Electricity.

Story time.

This past week the parents went out to the movies while the girls stayed at home for a change. We were all in the study when the TV, lights, internet, and all electricity went out. Daya is extremely superstitious and kind of a scaredy cat when it comes to these things. She figured someone was in the house and turned off our electricity. She told us beforehand that someone called, she picked up the phone, and she only heard someone breathing. We get a good story like this every week, haha.

So, Leslie grabbed a huge knife, and we went up the stairs, checked all the rooms, made sure windows were closed, and then headed downstairs to see what happened with the electricity cord. While we were on the phone with the parents, Daya went out to check the cord. She said that someone had cut the cord! After we saw the picture she took we were all freaked out and begged the dad to come home and help us. (Note: they had no candles and only iPhone flashlights to see what was going on). Iker (the dad) came home and told us that the cord had been burnt through and broke because we had too many heaters plugged in. Pretty scary. But we cut the wire and tie the inside cord to the outlet thing. Just take a look. I guess we were just grateful no one was trying to kill us.

The electrical cord is connected to the grandma's house, right next door. Sometimes all of the electricity gets turn off in the house because someone bumps or unplugs the cord in the grandma's house.

Wait...Mexico is Cold?

SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOS!

Yes, you read the title correctly. There have been some days here way colder than in Redding! Definitely not colder than Rexburg, but as cold as it can get without snow or rain. It doesn't help that my house is made of cement, making it colder inside than outside!

But, we are all surviving just fine. And the weekend was actually nice weather. It's kind of bipolar here.

I've been helping the Aguilar Family paint the inside of their house with Daya and it's actually been fun. We just put on music and get to work.

Every Monday, we go to the market in the afternoon. There's tons of food, cheap clothes/accessories, mexican trinkets, you name it. I love going because it's a really cultural experience and it's fun to look at all of the different things they have.

I finally went to a soccer game! We went to Mexico's national teams game against New Zealand. It was Mexico's final chance to try and make it to the World Cup next year in Brazil. They won 5-1 and the fans there were crazy! It was so fun.

On Monday, we went to a place where we paid to get pulled on a gondala with hundreds of other people. It felt like we were in Venice, but with a lot bigger boats. There was music along the river, food, and markets you could stop by. We also ran into a huge group of elderly gringo missionaries who are serving at the temple. I got to speak in English with them so that was cool! They told us to come visit the temple soon, haha.

I had to teach a lesson in Church on Sunday. All the girls were really helpful if I didn't know what to say. I feel like I can explain myself in any situation but sometimes I lack certain words to make myself clear. Overall, the Spanish is really coming along, luckily...because that is my goal.

Mexico City Temple & Friends

Today was an awesome day. Daya, Monica, and I went to the Mexico City Temple. The main reason why we went there was because I knew one of my good friends from BYU-I would be there because he is on a mission and is in the Mexico MTC for a couple more days.

We got there a little before he said he'd be getting out of the temple, at about 10:40am. But, after about an hour and tons of missionaries coming out of the temple, he was no where to be found. Then we asked someone if they knew an Elder Mantell and, of course, they said no. But, luckily there were apparently 2 groups of missionaries in different sessions and the other sessions would get out in about an hour.

Monica went in for a session in the temple, so Daya and I went to go eat really fast. As we were heading back to the temple, we saw missionaries heading out of the entrance. Scared we might miss him, we ran as fast as we could to get to into the gates to ask if any missionaries knew Elder Mantell. The first Elders we asked said they did and told us where he was so we found him! It was such a fun 15 minutes talking to him and his companions!

Six Flags & Single Adult Conference

This week was pretty exciting. On Wednesday we all went to Six Flags to celebrate Sue's birthday

(Iker Jr.'s wife). It was really fun and from all of the similarities I felt like I was at Six Flags in California. We went from 12 in the afternoon to about 9 or 10 a night so I was pretty exhausted.

Daya and I decided not to sleep when we got home because we had to pack to leave the next morning, at 5am, for a LDS Young Single Adult Conference in Oaxtepec, Morelos. This is about a 3 hour drive. It is so humid there I felt like I was in Florida, and I didn't bring shorts...so you can imagine.

Overall, the conference was really fun. It was from Thursday to Saturday and 3 states and around 15 stakes were involved, so that was over 800 YSA kids from ages 18-30 (the fact that there were 30 year olds and 18 year olds there freaked me out a little). It was basically like a Youth Conference/EFY so it was compiled of firesides, classes, 2 dances, a talent show, a spiritual day...all of the LDS kids know what I'm talking about.

The only big difference was that, like all Mexicans do, they started almost every activity super late. So let's say we'd have a devotional at 8am, eat from 9-10:30am, then wait around until almost noon to start the next activity even though the schedule says the next activity will begin at 10:45. I'm definitely learning to be extrememly patient here, which isn't a bad thing.

Also, on Friday night we had a dance that began at 11 at night! Yes, it began at 11PM!! So it ended around 2 in the morning. Though it was really fun, we had to wake up the next morning at 7 to pack up and move our suitcases to the buses. So were we exhausted? Extremley. Are the Mexicans crazy? Yes. But man, I'm going to say it again, they sure know how to party.

Dia de los muertos (Nov. 1-2):

Dia de los Muertos "Calaca"

Six Flags:

Daya (in front) and Leslie

Omar-Leslie's boyfriend

First we got wet from the rides...

and then the hail came and we got drenched again

JAS Conferencia: