I SHOULD be scared out of my mind.

So, Since I got my mission call a week ago, everyone has decided to tell me every negative thing that has ANYTHING to do with El Salvador. For the first couple days, I avoided google for fear that something would come up that I didnt want to see. That didn't help because in my mind, I just complied everything that everyone had already said, and made a mess in my mind! On Tuesday night, we were on our way home from Salt Lake and I was talking to my mother, and LOST IT!! Like seriously lost it. She told me that everything would be okay, but how the heck would she know? She hasnt ever been there. But she does know all, so I definitely should believe her. Anyway, I proceeded to tell her about the night before. While I was trying to go to sleep, I just realized how much I loved my sleep and how in El Salvador, going to bed was going to be the hardest part of the day. That is when I think the most and when I would have the time to think about how much I miss home. Not to mention I would be too concerned about keeping bugs and lizards and other things I cant even think about, off me! Finally I calmed down, and the next day, I felt a little better about things.

Then, Yesterday, me and my mom went down and talked to Spencer's spanish teacher because she actually went to my mission before she got married. Let me just tell you some of the things she said. 

• The men on the street there say the MOST awful/ vulgur things. You have to have really thick skin and cant take anything they say to heart and you just have to brush it off. She said its really hard to be a (white) woman there.
• Everyone there will want to touch you! You are a "gringa" (white girl) and there are not many there at all. They will want to see how your white skin feels so they will be feeling you the whole time. (If any of you know me, you know I like my space and not a huge fan of people that I dont know touching me). 
• There are men on every single corner with huge machine guns and Machetes. 
• While she was there, she got Parasites, Scabies, and Dengue Fever (from mosquitos). She said her record while she had a parasite was throwing up 17 times in 3 hours. Great. But the positive side of this is that I will loose weight :) 
• I will be showering with spiders that are as big as tarantulas. Great. 
•  Its so hot there (yea I already knew this), she said to take anywhere where I have been that was humid and throw it out the window, cause it doesn't even compare.
• People there just urinate in the street. NBD apparently. and that just makes it smell horrible
• Last but definitely not least....There are Tremors like every day. She was there during the big quakes of 01, but there are small ones daily. Also there are like 6 active volcano's right there. Super. If you know me AT ALL, you know that my biggest fear in the world are earthquakes. Cool. 

So you would think that after hearing ALL of this, I would be scared out of my mind and would be on the phone calling the church headquarters. Yea well Im not. Yea I am scared, but I know that I can handle it. The spanish teacher told me that they dont just send anyone there, special people are called there because it is HARD and I know that I was called there for a reason. I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have to go. I know that if I have faith, and I follow the rules, I will be protected. How amazing is missionary work? I am grateful I get to be a part of it all and I hope I can make a difference! Plus, at the end of the day, I get to be close to this: 

El Salvador, San Salvador Temple    Dedication date: August 21, 2011

Everything is going to be just fine :) 






ps...here is a shoutout to Madi A...I dont really know how else to get a hold of you, but thanks for what you said and Im so glad you read my blog :)