Arriving in Malaga "like hogwarts"

July 13, 2015 

Family!

First off let me just say how much your emails helped me this week. Leaving the ccm was much harder than I thought it would be. My district has made fun of me from the beginning because every single one of them cried bearing their testimony at some point except me. Believe it or not I really am not a crier. Well at the train station I cried like a baby. Well not really that bad, but saying goodbye to
these people that really have changed my life really hurt. And to arrive at the mission home and have so many emails from all of you, encouraging me really helped me a ton. Thank you so much from being such a strength to me.

To sum up the trip I'll use Elder Merrill's words, "it's like hogwarts" we went to this huge brick train station, and got on the trains, and got sorted when we got to the mission home:) 

Man, I really don't even know where to begin with this week, alright let's start off things that are different about Spain. First, light switches, different. Small things that you notice. Also milk. It makes me cry. There is no real milk to be found anywhere here. The food is all really different but not in a bad way at all. We have eaten with several members and yes I did in fact eat everything including fruit so you all should be proud of me. Pealla is pretty much the best stuff in the whole word. So rich I could eat it all day, and I do ;) so if you guys don't know this the USA is kinda full of sugar. Here things like cinnamon rolls brownies and root beer floats are so strange to people. 

I really love this place with the tight streets and small sidewalks it's just the cutest place in the whole word. Man I'm sorry I probably sound so dumb, English is really hard, mostly because I don't really speak it or hear it ever because Hermana Rocha doesn't speak it:)

Mom, thanks for buying me that water bottle, the water here in Alicante isn't safe to drink so it has saved me:) 

Funny story for the week, Hermana Rocha and I were walking and the sidewalks are Pretty small. Well Hermana Rocha brushed a car mirror and it just fell right off. I died laughing and we spent the next five minuets trying to put it back on. We were in fact successful.

Our area just absorbed a small pueblo called San Vicente. So Hermana Rocha and I have been riding the train there a couple days of the week and white washing the area. It was funny because it wasn't so different for me (being lost all day) because I'm lost in Alicante. But for Hermana Rocha it was so hard to not know where she was going. 

I now seriously regret my inability to understand directions. I didn't know how important that would be on the mission, it's kinda a big deal. But anyway San Vicente is beautiful and we found 15 futures and taught four people on the street. It was amazing! That morning I had been praying that I would be able to find someone to teach that would be open and receptive and we were walking and I felt prompted to move down a certain road. Well we met Julieta minutes later. She was so excited about our message and it was just amazing.

This week as expected was quite hard. I can't even explain why, but I have really been struggling in the morning to keep moving forward and not get discouraged. I have never felt before how much power can come from the scriptures. During scripture study I literally feel my spirits lifted and my resolve strengthened. There is power in the word of God. I am so glad every day I get to start the day reading these words of strength and comfort. Everything is different as a missionary. I literally feel as epic every verse was written just for me.

Oh so funny story. My ankles have swollen up like no ones business. Like I don't even know what to do but they are huge. Any ideas??

Okay so I'm gonna get real with you guys for a moment. My companion is amazing. But she only has 4 months left, my district is amazing, but they are all pretty old. It has been hard to hear them talk of home because that just seems so far away for me. At first I really struggled trusting Hermana Rocha. I don't know why, but I was so worried we were not doing everything we should and so worried that we weren't using our time wisely. But as I have gotten to know her more I have learned more of her love for the Lord and how hard she works. I trust her completely and am excited to get to know her more. It is a little difficult because of the language barrier. This is my question of the week: how can I know if I am doing all I can to be consecrated completely. Honestly I just feel really lost a whole lot of the time. What can I do?

Alright I realize now I probably sound so depressed. I really am not. We have the cutest ward and so many people to teach I feel as if we are drowning in appointments I am so blessed to be here with the
people I am with. I deeply miss my district but I carry two names on my chest that I need to live up to :) so off I go. 

Mediodia is the siesta time that no one is on the street so we do some more studying. It's pretty cool I love having the time during the middle of the day to fortify myself with the scriptures. We are out so
late at night and it isn't even wired here. The Spanish people love the night life. Little kids out until like 10. We eat dinner at 10 funny huh?

I'm sorry I know this hasn't been my best email, but know I love this work, I love you all and I'm leaving it all here in Alicante.

Much love Hermana Smalley