mexico!

Well I'm here! I hope you are all doing well and enjoying your cooler temperatures. Everyone kept saying it gets really cold here ... but it's a lie. Cold means about 45 or 50, which is nothing. During the day it gets pretty hot, probably about 80; I don't know what I'm going to do when it actually gets to be summer here ...

     So we flew in last Monday and the Mission President and his wife and the assistants picked us up and got all of us plus our luggage back to the mission home. They took us to dinner (tacos al pastor and gringas) and then took us Sisters to an apartment for the night. The next morning we got up early for some training before we got assigned our companionships. I got two companions! I'm still not sure how I feel about it but it is going pretty well so far. It is hard because in the MTC I only had one companion, one person to worry about and wonder if she was going to speak or if I should. My trainer leaves in five weeks so the third Hermana in our companionship will finish my training. She has actually only been here about 7 weeks, so she will finish training and then train me ... Apparently there's a very good chance that when I finish my training in 11 weeks, I will be training someone. Crazy and so overwhelming but if it happens, it happens.

     So my trainer is 23 (she just had her birthday last week), from San Salvador, El Salvador. She is a good trainer but at the same time it doesn't always work since she is trying to train both of us in different things. My future trainer is 20, from the Dominican Republic and she is quieter. The hardest thing has been the lack of space in our bedroom, and the fact that we can't study at a table because we only have two chairs. It is hard to get used to, but I'm working on it.

Hermana Aguilar (Katherine's trainer), Katherine, and Hermana Mercedes.

Also, on my first night I went to use the bathroom. It took me forever to find the switch and when I did, there was a loud pop, and all the lights went off in the bedroom and bathroom. I quickly learned that there was no light bulb in the socket so it caused a spark and short-circuited the power on that half of the house. And we live above the Primary president ... I felt really bad, but now we have a light in our bathroom—our district leader and his companion came and fixed it for us. To get to our rooms, we go in a front door, out to a little side patio, up some steep steps and onto an open patio/veranda. From there we have a door to the kitchen and then another door with a hallway to our bedroom/bathroom and study room. It's very interesting but it gets cold in the night. I'm sure it will be nice when the real heat comes.

     So the food here is pretty good overall. I've had some nasty stuff and even when the food is good, I can't always finish it. We really only eat at the 2:00 meal but by then my stomach has shrunk and I can't eat so much. My companions are always telling me to eat more but I can't do it, not unless they want me to be sick. I've also been told not to eat the picante here = chiles. My MTC companion has developed an ulcer because of the picante and now I am for sure not eating it. Unfortunately, they put it in EVERYTHING. Sometimes the food is good but other times ... not so much. The worst thing I've eaten was raw duck. Yup, a tostada, with sour cream and raw duck meat on top. I thought I was going to be sick. That same lady had a piñata for my companion's birthday so that helped make up for it a little bit. The other gross thing was pig skin. It was just weird.

Katherine having a go at the pinãta at her companion's birthday party.

Mexican musical chairs: to make it count, you have to pop a balloon!

The people here are nice, members, strangers, investigators. The only time I feel out of place is at night when we're finishing up lessons and walking home. I don't always feel very safe—and we're in the safest part of the mission. One Elder today commented that he doesn't know why we are here because it is so dangerous. I half think that something will happen and we will all get moved out of the mission and out of Mexico. Hopefully not though!

A typical neighborhood in Katherine's area.

The first day was extremely overwhelming, since then though I've been better about speaking more and not worrying about how bad my Spanish grammar is. I've learned a lot and we have some awesome people in our ward. The district leader and his companion (who is from Salt Lake) are also in our ward, I think. So they don't have any stop signs, no painted lines to divide the road for traffic and no crosswalks. We've been almost run over quite a few times; cars do not stop for pedestrians and cars seem to follow a different set of rules down here, aka no rules. I am so glad we can walk everywhere and don't need a car or bike.

I love you all and hope you are doing well!

Love,

Hermana Bennett

two days

Hi!!

This week has been crazy busy as we finished classes, attended our last devotional (except for one more on Sunday), packed up our stuff and sent things to Miriam that I don't need in Mexico. It's kind of sad and while I am ready to leave the MTC, it has been such a great experience. On Wednesday we "hosted" the incoming missionaries. We met them at the Wyview Chapel (our central meeting point at West Campus) and unloaded their luggage and helped them to their rooms and then classrooms. Not that many came in but it was still exciting to experience it and remember my first day here. Since we finished up our classes (except for one last one tonight), we got photos with some of our teachers. They have all been great in their own way and I appreciate their willingness to help us learn both the language and the Gospel.

Katherine's MTC zone at dinner.

This morning we went to the temple and we decided to go through a Spanish session. It. Was. Awesome. It was hard and I think I only understood about 60%, but I loved it. I'm especially glad that we went through in Spanish since our temple will be closed for our entire mission. As my companion and I talked about afterwards, it was a little unsettling and we felt out of place during our time there since we were the only white, non-native Spanish speakers in the session (apart from our Elders). It's probably going to be just like that in Mexico! They were all nice and so tiny. I could see over all their heads - at least the women. I've never felt so tall in my life! :)

Katherine and her district at the temple.

Our last Tuesday night devotional was from Elder Bednar. He and his wife answered more of the questions asked on Christmas and it was fantastic. Some were the difference between faith and belief; another was about women in the church and the question of the priesthood—which he had a great explanation for. One of my favorites was "why do bad things happen to good people/why do good people have to go through trials?" His answer: Heavenly Father trusts them to learn the lesson and endure to the end, with faith. He also mentioned Doctrine and Covenants 122:5-8. There is so much I don't know but I do know this: that Heavenly Father loves us and that Jesus Christ lives. He restored the Gospel to the earth for our benefit and we can draw close to him in prayer. I love this Gospel and know it is true and hope that you will strive to learn more for yourself.

I love you all!

Hermana Bennett

The district and one of their teachers.

eight days

Hello!!

So my time at the MTC is almost up—only 8 days left before we all fly down to Mexico City! Yup, we all got our visas and travel plans so on the 20th our entire district will be heading to our respective missions and we can't wait. I'm actually the travel leader so hopefully I don't lose anyone! That would be awful. My trip to Vegas to get my visa went well, there were 10 of us flying down for the day and we had no problems, whatsoever. People were really friendly, asking where we were headed, and the airport and plane staff were also great. While in Vegas we talked to a service missionary who had served as mission presidents a few times in Mexico and South America. He warned us that packages rarely, if ever, make it to the missionary. So I guess only send what you have to. He claims we can find anything we need down there but I guess I'll find out soon enough!

Katherine and fellow missionary Hermana Taylor en route to Las Vegas.

Las Vegas by night.

We had some great devotionals this week. One focused on "finding your vision" both as missionaries and later in life. When we have a goal in sight (or just remembering that goal) your life will be filled with more purpose and you will feel more directed in your actions. You can find that vision through the scriptures and personal revelation. Today we finally had the chance to go to the temple and it was amazing. It was fantastic to go with my district and to have so much time to just think and ponder what I should be working on. I went with a question and it was answered. I bring it up because I was looking for some extra direction as a missionary. As we focus on Christ and his example, we can know everything we need to know. We will also better understand how to act and how we can improve ourselves.

     Life here is going well. We continue to keep busy and we are having fun while studying hard. I actually ran into a friend from freshman year and it was so nice to talk to a friend, outside the mission, for a little. I do love my district and zone, but you get a little tired of talking to the same people about the same things. The only thing I never tire of learning about is the Gospel. Sometimes I feel like I know nothing, but when we go to teach someone, I am able to explain and bear my testimony, which is all we need to do. I am so grateful to be here and to be learning more about the Gospel and how to be better at helping others understand and learn for themselves. I know this Church is true, that the Gospel was restored to the earth and I am so glad for the chance to help others learn and come unto Christ. Our same teacher that had us study 3 Nephi asked us to write a letter to future missionaries, based on what we had learned from our study and what we felt impressed to share. My letter can be summed up in this: remember Heavenly Father and Jesus. Remember what they have done so that we can be with him again. Remember that we are each precious in His sight and that as missionaries and members, we need to testify of what we know. Read Alma 29:9!

I love you all!

Love,

Hermana Bennett

Katherine and the sisters of her district taking the traditional MTC photo.

great news!

Hi Everyone!!

So to start off, my visa is ready!! I have to go down to Las Vegas to pick it up so Hermana Taylor and I (she's the only other one from my district whose visa is ready) get to fly down on Monday and make an appearance at the Mexico Consulate. We are SO excited :) 

This week has been great with some difficulties between me and my companion. I never thought I was strong-willed until this week when I felt like she was directly opposing me. I'm working on it and it's getting easier to work with someone who is so different from me. For Relief Society on Sunday we had a guest speaker and this week it was Camille Fronk Olsen and she was FANTASTIC. I seriously wish I had taken a class from her at BYU and that I had ordered her book when I saw it this summer in the Deseret Book magazine. She spoke about female missionaries in the scriptures and focused on the New Testament. She just finished a book called "Women in the New Testament" and I bet it is amazing. She was funny, and well-spoken, engaging and a great teacher. All of us loved it and wish we could get our hands on her talk. I'm already planning to read all her books when I get home :) Another spiritual highlight from this week was our Tuesday night devotional with Brother Ellis of the 70. He spoke about enthusiasm and how it comes from the Greek which means inspiring. Enthus = inspiring and theos = God. So inspired by God leads you to be enthusiastic which I love since as missionaries we need to be led by the Spirit. One way to show that is through our enthusiasm for the message we have as we share it with others. 

Other than that, nothing much else is happening here. We went up to main campus yesterday so my companion could get a typhoid shot. If possible, I think she hates shots more than I do—she caused quite a scene when they brought the needle out! And every time I go to main campus, I manage to run into my friend Jordan Hansen! It is so fun and makes it feel a little more like home. 

A random side note: my roommate Hermana Gurley (from Georgia) is hilarious. We have been running during gym and we sit next to each other during class and she has noticed my facial expressions. She has started taking candid photos of my every chance she gets. I think by now she probably has a few dozen of me and she will just laugh as she looks through them. They are pretty funny and I have tried to not make faces but I can't stop! My face just shows exactly what I'm feeling. Also, Hermana Taylor (from Canada) told us she heard from a missionary in our mission in Mexico City, who has to shower with buckets and wash their clothes with a washboard. Mom, the first thing I thought of was you on your mission! I'm hoping we can pay people to do our laundry. I am not relishing the idea of hand washing all my clothes.

Our teacher Hermano Hardy is leaving us. His schedule for this upcoming semester makes it so he can't teach us in the afternoon anymore so we are getting a different teacher. He has been my favorite teacher by far. He brings the spirit with him and I just learn so much from him. He tells us stories from his mission and he has inspired all of us to better, just by his example. To this end, he challenged us to read 3 Nephi 27, study and pray for revelation and seek answers to three different questions. We all opted to get to personal study early this morning so we could study for the full hour and fifteen minutes before breakfast. It has already been an amazing experience and I have had so many ideas come into my mind. I invite you all to pick a chapter of scripture and just think of a question you want answered. Study it out and pray for the spirit and I know you will receive the answers you seek. I know this Church is true and that through prayer and the Holy Ghost we can learn the truth of all things. I love my Heavenly Father and know he cares for us and that we can pray to him about anything and everything.

I love you and pray for you!

Love,

Hermana Bennett