Really, I'm in Mexico!

This week was pretty crazy! It still hasn't hit me that I'm in Mexico!! But I'm starting to look around and love it. Last P-day we went to this big mall that sold a bunch of knock-off things: jerseys, shoes, bags, jewelry, etc. I didn't buy anything, but it was pretty cool to walk around. The vendors yell at us Americans, begging us to buy things. And they'll try to rip us off, but you can barter the price. It's pretty cool. Also, in the United States they have icecream trucks, but here they have icecream bikes. They have the icecream in the front of the bike and they ride really slowly with music playing. Its that song that the Penningtons taught you how to play on the piano really quickly!!! So funny! Anyway, last week Aleksi asked me what I smell when I walk on the streets: dead dog, garbage, gasoline, mango, citrus, churros, or jasmine! Those are the things I smell most. And you always hear roosters and barking dogs. Anyway, for 4 pesos all the little shops sell fresh bread, different varieties, frosted or sugared. It's SO good. I need to stop spending my money on it, but its SO cheap. Everyday we have to cross a big highway on foot. My companions joke that it's like playing Frogger! So dangerous. By the way, Elder Marlow definitely runs like Rett (the grandpa shuffle). Another cool thing, poinsiettas grow all year here in Guadalajara, so they're everywhere! And at church this Sunday, there were only 47 people--including kids and infants!

Now, this week I got to baptize Miriam!!! That scripture I gave her really helped her realize that she doesn't have to have a perfect testimony to be baptized. She just needs the desire to believe. I'm so happy for her! And she's finally decided to let her heart speak, not her mind. And she's found peace. This week we also taught three guys in a dentist office. They make dentures basically. They are all really awesome and close to our age. I'm excited to see them progress. I got mom's dearelder last monday. I'm expecting to get the pouch mail soon. I guess dearelder is faster! So tell everyone to send me a bunch!! Also, tell Max to send me a CD full of January's photos. I got to have an interview with President again. Basically he asked me if I was a Nephi or a Laman. Am I going to learn from challenges or murmur and blame? I realize that I don't want to be the best missionary to prove myself to President or to gain his respect or admiration. I just want to work and be the best missionary, proving to Heavenly Father that I can lead and baptize. Then I want to go home. Love, Elder Mitchell Poirier

Oh Mexico

FAMILY!!

   I'm in Mexico! I don't know where to begin, so I'm just going to list it all:

1  There are shops at every corner, like little gas station shops, except that they don't sell gas. Plus, people sell little snacks and stuff at their doors. So if you're ever thirsty or hungry, it's right there. And everything here is SO cheap! One of the stores sells Chanpurrado (I learned how to spell it correctly- thanksgiving)

2 We eat lunch everyday with members, not dinner. But here the people don't treat missionaries as friends, they really have respect for us. So you don't really build relationships. But the food is really good!! I do wish i could have mate though :(

3  We're teaching a woman named Miriam. She's maybe in her late 20s. She owns a vet shop. She's really awesome, but has trouble believing that God actually calls prophets in this time. She feels good about everything we teach, but she doesn't have the faith to just believe. So I felt inspired to share Alma 32: 27-28 with her. Even just the desire to believe. I think it'll help her a lot.

4 There are dogs everywhere here. Whether on the side of the road in a black bag, barking from the rooves of the houses, or following us everywhere we walk, you ALWAYS can see a dog. They are all dirty though, not like McGraw or Bentley.

5  We live in a 3 story apartment with two other missionaries who are Mexican. The house is nice, but we keep it SO dirty. The bathrooms smell really gross, but all the elders honestly don't notice it. I bought flipflops so that I don't have to walk around barefoot.

6  We work really hard to reach our weekly goals. We do a lot of walking--it's exhausting!! And I'm trying even harder to be 100% obedient. My studies are effective and I feel good! I do wish that Elder Marlow and Elder Rodriguez were closer to my age. They are really cool and funny (well Marlow, not so much), but I feel like a little kid. It makes me miss Douglas!

7  I did have to do laundry! We have a washing machine that just churns the clothes and water. We have to fill it, wash it and drain it. Then to get the soap out, we fill, wash, and drain again. Then we hang our clothes to dry. Eventually I'll have to actually handwash though. Here in Guadalajara, the weather is nice, very dry and warm, the low 70s I'd say. We live in a town called Huetitân (accent over the a).

8  Everyone here shakes hands, pounds it, hugs, and then repeats the hand/pound. It's hard to get used to. And sometimes they don't pound it, but shake and then make rings around each other's thumbs. It's hard to describe ahah

9  I'm so afraid of getting sick! Already I got diarrhea, not too bad, but still. It's enough to make me scared of what's to come in these next 20 months! Also, it's SO strange that everyone speaks spanish. Yes, that's obvious, but it really is strange. You just have to be here i guess.

10  I will not get mail really. It gets here safely, but in a long time. And THEN I have to wait for my zone leaders to need to go to the office where they can pick it up. Because it won't be forwarded to me. And if I'm at one end of the mission, that could be a long time waiting. So if you write me, don't expect a prompt response. SAD

 

I love you!!!

Elder Mitchell Poirier 

 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.

 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.  Alma 32:27-28

MEXICO!

Dear Family,

I'M IN MEXICO!!!!!!  I only have five minutes to email. I want to say that the flight was fine and shorter than i thought it'd be. I talked to an old couple sitting next to me. I LOVE IT HERE. I love my mission president already. He told me that he feels there's something special about me and another elder who also came (on a different plane), and so he spent a long time deciding who our companions will be. Mine are Elders Rodriguez and something else.. Anyway, it's so much like Miami here, minus the skyscrapers. But I'll tell you more next week. Just know I'm safe and loving it here! I KNOW this is the mission and the place for me. I love you all!!!! PS I had letters waiting for me from Cody Rogers, Jane Logan, Tristen Miller, and the Shumway family. They must have sent them a long time ago, but i had no idea. I love you all!!!!!!

Love,

 Elder Mitchell Poirier

PSS- no one can say Poirier---- ahaha it might just become Elder Pollo.

PSSS-Friends, I'm only allowed email from my family.  Sorry about that.  Mission rules.  Please write me-

Elder Mitchell Poirier
Mexico Guadalajara East Mission
Calle Aguamarina #3292
Colonia Residencial Victoria
45089 Zapopan, Jalisco
Mexico

You can also send pouch mail for FREE using Dear Elder:
http://www.dearelder.com/index/inc_name/mission_selection

Remember I'm in the Mexico Guadalajara East Mission on the drop down menu.

FORWARD!!!

Dear Family that I love so much!

  I got my visa yesterday! So as you know (b/c I called you last night) I'm back at the MTC where there is SNOW! Crazy! I don't know how Aleksi lives a normal life with this weather! It's literally freezing cold! Thank goodness for sweaters and that coat. By the way, the gloves that you sent me were both right hands haha, so I left them in Tucson. Sister McCue joked with me that I needed one glove, just to cover my ugly scar hand. She says I'll never get married with it ahah. I loved saying goodbyes to Erika and Kassia (thank goodness Kassia had been sick and couldn't go to school). Kassia made me a card. This week I helped her name her new puppy. We decided on Toadette (after the Mario Kart video game). But actually Toadette decided. We put out three fingers, each representing a name (toad or princess peach or toadette). And on all three hands (mine, kassia's, and aryk's) the puppy licked toadette. I wish I could play with all these kids I am teaching, like I used to play with Emree, Rett, and Rye. PS Happy Birthday RITA!!! I wish i could send photos of the flan! I know that Sister McCue is going to. I'll send photos as soon as I can. Well, I also got to say goodbye to Ramon. I hope to keep in contact with him. Thank goodness I felt I should pack on Saturday, or else I wouldn't have had ANY time to say goodbye. Anyway, I'm super excited to be back in the MTC. Who gets to do that?! And it's SNOWING. I love it. I'm taking photos! Well. I love you all so much. I want you to know that I'm really loving being a missionary. On the plane here I was SO sad to leave Arizona, which really surprised me. I had such a wonderful experience there: good times and hard times. I really grew a lot and have already learned that this mission is as much for me as it is for those I come in contact with. This week I was pondering obedience. It's really hard to be 100% obedient. And then you see other disobedient missionaries who are having TONS of baptisms. You ask, "what's the deal?" But i figured it out. Obedience doesn't affect who you baptize, that's in Heavenly Father's control and plan. It affects whether you let Heavenly Father make you into the missionary, the man, that He wants you to be. Being in Arizona has really humbled me. I've learned patience and submissiveness. There were a few times where I literally felt like I'd been beat up- so humbled, just in tears. But then there were times where I was in tears on my knees in gratitude for all the Lord's mercies. I love this mission. I love the people. I know this church is true. I know that Heavenly Father loves me. He has a plan for me.

 I love you all!!!!!!

   Love,

     Elder Mitchell Poirier



VISA!!!

I GOT MY VISA. I LOVE YOU ALL

Elder Mitch Poirier



Feliz Ano Nuevo 2011

Dear Mom, Dad, Aleksi, Max, and Cassie,

  A few things: thanks for the chicken pot pie and flan recipes. This Wednesday we're eating at the McCue's again. We eat there at least once a week. They wanted someone else to cook, but I'm the only one who can.  And Sister McCue is super excited to try our family flan!!! Also, I'm sending home a package filled with letters that I've received in these three months, plust things I've been given (like Kassia's stuffed animal). Please don't open the package, but just put it in my closet. I'd appreciate it. Next, how were the chili lollipops? Did you wonder how people actually enjoy those? And finally (before I actually get to the good stuff), I hate to report the death of another dog: Tiny. The same stupid chihuahua that urinated on Elder Glenn's backpack last week. You know what they say about karma...

 

Now, this week has been really good for me. I've been able to refocus on being a better missionary. I finally figured out a way to study with the Preach My Gospel. I've just started from the beginning and am highlighting and making notes in the margins. It's working well for me. Plus, I'm doing it all in Spanish. I'm also in Helaman 14, so I'm getting excited to get to 3 Nephi in Spanish. So with studies and missionary work, I'm enjoying myself. We're teaching a lot of people, but one that is really progressing is named Clarissa. She's 32 but sounds like she is 16. We really like her because she REALLY wanted to learn what we taught and see for herself if it was true. In all other churches she has felt incomplete, but as she's been reading and praying and meeting with us, she says that she's found what will make her complete. She's going to be baptized the 29th, but it's possible that I will have my visa by then. According to President Walker, I'll be getting my visa in these next couple of weeks. Of course, he hasn't told me that, but told Elder Muniz.
 On Friday, IT SNOWED!!! (Refer to pictures above)...
 I'm excited for all the photos Max is sending me. I hope I get them today or tomorrow. But I won't be able to look at them until next Monday anyway.. Actually, the McCue's loved looking at my photo album, maybe they'll want to see some of them!!! If it gets there in time.

I'm embroidering a memento of each area I have been in...

I left my list of things to say at the apartment, so that's all for today. I love you all. I love being a missionary here in Douglas. Being in Tucson was miserable, but looking back, it was really good for me to learn to endure it well. And I'm glad that it was first. Everything in comparison will be wonderful. So just know that I love being out here despite really wishing I wasn't missing out on so many memories with you all and my friends. But time's flying. It only seems like a long time if I say, "I have all of 2011 left and then most of 2012." ahah    

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Cookie Dust(Thanks Eva)

 I love you all!!!!!!

                                                          Love, Elder Mitchell Poirier