Hermana Riley goes to the Motherland: August 2014

HOLA! I only have one hour a week to write. Man oh man where do i begin, well for one, i love it here!!!! it's so wonderful and amazing and to be in Guatemala city is like home away from home, others get homesick and stuff but not me, i mean I miss you guys but i love it here, it's my second home! There were about 20 or more of us who went down. When I got to LAX it was just me, then another guy came and then a few more and it was just us for a while then MORE came so it was good. I was able to exchange dollars to Quetzales at that airport, it went very smoothly. I was sad after I gave you guys hugs, that was hard especially knowing I'm going to be gone for 18 months but being here as a missionary it really doesn't feel that long. It was very smooth sailing going through the Guatemala airport. I slept on the plane as much as I could, it was like a cakewalk going through customs, and all the missionaries luggage even mine made it safely. It wasn't too bad being on the plane, they gave us blankets and that was good enough. Guatemala city isn't cold in the mornings is cool when we go exercise, but otherwise it's like perfect weather around seventy degrees. So when we got to the ccm we all gathered together and there was a guy to pick us up in a big yellow school bus, tha'ts what transported us and our luggage to the ccm, we got off and got our luggage out, the missionaries came out and greeted us, las hermanas gave us hugs and gave us warm welcomes, we got our stuff situated, had breakfast, met the mission president and his wife and then they gave us a few hours to sleep which was great, I was tired, as always haha afterwards we got seperated into our districts "Elías" and "Pablo", I'm in the "Pablo" district, there are only three of us girls between the two so they are my companions hermana weicks and hermana furniss, they are nice and we get along great!! we had some classes and we received a big load of learning materials it is ridonculous!! we had interviews with president cox, he is sooo amazing i love him, every time he talks he is so inspiring and makes us want to go out in the field and baptize everyone he and his wife have a strong and sweet spirit! oh yeah I saw Scotty my first day and I've seen him here and there as I am in the ccm there's really not a lot of people, so its not hard to see him, we have only said hi a few times we don't really talk. But yeah turns out I'm going to be here for 4 weeks, because I came with the nortes (the americans and started with them so it was a little too late to switch) but I will be with them two weeks and then with los hispanos for the last two weeks, that's okay I'm glad. I dont think I would have been ready to leave in two weeks. I love the ccm, it is sooo great here! I now know why we can't have cameras, it's because a long time ago some elders misused their cameras for taking inappropriate videos of each other so they ruined it for everyone.... yes mom I am comfortable here, I have enough protection from the cold Man it has been one week since i have been a full time missionary, it is true what they say, the days are long but the weeks are fast!! Everyone thinks I am such a natural here with my spanish my companions are so grateful to have me because I can translate for them haha I enjoy the classes here, we started teaching our first investigator named miguel last week, it has been so cool to pray as a companionship and feel the same things for what to teach him, the spirit is amazing, this week we now teach two investigators at a time, we are done with miguel. This sunday I gave a talk in spanish already, we have to have a talk ready every week in case we get called. this Elder commented on it and was surprised how well I did for speaking since i have been here for one week, I just played along hehehe today is prep day, so we went to the temple, I love it so much, I got to do the session in spanish, and my comps did too they had headphones, but I didn't, and I understood sooo much, then again it was helpful to have gone all those times that i did before. it is soo beautful, I also ran into a friend of yours mom brother Cevallos I think esposo to Alma, he took pictures for us, which was great since we didnt have our cameras, I feel so special having connections down here thanks to you haha Thanks for everything!!!, I'm sooo glad to be here as a missionary, it feels sooo right!!!
send my love to everyone at home!!!
I hope you have a wonderful week,
how is work going
I love you sosooooooooooooooooooo much!!
mwah!

Hola mommy!!!! estoy en el ccm, (TRANSLATION) I am at the MTC (Missionary Training Center), wow I am sooo excited to be here!!! it'ls great to be back in Guatemala, I LOVE IT, it is like home away from home! I have made it safely, got all my luggage, they allowed us to sleep a few hours (because of the overnight flight) and that was great! met with the Mission President. I am in my district now, they are so cool, I am with two other Sisters...Sister Weicks and Sister Furniss but I am probably going to be moved with the natives since I am pretty good with my spanish. Funny thing they call the missionaries from the States "Los nortes" ( trans/The northerns) and the spanish speakers "Las nativas" (The Natives) hahaha. Ok only have five minutes for today, but I've heard so many cool stories! Oh yeah, you forgot to put my immunization record in my bag but that's ok. I saw Scotty and Jayden. I love it here so much! can't wait to go out and work! I love you mommy!! say hi and send my love to the family!! I will have more time next time but I wanted to let you know how I was doing. This is definitely the place where I am supposed to be! TE AMO MWAAH