New blog address

We have created a new blog for Amy's future letters. The new address is:

http://HermanaWhite.blogspot.com

Amy's first real email from the Guatemala MTC (CCM)

Hola mi familia! 

  Thank you so much for the emails and the letters that mysteriously ended up in my suitcase... I'm so grateful to have family with such wonderful testimonies. Thank you for your support and for your prayers, I think about you every day. Not too often to get homesick yet. I sure do love yah. 

  Congrats Mal! [Amy's cousin Mallory, who received her mission call to the Tennessee Knoxville Mission] That is so awesome! Aw man, I wish I could have been there but I am so excited for yah! You'll just love it. 

   I shall commence to try to write an email about my week, although I feel like so much has happened there's no way I can tell you everything I want to. Also the keyboards are different down here so Dad, forgive me for my grammar and spelling errors. Winky face. 

   My companion is Hermana Thompson, she's from Meridian Idaho and she's going to Retalhuleu, or however you spell it, I just asked and she didn't know, but it's in Guatemala. She is fantastic. We get along great and are having a grand old time. Our whole district is the group we flew in with, and they're all great and I've learned so much from all of them. They're either going to El Salvador, Guatemala, or 2 hermanas and 1 elder is going to Teguc with me. In the morning we have sports time for an hour and then breakfast, then classes for most of the day. It's busy and overwhelming at times but so great as well. I've grown so much and learned so much this past week, it's crazy! It feels like I've been here for a month already, and yet it feels like only yesterday we left the states. The food is pretty good, most of the time it's local Central American food but sometimes they give us quote unquote American food, but with a central American twist, it's pretty funny. 

   The CCM is nice, it was updated last year so the classrooms and bedrooms are all new and comfortable. It serves missionaries going to all of Central America. President and Hermana Cox are super great, they care a lot about us. President Cox is super enthusiastic, his favorite phrase for us is FIRE UP! He has three loves. Hermana Cox, missionary work, and P90X. He does it with us sometimes in sports and it reminds me of the Studio C sketch about P90X, pretty funny. There are about 20 Nortes, that's what they call the North Americans, this week and 50 Latinos. The Latinas are so cool, they are patient with us when we try to speak Spanish and love it when we teach them English words. They have such faith. When they bear their testimonies I can't understand most of their words but I can feel the spirit so strongly. It's such a blessing to be with these people. We are definitely in the minority here, which is a new experience. Last night we got to watch a devotional from Provo and it was so refreshing to hear it in English. I miss being able to not have to work to understand what's happening around me, but the gift of tongues is real and it's coming, though ever so slowly. I've learned a lot about patience and faith this week, and also about a lot else. 

  I'm happy here, I have my moments where it's hard, but the Lord is by my side and I feel so grateful to be here. I'm not ready to go to Honduras yet, but luckily I have 5 more weeks so I'll get to that point. The Latinas from Honduras tell me about my mission and I get excited, they say I will love it. And I will!

  There's an hermana Blanco here from Argentina, she's so sweet. They call me the Estados Unidos Hermana Blanco. I love it.

  And we got to go to the temple today, that was so great! It's right next to the CCM so we just walk there. It was in English so that was nice. Every time we get to go outside we get really excited. It rains a lot and the humidity killed me for a couple days. Guatemala City is so pretty, we can see the lush mountains from outside the windows. Also the CCM is right next to a nightclub, so we get to hear drunk karaoke every weekend which is super funny. 

  Lolly, I love yah. Don't tell anyone else, but I probably miss you the most. I think about you often and I want you to know I'm out here for you too. Eyebrow raises and winks all the way back to Utah for yah. 

   I'll try to respond to individual emails with the time I have left. Thanks for your love and support! I'm doing swell!

Much love, 

    Hermana White

Email from Amy this morning - She is at the Guatemala MTC (CCM in Spanish)

Hola familia! I don't have a lot of time, but I am here and I am safe and I am exhausted! The plane was good, I didn't get to sleep a lot, but after I write we get to take a nap until lunch. The CCM is really nice, the people are great, and the other missionaries in my district are super cool. Guatemala City is crazy, but good crazy. We met up with some others in LA and have 11 sisters and 3 elders that came in today. Love you! Write me on Sundays so I can get it on Mondays.

[Amy's email is Amy.White@myldsmail.net]

Amy has been called to the Honduras Tegucigalpa Mission and leaves for the Guatemala MTC tomorrow. We will post her letters and any pictures she sends here.