Emily - Santander Week 12

Hello Everyone!

Letters-I got the most amazing package of letters from Mike and Kelli´s family. I loved hearing from all of you thank you so much! One problem though, I think Mike forgot to put his letter in there. Dad talk to him about that! Also, a dear elder from Jess and last Monday a letter from Mom. Today I didn´t get a letter from mom though and I was super sad. Maybe it will come tomorrow. I love getting letters. It makes my day.

Okay so I guess the biggest news is that I´m getting my new comp. on Wednesday. Her name is Hermana Wight and I saw her for five seconds at conference. The scary thing is that she doesn´t have that much more time than I do in the mission. President said we are going to depend on each other a lot. Our Spanish will probably get better because we both will be working really hard to pull every Spanish word we know out of our heads. President is really excited to put us together and he said we are going to be phenomenal. Everything is going to change a lot in the next couple days. I will have to update you next week after we have been together for a couple days.

The best thing that has happened this week was meeting with this family from Columbia. We found them while contacting last Sunday by the harbor. The mom was sitting on the bench and her husband was playing catch with their son. We went to her house and taught her lesson 1. When we talked to her about families and being together forever she just started crying. Her mom died of cancer when she was younger. I love how everying about the gospel answers all the questions of the soul. Things that people think and worry about their whole lives can be answered through the restored gospel. Its amazing! We went back a couple days later and talked to her about the Book of Mormon. We shared scriptures with her about the family and how it can help you be a better mother. We also shared some scriptures about life after death. She was so happy that we came over and she was so kind to us.

She invited herself to church and we went over early yesterday to take a taxi with her. With my sad Spanish I tried to make her feel comfortable. Her son came too. She stayed for all of church and the whole time I was thinking about how overwhelming everything must have been for her. Some interesting things happened in class and I just pray she will let us come back. In R.S. they made her introduce herself and tell where she is from. All of the Columbian ladies started cheering and the one sitting next to her grabbed her, gave her a big hug and kiss on the cheek. She was like cheering with her fist while hugging her with the other arm and then she told her that she is already in her heart. It was interesting to say the least but they really just wanted to make her feel loved and comfortable and I hope that is how she felt. We have a visit with her again on Tuesday and we are going to try and smooth everything over.

Oh during one of the visits her husband came out to meet us. He lived in Miami for a couple years so he spoke a little english. He was so cool. He told us that we are always welcome in their home and the next time we come he is going to make us some stake, french fries and lots of ketchup and he said we will make it BIG BIG BIG! I wonder what his impressions were of the U.S. Can you supersize that cow sized hamburger please? The Dad works a lot so he hasn´t been able to meet with us but we will see what happens. This family is going to be what keeps me sane in Santander for the next couple transfers.

So because my comp. is leaving EVERYONE has been feeding us. I don´t think I have felt hungry for days. We have been eating the craziest stuff. The other days we went to a fish market and I think we have eaten everything that was in that market and then some. Remember how I´m not a big seafood person. TOO BAD! I don´t even know what some of the stuff was. I told you about the octopus that was coverd in a sauce made from the ink sack, right?? Oh mom the one meal that I don´t want when I get home is arroz con pollo. I won´t be wanting that for about ten years. I think I´ve eaten three or four family size plates of that, the last couple of days.

I started writing in the back of Preach my Gospel a list of all the countries I know people from. Most of them are in South America and Africa. I´m meeting people from all over the world. Dad like you said the time goes by fast but not at the same time. Some days seem like an eternity but then the week is over all of a sudden. Im almost at five months. I pretty much only have a year left. WHAT! I´m still trying to accept that I wear that black tag thing on my chest.

WEll I think that is enough for now. I´m sure I will have a lot to tell you next week after all the big changes. Mom and Dad I love you so much. Thank you for staying together and making a wonderful home. I´m so blessed to be a part of our family. I love each one of you with all my heart. HAve a great week!

Love, EM (Hermana Gogarty)