Life in La D.F...El Centro

Mexico City...you just have to love it here because you can find just about anything you want to, unless it is something you really need or want like Jello Lemon pie mix, brown sugar, plain marshmellows and other really important life sustaining foods! There are enough new things like a nice little bread store, panaderia, where they have some wonderful breads. A tiny, bar-windowed hole in the wall tortilla shop, tortilleria, where you can buy a pound of fresh corn tortillas for less than 50 cents and then a cup of their fresh made salsa (hot!) for 70 cents. They even give you a sample tortilla
each time you buy! They are so good when they are fresh and warm.

 You can buy fresh fruit at the markets and even fresh cactus , looks like our pickley pear cactus and it has been scraped free of spines. They have a good flavor, a little like limey green peppers, but they are slimy.
The chicken in the markets all have a yellowish tint to them... and they still have their heads and feet for an added bonus!

At the markets you can buy tacos made from pig snouts and tongue...they are said to be delicious!

As are the brain tacos! We say all these things not to make fun of the people or place...just as a reminder that things are different all over the world...food, drinks, living conditions etc...but people are the same where ever you go. Some are good...some not so good. We have been blessed to meet the good ones and have made some wonderful friends.
I'm sure all have heard or seen Meet the Mormons film. They showed it here in Mexico last week. Prior to the showing they had a Fireside here at the local chapel with David Archuletta and Carolina Munoz. They answered some questions from the local youth, David sang the song that is in the closing credits of the film and another song. It was a fun experience and well received by the youth, especially the young girls who are crazy over David. Both David and Carolina visited the Church Visitors Center prior to the fireside and met with the Sister Missionaries there for pictures etc. The Sister Missionaries are as crazy about him as the other girls.
Last week we went to the CCM..which is the missionary training center here in Mexico. Marilyn had gone to school there in the summer of 1970 with BYU semester abroad so we were excited to go back. Needless to say it has changed a lot. There are a lot more buildings, and the trees that she remembered being held up with posts and string are now full grown and the Jacaranda were in full purple/blue bloom.

They were beautiful.
She remembered the dorm houses but not sure which one she was in, only that it was orange. So we took our picture in front of the only orange one there.

The interesting thing is that the CCM is only 7 miles from here but google maps says even without traffic it takes 25 minutes to get there. There is no such thing as no traffic in la D. F.! It took us almost an hour! They have speed bumps here about every 2 or 3 blocks..that you really have to slow down for almost crawl over, plus there is just a lot of traffic and the roads are not straight or laid out in any real pattern.

These wonderful people, the Pocock's from Sugar City, Idaho, took us under their wing and helped us see places and feel more at home in Mexico.  They served over the FSY (EFY) programs in northern Mexico.

Yesterday we went with a couple of the new office Elders, Elder Egues and Elder Suazo,  downtown to what is called the Zocalo, a huge open square in front of the Cathedral, Government office buildings etc. This is where on Sept 16th they celebrate Mexico Independence Day. We were there with my cousin Jim Stanton and his wife in  1974 and got to see the celebration...it was unbelievable with fireworks etc. A fun memory that we could picture while we were there yesterday.

Elders Egües and Suazo, the new office Elders

We walked to El Palacio de Bellas Artes, a beautiful cultural arts center with a Tiffany Glass Curtain. We will have to go to a concert there before we leave. Both Marilyn and I have been there to see their Folklore Ballet .

Least we forget...we are learning the office duties, a little more each day. It is getting easier and not quite as frustrating for Dave as he learns the Mexican bookkeeping system which is different than anything he has ever done. Marilyn is getting the baptismal records sorted out and cleared one that had been done in 2013 that needed some additional information.
We miss our friends and family back home...but we are really glad to be here!

Meanwhile, on Temple Square, the planting for spring has begun.  Everything is becoming so beautiful!  They are able to grow wonderful plants which double the size of those at home! White rocks are used for accents.