MISSIONARY!

HI EVERYONE! I'M A MISSIONARY!!!

I want to keep my emails really real because I want to be able to look back one day and remember that this was all real and so you guys can understand how missionary work really is. 

Tuesday was super hard because I had to say goodbye to my family. There is literally nothing harder than that. The flight was like SO long hahaha. The longest five hours of my entire life and I'm not even kidding. I slept for some of it but mostly was just kinda like "what in the world am I doing?" we got here and the airport took forever and then we came to the CCM! It is so beautiful here and people love to shoot each other hahah I hear gunshots like all the time it is so classic. 

Wednesday was the hardest and longest day of my life. We wake up at 6:30 which is insane and work all day. I was doing okay in the morning and then I just wanted to go home. I was SO homesick and had a total breakdown. it was HORRIBLE. I told my branch president I was going home and that was it. I was seriously so ready. They let me call my mom because I just really needed some help. As she always does, she made me feel so much better and things have been so great since then. I knelt down that night and told Heavenly Father that if he helped me to work through my homesickness, I would work every second of everyday. Well, I've kept my end of the deal and SO HAS HE! My friends, GOD WANTS US TO SUCCEED! He helps us to be better and I am so grateful for him! He is so real here. I know Him now better than ever.

I have 4 other sisters in my apartment and i love them all so much. I feel like I knew them before I came here! Hermana Cole is the best. Shes so sweet and she calls me a magnet haha. I hug and cry with sisters all day! I love that we all comfort each other. God is so real. 

Spanish is so beautiful and I love learning it. The gift of tongues is so real and I am picking it up! I'm not perfect at all or even close, but I open my mouth and somehow speak! 

My teachers are amazing and I love them all! My companion is amazing and has helped me so much. She is really patient and kind and helpful! We both try and study all day long! its so awesome! we motivate each other so much. I love her. And random but I love praying in Spanish haha. I feel like I can really tell God how I feel, its amazing. 

I want to tell you all about the miracles I saw this week. After I called my mom, the member of the presidency said "Hermana Cottrell, we just saw a miracle. You look literally different to me." After I talked to my mom, I KNEW I COULD DO IT. GOD HELPED ME!!!!! 

Then another miracle. I remembered ear plugs! My sweet companion snores! its awesome! and guess what? IM ALIVE! 

Another miracle! I eat food that at home I never would! I force it down and try to do it with a smile on my face! sometimes the smile goes away but I really try! it's fun haha. 

Anyway, I have to go just because today is only half a P day. I want everyone to know that I know God lives. I KNOW IT. I know he knows  all of us, and when we truly give it all to him, he multiplies it by a million!

Being a missionary is really hard, but guess what? IM DOING IT! We can do anything through Christ. I know that.

Just wanted to give a quick shout out to Ally and Mallory for starting school this week! (and everyone else) IM ROOTING FOR YOU!

Keep me in your prayers, you're in mine.

Te amo mucho,

-Hermana Cottrell