Family letter

November 21
So much to tell! My mom (first comp) is Hermana Vazquez, from Mexico and she is absolutely amazing. She understands a ton of English and speaks some, so she understands when I speak in Spanglesh hallelujah! I`m literally in the farthest area from the mission home - JALAPA and its way up in the mountains!! We took a 3 hour bus ride out here with 2 other sets of elders. We`re the only hermanas in our zone of almost all gringos haha. Our house is crazy small and full of dust every single day and there's cute pictures of Jesus and gospel stuff other sisters have left. The people are amazing. They are almost always open to talk to us, even if they say they're catholic in the next sentence lol. We eat a huge lunch every day at a member`s house with our DL and his comp and they're so funny. The members here are so willing to help us with the work and to find people and I can`t understand everything that they're saying all the time, but I just smile and give all the hermanas hugs and add in my two Spanish words every 10 min or so. Last night.. oh my goodness we found a spider that was literally the size of my palm! I guess my temple worker friends were right!

I`ll tell more in my group email but that`s just some. I absolutely love it here. I seriously can`t think of a better place to be, or something better to be doing. Harry Potter Marathon sounds like so much fun!! Is thanksgiving this Thursday? I honestly can`t remember anything about timing or holidays haha. A few people here have tiny Christmas trees but people don't do huge gifts or anything. It's more like family time, which i love lol. Oh my goodness, Natalie`s getting married.. wow. Crazy. I'm so glad I get to be here and learning so much and growing. I still feel small and inadequate, but I'm learning. My companion only has had 4 months in the mission, but she`s so confident and adultish. One day, I'm gonna be like her(; Thanks for all the details! Let me know all the cool stuff y'all do this break!!

Con mucho amor,
Hermana Townsend