We are not the newbies anymore

July 29, 2012

We are not the “newbies” anymore!  Yes this week we said hello to our Generation 1 of arriving missionaries (nuevos – the new ones) and good-bye to our Generation 1 of returning missionaries (muertos – the dead ones).  Monday morning we traveled to the bus station with the Assistants to meet our 5 missionaries from the CCM in Mexico City.  We did not know it at the time, but the bus had left Mexico City an hour and a half late.  This would have been good information to have because as each bus pulled into the station (and there were probably 50 over the period of the hour), we unrolled our huge sign (the assistants hold it with the names of the incoming missionaries on it), got out the balloons (which the assistants hold also) and stood by the open bus door waiting - all poised and ready to great our missionaries – and then they didn’t get off the bus. We rolled the sign back up and relaxed for a minute or two until the next bus came pulling in and then we did the whole routine again.   We must have looked ridiculous because (after about an hour of doing this) one of the stewardesses from the bus line came over and told us in which lane the bus from the airport would come. 
They arrived all safe and sound but we had to wait for a few minutes to great one elder because as he exited the bus he was in the middle of a conversation with a lady and was getting her contact information so she could be visited and he was giving her a pass along card – he’s going to be a good missionary!  We brought them back to the mission home for breakfast (chilaquilles, fried eggs, juice, fruit with cream and some pastries).  Paty made the chilaquilles and they were the best we have had in Mexico so far.  They are totopos (taco chips), topped with green salsa (yes tomatillos and Serrano chilies for a little kick), shredded chicken, sour cream and some queso.  Bruce interviewed them, telling them about their areas and their companions, and we talked to them about safety and security (with a little good health advice and a package of the medicines they will need as they start their service here) and then they grabbed a sack lunch that Paty had prepared and headed out for their areas. 
After the new missionaries left, the departing missionaries came into the offices for their final interviews which took the entire afternoon because there were 13 of them.  They an unusual group because 9 of the 13 were in the same district in the MTC and had flown to Mexico together 2 years ago.  Many had even been companions here, and most had served in the same zones.  It was really great.  When the interviews were completed, we headed back to the bus station to receive the missionaries from the MTC in Provo.  The assistants had gone to Mexico City to collect them all and get them back here to us in Cuernavaca.  This time we knew which lane the bus would enter so we didn’t repeat the whole sign/balloon show for anyone watching.  We greeted these 5 elders (four were the ones we had met in the MTC when we entered in June) and I think they were as excited to see us, you know how nice it is to see someone you recognize, as we were to see them.  The other elder in the group had come from the MTC in Guatemala.  I think he and Bruce developed a great connection right from the beginning.  We took them to El Titzoncito for tacos al pastor, guacamole, chicharron de queso, and horchata.  After the tacos we brought them back to mission home – well we made one wrong turn which meant we had to backtrack and were lost for just a minute or two.  It’s okay though because they have no idea where we were either.  I had made flan and we had some Mexican sodas then Bruce took them to the mission office where there were going to spend the night.  He was a little surprised to see one of our returning elders standing outside the mission office, ALONE and knocking on it hoping someone would let him in.  When he saw Bruce with the new group of elders, the look on his face said it all, “I am busted.” 
The next morning Bruce interviewed the group that had come in the night before, told them about their companions and areas and sent them on their way.  There is a fairly new program for those missionaries who train the new ones and Bruce had an opportunity to meet with the new missionaries and their trainers to give them some instruction.  Then I did something I knew I would have to eventually but I thought I would have some time to prepare myself.  The assistants came by the mission home to drop off some materials to Bruce and to give me the keys to the car that is mine to use.  It was then that I realized I was expected to drive to a Stake Center across town to help transport the 13 muertos on an outing.  My palms got sweaty and I tried not to hyper-ventilate in front of the assistants, all the while wondering if I could get there in one piece.  Bruce drove the van and I drove the smaller car and when we pulled into the parking lot of the church, the missionaries gave me an ovation!  We then took them to a place that will live in my memory as one of the most beautiful and agonizing places I have ever been.   In fact I will ask the question – how do you spell misery, it is “g-r-u-t-a-s.”  These are caves about 90 minutes from Cuernavaca and have lighted areas with stalagmites and stalactites. We had a good time with the missionaries but it was so hot and humid in the caves that my glasses fogged so badly that Bruce had to lead me out because I could not see a thing.  You know that feeling you have when you have sweat off all your make-up and it is dripping off your nose and down your back?  Well magnify that by about a million and you get the picture.  I have been there once and I made sure I got pictures because I don’t plan to return – ever.
We came back to the city, showered and changed our clothes back into missionary dress so we could have a very nice dinner with all of the elders followed by a slide presentation that one of our office elders does (each missionary can send up to 25 pictures to be included).  We ate Texas cake and ice cream which had them begging for more.  (Just a side note – my oven is so lopsided that the first cake I made over flowed all over and I had to remake it.  When I looked at the pan, one side was about 1/16” thick and the other side had spilled over the side) I had to put 3 cm of folded up paper towels on one side of the second cake so it would bake level.  I soaked the towels in water so I didn’t burn down the mission home the first month we lived here.  The FM guys tell me it’s as good as it is going to get so baking here should be an adventure.  At least my rolls and cinnamon rolls have turned out okay).  Bruce asked me to give them motherly advice and then he gave them some very valuable council.  We always save time for questions and answers in every meeting so we asked if they had anything they would like to ask.  One elder asked us for some dating advice – now this entire time not one of them made one single note (not even when Bruce was waxing very eloquent) until I told them about what girls expect on a date.  They all got out their notebooks and wrote like crazy.  You can see what’s on their minds now that they are going home.
The next morning we took them all to the bus station and (don’t tell anybody) I gave them each a big hug.  Bruce spent the rest of the day reading 190 letters from the missionaries (they write once a week) and doing some planning with the assistants.  I fed them leftovers but they didn’t seem to mind – in fact they even ate the first cake I had made even though we had to cut pieces out of the very middle to get something that even looked edible.  We also made plans for what we will do Monday (tomorrow) when we have 2 missionaries arriving that we did not know about until last Wednesday. 
There was another first for me this week – I knew I had to get my hair cut and I couldn’t put it off any longer.  Bruce took me to the nicest salon we have seen so far and Joakin cut my hair – they told me that he specialized in chicas.  A girl washed my hair and toweled dried it so I sat in the chair with it all sticking up waiting for Joakin to come over.  Bruce told him I wanted a trim and he said he could tell what he needed to do because he looked me over when we came into the salon.  The drape smelled sour and I will admit a started to panic a bit.  He started to cut the back without even putting a comb through the rest to see if my hair was thick or thin or curly or anything.  He looked like he was doing okay so I should have been able to relax but I was near a panic attack.  I realized after a few minutes that my hands were clasped so tight under the drape that they had gone to sleep.  I unclasped them, did some deep breathing, and I told myself to be calm and that whatever happened – it would grow back.  It turned out okay and I only had to trim it up a little when I got home. 

On Friday we spoke at a youth conference in Cuautla (and hour from home) and then made the 3 hour drive to Chilpancingo to have lunch with the Stake President there.  We ate at a place called Liverpool (it is a store like Nordstrom’s and has a restaurant) and had Tampiqueña which is very thinly sliced beef that is grilled served with guacamole and tortillas covered with mole sauce.  It is probably the best meal we have had (except maybe at the Hard Rock Café in Acapulco).  We then picked up 4 missionaries and drove to a little pueblo call Zumpango.  We only got lost once but had to drive about 25 minutes in the wrong direction because there wasn’t a place to turn around.  We met with some of the branch members there and talked about how things were going and how much they wanted missionaries there.  We have more missionaries coming in September than we are sending home so Bruce has this little town on the list for missionaries to be assigned.  What wonderful and humble people we have met and these are no exception.  Their lives are hard but they have testimonies of the truth and they want to be faithful.  We headed back to Cuernavaca and rounded out our fine dining experience of the day with the drive through at McDonalds.  Bruce has added a Big Mac and fries from Cuernavaca to his index.  I have to admit, you could close your eyes and not know you were anywhere else other than Trent’s McDonalds on 2^nd East in Rexburg.

Saturday we drove up to near the top of the mountain overlooking Cuernavaca.  Oh it is so beautiful here.  We saw some tiny pueblos and a lot of activity because in was market day.  We made notes of where these places are so we can return and just walk around.  We passed a little “restaurant” (and I use the term loosely) and Bruce said that place looks so good.  What?  It was a tarp pulled over some tables and you could smell meat cooking over an open fire.  I don’t think I’m quite ready to try something like that yet.  We went to Costco to shop for food for 2 conferences this week and then went to a baptism.  The bishop was dressed in jeans, a Converse t-shirt and a sweat shirt, and his wife brought their dog.  The youth sang a song (wearing the t-shirts they got from the youth conference where the train pulled in front of Bruce while he was speaking) and it didn’t start on time.  There was a piano but no one played and everyone just picks a note and sings away.  You would think that all that would bother me, but the Spirit there was so sweet and we were received so warmly, that I would go back every day to visit these people and be so happy.  We drove over the hill to a little town called Tepoztlan this morning to visit their branch meeting.  It is in the mountains in a beautiful area.  There were about 30 there in attendance and the branch president knows a friend of Bruce’s from the university and one hermano told us that he lived in San Jose for many years and knows Dave Lopez and Bob Haws.  When we explained our connection to these two men, it was so very cool.  The world is so small when it comes to the church – who would have thought we make these connections so far away from home.

We got new direction Salt Lake yesterday for Zone Leaders Council and Specialized Training so we spent yesterday afternoon revamping our plans for these two conferences we will have this week and I have to close so we can finish up what we need to get on the agenda.