An Update

Well, well, well. Here I am again. Or still. Or whatever. Surprised? Mmm, well, don't be. Hello to all! Today is the official start of week 11 for me. Wonderful, yeah? Ha ha ha. No, no biggie. Though I still think doctor's are crazy.

The first day and a half here without my district and companions was super strange. But then I adjust fast and though it still is strange now, I'm good. We got a new district last week-with sisters in it. They are my official companions, but I really don't do anything with them or see them so much. I'm mostly with my "new" district of 11 elders and I make 12. Full class. They're all supposed to leave next week for Mexico, but unless visas come through this week-and they could-they will probably be here another week at least. It's kind of weird not having companion study or having a companion to teach lessons with or anything. I go everywhere with elders. last weekend my teacher Hermana Alexander (who I love) was subbing a couple of the other districts in our zone, so I just went to the classes she was teaching. I mostly do what my district does, but I also kind of do my own schedule-going to the class that I think I can learn something from. Because just about everyday you get what's called Missionary Directed Time, and usually you go do whatever is best for you and your companion. Well, having no companion, I often will just go to another class. So instead of class 2 times a day, I sometimes have it 3 times. All the teachers have told me that's what I should do, so I do. And it's been interesting because I've gotten to know all the elders in all the districts so much more than I ever would have. It's probably way different for them to have an hermana in their class, none of them even have an hermana teacher. Mostly I review spanish and when they practice teaching, sometimes I'm just the investigator, or if I'm in my normal district, they have a threesome of elders, and I teach with one of them. It's different. But it's good. On Friday we do our teaching appointments and I actually taught with my teacher. She told me to just pick whatever I'd like to teach and we'd just do that. So we taught the third lesson-the gospel of Jesus Christ. I was a bit intimidated at first because I was the "senior" companion in that I was in charge of teaching. But it went well. She said I did really well and apparently some of the elders in our zone taught in the same room after us, and they told me later that the people said I did well. Good to hear, because it's sooo hard to tell. Funny, I was thinking, well hey, at least I had another opportunity to teach and practice today (thinking about my absent district) and then I realized, duh, they're out there teaching too, they're just teaching real people. Ha ha. It was good to have my teacher around during the weekend though because it was a good transition. The elders are all very good and nice. When I came in on Monday after talking to the doctor they asked what was up and when I told them that now my blood is too thin, it was funny how they all reacted. They don't really get the blood thing, some think it's a blood pressure thing, but they knew that it needed to be thinner and I could go, so they understood the frustration of it now being too thin. Have I said it before? I have an AMAZING zone. Oh yeah, one day my zone leader and I were making connections, and he's from Lake Oswego and we realized we were baptized in the same font! Funny stuff. Another funny story for you. Last week we were joking with Hermana Chriswell about how there was going to be an apostle speaking at the devotional last week. She's pretty gullible and we didn't have to try hard before she believed us. Mostly it would have been fun, your last devotional being from an apostle, but we were still kidding. So now this week just yesterday the gym was closed yesterday afternoon and usually it isn't; so we were again joking around about an apostle coming, and we being at the MTC people all start thinking things really super fast and things developed and I think a lot of people were thinking it was happening too. And then we're at dinner, still joking about it, and someone says, no seriously, Elder Oaks is speaking. After a couple of minutes, we believed them, and we ran over and of course, we got in, I'm sure everyone did/ You just want the good floor seats. And indeed, Elder Oaks was speaking. Ha ha ha. One elder says to me, "So, are you glad you're here now?" Ho ho ho. Definitely! Funny thing life. It was a great talk about having and recognizing the spirit. Anyway, I just thought it was great. Yeah for being in the MTC. I definitely think that my being here an extra week has been the best thing for me. I feel luckier than my district at this point-and not just because I got to hear from another apostle. So life is great? Definitely. Also, I got a dearelder package of cookies from Aunt Elaine! It was sooo sweet! I shared them with my roommates and I sooo appreciated it! Thank you! Time is running out again. I don't know what my plans are, but I'm sure you'll get another call when I know what's up! Love you all mucho mucho and will talk to you later? Love! Hermana E!

PS Emily, er Hermana Emily is now in California having departed Thursday morning for "The Happiest Place on Earth." She was excited and anxious to begin the next part of this adventure. The next posting will be with a new address of her exact location and an update on the foreign country of California. And no, these are not current photos. But pictures nevertheless of Hermana Emily!