MEXICO CITY and COSTCO!!

Que tal familia y amigos!!

I hope everyone is doing well back in school/work! Vacations never existed here in the mission so Im feeling the same haha.

The subject of this email will tell you almost all you need to know about this week- we went to Mexico City and also Costco!!! Let me explain haha..

So one of our sister missionaries went home a little earlier than the transfers because she has to start school. Her name is hermana Fagatoa and she's from Tuvalu which is an island close to Fiji. Its like three football fields long.. so crazy! She has been a great friend ever since she got here in the mission like 2 months after me. She knows English like perfectly but I just love her accent and phrases she always says. Apparently all of the islanders over there ad "as" as an adjective instead of "very" or "really" haha for example she would always say "broooooo its cold as out here" hahahha which definitely sounds like a swear word but thats just what they always say! Her insult is always "bro your dry as" but with her accent it just sounds so funny haha. Anyways, she was always super energetic and fun but her mission ended! It was hard to find a good plane ticket to get to her island. Long story short, her ticket was worth more than my entire mission haha and her flight left at 6 in the morning in Mexico City. She has to go to Buenos aires and then new zealand and then fiji and then her island. Since President Maldonado takes really good care of the church's money, he was really scared that if hermana Fagatoa went by herself to the airport, then she would miss the flight which would make the church lose A LOT of money! So he ended up taking her in his car and he wanted us to come too. So at 3:30 in the morning, he came to pick us up at our house and we headed to Mexico City! It usually takes like an hour and 40 minutes to get there from Pachuca but with Presidents driving we got there in 50 minutes hahaha. We got her bags checked in, and sent her off through security! It was so weird to see. It just hit me that she finished her mission and wont come back! Being in the airport again just gave me a lot of nerves. It was also weird to see a lot of white people again hahaha

The next day, there ended up being another Elder that had to go home early from his mission. He had about 4 weeks in the field and didnt speak very well in Spanish and for that reason, President and my comp and I took him to the airport as well! This time we got to leave a little later at like 11 am and I took him through migration and we got his bags checked him and then sent him on the Delta flight to SLC which is the exact same flight ill be taking. Its always at the same time and everything! This trip to Mexico City was even more fun because right after dropping off Elder Walsh, President took us to his favorite tacos right in the middle of Mexico City!! I LOVED the little tour we took around everything! What an incredible place, one of the top 10 biggest cities in the world! so much culture and so much to see. And let me tell you that those were the best tacos I have ever had. You can definitely tell the difference between the Mexicans in CDMX and the ones outside. They call the ones in the city "Chilangos" and Ive worked with a lot of them, theyre so funny! There are a lot in the state of mexico which I was in in my second area. Such a fun trip! Then to finish it all off, we went to Costco to pick up stuff for the dinner that President had with the stake presidents of the mission. Some of you might think that its not a big deal to go to Costco but Pachuca doesnt have one yet and I havent been in over a year and a half!! I felt back at home. The samples, the pie, the muffins, the honey bunches of oats, the ice cream, everything!! We definitely took advantage and bought a lot while we were there. While we were there, there was a Seventy who knows President really well because they both lived in Saltillo. It was fun to get to know him as well!

So basically it was a great week full of traveling and more house checks but it was so much fun!! Little by little we have been looking at the transfers for next transfers. President started talking to me about what I want to do for my last two transfers! After this transfer, I will have one more as Assistant, and then I will have two more in the field to finish things off! I told him I would love to die training. He loved the idea and said we'll talk more about it later. SO WEIRD to already have to think about my last tranfers. The mission flies!

I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Elder Millard

Pics: MEXICO, AIRPORT AND COSTCO!