ADIOS MEXICO!!!

Well well well.

Here I am. Practically finished packing and feeling a little sentimental about my amazing Mexican experience. Though it's been extremely difficult sometimes and I am anxious to get back and see my family and friends, I wouldn't change a thing about my stay here. I am so thankful for this opportunity that came up just in time.

In a quick summary- school has been finished a couple days. We had the performance on Tuesday (didn't go as badly as I thought) and the next day we had a party with at least 10 bottles of pop. Nice.

I've been contemplating how weird life will be when I get back. First, I've actually got to COOK! When you spend 4 1/2 months only eating what others make for you, making yourself something as simple as a sandwich seems like a chore. I'm tired just thinking about it! I don't even want to start with thinking about school! Though I've had LOTS more work than I ever imagined here being a head teacher, it's nothing compared to finals, tests, and endless papers.

Lastly, I've got to find a JOB. Job hunting is never fun, much less in the cold weather that I'm not yet accustomed to. But, I know that everything will work out.

I am also excited to get to Utah and see some real Christmas decorations. Though there are a couple of houses with lights in this city, it's nothing like beautiful Utah with the beautiful mountains in your own home.

All of the goodbyes this time have been much easier on me. I haven't cried once (yes, I know. Shocking), I suppose because it really feels like I'm going to see everyone again. I know that it probably won't be anytime soon, but I'll see everyone again.

Though I've grown close to everyone here- I think that this experience was mainly for myself. I have found out so many things about myself. I've done many things I didn't know I had the strength to do, I've LEARNED SPANISH, I've learned more about the Mexican culture than I ever had before, and I accomplished SO MUCH more than I thought I ever could in such a short amount of time.

Almost all the goals that I had set for the last 100 days have be completed- which was a huge deal. Completing the goals weren't necessarily the most important thing overall, but having something to work for. I wasn't perfect in a lot of the categories, but I definitely tried, and that's all that mattered.

So, for the last Mexican post, I have added a page (next to the 100 days link at the top) about 70 things that I wish I would have known before I came to Mexico. Some are really funny, some are actually really helpful for anyone that will ever come to Mexico. But, I hope that you look at that and enjoy :)

I believe I'll be continuing this blog even when I get back, because I never know what life has in store for me. So if you want, check up on this page every once in a while.

So, I'll be home in a little less than.... 48 hours until I land in Salt Lake. I hope everyone continues to be safe, healthy, and happy.

With love,

Alicia

Here's some pictures from the party of a few of my adorable students.

For the Strength of YOU!!!

Alright. This post is slightly off topic but I thought that it was something super important to share.

Today, I received a facebook notice from the Church today about the updated Strength of Youth pamphlet. I had no idea that they were even updating it, but now that I've read through the whole thing, I can see why! There are many things that have been changed or added to the new booklet that is so important to this new generation.

For those of you who would like to read the entire thing yourself, here's the link: https://lds.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/language-materials/09403_eng.pdf?lang=eng

But, I've also copy and pasted the most important pieces to those who want an overview. These added pieces are a BIG DEAL. So- without further ado, let's jump in!

"When listening to music, be courteous to those around you. Keep your music at a reasonable volume, and remove your earphones when others are talking to you or want you to be part of their activities."

REMOVE YOUR EARPHONES!!! How awesome is that? Because I think that we all have one of those friends who still have their earphones in when you're talking to them and it makes you feel slightly bad.... Of course, I'm not saying I'm perfect at this, but I'm definitely going to make it a priority!

"If you listen to music constantly, you may not have the quiet time you need for thinking, feeling, and receiving spiritual guidance."

I'm definitely going to have to work on this one. I'm almost always listening to music in some form or another and I could definitely use some more time to think and ponder and listen to the spirit.

"Take care that your use of media does not dull your sensitivity to the Spirit or interfere with your personal relationships with others. Spending long periods of time using the Internet or a mobile device, playing video games, or watching television or other media can keep you from valuable interactions with other people. Be careful that your use of social media does not replace spending time with your family and friends."

WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!!!! BAM!!!! That one hit me right in the face! I've been spending large amounts of time on facebook since I'm so far away from home. I'd like to think that is the exception to the rule.... But, I'm going to seriously try and lessen my time on facebook.... when I get home. :) I've ALWAYS agreed that playing video games is a serious time waster- and was so glad that it was added to the strength of youth.

"Guard your safety and the safety of others by taking great care about what personal information and images you share through technology. Do not communicate anything over the Internet or through texting that would be inappropriate to share in person. Obey the laws that govern sharing music, movies, and other copyrighted items."

Diddo. Safety first.

"Remember that these standards for your use of language apply to all forms of communication, including texting on a cell phone or communicating on the Internet."

Don't text, email, or comment what you wouldn't say in person.

"Your emotional health is also important and may affect your spiritual and physical well-being. Disappointment and occasional sadness are part of this mortal life. However, if you have prolonged feelings of sadness, hopelessness, anxiety, or depression, talk with your parents and your bishop and seek help."

How refreshing is this? They've added emotional and mental health as well.

"Honoring the Sabbath day includes attending all your Church meetings. Go to sacrament meeting prepared to worship the Lord and partake worthily of the sacrament. During sacrament meeting, be reverent and willing to learn. Refrain from activities that would distract you or others during this sacred meeting. Be on time for your meetings. As you do these things, you invite the Spirit of the Lord to be with you."

Wow. I think that said it all. I've got to work on being more attentive during sacrament meeting. I think that once I can actually go to an English meeting, it will be much easier :)

Well, that's all the changes that really stuck out to me. I hope that it was an eyeopener to a few others besides myself. The church is true. It always has been, is now, and always will be. I know that the prophets are aware of everything that is going on in our lives today. I know that the Lord knows each and every one of us and is doing everything in His power for us to succeed in this life.

Crazy life.

Familia, amigos, y otras personas del mundo,

Okay. I know that the "I am so busy" excuse is a bit overused... but it really is true!

This is our last full week of school this week so things have been terribly crazy. My "to do" list is 3 papers long (yes, 3 papers), and I've been running around like a chicken with its head cut off. I really feel like I don't have enough time in the day and I look forward to the days where I can sit lazily around dreaming about.... I don't know... boys? Sorry, I'm forgetting what subjects there are to daydream about- I'm doing it less and less these days.

2/3 of my to do list consists of things that have to do with our upcoming school performance. After every semester, the teachers and students prepare a performance to show off to the parents. Preperations for this is a full-time job in and of itself. It's like putting on a primary program where every child is not speaking their first language and have costumes and props to work with (along with 60+ kids). Yeah. It's pretty daunting. But, I'm sure that when it comes down to it, it will go well. And if not, they can't exactly fire me because I'm heading back to the states in 11 days.

Another part of my "to do" list is an unexpected visitor from a town a few hours away called San Luis Potsi. ILP is setting up a school there so the director came down to see first hand what ILP is all about and to see the teaching in action. Since we only have a few days left of school, what better time to have a visitor? Not only do I have to entertain and talk with (in Spanish) this visitor- but he's also going to film my teachers tomorrow (for future advertising purposes). Great. Imagine having to not only put on a difficult Primary program, but having someone come by in the midst of all of the havoc and filming! Ah!

I'm so sorry- I don't mean to be so negative and complain so much. But, I'm just trying to wrap my head around my crazy life.

ANYWAY! The teachers and I have plans this Saturday to put together a dinner party for all of our host families. It will be something along the line of a Thanksgiving dinner (yes, we're making turkey). I believe that all of the host families are excited and I hope that they call come (because we are planning to have LOTS of food). This also means that I have to learn how to cook a turkey. I've never done that before- I've always sort of depended on my dad to do that kind of thing. Does anyone have any tips/suggestions before I rely on the internet for most of my learning and education? I can't exactly get any hints from anyone here because they don't really use the oven.... but I'm sure everyone will give me suggestions anyway. Thanks Mexico!

Then Monday we have a dress rehersal during classes. Tuesday is the performance, and Wednesday is a class party. Then, everyone heads off to vacation. Well... everyone except me. They're all headed to a place called Costa Esmeralda, and I'm going to be enjoying being at home. I figure that I've been to the most beautiful beaches on earth and everything else will be kind of a letdown :)

Then, after a few days of "vacationing", everyone will be back Sunday night and we'll have some sort of going away party.

I leave Monday morning. Oh my goodness!!! How exciting!!!!

Oh yes. In other news, I finally got an email from BYU-Idaho telling me what track I'll be on. Unfortunately, after 6 weeks of waiting, I got an email saying that "accepted students will not be given their track assignment until mid-January".

Because of that, there has been a slight change of plans in my life- which often happens. I enjoy planning out my life (at least a year ahead) so I know what to expect. Except, 95% of the time, things don't go as planned. I was just reading something in my journal the other day- it (I) said "I am thankful for a God that says 'no' sometimes. If I got everything I wanted when I wanted it, I would be in a very different place that is not nearly as good as I am now." So, though I'm slightly irked about this slight change of plans, I know that it's for the best and gives me more time to think over my decision.

I'll end with a picture of some of the cutest little boys on the planet. They're both in our Kindergarten program. Their names are Hector and Roberto.

PHONE PHONE PHONE!!!

Hey everyone!

After many hours of research and set up, I have finally figured out how to get an online number. I know, with only 3 more weeks of being in Mexico, what's the point? BUT THERE IS A POINT!!! Now, I can hear from all of you and we don't have to schedule a time!!!

So, when you call my number, it rings on my gmail and I can answer it if I'm online. Cool huh? You can also leave me messages and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.

So, without furthur ado, my online number is 801-900-3148. You can also press this handy button on the upper right hand corner of my blog and contact me via the internet **but you do need speakers and a microphone on your computer for that to work out.

I hope to hear from all of you soon!!!!

Senor, may I have some mo..... photos!?!?

I just wanted to post a few pictures! Enjoy!

Our Thanksgiving- it was pretty nice.

When I first tried uploading that picture to my blog- it came out like this for no apparent reason. I kind of like it. It's sort of like Thanksgiving- Van Gogh style.

I made the dessert- which turned out DELICIOUS! Basically, all I did was look up a brownie recipe, and a chocolate chip cookie recipe and made the "dough" for both. Then, I layered cookie dough, Oreos, and a brownie top. Yummy! This picture also turned out funky, but... I think that all of you get the idea. It isn't rocket science.

Another photo gone wrong.

ANYWAY- here's some photos from my most recent Oaxaca temple trip.

We took a couple hours and went to the zocalo (the center). Gorgeous cathedral huh?
Our bus that the church rented to take us to Oaxaca said "In God We Trust" on the windshield- in English. Sort of funny huh? They must have known the gringas were coming.

Thanksgiving-Shmanksgiving

Hello friends, family, and esteemed alumni-

I have had a fantastic Thanksgiving and hope that everyone else has had a great day as well. The other teachers and I prepared a thanksgiving feast complete with chicken (sorry, no turkey), salad, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, soda, and a dessert I cooked up myself (with the help of my host mom). The dessert got burned in the oven because my host mom was convinced it wasn't done. Oh well, it still turned out delicious and it was nice of her to help me.

So, I've had a great day, and I wanted to list the A-Z's of what I'm thankful for (maybe YOU'll even be on this list....)

Amigos- they're simply amazing! I really have the best friends that I could ever ask for. I hardly deserve all of them.

Books- I love reading!

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

Dee Spanish Language

Electricity

Family (both at home and here)

Guitar and everything that stems from it

House in Utah- I miss it! I especially miss my room!

Internet- it makes it so easy to communicate! I can't imagine having to rely on snail mail!

Jesus Christ

Knowledge

Love- it's all you need

Mexico (both Tehuacan and Cancun)

Naps

Orem Fitness Center Employees :)

Pinterest- hours of entertainment

Quiet

Rain

Students in the school

Teachers that I have here in Mexico- they're so amazing!

U<<< see! There YOU are!

Voice (mine, specifically... it's pretty amazing)

Warm weather

X marks the spot= treasure! My precious!

You and me together<<< there YOU are again!

Zoos. I find animals fascinating :)

I hope that all of YOU are having an equally awesome Thanksgiving day and remember to thank God for all you have- I think that all of us (very much including myself) can do better at thanking Him for everything we receive.

Mi Casa Es Su Casa...

Hello all!

I just realized that I haven't really posted about my new family and house. So, here it goes! The grand tour!

We're going to start off with the living room/family room. Beautifully decorated eh? I usually perch myself on one of the beanbags and read most mornings.

At the end of the hall, we find the dining room/kitchen. In this particular picture, you see my first lunch that I was served at my new casa. The first day, my host mom asked me what my favorite dish that my mom at home makes. I answered Mac and cheese (homemade of course). What did she make the next day? Mac and cheese!!! That's that noodle dish in the middle. For lunch we also have french fries, a salad, breaded chicken, and passionfruit juice. Yummy!

This is the dish that I have EVERY MORNING. Diced up fruit, yogurt, honey, and granola. Yummy! Good thing I actually enjoy the dish, or else I would be in serious trouble.

Alright, now lets go through the door in the kitchen. What do we find? Nope, we didn't take a wrong turn. This is the right way to go to my bedroom. Climb those stairs! Don't die! I am so lucky! I am EXACTLY the right height to not have to duck when I'm going down and up the stairs. TALK ABOUT BLESSINGS!

On the roof, we take a left and we come across a small apartment with two rooms. Off to the left we find a bathroom.... or is it? This looks more like a half bath. But, take a gander on the wall. THERE'S A SHOWER!!! This is probably the smallest full bath I've ever seen! You can literally brush your teeth and be in the shower at the same time!!! Oh yeah. And it's blue.

Off to the right of the bathroom we find my room! It's a pretty cool nook. It has probably 50 blankets stacked on either side of my bed (just in case I get cold during the night). And, just in case 50 blankets aren't enough, grab one of the 30 in the closet. We also have a telescope in here, a stuffed panda bear with a lampshade on its head (my personal favorite) and the Beatles on the wall. Win. Win. Win.

Lets see. I haven't really introduced my family! I haven't been able to get a picture of all of them together yet so this painting will have to do. Yeah. They have a painting of their family in their house. I think that's when you can say that you've "made it". When you have an enormous painting of your family on the wall.

This painting is a few years old, but humor me.

My dad is a classy Mexican. He doesn't speak a lot- but is an incredibly sweet man.

My mom is a ball of energy. Lets just say that she's the type of mom that wears matching track suits everywhere. She participates (along with a few other mothers) in the kids band at school, twirling her baton. Yeah. She's pretty sweet.

The older brother Edgar is my age but I hardly see him. He's usually at school or with his girlfriend. But, he's super nice from what I've seen of him.

The next older sister's name is Ruby and she's 19. I also don't see her that often because she's at school or with her boyfriend. But, she knows a lot of English and is extremely helpful.

The littlest sister's name is Fany (Stephany). She goes to my school and so I know her the best. She's 11 I think, and super sweet! I talk to her ALL OF THE TIME, and probably have the best relationship with her.

There is also another teacher staying in the other bedroom in the apartment whos name is Ema. She's about 25 and teaches here and Puebla- so I only see her a couple nights a week. But, we talk a lot. I help her with her English and she helps me with her Spanish.

So, I know that you're asking what you have to do in Mexico to be a person that has your family painting on the wall, right? Well, my host dad is in the clothing business. He owns a factory that distresses jeans and makes shirts. So, next time you buy an American Eagle or Aeropostale shirt, know that it might have come from my house in Mexico.

And taken up all of the couch space....

Well guys. That's all that I have! My house and host family are great! My Spanish is slowly but surely progressing, and I'm smiling again. See?

Thanks to all of the prayers, phone calls, emails, etc. that I've received!

The Last Stretch

I'm going to try and make this next post sound the lest pessimistic as possible.

This week has been one of the busiest that I've ever experienced. It's also been one of the hardest. One of my teachers came down with 4 out of the 5 types of typhoid and salmonella. Yeah. Pretty rough. She's doing much better and is teaching today- seriously a miracle.

When one of the teachers is sick, that means that I go in and teach- and let me tell you that I have never had my patience tested so much in my life. I'd like to think that I'm a pretty talented teacher in the Kindergarten levels- but when we get to Elementary levels, it gets pretty complicated for me. I had never taught those levels when I was in Cancun before, and though I understand the theory, I struggle. I definitely gave a fair share of prayers before each and every class. The Lord definitely blessed me with patience and a clear mind. Nevertheless, it doesn't mean that the experience was any less difficult. It's experiences like that that make me worry what kind of mother I'll be.

My host family is continually awesome. Today, my host mom brought out pozole for lunch. When I asked why the rest of the family wasn't going to join us, she said that they didn't like pozole and that she bought it for me because she knew it was my favorite. How sweet!

I never considered how blessed I was with my health until today. 3 of my 4 teachers have come down with something serious (as in they've missed a few days of teaching because of it). I'm incredibly blessed to not have had something more serious than food poisoning. (Knock on wood).

I have been really missing home recently. I'll be home in a month- which is both discouraging and encouraging at the same time. Overall, 4 weeks isn't too long in comparison, but it feels like a lifetime away.

On that note, I really would like to hear more from people back in the states- so if you have a spare minute, I would love to hear from you! Let me know when you can chat and I'll give you a call then. I hate this whole scheduling thing, it feels so impersonal. "I'll try and squeeze you in between 3 and 4..." But, when you don't have a phone number and can only give outgoing calls, it becomes necessary. So, message me please!

Also, I would appreciate some prayers if at all possible....

This Week in Collage

I decided to do a "This Week in Collage" (the picture looks like it says "this week in cottage") to direct my comments and to remind me what happened this week. As things are slowly shutting down, it gets more and more difficult to remember what I did the previous day- much less the whole week.

I only have 5 more weeks in Mexico! Shocking eh? Though I'm excited to go home and see friends and family, I'm trying to enjoy each and every moment and get a lot accomplished. That's one thing I regretted from my Cancun experience- that I never really stopped and enjoyed the ride. I was so excited to go home that I forgot where I was and what an amazing experience I was having. So, I've been working hard to look around at where I am every once and a while- which makes the experience that much more memorable and beneficial.

So, I'm going to attempt to explain about each of my collage items. I am incredibly passionate about each one of them- so pay attention!

In case some of you didn't know, I use a google phone to stay in contact with everyone. It's available through Gmail and only costs 1 cent a minute! I just barely put more money on it and I'm anxious to use the rest of it so it won't go to waste! I had quite a few memorable conversations and I'm so thankful to all of those who take an hour or so out of their day so I can chat with them :)

Spanish! I've been speaking more Spanish than I ever have in my entire life! My new host family doesn't really speak English and so I'm continuously listening, or speaking in Spanish. Even the kids who know English don't speak in English at home because they want their parents to feel included in their conversations. I'm so excited that I've been able to practice so much!

The Penafiel soda bottle is for a culture class that we had on Tuesday where we went and got a tour of the Penafiel soda factory. They've been around since about 1918! It all started out with a spring that was rumored to have medicinal purposes. In fact, hundreds of years ago, the ruler of Mexico asked that people bring him this special water from Tehuacan to Mexico City (a 5ish hour DRIVE). So, it's pretty special and incredibly famous. It was interesting to learn some of Tehuacan's claims to fame.

The shrimp dish is because I LOVE shrimp and my host mom made me some the other day. Seriously, it was from heaven- and I told her so.

This next chocolate chip story may not be understood by the general American population. I'll try to explain my excitement in the best way possible: There are no chocolate chips in Mexico. There just aren't. You can buy chocolate chip cookies in the store, but there are no chocolate chips available for purchase. Then, I saw that my host family had some chocolate chips in their cupboard. I immediately asked them where they got them. They told me of a magical store a few blocks away that sold lots of bakery/American goodies. Though it took me a few minutes to actually find the store- I was amazed! There was TONS of bakery items! AND there was CHOCOLATE CHIPS!!! I immediately bought a kilo (about 2 pounds) of chocolate chips without thinking. I'm incredibly excited to use them for chocolate chips in the coming weeks. My mouth is watering just thinking of the possibilities.

I watched Taken. One of my favorite movies- and for someone that doesn't really enjoy action movies, that's saying something.

We made no bake cookies in school. WITH NUTELLA!!! Yummy!

I read The Hunger Games in two days. I can't really talk about it that much because or else the urge to find and immediately read the second book will be unbearable. I will say that it is literally one of the best books I've read- I could hardly put it down.

I've been continuously on Microsoft Word the past few days updating information about classes, vacations, and Tehuacan in general for future teachers that come here.

The last is an album that I absolutely LOVE. I found about this artist from a friend. So, when I was doing my research I found out that he was giving out some songs off his newest album FREE. He really is amazing so if you'd like to listen or download those songs you can at this website: http://noisetrade.com/benrector

He is now one of my all-time favorite artists. :) I hope that all of you enjoy him to, but if not- you now have some free music right?

I hope that everyone is having a great week! I pray for most of you everyday. (I say most of you because you never know what creepers are looking at this blog haha). Much love from Mexico.

Some Stories

I know! Two blog posts in one week! I'm on a roll! I was planning on waiting, but I decided that there's been so much news that I might as well blog about it.

So, here's some stories that have happened in my life recently:

I've moved host families. This has been incredibly interesting and even though I'm missing one of my favorite jackets, the move went without a hitch. I moved about a block away into another student's house. The house is beautiful and amazing- but what is more amazing is the people that live in said house. My host parents are super sweet and always ask me how I'm doing. Am I hungry? Am I tired? Do I need anything? They don't speak any English, which is both a positive and a negative. It's difficult to keep a flowing conversation because the questions that I know how to ask are limited. But, I have found that I can understand much more than I thought! I've already learned so much, it's almost become overwhelming. But, I know that it always gets harder before it gets easier. But, I'm so thankful to be in another amazing family that cares so much about me.

One lesson that I've learned since being in this family is that if you say that you like something (like food) you really should MEAN IT, because you'll be eating that everyday. For example, I said that I like fruit the first day with yogurt and granola, and I had that the first morning. This morning, I woke up to an ENORMOUS bowl of fruit salad. It was so big, I honestly thought that it was for everyone in the family. No worries, it was only for me. I told my host mom that I couldn't eat everything in the bowl and she said "No worries, I'll pack it in your lunch". Then, when I got home from school my mother immediately prepared me another large bowl of diced fruit. I watched her as she diced it (which I again assumed was for the whole family). It consisted of: a half a cantalope, 2 apples, 1 large banana, and about a cup of yogurt. Oh my. It's a good thing that I really DO like fruit.

Sometimes Mexicans are so funny. But, I love them so much for their generosity and willingness to please.

There are so many things that I've been blessed with in this house- I can hardly name them all. But, I know that the Lord knew of my needs and put me in a house that could fulfill all of them.

Second, I have a story to tell.

I woke up this morning not feeling very well. But, I decided that I should just suck it up and go to school anyway because my new host mom would probably worry and I didn't want her to think that she just adopted an invalid. I decided that I would go to school and lay down in the back room. When I was at Spanish class, I found out that one of my teachers was sick and couldn't teach that day. Let's be honest, I was pretty bummed that I had to teach. I had a list of things that I needed to get done, and I didn't like changing my plans at the last minute. Plus, I didn't have a lesson planned and I didn't want to take the time to plan them. Plus- I was sick! The last thing I felt like doing was teach kids all day. I talked to Rachael (the director) I asked if I could go with her to the pharmacy to meet up with this teacher to see how she was doing.

When Rachael and I met up with the teacher at the pharmacy, I'll just say that she looked TERRIBLE. I instantly felt so bad for having those lazy thoughts before about teaching. I instantly broke into tears as I hugged her. I hate seeing people sick.

After the pharmacy, we went to this teacher's house. Rachel was trying to schedule some missionaries to come over and her cell phone died. She had to run home to get it charged and said that she would text me and let me know what was happening with the missionaries. So, I walked upstairs to the teacher's room to talk with her. What did I do when I laid down beside her? I burst into tears again! I honestly am the worst friend!

Then, his teacher put her arms around me and started comforting ME.

I can't even express my love and gratitude for this teacher. She has such a love and life in her. She is such a great example to me in my life. Don't get me wrong, I think the same for all of my teachers and almost everyone in my life. But, this sweet girl gave me a great "aha" moment that told me that I should be more grateful for the things I do have in my life. She taught me a great lesson about love, comfort, and being a good friend.

Sometimes life isn't great. But, there is always someone out there that has it worse than you right now. So, reach out and help them if you can! It will be their influence that will comfort you and make you realize everything that you have.

I hope that all made sense. It's pretty late and I'm really tired :)

Taxco was a Blast-co!

Oh Taxco! I'm missing that beautiful city already.

Yes. That's the cathedral- not a palace.

For those of you who don't already know, Taxco is another "Magic-City" a couple hours south of Mexico City near Cuernavaca. It's a total of about 6 hours away- with another 2 hours of being in bus stations. So, it's been a long weekend full of traveling.

We left for Taxco at 5:15 in the morning on Saturday and arrived in Taxco around 1:00 or 2:00. We looked around at some of the sights and stores and headed off to where we were going to stay pretty early in the evening.

Now here's probably the most exciting part of the whole trip! Guess where the girls and I stayed? Just guess! We stayed at a MONESTARY!!! How cool is that?!? The ladies at the monestary were probably some of the nicest people that I've ever met in my entire life. The rooms were nice and comfortable- the bathroom had some intense and beautiful tilework, they fed us breakfast and dinner everyday, it was simply amazing! They are going to heaven. For sure. Did I mention that this is all free? Don't worry, we all donated some money. It was the least that we could do for these sweet ladies.

Oh. There were some enormous spiders outside our bedrooms. Take a look at these babies.

The next day we tried to make it to a Taxco branch for their services, but we didn't make it in time. In Mexico, they shut the doors during the sacrament so if you aren't on time, you don't get to take the sacrament. This is for sure a bummer, but a good way to make sure that everyone is on time to church.

Then, we took a combi to "Las Grutas" (the caves). When I read about these cave before going, I thought that they were going to be smaller, cool looking stalagtites and stalagmites. I never expected that we'd be entering a cave that is miles long and each room the size of a football stadium! It was absolutely enormous and the sights were gorgeous! I've never seen anything like it before. These pictures don't even do it justice, but close your eyes and try and imagine. Great huh?

After our long and tretourous hike through the caves, we were all extremely exausted and weren't up for much more than looking at some stores. This may not seem so exciting, but even walking through the city is exausting. The hills are intense!!! But, it's a BEAUTIFUL CITY! We also had the chance to look through a museum.

The last day, our bus left pretty early in the morning so we quickly got the last of the things that we needed and headed off. We got back home at 7:00 that night.

So, it was an exausting but amazing vacation. I'm so glad that I've been able to have so many incredible opportunities in my life and to see so many beautiful places in the world!

In other news- I'm changing host families (for reasons which will remain underwraps). I'm incredibly excited to be with this new host family and I hope that I can learn from them as much as I learned from my last host family. I move tomorrow and I've still got a whole list of things that I need to do before I leave.

Some more exciting news is that I got accepted to BYU-Idaho! I don't know what my track assignment is right now, but I'll keep everybody posted.

I've heard from a lot of you in the last week and it's been so awesome! Keep up the emails and phone calls- I enjoy every single one!

Another Preview!

I'm so sorry! I'm getting really behind on this blog thing!

This past week has been really fun. Tracy, Christina, and I went to 6 Flags on Saturday. It was SO MUCH FUN! I absolutely love amusement parks- and this park did not disappoint. There were TONS of rollercoasters and other fun rides. My favorite was probably what they call the Batman. I was absolutely terrified, but I had a blast.

I didn't bring a camera to 6 Flags because I was scared that someone would steal it. But, here's a picture of that monstrosity.

It was a very long day (I got up at 4am and went to sleep at 3am the next day). But, it was totally worth it and would do it again and again.

On Monday we had our first dancing class with one of the directors, Teo. I have never been a dancer myself, and so I thought that the class was overall, okay. But, the rest of the girls had a blast. I honestly am not a dancer, and don't really enjoy it. But, I praise those who do. At least now if I was forced to dance in Mexico, I'd be able to follow along. I don't know. I think the extent of my "dancing" expertise is dancing to an amazing song. Alone. In my room.

Then, on Tuesday we went out to eat tacos with Rachel and her family. It was really good, and lots of fun. That's about the extent of this past week.

We're coming up on the crazy November vacations! This means, that I have a vacation planned EVERY WEEKEND! Though I'm so excited, I have a lot of work to do :/. We are going to the following places: Taxco, Coscomatepec, Orizaba, Teotiheuacan, Puerto Escondido (and 4 other cities around it), a small city nearby that makes really cool pots (can't remember what it's called), Oaxaca (2x), and.... I think that's everything. So, yes it's going to be crazy busy- but immensely fun!

This weekend we have a day off school so we'll be celebrating in Taxco. Here's a preview of this beautiful city!

Taxco is what they call a "magic city" a couple hours outside of Mexico City. It's called a magic city because the government pays them to keep all of the buildings the same as they were in colonial times. Taxco is a city that makes most of its money on making silver jewelry- so I'm excited to buy lots of suvineers!

Here's some pictures of this beautiful place and some things nearby!

I am a SUCKER when it comes to Baroque cathedrals. Apparently, this is one of the most beautiful cathedrals in all of Mexico. The man that built it went broke because it's filled with gold and silver on the inside. Gorgeous huh?

This is a picture showing the Christ statue on top of the city. Yeah. I'm going there.

There's also these AMAZING caves nearby. Can't wait to see them in person!

Life is good. I'm really missing home right now, but that's typically what happens when you leave home for a long period of time- figures. On the bright side, I have less than two months until I'm back in good ol' Utah. On the downside, I'm leaving Mexico. But, at least I can give it a proper goodbye by seeing everything that I can before I leave. Again, I hope that everyone is safe and happy. I'll be sure and write all about my Taxco experiences when I get back.

Good news! My application for BYU-Idaho finally got finished and I will be hearing of my acceptance in about 6 weeks or less. I'll be sure to shout it from the rooftop when I hear back. I don't think I'll hear what track I'm on until a few weeks after that. Crossing my fingers for Spring/Fall (so I can be with my Anna Marie Elmer again) :)

Funny Student Quote:

One of my teachers was handing out sprinkles to decorate cupcakes in kitchen one day. When she asked "what are these? These are sprinkles" one of the kids started singing "Sprinkle, sprinkle, little star".

Harry Potter Day!

Hello Friends and Family,

This week has been CRAZY (I know, I always say that). But, it really has and I only have a couple minutes to sit down and write a little something about my life and what has been going on.

Mid-semester visits were on Monday and Casey from ILP came down to see how we were all doing. It was really fun and we all had a blast- as well as learned so much! There are a million things that I can improve on and I'm going to work on them ALL. But, I'm convinced that I have the best teachers ever. Yes, ever. They're all simply amazing and we're having a blast.

Then, on Tuesday and Wednesday one of my teachers was sick so I taught for her class. At first I was sort of bummed out because my To Do list is about a mile long, but I really do love teaching and I get to know all of the students better when I teach.

Tuesday was amazing- you want to know why? Because it was Harry Potter themed day!!!! So, I taught Quiddich and spells Sylvia sorted them into houses and made color-coordinated ties, and Tracy decorated cupcakes with them with their house colors. I also got the chance to dress up- which is always a plus in my book. (By the way, I was sorted into Ravenclaw.... because I'm really smart haha). It was a really fantastic day! It was incredibly fun and I realize now that I needed that day away from my long To Do list. So, here's some pictures of our Harry Potter Day (because I know that you all are dying to see me in costume).

Sylvia and I in costume (yes I did make my glasses myself, thanks for noticing)

Tracy, Sylvia and I before classes. By the way, those awesome aprons were sewed by Sylvia and I- they hold the kids tokens. They're pretty amazing. I'm glad that I have some homemaking skills....

All of the kids in their ties and glasses- we have Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin.

Okay, how cute is this girl? Her name is Vale and we call her "our doll" because she's always dressed so cute. When we made glasses, I asked her what color she wanted and obviously she said hot pink. She also is sporting a scar and a ravenclaw tie. How cute huh?

So, that's about all of the news from this week. This Saturday me and a couple of the other teachers are planning on going to Six Flags on Saturday- so I'm really excited about that. I've basically only been to the Lagoon Amusement Park and enjoyed their rides, so I'm really excited to experience a new place (even though that means I have to get up at 4:30 to be there on time).

Anyway, my life is great and I plan on getting around to talking to everyone on the phone pretty soon. I also have a few letters in my bag that I'm planning on sending as well.

I hope everyone is doing well.

I'M ALIVE!

I'm sorry everybody! It's been a long week and I've had a difficult time finding an extra hour or two to update my blog- even though there's not much to report on.

I've been incredibly busy this week preparing for the upcoming mid-semester visits where one of the directors comes down and sees how the other teachers and I are doing. So, I had a lot of paperwork and other things to get completed and finished. I still have quite a few more things left on my endless "to do" list, but after tomorrow almost everything should be completed. Tomorrow we are having a "cleaning party" at the school for a couple hours so we can bleach the whole place from top to bottom. Party indeed.

I've also been busily planning the vacations for the rest of the semester so the girls can know how much to save. We are going LOTS of different places, practically one every weekend. Next weekend I believe that we'll be headed to Six Flags. I'm incredibly excited because I love roller coasters and amusement parks. Then the week after that, we are headed to Taxco for a 3 day vacation (exciting huh?) I'll be more excited when I get all of the planning finished. Yes, I'm a planner. I would rather think of all of the things that could go wrong than roll with the punches when things do go wrong. We'll have to see how that goes :)

Other news. My family and I went to a party tonight.

That's another thing that I forgot to put on my "Mexico is Weird" post. They don't like to tell you where they're taking you. Rather, they let you guess or vaguely describe what's going to be going on. So, tonight they said that we were going to a dance at the church. So I thought whatever, I'll go. It ended up being a birthday party for this 18 year old girl that I didn't know. :/ But, it was really fun and they played lots of good American music like Backstreet Boys and Grease. Oh, and the song "Macho Man". I haven't heard that one in quite some time.

It was really funny because tonight when my roommate said "Feliz Cumpleanos" to the birthday girl, it was really loud and you couldn't really hear. So, the girl thought she said "Donde esta el bano?" Haha! Anyway, that was a funny story.

My plans for next semester have changed a little bit for those I haven't told yet. Though I was so excited to go to China, after many prayers and contemplation, I decided that it wasn't the right thing for me RIGHT NOW. That doesn't mean that I'm not going in the future. But, right now I have other plans in store. So, I've been putting together my application to BYU-Idaho for this Spring semester (starts mid-April). Hopefully things work out, but if not, I know that the Lord has something in store for me that I just don't know right now.

I wrote a song this week, which was nice. I haven't written a song in a long time (since February I believe) so, it was a relief to know that the ability to write wasn't taken away from me. I need to work on it a little bit more, but I'm really happy with it.

Just a small little tidbit, if you haven't discovered www.pinterest.com, you're seriously missing out. It is filled with decoration ideas, party ideas, recipes, craft ideas, and just about everything under the sun. You should all seriously check it out. I should warn you, it's terribly addicting as well- just be warned. :)

Well, that's all of the news that I have right now. I hope that everyone is good and safe back in the good ol' US of A.

Life is Hard Sometimes

These past few days have been really rough.

It's impossible to be a perfect person, and sometimes I have a hard time with that. It's difficult to accept that I'm not going to be a perfect sibling, co-worker, employee, daughter, and friend. It pains me to think of all of my inadequacies and it worries me that I'm not making any progress in this life.

One of my favorite scripture passages is found in 2 Nephi chapter 4. I title this chapter "Nephi's Lament" and subtitle it "My Lament". I love this chapter because it's where Nephi mourns of how quickly he falls into temptation and asks the Lord for His help and guidance. I find this chapter comforting in a way because I have a lot of the same feelings that Nephi did- and Nephi was a great prophet! It's great to know that I'm not alone in my struggles in life and that it's okay to feel weak sometimes. But, it's what we do with the weaknesses that matters.

There are times in everyone's lives where you feel incredibly vulnerable and inadequate. Right now is that time for me. I worry that I'm not doing enough good in the world, and that I should be a lot better at this point in my life. I worry that I'm missing out on so many growing opportunities because I'm too stubborn to learn the lessons the Lord wants me to learn.

BUT, I'm going to be better. I know that I can be better. I don't expect perfection, but I know that I can do better than I currently am. I can be a better family member, employee, and friend. I have a lot of things to work on, I'll be the first to admit it, and I have a long way to travel, but at least I'm on the right road. At least I'm holding onto the rod and pointed in the right direction. This is the point of repentance right? Changing your heart and mind to be like The Fathers?

So, if you have a rock in your stomach because there are things that you've done that you knew better? Change it! Our Father in Heaven loves you and wants you to repent so you can be with Him again! That misery is painful and the only way that you can make it go away is by repenting.

I didn't mean for this blog post to come out as a sermon, I think that maybe I needed to hear it more than anyone else out there. So, thanks for reading. I hope that maybe it will help another lost soul.

What's the Point?

Things I'm currently thankful for:

Having a laptop that works

Amazing family and friends

Good news that I received last night :)

Funny students that make me laugh (see story below)

Salad (see below as well)

Inspiration to write a song- it's been a while

My cheap Mexican guitar

The fact that it's currently 76 degrees outside

I found my cell phone (I tend to lose it a lot)

The scriptures

The power of prayer

Safety

Emails from friends- they make my day.

So- here's the story that I promised. Complete with pictures so you could understand (hopefully) the humor in it.

I was organizing the utensils that we have in the kitchen. Being a program that mostly accepts donations, we have one spoon/fork/knife from every set of silverware that has been sold in the US. Sort of ghetto, but get's the job done. During this organization process, I came across this little number:

Needless to say, I was thoroughly confused. I turned to one of my teachers, Sylvia who was teaching a kitchen class at the time and asked "What is the point of this?" After I asked, one of the girls from the class came up and touched the tallest prong of the "fork" and said "OUCH!"

For those of you who haven't taught an ILP class, the girl was showing us WHERE the point of the utensil was.

And this is why I love kids.

Second story that will be humorous to those who have seen Nacho Libre:

I have not eaten a salad since I've been in Mexico and it's something that you start to crave when every meal starts and ends with "tortillas". This afternoon, the heavens opened up and my host mom brought out the most beautiful thing I've ever seen:

A SALAD!

I was so excited! I may have even said "Can't we have a salad or something?" numerous times. I also poured the ranch on the salad like Nacho does. I resisted crumbling up tortilla chips and blowing them onto the salad as well. I'm sure my host family thought I was crazy.

So hopefully that gave some a good laugh, some others will be really confused, feel free to laugh anyway.

So when you turn your face to the heavens and ask "What's the point?" Realize that there's always a point- right in the center of the fork.

Story Time!

I just wanted to share a story that happened this week- because it is an amazing story.

So, I was sitting downstairs eating breakfast with my host mom and dad when I noticed a book that they had from their church. I asked them about it and they explained that a new book comes out every month and has suggested study topics from the Bible. I first said "Oh, my church doesn't have anything like that, that's cool." But then I thought of the Ensign/Liahona! "Wait!" I shouted, "We do have something like that, wait one minute". I then rushed up to my room to pick up the October Liahona that I purchased on the temple trip. I showed it to my parents and they read a story or two.

I was then prompted to give them the Book of Mormon that I purchased at the temple. At first I argued against the prompting because I had already shared quite a bit, and they were doing so well with the Liahona! But, I've heard enough conference talks to know that you follow the prompting, no matter how weird it may seem.

So, I said that I had something else for them and I ran upstairs to grab the Book of Mormon and said a quick prayer that I could bear my testimony and that they could know of my love for the gospel and the Book of Mormon. I went downstairs and gave it to them. I bore my testimony and said that I knew the Book of Mormon is true and it means so much to me in my life. I said that if they did not want it, they should just give it back to me because I would hate to see it in the trash. They said that they understood and that they would read it. So, at the breakfast table that morning, my host mom opened up to the introduction page of the Book of Mormon and started reading while my host dad read the Liahona. It was a fantastic sight.

I don't know if anything will come of this anytime soon. But, I know that it planted a seed that they may someday remember and nourish it.

I know that God loves all of His children and that he wants us to return to Him. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that it truly testifies of Jesus Christ. I know that this gospel is true.

General Conference

So, I didn't play in a Born Again Christian church today like I thought I would. Things like that just sort of happen in Mexico. You never really know what you're doing. I guess I just need to not expect it and it will happen.

Other things that happened this week: I worked, I worked, I emailed, I worked. I slept sometimes, and ate during inconvenient times, but everything is fine and I'm doing well. I hope that next week is a little less crazy because we finally end "training month", which means I have many less meetings and evaluations to do. Hurray!

This weekend was General Conference and if any of you missed it, I highly suggest that you go back and watch it! It really was amazing! I got so many of my prayers and worries answered, and a list of things to be improved on. I enjoyed every talk, I can't even begin to think of which one is my favorite.

We watched both Saturday sessions in the stake center in a separate room (for English speakers). So, it was four English teachers and about 6 missionaries. It was very different than how I typically watch conference, but still enjoyable. Maybe it helped me concentrate more :)

I watched one Sunday session at the school (because the English version was not available at the stake center) and headed home to watch the second session. To my dismay, I found that the door was locked and that my mom had not left keys as she promised. So, I walked around town for a while, thinking that they would be back soon. Not. I finally decided to call my host mom and see if anyone had a spare copy of a key. She said that there wasn't a spare copy but she would call her sister in law (that lived next door) to see if she could open it. So, I then spent 20ish minutes watching a little old lady try and open the door with a long stick. I finally got in, and good thing because my family is still not home and it's close to 9:00. So, I need to still watch the second Sunday session of conference, but I'm sure that it's just as good as the rest of them :)

I just wanted to bear testimony that I know this is the true Church! I'm so thankful for a God that lives and loves all of his children and answers even the most inconsequential prayers! I have seen so many blessings in my life since I've been in Tehuacan, and I'm sure there are hundreds more that I cannot see. I know that Jesus Christ lives, and that Thomas S. Monson is the true prophet of God. I KNOW all of these things, I have no doubts.

I hope that everyone had an awesome conference weekend, and that everyone is healthy and happy.

Bengbu, China!

I just found out what city I'll be going to in January/February!

Let me introduce you to Bengbu, China!

I don't know a lot about the city other than it's about 5 hours west of Shanghi and it has lots of rivers surrounding it. I'm already so excited!

I also know that I will be the only head teacher in charge of 6 teachers. We will be in apartments/dorms, not host families. Yep... that's about everything that I can think of. I'll be sure to let all of you know more about the city as I find out more.

Viva China!

How to Make a Bad Day into an Extraordinary Day

I think that recently my posts have started sounding like a Self Help book. What do you guys think? Well.... if you need help I guess you're at the right place. If you want a good laugh, you're also at the right place.

Story time: Last week, Danielle and I were walking to school so we could have our "Wonderful Wednesday" party with the other teachers (we come to the school and watch a movie and have treats).

So, I was walking along, minding my own business when all the sudden I slipped. Not only did I slip, but I slipped right into some mud (probably the only mud puddle in Tehuacan during this time... I kid you not). My pants and hands were completely covered in mud.

Most people would laugh viewing this scene, but when it's you it's completely different because you have to worry what you're going to do next! Danielle found the humor in the situation and laughed the whole way to the school (we were still several blocks away). People in cars stared at me, people in shops laughed at me- it was seriously one of my most embarrassing moments.

I got to the school and the only thing I found in the drama closet to wear was a nurses outfit (not at all modest). I cleaned my jeans in the sink with dish soap and set them out to dry. I now think that experience was one of the most embarrassing and hilarious I've ever been a part of.

In case you didn't notice- there were a few miracles that happened:

1. I work somewhere that has extra clothes (sketchy as they may be)

2. I can wash my clothes at the school.

3. I work with girls that find the humor in everything (including sketchy nurses' costumes)

4. My jeans were completely dried before classes started (they usually take about a day)

5. I was headed to school early anyway

6. There was a mini doctor action figure on my desk that was put there the day before.

7. I laughed because I fell in the mud.

So, want to make an ordinary day into an extraordinary day? Count the miracles that happen!