The changes that weren't quite changeful.

One thing I have decided is that if there was ever to be a zombie apocalypse I would want to be in Mexico.  Every house has bars on the windows so I think you'd be pretty safe there.  But in other news, as you may have guessed, this week were changes!  But they were not very eventful for me or my companion.  We are both staying here in dear sweet Museo.  Cool.  6 months.  Oh well.  It might be awkward because I said good bye to everybody yesterday so when I show up on Sunday it is going to be really uncomfortable.  But it is okay.  I really do like Museo.  The members are super cool. and I have made a lot of friends that I hope will be in my life for a long time!  

This week was pretty cool.  We met a lot of new people!!  One great thing that happened that I can now check off my bucket list is that I played an accordion!  Gilberto just randomly bought an accordion and decided that he wants to learn to play the hymns!  It made me laugh.   

Anyway, the church is true and I love you all!  

Hermana Chandler

Hello Family!

Things here have been really great!  My compañera y yo have been working here in our area having the same struggles as usual- finding people to teach-  but we are getting there. I have faith that we are going to find some new people that are so ready!  It is true what they say, that God is preparing people the hear the gospel! It is pretty awesome!  

Next week are changes and I expect that I will be leaving Museo 3.  Who knows?  I don't want to jinx it!  But I am ready for a new adventure.  This week has been pretty interesting... well that's not true.  This week was pretty much a normal week of the mission!  But I still love it!  Right now I am racking my mind for a good story!  But I am not sure! For the 15 Septiembre we stayed in our apartment and played Uno and ate french fries.  That's how we celebrate Mexican Independence.  Like foreigners! But yeah, this week it rained, and rained and rained more.  It rained so much that a hermana locked us in her house so we wouldn't leave and get all wet in the rain.  Then she so kindly gave us a giant sheet of bubble wrap to protect us from the rain!  We then capitalized on this oh so special gift and began to dance on it! (like mr magorium.) I didn't think the situation out very well.  Bubble wrap, water, tile floor... I definitely fell flat on my back.  It hurt really bad.  But I got up and started dancing again, vale la pena.  Anyway, I know this letter is kind of lacking something interesting... sorry.  But I love you all! Be good!

Hermana Chandler

ps. Gilberto went to the temple!  Agh!

The bubble wrap!

Feliz Día de Independencia!!

Mis Carnalitos!

Happy Mexico Day!  Well.. I guess not too happy because our president is making us stay in our houses today!  We can't even go out to  work. Triste Xalapa. 

Well this week, just like every other week, had its ups and its downs. But I am still loving it.  So don't worry.  I realized that the problems that I have to face aren't really my problems. I just have to help other people with their problems.  It is kind of cool.  I don't know what I am going to do when I come home and I have to worry about
my problems.  Geez. 

Anyway so this week I did divisions with the sister training leader and she got me sick.  Thanks. So I have been fighting with a wicked cold all week long.  And it is hard because I am losing this fight. Why?  Because it is always raining.  ALWAYS.  Let me tell ya.  The cows don't even stand up here! Apart from that it has been great! 

I had my first Noche Mexicana... which was very Mexican.  One of the members gave me this necklace so that I could look more festive. There are a few members here that I just adore! They are my favorite. We have this hermana that we eat with almost every day, at least two or three times a week.  And she just takes such good care of us!  Her name is Hermana Galmiche and her sister's name is Blanca. We just love visiting them. (okay, I know you are all sick of hearing about Gilberto..) This week Gilberto got the priesthood!!! Wow!!! And this weekend he is going to the temple to do baptisms.  I am so happy!!!!!  I am so happy to see my conversos taking these  steps in the gospel!!!  It is amazing! 

Something amazing about Mexico is that it is really old.  And because it is really old it has millions of stories!!! Supposedly, Merida, Yucatan is where Jesus Christ appeared to the Nephites!  There are a ton of ruins of temples there and there are legends that talk about how a loooong time ago a white god appeared to the people at the temple.  But in this culture they called him Quetzalcoatl (ket-sa-kua-tel). But how cool is that?!?!?! Seriously! I am living on set!  I am living on the set of the Libro de Mormon!!   In a museum they have a painting of the tree of life! 

Here in Xalapa the people are very superstitious.  They believe in leprechauns!  Also my favorite is, you know how in the US we tell the kids to put their teeth under pillows and a little fairy will come and give you money?  Well here it is a little different.  They believe in something called Ratón Perez.... they say that a rat comes and leaves you money.... que asco.  But Mexico is pretty legit.  I am enjoying learning about this culture because it is really interesting!

This week I did receive some sad news.  My missionary daughter, Hermana Daza, got sent home for her health.  I am so sad!  But I know that she will  be okay there and that she will come back soon!  But anyway.  I love you all to bits and hope you enjoy your P-DAY!! I love you!

Hermana Chanclita!

It's P day P day gotta get down on P day...

Hello my lovely lovely family that I love so much!

Well this week we have had all sorts of great adventures.  One of which.. (mom please don't freak out) we were going to visit one of our investigators and they weren't home but their crazy dueño came out to the gate and started yelling at us and telling us to come in and being crazy. (He was very drugged up) So we were like, 'nope okay,' so we started leaving and then he started following us.  Agh!  So we left very swiftly. (Don't worry, we found our investigators in the street and they saved us.) The reason I tell this story is to let you all know the difference between misioneros and normal folk.  We were being accompanied by one of the young women in the ward and she was very very very frightened. She was walking so fast and my companion and I were laughing and we felt very calm.  She kind of chewed us out because we were laughing about what happened but I figure it is better to
laugh than to be scared!  It is amazing to realize the things that were very scary before are now like... oh man whatever.  He can't do anything.  Anyway, doesn't matter.  

We changed our house this week!! Woohoo! We are living the high life now!  Still showering out of a bucket but at least we can stand up in our bathroom (included is a photo of our bathroom before..)  Wakala. We had a conference with our president this week and it was really awesome!  It was kind of sad because every time I leave one of these conferences I feel like I am not missionarying nearly as hard as I should or could.  But it was still great!  Our new presidents are so great! Hermana Greer is a little angel.  I just love them! This week was a week of conferences.  We had stake conference this week and it was lovely!  I got to see a bunch of people I haven't seen in ages!! I just loved it!  I even met some man that knows Carson!  That was cool!  It is a small world! I love the Gospel!  I love the Church!  And I am so happy to be apart of this great cause!! I love you all! Be good!

Hermana Chandler

Welp the mish is over...

Oh my dearest family.  I've fulfilled my mission!  I can come home now! GILBERTO SE BAUTIZO!!! Agh!! I am so so so happy!  Yesterday was the most spiritual wonderful day of my life.  Gilberto got baptized!  He had his interview and my nerves were shot!  I was so scared to know if he was able to get baptized.  And yes!! And then we went to his house to get him on Sunday morning and there he was waiting for us in his little suit coat.  This man seriously is just the best!  I want him to be my uncle or something. We were sitting there waiting for his neighbor so we could all go together and he was there all antsy like, 'come on!! Time to go!!' It was so adorable; he was so excited!  I have never felt so attached or protective of an investigator!  I felt so happy and so proud of the changes he made in his life. In spite of his mean family who told him he was crazy and sat there trying to get him to fail.  Seriously everyday his son would sit in his house and smoke. But he is so strong!!  I love being a missionary!  It is amazing!  The baptismal service was amazingly spiritual and I was so happy because he was so happy to be baptized!  The mission rocks my socks.

Also, Mexico is to coolest place ever.  Why? Because here in Mexico is where a lot of the Book of Mormon took place!  It is so amazing!  There is proof everywhere that the Book of Mormon is true there are so many ruins and artifacts that people don't understand unless you are Mormon!  I am so happy!  I know the church is true and it is pretty cool to be a representative of it!  I love you all!  Sorry it is kind of short but I don't have tons of time!  Be good!

Hermana Chandler

Us with Gilberto!

Gilberto's baptism

Cerro Macuitepetl

My last day with mi hija :(