P-Day update week 14, 05/23/2022

 ¡Buenas, Buenas!

Well another week down, La Republica de Mexico is still trying to kill me, but I'm not done yet! 

So like I said, my body still doesn't like this country very much. I was sick for only one day this week though so that is an improvement! When someone finds out that you're sick here, everyone blames the temperature. If it's hot, you got sick because it was hot. If it's cold, you got sick because it was cold. If the weather is perfect, you got sick because it used to be hot and now it's not. But they will never admit that I got sick because of those funky street tacos! But seriously it's still been an adjustment but I'm getting better and hopefully one day, before I go home I will be accustomed to whatever it is that is making me sick here haha!

A member's cat in Huizilan.

This week was mainly filled with travel, we spent a lot of time in the "Sierra" which is what they call the mountainous area with a lot of little pueblitos. I actually really love going down to the Sierra. I get to see a part of the country that most people didn't even know existed. In fact, when we tell people that the majority of Americans think this country is a big desert with cacti, cowboys, and ponchos they are shocked! This area in particular is completely different, it looks more like the Amazon at times than it does Mexico, and the Sierra is that personified. So we went to the Sierra a few times this week. The first time was on Thursday. We woke up nice and early to visit a family that lives in a pueblito called "Ecatlan.'' The majority of people who live here speak a weird version of Spanish with a heavy touch of this language called Totonacu. It is one of the ancient languages spoken in this area along with Nahuatl. It is about as different from Spanish as a language can get. We actually know a lot of  people who live here in this country but the language they are most comfortable in is Totonacu or Nahuatl! But the nice thing is that a member of the church lives here with his wife and they speak both Spanish and Totonacu so they translate if need be. I never thought I would have someone translate something INTO Spanish so I could understand it haha!

Anyway we went to Ecatlan to teach the wife of this member. She's been going to church every Sunday and she is really starting to open up. We believe she'll get baptized soon, but we're just going to let her take control and let us know when she's ready. After meeting with her we decided we would walk to our next meeting in a nearby city called Cuetzalan! So we headed out with Hermano Carlos as our guide and began our nearly 10km hike through the mountains in 34° weather (about 94 in Fahrenheit). The first half of the hike was actually really nice, we headed down the mountain at a steady pace and had ample shade, but a hiker who goes down must come up. As we crossed the river at the base of the mountain range and began our ascent onto the other side of the valley I realized this was a terrible Idea hahaha. To make a very long story short, at the end of our 2 hour walk that was supposed to only be an hour we were drenched with sweat, covered in dirt, and late for our appointment. But thinking back on it now in the safety of my cool house, it was actually pretty fun! I mean how many people can say that they hiked through the mountains of Puebla, Mexico in a white shirt and slacks with a man who literally speaks an ancient language, as their guide? Probably anyone who has served in this area haha! But really truly the experience was unforgettable, the area is crazy pretty and I made a makeshift hat out of a bandana to protect my pale skin from the sun! And we ate sweet mole with a family when we got to Cuetzalan so it was all worth it!

Beginning of our hike from Ecatlan

My adventures in the Sierra don't end there. On Saturday we had the opportunity to go to a pueblo called Huitzilan. It is farther down into the Sierra and absolutely gorgeous! We rode in a combi for about 1.5-2 hours to get there and the views the whole way were spectacular! When you get to the city you look around and realize that you are standing in this little valley, surrounded on all sides by huge green mountains and you just feel safe. This place has an energy about it, it was hard to describe but I could tell the Lord has big plans for this area! We got to see that in action. While we were there we had two lessons with people that the members referred to us and the lessons were incredible! We taught them both the message of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ! During and after the lessons we could tell that they had felt the spirit and knew of the truthfulness of our message, we saw the spirit touch their hearts and literally accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ right before our eyes! Suffice it to say we will definitely be coming back to teach them soon!

River at the bottom of the mountain during our hike.

After our stint in Huitzilan we headed back to Zacapoaxtla with some members and caught a quick nap on the way! When we got there we headed to a Mother's day activity they were having in our house of prayer. It was so much fun! We had a carne asada with plenty of ice cream and cake. It was so much fun to show this appreciation for the Mothers in our branch! I know it's a little late but, Happy Mother's day to any mothers reading my letter today, You are loved and so very much appreciated for all the work you do in and behind the scenes! My companion and I had the opportunity to sing in the youth choir for the mothers (even though he's almost 21 and I'm 18) because they didn't really have enough people to make the choir really shine. So of course they ask the two people that are willing to do just about anything to do some service! Overall it was really great, I think it's important to show people that you care even if it's something simple, I invite you all to do something kind for someone you love this week!

Rainstorm last night outside our room!

So my spiritual thought for this week has to do with spiritual eyes. This week we had the opportunity to teach a lot of new people, a lot of people that have been having a rough time and needed to hear the message of Christ. One lesson in particular was with a mother named Kristen. Kristen had a really hard couple months, and when we started talking with her she really opened up to us about the trials she's been facing lately. As we were sitting in council with her all I could feel was love. I saw a person standing before me who had been wading in the mud of life for so long and I felt the love the Savior had for her. I knew in that moment, without a shadow of a doubt that it was in these tender moments that the Spirit opens your eyes and allows you to see as our Father in Heaven sees. For just a split second I was no longer seeing with my mortal eyes, but I was seeing this woman as the Lord sees her, and all I saw was a beloved daughter who had lost her way but was on the path to find it again. So the point of this story is this, don't look at others as you literally see them, when you look at someone, possibly someone you haven't historically gotten along with, I invite you to say a prayer in your heart to see them with celestial eyes. When you do this I promise you you won't see them the same, you won't be thinking of the things they've done, but rather the things they can do. You will see the love our Father in Heaven has for them. THAT is how God sees us, not as we are, but as can become. The Lord loves you, he knows you personally, and is watching you with pride as you become the person he knows you can be.

I also Love you all and I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to share this gospel and have friends like you all by my side, have a wonderful week and I will see you soon!

-Elder Garnica