Letter # 1

Sent to the family on 12/3/11
I like my district so far. My companion and I are the only sisters in our district, plus 6 other elders. They're going to Argentina and Paraguay. We've met other elders going to our same mission, probably at least 5 different elders now, but they're in different districts. 


So, it's hit now. This really is kind of insane how much they want you to study. Staying in a 10 by 10 room for over 10 hours a day studying is kind of crazy! SEriously, they expect us to stay sane for that whole time?! haha. I think I'll get used to it though. Yesterday, the spanish really hit. We learned how to greet, say prayers and bear our testimonys in spanish. From now on we are expected to pray in Spanish every time! This morning when I woke up and went to say my prayers, it was almost frustrtating that I couldn't even say my morning prayers in english! Ha, but I guess that will help me learn reaaaaal quick. Last night we also had our first lesson with an "investigator". The whole thing was supposed to be in spanish. Since mi companiero and I don't know very much spanish, we wrote down everything we were going to say beforehand and then during the lesson, when he went off on random tangents and we didn't understand, we just smiled and said, "no se". haha. He was trying to be good about it and explain slowly, but we just couldn't get it! haha. So when it came to we didn't know what he was saying, we would just ask our next question in spanish. The whole lesson probably made no sense whatsoever, but it was good practice! Tonight we are supposed to teach him again and go off what we taught him last night. I  have no idea how it will go and I supppose we'll just go with the flow and hope it works out!


I keep on having a personal reality check that I really am here and really am doing this. I really am on a mission and going to the DR! IT's crazy every time I realize that. I'm kind of scared for the DR MTC. It's going to probably be just as intense, but it will all be in spanish and so I'll  be super confused all the time! haha. I just want to know how to speak spanish RIGHT now! no learning. If only it were that easy. But it gives me hope to see the missionaries that have only been here 4 weeks and can already speak really well. At least really well compared to what I can do right now. Overall though, I actually do feel like I'm learning quite quickly. What I learned in high school is surprisingly all coming back to me now. I'm remembering more and more every day. It's pretty cool. I can tell that I am being helped by Heavenly Father to learn all of this. But yet at the same time, I think if anybody spent as much time as we do studying, they probably would learn quickly too, haha. Either way, I know I couldn't do this all on our own. 


I really am enjoying myself though. I know this is what I am supposed to be doing. I knew it would be hard and so it is exactly what I expected basically. Maybe still not as hard as I expected, so that's good! I can really see how a mission can affect people so strongly. It really does surprise me to see how much more mature the boys that have been here for a month are than the boys that just got here. Learning about the gospel does mature you. 
I'm super grateful for this opportunity to learn and grow!
hope all is going well, and hope you're enjoying this Christmas season! They have christmas lights up here around campus and so it's fun to see them and remind me there is a real world out there and that it is actually Christmas time!
Well, tomorrow is Sunday and so we'll have all of our meetings and then we get to walk up to and around the temple. I'm pretty excited about that. Into the world again! haha.
I LOVE ALL OF YOU SO MUCH!
-Jenica


p.s. this companion business is tricky. no time by yourself AT ALL. I knew it would be tricky for me, haha.