Saturday, February 28, 2015 -- Week #2, Day #12 Guatemala MTC

4:43 pm

We got back from deportes and I have a little bit of time to write before we go to dinner! We normally don't have sports time so late in the day, but I got to do some yoga stretching with Hna Vargas, so that was very enjoyable for both of us. She is so friendly and pretty and helps me out with Spanish, I'm gonna miss her when we have transfers on Tuesday.

I took the nail polish off my toes last night so I can give them a rest before I paint them again on Tuesday, and it always surprises me when I see my little naked toes! But they're doing well and I think I'm developing a tan-line on the tops of my feet, the sun is very intense here. But the air is in the cool 70's and is constantly moving, so overall it's a very nice effect. I wish we could spend more time outside, but once I get out in the field I'm gonna be wishing I could spend more time inside. The grass is always greener!

We were blessed to fall asleep quickly last night, so I'm glad about that. I'm always sleepy in the morning and my poor little obicularis oculii are just so tired (thanks anatomy!) but once I get finished praying and start moving around I wake up more. So my body is still resetting itself to the schedule in some ways, but we help each other out. Hna Kleinman has the responsibility of turning the lights on and off, so that's extremely helpful to have bright lights flicked on in the early morning. I'm grateful for that to help wake me up.

9:51 pm

WE DID ANOTHER WEEK! Yahoo! Well, technically it's our 11th day here (+1 day traveling to get to Guatemala = Day #12), but it's a Saturday and I wanted to celebrate. We're just about 1/3 of our way through being at the CCM! Crazy!

Last night one of the songs playing outside was "Pura Vida" by Don Omar and I understood most of the lyrics this time around and it's actually a pretty happy little song. 

I just wanted to also say that our district sounds really good when we sing hymns everyday, we do all the parts and it is so awesome! Elder Cox has the best bass voice, and Hna Brady has the loudest soprano, and the rest of us fill in between them and it is so good to listen to. Ah, I love singing hymns in Spanish!

As a funny story from today, an hermano came to our classroom and said that he needed some of the missionaries, myself included, to follow him so we could get blessings. We were all so excited and everyone got up and followed him out and downstairs close to where the clinic was. He then announced that the sisters got to go first, so I went into the clinic hallway and was blessed with a tetanus shot in my arm. Turns out some people here still needed some vaccinations, and apparently my tetanus wasn't up to standard. But it really is a blessing to have vaccines so we lower our risk of contracting diseases out here. So in the end we were grateful for that opportunity, even though we were expecting a different kind of blessing!

We talked about stress management in part of our classes today, and I'm glad that we can know that literally every missionary in every MTC has the same feelings and frustrations that we do now. Hna Giron gave the encouragement that lots of missionaries serve missions, and they are all still alive! Because if they couldn't do it and murmured like Laman and Lemuel, "they die!" She is wonderful. "You know what happened to Laman and Lemuel because they didn't believe that God would help them? They died!"

There is a good quote from Elder Cecil O. Samuelson about missionary work: "Just as we should not lower the standards that the Lord has established for the conduct of His servants, we are also not authorized to raise them...Be sure that you do not have higher standards for yourself or others than that Lord has established." Good counsel in all areas of life, too.

Also, the scripture in John 5:17 "But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work."

Even God has to work! It's not an easy thing to become perfect, it takes constant effort and choosing the right choice every day, which is hard to do in this life. But we can certainly practice and become perfect in our obedience to God and what He asks us to do so we can be like Him. And we can have perfect obedience in Him when we have faith that He can help us with all things. He knows us and knows how much work it takes because He has done it, too. He has felt our frustration and disappointment with our shortcomings and He still has perfect love and hope in us. He so wants for us to follow Him and do the things He does, so we can have the happiness He has. I think that's pretty encouraging to think about.

Lastly, on a totally not spiritual note, we all decided that something that helps us through this time of transition is having humor, and mis companeras and I are very good at that! Hna Brady started joking about how Russell Crowe sings the "Stars" song in Les Miserables (still a good actor and all, of course), but it sounds even funnier when we imitate the way he sang, so we just walk around going "Staaahz! Inyumultitoooodz!" and we just crack up. Oh, we're so great together!

Friday, February 27, 2015 -- Week #2, Day #11 Guatemala MTC

10:07 pm

Today was a good day. Right now there's a very active fiesta going on next door, so it's gonna be hard to fall asleep, and I'll probably be tired tomorrow. The joys and sacrifices of missionary work! But I'm so glad the people are enjoying themselves tonight. It's Friday night and these people are done with a week of work and are having a good time and I am so happy for them. These people are good people and are living their lives the best way they know how, and we are here to help them be even better. So cool!

In other news, we discovered today that mis companeras and I all have a dimple on our left cheeks, how cool is that? Go genetics! We get along very well and can still be different, but we complement each other in our strengths.

I will say that it takes a lot of strength to be humble. I have always been able to do things on my own and didn't really need anyone, but this mission is something that there is absolutely no way I can do on my own. I need mis companeras to support me, and my teachers to teach me, and the latinas to talk to, and the Holy Spirit to bring things that I've heard to my remembrance, and my Savior to help me when I trip over my pride, and my Heavenly Father to let me know that He loves me. It really does takes a village to raise a child, and angels go before and behind us as we press forward in faith. So cool! God is pretty smart, ya know.

Today we had one on one counseling from Hno Garcia, and he helped me sort through my mixed emotions some more. He is just so good! He has such faith in us and wants to help push us to be the powerful and confident representatives of Jesus Christ that he knows we fully have the capacity to be. He told me that he knows that I have been called to learn Spanish and teach God's children in Honduras. I was chosen from all the missionaries to that responsibility because I can handle it and become great because of it. He has such faith in these little 18 and 19 year-olds that come to him, not knowing what we've gotten ourselves into, but it is his stewardship to help mold and direct us into what we can be. Incredible.

And Hna Giron is crazy awesome too! She served in the Dominican Republic, and got back only 4 months ago! She started teaching in the CCM on her 2nd day home. Crazy! She is amazing, so happy and sweet and sincere. I want to follow the example of my teachers, because I know without a doubt that they follow the example of Christ. We all have that capacity in us. Sometimes it takes some serious sandpaper to get us smoothed into something beautiful, but we can do it when we have the desire to change. They're inspiring people, and I am privileged to know them.

I had good experiences teaching in our appointments tonight, and my confidence is bolstered up again. I can speak Spanish, and I'm getting better at teaching. I can do this! Espanol es facil (Spanish is easy)!

Thursday, February 26, 2015 -- Week #2, Day #10 Guatemala MTC

10:03 pm

Well, today was an interesting day. In good news, I have the "Commitment for Baptism," "The First Vision," and "My Missionary Purpose" all memorized in Spanish, so I'm pretty proud of myself for that. I still need to memorize DyC 4:1-7 and DyC 20:37 (Doctrina y Convenios is Spanish for Doctrine & Covenants), but we're getting there!

Hermano Garcia also taught a neat way of explaining the Restoration with the pillars of a building, I'll have to show/talk about that sometime, it's a simple visual that helps teach the importance of the scriptures, prophets, apostles, and Christ.

In some not so great news, I finally hit a wall today and totally lost it just as we were supposed to go practice teaching to the latinos. I've been doing well these past days, but I guess the stress of having 12 of your 16 hour days be constant input of gospel in Spanish and teaching in Spanish, and talking in Spanish and thinking in Spanish and being surrounded by people you haven't met before and being so submerged in a way of life that I'm not used to living for all hours of my waking day finally got to me. And I miss my family and being home and comfortable and doing easy things, and things that are familiar and easy before are now hard and frustrating. We have a demanding schedule that is difficult sometimes. So I ended up having a panic attack or something in front of my district and the poor latinos right before we were supposed to practice together, and I started crying and couldn't breathe, so a sweet latina maestra (teacher) took me aside and we walked around outside and prayed and she talked to me (all in Spanish of course... I can understand everything they say perfectly and respond to normal questions, but sometimes I have such difficulty, emotionally and mentally when I have to practice teaching lessons to someone. I calmed down mostly, she was so gentle and nice to me, she smiled and held my hand and told me how great I was doing. I realized that I really missed having human touch this whole time, since that's something you tend to avoid as a missionary, apart from handshakes. I still feel kinda emotionally turmoiled about everything, but I really am ok being here.

Resilience

Mis companeras (my companions) are strong and supportive, and we help pull each other through all this. And they're so funny! I love them. So I know that God is mindful of His little daughter trying to figure out how to be the missionary I need to be, and He loves me, and He will help me do anything He needs me to do.

I'm doing ok now, and I'll keep learning, but this made me think that maybe all those missionaries who are trying so hard to learn a language might need a little extra help from your prayers, and I think of Nate and how he's learning Russian right now, and how hard of a time I'm having with Spanish, something I am familiar and comfortable with, and how much help and support we need as we are changing and growing into the amazing people we can be. 

So please remember the missionaries who are giving up a period of their lives and giving all of themselves, mind, body and soul, to serve others who they don't yet know but love so much, and are trying their best to understand and learn and so they can teach these people in their own language so they can better understand the love God has for them. This is humbling experience, and makes you knock everything down and build a better structure from the ground up, and it is incredibly hard, but the end goal is so awesome. 

There isn't anything I can think of that would fully prepare you for the way this stuff works, being a missionary is the hardest thing I've done in my life so far, because it's a completely different way of living. But it is so rewarding now and in the future, and I am thankful for the opportunity to be doing it, even though it takes so much time and effort to start from the beginning and kinda falling in head first. Hna Brady shared the counsel that we are called to the areas and languages that we will be the most effective in teaching the Gospel in, and I know that to be true. For me to do my best, I need to serve in la mision de Honduras San Pedro Sula Oeste, speaking the Spanish language to the people living there. I know this is the right thing for me to do, and I'll keeping progressing, mostly slowly, but most definitely surely, in an upward and forward direction.  Vamonos!

Wednesday, February 25, 2015 -- Week #2, Day #9 Guatemala MTC

9:54 pm

Today was a little crazy, teaching lessons in Spanish is hard! But things are going well and I'm still learning. Reading the Book of Mormon and el Libro de Mormon side by side is helping a lot, I learned 14 new words just from doing that so far. Also, Alma has some awesome counsel on missionary work, you should check it out!

The CCM is very small compared to the Provo and Mexico City MTCs, we only have about 90 or so missionaries here. But I love it and wouldn't want it any other way. We get to know and recognize each other much better, and it's a more personal, friendly atmosphere. We also don't have the little dots on our name tags to identify the newbies, since we all know who's who, Hna Kleinman really wanted her dot! :P 

My male teacher, Hermano Garcia, is amazing. He always bears his testimony during class, and it is still so powerful every time. He is kind and patient, but still has high standards for us because he wants us to be the best we can. They are also having the teachers here learn another language as we learn Spanish, so he's learning Portuguese now. He and some other teacher are also learning Q'eqchi' from a sister teacher here so they can teach missionaries that go to Coban, so in a while he will know Spanish, English, Portuguese, and Q'eqchi'. He's a very good example to follow.

I've enjoyed seeing how the names of the books in the scriptures change a little into Spanish, my favorite is that James is Santiago, and Job is said "H-oh-b." It's a fun transition to say all the names in Spanish, they sound nicer.

I cold all the time here because the A/C is always on, so the hairs on my arms were standing up all day, and at cena (dinner) I exclaimed to Hna Brady, "Look! My arm is like a tree-field!" instead of using the word "forest"...I'm losing some of my English!

Tuesday, February 24, 2015 -- Week #2, Day #8 Guatemala MTC

1:52 pm

It's Pday! We made it through a whole week! It feels like a month has gone by, but I've enjoyed my time here, it feels like a whole different world and I lose track of the fact that I'm in Guatemala City. Crazy. But I've definitely done some serious learning and growing the past 7 days that I am so grateful for, even if I had to leave today and go preach the gospel I would feel so much more comfortable and confident, it's incredible what this does to you.

I've noticed that the latinos here have very fitted suit pants compared to the norte elderes, and they prefer the narrower, pointy toed shoes. Makes for a unique look.

Also it's quite windy here, and the clouds are constantly moving and changing all day, you look at the sky after 10 seconds and it's completely different! It is beautiful here.

The temple was wonderful today, everyone was very helpful and kind, and we had our session in English, and I felt wonderful after leaving. And the grounds are so gorgeous! Hydrangeas and petunias and blooming azalea bushes and palm trees and lots of other beautiful plants all vibrant and colorful, it was so nice to walk around and look at the landscaping.

Guatemala City LDS Temple

I got to email everyone today! We have computer time on Tuesdays from 2-3 pm, and I was so excited! I read all my emails and I cried from love and happiness. I appreciate that I am supported so much, it means a lot to me. The AlphaSmart works perfectly and helps me to send my daily record stuff in about 10-15 mins, then I can spend the rest of my time reading and emailing. But this was the 1st week and there was a lot of information to get back and forth. 

Today as part of Pday we had the tienda (store) come and I bought a bag! It's yellow and green and has these beautiful red flowers embroidered on the front, and it's big and has a padded shoulder strap, so I'm super excited to have something to use to carry around my stuff while I'm in the CCM. Also I got a dark blue "Guat's up?" t-shirt, to remember my time at the Guatemala CCM, it's a play on words and sounds like "What's up?"

We are also not allowed to have gum while on missions, and that is actually an adjustment I've done very well with, to my surprise. I'm pretty much over missing it, and it's actually a speech impediment when speaking Spanish. Sometimes we have a rule and we don't understand what it's for, but then later we learn through being obedient that it is a good thing and we are blessed. Even if it's not missing gum!

We had the yummiest breakfast today, and I think it might be similar to typical Honduran food, but it was so good! It was a fresh flour tortilla spread with black bean paste, then another tortilla, topped with 2 sunny-side up eggs and a sort of cheese sauce. It was very delicious and very filling. There are A LOT of eggs in our foods here, they're a cheap source of protein because meat is so expensive here and hard to buy. So it's a good thing I've learned to like them quickly!

An interesting fact about spanish is that they say "ehhh" for their filler words instead of "umm" or "and" or "sooooo" like in English. They also keep rolling their R's when they're thinking of a word, like when we stretch the vowel sound when we're forming a thought.

Monday, February 23, 2015 -- Day #7 Guatemala MTC

10:12 pm
Today was great! I got a sunburn on the side of my neck from the sun during sports, I am so white! It was crazy because we were playing volleyball as a zone (distritos mateo y jeremias) and some latinos joined in and it was fun, but the latinas are much more shy and didn't play with us. But I got the sunburn on my left side, that was towards the sun during the game, and my forearms are covered in these little sprinkles of pockmark bruises from hitting the ball so hard, but I am really good at serving, and it was nice to be outside in the sunshine.

I did laundry today, so it's nice to have most of my clothes back and clean. It's fun to see all the sisters' new outfits for the first week or so, I'm sure I'll start seeing the same clothes again sometime soon as we only have a few outfits to wear. But I'm happy and comfortable in mine, I am thankful I have such pretty clothes!

There's an ice cream brand here called Saritas, and they make the creamiest, smoothest, most yummy ice cream!  We are allowed to have one a day during almuerzo (lunch), and that is always a bright spot in my day.  My favorite is the little cup kind with strawberry and sweet cream....es muy delicioso!

Tonight we taught Daniela for the third time and we committed her to a baptism date! March 5th, and that's her birthday as well. These lessons are difficult because we are a trio, so we need to split up time and parts more, and Hermana Kleinman doesn't know any Spanish, but she tries so hard and we help her and she is like a little sister and I love her so much and want her to be so successful and I know she will be, so Hermana Brady and I usually carry most of the conversation with Daniela.

But tonight was so special because that was the first time I really felt the Spirit bring things to my mind to say and lead my thoughts and send me to scriptures and be able to give explanations that I had no previous plan of doing, all in Spanish, it was amazing for us to have that experience.

We've been talking only in Spanish all day, that's everyone's goal in the CCM for the week, and it has been just so interesting, because even though we have a very limited vocabulary, we're able to see how much we actually know, and we can communicate quite well, actually, and it felt kinda empowering and comforting to know that I can speak Spanish! I'm not fluent, but I can speak with clarity and I am learning so many new words everyday, and it is frustrating and overwhelming but I am just so proud of us, we're doing amazing things.

Guatemala MTC Branch
Here's me! Hna Kleinman is to my left and Hna Brady is on my far left.
I love them!

Today we took pictures with our rama (branch) in front of the CCM, and Saturday we had district pictures outside the Guatemala City Temple. Tomorrow we can go to the temple because it's our P-day (Preparation Day), and I am so excited! I've missed the temple, even though it's only been about a week since I went my last time in San Antonio with my parents and grandparents, I am so excited for tomorrow!

Also our showers are always cold, maybe getting tepid for the last 20 seconds, and we need to brush our teeth with water-bottle water, even though the water here is safe, it's to get us in the habit for when we're in the field.

I'm also translating the national anthem into Spanish for our latinas for fun, it's not a perfect translation, but I think it's pretty fun and it's good to have to rethink an idea into another language so that it's still understandable. It makes the hymns make more sense because I've always noticed that there's slightly different meanings, and I like having both English and Spanish so I can get both meanings.

I haven't been dreaming hardly at all, that's still kinda strange, we have such long and hard days that I hardly feel like I've slept at all, but I'm still OK and can stay awake!

Sunday, February 22, 2015 -- Day #6 Guatemala MTC

10:17 pm
Today was our first Sunday, day number 6! It feels like we've been here a month! But it's been good. The only thing I wish was a little more consistent is the schedule. We spend a good 30-35 min or so planning the next day and writing all these goals and things, and then they just change it on us and don't let us know what we need to bring or where to go or anything. So that's a little annoying, but I guess it teaches us to be patient and flexible.

In personal study, I read through 3 Nefi 11, and the fact that Jesus had glorified Heavenly Father's name stuck out to me. In Moses 6:57 He has the name "Man of Holiness," and I just thought that by Jesus taking on his Father's name and honoring it by being obedient and holy and accomplishing all the things he was asked to do, and not abusing it or doing anything not aligned with His will, Jesus really did glorify his Father's name, and that's the example we need to follow as well.

We also watched a missionary address from Elder Scott from April 26, 2013, I think, and it was amazing and comforting to hear! Elder Scott is so gentle and earnest in his counsel to the missionaries, and I felt more comfortable and at peace with my being here in Guatemala and Honduras for 18 months.

We also accepted the commitment to only speak Spanish this week, except in our letters home, so that's gonna be interesting! But I look forward to it, I think it will help me grow so much and get more comfortable with the language. It's starting to click better now, we had a break through with the latinas during lunch today, and we talked so much and laughed and it was just so fun, I love them, and am sad I only have 1 more week with them.

Saturday, February 21, 2015 -- Day #5 Guatemala MTC

3:52 pm
We have deportes (sports) everyday for an hour, and they are so fun! We played volleyball as our 2 districts (mateo y jeremias (my district!)....we're the nortes, "northerners" and it was so nice outside. Also I do bike, elliptical, and stretching, and I love it!

And the Latinos are so tiny! I'm not that big of a person, but I feel like a giant white person when I am next to them. They are very shy and don't speak hardly any English, but most of them are very patient and try to help us with words when we try to talk to them at meal-times.  Hermanas Cabrera y Zelaya usually sit by us so we can practice our Spanish.

Last night we had our first investigator discussion all in Spanish (Hermana Giron, our female instructor for Distrito Jeremias was role-playing) and it was so hard!  It didn't go very well, but now we definitely know what we need to work on to be able to be successful in the future. We will teach at least 1 or 2 lessons every night, which will be a lot of work, but we will get to be so good at teaching and understanding the language, and I am so excited to be an amazing missionary!

9:36 pm
In class today we watched a video from Elder Holland about how we should be held to higher standards of teaching, and how we can't expect our investigators to do things that we don't already do. Good to hear that, helped make more sense in my mind of how I should think and act and feel towards missionary work. He also talked about the difference between testimony and conversion. Testimony is "I know it," and conversion is "I live it." Good to think about.

We went over how to use ser y estar in language study today, and it started making more sense of how to speak Spanish, since they are used in almost every sentence, so I was very happy about that. Just have to see the charts in my mind and remember the correct conjugations. I have a lot of work to do, but I'm on a good start!

Also, our second lesson tonight went so much better! I was so happy! We got Daniela to pray with us and promise to read 2 Nefi 31 to learn about the importance of baptism, and she seemed happier and more interested. We're supposed to pick her up for church tomorrow, and we invited her to be baptized. Also, we set a tentative appointment with Victor y Monica for Monday evening, so we'll see what we can do with that.

We used the phrases from the books we have and the lesson went so much more smoothly and we had a better train of thought than our first lesson last night, I feel good. We are getting more used to working in a trio while teaching and I love mis companeras! I love my 2 teachers and our 2 companionships of guys in our Distrito Jeremias! The gospel is a beautiful thing and such a great blessing to have.

Distrito Jeremias
My district! E Roth, Cox, High, Ang, Hna Brady, me!, Kleinman

Friday, February 20, 2015 -- Day #4 Guatemala MTC

3:47 pm
We need to write a 5 min talk and prepare a 10 min lesson as a companionship for every Sunday, in addition to our daily lessons for investigators and language study and everything else.

We had pancakes in our breakfast food, and it was too sweet! Weird how your palate changes....the breakfasts here are more substantial, almost like a lunch. We also had pasta with alfredo or some white sauce for dinner last night, and I didn't like it as much as I usually do at home. American food is strange now! It will be interesting to adjust back when I come home, I like the food here a lot.

And the fences are covered with what I think are morning glory plants, the flowers are huge and very beautiful, dark purpley-blue and purpley-pink, almost as big as my hand? Very nice.

Thursday, February 19, 2015 -- Day #3 Guatemala MTC

9:37 pm
So today was like having a fire-hose aimed at me, or being in a giant wave pool 20 feet deep and being expected to swim! Crazy! But it was good.

The food here is amazing, there's a little sweet pastry or something with each meal, and it is so good, our only sugar all day and it is so sweet!

We sit by the latinas at mealtimes, and we each try to speak to each other in the other's languages, it's hard! They are here for 2 weeks, we are here for 6 weeks. We are growing closer together as a companionship and have strengthened each other and helped each other become better people already.  During one of our meetings, we watched a video and it talked about how we need to know our investigators as people, and children of God. There was a quote somewhere along the lines of: "God sees us as the glorious beings we are capable of becoming."

God has faith in us! I hadn't thought of that before. We are also learning to pray in Spanish today, it is hard. I also bought a set of scripture cases for my escrituras en espanol, they are so colorful and beautiful! They took our cameras (will be returned when we leave CCM) so I will have to send pictures sometime after I leave, but Guatemala is a beautiful place, although the streets are absolutely crazy!

Wednesday, February 18, 2015 -- Day #2 Guatemala MTC

10:18 pm
So that was an incredibly crazy day! We didn't have anything with us that we needed, and we had no idea where we were going or doing. But hopefully tomorrow goes smoother.  Hermana Brady is going to my same mission, so we're hanging pretty tight, and we make a trio with Hermana Kleinman, who's going to the Comayaguela mission. They are seriously like the most awesomest girls ever. We are rooming next to a group of Latinas next door, so I'm sure we will need to get to know each other fairly soon, as we are seriously jumping in to the Spanish language.

We had interviews with the CCM Presidencia today, and Presidente Alvarado asked me to speak to him in Spanish...I think I did fine. Presidente Cox is the CCM president, he is great and speaks Spanish very well, Hermana Cox's accent leaves something to be desired, but I can understand everything she says. They're nut farmers from California, good people.

The Spanish is starting to come back as we've heard it all day long, hopefully I'll pick it up again quickly, I hate being unable to communicate. So we hit the ground running tomorrow and pray that we can stay awake and have our understandings open to the things we need to learn so that we may go forth and teach the children of God.

I thought I might quickly bear my testimony in the limited Spanish that I remember at this time:

Yo creo que Jesucristo es my Salvador y Redentor. El Libro de Mormon es verdadero, y la Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimo Dias es la unica iglesia que es verdadera en la tierra en este dia. Yo creo que mi familia puede ser para todo el tiempo, y yo quiero esta cosa con todo my corazon. Me encanto mi experiencia misional, y yo tengo amor por mi Padre en el cielo. En el nombre de Jesucristo, amen.

English translation:
I believe that Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer. The Book of Mormon is true, and the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints is the only true church on the earth this day.  I know that my family can be together for ever, and I wish this with all my heart.  I love my missionary experience, and I love my Heavenly Father. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015 -- Day #2 "I'm here!"

My room in the CCM, 
my bed is the bottom bunk on the right

Hey, I survived the trip, chilling in the MTC, or CCM (Centro de Capacitacion Misional) now. Put bags in room, had breakfast, gonna go shower and take a nap, have lunch, and start the day. I will be able to write on Tuesday or Wednesday, don't know. Still write me on Sundays, I'll always get it on Monday, just can't respond then right now.

I love you! It's gonna be great.

Send happy thoughts and keep smiling!

Love you!

Tuesday, February 17, 2015 -- Day #1 Flight to Guatemala

2/18/15 (technically) 2:42 am
So, this is gonna be a very long flight to Guatemala, but at least I'm on it now. I am so totally exhausted, I'm gonna write this stuff down and go to sleep!

Everyone feels like it's just past midnight, but I'm still on Texas time (same zone as in Honduras and Guatemala) so I'm having a hard time, dozed off in the airport waiting for my flight. They just gave us little ham and cheese sandwiches and a brownie on the plane, which was nice, I was starting to get really hungry (haven't eaten since pizza time). Turns out that little lost looking guy was an Elder, another one came running by like 5 min before boarding to go to Los Angeles--they both look so young!

In LA there was a group of like 10 Elders and 5 sisters that descended upon me, taking all these group pictures and wanting to talk... I was too tired to deal with it all so I gave some quick answers and fell asleep on a chair. Finally got on the plane and had to fill out an immigration form that I didn't know what to do with, I did as much as I could, I'll try to figure it out in the morning when we land.

They also gave us bright red Delta blankets, which was nice, gonna try to sleep with that, I'll use my snowflake one when I wake up cold. Onward and upward, my friends!

9:22 am
Alright, that was rough. Slept fitfully for all that time, could not for the life of me get very comfortable, was blessed because I sat next to a sweet Guatemalan man. Turns out he didn't speak English, and I didn't really speak Spanish. He scooted over to the window seat and I curled up kinda on the aisle and middle seats.

Flying over Guatemala

Landing at Guatemala Airport

In our bus to the Guatemala MTC

Finally made it to Guatemala, we flew in just as the sun was rising, there's a huge volcano nearby and the land is very mountainous. The houses and buildings are square and colorful, like the pictures. The people here are a lot more Aztec-looking than the Mexicans back home, hard eyes, but kind faces. In LA I met up with 9 Elders and 6 other Hermanas, I'm rooming with Hermanas Kleinman and Brady and they are amazing!

Tuesday, February 17, 2015 -- Day #1 San Antonio to Guatemala

4:58 pm
Well, I got safely to the Salt Lake Airport! I'm waiting my 5 hour layover, will depart for Los Angeles at 9:56 pm, if all goes well. Eating some late lunch, trying out my new AlphaSmart keyboard (thanks for the Christmas present, Dad!). I found a pizza place near my gate and got a personal pepperoni pizza and a milk, also bought a water bottle for the flight. Pretty delicious.

The goodbye at the airport was somewhat tearful, I'm gonna miss my family, they are so awesome! But this is gonna be a super awesome experience and I am so excited! I feel all "missionary-ish" in my button-down shirt and skirt, hiking around in my flats and backpack. Super stylish, I know! But they're pretty comfy so far--my watch is still taking some getting used to.

I'm glad they let my AlphaSmart through security, that was the easiest run through I've ever had, I think. Slip shoes off, backpack in bin, walk through and strike a pose, hold for 3 sec, walk off with my stuff. Sweet. Hopefully everything else goes smoothly, today is not really a good day for my flights to get messed up! My flight from San Antonio to Salt Lake was good, I will say that 3 hours seems like so long when you aren't doing anything but sitting. I didn't bring my phone or any books or other activities because I'm a missionary now. The guy I sat next to was the definition of a hipster male: shades, brown felt hat, soft, off-white t-shirt, very short, dark hair with a fabulously full, 9" long beard, skinny jeans, and brown leather boots. Looking good! He was listening to some music with earbuds, with the volume so loud I could hear the bass and percussion, interesting effect for the entire flight. Oh, and also reading some document on his Apple computer about becoming successful and using positive affirmations or something along those lines. Overall, a pretty swell guy.

Hopped off the airplane and made my way over to where I'm at now, a mighty good little walk, I think, popped in B terminal, hiked over to C, finding a phone to call Momma to let her know I got there alright and then went to find some food. Also saw a guy with his mom that looked missionary-ish, heading the other way from where I was going, so we'll see if I find any buddies while I'm here, still got a while until my flight. So that's where I'm at now. Taylor Swift is playing and I'm eating a pizza. I'll check back in a little while before my flight leaves. 
P.S.  The AlphaSmart doesn't have a delete key, and the send button is where it would be situated, so I keep hitting it by accident.

P.P.S.  My kangaroo pouch is fantastic, just FYI, nice little pocket thingy, very comfortable to have on ya, I put mine in the small of my back. It's especially helpful considering my skirts don't have pockets.

P.P.P.S.  I wonder how much text this can hold! Haha!

7:45 pm  Well, I'm still here waiting. A lost, younger-looking guy wandered into the waiting area for my gate in a suit, perhaps he's a missionary? Looked kinda dazed and confused.  I've also developed a headache, took a Tylenol and drank some water. I hate headaches.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015 Airport Goodbye

San Antonio Airport - Last Goodbye!

mis-sion-ary, {noun}

a person who leaves their family for a while,
so others can be with their FAMILIES FOREVER