Makin' Memories in Monterrey México: WEEK 40: The Easter Bunny's early arrival to Mexico

Feliz Cumpleaños a ti

Feliz Cumpleaños a MOM and CHLOE BRAY

Feliz Cumpleaños a ti!!

I hope these 2 wonderful women in my life had / have the best birthdays this week!! Thank you Chloe for sending me pasta from Rome :) and mom for the many boxes of easter candy-- my companion was rather confused to see a box full of plastic eggs and chocolate bunnies as they don't do that here haha, but now she understands the pure joy that cadbury eggs bring...also my life is now complete knowing that Easter Bunny Sour Patch Kids exist. LOVE YOU MOM!

Busy busy week! So on friday we had a zone activity where we went to a market and contacted people, handing out a bunch of pamphlets and recieving stared glances from every pedestrian haha. It was lots of fun getting a bunch of directions from people to go and visit and to bond with the other missionaries in my zone (all of the missionaries in our stake). The elders shined shoes, we gave out free hot coco, and spent a few hours having fascinating conversations with people about their beliefs in God. People are so interesting.

"...when ye are in the service of your fellow men ye are only in the service of your God" Mosiah 2:17

I just want to take a brief moment and express how much I love Hermana Flores!! seriously-- so hilarious, crazy fun, and sweet to everyone. I am so blessed to be serving with her and to watch her take her first baby steps as a missionary :) I love training and together we are killin'it over here in Miguel Aleman!

A few weekly highlights:

We taught our investigador Eduard (9 years old) about Joseph Smith and El Libro de Mormón, and we did a fun little activity with little paper treasure chests that said ¨La Restauración" and little paper coins that read El Sacerdocio--Priesthood, Los Templos---Temples, El Bautismo y el Don del Espiritu Santo---Baptism and Gift of Holy Ghost, El Libro de Mormon, etc.. We explained how thanks to the restoration of the fullness of the gospel, we have all of these "treasures" in our lives. It was really sweet because at the end, Eduard offered a prayer and asked "Heavenly Father, help me to know if José Smith was a prophet and that El Libro de Mormon is true".....Everyone of us needs to follow Eduard's example and ask Heavenly Father all of our personal questions, and He will answer.

Another High point was battling a raging rainstorm with a sweet woman in our ward (65 years old) who accompanied us for one of our lessons. The 3 of us went in her car, and as we got out on the street, our feet sank in ankle deep water. Luckily I had my rainboots but the poor woman--with her dressy black work shoes and all--literally looked like she was skating through the water holding a dish towel above her head, booking it in slow motion towards the front door of our investigador hahaha. I felt so bad. Hopefully she will come teach with us again.

So we have a missionary handbook that reads: "the weekends are ideal opportunities to find families to teach"...well, this statement is false here in Monterrey. Saturdays and Sundays from 4pm until who knows when....every street has got all the men in their TIGRES soccer jerseys, one hand grillin' the carne asada and the other holdin' a beer, the women whippin' up homemade salsas, and the kids dancing to music. Hermana Flores and I are a bit offended that we never get invited. It's pretty funny. You turn one street corner and you got someone playing Journey, another's got ACDC, later on you heard the traditional mexican bands and pop groups, and to finish the night off we walk back to our hourse boppin' our heads to Rihanna or Maroon 5. Yes as a missionary it is very difficult living in the world and not of the world.