A usual day in Masatepe

 26 December 2011
Tanner Thanks for the letter.  It really made my day.  I love you too!  And I loved hearing your voice yesterday.  Your play table and dinosaurs sound really cool.
     Carrie, sorry I didn`t write you a note last week.  I forgot to respond individually.  Thanks for writing me and making Christmas dinner for my family. :)  An unusual experience?  My companion has been showing me her dirty handkerchief after she blows her nose and she gives commentaries on color changes.  
      Kevin, thanks for the letter!  I was really excited to hear that you two are doing adoption papers and that your proposal got accepted.  Your personality comes through so clearly when you write.  I`m glad you have had a project to keep you busy up there.  Tile floor!  woohoo!
      Cheryl, I loved hearing from you yesterday too!  I liked your Christmas letter... very nice.  I`m really glad to hear your voice.  You sound happy :)
     Kyle, it was really nice to hear you too.  You know just how to make me feel good.  I miss you, but my companion really reminds me of you a lot in good ways. :)
     Douglas, it was nice to hear from you too, but I didn`t hear much.  Dani tells me that you`re doing well.  Thanks for teaching your kids to say Nicaragua.  I thought that was really cute.
     Grandma Tew, I love you!  I hope you had a happy Christmas!  I`ve been enjoying life, especially since it`s Christmas time.  We`ve seen lots of lights and Christmas trees.  I hear you don`t like the food much where you`re staying.  We had red beans, rice, a fried egg with onion, and fried cheese for lunch today.  Christmas Eve we had the most delicious salad ever with cooked vegetables and lettuce and tomatoes.  I was so happy to see all those vegetables!
     Dani, Thanks for your letter.  I got your pictures that you sent with the Christmas tree last week.  I put a picture on my agenda today of Dad and Scotty.  He`s pretty cute.  I love hearing from you.
     Pablito, How`s it going?  It sounds like you have a good plan.  Study hard!  Tell me what your work is like.
     Dad, I`ve really missed you lately.  It was so nice to hear your voice and to get a little loving advice.  Happy retirement and WRITE YOUR BOOK!  You`re a really good writer.
     Mom, thanks for being such a faithful writer.  I really appreciate every letter you send me . I got your talk and it was awesome!  I really enjoyed it.
     Well,  Hna DeHoyos and I were laughing about what happened yesterday right before the phone call, how we were waiting outside the door, looking in at the desk where the phone was ringing and we couldn`t enter.  It was funny yesterday, but it`s funnier now.
     I realized I only answered half of Mom`s question. A usual day in Masatepe?  There really isn`t one, especially since Hna DeHoyos has been sick and we`ve had to run errands in the morning to buy or find stuff. But, we wake up at 8:30.  Just kidding.  We wake up at 6:30 and I lay in bed or sit up in bed for about 30 seconds and then I roll onto the floor into kneeling position and pray for about 10 minutes because I feel like I need a lot of help and I also get really distracted.  Then I go out into the other room and put my contacts in and sit at my desk and organize it a little and write in my journal and miracle book because I didn`t have time before.  I eat hojueles (I think) de maiz (cornflakes), milk from a box which is good but a little different, and raisins.  I don't have a bowl or a spoon so I just eat a couple flakes and raisins and drink a little milk.  I shower with HOT WATER except the thing pretty much exploded today, so... yeah. There are literally black marks on the wall, like you see in cartoons after something explodes.  So, I had a cup shower today...fun times. I do my hair (gel and let it go curly) and sit down at my desk to read letters or write or get organized.  I study at 8:00 and read from the BOM.  Then we have comp study.  We sing a hymn, get distracted and Hna DeHoyos talks about something random and then we pray and read 3 pages from the Manual Misional.  We share whatever is important from what we studied during personal study  like something we feel like we should apply with an investigator or in our own lives.  Then we plan what we`re going to teach...little lesson plans for every investigator.  Fun!  Estudio de Idioma.  I read out loud from the LDM and study a grammar book they gave me at the MTC which is really good.  I`ll try to let you know the name.
  We eat lunch at Hna Xiomara`s house.  We leave and go teaching.  We contact families.  If they are coming out of a church, if they`re walking, sitting.  We might take a moto to get somewhere more easily.  Oh boy.  Times up.  I guess I should try to be more succinct. :)
I loved talking to you all.  It was great just to hear your voice.  I love you all a lot!
Love, Marybeth