Hola from Ilopango

Hola familia! I love you so much! I feel super bad for the last letter I sent. In my opinion, it didn't really count as a letter at all. Thanks to everyone who has written: Grandma and Grandpa Henrie, Sara, the Drapers, and those who have sent or are working on cartas I have not yet received. Every letter means a lot to me.

Ilopango is east of the city of San Salvador. Segùn the gran mapa tenemos of El Salvador in the capilla, it seems to be a major town. (According to the great map we have in the chapel of El Salvador, it seems to be a major town.) To answer some of Dad`s questions as well, I`m not really sure how poor the area is because I don`t have anything to judge it against. People almost always include thanking God they have enough to eat/asking for enough to eat in their prayers. That`s probably as a good an indicator as any, although it could just be something they always pray for, kind of like we almost always include `Thank you for this day...` It`s a major town with a lot of people but not nearly as big or crazy as the city of San Salvador.

Ilopango is just East of San Salvador.

We went to migraciòn this week (I`m legal for the next 16 months now!) and San Salvador was soooo busy. It was a relief to return to the quieter Ilopango. Hemos recibido muchas bendiciones esta semana pasada. (We have received many blessings this last week.)  We had several pre-entrevistas para el bautismo (pre-interviews for baptisms) and other reuniones que (meetings that) cut our proselyting time, pero (but) Hna Gonzalez dijo que cree (believes) we worked harder this week than the last, because we taught about the same amount of lessons. We`re learning to use our time more effectively, and I`m feeling better about the idioma (language). We have a lot of unidad en nuestro compañerismo (unity in our companionship). When we pray as a companionship, the person praying almost always prays for her compañeras (companions) by name and I think this has had a dramatic effect on our relationship. Presidente and Hna Glazier always tell us they`re not just teaching us principles to be better missionaries, they`re preparing us for our futures. I know as couples pray together and pray for one another and thank God for one another, their unity and love a uno al otro (towards eachother) will increase. I also know as familias make an effort to have family prayer every day, the same thing will happen. It`s humbling and wonderful to hear someone thank God for you and pedir (ask for) blessings on your behalf. Love is a powerful motivator. It will effect change. I LOVE Hna Gonzalez and Hna Winters. They`re such good ejemplos para mì (examples to me).

We had a bautismo el sàbado (baptism on Saturday)! The hombre (man) who was baptized is named Luis. He can play Rachmaninoff on the piano from memory! Hna Gonzalez had already been working with him before Hna Winters and I came, but I feel we know him pretty well even though we didn`t teach him as long. The service was beautiful. The miembros (members) really pulled together to help us out. One of our progressing investigators who isn`t even baptized yet donated hours of time and floras to make a centerpiece for the table, and also for sacrament meeting. They were gorgeous. We weren`t expecting her to go so all out when we asked for her ayuda (help) with a decoration, but she went above and beyond. I love her family so much. I really want to be there when they are baptized. I know how much the gospel will bless their lives.

Last Sunday, all the missionaries in our zone fasted and prayed that we would be able to find more new investigators that would be willing to keep their commitments. We prayed for the success of each companionship in our zone and yesterday during sacrament meeting the stake president came. He gave an incredible talk about how the members can participate in missionary work. I believe this is an answer to our prayers. We are so excited.

Much love. Take care.

Jessica

About her companion: She is awesome!!! Very driven, very hardworking, very rule-oriented, very diligent, very, very VERY good ejemplo. She laughs a lot too. :)

with her CCM companion Hma Broadhead