Mexico Day 4

Thursday we left our hotel and drove to Merida to stay for the rest of our trip. We have been in contact with Avynlea and Rylee and their passports came Wednesday. Kefford and I talked about it and decided that we wanted to fly them down and be able to be with us for the rest of the trip. They were able to get the same flights we had and so we knew how they were coming and were able to tell them what to expect and how to get around. I wasn't nervous about them flying international by themselves as they had each other and I knew they would be able to handle it. That morning we packed up , took some pictures and said goodbye to this cute little place.

Our first stop was at a Hospital for another distribution. This was another smaller distribution and we did the same things we did at the zoo. we put together the wheelchairs and them handed them out to the recipients when their names were called. Because we were in the Hospital we had to wear masks which was not fun but expected.

After the Hospital we drove to our last distribution which was also our biggest distribution. We put together and gave over 65 wheelchairs. It was a lot of work and it was so hot. We missed a lot of the distribution because we were in the back putting the wheelchairs together but were able to see a few. I wanted to put a wheelchair together by myself but because we were all so helpful I kept having someone come and help me. I didn't mind but I did have a small desire to feel accomplished by doing one myself. I finally had one that I was able to put together without anyone once jumping in to help. I put it all together and was so proud of myself, I took a picture so I could remember that special chair :)

These chairs came just like the other ones did with one exception, the tires were not filled. We were able to  find a pump to pump the tires which was a lucky thing.

Orange flower shirt-Yamily

1 year ago she fell down and broke her arm. She also hit her head and fractured her skull. Her cognitive skills are shaky and her memory is not the best. 

This woman reminded me of my Mom in her personality. She was kind and sweet but had a pretty good sense of humor that made me think of my Mom. I told her that and she started to cry so I gave her a hug. I am not sure why she cried but we had a moment and I really liked visiting with her. The hardest part was not knowing the language, luckily there were a few in our group who knew some Spanish and could translate but it was still difficult to have any real conversation.

I noticed a lot of the houses had cement walls around them and embedded in the cement at the top of the wall was broken up shards of glass. I thought that was a pretty good way to keep the unwanted out of your space.

After the distribution we were treated to another lunch by the Rotary and we re able to have it at one of their houses. They had a private pool which we were welcome to use as well. While we were there Avynlea and Rylee were arriving from America. Judy, one of our guides, was so kind to drive Kefford to the airport to pick up our girls. Luckily we were in Merida by this time so the drive to the airport was a lot shorter, about 15 minutes compared to over an hour that would have been if we were at the first place. That long drive also had a lot of bumpy roads and crazy turns that would have been really hard on Avynlea's stomach. I was following their location on my phone and knew when they had arrived so I was really excited to go out and see them. When we all came through the gates everyone cheered which was a little overwhelming for my girls. They were able to eat some food and then acclimate to where they were at. We told them about some of our adventures and Kefford and I were so happy that they were finally here.

In Merida we checked into our hotel and then we went out exploring. Every city we drove through we noticed had a city square with shops and churches around it and they all also had the name of the city on display in colorful letters. we took our picture in front of the Merida sign and then walked around the square looking at everything. There were a lot of venders selling souvenirs and stuff, it's funny how everyone claims their items are handmade by them or by a sick relative but everywhere you went they all were selling the same things. All of the stuff we were seeing Kefford and I also saw in Puerto Vallarta when we went last year. So if you want it buy it but don't for a minute think that they are making it all themselves.

After walking around we found a shop selling icee's that we were told we had to try. We all picked a different flavor and were excited to sample each one. I got Mango and Kefford go Lemon, after sampling each others we traded because he liked mine and I liked his. The lemon was so good and was the perfect tartness, it was the best tasting lemon icee I have every had.

Later that night back at the hotel Rylee and Avynlea went swimming with some of the other girls on the trip with is which I was happy about. I wanted them to get to know them and have fun with the other kids, I knew it would be tough to establish a bond in the three days they were there but it was possible. While they swam I visited on the side of the pool with Heather one of the Moms on the trip. She was really easy to talk to and we had fun visiting while the girls swam.

 

Elder Peterson Week 90

I just view the time between pdays as weeks. So it feels like I just had a 8 or 9 day week. And I'll have a 3 day week after today . Pday was switched to today because the Zone is having a temple trip. This past "week" was awesome though, we worked hard. Now, I'm about to rant. Bear with me.

That woman we found last week, Mary Ann, has been progressing well. We think. We have had several lessons with her and they're mostly going well. We've talked a lot about Joseph Smith and the importance of the Book of Mormon. She seems to be understanding things, but there's a problem I noticed after a lesson with her on Tuesday. It seems like she doesn't quite understand our purpose and the fact that what we are doing is more than just a Bible study. She gets really excited for our lessons because she lives alone and wants people to talk to. We have explained and testified that no book on Earth is more important than the Book of Mormon because it contains the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She wants to be like Christ and we keep telling her that the way to do that is by reading His words contained in the Book of Mormon and applying its teachings in her life. But she doesn't seem to grasp the eternal importance of spending time in the book every day. We've also had that problem with Danny and Donnie. Everyone always says "I'll try to read it every day." I've started to make it crystal clear that trying to read it every day is not enough. You have to do it. Nephi has explained that God will always provide a way for us to keep the commandments he gives us. (1 Nephi 3:7) God has commanded us to study the scriptures, to "feast upon the words of Christ" (2 Nephi 32:3). A principle I want everyone to understand, expecially anyone who is reading this email: It is not about finding time to read, it is about making time to read. Elder LeBaron and I were talking about this on our exchange on Tuesday and we came to the conclusion that life isn't about finding ourselves. We've been given this probationary state to make ourselves. Our goal is to be like Christ. To be perfect. Why should we ever expect that this comes without sacrifices? I've learned a lot about "becoming" the past couple of transfers. Especially this past week. I have been doing everything I can to be exactly obedient, despite what I or others want to do. I cannot begin to explain the amount of blessings I have seen this transfer from being as strict with myself as possible. I have never felt closer to the Godhead as I do now. We have been trying really hard to help Mary Ann and our other friends understand that if we really want to follow the Savior, we have to take actions that we normally would not. Sacrifice and consecration is required to follow and become like the Lord. I'll stop ranting about this now, but I just want it clear that testimony does not come from passive discipleship. In fact, there is no such thing as passive discipleship. To obtain testimony and knowledge we all have to make sacrifices. The Son of God suffered everything to save us from everlasting punishment. Surely we can sacrifice a couple minutes (at least) of our day to study His words and learn the things we need to. After all, "it is impossible ... to be saved in ignorance." (D&C 131:6)

Okay, I'm finished. For now. I'll end with this:

I've really been enjoying my studies lately because I'm learning so many things that I can apply to my teaching and to my every day life. Study the scriptures, I promise that you will find that same joy that I am finding. Ask questions, search and pray for answers. Feast upon the words of Christ until you always have a hunger for it. I love this Gospel, I know it is true. My knowledge has come from study, prayer, and application. I testify that God lives and that He loves ALL of us. Unconditionally. I testify that Jesus Christ is the living Son of God and that He gave His life as a ransom to save us from sin on conditions of repentance. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that he was God's instrument in restoring the fullness of the Gospel to the Earth. The Book that he translated by the gift and power of God, the Book of Mormon, is true. I know it. I promise that anyone who desires to know these things for themselves and has the intent to make changes in their lives to follow the Savior, can know. That knowledge only comes one way, and I believe I have explained that process enough in this letter. I love you all and I am so grateful for my family, my friends, and my Savior. I testify of these things in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Peterson

I wasn't good at taking photos this past week. Sorry.

Mexico Day 3

Every morning while at this hotel we got a breakfast that was very Mexican. I liked eating all of them but some were beer then others. This one I took a picture of was my favorite one, it was a French bread toasted with some type of bean mixture with the white sauce on it. It was really good and I liked eating it with the avocado and the salsa. 

Today we were going to a zoo to look around but to also do a wheelchair distribution and then we were having a lunch hosted for us by the Merida Rotary club. They help with getting funds for wheelchairs as well as finding those in need of wheelchairs. Chair the Hope and the Rotary's work very closely hand in hand. They are a group of really nice men and it was fun getting to know them. 

Before the distribution and the luncheon we left the zoo to go do a home visit. Most of the wheelchairs were given at distribution at a local gathering place. But there are some who could not get to the place so we would go to them. This woman lived in a very humble hut type home. Their kitchen, gathering and sleeping area were all one room.You can see behind them is a hammock hooked to the wall. They sleep in the bannocks, pull them down at night and then in the morning put them up on a hook so they could use the area for cooking and gathering. It was very hot in there and gave me a new appreciation for Air Conditioning. 

after the visit we went back to the zoo and put together some wheelchairs to get ready for the distribution. The wheelchairs came mostly done, we added the feet rests and straps and took off the acres of plastic that was on each chair. Getting the plastic off was the hardest part. For some reason the wheelchair manufactures wrapped each part in plastic and then screwed everything together. We all jumped in and helped each other and it made putting the chairs together a fast process. 

Nate asked me if I would get pictures and profiles of some of the wheelchair receptions so he could use them for social media and I enjoyed having a job to do. Plus it helped me to talk to the recipients and get to know them a bit more. 

Woman in Flower Dress...Maria

Her husband is not able to walk, he is prone and bed ridden, he was in Merida with an appointment to get a wheelchair. They saw that she was in need of help, her knees make it so she can’t walk and they got a wheelchair that the both of them can use. Her and her husband have been married for 60 years, she was 16 when she got married. 9, kids, 50 grandkids, 6 great grandkids 

Blue shirt, one leg

Cedro age 51

First chair

Lost leg in motorcycle accident 10 years ago

Excited to get a chair, makes it easier to get to church, work and a store. He doesn’t want to be a burden

After the big distribution we went to some more homes for those that were homebound.

White dress- Lucille

Due to old age her knees are wearing out, losing cartilage 

She will be able to move now, around her house and being able to go to church, having a wheelchair is a big change for her. Most excited to go to church. 

Once we were done giving for the day we got to tour a house that is a museum of sorts. The owner and his wife were from America and relocated to Mexico because they loved the people and the culture so much. He built a huge house for his wife and decorated it with a very Mexican vibe. They have opened their house to the public for tours although they still maintain residence there. His wife is suffering with Alzheimers and during the day they stay in a suite of rooms that is off limits to the tour. I liked a lot of the themes but also thought a lot of it was really weird and not how I would like my house. 

 

Mexico Day 1&2

Kelsey took two weeks off from work to go on a trip with his family and that left Kefford with two weeks off from work. We found out that Chair The Hope was doing a trip to Merida, Mexico combining charity work, giving wheelchairs to those in need, with vacation fun. Since we had the time and Avynlea and Rylee would be out of school we decided to take Avynlea and Rylee with us and go on this humanitarian trip. Kefford and I already had our passports but Rylee and Avy needed theirs so on March 6th we took them out of school and went to Parma to get their application turned in. We were told that it could take up to 11 weeks to get them back which took us to a week before we had to leave and we thought was enough time so we didn't do a rush job. Turns out maybe we should have done that rush job because as it got closer and closer to our time to leave their passport status never changed from "in process". It was stressful and we did everythingwe could to get those passports back. We contacted the passport office, we contacted our congressman and had him look into it for us, we looked into flying to Seattle to pick up the passports ourselves but therefore no appointments, we prayed and I did a lot of crying. Nothing worked those passports were not budging and the night before we resigned ourselves to the fact that Avynlea and Rylee were not going to be able to travel the next day with us to Mexico. I know everyone was upset and disappointed but Avy and Rylee were so sweet in not letting their disappointment show. I did not want to go without them and would have stayed home as well but Avy and Kefford both said we had to go to not lose even more money by not going. So super early Monday morning Avynlea drove Kefford and I to the airport and we flew to Mexico on our own. 

Our one and only stop was in Dallas Texas and we thought it was fun that for about an hour we were in the same state as Ryker. Kefford and I took a picture with the only Texas sign we could find by our terminal so we could send it to him.

The flights were uneventful and when we landed in Mexico as we are waiting in line for customs we met up with the rest of the people who were going on this humanitarian trip with us. I was really hoping nobody had kids with them because it would make me sad that ours were not there but they did. There were three other family and they all had kids ranging from 8-17, it hard for me but I tried to just push it behind and not think about it and move on.

Heather and Nate Ogden were the founders of the Chair The Hope organization and their daughter Senia worked for them. They got to the Hotel the day before and were waiting for us there. The hotel we stayed at for the first half of our trip was privately owned and a little off the beaten path. It was about an hour outside of Merida I would say and did not have any touristy stuff close by. Up until the morning we left we had the place to ourselves which was fun. 

Tuesday was one of our tourist days. We loaded up in the morning and Nate asked Kefford to help him into the van. Nate is a quadriplegic and needs help to get from and into his wheelchair and his wife and Daughters all have gotten really good at helping him. I thought it was cool for Nate to give Kefford a chance to serve.  

Out first stop was at Chichen Itźa and we had a guide who told us all of the history and that was really fun. People used to be able to tour inside the buildings but because of erosion and Mexico wanting to preserve the history they have them closed. Our guide said he was giving tours back when they were able to go inside and walking up the steep steps was pretty rough.

A very popular game was played in this arena back in the day. They would have to hit a ball using only their hips, elbows or knees through this hoop in order to gain points. The winner was then sacrificed, nice game. It was an honor to be put to death and the athletes would train their entire lives to win and then be killed.

After Chichen Itźa we traveled to our next stop where we ate lunch and then got to swim in the Cenotes. Cenotes are natural swimming holes or swimming caves. We got to the Cenote at the perfect time, for about 15 minutes we had the place to ourselves which was such a blessing. After that 15 minutes it got so crowded and full of people that it lost its magic. The water was chilly but it was so pretty and swimming in it was really fun. 

After we changed out of our swimming suits we were taken around to see how the people of Mexico lived during the Mayan times. I liked seeing the little houses they loved in and watching the girl make tortillas was really fun. Getting to sample one of the tortillas was even more fun, I love homemade tortillas!

The picture on the left is an example of an Ofendra which I especially enjoyed seeing.