Yeah. (this after a question from her mom about losing weight from being sick) My pants were already a little big but after losing the weight I have to really buy new pants. I haven't yet though. I did buy the contact solution. But still Holy Crap. $20. I haven't got your package yet. I am hoping soon. 

Alli totally got it right. It's exactly like that. EXACTLY. (Alli was another missionary out from our congregation, to a mission in Las Vegas. She just returned from her 18 month mission. In her last email as a missionary she had talked about how missionary work was kind of like dating. Here is the quote from Alli's last email that Keli is referencing: I feel like missionary work is a lot like dating: We're trying to convince people they love us and want to be with us. Ha. And we don't want to call them too much, and they'll be turned off, and sometimes we feel like the crazy ex girlfriend....wait, come back, you need this.)

I am excited you are going out west this fall. You need this. You need to see your siblings and mom without worrying about lugging children or grandchildren around. 

Sadness, I have not received a letter yet! I am glad however that you like my letters. I don't think I have matured all that much but it feels good when someone tells me I am. You are awesome and I love you so much. I can't wait to actually get one of your letters which will hopefully be soon!

We do not have cell phones. For safety reasons. ONly the Zone Leaders have cellphones. We have a corded home phone. But in Belize we'll get cell phones.

SO my week has been pretty good. We have a sister who has accepted a baptismal date. However we are having trouble finding new people to teach. People who actually want to learn about the church. It's really rough.

The falls we went to see were super tiny. But it was so much fun. Because it was totally a hike. I will try and send photos but this computer kind of sucks a bit. Haha. 

We brought an investigator who needs to get married before she can get baptized to a wedding yesterday and she asked me if I was married. Uhm... WHAT? No way Jose. Haha.

My companion is crazy I swear but in a good way. I totally love her! The Latinas in my house are seriously wonderful. I love hanging out with them. 

Feeling pretty good. appetite is back a little. I am eating. I need to buy new jeans (mine don't fit very well now). No package yet. 

Man, a bonfire is what I need after this! I am glad the weather was good for her (Tori, Keli's cousin) open house.  I am on a little earlier today because we're going to go to the falls today. Mariah is so cute! I love that little stinker. 

Thank you I need the prayers for sure. We stopped by to teach a person we found while contacting. She wasn't there but her mom was. We stopped in shared the first lesson and was super receptive. But she didn't come to church... So who knows what's up with that. We sadly lost our two fechas (dates), because of miscommunication... which totally sucks! But we're working on them to hopeful be baptized next month. We did a skit, my district, for a ward activity this last week. We made it about how important it is to share the gospel. We had two people in the pre-earth life talking about how one would be born into a family in the gospel and the other wouldn't and how the one promised to find the other. Then the one gets his mission call, the other is having a rough time, the missionary has a strong desire to talk to the other and they talk, they teach the other and then baptize and afterwards in the celestial kingdom they're together! SO cute. But as we were practicing i FELT THE spirit so strongly that there are people who I promised before this life that I would find and help. Wow, just writing that I got chills!

Can you have someone recording when I come back? And another taking pictures, like when I hug you for the first time in 18 months! I would love that. Also please bring me a jacket. I will be freezing!

So Presidente Hintze told me: "Your Spanish is excellent" So I will probably be headed to Belize soon. Haha. I guess when a North American gets good at Spanish and he feels prompted to, he send them to Belize. I guess it's a little safer than El Salvador so he likes to end the White sisters there a lot. My comp thinks I am going this next transfer... YIKES! But I am pretty sure I am here for another change at least. 

Also my birthday next year is about a month-ish before I come back home. Don't send me anything, if you do make it small. Because I am going to need a hardcore pedicure/massage type thing. My poor feet will have been through so much. I already have a callous on one of my toes! 

Oh, and contact solution is like $20 here! I am going to be wearing my glasses a little more I think just to save on the solution. I have not seen any beef-jerky either. I would like some of that in a package sometime. 

One things that makes me "baggy" (Wanting to pack bags and go home) is the morning when I finish working out and I go to shower and it is so cold! It drives me nuts! Haha. I bird bath it a lot. 

I LOVE you so so so so so much!

You are so amazing. I love you mommy!

I am much better. Since about Tuesday I have been doing awesome. I still don't have much of an appetite but I am eating. I eat a lot because I know how much I need it walking so much. I have not gotten your package, I have a feeling there is BBQ sauce in it... Haha. I was told letters take about three weeks so I am curious about the packages. I think they're a little different because they have to go through customs. Anyway I am excited to get it and I will be sure to let you know when I do. 

I think it is so awesome that you are going out west for Thanksgiving! I think that is so good for you! I think I now know a little more how you must feel being away from your family, especially for so long! 

Food... I ate pupusas again this week, I enjoy them quite a bit. I had ice cream this week. So worth the$1.30 for it. Haha. One of the other sisters in my casa is from Honduras and she made this really yummy food similar to a bean taco with cheese and cream. I made rice the other day and fried up some chicken. I eat apples about daily. And I also have oatmeal, peanut butter, bread, yogurt, and such that I like to eat. 

So they have these little tiendas that I love. People just sell things out of the front of their houses. And they have everything! Seriously everything! Toilet paper, oil, soap, bags of chips, liters of Coke (which by the way 1.75L of coke here is about $0.75), spices, everything. SO when we're cooking and we forgot something we just walk right next door and buy what we need. There's also this house about a 2 minute walk away that sells lots of fresh veggies and pretty cheap too! for one quarter you can get like five or six average sized tomatoes. Super barato (cheap). We travel into another city by bus for our P-day shopping which is about 20ish minutes. And it's similar to a Kroger. That's basically what it is, a Latino Kroger. There are a lot of shops too that just sell shoes, clothes, and misc. things. There is a walmart but it is about an hour and a half away in San Salvador. Yeah, no thank you...

I wash my own unmentionables in what is called a pila. It's basically a big sink. I wash my clothes if I have something I need to get out of it. But we have 3 methods of washing and that is through a member in the ward, through a service, or yourself. I do a mix of the last two. And I love how clean my clothes are when I wash them myself. 

This week...

Monday the missionaries de (of) Guatemala made what I have taken to calling the glorified hot dog, It's pretty yummy and I think I could recreate it when I come back home. The Elders from Peru made something but I didn't eat it... my stomach was still on the fritz. 

Tuesday I went on my first inter-cambios and it was fun. I got the chance to be with a gringa trainer for the whole day! We visited this hermano who was the first person baptized into the church in El Salvador! How crazy awesome is that?

Wednesday we were super busy. I had to be at migration at like 9:30 in the morning so we had to head from Sonzacate (where I was for the changes Tuesday) to San Salvador about a 2hr. bus ride. Luckily we had a bus with AC. We got to eat McDonalds too. Which was nice. I had pancakes and  it was so worth it. I am sending my reciept to Rachel in the first letter I send her haha. After waiting twoish hours we were told my papers were not ready so we had to head home. After we got back we didn't get to do much, we had to plan for our baptism! Hermana Isa got baprized! Now, Isa has been investigating the church for almost three years now... she had to get dunked three times! The Obispo (Bishop) messed up on the wording twice! Oh poor thing...

Thursday We had a multizona which is where multiple zones are together and the Mission Pres. and his wife talk. I always enjoy listening to the Hintzes. Also they brought up something for you to worry about. Dengue. Do you know what it is? I don't have much time to explain, so look it up. If you get Dengue twice you get sent home because if you get it a third time it's fatal. I have been very careful and have been using OFF religiously. Today we were all told we have to get a mosquito net.I also got told by one of the Hermanas in my casa that I look like I have been losing weight, I am glad but also a little scared. I don't want to lose too much and look awkwardly unhealthy. So I have been good about eating three good meals. We also got a baptismal date set for the mother of Hermana Isa. We were having issues getting them baptized because the father of Hermana Isa's youngest sibling is living with them. Even though they are not together they are living together and that means no baptism. However, he's moving to the upstairs area! She can get baptized!

Friday after being at migration in San Sal. we came back and visited Hermana Isa's family. And the father of brother who's living there told us he got an answer... He is to get baptized too! We are so very excited for this!

So I know you just sent a package but I would like photos of the kids printed off and some of my photos from NYE with Paul and them. Also our family photo from 2010.

I am running out of time. I love  you so much mom! You are the best. Thank you for your prayers. I love you so much.

Siempre, 

Tu hija,

Hermana Mims

Today at 12:32 PM

(A little side note from Keil's mom...the first part of this email contains a little TMI but it is part of her email and I felt it important not to take it out). I love that scripture in Alma 17! Seriously so good! I am so thankful for the prayers. Life gets a little rough on me here. Especially since I have been sick. Little confession, I've been sick since I got to El Salvador. Diarrhea at least three times a day sometimes more. Like just pure liquid. It sounded like I was peeing... Gross. I have lost my appitite for even American food. Saturday was the worst.I was sick, then on top of it I started my period with the worst cramps. I recieved a priesthood blessing from my Zone Leaders and I was told that I would be okay (Which I already knew) that blessings are coming (Be on the lookout for them) and that I will have many trials and tribulations during my service and that's because the Lord wishes to bless me and to help me grow. So I will As dirrected in 2 Timmothy chapter 2 "endure hardness like a good soldier of Christ"  I am glad that you have been feeling comfort. I hope you will continue to take comfort in the fact that the Lord will return me to you. I can promise you this because he has promised me this. Thankyou so much for the prayers. I sure need them. I get a little lonely at times because it's hard to communicate. But I am doing good. The language is coming slowly but surely.

Christian is so cute! (He was crying because he "hasn't been to the temple yet".) I think you should take him to the temple. I think that is a beautiful idea! Little children can be very intune with the spirit more than we give them credit for. Thank you for doing your part in the member missionary work! It may be hard and there may be sacrafices but in the end it's really just an honor to serve the Lord. 

My week... So we went to visit a less active member who is wheelchair bound. She owns so many chickens!!!! And she let me catch the baby chicks and hold them. I am so sad I left my camera, but we will be going again this week! Last Monday Natalie sent me picture of Christian and Gabby, we have one really black guy in our zone, He's from the Dominican Republic so he's super dark, and he says to me "tiene negritos en su familia?" it was seriously the funniest thing. But then he looked at pictures I have of the kids and he was like awww negritos, oh ella es blanca (Mariah). It was so funny. 

I got called Barbie by a person here. It was funny. also a new investigator asked why a pretty girl like me wasn't married yet and that I was too pretty and young to be serving a mission. I told her I am needed here, this work is more important than a boyfriend or husband. I think she understood. Then I said but after the mission.. well... and she just laughed. 

We have a zone meeting and we were deciding on something fun to do as a zone. We decided since we have people from Guatemala, Hondurous, Columbia, D.R, and America we'll do a food lunch in thing. So we all got into groups to decide on what to make. Us gringos could only think of pizza, burgers, fries, chinese food, and mexican food. It was so pathetic! 

We have this less active family that we meet with once or twice a week. And the Father is a nonmember and I think the son too. But slowly the father has been talking more and listening. I am going over there this week to chop wood fo him. Which I think is exciting. Everyone here thinks I am so strong. I love it. 

We had our first baptism yesterday, Hermana Carolina. She was very happy but also sad. Her mother is a very strong catholic and doesn't approve. But she does have a strong desire to serve a mission which I think is wonderful! Things didn't go as planned for her baptism, NO ONE had a key to the font! WHat!? We had to walk to the bishop of the other ward's house and get him to come unlock it! Crazy! 

We have another baptism Wednesday. It was going to be yesterday but she's been sick and wanted to wait. So we got her down for Wednesday! So awesome! The area I am in has a ton of potential! I am very excited for the work here! 

I am sending letters for you and the kids this week. And I am hoping to get you a birthday card sent out next week so it will arrive by your birthday. (if it arrives before don't open it!) haha. 

I love my companion. I love the people here. I love the Lord. I am so happy to be serving here. Truly the best mission in the world. I know the Lord is helping me. D&C 88:84 (or is it 84:88? haha) His angels are around me to lift me up. 

I love you so much. I would not be away from you if it was not the wishes of the Lord. You mean the world to me mom. I pray every night the Lord will give you peace, comfort and will show you the first blessings of my labors. I love you!

Siempre,

tu hija

Hermana Mims

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SO many questions! Ahhhh!

I have a Latina companion. Hermana Escobar... she doesn't speak mch English. Life is hard. The transition home was only for Iike two nights until I had changes and got my companion. She's really nice. I love missionary work. It's great. I am still working with the language. It's difficult but it's coming. I get a little nervous but I just need to open my mouth more. I live with my companion and two other Latina Hermanas. So I do lots of Spanish. Our House is pretty nice compared to a lot of houses around here. I wish I had taken more pictures I have been a slacker with that. I promise pictures next week for sure! We have these weird looking lizards that love coming in the house. They're kind of ugly. haha. My ward is nice. we had 8 investigators come to church yesterday and we have two baptisms next week.

Cool story, so hermana Isa has her Baptismal date set for this Saturday. She has been investigating the church for almost 3 years and just said yes to baptism! Then the second time I visited her she kept asking if I had ever been in El Salvador. Because I look so familiar. I looked at my companion and said "Vida Preterrenall" (premortal life). She smiled and agreed with me. I need to learn Spanish because I am here for a reason and I need to figure it out! Then also Hermana Ingrid is a young investigator who has had a desire to be baptized but her dad refuses to give permission. Then This week while visiting her she said her father said it was her decision! All of this is happening for some reason and I need to figure it out. Also we got a new investigator this week... well yesterday. We met her and her friend in the street, just started talking and BAM. New investigator... possibly two! So cool!

So the insects here love me! So many bites even with OFF. Oh well. I will survive  it... possibly. I hope I don't get Dengue. That would suck. But yeah that is awful. I also had a close encounter with a roach. Ew!

I have never felt more beautiful than I do here. Every time I meet someone new I get called linda, or bonita, or doll and I get so many compliments on my eyes. People ask me if my dad gave me my eyes or my mom. Its funny. 

Also The first pupusas I ate here in El Sal. I MADE MYSELF! Say what!? Yeah I am so cool. They were so delicious.

I love you mom. So much! I can't wait for next week!

 

Alright. I have got to go. I promise more photos next week. I love you so much mom. You are amazing. I know you are praying hard for me... please do not stop! I love you mom!

Siempre,

Hermana Mims