Letters from Danie to Mom (Short letters mean busy missionaries)

Mon. Nov. 25th

No we really don´t get any news.  I am glad to hear that the missionaries are all okay in the Philippines :)  I love hearing that you are enjoying relief society so much!  This week is my turn to tell a primary story.  So we had some investigators in the chapel this week.  Two of which were primary kids. Well they didn't want to separate themselves from their 15 year-old sister, so we went to Sunday school instead of primary.  Well one of the Ladies insisted that we go to primary so the little ones could at least experience what it was like and maybe be able to pull out the older sister after a few minutes.  Well she said it pretty rudely and scared everyone a little bit but we went without a fuss and I kind of agreed with her until we arrived in the class.  We all got situated and began waiting for the primary teacher.  She was reading to herself in the gospel principles book.  I didn't think too much of it until 5 ten minutes later she began reading from the book to the primary kids!  She shouted at them for not sitting still and got frustrated when they didn't understand the answers to the questions in the book.  Mind you this was more junior primary than senior primary.  Even I was bored...poor kids.  I couldn't believe what I was seeing.  After a little bit of time one of the primary kids asked if we could sing and she finally gave in and let us sing. She was frustrated when we didn't sing right though and it was all just kind of a bad experience.  She told us all the words to all the verses and then just expected us to be able to sing it perfectly.  I was trying my best to learn because I don´t know the primary songs in Spanish by memory but it was impossible.  I tried to help out as best I could, mention some suggestions, and so forth, but without any luck.  It was super sad.  Needless to say, they don´t want to come back to church....

On another note, I got to work with my first companion in Argentina again.  Well God blessed me with lots of little miracles.  :)  First of all I was filled with so much love for her.  We found 6 new people to teach together in one day!  It was so neat :) 

I had more I wanted to tell you but I can´t remember right now and my time is running out :(  I am working hard though and doing my best to stand up for what I know is right. 

Also I received your package during a conference in the mission and all of the missionaries went crazy and wanted Halloween candy and pencils and stickers haha :D it was perfect!  :)  Thank you so, so, so, much!!!  Love you :)

Love always,

Hermana Fairbanks

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Mon. Dec. 2nd

So first of all, I completely forgot about Thanksgiving...can you believe it?!  One of the elders sent a group text out the day of, and that is when I realized it was Thanksgiving. I have to say I am super grateful it is summer here because otherwise I think I would be missing the holiday season with my family a lot more.  For the most part it doesn't even cross my mind. I am listening to Christmas music of course, but I have been listening to it since I started the mission haha :D  I am glad Grandma got my email :)  I am sorry you got so sick on Thanksgiving :(  That´s not fun :(  Thankfully, despite all of the really crazy gross situations I find myself in here I have not gotten sick.  I do however have a million bug bites.  I use bug spray all the time, multiple times a day, but I am covered.  We moved apartments again and now live on the eighth floor in another building, yet still, somehow the cockroaches find their way into our apartment.  The scary thing is there are lots of little ones which means they are living nearby not trailing in on our shoes...and where there are cockroaches there are alacran (I am not sure if that is how it is spelled, but they are like mini scorpions and many just as deadly)  I don´t sleep anymore because I itch all night, but I am taking it all in as part of the experience :)

 

There is not much I can do about the primary unfortunately, it´s not my place, but I give as much love as I can to little ones when I see them.  We had a talent show the other night and it was so neat to see all of the culture that these people have :)  I am really lucky to have this experience let me tell ya :)

 

I wear jellies almost every day here haha :D  they are so comfortable and super cheap!  :)  ´Don´t worry about the christmas package. I am sure it will come in time :)  I received the package for halloween even later than usual because we had  to wait for a zone conference, but the entire mission is getting together for Christmas so I will be abele to check the mission office for packages :)

 

I have to go for now, but I love you so much mom :)  THanks for all that you do :)  Keep being the Christmas there while I take care of it here :)  Next Christmas I´ll be there to help ya out again :)  I love you :) Talk to you soon. 

 

Love always,

Me :)