Down town D.F.

Well another full week. Things seem to be falling into place..but then more questions seem to come too.  Marilyn and I had to go get our visa papers finalized here so it was a trip into the really nice part of town called Polanco. Some beautiful skyscrapers and a couple of beautiful malls.

Mexico City downtown Polanco

Inside of a very modern Mall

Mexico City

There is a Costco as part of one mall and in the other some very exclusive stores like Saks Fifth Ave. unbelievable malls! They say the richest man in the world lives in one of the buildings down here and built an art museum for his wife's art collection. It is open free to the public.
Polanco is only about 8-10 miles away..but takes an hour or more to get there! The "freeways" are 3 small lanes wide with entrances and exits not like what we have here..it is nuts! Traffic is crazy!

Fresh? meat at market. 

Lots of missionaries are leaving the mission this week so new paper work to learn how to do and then how to take them to the airport. Dave had to get up at 3AM on Saturday to go with the other office elders to be help the missionaries with airport paper work. One Elder missed his plane so we had to call Salt Lake for them to get a new flight for him. Not a good thing! It would be nice if they were all leaving at the same time and going to the same place but there are two different terminals and there is an inter airport bus to go from one to another..finally got finished and back to the apartment at 8:30...Marilyn was just getting up!
We left at 10 to go the the outdoor market for fresh fruit and then to Polanco to the art museum and see some more of the city.

Balloons for Valentine's Day!

Art Museum

The trip to Polanco today was 25 minutes because of the lack of traffic. It is a beautiful museum...!Had a nice lunch at PF Changs and a short visit to Costco.
Home to try out the new pop corn popper and watch the BYU basketball game...
A Very Long Saturday..starting at 3am and ending at 11pm!

Elder Castillo was Marilyn's trainer.  He did not speak English!

Our First Full Week

Hello to our good family and friends!  This week has been packed with cleaning and getting the necessary things for our apartment, meeting new people and learning some of the things we will need to know in the coming months.

Monday morning we arrived early in the Mission Office and met the Elders who have been keeping things going there.  They are wonderful young men who have been doing a great job, working to keep the finances, communications and records straight.

Elder Hicks (West Jordan) Elder Sotello (Guaymas, Mex) Elder Castillo (Monterrey, Mex.)

It was a P-day, when the missionaries can do their wash, get their food and do whatever else they need to get done for the week.  That also means they can come to the office to get their mail, pamphlets and record sheets.  It turned out that the office was an extremely busy and crowded meeting place.  We met many people and are hopeful to remember a few new names each week.  Dave is doing quite well with the Spanish, and Marilyn is, well, shaking hands and nodding her head like crazy.  We can tell already that it's going to be a process to learn everything we need to know...especially since the Elder that is teaching Marilyn only speaks Spanish and that Google maps is a bit complicated in a city of millions.  Elder Anthony is finding out that many of the young missionaries had problems getting their money from the ATM's this week, too.

Elders Medina and Mollotte (Washington)

Monday Evening we met with the other couples to hold a home evening.  It was good to get to know them and to hear their advice.  It was a very spiritual and enjoyable evening.

We have been cleaning out the office this week to make way for an overflow of furniture coming from apartments that are being closed out from Elders and Sisters going home after the big influx of new 18 and 19-year-olds a couple of years ago.  It has been a huge undertaking, but we can see some progress.

Elders Sotelo and Hicks

Saturday, some of the Elders took us to an open-air market (a mercado called a tiangue, not so sure on the spelling) for a great experience in Mexican culture.  Fruits, vegetables, clothing, meats (which we didn't purchase) and many other life necessities were being offered for sale.  We purchased many fresh food items at very reasonable prices.  These we need to take home and soak in a clorox solution for several minutes before they can be put into the refrigerator, but have been very delicious.

Street in front of the temple

Pronounced 'food'

 We have been able to find
almost anything we want to
eat.

Probably about $5.00 worth

Mexico City! We're Here!

“Come to the edge, he said.
We are afraid, they said.
Come to the edge, he said.
They came to the edge,
He pushed them and they flew.
Come to the edge, Life said.
They said: We are afraid.
Come to the edge, Life said.
They came. It pushed them...
And they flew.”

― Guilliame Apollinaire French Poet

We add this poem because it is kind of how we feel right now.  Everything new, excited but feeling unsure of what is ahead!  Here we go!  City as far as we can see!

Well we finished up the MTC and none too soon, I think we both gained 10 lbs! It was a great experience and we learned a lot. It was fun to be with other couples and see the different calls. Garrett picked us up at the MTC Friday morning at 6am and we went to breakfast with him and then he took us to the airport. While waiting for the plane we met the Area doctor for the church who was on the same flight, Brother Stephens. He was returning the the D.F. after bringing an Elder home who was ill. He gave us some insights about the mission and Pres Anaya. He had nothing but good to say about both Pres and Sister Anaya. He guided us through the immigration process too and then Pres and Sister Anaya were there to bring us the the apartment. They are both very nice, sister Anaya doesn't speak much english so Pres Anaya, said she could teach sister Anthony spanish and sister Anthony can teach her english.
The apartment is much nicer than we thought it would be, although it has a musty smell and we have found mold under the bathroom sink which we quickly sprayed with some mold remover that one of the other missionary couples let us use. The apartment has carpet in the 3 bedrooms and the living room. We wish it was tile throughout..it wouldn't smell so bad. We tried the vacuum but all it did was emit a terrible odor so we will have to get that fixed. There is a dishwasher..which we (Elder Anthony) put the wrong kind of soap in and it promptly spilled bubbles out of the side of the door! The apartment has been empty for a few months so that doesn't help the smell either. But truth be told it is better than we expected.

It is winter here, too, and although it is "green" the deciduous trees don't have leaves and the grass is spotty.  They are getting ready to plant flowers around the temple grounds to replace the Christmas Poinsettias and other flowers.

There are 5 other couples here serving in different callings so that makes it nice. One couple, the Pococks from Sugar City Idaho took up under their wings and took us the Walmart on Saturday. Pres and Sister Anaya had taken us on Friday evening for a few things but we needed more. As I told Pres Anaya, this Walmart is just like home but entirely different !
We had Stake Conference today and it was GREAT! Pres Castaneda of the Area 70"s spoke and what a powerful speaker as did Pres Anaya and he was just as good. The conference was wonderful...with a big push on self sufficiency both spiritual and temporal. Pres Castaneda reminded me of Pres Uchtdorf in his mannerisms, his delivery and most of all his spirit and love that you could just feel. It was a wonderful day...tomorrow we go to work.. just 13 steps down stairs!

View from living room!

Stake Center as seen from back window

Sunday after Conference

Flower beds at Temple

We received a warm welcome from some of the Hermanas and Elders
Hna. Pasket (Colorado), Hna. Durham, Elder Padilla (Montana) and Elder Santiago (Mexico)

Ready for the "Spring" planting!  Only a fraction of what they have laid out!

I

Courtyard at Mission office / apartment