I am loving this whole mission thing!

Me and Hermana Collette, trying on my backpack.


Okay, i finally made it to a computer! p days here are Mondays. i am loving this whole mission thing. its been almost a week since i arrived and we have had so many adventures! my companion is the mission nurse, so half the time we are taking care of sick and afflicted missionaries, and the other half trying to BE missionaries. its interesting, but fun. i am glad she speaks English, even if that means i will take longer to pic up Spanish... so be it. keeps me sane. i can at least understand ONE person around here. bore my testimony in my new ward here. that was a little scary, i hope they could figure out what i said! haha my ward is cool, small but the people seem really good and solid.
Oh, my comp is Hermana Collette from Idaho falls. we have a ridiculously good time! the first night i got here, we had an appt to teach a family of a mom dad and six little girls. it was POURING flood style, but of course, we went anyway. and got soaked. my shoes took a day and a half to dry out. what an adventure!! we took them to church yesterday, they are really cool and a super cute fam but hesitant to get baptized. we are praying for them. this work is cool, all the ladies do the whole kiss you on the cheek and say hola. i get tired of kissing people. the streets are crazy dirty. i saw a guy pooping in the street yesterday. the markets are sweet. we have bugs everywhere, in our house and out. my comps ear got stung by this strange red bee and has been swollen for three days! yipes!. we have a cook that we pay for our meals, she is really good about cooking what we like and trying to keep us healthy. she is in our ward and also speaks English. her name is zusi. but we eat a lot of beans and eggs. everyone here does. all meals. its great! lets see, what else could i tell you....my Spanish sucks and will suck for several months i suppose. but the people are nice and patient. i know i expected poverty and humility here, but the houses are SO crazy. i have seen carpet once- in presidents house. everyone even the more well off people, have concrete walls and floors, and not everyone has doors and its just something that you cant understand unless you are sitting in these crappy homes all day, and just see how these people live. i cant really put it into works, but we have no idea what dirty and poor is. BUT, poverty doesn't mean humility. we do a lot of contacting, door knocking, etc, and people still don't want to listen to us. i am getting used to trying to talk in Spanish to people, having them not care, and saying no. haha but, such is life.
i still love this gospel, thanks for all your emails and love and prayers. this is already an adventure after one week. i hope you're all doing well! oh, and good news- chacos are allowed here by my pres! (too bad i wont wear them much in the city, its to dirty!!!)
but anyhoo, i guess thats my report for today!!!
love You!

mary
xoxox