To Mexico City Again

Hey everyone. Another week has gone. A few eventful things happened:

Tuesday was district council and all that. After district council we had exchanges. I went with Elder De Santiago, a guy from Durango (up north). We visited a few people and made some calls. Most people weren’t home that day but we did have a lesson with our friend Axel. We played soccer with him for a few minutes cause he likes that, and then we taught a brief lesson. Axel has a baptism date for Saturday. I really. Hope he arrives. This is the 3rd time we’ve moved it, so lets hope that the third times the charm.

Wednesday, we went out to visit a few of the Young Men with Hermano Moises. Hermano Moises is awesome. He recently got a calling working with the Young Men and he’s really excited to start out. We visited a few and invited them all to a sports activity we were gonna have on Friday. Also I had to look to take and print out passport photos cause on Friday I had an appointment in the US Embassy. That was quite a hassle man.

Thursday I was finishing a bunch of passport things and we were running around doing that. Our lessons fell as well. At night we had to go to the AP’s house to spend the night so that in the morning I could get up early and go to the mission offices and then the US embassy in Mexico City. Public transport was completely full for Kings day and there were soo many people out. It took us forever to find out where and how to get there. At the end of it all we called the AP’s and they called us an Uber. We got to the AP’s house before 9:30, but they were late from a lesson and they got home at about 10, so we were just wandering around till they arrived. Also, the AP’s house is NICE. Its huge too. They literally have 5 bathrooms (which is weird cause there are more bathrooms then bedrooms). We got up at 5:30 the next morning, showered, and I went by myself in an Uber to the mission offices.

Sister and Elder Pérez were there waiting to accompany me to Mexico city. They’re the Missions secretaries and the only senior couple. We went in another Uber (there’s a lot of Uber rides isn't there?) And we got to Mexico City. Mexico City never ceases to amaze. Especially the part were the Embassy is. Its in a place called the “Avenida de la Reforma” which is in insane part of the city with a ton of crazy architecture and very tall skyscrapers. Its also got the “Angel de la Independencia" which is a super famous monument dedicated to the end of the revolution (I think) also Hermana Perez let me get a picture in front of it. The whole journey to the embassy was quite stressful. First, I had to line up outside with Elder Perez. I had to show a lady my passport application. She asked what time my appointment was and I said 8:30. She opened her list and my name wasn't even on it. She said id have to go print off evidence that I had an appointment that day, so Elder Perez and I went to a nearby place to print of a copy of an email saying I had an appointment. I printed off the wrong one and had to print off another one. I think Elder Perez might have been just as stressed out as I was. After showing the evidence to the lady outside, she gave me a purple ticket to enter the building. I then had to enter the building by myself. They let everyone in one-by-one and do heavy security checks. After all that, I had to go to a window and show ID. My drivers license came in very handy that day. They then gave me a necklace with a card on it to wear while in the embassy. They sent me to the first floor which are the passport offices. I waited in line and when I got to the front desk they lady started looking at my papers. She said I didn’t have one of the forms. When she said that, I was like “well, its all over I guess”, but then she just pulled out a blank form for me to fill out. I had to get out of line, fill it out, and get back in line again. At the desk, they asked me a few questions, took my ID and stuff and did a bunch of other things (I really don’t know what) and they then sent me to pay for the new passport. After paying I had to sit in the waiting room. The news was on in English and it seemed like most of the workers were from the US. It was probably the most English I've been surrounded by in 18 months. After a while they called my name and I went over. The guy looked over some things and wrote down some notes (I probably had to sign some things but I do t remember) he then gave me a receipt that I have to use because I was told that in 4-6 weeks my passport would be sent through DHL. Then I went to go pay that and that was it. I asked where the bathroom was to a security guard. Not cause I needed to use it, but because I kinda wanted to explore more of the embassy building. Its a pretty cool building. I was in it for about 2 hours, but it didn't feel so long. Elder and Sister Perez were quite relieved to see me, and before leaving Sister Perez and I walked over to the Angel de la Independencia to take a photo. It was so cool. After that we Ubered back to the offices. My Mission President was there, and he was also quite relieved to here that my passport will arrive in a few weeks and we wont have to stress about it after that. “Elder Rivera gets to go home” he declared. It is quite a stress reliever I must add. Now the most valuable thing I have in my possession is my DHL receipt.

So the fact that we had weird transfers a few weeks back, means that the system never registered that my companion is actually in the area, so basically computer sent my companion the rent for his older area, Melchor Ocampo for the month of January. That meant that on Saturday we went to Melchor Ocampo to give the missionaries the rent money. Melchor Ocampo was my second area. I got there over a year ago, so it was a bit of nostalgia going there. It also felt like I was just there. While we were there we went to a baptism and the members there still remembered me which was awesome. They were all very nice to me. I didn't even speak Spanish while I was there. On Saturday night we ate with Hermano Moises. We ate a rosca de reyes which is a large circular bread everyone eats for Kings day. There are little plastic dolls hidden inside, and whoever cuts a piece with one of the dolls in it, has to buy everyone tamales. Its a funny tradition. I got one doll. My companion another but Hermano Moises literally got 5.

On Sunday we went to church. Axel came again. He’s literally been to church with us like 9 times. We really hope he can get baptized this week but were really not too sure. We also talked to a really good family in a store. They were very surprised to hear about Christ’s visit to the Americas. Cool family. Anyways thats all from me!! See ya

Pics

1. Back in Melchor Ocampo