Oh my goodness do I have stories for you...hopefully I can
finish all of them because keyboards in Mexico are weird. So my flight didn't
actually leave until about 5:30 PM. Because of the fog, we had to sit on the
plain for 2 hours and then they decided to let us get back off. We called
missionary travel with some random lady's phone, (thank you random lady) and
they told us we needed to just re-book because we had also missed our
connecting flights, and we would be stuck in Houston if we waited for the fog
to clear up. I was with the Elder that we met when we said goodbye, Elder
Howell (he went to Skyline - ew. and he's going to Xajlappa MX), and then
another elder from swan valley, Elder May (going to Mexico City). They were
both super cool and we became really good friends. As we were figuring out our
new flight itinerary, Vanetta's sister, Tanna came up to me and asked if I was
Shelli's daughter. She ended up buying us pizza and soda. It was really nice. I
asked her to tell you about our issues after we left. She was so sweet. Then E
May's stake president was there and he gave us 60 bucks for dinner...I love
being a missionary!!! I also saw Doug and Mitzi Pruitt. And Madi Hillam!! We
took the funniest pictures. I died. Hopefully I can figure out how to upload
them before our time is up. So as we were sitting there talking, I figured out
that E Howell's dad was the one my Valagrams group sang to in the middle of the
auxiliary gym at Skyline!! He called his mom (cause he is more brave than I am)
and she laughed super hard. So did I. We also bought super ugly neck pillows
because we now were going to endure a Red Eye flight...
So we finally got to Salt Lake. We were thinking about going to
temple square because we had another 7 hours ahead of us sitting in the
airport, but we decided not to because we had to re-chack our baggage for some
reason. With the 60 dollars from E May's stake pres we ate....MCDONALDS!! We
all got McFlurrys. We took awesome pictures with our ugly neck pillows, and
rode up and down the moving floor for literally an hour I think. It was so fun
though! I love those Elders. We would have been friends in High School.
Seriously such fun people. E Howell said he was Mr SHS so he has a life-long
rivalry with Zach Buell. They kept teasing me about being a Frozen fanatic..
ummm. I don't even like Frozen! But I never knew what TV shows they were
talking about so that's what they decided I liked.
Then it was a new day and we hadn't even slept yet! We got on
our flight to GEORGIA. I sat next to the cutest couple ever that had an
adorable two week old baby. I was in the isle seat so I told them they could
wake me up in they needed to get out. Well, I had fallen asleep and they woke
me up in the middle of my nap because the baby was wet. I was totally
discombobulated and couldn't figure out what they wanted me to do. I tried
turning my legs to the isle and couldn't understand why the arm of the seat
wouldn't lift up. After they both ended up having the crawl over me, I realized
that I could have just stood up. Super awk. When they got back i apologized for
being such an idiot.
After landing in the Atlanta airport, I went to the bathroom to
change and saw that I HAD SAT IN GUM ON THE AIRPLANE. All those years of mom
checking her seat for gum...I should have listened. I'll probably be sending
that dress home once I get to the States. When I got back E Howell had gone to
get us all breakfast with the leftover money from the $60. I had about 3 bites
left and the Elders started talking about the CCM (MTC). I GOT SO SICK TO MY
STOMACH. But don't worry, I finished my breakfast sandwich. I did have to ask
the Stewardess for Gongerale on the plane though... and then I just slept the
time. I woke up as we were completely over the ocean. SpOoKy!!!!
We got off the airplane and stepped into Mexico. I definitely
don't know Spanish! E Howell did a pretty good job interpretting. Our guy wasn't
there to pick us up, so we tried using a pay phone with my calling card, but
the directions on the phone were all in Spanish so we were SOL. We tried to ask
a lady if she could help us, but I think she thought we wanted her phone. She
said no. haha.
Then the guy finally came and we were so relieved! I started
talking to him and he said, "Hermana Ricks! I do not speak English. "
He started talking to me in spanish... I was a deer in the headlights. The
Elders knew what he was saying though. After he went to get the car I said,
"Guys, I don't know spanish." E Howell said, "Si Hermana Ricks,
muy obvioso." Thanks Elder Howell. (I saw him on Sunday and I said,
"E Howell! My Spanish is mucho better." He said, "Oh yeah?? It
doesn't sound like it." THANKS ELDER HOWELL.) While we were driving the
the CCM, the guy gave us some mandarinas and sang church songs to us with a
really excited voice. He was hilarious. There were also a ton of people selling
food in the middle of the street. Like walking around in the middle of the road
like the fire department does to get donations. Except for the drivers here are
CRAZY. Even the guy that was driving us!
We pulled into the CCM... SOOOOO SO PRETTY!!!! I love it here.
The weather is perfect. I'm jealous that E may and E Howell get to stay.
(Except it does stink sometimes...) We dropped off our bags at the reception,
got our nametags, and the lady told us to go get some lunch and then come back
to finish checking in. Well, while I was in line for food, all the Elders kept
telling me to go to the front of the line (Hermanas get to just cut
everyone..aww.) But I told them I didn´t have a companion or know anyone so I
was just going to stay with the Elders. We went and sat down, and ate our food.
Everyone kept giving me weird looks because I was sitting with the Elders, and
it was super awkward. When I had like 2 bites left, this teacher came up to me
and told me I was not to sit with the Elders, and also got after the Elders for
allowing me to sit there. I mean, we didn't know that rules, and I totally had
just spent the last 36 hours with these guys, but whatever. So I went to sit at
the table behind them with some Hermanas, and crazy enough, there was my
companion! Hermana Price. She is from Grantsville Utah, and is going to
Ventura! We get along really well. Anyways, I told the group of Hrms that I
needed to go get my stuff and e-mail you guys, but they said we needed to go to
this meeting. After that meeting, there were like 20 other meetings. So when
dinner finally rolled around, we came back to get my stuff and the guy at the
desk said, "Oh yes!!! You were supposed to come back a long time ago. Your
dad called very worried." So basically is that one teacher would have let
me finish my popsicle in peace, everything would have been fine, and would have
gone back to get my stuff with the Elders like I was suppose to. I guess I'm
just the rebel of the CCM! ;) Just kidding. I haven't had any problems
since.
So my time is almost up... I had a lot more stories than I
thought. So I won't be able to e-mail you again later, and I'll have to send
pictures next week. I'll hurry and tell you a little about the rest of the
week...
We have an "investigator" names Jose Alberto Romero.
They said he is real, but none of us believed them, until yesterday when he
wore a Cool's Light shirt... So now I'm not so sure. We have sung to him a
couple times in our lessons... its the best spanish we speak! haha. But it also
really invites the spirit. It is amazing how much I can understand of what my
teachers say. I can't speak very well, but I can understand SO MUCH! That
is the first step. I am so grateful that I am able to serve the Lord. I will
have to tell you about my district and companion and teacher and zone more next
week, and I'll have a ton of pictures!!! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!! MERRY
CHRISTMAS!!!!! I am loving it here so much.
God
be with you til we meet again.
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