Gracias por all of the birthday wishes from all friends and family!! I wish I had time to write to all of you but I dont, but know that I really appreciate it! The beginning of this letter might be kind of random, but im just gonna try and answer some of your questions. This week seriously flew by. I can´t believe Im already on my 5th week here in el salvador. Two more weeks and we have cambios, but I dont think that I will be changing or my companion. A little more about my companion since you asked. Hermana Estevez is from Honduras and she has been out for 5 months. She loves to joke around and laugh.. like all the time! She learned english in school so she can communicate pretty well with me. Her mom died when she was like 7, which makes me think a lot about you mom, but she is super super strong. The area I am in dad is in Ahuachapan and the ward is Espino. I think if you look up on LDS.org you can find ward boundaries or atleast the chapels. our area is by the Col. Ivu. Our chapel is Capilla frente de Ivu. One of the main streets is Col. Pacifico.... if that helps a lot. I dont know it is super hard here with addresses...cause there are just tons of small pasajes. I love my district and my zone! The people in my district are DL Elder Ibazeta (peru), Elder Bausserman (Ohio), and then me and hermana estevez, and then Hermana Harris (Utah), Hermana Hunter (Arizona) she came at the same time I did, and then Hermana Herrera (argentina). I love seeing them. We don´t have cellphones, only the zone leaders, but the phones at night sometime we get to talk, but we run into each other all the time. Ah...im trying to remember your questions... Surprisingly dad there hasnt really been anything for halloween or dia del muertos or whatever yet...so i dont know if they dont do that here or what. So this week. First off can I talk about food for a second? my favorite thing in the world after pupusas is chocobananas. they are great. Im addicted. haha. But also this week I had pizza and hamburgers and can i just say they were better than anything ive ever had in the states. So there is that. Also I actually had crab on saturday at the familia trejos house! haha. It wasnt the best though...because the crabs were so small that I could barely get anything to eat out of them, but it was still good to think of you guys and it was funny we had that so close to my birthday. This week we had our multizona reunion at the mission office on thursday. It was great! It was basically all day with two other zones. I didnt really see any of my other friends other than those in our zone, but it was still great. That was the first time I had seen president cordon since the first day. That night we also had the baptism of Kevin! Kevins uncle Hermano Marvin Orellana baptized him, which is pretty cool because Hermano Orellana is one of Presidente Cordons converts. It was so neat to know how clean he was when he came up out of the waters. We visit with him a lot and since he is a joven we really want to help him stay active and stay with good friends. Him and his cousins are hilarious though. We are always joking around with them. So yeah, first baptism was pretty exciting! Also tomorrow Alba Alvarez is getting baptized! I am very excited for her baptism. I feel like I actually got to teach her a little more than kevin. She has had many missionaries come to her over the years, but she never really accepted the lessons or progressed. It really made my day the other day when we were at her house and she asked if we had a camera because she wanted a picture with us so she could remember us. Obviously we are going to get pictures with her at her baptism and stuff, but that really made my day to know that she wants to remember me. Her son is a member but inactive. Her husband isnt a member and he said he was going to come to church this last sunday, but he didnt. But he said for sure he is coming to her baptism this week and then church this sunday. We hope that eventually he can get baptized too. And then hopefully in a year they can go to the temple. Alba is going to be a great member. She had problems accepting baptisms for the dead at first, but we are hoping she can get involved in family history work. Ill send more pictures next week of her baptism. The next investigators or the Lopez family. I talked a little about them. Katherine (like 16) is a recent convert (she had been going to another ward) but we have been talking with her all the time. And then the mom is totally inactive. And then Dalia (like 21 or 22) is who we are mostly teaching, and then the also have a younger sister karen who is like 10. The dad lives in US and is a member. Anyways they are awesome. Yesterday for my birthday they surprised me with pupusas for dinner! We didnt get to spend a ton of time with them because we had other appointments, but it made me feel really great. I have pictures Im sending of us with Dalia and Katherine. I realized this week just how much I really do love the members and investigators. Sometimes its hard to feel if the people here really do love you or not, because I cant really understand always and I dont talk as much as I would like to, but everytime we are in the house of our investigators or members I feel comfortable. In the streets I feel a little overwhelmed sometimes or out of place, but in the house of members and investigators there are no worries. Im really grateful for the people here. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be here serving in El Salvador. I know that sometimes its hard, but I literally owe everything I have to this gospel. Im so thankful that I was able to grow up in the gospel in a strong family. I know without a doubt that God has a plan for all of us and the Jesus Christ is my Savior. I am forever grateful for his atonement in my life and I only hope that I can help to share it with the people here. Im sorry I dont have time to write very personal emails to all of you, but know that I think about you all every day. Dad I always think of you with my spanish and your strong testimony and knowledge of the gospel. Mom I hope all is going well for school and that you are enjoying your students. Ryan and Courtney please give big hugs and kisses to Adelyn! Thanks for the pictures. And Janelle and Colby I hope all goes well for you in applying for schools, Im praying for you that things will go well. Janelle I loved your email about laughing at Colby. Love you all so much! Hermana Groneman

Amanda in El Espino, El Salvador

Familia y amigos, Well Im happy to report that it has been a much better week. I really have a strong testimony of prayer this week. Not only were my prayers answered, but also I have felt your prayers. Every single day. Literally I don´t think I had one moment of homesickness this whole week (well maybe when I opened up emails this week a little bit) but honestly homesickness wasn´t distracting me this week and I was able to have a really great week. So thank you to every single one of you and your prayers. It really strengthens me to feel your prayers. Im sorry if my email last week was a little discouraging...maybe I shouldn´t write home sad emails...but thats how I was feeling last week. Also thank you to all who sent me encouraging emails. It meant a lot to me. So this week. Literally went by so quickly. and it was great. Tuesday we had one of the sister training leaders, Hermana Harris, come with us for the day and I loved that. She is from Salt Lake and she has about a 1 year into the mission. It was great to talk to her and she is a great example to me. Her spanish is amazing!!! literally sometimes people think she is latina. I hope one day I am as good as her at spanish. Wednesday was probably the best day of the entire week. We had to travel to San Salvador to do our paperwork for our visas and guess who i saw!? HERMANA GARBETT! Literally I dont think I have ever had such a great reunion hug with someone in my life. The minute I walked into the door of the office building and saw her we immiedately hugged and I was crying and blah blah blah but seriously it was the greatest moment in the whole week. Hermana Garbett and I are seriously going to be friends forever and I am so grateful for example in my life and her strength and love. She is doing great and we were talking how we only hope that one day we could somehow be companions again. Although that probably wont happen because hardly ever are two north americans companions together. But anyways that day was so great because I got to spend probably at least half of the day talking with her. Oh and we got wendys!!! This week we also had some really great things happen with our investigators. We are having a baptism this week! Kevin is 15 and I didnt really teach him much. He was mostly taught by Hermana Estevez and her last companion, but this week we happened to pass by his house and his mom was there too and we decided to ask her for her permission that he could be baptized (She wouldnt get permission earlier) and she decided to let him! I guess it really is a miracle for Hermana Estevez. We have been reviewing the lessons with him. So I dont know its not really my baptism but I guess it is cause Im in the area and we still have been teaching him. Also Alba Alvarez is progressing. She and her daughter came to church this week and also we had a really neat lesson with her this week. She said last week when she understands baptisms for the dead then she will be baptized. This week we had a lesson with her in the church with the zone leaders and then at the end our mission leader came in when the zone leaders left. At the end of the lesson we asked her to pray for a specific date for baptism. I couldnt really understand the prayer very well because of the spanish and there were fans on in the room so I couldnt hear very well. But I have never heard a more sincere prayer and by the end we were all crying. She didnt really necessarily accept the date for baptism but she wants to be baptized. I am really excited for her and I hope she continues to progress. Hopefully in the next few weeks she will be baptized. We also have a few other investigators but some of them arent really progressing. The familia Lopez is great, Dalia is our main focus, but she isnt coming to church so we dont know what is happening. Her sister Kathering (which by the way get on my FB and accept her friend request) is a recent convert, I could totally see her becoming a missionary one day. Anyways I love that family, they are always joking around with us. To answer some of your questions. We have district and zone conferences every thursday at the stake center. We also write here at the stake center. Except this week i think is a multi zone conference. We wake up at 6am every day...so a half hour earlier than most missionaries. Also Pday ends at 5pm which is an hour earlier as well. For christmas....hmmm. Mom I would love another dress or two or a skirt or something. I like my clothes here...but they are kind of too nice for this area and I would like something that could get a little more dirty haha. Or also I would like some church music on a CD or something (like the music on the youth.lds.org website). Other than that idk. Im wondering if I should get another memory card for my camera in case one gets lost or if I should get a thumbdrive I can save my pictures. I dont know I will think more for next week. Thanks everyone for all of the birthday wishes!! It is also our ward missionary leaders birthday so Im sure we will be doing something...and I know I will be taken care of here! I think that is basically everything. Really thank you so much for your advice. All of you. Sorry I dont have much time to write you all personally but know that I love you all. Thank you again for your prayers. I am so thankful for the opportunity to be out here in El Salvador. I know that nothing is going to help me become a better person than a mission. I know sometimes I get a little frustrated with myself because I know what kind of missionary I want to be...but I need to be patient with myself. Love you all! Someone go to Red Lobster and eat crab for me for my birthday! haha Hermana Groneman

Hola familia! Well second week here has come and gone and its been a roller coaster. Few random things to start off though. When I come home I am probably going to eat everything with my hands so be aware. Also I probably am going to sing horrible. Everyone here sings the hymns all the time, in every lesson and every member has their own personal hymn book. But the members often dont actually know the tune, but bless their hearts they sing with all their might. But it makes me feel better singing because I used to never sing alone...but I wouldnt mind here because my tune is probably much better haha. Bugs....so we have lots of big ants in our apartment but im pretty used to them. So the deal with mosquitos is we have to wear OFF 24/7. there is a disease called dengue fever and if you get it you can be hospitalized. If a missionary gets it twice they send them home and then reassign them to the states once they recover. So just pray I dont get that. I dont have a mosquito net...and we havent done anything specific with our sheets buts im still figuring things out. I dont really notice the bugs biting me probably cause it is so hot...but then later I notice when the bites itch. The area I am in is probably like Springville style town El Salvadorian style. I have been in Santa Ana (we traveled there last week because my companion was a little sick) and it is like the city. But then also later this week we worked a little in another area because Hermana Herrera went home so we worked with her companion for a few days and we worked in both our area and her area. her area is definitely more country/jungle area. My area though has paved streets on the big streets, and lots of cobblestone streets, and then some dirt streets. There are some city areas and some not. One thing is it is always noisy here. Mom when you think the buses are annoying in the morning out on the street just be glad you dont have people yelling "LECHE" or "PAN" and honking little horns selling stuff at 6 in the morning. haha. I havent been sick at all yet since I have been here so that is good. Especially cause my companion has had a cold and stuff..but i havent gotten sick. Im staying healthy and hopefully it stays that way. We eat at the Trejo Families house. That is our ward mission leader. I literally could not be more thankful for anyone here. They are so kind and I feel so loved and relaxed in their house. Hno Tejo served in Honduras and he actually knows TJ Beach. I am loving the food. OH and i literally could live off of pupusas for the rest of my life and be completely happy. I rejoice everytime we get to eat them. We havent had much success here. I didnt realize how many people would be so religious here. There are a lot of evangelic churches here and catholics too. Other than conference, Herman Estevez said she hasnt had an investigator at church since august i think.. So its hard. I feel like if we had success I would feel better, but we keep working hard. We were hoping for a baptismal date with Alba Alvarez...but she wouldnt commit to a date because she wants to be completely sure before she commits to a date or something...but we will keep working. In all honestly I have really struggled this week. A lot. Ive been quite homesick so I would appreciate prayers that I can focus and not feel homesick. I feel completely inadequate in everything. I have realized this week that I have a strong testimony of this gospel, but I dont really know how to teach it. In the CCM in mexico they didnt do much to teach us HOW to teach the gospel, they just told us to teach. So I feel really inadequate in my teaching. I feel really inadequate in my spanish. I feel really inadequate in everything. Its honestly hard because we have to be happy all day long because we have to show how the gospel can make you so happy. But honestly its hard to hold in tears as we walk around sometimes. Or especially in the morning I really struggling with homesickness. But im just taking it one day at a time. I know that it will come. But it is hard to see the big picture right now. So I would appreciate some words of advice next week or something uplifting. Sorry this email was kind of short and random. I might try and add some pictures if I can. If you have questions for me put them all at the beginning of your email. Cause as I read I forget if you ask my questions in the middle of the paragraph. I will be looking forward to the package. I have heard it can take anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks to get here. but i dont know how you sent it. I dont care when it comes, ill be looking forward to it. I love you so much and I am so thankful for your prayers. Im sad I didnt get an email from colby today. I love you all so much. Hermana Groneman

Welp family this is definitely the hardest thing I have ever done and maybe ever will do in my life..... BUT IT IS THE BEST. Literally I had no idea how hard it would be but now I know what RMs mean when they say it is so hard and I can tell how much a mission is going to help me grow. I dont even know where to start and this letter is probably gonna be all over the place but ill try my best. My companion is Hermana Estévez and she is amazing. I am so so so grateful I got her as a trainer. As I see some of the other hermanas that came here with me and their trainers it makes me super grateful because i can tell my trainer is the best haha. She is way funny and super nice and super patient. She is from honduras and she has been out for like 4 months. She does speak english which i think is quite a blessing so we can communicate, but we always try to speak spanish so I can learn. She actually told me she wasnt too excited to have a gringa companion because all of her companions have been gringas and im sure it is frustrating for her to have to teach with someone who doesnt speak spanish yet and such, BUT she is so patient and she told me she has felt something different with me. She hasn´t had much success in this area in the past so i think she has had a rough time in the past few months. Oh I am in the El Espino area in the Ahuachapan zone. Anyways, I am going to work on changing her faith and we ARE going to have success here. So I am definitely in El Salvador and it is definitely different. I cant tell you how many times I have thought to myself how much easier this would be if I was like in Europe or the States or speaking english or something. So our house is quite small, cinderblock walls, and it feels like an oven during the late morning when we are studying. Ill send pictures and stuff another week because i would rather spend time writing. So we do have a shower, but it is freezing cold water, and actually I have taken a few bucket showers because some nights and mornings the water is turned off. haha so yep its fun. Our kitchen consists of a table with all of our dishes and a microwave and a fridge. Oh and also we got a sandwich maker so thats good. IT IS SO HOT AND HUMID HERE. Literally I am dripping with sweat all day long. Luckily at night its not as bad. Also it is the end of the rain season I think, but it has rained a few times while we were here. Yesterday we were walking to the stake center for conference and none of the taxis would stop and give us a ride and we were getting soaked...even though I had my umbrella. Food is great I have loved it. We sometimes eat at members, we have a cook who is our ward mission leaders wife and she cooks for us some of the time. Hermano and Hermana Trejo (the ward mission leader and his wife) are literally my favorite people ever. I love them. I can already tell I am going to be so sad when I have to leave them. Hmo Trejo served in Honduras and we had ward mission council with him and he really wants to help us out. Also we have visited with some members in the stake and they have the cutest daughter who loves the gringas so she was super nice to me. Food is lots of beans, sometimes eggs, tortillas (which are SUPER thick here) and i dont know. Fruit too. It might be different now cause this first week I was just eating my companions food so we will see what I buy today at the store. My spanish...well its difficult. I am getting better though. I actually understand quite a bit if they will speak slowly and a lot of times my companion will tell them that and they will so that is nice. and each day i am understanding more and more. It is just frustrating teaching and contacting because I cant do as much as I want because I cant speak and say much. But I know it will come. Apparently my spanish is much better than the last gringa who was here before me because all of the members and investigators say that. So I dont feel like it is impossible but it is hard. Probably the hardest thing is how much energy it actually takes to spend all day listening and trying to understand the spanish. You wouldnt think sitting in a lesson and not saying much would take a lot of energy but by the end of the day my mind is exhausted from trying to understand as much spanish as I can. OH and I literally have never slept so good in my life as I do here. I am out every night. The streets here basically are what you would think. The houses are all connected...most of them are like cinderblock painted colors. Most of the houses are like half outside half inside. People like live on their porches kind of. We dont really knock doors....its more like you just go up to the gate or window or door and say "Buenas!" hahaha. There are really poor areas too. Half of our area is kind of more in more of a city with buildings...but we also have some areas that are most in the dirt roads and such. We also have too REALLY poor areas in our area where we actually arent allowed to contact because the people just want money. They literally live in cardboard houses with tin roofs. We are allowed to teach there I guess if they have had a lesson or come to church or have a baptismal date I guess (I dont know i dont quite understand it yet) but we just cant contact in that area. It has defintiely been a humbling experience. So its been kind of a week just getting used to everything. Figuring out how things work and everything. Ill be honest there have been plenty of moments where I have asked myself Can I really do this? can I really learn spanish? Will I ever become a good missionary? Can I really live like this for 18 months? But I know I can do it. This week I am super excited to just go to work now that I know how things work. My companion works hard...but I feel like we could work harder..even though im exhausted already at the end of the day. But I feel like we could walk faster, contact more people, but its hard to initiate that since I dont speak spanish good enough yet, but I am gonna tell me companion this week that I want to do more. Also my companion usually leads most of the lessons and contacting obviously, and she is a great teacher and teaches in simple ways so they can understand...but the one thing is she hardly every introduces or talks about the Book of Mormon in first contacting and lessons. And I dont know if that is right really. In the CCM we learned so much about how the Book of Mormon is central in our role to conversion so I feel like we should talk about that more. But for those of you who know how PMG works she always just shares messages through God is our loving heavenly father through the apostacy but then she hardly ever starts talking about the restoration. I feel like we could have more success if we introduce the BoM even if it is just very very simply and then we could teach more about it later. So anyways I am gonna talk to her about that this week and see if we could try that and have more success. When I got here she didnt really have any investigators or anything. We worked a lot this week on inviting people to conference. She said in the past she hardly has every gotten investigators to come to church and it is really discouraging, but we had 5 people come to conference so that is good. Conference was at the stake center and the new missionaries (6 months or less) got to watch it in english so that was great. Mom I loved Elder Hollands too and yes I was thinking about you a lot. There were so many i loved and I dont have time to really talk about them but it was great). We have one mom Alva who we taught the first lesson and she and her daughter came and i hope she really felt something. Also we contacted a family in the park and we have visited with them but then we found out they arent in our area so we have to pass them on. But that dad went to priesthood and really like it and then the next night we invited him and his wife and their daughter to a bautismal service. So hopefully the other hermanas will be able to have success with them. Oh also I love my zone and more especially my district. Our district has a trio of hermanas, me and hermana estevez, and then two elders. They are all great. It is honestly so awesome to be around the other missionaries becaue they are a great strength. Hermana Hunter and Hermana Herrera from the CCM who came here at the same time as me are in my zone. Please please please pray for Hermana Herrera. She has been struggling and wants to go home so keep her in her prayers. Sorry I didnt really answer all of your questions or talk to you specifically but maybe next week I will be able to do more. I read all of your emails and Ryan and Colby I am sorry I couldnt call you at the airport but I love you. OH the airplane! I forgot to tell you about the lady I sat next to. She was from Peru and she was so loving and cute. I talked to her about missionaries and such and I gave her a book of mormon all before the flight even took off. On the plane she read all of the introduction and through chapter 4 of Nephi. She liked it and she wrote down my name in the book and my email. Anyways I dont know what will happen with that but that was a great way to demonstrate to me that I can actually do this. Oh and our first two days we stayed with other hermanas near the mission office. It was the hermana who is the mission nurse and there house is quite nice. Hermana elms was great in giving us advice because she has only been out 6 weeks longer than us. President Cordon and his wife are great, I love them and their daughter is so kind too. sorry that was out of order. Anyways I love you so much and I appreciate your prayers. I cant wait to work hard this week! Hermana Groneman