FAMILIA!!!!!!!
Y'all. We are not in America anymore.
This has been the craziest and the most insane week of LIFE. I flew into San Diego Tuesday and we spent all day in the mission home (side note-Elder Ballard is my mission presidents father-in-law. I slept in the bed he sleeps in. I'm famous. Is that creepy?) and on Wednesday was transfer meeting. Our mission added a whole new zone that meeting (now we're up to 11!) and that one is all spanish-speaking (by Chula Vista). We met up with our new companions and went on our way!
I'm in the Imperial valley, which is about 2 hours east of San Diego and right on the border. And when I say "right on the border", I mean RIGHT ON THE BORDER. Like, walk 20 feet and I'm illegal. We can't drink the tap water. We cover El Centro, Calexico, and have a few investigators in a small town called Holtville. It is unlike anywhere I have ever been in my entire life and I've been quoting "We're not in Kansas anymore" all week. It's a very, very humble area, and the people don't have much. I think I am one of 6 white people in the area, and the other 5 are missionaries so we definitely stand out. It's also very hot. 90 degrees today and it gets to 120 in the summers. Oh my shoot dang....
This mission isn't a tracting mission, which suprised me. We work only from referrals from members. I thought that we wouldn't have a lot of people to teach, but these members are AMAZING and they give us new names every week.
The mexican culture is so different from ours. They are very loving (especially the women) and will give you everything they have. It's pretty humbling, because they don't have much and yet they offer the missionaries everything they can. Another fun little quirk is that nobody ever shows up on time, EVER! We didn't start church until 10:30 (it starts at 10), so that will definitely be something to get used to, haha. My favorite part is meeting the members of the ward! All the hermanas came up to me and said "ooooh Hermanita Hermosa!! Muy muy hermosa!!!" (Beautiful, beautiful little sister!) and hug you and kiss you on the cheek. I've given a lot of hugs this week....Hispanics also like to talk. A lot. Like, they will tell you their entire life story your first visit there and share everthing they are thinking with you. Silences during lessons do not exist here.
Everyone here is COMPLETELY obsessed with my blue eyes. Especially the kids! I don't think they have ever seen blue eyes before, so when we teach they just stare at them. It creeped me out at the beginning. Now I just think it's funny.
I have my own bathroom. Not suffering.
I'm not gonna lie. This is hard. Missionary work is hard. We've taught alot of people this week who have said "I'm not interested in joining your church. I just invite you over because you are nice and you have a nice message". The catholic church is very prevalent here, and they are very strong members. We've been teaching about prophets and the restoration of the priesthood a lot, and even though they believe it's true, they're not ready to give up their church. Family is VERY prevalent here, catholic families especially, and people are not willing to join the church even though they believe it to be true because they don't want to lose that familial support. So yaaaaay.
I'm grateful for my companion. Her spanish is amazing (even though she's only been out 12 weeks) and she's a great trainer! Not gonna lie, I don't understand a shoot dang WORD anyone here says, and that is a lot more frustrating and discouraging than I thought it would be. Patience with myself is something I am working on. My saving grace is the 2 english-speaking famlies that we teach, the Morales family and the Diaz family. It's the only time I really feel like I add a lot to the lesson. I can basically bear my testimony haha.
Well family, I love you. I've been missing you alot this week. I hope you realize how much love I have for you, and there have been days where that is the only thing that keeps me going.
The insurmountable love I have for you, I send to you.
Hermana Hess
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