Hey goobers,

How are you doing, you little igloo people!??

-Well, it was quite the interesting week. When I knew that these emails would be going out to all the world, and a bunch of people, I decided to be pretty open about the stuff that happens here in the mission, the good, the bad, the ugly and the funny. So with that said, I will tell you all something, trusting that you will not think of me differently, but accept it as one of the many crazy things that happens in the mission.

I got lice last week. BOOOO! Evil demon lice bugs! First I get fleas in Pringles, then lice here. It is kinda tradition that every hermana that passes through mission Bahia Blanca gets lice. SO I guess it was my turn. I think I got them in Villa Mitre, because I beso'd (kissed) a lot of little kids that don't live in the cleanest conditions. Funny part is that I sent the lice kit that my mom gave me 100 years ago in a box with other things that I don't use as often from Bahia to MDP (Mar de Plata) because I thought I wouldn't need it. HAHA! So yeah, Hna Mansilla was an angel and picked the little devils out of my hair and the little minion eggs too. I had to buy a shampoo thing and that special comb... I think we're all good now but man I was not a happy camper. At all.

-THEN! My shoes that have lasted 11 months got a hole in them and gave me one wicked callus/blister!!! So I got those all resurfaced and now they've got a new sole!!! THEN! Our water heater thing had to be changed, so a member came, but didn't have one part so we had to warm up pots with water on the stove to shower for a day! Then! A nasty cat with a protruding, fleshy, bloody tumor on its neck jumped on my lap and I had to fight back the urge to vomit! THEN! Yesterday my curling iron broke! It was like 'WELLLCOOOMMME TO PUERTO HERMANA SQUIRE!!' HA; what a joke!!!!! And now I'm at a computer with stiff keys and my forearms hurt from typing so hard... haha.
- SO funny thing. Here, the cyber is called "Babylonia". And In Bahia, we went to one called "Zion"!!!! :-)

-It smells like fish here, all of the time. And when it rains, it smells like wet, dead dogs. Yes, I do know what a dead dog smells like, sadly.

-So about Puerto Mar de Plata. It is a tough area with LOTS of beautiful houses. This usually means 99.9% of the time that people think they have everything they need and don't need to change. They don't give us the time of day. But that isn't the sad thing. The sad thing is that they don't give our Savior the time of day. BUT. The ward is great. The members help us a lot and we have a great missionary team with 5 ward missionaries that do divisions with us. The members prepare investigators and bring them to church and introduce them to us. Basically, this ward is every missionary´s dream!! For example, we had 7 investigators in church yesterday!! And all I wanted to do was jump up and down, clap my hands and sing IT'S A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!!! BECAUSE THAT NEVER HAPPENS! Half of them were prepared and brought by members. I don't have time to explain all of them, but I will tell you about Suri, Emanuel, and Jonathan. THEY ARE A REAL LIVE FAMILY! MARRIED AND EVERYTHING!! It's a miracle. They are friends of members, have 2 asistencias (attendances) to church, and we have our first appt this week with them. Suri is super interested but her husband will need a little work getting his testimony. But wow! A family! A goal for me in the mission has been to baptize a family. One I can see progress to the temple. One I can see get sealed for time and all eternity. SO PRAY SUPER HARD FOR THEM! They are my miracle! Also, pray for Ramiro... he's 8 and brother of converts... but we're having a hard time getting to talk with his mom cuz she's passing through a hard time and doesn't think he's ready but he could get baptized this week. He's so cute... he's like a little man!

-Ok to wrap up, a quote by CS Lewis:

“Make no mistake,' He says, 'if you let me, I will make you perfect. The moment you put yourself in My hands, that is what you are in for. Nothing less, or other, than that. You have free will, and if you choose, you can push Me away. But if you do not push Me away, understand that I am going to see this job through. Whatever suffering it may cost you in your earthly life, whatever inconceivable purification it may cost you after death, whatever it costs Me, I will never rest, nor let you rest, until you are literally perfect - until my Father can say without reservation that He is well pleased with you, as He said He was well pleased with me. This I can do and will do. But I will not do anything less.”

I know that the Lord is shaping me into the person that He needs me to be. It hurts sometimes, and sometimes I don't like it, but I am in the perfecting process. I know if we are humble, and if we let Him, He will shape us into our best selves.

Shoutouts!! Happy Late Birthdays to Ally Melendez, Sandii, and Happy Birthday this week to TROY and Brandon Standifird!! VENICE THANKS FOR THE EMAIL! I'm so stoked for you but way sad I can't be there. ALSO, thank you for keeping my up to date on my anatomy!! The answer is SA NODE!!! You are the best!!!

Attention all friends!!!!! Stop getting married without me!!!! How is it that I am the one who LOVES planning weddings and has to miss all of her friends weddings?????? Hummmm?? Taylor, Paige, I'm counting on you. Make it until July. Come on. YOU CAN DO IT! Tahn... when is the big day?

-THIS IS THE TRUE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST! The fire of this gospel consumes me. I love being a representative of Jesus Christ. I love serving Him. This truly is the marathon of the Lord, and I will not rest until my work is done! My Savior WILL sustain me when I am weak, even as I'm trekking up these huge hills in Mar de Plata, walking at top speed, with Hna. Mansilla!

He always gives me just the amount of energy I need to make it though the day! He will give me the comfort I need when all I hear is "no", "no", "no" all day, and will give me the miracles I pray for if I am obedient to His commandments and work with all my might. I will not fail in this marathon of the Lord! I Love you all!!

Hermana Squire