is Elder Greenwood from San Diego (serving in Osorno, district leader), Elder Feagi from Hawaii (Osorno), Elder Atkinson from Utah (New Jersey), and Elder Tidwell from Idaho (Washington). We have become really close as a district. Elder Tidwell reminds me of a very sarcastic Napoleon Dynamite. We have class for about 13 hours every day... the first couple of days, I could understand everything my maestros were saying (all the classes are solomente en Español). However, I think my brain has been fried because yesterday and today, I am having a really hard time understanding...





Twins!


 
We have an investigator. Her name is Erika and we have taught her 4 lessons in Español. It is very difficult. The final lesson we had with her, afterwards I broke down crying to one of the teachers, telling her that there was so much I wanted to share with her and testify to her but I don't know how to say it! She listened to my worries and then shared a scripture with me that her Mission pres. shared with her when she was trying to learn English. They are amazing!! Look them up por favor! D&C 64:33 y D&C123:17. Y tambien, al que cree, todas le es posible.
 
I have been asked to be the choir pianist. I told the director I would, and he handed me the next two songs that they were going to start practicing. The first song has 5 flats and the second changes key signatures 3 times and starts with two flats and ends with 4 sharps... but I testify that the gift of tongues is not confined to language alone. I ran through the songs once and only made a few mistakes. Talk about crazy!! 
 
Word on the street is that we will be seeing and hearing Elder Bednar speaks on Christmas!!!! .... On the projector that is streamed from the Provo MTC... But it´s all good. I´m so excited to hear him speak! We had an amazing Relief Society this past domigo. I encourage you all to watch the Mormon message Wise Men Still Seek Him. It is amazing. I am so grateful for my Savior and for all that He has done for me. 
 
Oh, mom, so apparently I needed to get tetanus shot because I got the last one more than 3 years ago. I got it on Thursday, which was really fortunate because this morning, Hna. Hoskins y yo were sliding down some slides we found near our casa and I totally sliced my finger on the rusted metal... I had to go to the infermaría. Luckily no stiches, but I won´t get lock jaw!!
 
I love it here! It is very tiring, mentally and emotionally. But I am happy. 
 
Have a Merry Christmas! Elder Greenwood´s mom mailed him a package. It was MARTINELLI’s and a piñata! I think we are going to have fun tomorrow :)
 
Love you lots, 
Hermana Hess


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