Letter from the Birthday Girl!

Thank you for the birthday wishes!!! I loved all of my cards and
stickers! The other Hermanas were so sweet and wrote notes and left
them on my door (I can read half of what they say, I will have to take
a dictionary to them later) and some gave me a small gift. It was so
very sweet!  but yes I am a good 23 now. I look much wiser now, it
really is too bad you cant see the wisdom coming off me. But it really
is cool that im in guatemala on my 23rd birthday! So the
volcano...yeah i didnt know about it till a day or so later. We are
like 20 miles from it and I didnt even get to see it! there is a hill
here that blocks our view! Im a bit disappointed, but im sorry you
were worried, but im am completly fine! Thank you so much to Aunt
Linda, Uncle Terry, and Aunt Louise! Also thank to Miss Rachel
Jackson! I'm so grateful to them and their support!  So yesterday they
let us out of the gate and I got to go talk to people around the
temple and share my favorite scripture. We talked to to one couple
from Hondurus and the man told us he wasn't a member but he was just
here with his girlfriend. so we shared a scripture and then he asked
us where we were serving, and then he was like "oh I served in Costa
Rica". He tricked us, and he spoke English! it was rather humerous.
Then after that there were all these little kids so we went over and

talked to one, He was 14 and im pretty sure he hit on me, so that was
a good time. My companion and I really didnt know what to do, so then
we informed our teacher after we got back to class and he just laughed
and was like "oh yeah I was wondering about that".  We are suppose to
go proselyte real people on Monday!!! Im excited yet a bit nervous,
but more excited. We were suppose to have Latino companions for our
first time out but we just found out we, the Nortes, will be flying
solo with our knowlege of 10 spanish words, so I should have some good
stories next week! So I got to go to the Temple on Tuesday. It was
beautiful, but really what temple isnt? They did almost everything in
english, Im hoping to do it in spanish before I leave. We also had
Elder Amado of the 70 come and speak to us. It was great. He said that
the hardest thing for missionaries to do is to see themselves as God
sees them, and I think that rings true for everyone. That we need to
remember who we are and how important we are to our Heavenly Father.
Its when we forget that, that things tend to become harder.  So I hear
Ryan has a girlfriend! That is super cute and I hope they are having
fun together! but I can see Andrews point....it is dumb to date anyone
til your 21!  How is everything at home? The festival you went to
sounds fun! We will have to go when I get back! I am so grateful for
all of you and I love you all so much!!!  ...... Also it took 8 days for me to
get your dearelder. They only come on Thursdays I think! I love you!
Email you in a week! Mwah!