ok so here is San Miguel.  A view from a street at the top of a hill.  Sorry about all the wires, nothing I can do about it :p

 For some reason i love the arcitecture of churches down here. Here is one in the center of San Miguel. It's beautiful except for the cross on the top...

Well Now

Tons of stuff has happened in the past few weeks and I've been so busy that I have completly forgotten about my blog, so sorry!

So many of you know that Meagan was here with me for ten days and she left a few days ago. Having a familiar face around was nice and being able to talk about friends that we have in common was also nice since I haven't been able to do that with anyone recently.  She left three days ago and it's been pretty quiet around here.  The study I have with Veronica on Thursday's is going really well, we are making progress in the Bible Teach Book, so I hope that she will really enjoy what she learns and come too love Jehovah in the future!  The other study I have on Thursday with the eight year old girl is also coming along nicely, she likes to read the book in both English and Spanish to learn the truth and learn englush at the same time.

I have some pictures ill post here in a few minutes if it works, since I haven't posted any in a while.  Now that Meg is gone I'll be back on schedule with my blog.

<3

I hate Sandy

So I don't know if any of you know but I LOVE STORMS. Honest to goodness I do. If I was allowed, during every storm back home I would have the doors open and just...aw! I love them so much! Andddd of course once I leave Connecticut, they get a massive hurricane. What is this craziness...

Anyway besides my anger at Sandy, things down here in Mexico are going pretty good.  I had a short day in service because I am already way over my time so now i get to slowly bank a few more hours until Thursday.  Speaking of Thursday,one of my best friends Meagan is supposed to fly in and visit me for ten days...but with this dumb hurricane who knows if she will make it in or if she will be delayed...anyway it would be so nice to see a familiar face so I hope her flight is all good and not delayed.  I have a ton of fun stuff to do while she is here and I'm so excited!! The first thing was too take her to this delicious quesadilla and taco joint down the street. OHH they are so good so I really want her too come!!

I have another study with an eight year old girl. She had been listening in to her mothers study in spanish and already listened too 90 pages in the Bible Teach book! So I'm hoping that this little girl will do good in the Great Teacher book with me in both english and spanish. I'll have to speak both languages probably with her.  Her mother speaks perfect english so I do know that the girl speaks at least some english.  We shall see....  The other study I have with Veronica is going good.  I get to see her again this Thursday so I'm hoping that she will really like what she reads and learns because I would love to see her in the new system! She is such a sweetheart!

Anyway for all you Nutmeggers back home in CT, stay safe and dry! Take lots of pictures so I can one day see them and be jealous that you guys had such an amazing experience! Haha

<3

Things are finally looking up!

Keeping my word, here I am again. 

So recently I have been down in the dumps...it may not seem like it but inside it was killing me that every time the group met for service, everyone always had at least one bible study to go on and I had none.  Inside it was really bothering me.  So I had been praying that one day, hopefully, I would be able to have one and be able to have a good one.  I have tried to study with a five year old girl since I have been down here but she was too young and didn't listen much to me.  So after that I was feeling even more discouraged and I thought that I would never have one too call my own..  So I went through the motions, calling on the four return visits I have.  One of the ladies is never home so it's very hard to ever find here.  And the other one, Veronica, I didn't know how truly interested she was.  I had made arrangements to meet back with her tonight, Thursday, at 6:15.  When I got there, she wasn't home.  I was about ready to give up and get back in bed and eat a quart of ice cream when her father had told us that she would be home in five minutes.  So, Nana and I waited.  Finally she pulled in and three children piled out of the car! I  had no idea she had kids so that was a good thing to know.  When she finally came around the corner and saw me sitting on the couch, a large smile spread across her face and she embraced me in a hug.  She was very excited too see me, which came as a HUGE shock to me, since I've never had this reaction before.  So we sat down and began talking.  After about half an hour of talking about how God will bring changes to the Earth and who really causes suffering, I offered her a free home bible study and too my very happy surprise, she said "...YES! I would really like one. Please come back next Thursday." I could not tell you how happy I was.  Before I left, one of her three children came up too me and asked me (in Spanish, I can't tell you how I knew what the dear boy was saying, but I did) if I had broughten a book for him.  Strangely enough, I had put a My Book of Bible Stories in my bag before I left since I had taken it out last week.  Clearly, Jehovah's hand was in this.  And I am so happy that I found a right hearted girl to study with. 

Finally, my prayers have been answered!  I will deffinatly keep you guys posted on how it progresses :)

<3

No words...

So I really don't have any real excuse for not writing any sooner.  I honestly kept forgetting to do it and when I remembered, I was doing something else and couldn't do it at the moment.  But I promised my dad that I would continue to do it at least once every 2 days, so here I am keeping that promise.  What has been happening...

I have 4 Return Visits already and I did have a bible study with a five year old girl but I had to stop it because she wasn't focusing and it wasn't doing any good.  But her mother studies with my Nana three times a week so that's really good!  I had to go to two towns this past weekend called Patzcauro and Morelia.  Papa had two out of town assignments so it was nice to go on a three hour drive both ways and see the BEAUTIFUL country of Mexico.  Before I got here I honestly had no idea how the serene and lovely the countryside is.  In the next few days I will have to post some pictures I took. 

Besides that I just have been going out in service and hanging around the house.  I am gonna start going to the gym here at the end of the week so hopefully I can get back in shape!!  And this Saturday, Nana and I are going to this Saturday market where people sell puppies and kittens and hopefully I find a kitten little enough to bring home with me :) Papa gave us the okay to get one! Yay! It'll help me feel more at home because in CT, I always have had a cat. Joe Baggers in case you don't know is my precious fat cat back in Cheshire that Greg is so kindly looking after...yea my dad too but he doesn't like him much (you know its true dad). 

Let's see....at this moment I am sitting at my Papa's desk typing this and listening too My Kind of Crazy by Brantley Gilbert. One of my favorite country songs if you guys wanna look it up.  Because I AM CRAZY!! :)  Nana is out buying curtains for her room and I think Papa is on a bible study...or he could be driving around running errands.  I'm home relaxing after a six hour service day.  Later tonight, absolutely nothing is happening THANK GOODNESS cause I really want to stay home in my sweats all day. Haha so yup that's about all.   Again I'll be on more often to keep my promise...tootles :)

<3

  

i finally did something!!

Hello everyone.  So I was talking to my father and he said that instead of just talking about my adventures down here, I should talk about my service more often.  After all, that is why I am down here.

Ok so far service has been so amazing.  It's so different from the States.  I honestly love it, it's a lot more exciting and nicer.  Sometimes people in the States can be rude and yell or slam doors, but here, it's not like that at all.  Everyone talks to you if they can speak English and if they can't, they say it politely in Spanish.  I was getting kinda discouraged because I hadn't found any English speakers but I am proud to say that I have a return visit who is very interested!  Ui can't wait to go back and visit with her again.  Hopefully I will be able to start a bible study with her....I REALLY want a study.

Anyway I did get my time in for the month even with a little extra so I'm really excited that I'm doing good.

SO Nana just invited me to watch Tangled so I'm not going to pass up this opportunity.  I'll talk to you guys some more tomorrow!!

<3

I FINALLY DID SOMETHING!!

So I haven't been doing anything the last few days except getting over a little sickness I had.  But I feel tip-top again and I'm back on my feet!! :) So today was my first day in a while going out and doing something totally fun.  I went to the city of Leon to buy SHOES!

Now I know for men this seems very boring and doesn't sound like fun but for us girls, it's a paradise in a concrete world.  The place that Nana and Papa took me too had 180 stores with over 1 million pairs of shoes total.  I know...I was speechless too.  I spent three hours there and trust me I could have spent three more! Lets see I bought:

-Black pair of heels
-Tan pair of heels
-Brown sandals
-Yellow flats with a bow
-Grey old fashioned flats
-Red pair of boots (my favorite!)

So anyway they are all really cute and I can't wait to wear them!!  Tomorrow I am not going out in service because it's my day off and I get too relax.  But on Thursday I am doing an eight or nine hour day! Should be fun haha...not.

Anyway I am in the middle of a very good conversation with a dear friend so I am going to ta-ta for now!!

<3

Sad day today...

Billy and Betty are on their way back to the States as we speak.

They were the couple that has been staying with us since the day before I arrived.  Bill was the most hilarious man I have ever met and Betty was a genuine sweetheart.  But I think they plan on moving here in the winter!!! That would be awesome to have them in the congregation, they would be a huge benefit for us. 

But besides that, I'm still not feeling 100% today so I've decided to stay home and get a few things done.  I'll do my watchtower and organize my room a little better...maybe I'll even take a nap!

Let's see...anything exciting...not really a lot. Billy, Betty, Nana and I played a game called Aggervation last night.  Every year on my family day, our family would always play it together on the custom made board we have.  The words Jim, Mary, Timmy, and Cubby are etched into the side of the board. The object of the game is too get your marbles all the way around the board and back into your home.  People can jump you however, which is why it's called Aggrevation because it always seems that someone will jump you when you're so close to getting home again.  Anyway it was loads of fun and Bill was my partner which was amazing because we won all three games.  But just having the laughs we had and the stories we shared was truly the best part of last night.

If I got nothing else to do today maybe ill take some pictures of the house and show you guys what it looks like.  But for now, adios!!

<3

Nothing Exciting

Good day everyone!!  So still nothing has happened yet...just same ole same ole so instead I thought I would post some pictures today.  They aren't anything exciting (life is not at the moment) just some fun I had with the dogs today.

 So this is Toby, my nana's Soft Coated Wheaten terrier.  He can pull off my Ray Bans much better than I can so I think I'm gonna let him keep them :)









And this is just a cool shot of my backyard.  I thought it was kinda cool cause the two chairs looking out over the yard.  That giant white wall in the back? Its like 20 something feet high with an electric fence on top to keep people out.  The dog is Maia, shes a mini Schnauzer or however you spell it, I honestly have no idea.

WOW!

So before I post anything today, I would like to say that on September 13th, 158 people looked at my blog!!! I never imagined that so many of you guys would read this but I am so happy that typing out my adventure can keep you guys at home updated.  Thank you guys so much, it really makes me happy :)

Anyway today has been a very relaxing day.  Priscilla and I didn't get a lot of sleep last night because we were talking for a while but we finally did fall asleep.  Although it was an aweful morning because the two of us were walking zombies out in service.  It was an easy day though, a little door to door and some calls.  I LOVE the service out here...it's so exciting because you never can guess whats going to happen when someone answers the door.  At home, you know they speak English or rarely you find someone that doesn't.  But here...you get the chance to speak to people in both Spanish and English to try and preach to them in English.  Sometimes, people don't say just yes or no but they go off on a little speech and I have to ask for help translating, but thats all part of the learning process.

I bought some Michael Jackson songs today..just a few of his really good ones that I like to dance around too while I'm getting ready in the morning haha.  Right now, I'm watching Scooby Doo with Spanish subtitles to see if I can learn anything.  The episode on is Mine Your Own Buisness from the first season.  With the Miner 49er. Haha for you guys that know...yea Scooby is my favorite. 

I hooked up a 32 inch TV in Nana and Papa's room today so thats where a lot of time will be spent from now on.  Anyway, nothing else exciting today so hopefully something will happen tomorrow so not all my posts will be boring. 

Hay un monstruo en mi cabeza!

<3

Opps

So I did it again.  I haven't typed in a few days and I am SOOO sorry.

Nothing really crazy has been happening, I've been so busy with service that at night, when I normally would post, I am so sleepy, I go straight to bed.

My friend Priscilla is sleeping here with me tonight and we are going out in service together tomorrow.  She took me out with her friends tonight: Jose, Oscar, Miguel, Gabe, Julio, and Carla.  They were so funny and they were trying so hard to speak English, which of course, made me laugh.  They taught me some things in Spanish and I tried my best to speak English too them.  Jose, he speaks no English, at the end of the night goes "Goodbye McKenzie I hope I don't forget your name."  I thought that was so funny and I felt proud that I could help him say a phrase in English.

So tomorrow I am going out in service with Pris and I think after that I am going to come home and take a nap because I am so tired!  I have been going non stop since I got here between service and having going different places.  It's all worth it though because I am having a lot of fun now that I have some people to talk to and hang out with.

Anyway, I do apologize for being so late with a post, I PROMISE to keep on top of it my friends, because I feel bad that I haven't kept you updated with my travels.  So for now, adios!!

<3

Trying out some pictures!!

This one is a shot of a few of the vibrant houses entering Guanajuato





                                    
This is the Kissing Alley.  Where the legend is sort of like Romeo and Juliet to us.





Okay so the pictures.. To make the picture full screen, simply click on the picture.  If you have anything you would like to see in Mexico, send me a message via comments, on Facebook, through Voxer or some other means.  I don't mind taking pictures of the city for you guys!!!

home from my travels

So I have no idea where to start...

The city of Guanajuato has so much life and character, no words can actually describe the beauty and vibe of this incredible city.  If you ever venture down to Mexico, you absoluetly have to visit it.  One of the first things you notice when you reach the centro (center) are the houses.  The centro seems to rest in a valley and the houses are built up on the sides.  The houses are stacked on top of eachother and are all neon, bright colors.  It honestly steals your breath away as you stare at the different colors and shapes. 

My Nana told me that there is basically two main streets in the city, one running north to south and the other west to east.  The city is full of little one-way side streets that you could easily get lost in.  Kinda reminds me of those action movies where cars are chasing eachother through the narrow, randomly placed side streets. Thats exactly what it looks like. Stores line the sidewalk with people beckoning you...begging you...to enter their store and buy something of Mexican orgin.  We went into this one store we went too had these little wooden figures as far as the eye could see.  Animals, monsters, fantasy creatures were all painted in bright, vibrant colors.  A cat I really liked was tan with pink and while flowers covering it with orange ears and a hot pink tail.  When I go back, it shall be mine!!

Lets see...we met up with this adorable couple, Sergio and Meriam, who live there, and we went to a JAPANESE restaurant.  Yeah....a japanese one in the heart of Guanajuato.  But wipe that confused look off your face because it was delicious. Oh it was wonderful.  After that, we basically walked around different side streets to get a true feel for the the city.  One of the coolest things we did was visit what is known as the Kissing Alley.  The Alley was no wider than two feet and went straight up.  The legend behind this alley is this:

A boy was on his balcony and his girlfriend was on the other side of the street, the balconies only inches apart and they were kissing one another.  The girls father, walked up the street and saw them and proceeded to chase the boy out of town and kill him!  Sort of a Romeo and Juliet story. But of course, as all legends are, it's not true.

I don't what else I could say.  I tried my best to describe to you the amazing power this city give off but words do no justice, you'll just have to come visit it for yourself.

That is all for the day everybody, I shall type tomorrow. Enjoy your evening :)

<3

Just a good morning!

Buenos dias mis amigos!

I'm headed to the city of Guanajuato today for some site seeing and a little bit of shopping.  So I just wanted to let you guys know that when I come back, I'll make another post of everything I saw today.

Go in service today!

<3

So Sorry!!!

Hey guys!  Sorry I haven't posted in a few days, its been quite busy and of course it's alot of work to turn on my lap top all the time.  Haha just kidding!

Nothing too exciting has happened though in the past few days.  I've just been going out in service every day and trying to get a lot of time in.  I actually went out for the first time last night with some friends from the hall, Courtney, Victor, and Gabe.  We went to this little restaurant a few blocks down.  In CT, we would consider it a "hole in the wall" joint but let me tell you, it was absoluetly delicious!  I had two steak quesadillas with onion, lime and cilantro. Mmmm I can not wait to go back!!

Let's see....I didn't go out in service today, Wednesday is my day off to stay home and get my studying done and run some errands if I need too.  Good thing there is a Walmart down the street or else this American would fall apart :)  I haven't listened to my favorite band in a while so I'm going on a Beatles music day today.

I'll get back on track of making a post everyday so I'll talk (well...kinda) to you guys tommorow!!

<3

Second day out in service and already I can't keep up with Mary Barker.  She has a mission in her mind and when her mind is set, there is no changing that.  But that is what makes her such an amazing sister and awesome pioneer.  I can't wait for her too teach me what she knows and how to manage my time right.  Just ate some of her chocolate cake and mmmm was it delicious.  For any of you that know my grandmother and have had the privledge to eat her food, you know what I'm talking about.  I hope she teaches me all she knows in the kitchen too.

I've enjoyed my stay down here so far...more than I thought I would actually.  I don't know if i will wanna return come June or July.  I probably will but this has showed me what amazing places there are in the world and I want to visit them all if I can. Especially Europe...oh I want to visit Europe so bad.  Anyway, one step at a time.  Haha alright guys I'm going to get in bed....

Que tenga buen noche <3

1st day out and about

Howdy everyone!!

Today was my first day traveling around the city of Irapuato.  I woke up today at 7:30 and went out in service..eh around 8.  During the morning, Brother Bill worked with my nana and me and this brother is a RIOT.  Him and his wife are currently living with us here for another two weeks before they decide if they want to live in Mexico.  They are the sweetest couple ever, I really hope they decide to move down here.  Anyway I went out for a bunch of hours today and then drove around for a little bit to get an overview of the city.  The years I've traveled here before, I never knew how beautiful this city really was.  On all the streets, every house is a bright, neon color with the wildest window designs.  Pure beauty, I tell you.  If you can, I highly suggest coming down to Mexico and seeing the non-tourist towns.  Thats where Mexico's purest beauty is. Anyway...I've been on a Mexican food run. I've eaten saltines and cream cheese for my snacks :p haha I've had a few quesadillas already but my nana likes to cook "regular" food, like you could get in a restaurant. 

I'm all settled into my room, organized the way I like it.  The colors are a light green and a bright pink (like the color of my actually room).  The timing for the people down here is so different though. No one starts the day until 8 or 9 or whenever they feel like opening the stores. The afternoons last until 7 at night and they usually eat dinner around 10.  Crazy...but we usually eat around 5:30 or 6.  The teens out here usually go out together late like that so good thing I'm a night owl and am used to being out (Thanks to the incredibly long drives from Josh, Jake, and Giorgio's house). 

Dinner is up so I have to bounce.  I'll keep you guys posted :)

FINALLY HERE!!

Alright guys, I'm finally here in Mexico! I flew in yesterday on the 5th and let me tell you, the day was VERY long and I was shot. The flights themselves were alright...on the last flight I had the chance to sit next to this 60 year old hippie so that was a fun flight. I flew from Hartford to Washington DC and from there I flew to Houston, TX. Finally, I made it into Leon, Mexico. Nana and Papa live a good 30 minutes from the airport but it didnt feel like that long since I was excited and exhausted. The house they live in now is pretty big. Three bedrooms, each with its own bathroom so I finally have my own bathroom, no more sharing with a man!! I slept in today and unpacked all my stuff and set up my room to my liking so now im home free. Of course it's not my home on 842 but it will definatly suffice. I'm going out in service for the first time tomorrow so that should be fun...AND im also starting to go to the gym tomorrow. Woohoo for healthy eating and exercise!!! Anyway I will post a picture of my room sometime this week so you guys can see it. Nana just called me to watch some video with her, i dont know.

Adios mis amigos!!



Howdy!  Im moving to Mexico on September 5th and I created this to keep you guys back home updated on my travels! <3