Second transfer = staying put

Hello family! Such lovely long e-mails I got today! It is always exciting! Transfer calls came in at about 10:30 Saturday night and.....I am staying! We all figured we'd still be here, but hey, the president can do what he wants, right? None of the 13 sisters are moving-I guess everyone moved the last time. There are only a couple of sister's areas here-two in spanish, my ward, and another ward in the stake. Then there is a sister's area in an Anaheim ward (they do a family and the singles ward in english) and there are sisters in Irvine (English, but a very nice suburbia with lots of middle easterners and Asians) and the Tongan and Samoan areas. So really not a lot of options for sisters who speak only spanish and english. But the elders obviously have a lot more areas they can serve in. Our little district did consist of our companionship and two elder companionships. One elder just got called to be a ZL (he looks exactly like Val Kilmer), another got called to be a DL, and our DL got called to be the AP (he doesn't have any shoulders). No wonder we had such a great district, it's full of leaders! So our district will be a little different this week after a new elder comes in and some other changes are made. And they're changing from having 6 zones to having 5 zones (used to be 150 missionaries, now 120) so we got plucked out of our spanish zone and are now going to be mixed with an english one. I think because there are so few areas for sisters, and because only two are spanish, that's the reason why it's harder for sisters to really get to learn the language. We don't have real opportunities to be immersed. Our old DL has been out 17 months and has been in spanish the entire time. Not fair! Well, we'll see, like I said before, one way or another, I will come back fluent. So that's the transfer dealio.

What else? Um, my daily schedule. Get up 6ish, walk down to a park down the street and run for like 20 minutes then walk back. Last week we were running there and I tripped on a pinecone and sort of twisted/sprained my ankle. I don't know. All I know is it's still swollen and the running doesn't happen at the moment. But hey, I have elastic bands! I just hook them up to the chain link fence and away I go! We then from 7-8 get ready, eat breakfast, all that stuff. 8-9 personal study. 9-10, companion study, 10-11 language study. 11-12 lunch. That's all if we're lucky. Rarely do we have a day when all of our studying happens. And it's so important in order to feel ready for our citas. During comp study we always plan what we're going to teach and who's doing what and all of those plans. It's a good thing the approved missionary library is small, because there really isn't time to read anything I find. I don't know where time goes, but I never feel like there's any extra of it. We obviously try to have citas planned for the dya, but it doesn't always happen, so we pick a street or two and go knock doors (formally called tracting!). Sometimes we just go somewhere public and just hand our the little cards-usually the finding faith in christ video. Podemos dejarle una tarjeta? Puede llamar este numero para recibir una pelicula gratis de la vida de Jesu Cristo. Bueno. 5-6ish is dinner, if we have to feed ourselves. But if a member feeds us, it's usually earlier-4ish. Sometimes they eat with us, but usually not. It's really informal. We get there and they're still fixing it and they give us the food and just talk to us, and more often that not, the kids have just gotten home from school and they eat with us, and the dad's not home. I just remember how having the missionaries over for dinner was such a big deal and we were all there and often it was a Sunday. We always leave with a message, obviously, but it's funny because we're usually just sitting at the dinner table and it's so casual. It's just a different culture I guess! Mostly the people feed us fried food. Fried thick torillaish things with beans or rice, sometimes chicken, tomales. Horchata! But we have gotten spaghetti and this other amazing pasta thing. Last week one of our investigators feed us carrot soup and salmon with vegetables that was sooo good. Missionaries appreciate food, but it's nice to get full on non-fried foods.

Our inves. Eulalio commited to being baptized last week. Hooray! He's such a funny little guy. We call him our little lamanite (he doesn't know that!). He's from this place in Mexico where some of my MTC friends are so I got info on his family (his wife and son still live there) so they can get them baptized too. So that date is Oct. 11. H. Fatkin is excited because he will be confirmed the next day, on her birthday. What a great motivation to get someone baptized. Ha ha ha! Daniel and Stephanie Mendoza. Well, I don't know. The mom last week said they aren't getting baptized, and that the dad wants them to wait a week. It's so frustrating, everyone's so noncommital about everything. But we invited ourselved to do a noche de hogar (FHE) with them tonight, so we'll be doing some talking to the dad and mom. Yesterday we had a nice little miracle! Our investigator Araceli and her 8 year old daughter Cibelly came to church yesterday! After weeks of it not happening, we went and picked them up on the bus and took them to church. Yeah! We're hoping she'll want to keep coming back, because she needs that extra spiritual boost. Plus we know that she's ready to kind of make a decision about what's she's doing. Because she gets it and feels good about it, but is kind of waiting for something. So hooray! We've had a couple of great weeks. I think the first couple of weeks here we did a lot of contacting and door knocking and it was hard and tiring, but I think the diligence and obedience is really paying off. I know that it will get harder again because that's just the way it goes, but it's been so nice to see something come of our efforts. And now we're so tired because of all the appointments we've had. Yeah for ward missionaries and members coming with missionaries to lessons-I'm so happy my family is involved in that. I definitely didn't get it before I got here, and I know I still don't really get it, but members are SOOOO important! Help and support those missionaries all you can. They'd rather have you help them with a lesson than feed them. Or go out and make some non-member friends and invite them over for dinner with the missionaries. That would be great!

So I need ideas. I'm not the most creative person at times, and if anyone has fun creative and random ideas for any object lessons on any subject, or things that could get kids involved in gospel topics, that would be great. Ryan, what's the tea bag trick again? Ideas for FHE lessons, and anything in the future that would be helpful in making us less lame in our lessons. It's been a while since I've been in primary, so yeah, I can't think of much. Ideas? Gracias! And also, mom, whenever you do send another package (no rush) would you also send my BYU ID card? It's in my wallet in the nightstand. In case I ever do anything and need a student discount!

It sounds like the family is doing wonderful. I wish I had more time to write you everything. I think of all types of things I want to say during the week, but I get here and feel like I don't really give you any good info. I'll try to think of some specific funny stories for the next e-mail, to keep it more exciting! Oh yeah, we have a car. You did ask that mom. I soooo wish we could bike, but only elders bike here. We have a certain amount of miles a transfer and just try our best to conserve those. So we park somewhere and walk as much as possible. And I'm trying really hard to not get the sister missionary voice mom. As long as I can stay spanish, I think I'll be safe! But you do have to be optimisitic, that's for sure. I can't stand it when people are all moody and lame (yeah I know I am sometimes), so even if it's annoying, I'd rather be optimistic. Hooray! Love you all muchisimo and thank you for the e-mails and everything!

Love,

Your Hermana Emily!