La vida real

No me recuerdo que pasó esta semana... Una semana de... milagros.... escogidos.... ooops I'm typing in Spanish huh? It's a rough life when you don't know English.

Well I'm in Tuxtla (home sweet home) again for super consejo!!! Partyyyy! I'm learning to hate 7-hour bus rides with a passion! But it's all good cuz for the first time since I left Tuxtla...I'm in a cyber zone with fast internet and CLIMA. (a/c)

 Really this week all we did was work, work, and MORE WORK.Our new zone leader is great! He is Elder Lemus. He's the old mission president's secretary and super awesome. It is his last transfer!! 

Zone Leaders, Elder Lemus & De Jesus and Hermanas Hansen and Ortega

Not anything TOO exciting to comment on. We found some adventista youth on their way to church hiding under a combi stop during a super chido rain storm. So we took the opportunity to teach them the restoration!

As we were singing La Oracion del Profeta, the storm took a new hit and suddenly flooded the side walk up to our knees and casi took us away with it (TRISTE SATANAS). But we just kept on singing!!! Haha. All in the day of the life of a missionary in Tapachula :) 

I don't have much to write this week... so I'll copy what I sent to my dear bro and sis and syd :) 

The mission is the best. 

It's the biggest GET OVER YOURSELF MAN moment you will ever have in your life. 

It's harder than anything I've ever done. Not only does it knock you out physically, but also mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. But I love it.

La vida real: 

The only time I've seen carpet is in the church. There is no AC anywhere... and if there is it's a little cool box thing (we have one in our room #blessed). There are usually no flush toilets. You have to flush it yourself with a bucket of water. We live on the edge of a jungle..... It's normal to live in a house of cement or dirt or wood walls with an alumnimum roof, bathroom outside, without a door.

There is no such thing as an ice machine. If people have ice it's because they froze it in a plastic bag or an old milk carton. They sell milk warm. We hardly ever eat with utensils, it's all in your hands and tortillas. I have eaten every single body part on a cow, pig, and chicken, including stomach, brain, and tongue. 

In Tuxtla, when it rains the sewers overflow. So we get to walk in knee deep sewer water. Some people believe in evil spirits, and they are real. Many people are Catholic and they worship Saints and the Virgin Mary and have altars with images and flowers and loved ones that have passed. 

 Bugs! Bugs! Bugs. Iguanas walk in the street. I see dogs starving in the street all day every day. There are not any rules about loud music or anything here. There are kids at stop lights who for two pesos will wash car windows, perform, throw fire, and sell fruit, walking from car to car. 

Teaching people is a whole different world. You can walk up to someone in the street and ask them for their name, direction, and phone number...and they will give it to you without asking why. You can also sing them a hymn (even if you can't sing). You can say a prayer in the middle of the street and it's no big deal.

 I SWEAT.  All the time. You learn not to care about how you look to other people. I love it. It's really hard for me to pick out the little things that are different from the US, because I'm so used to it. It's normal to me. It's gonna be hard to get used to the States!

I love you! I hope you are doing everything you can to prepare to serve a mish. Thanks for your example! 

SOY CHIAPENECA. CHIAPAS NOS UNE! 

Love you all,

Hermana Hansen

(Hermana Hansen has been unable to upload many of her photos for the past couple of weeks due to a virus on her memory card...this week we received a BONANZA of pictures! Here are a few!)