Letter from January 31st

Well my dearest family, lets just say i´ve had better weeks. On
saturday Hna Nelson and I went to a less active members house for an
apt we had. I have been there several times and nothing bad happened.
Well we went up to their gate and yelled BUENAS like we always do.
There was a dog laying under a tree all peacefully when all of the
sudden it decided to ATTACK!!!!! It came running after us. We ran but
unfortunately I wasn´t quite fast enough. It got me. Good. He was
chomping away on my legs and I finally got away from him and Hna
nelson starting beating him with a book of mormon, but he grabbed it
away from her and started comng after us. Just then 2 more dogs came
up behind us ready to join in on the fight. Luckily, Hna Nelson was
screaming and the neighbors all came running. A barefooted old man ran
after the dogs with a machete (don´t know how to spell that) and
scared them off. I had gashes all over my legs and they were
completely COVERED in blood. Hna Nelson almost passed out and I made
her sit down with her head between her legs. Then the neighbor lady
came out with a very shady looking ¨medicine¨in a coke bottle and
started cleaning off my legs. All the other neighbors kept on trying
to put lime juice in it but I refused to let them. Anyways, to make a
super long story only semi long, I ended up having to go to the ER and
get stitches. I am gonna have some pretty meaaan lookin scars. No
worries though, I know the dog doesn´t have rabies and I am now on
antibiotics and pain medication. The only problem is is that it got my
calf muscles pretty good and it reeally hurts to walk which is kind of
inconvenient considering that I´m a missionary and all and have to
walk everywhere. Oh well. Such is the life of a missionary I suppose.
I´ll try to send you pictures today if it works.

Anyways, on a happier note, our new converts and doing just
fabulously. Tonight we are going over to teach Mercy and her family
how to have family home even which will be fun. Unfortunately
Jessica´s landlord won´t let us visit her in the house anymore cause
he thinks we´re evil or something but we are still going to teach her
in the street. We recently talked to her about temples and she is
soooooo excited to get married in the temple. We told her to not marry
anyone unless she can be sealed to them in the temple, and she said
psh! I just got baptised, I´m not gonna marry some bum off the street.
Of course I´m gonna get married in the temple. We were very happy to
hear that!!!

We had 2 progressing investigators that looked sooooooo promising
named Helen and Maria. They are both awesome and read in the BOM sooo
much and say really great prayers but neither of them go to church so
we had to drop them. I am sooo sad about that. Especially with Helen
because she wants to know if its true soo bad and she prays so hard
but she still doesn´t know and we´ve been teaching her for so long so
theres really nothing else we can do to help her. We have to move on
and find other people who are ready to progress. We have found 4 new
investigators this week who all look pretty promising but I´ve thought
that before and have been wrong so we´ll see what happens.

Changes are coming up this wednesday. I reaaaaally am hoping that I
stay in Pamelita with Hna Nelson. I´m 99% positive that I am staying
but you never know I suppose. Well I´m sending off a bunch of letters
tomorrow and they have lots of answers to your questions that you all
have asked so hopefully that helps. If there´s any suggestions on how
to make my emails more informative or anything just let me know and
I´ll try to make them better.

Even though I just got attacked by a dog and have stitches in my legs,
baha! I am sooo happy I´m on a mission. I love being able to dedicate
100% of myself to Heavenly Father. I know the church is true with
allllllllllll my heart! It is amazing and perfect. There is nothing
more important that staying strong in the gospel and I can see that I
lot more clearly now. I love you all soooo much. Thank you tons and
tons for your letters and support. You are the best!!!!!!

Love, Hermana Kami Alyse Alston