Mexico!

Hola!

I hope I can fit all that I need to in this email but, I only have 30 minutes and then we are putting on a Christmas Concert!

Where to start? AHH! My first Area is Carmen it's an island in the Gulf of Mexico, which means its closer to the equator therefore it's hotter, more humid and my hair is bigger! Seriously it's huge everyone laughs. 

I think this will be easier to do in a pros and a cons list so here you go!

The Mexican Men:

Pros: They love me! They cat call to me ALL day. I don't think I have ever been whistled at this much in my life and that's saying something! They also yell things at me. My personal favorite (I was wearing a red shirt) He yelled Hey there little red riding hood, your big bad wolf is right here!

Cons: They take their clothes off as I walk by and they don't excatly have the skinniest of bodies...

The bugs:

Cons: THEY LOVE ME just like the men. :) I look like I have diseased legs because they won't stop biting me. I have tried every kind of bug spray. Don't worry the elders say that they stop biting you after week 3. The ants love my stuff. I don't know why...This morning they got into my suitcase of clothes..stupid ants. We found 2 cockroaches in our bathroom this week.

Pros: my companion says that the cockroaches we found were the small ones... :) I thought they were HUGE! only two weeks left of bug bite mania.

My Hair:

Pros: I am never lacking in volume like I do in Utah.It makes everyone laugh... :)

Cons: IT"S HUGE!!!!! Like seriously, I don't think it could be any bigger. All of the Mexicans think it's funny. I tried to straighten it for church yesterday and...well...it was huge before we left our house. :(

The singing:

Cons: They can't sing at all it's hysterical

Pros: Mom will fit right in when she comes to pick me up! ;)

The Food:

Pros: It is soo good! The members here feed us everyday for lunch! Seriously the gift of tounges involves food too. I have eaten cow tounge twice! I am so proud of myself!

Cons: They feed us Carter sized meals EVERYDAY!!! I don't eat breakfast or dinner because I know I am going to eat so much at lunch.

Funny story about food, one day we went to eat at the sweetest ladies house and in my bowl of soup there was a huge chunk of yucky looking meat,  I just couldn't get myself to eat it so, when the lady turned her back I asked Hermana Castro if she wanted my meat and she said sure! so, I hurried and picked it up and went to put it in her soup and the lady turned around again. AHHH! The meat was in mid air...not one of my finer moments in life. Later the lady asked Sister Castro if I didn't like the food and Sister Castro told here I didn't eat meat....AHAHAHA. so fuuny!

The Members:

Pros: Elder Brewer told me that we have the best ward in the whole mission. They feed us good food every day sometimes twice a day! They love having an american sister here. They get so excited to come up to me and talk English. It's so funny! They also drive us places which is so nice because it is sooo hot here.

Cons: There aren't any...

The Bathroom:

Cons: We can't flush toilet paper down the toilet...and there is no running hot water...

Pros: Showering is always adventurous and our bathroom always smells like a bathroom!

Being white in a brown town:

Pros: I get honked at a lot

Cons: YOU WOULD THINK I WAS A CIRCUS CLOWN. people can't believe there is white girl here so they have to stare just to make sure...

My companion:

She is so great! Her name is Hermana Castro she is from Mexico but speaks English! QUE BENDICIONE! When we saw each other we both knew that we would get to be together! She is a super missionary she contacts everyone we see! She really knows what she is doing!

Our Investigators!

WE HAVE A BAPTISIM! They are all super  and I love them.  They are all super close to baptism. The little kids tell me I speak like a caveman...hahaha, but they love to help me/correct me all the time! I love it!

This is for sure the hardest thing I have ever done but, I love it so much! I will talk more about everything next week when I have more time. If you emailed me and you didn't get a response this week you will get one next week!

Con amor,

Hermana Riedelbach