San Miguel de Allende: the heart of Mexico

Dear Family,

AHH thank you for your video and your letters! I loved it soooo much! I would have watched it twice (or maybe more than that) but I went to Querétaro for an interview with the Presidente and didn't get back in time to have my full writing time.

In the past week, I have been to Querétaro 3 times:  for my visa, divisions, and for my interview. As much as I love Querétaro, I feel more at home in San Miguel de Allende! I guess you could say my heart is in the Heart of Mexico (that's what all of the maps say here in San Miguel de Allende)!

We are finally starting to see the fruits of our labor here in San Miguel! It has been pretty rough for me to adjust to the missionary life, the spanish, etc. BUT finally! We are seeing some progress! 

S. J.  listens to us and asks good questions but has a hard time keeping her commitments that we are giving her. We will see how it goes this week!

While I was in Querétaro on divisions, I was with an American, Hna Davis, who has been in Mexico for one change- new but can understand spanish and can carry on a conversation. We taught a woman named R. with her two kids. They were the cutest family ever! We taught them the importance of family prayer and also read scriptures with the nine year-old son (I for some reason can't remember Mexican names even though most of them are named Maria or José or something like that). I committed him to read his scriptures every day before he turned on the TV. It felt soo good! It was the first lesson where I understood mas and then issued a commitment. I loved it!

These past weeks have been hard, but when I look back on my first day in Mexico and where I am now, I can see that I have been blessed to get this far and to have the strength that I have now.

I eat pbj sandwiches and my companion thinks I am weird. She has never had a pbj sandwich before and I think that is weird! Ha! Although our cultures are different and we have different traditions and daily routines, we get along pretty well! One thing that made us laugh this week was on our way home from Querétaro and on the bus they have movies. I fell asleep because I was exhausted, but I woke for a second to see where we were and my companion turned to me and said, "THIS MOVIE IS ALL ABOUT SPAGHETTI!" I about died! I was laughing so hard! It's true, there was a Japanese spaghetti movie (with spanish subtitles). 

I feel like I am spelling a lot of words wrong in my letters because this computer is set for spell check in spanish. This whole letter is in English, therefore every word is underlined in red.

Well, I am off to work now! I will write y'all next week!

With Love,

Hermana Beardall

p.s. sorry no pics this week...

p.p.s. KAYLONI!! I can´t wait to hear more about your mission call! PAHLEEZ email me and keep me updated!

p.p.p.s. I love y'all. A lot.

PICTURAS

Elders, Hermana Miguez, and Hermana Beardall

The floors are tile and the walls are cement.

The streets are lined with bright colored buildings and each door is unique.

SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE

I DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME!!!!

But here are some highlights:

First Investigator-- S. Juana

She was nervous to pray but we gave her the confidence she needed and she prayed the most beautiful words I had ever heard-- so sincere and simple! The spirit was definitely there and I was definitely excited to be a missionary!!

We are finally figuring out what works and doesn't work in our area-- there's not much to do in el Centro, but on the outskirts there is plenty-- we just can't be out passed 7:30pm.

The food is good-- soo good! I have no worries to eat Mexican food (lies- I am worried that I might get sick-- so far only once and it wasn't that bad)!

A favorite scripture I read this week was Heleman 3:35-- humility makes you wax stronger (something I have been working on:) )

Out of time! I hope the pictures sent! The computer was being difficult!

Better luck next week! I love Y'all and I am IMMENSELY GRATEFUL for ALL of the prayers!! They are a blessing to me!

I'll manage my time better next week and maybe I can say more. Hopefully we have more people to teach so I can tell you more stories, too.

LOVE YA!!

Love,

Hermana Beardall

GREETINGS FROM MEXICO

¡Hola!

I AM IN MEXICO!!!

I am sorry there are no pictures this letter because I forgot my memory card reader :( grr. I made a special effor to take pictures today and I can't send them. BUT I PROMISE NEXT WEEK!!!!

When I landed in Mexico City Airport, my stomach was feeling all sorts of things. Nervous. Excited. Upset stomach from the rough landing (that never happens to me...). Excited. For the most part, it still felt like a dream to be in Mexico!

My mission president, President Mejorada, is FANTASTIC! He speaks a little english which made it less intimidating to talk to him. The Mejorada family is so kind and reached out with open arms to all of the new missionaries.

My companion is Hermana Miguez! I love her already! She is from Uruguay but thank heavens she knows english, too! (Her last companion, Hna Kitchen, is from Salt Lake so she knows how to work with an American companion :) ) She said that before the mission, she learned most of her English from the movies-- that made me laugh so hard!! Sometimes she quotes lines from movies (in English, of course) and it makes me laugh :)

My first area in the land of Mexico is San Miguel de Allende!! Oh my is it GORGEOUS!! This is where I really regret not bringing my memory card reader! The streets are lined with bright colored buildings and each door is unique. If you find the time, and if it is possible, go to Google Earth and walk down the streets because they take my breath away EVERY DAY.  It keeps me from getting bored walking up street after street. Oh yeah, did you catch that I said walking UP streets? Yeah, the streets are quite the hike. My main concern is my weak ankles on the rock road. It's like hiking, but times one hundred (if you have ever been hiking with me you would know that I trip on just about every rock placed in my path. I am pretty weak in the ankles).

Anywho, San Miguel de Allende-- Hna Miguez and I were assigned to open this area-- how cool is that? I think we may be the first Hnas in San Miguel, at least as far as I am concerned. This means we do a lot of contacting in the streets, searching for people to teach. Our teaching pool is pretty small, but I can't wait to see it improve!

The weather is nice and warm-- like a good May in Utah, maybe even June, but really it is March. It is absolutely my favorite kind of weather.

I am struggling to learn how to use pasos but I think I am starting to get a hang of it. 

Spanish... haha, that's funny. Everyday I am drained of all my energy because I am using every ounce to focus on what people are saying. AHH THEY SPEAK SO FAST! I have learned a little bit and can understand just about every other word. If they are talking about the gospel I understand a lot more-- ha :)  I have learned to not focus on every word but the general idea, general words they are saying-- whatever that means!

We live... I am not sure how to describe it but we live in a house extention next to some members in our ward and also the Elders. The floors are tile and the walls are cement. I will send you pictures next week. (grr)

The food-- so far not too spicy and it is bareable. All the members say that the more spicy/Mexican food I eat, the better my spanish will become. Ha. I sure hope so because my tongue is on fire!

Well, I hope I answered all of your questions and I will write more next week!

Con mucho amor,

HNA BEARDALL