Esta Bien‏

Hola!

Okay, so much to write! Sorry that I didn't tell you last time, but Wednesdays are my pdays. We didn't get one last week, so it has almost been two weeks without a pday!! Ahh.. but esta bien. We get to go to the temple later today, so that will be fun. It will be in english,but hopefully in a few weeks, I'll be up for a spanish session.

It is SOOOOOO amazing here in the CCM. There are less than 20 hermanas here,so it is so nice to be able to get to know everyone. The latinas are ahoot and so patient with all of us north americans. One of my teachers here is Guatemalan. He was called to serve in Germany, but in order to learn German at the Provo MTC, he had to learn English!!!! How crazy. He said it was defintely the hardest thing he has ever had to do. If he can learn two languages in a short time, I guess I can learn Spanish. I also heard about a Chilean that went to NYC - mandarin speaking!!! Ahh.

The branch President's wife here learned english through watching the show "Mr. Rogers." How amazing is that? Totally thought of Grandpa. It is so interesting trying to communicate with people here. I am understanding a lot more than would be possible than if I weren't on a mission. I know that, but sometimes I forget it and just compare myself to others. I just want to work harder, and harder, and harder! We went contacting on the temple grounds last Saturday for practice. It was truly incredible. It was definitely a little bit difficult to understand some people sometimes, but it was truly inspiring. We talked with a younger lady with 3 little girls and ababy boy. Cutest girls ever (Mom, they were all wearing Hello Kitty shirts). One of them just talked and takled and talked. It's a lot harder to understand little kids speaking spansih by the way haha. We met a woman who LOVES english, so she talked to us a lot and gave usher business card. She said if we ever needed anything to just call her. The people here are so amazing. Granted, we have been dealing with mostly LDS people, but I konw that they're not this way just because they are lds.

The Latinas laugh at/with us a lot. On sundays,we are assigned n.amer/latin companionships. My comp is Hna Mendez. She is super cute. A little bit shy, but def has a feisty side. One of my reg. comps is soooo good at just using the spanish she knows and talking to everyone however she can. I'm a bit more hesistant, but will definitely strive to be more like Hna Winder. I have never listened so intently in all of my life. I have honestly been getting headaches from concentrating so hard on each word everyone says. How hilarious is that? I find that the faster they speak (esp. if they're latin), the worse my headache is haha. But really, it's no big deal. It will come.

Family, I have been thinking so often of the accident. I just know that we are so blessed. I know that angels carried Isaac. I really don't know why we are so blessed to still have him in our lives, but I know that we most definitely need to heed the command of D&C 82:3. I have been studying a lot about angels, blessings, hardships, and "if ye love me, keep my commandments" this week. I know that I MUST work the hardest I can these next 18 months. I have been WAAYYYYYY to blessed to do anything but give it my all. We have nothing but to be thankful and try to give back. I've probably read Mosiah 2:20-25 at least six times these past few days. One of our teachers, Hna Sosa,talked to us a lot about families the other night. She pointed out something I haven't really thought about before. She told us to look at our plaques/name tags. We are not only representing Jesucristo, but the even larger and bolder name on our plaques is not our own, but our family's. Then, she had us look at a picture of our fam (don't worry, I totally have one... minus Kaylie, which is lame). I only want this mission to bless our family. I know we can be happy if we follow Jesus Christ. It may not be the means that we have in mind, but I know that we can.

I am in far too deep to ever deny God and all that He has given each and everyone one of us. So much is expected of each of us,but we have His help the WHOLE way. We have been encouraged to write to our families not about food or people, but about experiences and what we have been teaching. I feel so inadequate to try and give any uplifting thoughts or advice, but I wish I could make you all as happy and hopeful as I have been made. I love you all and am so proud of all you do and who you all are. Thank you thank you thank you for your influence, love, advice, letters, encouragement, prayers, and thoughts. Know that I think about each of you soooooo much. Don'tworry about me one bit, okay?!

Con amor,
Hermana Marin