Greetings Peeps!

Greetings peeps! Me and my comp have been shopping most of the day for her to buy the stuff she wants to get before she leaves next week. She hasn´t bought a lot of stuff and I think she still needs to buy an outfit, so we´ll see what she comes up with by the end of the day. :) I am doing good. We had some sandwiches and smoothies for lunch which was good and I´ve just been letting her do her thing most of the day. So on Thursday, which is mail day, I got your package!!!!! It was grand. I LOVED it! Everything was great. You know what I like. The dress is great. I loved it!!!!!!!! I also got the manila envelope with the fun stamps and stuff. I got letters from the MTC from Leah B. and also from you. The letter from you was dated July 11. It had stamps and writing on it from Nicaragua so I have no idea what happened with that but it is funny that it went to Nicaragua. I also got a little package from Grandma H. with a little book in it. We had a good week. Also, we went to the store during the week and I checked my backpack at the front desk while we shopped. Guess what number they gave me to claim my bag? 46!!!!! It made me smile! I was going to try to explain my excitement to my comp but decided it would just seem weird. We´ve been trying to find new people and we´ve had some success with our investigators. One has a baptism date for October, so hopefully October will be more successful. I celebrated my 3 month mark and Lexxy´s 6 month mark with ice cream. We find a reason to have ice cream whenever we can. I figured out who my mission president reminds me of...Hubert...except that he speaks Spanish and is older, but I thought you might find that interesting. This week we saw the sociedad de socorror (spelling?) the RS in action. The RS president brought a new member a bunch of new stuff and pretty much did a makeover in the very humble home this lady lives in. She was very happy and it was great to see the RS in action. I think it was my comp that said that Lexxy and I must have been best friends before this life so we had to come together. I think that that is definitely true. I think all four of us must have been best friends, so Heavenly Father decided that we could spend eternity together. I love you peeps so much and talk about you all of the time! I´ve seen a few things with Millie in the name and I think of your bike. :) Whenever we pass a TV with baseball on I try to look and see if it is my D-backs that are playing. Apparently it is a good time to be a D-backs fan. :) That is great that the Crandall´s are home. That will be Alexis in one year. Craziness! We were visiting this lady that has a salon (there are salons everywhere here and most of the women go there every week. I think of Grandma L. when I see a lady holding a bag to cover their hair to not get wet and ruin their hair). Anyways, this lady has 2 daughters. They are funny and cool. I think of Marni when we are at the salon since it is part of the lady´s house. I will find out next Sunday night what will happen, but my comp thinks I´ll be staying here ‘til Christmas. But who knows? There aren´t a ton of options since we are getting more new sisters too. I think most of the companionships will be training newbies, but we´ll see. Well, I am just about out of time and I think my comp is ready to go. It is always great to hear from all of you. I will be interested to hear about Lexxy and if she is transferred this week. It will be something to look forward to next Monday. I always look forward to email time. Well, I love you peeps soooooo much. Looking forward to dearelders this week on Thursday and then email on Monday. I am doing good. Until next week. ejc

Greetings Peeps! So, I am doing fantastico. We are still waiting to hear about any changes this week. I am 50/50 on my comp having a change and about 90 percent sure I don`t, but who knows I could be totally wrong and I could be in a new place next week. Anyway, life is swell. That was funny about Lenny mentioning 46. I have explained it to my comps but it isn`t nearly as funny to them. I took a picture a couple weeks ago of a kilometer marker 46 in Jinotepe but I haven`t taken any more pictures so I didn`t bring my camera to email time. By the way, this email time is la mejor hora de la semana (best hour of the week). I love hearing from you all. I got your manila envelope with the lovely address labels, a letter from Chessy, and a letter from Sister Arnett. Also thanks for the pictures, I love seeing you and what you are up to. So, I got my shoes resoled for the fabulous price of 100 cordobas which is about $4.50. SO that was swell, the only thing is they are a tad smaller and I have to adjust to them and the way they fit like a new pair of shoes, but they seem to be real good. I did celebrate 6 months with a lovely orange dream bar. So, life is swell here. Last week was Nicaraguan Independence Day on the 14 and 15. I thought it was interesting that twice I heard them read the letter the USA sent congratulating Nicaragua. We are doing well. We have been working with a less active family that has been to the temple and all, but haven`t been to church in I don`t know how long. They have an 8 year old that needs to get baptized. I really like the lady and she is funny. She is also learning English so she likes to practice. We were going to have a little English class with her and another member, but it was rainy on Saturday and we were running late so we will have to do it next week (if I am still here). Anyway, a week ago the wife and kids came to church and this week they all came. Also yesterday, the branch president was talking about going to the temple. They may be going on Christmas Day, so that should be memorable, but he said the trip will be much shorter only 12 hours. I was thinking again how blessed and spoiled we are in our 12 minute ride to the temple. I am so excited for the temple in 12 months! So life is going good here. We had 2 investigators in church. They both came about 10 minutes before it was over, but I was very excited to see some people come in. Oh, I was reading D&C 109:22 this morning. I think that was the scripture Sister Garn read to us at the temple our first time. Anyway, I love you tons. And yes we must have been the best of friends before this life. I am so happy knowing I can be with you all for eternity. I love you so much! The gospel is true and I am happy here as a missionary. Can you believe it has been almost a year since I started my papers? 3 months until Christmas, 4 months after that until Mother’s Day and 5 months after that I will be home. Crazy!!!!!!! Also, you should read ¨Our Search for Happiness¨. It is real good. I really like how Elder Ballard writes. Also, I mentioned in my letter to Sister Arnett today, to take lots of pictures at activity days and make an album for the girls. I really like the one Sister Garn made for us with all the pictures to look back on. Yes, I am well taken care of. This last week or so a couple of times the ladies have cooked dessert for us so that was exciting. You are taking care of the sister missionaries like their families are taking care of other missionaries. It is all a big circle. As for dessert - here it is arroz con leche or rice with milk. It is basically rice pudding which is tasty. I have decided to cook a meal when I get home with all things rice - even the drink. Some of the drinks here have ground up rice in them, and we can have gallopinto and arroz con leche. Also a couple of things that I have decided I want to buy before I leave here - a hammock and a baseball glove (since they make good leather stuff). I will wait about another 10 months so I don`t have to lug the stuff around, but that is what I want to get. For the hammock we will have to figure out or build a little place to hang it from. It was cool yesterday when we taught a lesson sitting in a swing made out of bamboo that someone had hanging on the patio. And, I am glad Chessy is sending you notes too. Chessy said how God knew that she needed us in her life and I know He knew we needed her. That wasn`t a coincidence meeting her our first days in BYUH. Yep, she is perfect for us - I said in my letter to her today that she is our bestest buddy and the person we can truly be our crazy selves around. I am sure she is as happy to get your mail as we are. The letter I got from her on Friday was from July. She is a good letter writer. She said she hopes she has a comp like me. I hope to have one like her and Lenny! The time will go by fast. Yes some days are longer, but really it goes by fast especially when we are busy and productive. That is the key – work, work, work! Thanks for being awesome. My time is just about up. Keep me updated on my D-backs. Love you tons and miss you too, but I am doing fantastico. Love, Alexis