The First of Many...

Hey there!!

First off, big shout out to Buffy and the family. I totally got way nervous as the clock started to tick down. I only ate like half my quesadilla and those pulled pork quesadillas are my absolute favorite! So that's saying something...Anyway, they put up with my muteness and got me here perfect timing so thanks a bunch (:

I hope all is well with you guys. I know I've only been away for a few days but honestly it seems like way longer than that. To think I've only been here for a few days seem absolutely ridiculous. Days here are forever long (in a good way). They keep us nice and busy. We wake up, get ready real quick, eat breakie, go study, go learn, have gym time, go to lunch, go study some more, go to more class, have more study time, eat din din, have some meeting of some sort, go study some more, finish up classes, go back to the apt to read scriptures and write in your journal, and then finally it's time to hit the sack. That's the basics of our schedule. Next week we will start with our schedule that we will have for the rest of the time here. This week they are just kind of breaking us in.

So far so good with my companion though! Her name is Sister Lewis and she is from Mapleton which is like 15/20 mins away. It's her first time away from home so it's been rough on her but we get along super well so that's always good! We are both having a hard time picking up on the language. I know we really shouldn't be too hard on ourselves because it's only our first week but so of the people here are picking up on it wayyyy quick. I'm just over here like "que?!?" I love my teach though! His name is Brother Parke and he is way cool. He is a great teacher and I always look forward to class time. (I know always isn't that long in this case but still, I love learning! It's retaining that info that I'm not too good at. haha)

Another thing, the 3 sisters that I hang out with the most (my companion and the other set of sisters we live with who are also in our class) all have boyfriends that they are waiting for/their boys are waiting for them. Anyway, they talk boyfriends all the time so half the time I'm like "yeah? Well my boyfriend does thing super-duper cute thing where he doesn't exist so ha!" Naw it's not that bad it just caught me off guard cause I thought that for sure I could get away from the whole couple thing here but haha no way. So not the case. Anywho...

The gym time we get here is way nice. I got to play some bball yesterday and running is always nice. My comp has some short pinterest workouts we are going to do together. The only bad thing is the field isn't open during winter months so no soccer for me :/ Oh well.

I love you all!! Hopefully my letter next week won't be so much of an event list and I can actually talk and share some stuff with you. MY head is just kind of on overdrive right now because so much is going on. Yesterday my comp and I taught our first "investigator" ALL in spanish! I barely know how to introduce myself let along bear my testimony. We had 40 mins to do it and I think we were done in 10. It was crazy. We got out and just started busting up because we were so lost in there! We would ask her a question, she would reply, and then we wouldn't know how to reply back so we would just move on and ask another question. hahaha. Anyway, it'll only get better form here, right?

I love you all!!!!

-- Hermana Watts

PS -- I know you prob won't send a package for a while but when you do here's just an idea. haha. A lanyard (Michaels?) nasal decongestant pills (I've been taking them that way I don't snore for my roomies) no candy, there is so much of that here. But power bars are always good. And that lotion on top of my dresser, could you maybe put it in a small bottle and send some of that? It's my fav and I thought I could do without but I really can't :/ Thanks a ton! And no rush on that. Just ideas (;

PSS -- SO we only get half an hour and if it times out on us then oh well, our bad luck and our message doesn't send meaning if you don't get a message one week it's prob just in my drafts, sitting there, waiting to be sent. I just wanted to finish off saying thank you to everyone for encouraging me and being a good example. You are all so great! I know I'm doing the right thing and I couldn't have gotten here without all my wonderful friends and family and your great support. The church is true!!!

Alsooooo, the rumors are true! The food here is awesome!! And that's what really counts, right? (;

PSSS -- Sorry I’m just super worried about it timing out because this comp is the only one without a timer displayed. Just my luck. haha. So I’m just sending what I have when I can. I just wanted to say I’ll get you some pics soon.

And I’m sooooo glad I brought my soccer sweats! After wearing skirts and dresses for so long, soccer sweats are the only way to make things better. haha. ohhh so nice.

And of course, this is an open invite for anyone to write me some letters! Please and thank you (: haha

Take care everyone!!!!

I don't say goodbye, I say "I'll see you when I see you."

It snuck up on me!

You hear others say time passes by quickly and I've had many experiences where that has surely been the case but I never thought my time to serve would be one of those said experiences. Since I was a little girl I have been wanting to go on a mission. When I got my call in December it seemed like February 20th was forever and a day away. Obviously I was wrong about that. With years and years of anxiously waiting until I was finally the one wearing the missionary name-tag, it seems unreal that my time is now.

The more people ask, the more I think about it; the more I think about it, the more real it becomes; and the more real it becomes, the more I start to freak out.

I know that I made the right choice by deciding to go on a mission - that I have never doubted. Though at times I feel unprepared, I know the Lord will be with me every step of the way. No, neither of those things are getting to me. So what's my dilema? Well, I hate goodbyes.

I've never been one to say goodbye, I'm more of a "see you later" kind of gal. But in this case, in this case I feel the need to say goodbye. 18 months, though rumor has it that it passes by super fast, to me it sounds forever long. I know when I come home that many things will have changed and I would hate to know that I did not say a proper goodbye to someone or something because I did not want to get emotional. (On top of not being one for goodbyes I'm also not one for crying. I absolutely hate it!)So, though it's hard, I'm learning to suck it up.

My trick to staying sane is reading this quote over and over:

 

I know that though I may lose contact with certain people, the Lord will bless me and everything will work out in the end. Even though I cannot see how perfect things will be, I have enough faith to know that Heavenly Father wants what is best for me. I have faced and will continue to face many trials but that is just part of life. We need to constantly be learning and growing for if we are not then what is the point of living? It's all about growth.

I just want to finish up this post with the lyrics to a Jason Aldean's song. (Yes, I'm a country lover!)

Let's don't say goodbye
I hate the way it sounds
So if you don't mind
Let's just say for now

See you when I see you
Another place some other time
If I ever get down your way
Or you're ever up around mine
We'll laugh about the old days
And catch up on the new
Yeah see you when I see you
And I hope it's some day soon

God made this old world round
And maybe it's that way
So that paths that we go down
Yeah will cross again someday
And someday I'll...

See you when I see you
Another place some other time
If I ever get down your way
Or you're ever up around mine
We'll laugh about the old days
And catch up on the new
Yeah see you when I see you
And I hope it's someday soon

See you when I see you
Another place some other time
If I ever get down your way
If you're ever up around mine - just stop by
We'll laugh about the old days
And catch up on the new
Yeah I'll see you when i see you
'til then my prayers are with you
And I hope it's some day soon

I'll see you when I see you