OK week 4 insert trumpet here. HAPPY NEW YEARS EVE. That’s so weird!! My goals: have more charity. Learn Spanish. Be so grateful for every day. Be happy. I like President Uchdorf’s Oct 2012 talk about living in the now and not always looking forward to the end. I need to be happy I’m here and not look forward to 15 months. Which by the way, Wednesday will officially be my 3 month mark. It seems so tiny!

So my companion gave me so many more opportunities to speak this week. She is a Trunkey companion because she leaves in February. It’s tough having so many more months in comparison. “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming!” (Thanks ma) Yeah it’s tough, but this life was not meant to be easy. I just gotta keep telling myself that. Anyway, we were in this lesson about the plan of salvation. And I could feel grandpa sitting next to me. I want everyone to know that; A. there must be opposition in all things. Heavenly Father respects us too much to just take away our pains. He will always let us have our agency. We have to ask for our pains to be taken away. That’s what this life is all about. Agency! There has to be bad to really appreciate the good. B. I will see my family again. I know exactly where we’re going after this life. I read this thing in PMG yesterday and really liked it.  It doesn’t matter how eloquently you speak or the tone of your voice. But the heart that’s behind it. I kept hearing this voice as I was speaking saying, open your mouth. (It was the Spirit, just to clarify) so that it can be filled with power! I bore my testimony and it was awesome. I could hear the words from my patriarchal blessing. "Your instinct will be to look into the eyes of those you are teaching and to communicate. You will be perceptive to what they are learning..." I looked into their eyes and bore my testimony that I *know* that they can live with their family again. They can return to their Heavenly Father. They can live in the Celestial Kingdom and all its glory. What power! I am so grateful for my loving Heavenly Father. My goodness is this hard. But thank heavens. What a blessing it has already been in my life and the life of my family.

Photos! We moved to a safer and more modern house. IT’S SO SMALL! ha-ha there are no walls, no doors, not even for our bathroom. We turn on music and tell the other person not to look. Maybe after we pay rent we’ll get doors??

It’s super small. It’s like a flat. Or a mother in law apt. a member owns in and lives next door. Which I like a lot more. Last night she made us the best juice. Hand peeled and squeezed orange and piña, pineapple! Soooooo good. I drank so much I wanted to barf. I am always so hot. I’m always so thirsty.

**Christmas Tree Photo**  A cool awesome Christmas Tree I saw out walking one night. We stopped and asked if we could come in a take a photo. The people here are so chill. The woman’s name is Alma which is Spanish means soul. Pretty cool right? We have this book about another person named Alma! Missionary opportunities are everywhere here!

**Lemon tree photo**  The view from our new flat. It has a lemon tree. Every time I see them I think of my mommy and her Diet Coke. She would love them. I miss my mom!

**Kids photo**  Kids in front of our old house playing marbles. so next time one of you in on the Xbox, be extremely grateful! 

**Large dinosaur/lizard photo**  This bad boy was in front of a chapel at a district mtg. It was about 100 degrees outside and he was just chillin. The elders were trying to get him upset by throwing rocks and poking it. haha it made me laugh. I think I’d lose my mind without elders. 

**Meg holding fruit photo** Actually that fruit is gross. haha its called...pipa. But others are pretty good.

**Beach photos””  Also, on the way to the beach today, somebody had a Skillex song on. Not going to lie, it was awesome!!

Dad, pardon my French, but I think you would’ve pooped your pants if you saw how we moved. First we had to find someone with a truck. We did. Then we had to find someone who could drive it. A complete stranger. Perfect! Come on in and help us move? Thanks! haha literally, we just threw stuff in the truck. No rhyme or reason. Your voice was in my head the entire time. I couldn’t believe it! Then I had two options. sit in the front seat and give this man directions to our new house. no thank you, I don’t know Spanish. or sit in the back, no closing door mind you, and hold the fridge so it doesn’t fall out. HA! It was so insane I just laughed. I know you would’ve eventually laughed with me. moral of the story, I miss my dad. I’m so so grateful you taught me how to work hard. and to work well. man I miss you! One of my fondest childhood memories was when I would hand daddy my brush and he’d brush my "golden" hair slicked back. Today I brushed my hair all the way back and it reminded me of him. I miss you dad.

Mom, thanks for the shoes and stuff. I’m sure they’ll get here. Most likely when I’m in San José on Jan 15th for our conference with ELDER CHRISTOFFERSON! Cha! Super blessed! Anyway, don’t worry. I’ll get it when I get it. The mission house....well the house that Pres and his family stay in is nice. I’m so happy they’re Utahan. I’ve only been there just once, my second day. The house the secretaries stay in is, I hear very nice. Only elders allowed there. There is no real place for sisters. We stay with some of the other sister missionaries. That house is a joke. I’m pretty sure I’ll fall through the floor every time I use it. haha. But all is well. Which reminds me mom, you asked what I could use your help and prayers for? Well, please pray for my investigators desire to learn more. Pray that they will have faith to keep commitments. Thank you. We have too many, I won’t name them out. But pray also for the ward members and their desire to help. And especially the ward mission leader. Help us know how to better work with him. Thank you! Our investigator that is deaf hasn’t gotten baptized yet. You have to go to church for at least 2 or 3 times. But there aren’t any deaf wards here so I don’t know what to do. I can’t translate for her. How can we make this work??  Elder Scotts April 2012 conf talk is about dreams and personal revelation that comes from them. Mom I thought of you!!  Also will you send me some cd’s please. Big band. Hawaiian. Trumpet music like in the Princess and The Frog.

Bray. You’re a better artist than you think. I love you so much. Keep at it!  I was taught that class by Brother Sutton, not Sis Hodgkinson. I miss it so much!!  We have the same class here, but in Spanish. Spanish is so hard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This week was SUPER hard. I think because I was so flippin homesick after talking to the best family in the world. I just cried and cried. I love this quote from the movie “Cast Away”, Tomorrow is a new day. The sun will still rise. And it does. You cry and get over it. I have been praying with every ounce of my heart for more charity and hope. Missions are tough. But, do everything you can to get your butt here. I love you!  My family is so beautiful!

Ryley is tall! Ry, you are the man. Way to take one for the team! Sounds like that movie; Les Mis, was kind of painful! You deserve a gold star! I’m so happy I’m a good example to you. You, your emails, and the family, are why I’m here. You’re what keeps me going.

Con, I’m not sunburned. I just look really red in the photos. My comp said the same thing. I’m just so bloody hot all the time! But thanks for the concern.

To my brothers, do everything you can to be set apart as a full time missionary. To those reading my words and are not yet of this faith. Ask the missionaries. They can help you. Humble yourself. Get on your knees and ask for your Heavenly Fathers help with whatever is going on in your life. To everyone else, I love you and thank you so much for all the prayers on my behalf. I promise you, and I really hope you understand, I can FEEL the prayers. When I feel like breaking down, I receive this unseen force helping me go on. I know your prayers are helping me remember Spanish words, etc. thank you. I love all of you! Thank you so much!

Take care. Thank you for everything. I MISS MY FAMILY SO SO SO SO SO MUCH. I hope all of you know how much I love and miss you.

Mom n Dad, you’ll let the family come here in 15 months, right? Ryley told me about this cruise idea... well, a trip to Costa Rica would be better. I love you! 

-Meg, Hermana Workman