Dallas Texas : September 2013

September 26, 2013

Hey,
   Thanks for all you emails.
     First off, the Mexico Temple is beautiful. I think that is now my favorite temple hands down. The Telestial room and the Terestial room were the same room. The Celestial room is my favorite Celestial room I have seen. It reminds me of the Aztec architecture. It was the most spiritual experience I have had so far. The ride to the temple was crazy. The streets have only one rule, if you have the courage/stupidity to to do it go for it. There were buses cutting off other buses the roads have no lines so people are driving between lanes. If you want to go from one side of the road to the other you just shoot it in one turn. I was scared for my life on that bus. The city is crazy every open spot on the sidewalk and the parking lots was filled with little stands and carts selling bananas and auto parts and other crazy stuff. I am so glad that the MTC is fenced off with a 15 foot barb wire topped fence.
     My companion is Elder H****. He is from sandy. We get along great. The food here is kind of weird sometimes but most of the time it is good. Breakfasts you have cereal and two choices of hot breakfasts. The hot breakfasts range from waffles to bean burritos to spam covered in catchup to eggs covered in spaghetti sauce. Lunch always has corn tortillas, and beans and either rice or noodles. The meals for lunch have been chicken, beef, or pork covered in a variety of sauces. The best two lunches the gave us steak on Sunday, it was thee most juiciest steak i have ever had. It was so good. The other best thing I had for lunch was today they gave us steak again but this was more tough and covered in a chilly lime power, we put this into our tortillas. Dinner is smaller than lunch. It has cereal and a choice of two meals. The meals are usually chicken or hot dog casserole (gross) or some shredded pork. We did have pizza once.
     The weather can never make up its mind. one day it is hot and humid. The next it is freezing, but no matter what kind of day it is it rains. There was only one day where it didn't downpour. It did sprinkle but didn't downpour. I'm glad I got that nice umbrella.
     Dad i took your advice and took my wallet with me to the temple. And Go Notre Dame.
     Oh i forgot to tell you about my flight. It was cloudy every where so I couldn't see the ground. On my first flight to Atlanta I got the middle seat on the middle row. I was also at the front of the economy section so there was a wall in front of me. My second flight to Mexico i got a window seat. It was great but is was still cloudy and I couldn't see anything. But i got all of my stuff back and they didn't check my bags so i got to keep my treats. I have the window seat on my flight home so i hope that it isn't cloudy.
     My first day was crazy because we had no down time or exercise time. We went from one class to another. Every teacher we had spoke all in Spanish and we went to so many orientations. The second day was better. We still had orientations but there was exercise time. Now we just have classes in the morning, excercising before lunch and study time the rest of the day. Right now we have one teacher his name is Brother Hopoate (ho-pwat-A). He hasn't been here for two days and we don't know why. The first day he was gone another teacher came in and he brought his class. His class has been here for five weeks and he taught them and my class was just sitting there confused. The second day he wasn't there we tried to learn on our own, but we were confused and didn't learn much. We taught an investigator who later became our teacher. We have to teach him in all Spanish and it is hard especially the first day. We taught him five times.
     I sleep just fine here. The room is kind of small but I think that this is the first time I've slept on a bunk bed. There are four elders to a room and we each have our own small closet. There are many noises that sometimes wake you up. These include car horns, police sirens, thunder, semi trucks revving their engines right behind our house for minutes on end, fireworks and gunshots. NO LIE.
     Our district loves to talk to the natives and try to have conversations. It helps our Spanish and no I am not fluent yet. I am far from it.
     Our district likes to stick together and do stuff together. There are eight elders and two hermanas. There is Elder C****, Elder S****, Elder S****, Elder M****, Elder S****, and Elder L****. We live in the same casa and our rooms are right next to each other.
     The MTC gives us a credit card with 100 pesos and for the first four weeks they put another 100 pesos on the card. I've spent a few of the pesos in the store of a Spanish hymn book a small note pad, and some Mexican candy. My favorite candy I've had so far is called ponch. It is marshmellow gram cracker coconut and cherry filling. I like it.
     I have only run a half mile since I got here. My district says that they like to run but it is more fun to play basketball and volleyball.
     The area of Mexico is kind of pretty the buildings are really colorful and they look like they are build on top of each other. It reminds me of the movies when they show the overview of the city Rio. Speaking of movies, mom, dad you better be keeping track of all the movies I miss so I can have a movie marathon when I get back.
     I've met just random people from my school here. We talk some but it hasn't been people I personally know they are just people from my school. I did meet Tyler. We talked for a little bit. He wanted to tell me something, but we only saw each other twice and one of the times it was ten at night and we had to go to our casa and the other time he was late for a class. We tried to meet up during our free time but I couldn't find him where he said he would be. Oh well.
     I love ya'll so much. I do miss you, but I'm having fun here. See you in 49 months.

Sept 17, 2013 Packing

I was surprised to find out last Friday that I was heading out a day earlier. I spent the day Monday picking up the last few things and packing my bags.

September 17, 2013 Airport

Jesse's flight today is at 8:25 am. Dad, Mom, Mikaela and Taylor went with him to the airport. He checked in his bags, 37 pounds and 46 pounds. Was a relief that they made weight! We met another Elder, who was also heading to the Mexico City MTC. There were a lot of other missionaries who were heading out to the mission there as well. It was comforting that the Elders leaving the Provo MTC warmed up to Jesse and talked with him as he went through security. It was hard having him leave us, but we know that he has made the right choice. He was nervous today, but so excited to go. Good luck Elder Jorgensen! You will be in our thoughts and prayers each day :)