Achicopalada

Hello family! How is everyone doing? I hope everyone is doing great. Weird to think it's almost May! Well, I'm going to try to think of some different things to say in the e-mail today because really basically it's all the same. We are still looking for more people to teach and still trying to get people to keep their commitments, etc. We have some baptismal dates with people---7 of them, but none of them even came to church yesterday, so....we'll see.
We have begun to teach three kids who are nieces/nephew to a bunch of members in our ward. In the way of the Hispanic culture, the entire extended family lives together, and I just never knew who all the extra people were. Now I know and someone else in the ward told me these kids needed to be taught. They are Lupe, Alejandra and Oscar Jacobo. Lupe and Oscar accepted the baptismal date. They're good kids and they definitely have the family/ward support already, but we just aren't sure their mom will give them permission. We also have a new goal in the mission. The very first time we teach anyone, we invite them to be baptized and with a baptismal date. It feels a little crazy, but we'll be doing it. So we knock on someone's door, they let us in, we talk for 15 minutes about whatever and maybe don't even finish the lesson, and maybe they have lots of doubts and are confused, but we still say "Will you follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized by someone who holds the priesthood authority of God? We will be holding a baptismal service May 17; will you prepare yourself to be baptized on that day?" I feel a little like we're back in the days of memorizing lessons (even though I don't know what that feels like) because we are supposed to say exactly that because it's from Preach My Gospel. So, I suppose we will be having a lot of baptismal dates being set without all of them happening.
It was a good first week of the transfer though. Sister Yeom is doing well with her Spanish. It seems like everyone, besides English speakers, can pronounce Spanish better because they are used to pronouncing all of their letters. So she can't say much, but she says it with a good accent. Hay que aprender el idioma! Being back in a threesome, well it's familiar. What's new?
Um, a couple of days last week it was over 100 degrees. Hot. But it's cooled down again. People are starting to give us cantaloupe water again, so that is also very good.
We taught this guy Javier last week who is actually a referral from Araceli. He talks a lot. Really slow. We've been trying to set another appointment with him to meet with the elders, but he always wants to explain to me his entire week schedule and by 9:45 at night I'm done talking to him. He leaves messages like "Sister Sanders, it's Javier, it is 9:30 pm, what day is it....um....April 24, I am calling so that we can discuss my schedule for the week. Please call me back so we can chat about this." Except it takes him like 5 minutes to say that.
I think that as a missionary, my attention span has gotten pretty bad. I can't focus for too long. And now I am the one who people usually ask to talk to on the phone because they know I can speak to them. Sometimes I am "Hermana Sander" sometimes "Hermana Sandra." They have a hard time with the "rs" together. Ryan, could people say your name?
We got a new car to drive: a brand new Toyota Corolla that is silver. We are working on naming it. We had a Ford Fusion named Jorge earlier. I am thinking Pepito for the Corolla.
And that's my week!

Transfers, New Companions, Teaching

Hermanas Duston, Fatkin, and Sanders





Last week was a good week. We did a LOT of knocking. I feel like we have been doing lots of door knocking all transfers. One week we got 9 new investigators from that, last week, only two-and on the last day of the week. It's crazy. Can't pay toooo much attention to numbers. We did not have our weddings/baptisms this weekend. Que lastima. Sad. Araceli doesn't feel spiritually prepared. Or so she says. I don't think many 8 year olds are very prepared, but when you know its right, it's right. She also didn't have time to meet with us this last week, but we still stopped by randomly anyway and she said "que milagro!" Testigos de Jehovah have been stopping by and talking to her fairly regularly-like us, since at least when I first started my mission. But I forget that they visit her. Apparently she finally told them last week that they just can't come by anymore and that they're confusing her because they always come and say bad things about our church-because they know she meets with us. She says she feels really good about not seeing them anymore, and that she slept better that night. Huh. Well, hopefully she will be able to progress even more now. Alma and Paulo. Well, Alma's still not ready. I don't know what she needs though. With some people it's this guessing game. Guess the doubt/real problem. Usually I'm good at guessing games, but sometimes it is hard! We saw our Jung for the last time on Saturday. She is leaving for Korea in two days. I promised her that I will be going out to visit her next year. Either in time for cherry blossom season or in the fall. Anyone want to go to Korea? I was lucky to be able to meet with her and teach her for the last 4 months, and I will really miss her. She's just crazy and funny. Mostly she calls me "Sanders" but sometimes it's randomly "Emily." She makes me laugh. We have some member referrals that we're checking on this week that I'm pretty excited about that; there is definitely baptism potential for one of them this transfer. We are also teaching these four young people: three from El Salvador (all family), and one is a boyfriend from Mexico. They're really funny and enthusiastic and actually came to church on Sunday. We were really excited. Hopefully things go well there. Meanwhile we are still just looking for new people and keep visiting recent converts and those less actives like I love to do. Yeah! Well I am sticking around here for another transfer. I think that will be like eight months at the end of this transfer. Man. I had the fear that I would be training again, because the sister coming in is in intermediate Spanish. But President always seems to surprise us. Instead Sister Yeom, who came in February, will be joining us here. It will be crazy; she's still sort of learning English. I can't seem to escape the threesome. I'm guessing that I will be out of here the next transfer, so the pressure is on to make sure I do my best to help these sisters feel comfortable in their Spanish, and feel like they can do the work in this area. I'm definitely not fluent at this point, but I'm working on it. Sometimes my mouth just gets tired of speaking a foreign language. Ah! When missionaries go home tired I don't think it's because of a lack of sleep but just because they're worn out. I'm feeling it coming on! Okay familia, I love you all muchisimo! Que tengan una maravillosa semana!

My District from January 17 - March 2009

Easter Week

Hello my family! Well, I'm not sure what to say. It's been a different sort of week, huh? It was kind of interesting to start of my week last week with the knowledge that Erin was in the hospital and probably going to lose little Taggart. It definitely made me aware of different things all week. I thought a lot about the Plan of Salvation. I thought it was ironic how for me, one of the themes that I thought I recognized in conference was that the Plan was talked about many times. Before, whenever we taught the Plan to people, well, I always knew it was true. But I think now it is even different and more real to me. Sometimes you have to gain a real testimony of these principles that we teach people. And I've been reminded even more about how blessed we really are. How blessed I am.


Well, we're still waiting on our baptisms with Araceli and Cibelly and Alma and Pablo. Their dates are coming up this weekend, but the marriage thing has to happen for both of them first. We'll see. I still believe it's possible, but they have to take that step of faith. It's hard. Jennifer and Jessica got baptized this weekend. Stephanie said she wasn't going to get baptized because she ended up having the same "problem" that Jennifer had the first time we postponed the baptism. But this time it wasn't going to be postponed. It was really nice and so special for their family. Our ward mission leader-their uncle, and his family, and the girls' mom have been waiting for years for this to happen. I'm so happy for them. I was sad for Stephanie though. Because I know she wants this. But she also told us that her Dad said she needs to wait another couple of months. Another couple of months could really mean a year. I'm sure she was disappointed to not be baptized with her cousins.
Sunday S. Lewis and I taught Relief Society. Wow, never been something I've aspired to do. Especially in Spanish. Especially teaching these women how to be missionaries. I don't think they got the message we were really trying to get across, but at least we didn't have a mental breakdown trying to prepare for it.
Then the elders had a baptism after church. With the baptisms this weekend, especially on Saturday, I kept thinking how interesting it was that these people were being cleansed, getting a chance to live with Heavenly Father again, while you were all together at little Taggart's funeral, and he is already in the Spirit World waiting. Wow. Having those baptisms at the same time made it really special to me. Hmm, what else.
We found quite a few new investigators last week, so that was really good. Hopefully they'll actually be pretty solid. We'll see. We also lost quite a few investigators last week, so we're really searching for those who are ready. Well things are going really good here. Last week of the transfer, I'm not sure where I'll be/with who next week, but I'm not too worried. I would just really love to spend my whole mission in Spanish. My old companion Sister Dutson and her comp are leaving next week, and I really don't want them to go. It just reminds me of how much time is just flying by.
Well my family. I love you all so much. I would've so loved to have been with you all on Saturday, and all last week. But I was thinking about everyone. Thank you all for you love and support. I'm pretty sure we are more blessed as a family than we can sometimes handle!