Happy Monday! What a week! I learned a lot his week about some of the fun stuff Mexico does to celebrate Halloween and the Day of the Dead. Last Monday was Halloween and there was a street parade with lots of dancing and music for Halloween and after the parade we had interviews with our mission president, President George. After the interviews they gave me a package from my parents with . . . . Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal. Whoo! Very exciting stuff, I’ve been in heaven.
On Tuesday the REAL fun happens. Nov. 1st and 2nd the whole world (or at least all of Chiapas, but more likely all of Mexico) is at the cemetery. Mapastepec was a straight up ghost town during the day, so we set out to the cemetery to find everyone. People were there cleaning and painting and fixing up all the gravestones and putting out candles and flowers and whatnot. That night all the kids set out to “trick or treat” but it’s a bit different. Everyone sets up shop outside their houses on the main road and the kids in their costumes walk around in groups. When they get to a spot to ask for candy they sing a song about candy and angels and in the end, they get their candy. It is usually not candy, because the tradition is to make candied fruits which are basically fruit cooked or soaked in sugar and cinnamon for like a million years, I think. The most common is candied pumpkin or papaya, both of which are super delicious. We couldn’t ask for anything because we’re missionaries but there were a few investigators who were out and taught us the song/chant and gave us “dulce de calabaza” (candied pumpkin). You have to bring your own Tupperware and they fill it up. People also put out offerings for the dead to come eat as they pass from this life to the next. It’s all super cool and different.
On Wednesday all of Mapa was at the cemetery again and it rained SUPER hard. On Thursday we had a really cool experience with revelation. We planned on visiting a less active member. Every morning we plan on what we are going to teach and whom. This morning when we were planning for this member the thought “randomly” popped into my head to teach about the Word of Wisdom (the commandment that prohibits alcohol, tobacco, drugs, black tea, and coffee). When we visited her I almost didn’t teach it, but I had the thought again. She ended up telling us that she had been struggling with it and we had a great lesson where she committed to live the Word of Wisdom. Super awesome! The Word of Wisdom is hard for basically everyone but I hadn’t been thinking about it for this member so it was super cool to receive revelation in such a direct way.
On Wednesday all of Mapa was at the cemetery again and it rained SUPER hard. On Thursday we had a really cool experience with revelation. We planned on visiting a less active member. Every morning we plan on what we are going to teach and whom. This morning when we were planning for this member the thought “randomly” popped into my head to teach about the Word of Wisdom (the commandment that prohibits alcohol, tobacco, drugs, black tea, and coffee). When we visited her I almost didn’t teach it, but I had the thought again. She ended up telling us that she had been struggling with it and we had a great lesson where she committed to live the Word of Wisdom. Super awesome! The Word of Wisdom is hard for basically everyone but I hadn’t been thinking about it for this member so it was super cool to receive revelation in such a direct way.
On Friday we visited La Vainilla and ate a very traditional meat called Chicharron, which is actually just cooked pig skin. We visited around and had a super intense lesson, which wasn’t a Bible Bash but was toeing the line. We headed back to Mapa and left straight away for Sesecapa to eat with Hermana Ines. She made us “broccoli cake” because she knows it’s my favorite which was really nice.
On Saturday we taught English class then ate with a less active member. I got to try a new food I never thought I would try, but I figured, when in Mexico . . . you do as the Mexicans do. Lengua! (Pig Tongue). I didn’t take a picture but it actually wasn’t too bad, it tasted like normal meat, just kinda of squishy and softer. We headed out to La Bendicion and we were there kind of late so it got late and all the fireflies came out! It was actually kind of amazing. On Sunday, we had church like normal and after church we went to the house of a super old member and her less active son so they could take the sacrament. All in all it was a good long week with lots of new experiences. Yay for Mexico!
Con much amor,
Hermana Dangl
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