From July 15

As I sit here outside room #2641 (I'm saying it in Spanish in my head), thoughts are so flooding my brain that I'm unable to sleep. I'm slightly jealous of everyone on my team who are sound asleep, but not jealous of their sleep from last night. The team is the group that just got here from Reading. This is the end of day 5 in Cuidad de Mexico and my first blog entry since coming here. Though, I’m wondering if I’ll actually ever get on the internet to post this. And now I’m wondering why Word considers that a fragment. It seems to like it better since I added the comma. Comma has 2 m’s right? Coma is one… and that’s not the word I want to use. I forgot to pay my car insurance before coming to Mexico, and forgot to cancel Netflix. Ooops! This is why I can’t sleep tonight.
Whoever might actually be reading this probably wants to know more about the things that have been going on and less about my flighty brain. Well, my first few days here have been trying. It’s good, but being tried usually is good. Read it again, I said tried not tired. I think the biggest issue is that I’ve spent a few days being sick. I was sick when I got here, which the swine flu Dr. at the airport didn’t seem to like as he yelled “TOS” at me thinking I would be able to better understand him if he stomped his foot. It also seemed to frustrate him that I shrugged my shoulders when he showed me the thermometer, which showed a reading of 39 degrees centigrade. I suppose he didn’t understand when I told him in fine English that I have no idea if that’s good or bad because I don’t understand Celsius. I later researched centigrade & Celsius and learned it’s the same thing called by a different name, and found out my temp was 102 Fahrenheit. Why when I wrote Celsius Word automatically corrected it with a capital C, but when I wrote Fahrenheit Word simply red underlined it? So, I was kinda sick when I got here then I got much sicker (or is it much more sick?) on Saturday, which I blame on tacos from the market. I got some amoxicillin by injection and various other meds that I have no idea what they actually are, but didn’t really feel better until the family prayed for me. By family I mean host family, extended family, and some other folk. Yup, other folk.
I love the family I live with in Mexico. They’re really great, and they have an awesome house. Unfortunately, the house is under construction right now. That isn’t, by any means, a problem. I mean there’s dust and noise to deal with, and construction workers in and out and you have to remember which ones you’ve greeted that day and which you haven’t. But really, it’s ok. The problem is that right now there’s no door on my bedroom, just a curtain, only 1 functioning shower, one flushing toilet (and one that doesn’t flush), and there were 20 people staying in the house. Yup, 19 Mexicans and 1 gringa. Plus countless others who show up during the day—a couple of maids, some friends helping to cook, some guys building a wall, some aunts, some kids etc. etc. etc. It’s a lot of people, a lot of noise and very little privacy. I don’t mean to sound like I’m complaining, I’m still grateful to be able to live with them and everyone, even the extended family and friends, are really great. (I definitely have a cougar crush on cousin cousin Paco. It’s a cougar crush because my guess is that he’s >20. And he’s a cousin cousin because he’s not a cousin, he’s the cousin of a cousin. So we call him cousin cousin.) But sometimes it’s nice to be alone in a quiet hotel hallway late at night. Though I’m certain after tomorrow’s trip to Zapotitlan I will be more than grateful for my awesome Mexican family, my awesome Mexican home, and the awesome Mexico City weather. Right now in Mexico City the days are usually around 75-85 degrees, mostly sunny with some rain, and the nights can get down to the 50s. There’s hardly any humidity, and I just think it’s about perfect. But we’re about to go to Zapotitlan, as mentioned above, where it will be entirely different.
Before I tell you about Zapo, which I affectionately call it because I have a hard time saying Zapotitlan, let me tell you who we are. The group from my church (all but 2 are from my church) came today. There’s like 14 of them, plus this guy who is joining us because he’s friends with someone in the group and he’s visiting a friend in Mexico right now. I hope that makes sense because I don’t feel like explaining it. So today, after waiting for 19 other people to shower, my family& I went to the airport to meet the group. From the airport we came to our hotel, which we’re only staying in tonight, spent a little time in the pool (life as missionaries is hard!) and headed to downtown Mexico City. We went to this great restaurant, which I’ve been to 3 times now, and went to see the square where the palace is. We walked a lot, and truly experienced the Mexican metro. Just when you thought there was no way one more person could possibly fit, because you’re so smashed up against other people you’re pretty sure you can feel their kidneys functioning, that 10 more got on….and then 5 more. You realize Mexican metro is a matter of survival of the fittest when you find yourself shoving ladies older than your mom, because you know you have about 3 seconds to make sure you and the 17 people with you get off at your stop. Not to mention, do the words hang on for dear life mean anything to you? Hang onto both your purse, and the railing…and the kids who can’t reach the railing. Good times! And I’m sure there are lots more to come! But not until after my adventures in Zapo.
And I think I’m going to leave Zapotitlan for another time because then I can write about what actually happened, rather than what I think will happen.
I have a thought for tonight that I would like you to consider. I wonder, even considering all my words and actions, do the people in my life know how much I appreciate them and wouldn’t be who I am or be able to do what I’m doing without them? I know this might sound like a thank you speech, but it isn’t meant to be. It’s just a thought. I guess I’d like you to consider who in your life might not know that you truly appreciate them? Maybe, even though you remember telling them recently, you need to let them know again.
Mom & dad, I appreciate you more than I show, and I deserve you less than you think. Love & miss you lots! There, that’s my thank you speech.