Status: Finally Finished
Public Enemy
Rabbit City
We woke up and went to the bus station. It was worked out that I would go on a bus to my new area. I was nervous, excited, and way pumped to start working.
I remember it being dark by the time I arrived to Conejos (which means "Rabbits"). I was greeted by three missionaries, among them my new companion, Elder Sanchez. Our area was brand new, which meant no records of people already taught. It also meant that we had a new home. Well, it wasn't new. But it was new to us. The church usually furnishes the missionaries' homes (in my part of Mexico) with one twin size bed per missionary (normally bunk beds), one desk to share, one mini refrigerator, one sandwich grill, one plug-in stove (same size as the sandwich grill) and one plug-in heater on wheels. (Towards the end of my mission, we also received blenders and microwaves). However, our first night there, there were only the two mattresses and one blanket. I asked the landlady (a member of the church and as old as the hills) if I could borrow a blanket until I received one. She gave me her newest and thickest one. It covered four feet of my six-foot body. But I was grateful, and I slept well.
I worked in that area for three transfers (one transfer was one month and a half). I studied and practiced Spanish every day. I worked hard and had wonderful experiences. I got sick a lot in my first three months (I went from 245 lbs to 180 lbs in those three months). But I was super happy and content.
I was eventually transferred from Conejos to Ixmiquilpan, which are both in the same state of Hidalgo. It was there that I would learn of the trouble that was brewing at home.
I remember it being dark by the time I arrived to Conejos (which means "Rabbits"). I was greeted by three missionaries, among them my new companion, Elder Sanchez. Our area was brand new, which meant no records of people already taught. It also meant that we had a new home. Well, it wasn't new. But it was new to us. The church usually furnishes the missionaries' homes (in my part of Mexico) with one twin size bed per missionary (normally bunk beds), one desk to share, one mini refrigerator, one sandwich grill, one plug-in stove (same size as the sandwich grill) and one plug-in heater on wheels. (Towards the end of my mission, we also received blenders and microwaves). However, our first night there, there were only the two mattresses and one blanket. I asked the landlady (a member of the church and as old as the hills) if I could borrow a blanket until I received one. She gave me her newest and thickest one. It covered four feet of my six-foot body. But I was grateful, and I slept well.
I worked in that area for three transfers (one transfer was one month and a half). I studied and practiced Spanish every day. I worked hard and had wonderful experiences. I got sick a lot in my first three months (I went from 245 lbs to 180 lbs in those three months). But I was super happy and content.
I was eventually transferred from Conejos to Ixmiquilpan, which are both in the same state of Hidalgo. It was there that I would learn of the trouble that was brewing at home.
♠ ♠ ♠
As my first area in Mexico, Conejos has a special place in my heart. It is where I truly gained an appreciation for Mexican culture. It is also where I began my journey from a dependent boy to an independent man. I still have many friends there.