INDEPENDENCE DAY!!

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!

AMERICA!

Well hey family how are you doing??? I hope that everyone is doing really really well.  I am just doing great.  Today we cleaned the apartment for like 4 hours... That is just the best way to spend your preparation day... But sometimes I just can`t stand living in a dirty apartment.  I know I am just passing through and I am not going to live here forever.  But why can`t we treat these apartments like they are our homes.  The last sisters that were here in this area I don`t think ever cleaned... But I am just ranting..... Okay I am over it.  

Today I woke up and my companion said, "Feliz 17 meses!!!" Uhhhhh WHAT!!!! That sure woke me up!!!! I jumped out of bed and was so happy!!! I still am happy but I honestly can`t believe it!!! 17 months away from home!!! I can`t believe it!  That is a really long time. My companion keeps saying I am so jealous of you!!! But I just ask her... "When did you start your mission?" and she says... "last month" and then I say... "That`s right... I have been here a while so don`t be jealous... You will be home before you know it."  It is pretty neat being this close to coming home...

Well this week we had some pretty crazy things happen... Let me first think of what to tell you all... At a lunch appointment that we had my companion was really silent when she was eating and I had to do all of the talking.  It kind of made me think that something had to have happened because she usually isn`t that quiet.  We came out of the lunch appointment and my companion said that she was lucky that she didn`t throw up during our lunch time.  I then said that the food wasn`t that bad and then she told me what had happened. She said as she was eating the beans and rice she was only on about the fourth spoonful when she crunched down on something really hard. 

She then secretly slipped the hard substance out of her mouth when she noticed that it was a piece of something purple.  She then asked me... Hermana do you remember what color the sister`s nails were?..... and I did remember.... They were purple!!!! I then said, "Noooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!"  If that isn`t gross I don`t know what is!!!! My poor companion... she only has three weeks in the field and is having lots of luck with the food!  haha

My companion says that she hears me making noises in my sleep.  She says she constantly hears me whispering/sighing, "aye aye aye" I don`t know why I constantly am saying aye aye aye.... I think that I am just kind of stressed!  haha Speaking of stressed... This past Tuesday at our District reunion our zone leaders called us in the other room while our District Leader was teaching to check our Area Book we showed them our agendas and after they gave us a few suggestions on how we can improve, Elder Suarez asked, "Hermanas, how do you feel in your area?" 

I was looking at my companion and waiting for her to answer because if she didn`t I would have burst out crying.  When she realized that I was waiting for her to respond she then looked at Elder Suarez and told him that things were not going as well as we would like in the blessed area of, "Las Americas."  When she started describing what was happening I actually started to feel my eyes well up with tears... She started saying how everyone that the other Hermanas were teaching are never home and now they don`t answer their phones when we call.  All of the people that we contact are super rude and slam the doors in our face.  It is just not a very happy place to be a missionary. 

Then Elder Suarez turned to me and his eyes got three times bigger when he saw that I was on the verge of tears and timidly asked.... "Hermana Welch how do you feel in your area?"..... I couldn`t even speak because if I did I would sob or make a noise that could be even more embarrassing so like a nerd I just gave him a BIG thumbs down.  He then nodded his head not sure if he should ask me more or just move on so after about three LONG seconds of silence he told us to sit down and he would give us a couple of pointers on how to work in La Kennedy, especially Las Americas. 

My area is really hard because there are malls and every kind of business in our area and there is also a huge airport in the middle of our area... So the people who live here are really rich... Or they like to think they are.  But Elder Suarez told us that our area was one of the hardest in the Kennedy.  I was actually really surprised to hear that and I wrote down all of his suggestions.  We are doing better and are now more motivated to work.  I am happy to be here and I know that I have to learn a few more lessons before I can come home. 

Well my time is up.  I really hope that this email goes through.  I know that this church is true and I am so happy to be a part of this great work.  The Lord expects a lot from us and I know that I have to give more than what I am giving him now.  But most of all I know that he loves us and wants us to be happy.  That is why he sent His Son to die for us.  I am so grateful for the atonement in my life so that we can repent and be made clean again.  I know that this Church is true. 

I love you all more than I miss you.

Love Hermana Welch #1 (Jess)

P.S. Happy fourth of July!!! 2 Nephi 2:27