15th July. Ay, tener exito

Dad, i like the new car. 

Nissan Versa... makes my think of HEROES!

Okay. I am sick... as usual. 

Yo se that this week was chafa... a bit. 

okay, Tuesday was a fine day. We worked, and were told on Sunday that we don't have cambios. Well, tuesday night we got a call at 9:30pm saying hna.Rodas had cambios and we had to have our tuchus' in Guluanl by 10am the next day. we scrambled to go get her clothes for hna.C because she does our laundry. anyway. it was crazy. 

Wednesday was another day on a bus. yay... Adios Hna.Rodas. Thankfully we dont have a new comp. I miss like Hna.Rodas. I can see there are benefits though, and its because i have room to speak now. one comp cant to the whole lesson, and with two, i can speak more in lessons. 

Wednesday night we got back to PB around 7:30. At 9:30pm we recibimos another call... WE had to go to the captial and be there by 9am the next morning. Well. we didnt sleep that night because we had to take a 1am bus. yay... My visa stuff has to be done. Spent another day on a bus. 

 Friday, we had to go tell everyone we ditched why we failed to show up the last two days. people were ticked. i understand, but i hope they understand us too. 

Saturday i felt like an actualy missionary. i was able to speak to people without hesitation and contacted like a beast! i felt the Spirit so much Satuday, i hope everyday is like Saturday. The problem was that the fair is in town, so many people werent home, but we found people! it was great. three new investigators.

okay, Saturday has a down fall. To of our investigators told had problems with this satudays baptisms. one doubts his testimony now and says he just wants time, but he faild to show up at Church yesterday. My heart, its breaking!!!! Then our other said in other words, she doesnt have a testimony or even believes in the Atonement of Christ or Christ. Well, we have work to do. Im so sad, but i knew this would happen. 

I dont have much time to write today because the President in coming to our apartment today. 

Later were going to the Fair with the elders Pool y Altino. im excited. 

Im reading Romans and knowldge is just wrapping my brain, like little pigs in blankets. so much knowledge, i know why i have a big head now. 

anyway, i love you. 

i miss you Dad. i like the new car!

Love, 

  Hna. Ramirez

8th July. Happy Independence Day!

Dad, i miss you. 

Dad, i'm alive. 

Dad, i'm tired. 

Dad, i love the OT and the NT so much. 

Dad, i am getting ice cream today!

Dad, we travel too much. 

Dad, i love my mission. 

It's Monday. 

ITS MONDAY!!! MY P DAY!

okay, this week was crazy, but different from the last. 

MOnay, yeah, we had our last district meetings on our pday. the new mission has D meetings on WEDNESDAYS! YAY!

Tuesday, we worked hard, as usual. we met with Hno. A, and guess what! I conducted the lesson, and i just felt the Spirit all over that tin-roof house, that i invited him to be baptized. JULY 20TH baby! this guy is awesome. hes older, live in Mitch. 

Wednesday, i believe we worked.. we did. i just dont remember that day. 

Thursday, guess where we went. Really, take a guess. I want you to take a wild guess where we went Thursday... we schleped on back to Zacapa. Walking the streets of PB at 3:30 in the am, yeah, totally sketchy. more sketch this time since there were likike three drunk people lying faced down in the three with their bottles. were were fine. We met  our DL, Elder P y su comp, Elder A at the bus. We got to Zacapa, and met our new Pres. It was just our zone. Our zone is great. a few of us NOtres talked and i said HAPPY 4TH! some forgot. it not easy for me to forget, but next year, we'll see. we left, and my comps y yo ate this awesome (awesome then) tortilla thing. So delicious! it has so much food, but i was famished. we hopped a bus, this time without the elders, and went back to PB. FIVE HOURS.we got off the bus to go draw some money out, and Hna. C realized her card was gone. We found the bus and searched it to see if it fell out then, but it was nowhere. well, its unusual because i think it was stolen. im a total New Yorker, straight up. i leave nothing out of my sight. i think people here think i look down on PB because im cautious of my things, umm, no, im always like this. my stuff is my stuff, and especially my money, the mission's money, watch yourself. "Money, it's a crime share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie ." well, its a goner. the place in her bag where it should have been, everything else is there, but her card. the bus ride home, i bet it happened there. Zacapa... bad things happen when we go there. ultimo vez, elder altino lost his camera on the ride home, we were stranded, now hna.C's card is a goner... like my social security fund. so now, she has no money at the moment. tomorrow theyre putting her Qs in my account.

the new mission rules and way they do the money is hard. hna. R, who was called to Argentina, does not get money through her card anymore, the mission wont pay her. its throgh the mail, but this is weird because were the most eat part of the mission, and mail seldom comes when it is suppose to. so, my comps, just hna.C actually, have been stressed out of their minds. for once, i am chill. im not freaking. i know ill be fine. if the mission messes up, i know we will be fine. hna. C is so stressed and doesnt hold it in, its hard to work with sometimes. she a great comp, i dont want her to stress. i have american $, a bit, and the Qs are worth so little, we can be fine with $20 for the week.

Friday we worked in my favorite area, Mitch. it was cool. I love it. the new mission rules say we must have a member with us after 5:30pm. this is a challenge because there are about 85 active members, and they have families and LIVES. a sister in MItch, i love her! she is always, ALWAYS willing to work with us. she was an Evangleical, and she has a mighty, MIGHTY testimony. i love her, she is the best. we worked with her three times this week! three, and she has a daughter. a golden member she is! we were in mitch at night, and well, we survived. im a pro Dad. mitch after 9 is sketch, but mitch around 7:45, ehh, not too much, but im cautious. i find places in my clothes to hide my money, its insane. im like a little vietcong warrior, finding ways that seem impossibleokay, were fine though. PB is safe, trust me. 

tell this to mom, im safe.our apartment has three locks. the front door to the building. the metal screened door has a legit lock, then our all metal front door has a legit lock. im fine. three isnt even necessary.

 anyway, i woke up Friday morning SUPER SICK! i believe on wednesday a family gave my a drink made iwth tap water, and then my comp thinks the tortilla from Thursday gt me sick. i was yarling and... other suff. it was bad. we actually stayed in the apartment unil 3, and i said, i want to work today. Hna.C was super stressed and encouraged me to not. she was sooo stressed that i dont think she felt like working. y i insisted. i felt blahh, but i wanted to work so much. finally, at 4pm, i must have pushed enough (rodas wanted to work thought as well) that we left for mitch. IN mithc, i stopped onthe side of the road and stood next to this HUGE goat, and was dry heaving. it was terrible. but what was funny was that the goat was looking at me, watching me. he stopped comiendo su chafa y me miro. everyone was watching me. the people there know we're missionaries. they see us all the time, and i bet they thought this was funny. well, i didnt yarl, so thats good. but i was so drained. THEN! we found this girl, and we taught her. she wants to learn, and she wants baptism! she seemd super depressed though. we asked her what blessing she has received, and she said nothing. i asked her si su familia es a blessing, and she looked away and dijo no. its sad. i want to help her. i love teen investigators, because i was them. fue dificil. 

SATURDAY was a huge day. we all three went on splits and taught about 11 lessons that day, in Mitch. Mitch is where it is third world looking. i feel like i am vague. PB is nice, some parts are blahh, but really, its not 3rd world ish. el colonia y mitch, si. barrios, no. 

we taught familia L saturday night and had Hna.C (our comedor) y su esposo, Pres.C, fuieron a la casa de familia Linares. Este leccion fue maravillosa! miramos la pelicula Jospeh Smith, prophet of the Restoration y ellos sentieron el Espiritu. Yo quiero que este familia son baptizara, pero, la madre no asiste la iglesia. pero, el padre y hija, asisten! y ayer, Domingo, Hna.Roday dijo que el padre estuvo llorando, un pocito, dos o tres lagrimas, durante reunion sacramental. Ayyy, ellos saben. es dificil, necesitamos Elder y Hna. Sparks hablar con ellos. Familia Sparks... ellos son misioneros ORO!!!

Sunday fue bien. mucho calor. ay! mucho! fue dificil porque yo use un vestido cafe, y el sol, necesitaba helado. 

Hoy, PDAY! yay! we went to Hna.C's for desayuno, y we ate cereal with hot milk. regular cereal, with hot sugary milk. my vida, so much yum yum its awesome!

my address, i thought i emailed it to you. 

Hermana Meghan M L Ramirez
Misión Guatemala Norte (Este)
Apartado Postal 951-A
Guatemala, Guatemala C.A

ill send you an email with my mission presidents number also. 

Hey, how is Home teaching? Good, i hope!!!!! Did you share your testimony? youre going to church yeah? hows your health? 

You didnt send the package... GREAT! send it to my new address! i'll get it in August i bet, like mid/end of august. mail coming to us in PB is a long process. chafa... 

Dad, you should come to pick me up from my mission, and i should show you Guate. its amazing. I love Guatemala so much. I love it! I am so grateful to be here. 

Please excuse my email que yo dije que yo sentia sola. no es verdad. yo tengo el Espiritu Santo. I love Guate, its an honor to serve here. 

I love you! be sure to address my stuff with my full name. all four of them, put all four of those suckers on it! there are many a Hna.Ramirez in this mission. 

love, 

 Hna. Ramramramramzzzzzzzz

1st July. that time I: nearly had my face consumed, was stranded in Teculutan, tried to hitchike, and chilled out with monkies AND a goat.

Dad, 

 i had a crazy week. 

Monday, i bought a bad pineapple. i just thought you should know.

Tuesday, we woke up at 1:45 am, got ready, and walked the streets on PB at 3am, in search of the bus headed to Zacapa. It was a 4hr bus ride, and we passed Tikal! it was cool. we stopped for gas, and we should have died Dad. the driver kept the van on and pumped the gas. I was the only one in the bus freaking out. i didnt freak too much, but i told my comp, we could burst into flames. But guess what... WE DIDNT! so, esta bien. 

we got the the zone conf., and it was mad boring. ughh, 4hr ride plus a 5hr conference that was all in spanish, such a long day. i understood about 2/3s of what was said, but i was soo exhausted, i tuned out at parts. i shouldnt have, it made it a waste, and pres. Stay is very knowldegable. anyway, like i said, it was a long day, that got even longer. okay, i will expound. 

so, we left Zacapa, and headed Teculutan to catch a bus back to PB. So, it was about 6pm-ish, and the got off in Teculutan. By the way, "we" is (my two comps) Hna. Ceballos, Hna. Rodas, myself, and our District leader Elder Pool, y su companero Elder Atlino. we got there, tried to catch a bus to pb, and guess what, there was one bus coming. It was FULL. no room for us, not even one. so we looked for a little bus7van that fits like 16 people (usually cramming 24), but there was NOTHING. so what did a bunch of hungry, tired missionaries do: we made a sign that read "puerto Barrios", and stood on the side of the rode. okay, teculutan is about 5hrs away from PR. Hna. Rodas made the sign, and Elder Pool y yo stood at the very edge or the calle, and i held the sign with elder pool next to my with his thumb up. he told me to put my hand up, so we tried our best to get attention. we both smiled, then frowned, then smiled, and jumped, danced. ughh, anyway. 

Elder P tried to remember where the elders in Tec. lived, so we all went to find their apartment. well, they werent home, so, Hna Rodas (i just LOVE her!) broke into their apartment. haha, it was surprisingly easy. tried to remember our zone leaders number, and called him. he said to have elder P y Altino stay the night there, and us hna.s go to the next town over that had hermanas and stay with them. so, we went out, all five of us (teculutan is super sketchy at night, super), in hopes of catching a bus there. well, we waited for about another hour, and nothing, NO buses. Hna. Ceballos was a little frustrated, like really frustrated, and i just was chill for some reason. 

our pres. really didnt have much to say about this whole thing, he really left it up to our ZL, which was tought for him because he only knew so much. it was a bit difficult. 

sowe went back to the elders apt, and they werent home, so we stayed there. then, we had nothing to do, and the ZL couldnt do much, so we searched for Elder y Hna. Sparks number. they are the BEST senior couple ever. theyre from utah, and they live in Chiquimula (1hr 30mins from Teculutan). we prayed that they werent asleep yet, because it was super late, SUPER. well, they answered, and said theyd come get us. they brought us back to Chiquimula. i love them. if it wasnt for them , i dont know where we would have slept. probably in the Capilla. 

Wednesday we took a bus from Chiquimula back to PB. four hrs. its brutal because they shuv as may people possible into buses here, and there is no air conditioning.

that day, we had a full day. we cmae home, showered, and then walked all the way to Mitch. Mitch is that area with the rusty bridge, and a bunch of chafa. it was a nice walk. anyway, in Mitch, there was a goat in the street. my comps were talking to a member and i knew nothing about the situation. so i stayed and braided the goats hair! he loved it! fear not, ihad purell.

Thursday was so hot! i sweat so much that day. We saw monkies in someones lawn!! i had Hna. Ceballos take a pic of me with them. they were hanging out in someones lawn, tied to a tree. taught a great lessonthat day, the Spirit was like, ALL OVER that cinder-block shack! its pretty sweet. i love good lessons!

Friday i was super pumped to teach our investigator, Hno. At., but he wasnt there. i was SO pumped because i was going to give him an LdM, and maybe invite him to baptism. well, his neighbor (our other investigator) saw us, and invited us to talk with her and her daughted. her daughter has the CUTEST baby! so adorable! well, her daughter wants to receive lessons. So, yay!

Saturday we went to teach that lady's daughter, but her landlord wouldnt let us in. her landlord said were a cult, "¡secta! ¡secta!" she shouted. fine, we sat outside and taught. Well, we found out, the girl is only 15, adn her baby is a year old. we tried to teach her to pray, but she is afraid to pray! she cries, like balls, every single time. we tried to have her pray twice, but she cant make it through without stopping. its so sad, i really want to help her. her name is jennifer.

Sunday morning we walked to get jennifer for church, and then another lady, then had to back track 23 blocks for another family. church starts at 9am, we left the apt at 7am. well, the family totallt ditched us. ugh! so upsetting. okay, i was sad, but more ticked (i shouldnt have been) because not only did they break our promise, but had us walk about 20mins out of our way to get them for nothing. it was 95F that morning by the way, at 8am. well, i need to chill. i just wish people didnt blow us off. we're busy, and we are for a reason, and that is why we walked about 35 calles total that morning. its because we want people to receive blessings, and they dont understand it. oh well. i love my mission! for real! this is the LORD's work.

well, today was pday, and i have to go. Today marks two months in the mission for me, and, today is the first day in the GUATEMALA CITY EAST MISSION!

I have the new address:

Hermana Meghan M L Ramirez

Misión Guatemala Norte
Apartado Postal 951-A
Guatemala, Guatemala C.A

i know it says north mission, but its not a problem. its my new address, so tell the ward to change it. let people know. 

i miss you Dad. ive been reading Acts, and i just love it. anyway, 

i miss you. i am so proud you will receive the Preisthood in October. soon, youll go to the Temple, yeah! YAY!

 i love you dad. i miss you and i keep your story about boot camp in my mind when it gets tough. read this email to the family, especially mom, i dont think she hears from me much, i try!

i love you dad! ill send you a seperate email with pics!

love, 

Hermana Ramirez!

Monday June 24th. Humidity, Funky Town, y the power of Prayer

DAD!!

don't worry about sending me money, i am fine. for every quetzal, i get 7.8)ish) dollars.

the sister missionaries, i love them! please tell them i love them! i remember sister O telling me a story about her first month in, maybe second. how she just broke down crying because she missed her family. sometimes it gets hard here, but knowing how great she is and they felt that way, gives me a bit of hope. i dont feel like it ofetrn, but every once and a while.

There are people here that talk during my prayers. i'll be in a lesson with and evangelical, and when i pray, they start speaking in tongues! at first i stopped in the middle of the prayer because i thought something was wrong, then i realized it was... "normal." all i can say is... WHAT?!?! so, when i pray and some evangelicals are around, they speak in tongues, but theyre loud. its difficult to pray in spanish when someone is speaking in tongues SUPER loud. like, sometimes theyre louder tan my own voice. its... interesting. i admire the fact that theyre not afraid to pray. 

i love two families we tought last week, because both looked me in the eyes when i was there. they all responded to me, and talked to me, when i was there. i felt respected. People here everytually find out im a Norte, and so once members or investigators know that, they dismiss me. its sucky. they dont look me in the eyes, like they ignore me. they think i cant speak spanish, and i know enough to talk with them, i am just slow at speaking because i am thinking!! i think in english and translate it, so it takes time. everyonce and a while i look up in the sky and just think, i would talk to people, without HESITATION! if i was speaking english, or mandarin. i love mandarin so much. ANYWAY, sometimes when i ask questions to people (in my slow spanish) they respond... but they respond to my comps. theyll respond to my comps as if they asked and dont look at me. ughh, its kind of lonely sometimes, but all is well.

some mornings i wake up and feel like a cookie cutter. its humid, and i feel like a cookie cutter, making my path through all this humidity. its hot here, i could totally cook an egg on these sidewalks... oh wait, i can't - nothing here is paved! its all sand and broken stones, rocks. i find rocks in my shoes ALL the time! i dont think it is an accident that pie is in piedras.

i love my crocs! my flat feet are getting their moneys worth around here. we dont have a car, thank God (it would be a hassle with these insane drivers), so we walk a lot. The misión gives us Little money, we need more for the bus, but i find myself using my own personal money to go see investigators that live way way out in the middle of nowhere Izabal. seriously, the mission doesnt give us enough i dont understand it. i love walking though, we just loose sooo much time. we walk so much, and days we dont, i feel like i did nothing. I measure my successthrough how dirty my feet are, and how much they hurt. someimtes, even by the amount of mosquito or frog bites i have on my legs..

 i ate mucus meat it again. it had a sauce on it, so it wasnt so bad this time, not too bad. its super dark, so dark meat can be mysterious sometimes. i found out its from a cow, and its somewhere around the rib área. its, not too bad

AMERICAN MUSIC! i hear it sometimes! i walked by a clothing store the other day and they were playing In the End by Linkin Park, and THEN! (it gets better) I Heard FUNKY TOWN! oh how great, i got excited. psssht, in the States, i would never get excited for that darn song. Oh the things Guate. will do to you.

People here like American clothing, so much that they get it. Okay, i will elaborate. They get used American clothing. You know those big red boxes behind stores in the States, and it says clothing & shoes on it? Remember Pops, you said you saw something on ABC about those boxes, and they sell stuff for money? well, im pretty sure thats where these come from. i decided to ask my comps what they think of the US. Hna. R (from Guate) said she doesnt like americans really. i asked why. she said because americans think theyre better, and they dont have be speak spanish, everyone should speak english. it hurt a smidge to hear that, because i know there are so many americans that arent that way. i am not that way. i realice how suck some of theconditions are around here, but i dont look down on people. i want to see them dressed in White, just like me, one day in the Temple. the Temple is like an equalizer. I also asked Hna. C (from Mexico) and she said she used to not like america so much, but now she likes americans. she has had other comps from the US, and loves them. I hope i leave a good impression of the US on these poeple here in Puerto BArrios. by the way, i am a Little curious how things are in the US. everything is good. its a killer not having NPR here. ugh, Fresh Air,  Fresh Air!!! le extrano

 the new misión is starting soon, but i dont know my new address, but tomorrow i will find out. we have to go 4hrs to Zacappa for a zone conference, and then on Saturday, we have to go six hours to the capital. 4hrs one way tomorrow, and 6 hrs one way on saturday. I am an east misión missionary. dont worry, im not leaveing where i am, boundaries are changing.

Anyway, its a reality check. some of these people, their lives are depressing. its sad sometimes. i always cared for needy people. remember? yeah, i always knew there were conditions like this, and being here is a whole other aspect. Dad, i want to to come to Guate when i am done with my missin, to pick me up. its insane, though, i know you have seen these conditions before. sometimes, i feel like the misión is just... eghhh, not a big fan. then i think of how sucky it is here for some of these people, and i cant leave them. they have a rusted sheet of tin for doors. no running wáter in their house, a spicket in the back. they take little buckets, and fill them up, one by one, and shower that way. its just sucky. i am so grateful my comps and i have an apartment and not a house made of concrete with huge cracks y rusted sheet tin door. no kitchen, y few have fridges.

there are lizards everywhere!! i think of the story Aunt Jo told me how Grandpa Angel would get a sling shot and catch lizards and eat them, when he was a boy. yeah, i think of him when i see a lizards crawling on my Wall. they dont bother me, i like them.

The góspel strengthens families Dad! i have never been so proud to show people our family picture. it love it.

i also show my baptism picture a lot. Tell Jack Tousley his face is baiscally famous down here in PB.

anyway, spanish is getting a bit better. yuyan de enci, with tones its: yu3ya2n de e1nc4 . its mandarin for language gift! im waiting for it to come to me for spanish. i need it. though, my comps say i am "pilas," so ill take it. i emt a guy that spoke english and i nearly cried, seriously. its a Little lonely not being able to express yourself. this guy lived in  NEW YORK also! oh gosh. let it be known. other than any LDS Temple, New York is my favorite place, ever. seriously, i loved just speaking to him for like 30 seconds.

anyway, i love you all.

give everyone my love. when you see the family next, (4th of July tal vez) give them my
 love.

love,
 Hna. Ramirez

New Address

Hermana Ramirez in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala
 New Address
 Hermana Meghan M L Ramirez
Misión Guatemala Norte
Apartado Postal 951-A
Guatemala, Guatemala C.A