¿Que pasa, calabasa?‏

It means, "whats up pumpkin?" spanish speakers LOVE rhymes and will use them whenever possible:)

Shoutouts:

Shoutout to Elder Weight and the Hoffmanns for the fun letters  I got in the mail this morning! Definitely helped pass the time until I e mailed everyone :)

Happenings:

First of all, I feel like I haven't been happy enough in my e mails! I hope everyone knows just how much I love the gospel and this opportunity to share it. I totally understand how much you can feel the spirit when teaching people the gospel. The other day Hermana Butler

 and I (who I haven't talked about enough so we will change that in this e mail) went in and just had written a few questions we wanted to ask. We started talking to him about receiving an answer, and how he was frustrated he hadn't received an answer. I felt impressed to talk about when I was applying for school. So I told about how I applied and thought that whichever school I got accepted to would be the right one. Little did I know that I would be accepted into all of them. Then I explained that I too prayed and was hoping for an answer and wasn't getting it. Why not? I felt so frustrated at the time because I was going to church, I was praying and I was reading and I didn't know what I was doing wrong. But that was the point- I wasn't doing anything wrong. Everything I did was in harmony with God and his spirit and he had so much trust in me with my 18 years of experience and knew that I could make the right choice. It wasn't until I was there, sitting in a folding chair in the middle of the Guatemala sun that it really clicked just how much faith God has in me. I mean, I'm 19. Most 19 year olds are just starting college and have no idea what they are even doing with their life. How blessed I am to have the guidance of the spirit and such understanding and trust at such a young age!

Also: You guys are allowed to ask any questions! Mom, that list of questions you sent with my first e mail was actually super helpful, but if anyone has anything specific they would like me to expound on, let me know!

Funny story:

It's the rainy season, but it's like Hawaii, where it will rain for 5 minutes then clear up 5 minutes later. But again, like hawaii, it will just POUR all day. So one day it was pouring and I had curled my hair so ovio (favorite spanish phrase- obviously) I didn't want it to get ruined. The CCM is tiny so the run from our dorms to the cafeteria (oh yeah, theres only 3 buildings in the entire CCM, one is the gym) is a pretty small one. But I pulled my sweater over my head and bee lined it, leaving my Hermana in the dust. Sorry Hermana Butler. For whatever reason, there were about 20 elders just congregating in the lobby who I guess didn't hear me yell "disculpe!" and "perdon me!" Needless to say, I slipped on the floor. Rubber shoes and linoleum- not a good combo. Well, my instincts kicked in to catch myself, but the only available resource was of course- another elder. So what do my arms automatically do? Wrap around his waist of course! They left as soon as I stuck them on his body but oh boy, I just took off down the hallway. When Hermana Butler retells the story she said she arrived just in time to see me gunning it down the hallway for what she thought was for no apparent reason. We haven't been able to identify the elder, but anytime one walks past, Butler will say "look, thats probably him..."

Last week we got a new "shipment" of Nortes,which unfortunately means that our Mexicans left :( but they assure me they are having a great time in Teguc :) I was feeling kinda bummed because dang, I'm the only one in my zone going to Teg now. But! With the new shipment, came 10 darling girls going to my Mission! They are so wonderful and I love every single one of them. It's so fun that we are able to bond here so much because when we get in the field, it will be that much better!

We also got to go to Wal Mart last week and oh boy that was an adventure. First of all, we wore PANTS! Butler and I were stoked all day and kept doing cartwheels and sitting Indian Style whenever possible :) We must have looked like a spectacle. All the missionaries left in the CCM (about 60) went and so there were all these greengos in Wal Mart with our tags on trying to ask people where the q-tips were :)

Thank you for all the e mails! It is always exciting to open your inbox and see that you have THIRTY! I love everyone and thank you so so so much for all of your support! Have a great week! :D

Also: When Butler and I were studying we found this. I love it so so much; it perfectly describes those I'm preparing to teach:

"And now when Alma heard this he turned him about, his face immediately towards him, and he beheld with great joy; for he beheld that their afflictions had truly humbled them, and that they were in a preperation to hear the word."