Our worst trip to the airport so far!

March 18, 2015

Americanos live in a disposable society.  When we grow tired of things, we simply throw them away.  Everything, and I mean everything, has a value in Mexico.  When there is garbage pickup in Mexico, a man walks down the street ringing a bell.  The bell signals that garbage pickup truck or cart is one block away.  You don’t pay for this pickup – you simply tip the workers when you hand over your garbage.  The workers sort the trash for everything recyclable, turn it in, and earn their meager wages.  Everything from small pieces of tin, to heavy pieces of metal, have a value to those who sale it for a living.

We had six Elders, and one Sister, taking off from the airport in a half hour range on Wednesday.  Every one of the flights was international, with only one going to the states.  We have two terminals – we drive between them.  Only one flight was from Terminal 1, the other 6 were in Terminal 2.

We thought we could do it all – foolish thought.  Keith took four of them to the AeroMexico check in.  I headed towards COPA which was flying two Elders back to the Dominican Republic.  We sent the Assistants off to the other terminal to send back the American.  All of them had been instructed about weight limits.  I carried all passports and Visas.  Keith did fine, the Assistants got the American Elder on with a few minutes to spare, and my duty fell apart.  Elder Paulino’s Passport had elapsed.  Our office had noticed this, and taken care of it, but neglected to send over the authorizing paper. 

·           *Call to office:  “No matter what you are wearing or doing, grab the paper and catch a taxi.  We have 20 minutes.”

Meanwhile, I tried to check in Elder Camilo.  Both suitcases were many pounds overweight.  Even his carryon was overweight.

·           *Me to Elder Camilo: “Step out there and start to empty your cases.  We have 20 minutes.”

We started to pull things out of his bag.  In his carry on he had a broken utility knife, 2 pairs of scissors, and a paper punch.  His luggage included 3 new Books of Mormon, one in English that he doesn’t even read.  He had a huge pile of papers, Preach My Gospel, lots of fake aftershave, and a broken plastic car.  We kept moving things, and making a pile that would not go home with him.  Remember that everything has a value in Mexico

By now COPA has announced that we have 4 minutes.  Elder Paulino was close to tears.  I took his hands and said a prayer right there.  I received a call that the office Elders were arriving and I took off running for the front doors – although they ended up coming in on a different floor and so I found myself doing a circle of several floors.

When we re-weighed, and handed them the authorizing papers, the Elders had missed check in by several minutes.  My pleading did not change the mind of the check in clerk.  We re-scheduled their flights for 3 hours later and they would arrive home 8 hours later.  I’m so sorry parents!

Maybe after 3 years of this we will have it figured out!

Learning a language is hard!

March 20, 2015
In my "off" hours, I am trying to learn Spanish.  For a semi-bright person, you would think this would come with a little ease.  But no, I have not been that blessed.

We also work with/encourage our Latino missionaries to learn English.  English will change their life in years to come.  Many are taking up the challenge.  As part of the mission requirements, each missionary is supposed to email Keith every week with a report.  Here are a couple of emails where courageous Elders tried to write Keith in English.

President hello how are you?

So glad to see him Sunday in the chapel and his speeches always motivate and encourage me thanks.

I'm here in my area very well animated (excited) and already with 8 researchers (investigators) and hope and longing both the day to baptize them in the pile (baptismal font = pila) and I am very happy in my area I love him president has beautiful week: Greetings to his wife and his family.

President I send many greetings I hope this good everything here either single ehe tate a little sick (except I have been a little sick) my investigators are progressing good and that makes me happy and is shortly to be bautizen (baptized) and seguire (continue) struggling to find more I want President greetings to his wife and family

Ship Building

March 11, 2015

Every six weeks we have transfers/changes.  During this time, new missionaries arrive, missionary companionships are changed, and missionaries completing their service are sent home.

As missionaries arrive, each are assigned a “trainer.”  Each trainer is with each new missionary for 12 weeks.  They are to teach them everything they need to know to be an excellent missionary.  These trainers will set the stage for the remainder of the service for each missionary.  We try really hard to pick the best trainers.

We had a training meeting for “trainers” the other day.  With 9 new missionaries arriving in 6 more days, we spend some time helping them get ready to train.

I awoke at 4AM the morning of the training.  I had a strong impression of what I needed to say to the trainers.  One of the great stories in the Book of Mormon is when Nephi received a revelation from Heavenly Father telling him to “build a ship.”  This ship would take him and his family to the Promised Land.  This was my impression that morning.  Tell the trainers that they needed to be ready to “build a ship.”

Nephi probably didn’t know how to build a ship, but he did recognize when his Heavenly Father talked to him and he did know that he would be guided in whatever he needed to do.

Our trainers need to be able to “build a person.”  They need to be able to recognize when they are being guided by the Holy Ghost.  They need to keep themselves pure so that personal revelation can come.  They are training someone who may be coming from a different culture or a different language.  Each of us is unique in what we are.

So often we all are called on to “build a ship.”  We are asked to walk out of our comfort zones and do something new and often important.  We have to rely on the Spirit to fill in our shortcomings and make it possible for us to be an instrument in God’s hands.  Ship building and person building is hard work!

Grandpa and Grandma smell like Mexico

March 11, 2015

“Grandma, you and Grandpa smell like Mexico.”

Is that a compliment?  My 14 year old grandson said this to me today as I was hugging him.  Gunnison is here visiting from Texas.  We have spent several long days visiting many of the sites here.  He has missed his ice cream, nacho’s, and pizza.  He claims he has lost 14 pounds (wish I could do that!).

I seldom have the occasion to hug an Elder.  I only do so in real times of distress or needed comfort.  I do have to admit that at those times I have picked up on a different “human” smell.  It’s not a bad smell, just different from the ones I am used to.  Maybe my “smeller” is overactive.

So now I have the smell also. I’ll still have to decide if I am slightly offended or just proud that I “smell.”

Elder X

March 5, 2015

Elder X is a tall Elder that had little time in leadership when we got here.  He goes home in 4 months so therefore we will have had him for 12 months.

We moved him to a Senior companion, and then to a District Leader.  He is loved by all.

Today’s conversation following Zone Conference:

Elder X to me:  I love you guys.  Is there anything I can do for you?

Me to Elder X:  Matter of fact there is.  Come over here and talk to the President (we had already decided we were going to call him to be a Zone Leader in 2 weeks)

Me to President: Elder X wants to know if there is anything we need from him.  I told him there was.

President to X:  Elder X, I want you to be a zone leader on the next transfer.

Elder X laughs, hugs the President, tells him he loves him and walks away.

10 minutes later

Elder X. to me:  You have to quit scaring me like that!  I almost took President serious!

Me to Elder X:  He was serious!

I walked away with Elder X’s eyes wide and mouth open.

Zone Conferences and the Hermanas

March 3, 2015

Zone Conferences occur every 3 months.  Since we have 7 zones, we do 7 presentations, each on different day.  Each conference lasts from 9AM – 1PM.  We have to get them home for “comida” – the big meal of the day which happens at 2PM.

The missionary force in the entire world is 80,000+.  About one quarter of the missionaries are women.  Our little world consists of 210+ missionaries with only 18-20 being women.  We only allow these “Hermanas” in 2 out of our 7 zones because of safety reasons.

We are in the midst of zone conferences.  Our teaching team for the first time includes our Sister Training Leaders.  These are two of our best female missionaries.  So our total team is Keith and I, the two Assistants (male) and our two Sister Training Leaders.

I love to watch the faces of the Elders when we arrive, open the doors, and out step two Hermana’s.  Most of these Elders have never been taught by a Sister Missionary.  They are serving in areas that we do not place Sisters.  Since half of our missionaries are Latino, many have had little experience being trained by the “softer” gender.

We have done this for a reason.  Culture is a slow thing to change.  The view of women in Mexico still has “some room to grow.”  These youth will return home after their missions finish.  We are hope their future view of women will be affected by seeing the great women who serve here.

Mexican Driver's Licenses

March 3, 2015

We often run into two other mission presidents at the airport.  These two missions are on the same schedule of changes and so our missionaries often arrive together.  We try and have some lunch together.

Topic at lunch: Mexican Driver’s Licenses

President Crickmore:  I got my license!  You have to get 8 out of 10 questions correct on the test.  I only got 7 right but they gave it to me anyway.

President Titensor:  What test?  I didn’t take a test.  I just paid the amount and they gave me a 6 month license.

Stutzneggers:  We didn’t have the test either.  We paid the money and they gave us a 3 year license.  We are set for our whole mission!