SI PUES

No mas Si mon...SOLO SI PUES. Porque? It's the Chiapan way!!

I knew I was in for it the very first day when I waved and smiled at the car full of scary looking Mexican men that honked at me..... 

 Hermana Martinez & Hansen

NAH CHISTE.  (only joking)

This is not a horror story where the dumb, white girl gets kidnapped because she's literally the only white girl in Tuxtla Central. But seriously. I really am the only white girl here. The only other white people are albinos.

I'm the first gringa in my area in a looooong time. And I think the only blond girl ever. So cada dia, cada dia, (every day) people stare. Everyone.

It's hilarious, and great for contacting people. People will listen because the white girl speaks Spanish!... well.... bad Spanish.

Everywhere I go, Mexican men shout things at me. Mostly in Spanish, sometimes in very bad English. I understand some of it....but not most of it.

Hermana Martinez says she's glad I don't understand a lot of it... hahahhaha but don't worry! I'm fine. They just literally have never seen blonde hair before and think it's like the most beautiful thing in the world.

Ah I love my companion!! She's awesome! She's from Puebla. And so loving and awesome. She speaks a little bit of English...but not much. So it's Spanish all day every day! (But she usually understands my Spanglish!)

  They seem like perfect missionary companions for each other!

Mexico is so different... AND I LOVE IT. I LOVE EVERY FREAKING MINUTE OF IT.

But yeah, the first couple of days were a culture shock for me. Kids running around the streets washing cars windows for money, trying to sell stuff... anything to get by for that day.

Sometimes people just live in like these cave like structures. Others live in cement and cardboard apartments with aluminum roofs.

We live in a pretty nice apartment and there's still bugs everywhere. Every. Where. No joke.

 Creepy little bugs...everywhere!

We live across the street from a bar so LOUD MUSIC ALL NIGHT LONG. Everything's loud and colorful here: the people, the music, the buildings, everything!

 Looks like Hermana Hansen has found heaven in a Mexican style pizza.

I love it. My type of people. And most people are super friendly. But yeah, totally different from America. But, I totally love it . 

Laundry time

I'm wet all the time. Literally, it's so humid here. And hot. And green and humid. I'm always sticky. I usually never had my hair down because its too hot (and it attracts more attention to me).

Yeah, people have nothing here. It's humbling! But, I love everything about the city and Tuxtla and Chiapas.

It's hard to understand the Chiapan accent a lot of times, because its like... a wave. Up and down, up and down. Haha! It's so cool. 

 Study time 

I love being a missionary!! I'll have more time next week to tell more.

 Mexican cats (for her sister Savannah...now Sav wants to know if they meow with accents).

Lo siento for the short and scrambled letter!!

Love you and miss you all!!!

Hermana Hansen

Hermana Hansen's Apartment Tour

 

 Study area and kitchen

 Stairwell to their apartment

  Bathroom & Laundry room

 This is the sink where they wash their clothing. What a culture shock this must've been for Hermana Hansen...as she just barely figured out the settings on the washing machine at her home in Draper.