Week 1

**SIDE NOTE FROM JESSICA: Once Hermana Darley figures out how to upload pictures to the computers, she'll be sending photos! For now, here's her email about the first week in Chile!**

So the first day I got here, it was like 11 in the morning, I was exhausted from the travel and totally stinky from not showering, but everyone got right to work. First we had to memorize the Missionary Purpose en Espanol. I wasn't able to shower until that night, but between the time that I got there and the time that I went to bed, sooooo many Hermanas came up and hugged and kissed me. I was thinking "please don't smell me please don't smell me..." hahaha!

Anyways, I've been put into a trio companionship with Hermana Chapman and Hermana Naegle. We get along, so that's good. Hermana Chapman is a short, brown haired brown eyed girl who is really easygoing and very cute and spunky. And I let her know that all the time. Hermana Naegle is a blond haired, blue eyed, no nonsense VERY independent girl with a spitfire attitude. She's takes her study very seriously, but she's soooo funny when she gets sassy. She has kind of this love hate relationship with one of the Maestros(teachers) and it's funny to watch them butt heads all the time.

We’ve had to teach three lessons in Spanish so far to fake investigators, and admittedly, I cried after the third one. I've only been here a week, but I feel like I've been here forever and I should be more on top of things, ya know? I have days when I start to panic a little inside because I feel like I'm not doing enough to learn the language. There's a lot of homework and it's pretty much impossible to keep up. I have NO time to study everything.

So as for the weather in Chile, I have to take a sec to tell you about it. It feels exactly like a California summer morning, but it doesn't get as hot. I haven't been able to explore much of Chile yet except for jogging to the park with me companeras every morning, but after emailing, we get to go out and explore Santiago. Yeah, there are boundaries set, but it's something. From what I've seen, Chile is beautiful, and the people are really warm and friendly. And they're pretty amused when the crazy gringo missionaries try to communicate in Spanish.

The food here at the MTC is like a cafeteria version of Chilean food. They eat a lot of rice, a LOT of pasta, and a lot of meat. And they have this spread that is like the Chilean equivalent of caramel, and it's better than Nutella. You put it on your bread. Speaking of, the bread is also AMAZING, but the mission pres. wife told the girls to be very careful about eating it because it's so fattening.

I need to tell you about my district, too! I LOVE MY DISTRICT! It's aaaaall white kids who don't know a lick of Spanish, and it's hilarious.

My DL is Elder Dubiel. He's super cool and super funny. He's also the second oldest in the district at age 19. I'm the oldest... I don't like to go around telling people that, though. Because they expect me to be wiser or whatever. Heh...

Anyways, as for the language, the gift of tongues is REAL. Well, I'm actually understanding A LOT. But I freeze up when I try to speak because there are so many verbs and conjugations and whatnot. But I know I'll get it. I'm not the only Hermana that has gone through this.

I'm running out of time and I have a bunch of other people to email, so Ciao for now! Yes, they say Ciao in Chile. Weird, huh?

Later!

Hermana Darley