I HEARD A BANG!!

Things are going well here! I never let myself get discouraged or my comp. there is no time for that hahah. No i haven't been chased by dogs yet, but one day when we went to pick up a member, her dog came barking at us, charging and my comp. stuck out her umbrella and water bottle and totally freaked out because she got bit once and had to go to the hospital in the capital (8 hours away).

I had my first exchange with an Hermana leader her name is Hna. Ball i went to her area in Santa Elena, holy cow, we walked a lot! her area is big. The first lady we visited, she got robbed last Monday, by a group of guys on a motorcycle and took her cellphone! one of our investigators told us about them, that there are three guys on a motorcycle that assault people, never take out your phone at night, thats what i learned. We tried to comfort her and stuff. That day went well, i was tired, we were walking home and right before we got to the street up towards the apartment I heard a BANG! and then a kid screaming mommy! I thought it was a gunshot and the mom got shot or something, so i slowly peaked around the corner, i was scared... but it was just a firecracker and a scared little kid hahah, but holy cow my heart was pounding hahah two days later, our electricity went out in the morning and NO water either, my comp. got to shower, but there was no more water for me (side note: the water is always cold, but its nice up here in peten because its hot)  I really needed to take a shower! I prayed and hoped for water to come but it never did.... So guess what i did? I had babywipes, and used those to give me a sponge bath haha thankfully my hair wasn't greasy, so i braided it and put it up. but that was my experience, all the utilities came back around 5, i guess it was notified to the town on the radio, but we never hear anything.

Well this weekend we were supposed to have 2 baptisms but they both fell through. We were supposed to visit Luis orantes everyday last week, but on monday we found out he started working again, so he fell off the map again, and didn't have any contact with him. And then jose alberto, last week i just wasnt feeling good that he should get baptized, because he was still assisting the other church Casa de Dios, so we told him and shared with him and he understood and he was confused trying to figure out what to do because he likes both churches, we told him to give us his decision Saturday morning, we got his phone call that morning and he decided to stay with Casa de Dios but asked if he could still attend ours, and we said of course! the doors are always open,and we are going to continue visiting him. I knew what he was going to choose, so i wasn't as disappointing and i don't know why, me and my comp felt the same way, but we just had this joy and happiness, it was weird, we felt light and giddy. We are going to help him get a better understanding of the Book of Mormon and help him receive a better testimony and true conversion, because he likes to talk about the bible a lot, and the Book of Mormon is kind of lesser to him i feel. But he is bien Pilas and i know he will get baptized one day, same with luis, just now is not the time. But me and my comp. feel great! and are going to work hard, because we are together for one more transfer!! We are staying in our area! had cambios last night, it was conference call, kind of cool and the district leader told who was going and leaving, the majority of our district is staying just a companionship of sisters is leaving and one elder, pretty nifty, cambios are pretty hectic. But im glad its still the same for me. Im doing better about the service with my comp. well i always help around the house, and i also ask to help the members but they always say no haha well nicer than that. And we always eat at hna. blancas and we do pay her, its 20quetz every meal, except for sundays she gives us that day free. She is great, i love her. I will make sure to take pictures with the members and investigators sometime 
Well here we don't ride buses, we usually walk for the most part but if not we take whats called a Tuc tuc (tooc tooc) its like a 3 wheeled vehicle, i will take a picture one day. pretty cheap. Today for pday we really didn't do anything because of transfers, just cleaned the apartment, went to take money out, got some icecream went to the church to wait for the other missionaries so i played the piano, ate burger king, then going to do some grocery shopping tonight, so nothing special pretty chilax. i didnt bring my camera today, but i will send some more pictures next week, and i will try the drop box idea.
I will make sure to try and go to a cemetery, ican't believe it is halloween this week, it doesn't feel like it! and yeah the weather is pretty much the same, but its cooling down a bit which is ssooooooo nice!!

Oh yeah! in the future package can you send a jump rope too, i would like it for exercise, it will be helpful, a lot of people use it here on the mission. Im staying healthy and hydrated, no problems so far. No creepy bugs, but the past two weeks twice i have been surprised by a cock croach, it came out of nowhere! other there are a bunch of hormigas (ants) and they crawl all over my table and study stuff, going to find a way to terminate them, and the mosquitos arent too bad, but there is one i cant see and its attacking my legs, and only my legs never my arms or anywhere else and it happens in the mornings in the apartment, otherwise im always using repelent before i go out. but thats pretty it, so scary spiders or anything. pretty chill up here. On sunday there was also a primary program, the kids were so cute! and it just reminded me of you and your calling. Oh yeah, like the first weeks being here in guatemala in peten, i would be walking around and seeing places and wishing you were there with me, my adventure partner, because i remembered the times we were in Italy and before in guatemala, and it was different being here without you, it made me miss you. But one day I will show you around town! haha maybe we will do the amazing race together.

Well that was my week! I love you guys so much, i know heavenly father is taking care of you guys, glad to hear all that is happening. Be careful dad take it easy, you might want to get that checked out if you havent, do some minor stretches and ice it. I will be praying for ya, and working on that challenge!
Love ya family!!
Hermana Riley