María de la Luz encontró la luz de Cristo

Wow! Another week? Time doesn't slow down for anyone, does it? This week was great. Sometimes it's hard to remember what happened because what I would do in 3 days at home happens in one day here! I love it! It keeps me going and I love the feeling of being tired, because I know I worked hard that day. The best part about this week was when we had a baptism. My first one! Oh wow it was great. Maria de la Luz is an absolutely outstanding lady. She said after the baptism "I feel clean!" It's moments like that that makes me feel like I have made a difference. I know I didn't find her, but I actually ate at her house my first night in the field. I can use her as a progress scale. I didn't have a clue what she was saying when I first met her, but now, I understand so much more! The Gift of Tongues is  amazing. Hermana Maria de la Luz also wanted to pay her tithing that next Sunday too! WOW! Talk about a dedicated member! I feel very blessed to be in this area. The members are just outstanding. We have a ton of support from them, and they are always willing to accompany us on appointments. 

Like I said, Spanish is coming along. If I don't understand why they are laughing, I just laugh with them. Happiness is easy to understand. Finding new investigators has been a tad rough. We thought we found some great people, but when we returned there wasn't anyone there. That can be frustrating sometimes. Hermana Ojeda had the idea to have a companionship fast on Sunday. After we started our fast, I saw a HUGE difference. I felt the spirit more strongly. Fasting has always had a special place in my heart and testimony. 

A highlight of my week was that I had my first bike crash. I didn't get hurt, so no worries there. I just laughed because of how funny it probably looked to everyone else. You always have to find the funny things in every situation! I also ate helado frito...fried icecream. Talk about DELICIOUS!!!! 

My comp and I decided to start running in the mornings. It feels painful but very great after haha. Thanks for everything and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!! I am grateful for all of you! I would say to eat a lot of food for me but everyday is like thanksgiving with the amount of food mexicans give you! 

LOVE YOU GUYS!

Hermana Cross

Book of Mormon stories come to life!

Wow another week come and gone?! I can't believe it. I probably say that every week, but it's true! Time is something different. Today is month 2! Tell me that's not crazy. This past week felt great. Honestly just awesome. 

Last P-day we went to the Teotihuacan temples. Coolest thing ever. There is gret signficance to everything there. We hiked up one of the temples...in SKIRTS! and it was really hot haha. There are so mnay people from all over the world so when I heard a language that wasn't spanish I said, "that is definitely not the language I learned in the MTC!" Stories from the Book of Mormon just kept popping into my head. It absolutely amazes me.

Tuesday was my first time doing splits. I was scared out of my mind. It's a scary experience to do the work with another companion only at the beginning of your 3rd week. Hermana Hoopes (another american) was my companion for the day, and I learned so much. It was a great experience to work with an almost done missionary, like she finishes in the beginning of December. I really saw things in her that I want to develop, such as asking inspired questions and really listening. She let's her personality shine! Had zone conference on Thursday.It was awesome! I didn't understand every word but what I did understand was exactly what I needed. It's fun to see so many missionaries at the same time. 

We are just working hard everyday and I'm learning day by day how to forget myself and focus on the work 100%. Saturday night was a youth activity. Let me tell you, the youth here are AWESOME. They did like a theatre type thing. Each ward did a different Disney movie and acted and danced. So fun! They went all out with costumes and makeup and lights and wow. Just reminded me how fun YW's was and theatre in high school. All of it was in Spanish and that was fun to hear Disney songs in another language! They also played some "worldly" music in English. Who knew I would hear so much of it here! do have a funny experience to share with you. Dogs are a tad crazy here, running

around thinking they own the streets, right? Well, Hna Ojeda and I were leaving an appointment and a little black dog started to chase her and barking and right at her heel. Next thing I know, she jumped off her bike and was swinging her bike at the dog and stomping at it to back off. I couldn't stop laughing! No words were said but sometimes actions speak louder than words. Needless to say, the dog gave up and we went on our way. 

I'm loving it here!  Hermana Ojeda says that I sound the most American when I speak English out of her companions that were American.....I don't know what that means but as long as I don't sound too American speaking Spanish then I'm good! Oh yeah Spanish is still hard but it's coming! That was my week in a nutshell! LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Hermana Cross

Hermana Guzman and I with some hippies

Carvings on steps at the temple 

Hermana Guzman, Hoopes, and Ojeda and DOMINOS PIZZA

I think I'm turning Japanese....rice, rice, baby

Okay this will be a shorter letter this week, we are going to the Teotihucan ruins today!!! Wow I can't believe it's Monday. Where does the time go?! Days are sooooo long and feel like they will never end then next thing you know I'm in this little internet place writing to you all!! You may be wondering about my title this week. I'll explain now so I don't leave you wondering! If I could describe my mission in one word it would be rice. RICE RICE RICE. I have never eaten this much rice in my entire life.I love rice but holy smokes. It's like a plateful and then the main meal which has even MORE food. They really like to feed you here. Like one time I thought the soup was the main meal and ate all of it....then the sister came out with a huge plate of food. My heart stopped a little in that moment haha. Honestly eveyday is the same. It's one of the hard parts of the mission. Routine. I never knew doing the same thing daily would be hard hahaha.

We are having a hard time getting new investigators. That's just how it is sometimes. People are very nice though. I have been doing more of the contacting. (talking to people about the gospel...stopping them on the street and knocking on doors...etc).. It's fun haha Every time is probably the same but I've got to start somewhere! When we knock on doors we pretty much knock on gates becasue everyone has a gate guarding their housesWe have a couple of progressing investigators and just teaching as many people that want to hear! I feel like I'm understanding more spanish everyday so that's a bonus.

Ummm my companion got sick this week. Just a cold but I know that's it's hard to do stuff when you want to sleep. We walked a little more this week because when we have members join us we walked. and guess what?!?! I GOT SUNBURNED. Only a bit but STILL. It was actually really hot this week. The weather needs to make up it's mind haha. But I still sang christmas songs all week!

Hna Ojeda and I assisted a baptism of another ward. I was called on the spot to talk about faith and repentance. I also sang a musical number - in Spanish!  It was scary! Definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone which helped me learn a lot.

Let's see....coke in mexico is really good and had my first dr pepper after almost 2 months! wooooo! Yeah that was my week in a nutshell!! I love you all!!

 

Love,

Hna Cross

Ahhhh...a Dr Pepper - how I missed you!

It's raining, it's pouring, and I'm on a BIKE!

HOLA!

Holy smokes this week was crazy. It was really long also but what's new?! I'll start with tuesday this week. Tuesday is when I got my new companion. It's actually funny because she was the hermana I walked around with on monday and stayed the night with. So I just brought all of my stuff back to where I was haha My companions name is Hermana Ojeda. She is from D.F. (Mexico City). She speaks english so that is a blessing...and kind of a curse because it can be hard to talk in spanish. I need to do it more though. My spanish is coming along I think. I understand probably like 35% of what's being said haha I can tell people where I'm from and how long I've been here because thats the #1 question I get asked. Slowly but surely I will get there! 

I'm on a bike. I AM RIDING A BIKE IN MY AREA. I never thought that would happen. I guess

On a bike - maybe a boat would be better?

there are quite a few areas here that have bikes. Its not that hard in a skirt as I thought. But roads are really bad. Like pot holes everywhere. It feels like I'm mountain biking all the time haha. It rains a lot here. And when I say rain I mean dumps rain. The streets get flooded and mud splashes everywhere. Oh man it's a hoot haha I usually am wet for the whole day pretty much but that's okay! One day this week (thursday maybe?) it rained so hard. It felt like a hurricane was a brewin but we are completely land locked so that's not even possible. But anyway, water was up to my calves. I was wearing rainboots but water somehow managed to get in. The streets looked like a river. I swear if I connected a tube to a car , I could just go tubing haha. My companion said it felt like we were kayaking  (spelling idk) on bikes. We needed to get out of the rain so we went to a recent converts home. We were soaking wet but she was such a saint for letting us in.  Rain or shine we are serving the Lord! 

It's raining, it's pouring....

I'm in an area called Los Pinos. The members here are great. They feed us everyday! I love some of the food and some is really really gross. The food is kind of taking my stomach for a whirl. There are people who sell really good bread on the street. That's a dream. Hmmm that's all I got on that.

I had training stuff on friday. My mission president is really big about being exactly obedient. It's understandable though. I saw Hna Haddock (my ccm comp) and it was great. I miss her!! I bore my testimony in church on sunday! People thought it was my 2nd area but let's be honest, my testimony is like the only thing I can for sure say with confidence lol. We watched a relief society activity. A lot of them sang and bless their hearts because they do not have an ear for pitch hahaha! Halloween doesn't matter here and also Dia de los muertos isn't that big in this area. many people leave town. 

Today I went to walmart! It was crazy busy. Like more than a saturday at walmart in america. Oh how I love walmart.

That's pretty much my week! It's moving kind of slow but it's chill. I just smile and laugh when the mexicans do haha! Have a great week! Love you all!!!!

P.S. - oh also  dogs run wild here. I have never been more scared of dogs in my life haha

Hna Cross

Bus Station!

Her First Companion - Hermana Ojeda

Look..a Walmart!

Handwashing...new experience