"Hello. You are my friend!"

The quote of the week. There's a new a drunk guy that literally everyday we pass says I'm his friend. It's fun. I like being associated with friendliness. 

Anyway this week was super long. I swear it feels like it's been a month since the last time I wrote. Pero sin embargo this week was also really fun. The elders threw a party for my comps b-day, we went to the zoo, my elders wanted to have good luck and tried to touch a koi fish, saw my "sister"of the mission (we have the same trainer), was super bored on a bus, saw Pacaya in a very fairy tale way, saw a quechi hymn book that reads like a bad word, went to the temple with an investigator, ate crepes with some members in celebration of my comps b-day, saw an alfombra por a catholic procession, stuck pencils in Marvins hair, had a very entertaining consejo de distrito, and celebrated the birthday of our recent convert Cristy! Woo! Fin! A ton right?

Anyway as for spirituality this week you get an excerpt from my personal study! WOOO!!!!!! I was reading in Alma 26 and may I just say that it's probably the most joy filled chapter in the whole book. And why is that? It's because it's filled with gratitude. In verse 8 it says, "Blessed be the name of our God; let us sing to his praise, yea, let us give thanks to his holy name, for he doth work righteousness forever."And in verse 35, "Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name."And these are just 2 verses out of the whole chapter! There's so much joy in gratitude. When we realize what the lord has done for us why shouldn't we be happy? But something that I dig is that this concept doesn't just apply to gratitude to God. It applies to everything. When we give thanks for the acts, love, and service of others we naturally are happier. When I was a wee youngin of 14-16 I felt very lonely. Don't know why. It just was how I felt. But when I started to realize and be grateful for the love of my family and the people around me I began to be so much happier. And I think it's the key to why I feel so happy now. I have people here on the mission that love me like family. And yes there's always times when I miss my propio fam but it's not as hard when I can feel the gratitude for those that love me here in Guate. So re-cap in one sentence. Gratitude brings happiness! Y fin!

Anyway I hope you enjoyed this weeks email. The mission's hard but it's also so much fun. I reccomend it. Anyway that's all for this week. Till next time!

Hna Marley Mae Judd

p.s. If I spelt anything wrong please forgive me. It's hard having two languages in the head.