August 6, 2012

Hey Family!!!

So I am here in El Salvador! It’s crazy! So different that anything I have ever seen. I am having a little culture shock. Everyone here lives mostly in tin houses with dirt floors. I am reminded daily how blessed I am. The country is really dirty; there is garbage everywhere and it smells. B the people are so nice and welcoming they will give you the last of their food if you come to visit them. It has humbled me so much.

The people are so ready to hear the gospel, I was overwhelmed with the number of investigators we have here. I am so bad with names and it’s hard to put their stories with their face and then the name, man! I have lots to learn. But they are all such great people.

I have to tell you a great story that happened this week. Apparently the two sisters that were here last found a huge family that was interested in the church so they taught them once but they had to turn them over to the Elders because they were outside our area. But because there are so many of them they asked us to come to the church to help them with a church tour. I thought there were going to be like ten people there ...no there were over thirty small kids, teenagers, and adults. It was so crazy! It was an amazing site to see so many people trying to find the truth. We sat in the chapel and read 3 Nephi with them and then all of us missionaries got to bear testimony of the savior, it was amazing experience. I was so scared to testify in front of so many people when my Spanish is not so good but I did it and it was sooo cool! I love the fact that I just get to testify all the time here.

Sounds like we have a baptism lined up for next week if everything works out. Her and her family have received the discussions and everything but they have to wait because she has to get a divorce before they can get married and then get baptized. Sound like that is a big problem down here. My trainer, Hermana Baird, has been in our area for 6 months and she will be here for another 3, half her mission in one area! She knows everyone here and she is working with a lawyer to try and get at least 3 divorces to take place, its crazy.

Every investigator has an amazing story I don’t know all of them yet but I plan too. Their faith here is so strong, everyone, EVERYONE believes in Christ so it makes our work easier when we can get them to listen.

So I have pictures finally!! I am going to try and upload them. The blue house is where I live, it is a four-room house with tile and a bathroom that has a toilet and shower (I’m really lucky) and a study room and our bedroom is really small but it works. It is so hot here already and its the rainy season!! I had a hard time sleeping last night because it was so hot. We have fans though and that makes it better. We do not have a sink instead we have this concert water thing I don’t even know what it´s called but the water is so cold it feels so nice. It feels like I am at girl’s camp all the time its great.

So I sent the picture of my feet cause it reminded me of the scripture of  “how beautiful are the feet that publish peace." The blisters are all from eating sugar, its crazy, I have never had it this bad. It itches like crazy and walking is a little hard but they are doing better and I will be calling the nurse here cause I don’t know if it is an allergy or something else. Don’t worry about me its fine!!! Just thought it was funny.

Any who, this week was great and I can´t believe that I get to do this for everyday all day. It is hard work, we walk so much!!! We have our own cook for lunch and I swear I will  probably come back three time the size I left! Haha, her food is good....but everything is fried here in grease. Everything is greasy! Oh I had first pupusa in El Salvador on my first day. It was so great! I got beans and cheese they were really good. There are so many things here that we cant eat so we have to be careful but the pupusas I am so glad we can have.

The city at night is my favorite. Its so pretty cause you can’t see the garbage and its cooler. The lights are so many different colors I’ll have to get pictures and send them but  haven´t taken them yet. We as sisters have to go in an hour earlier than the Elders. We go in at 8 instead at 9.

Everything is so cheap here it’s crazy. I have to get us some change cause you use change for everything and I don’t have anything right now.

Thank you so much for writing me, I just found out that I can print off here so you can write me all much as you want and I will print them off and read them later. Tell Maren I did that with her letter so I will write her soon. I am glad you guys got my letter and I am glad you liked it. Thank you all for writing me, I love to hear from you so much.

So I have come to have a really terrible fear of dogs. They are everywhere here and they bark at you all the time, even run at you. I swear I will never have a dog again! Haha, I am defiantly going to have the full missionary experience.

Anyway I am going to try and upload my pictures now.  So I am having a hard time, no surprise, I will ask my companion soon so no worry’s.

The ride here was good, I was so tired and I feel asleep for a little bit. It was pretty, everything is green here and I love it!! But the trip was uneventful.

This week I have learned that as a missionary you are truly led by the spirit and the Lord. We were walking many times and all of the sudden my trainer said, “Oh! there is a investigator around here we need to visit.” and we would turn around and find them walking on the street and they just needed to see a familiar face and to hear that someone loved them. It’s so great to know you can be an instrument in the Lord’s hand. I am so grateful for this time in my life, I feel like I have already learned a lot and its only the beginning. The Lord lives, he loves us so much and it is because of the Atonement that we can become clean and have hope I am so grateful for that.

Sound like the family’s summer has been crazy. I miss so much love you tons

Hermana Hale