Sprinting to the End

Michael, Kiara, and Cathy

Nicole, Sisters Sanders & Cooprider                                                  Sister Sanders &  Cooprider      

                                                                                                               Michael, Kiara, Cathy

 Exchanges

Hi all family! This is your second to last e-mail from me! We had a great and busy week!

So Nicole was baptized on Wednesday. Everything was ready and people were getting there, but there was no Nicole for a while. Nicole comes to everything early. Church doesn't start until 11:00 and she gets there at 10:00. She wanted to be at the baptism an hour early, but we told her 6:30. When it was about 7:00 we were a little worried. Sister Cooprider and I ended up saying a little prayer together outside, and 40 seconds later, in walks Nicole and her husband and her mom. Yeah! Miracles! She was sooo nervous, and just shaking. When she saw all the people who showed up, she told us to tell them all to go home. Nope! But everything went perfectly. And once she was baptized, she was so happy. It's really good. And Sunday bishop confirmed her and it was really nice. And her husband came to church for it. So who knows, hopefully we can begin working with him.

Saturday is the Lopez's baptisms. Now they were there an hour early. Again, everything went perfectly. The ward really came out and supported both of these baptisms. The kids sang “I am a Child of God" at their baptism, and it was fantastic! It was just really really nice. And Sunday our ward mission leader confirmed them, and their dad stood in the circle, so that's good. It was a good Sunday with 4 confirmations, and the primary program. Yeah!

Let's see, what else. Um, we did exchanges on Thursday and I went to the Tongan area. Got to see what I missed by not speaking a Polynesian language. Malo lei lei! Fefehake. Saipe. I can do that much. It's always really great to have an opportunity to learn from a different missionary, to see how they work. Definitely I still have things I could improve. I still have a little more to improve.

This weekend is the Lucero's baptism. Good thing. It just needs to happen. And really we are just trying to find some new investigators, to keep the work going! This week should be really great, we also have a mission conference on Thursday where Elder Foster, one of the seventy is speaking to us, then Friday I go to the temple with S. Brown (I think the only other departing missionary, MTC reunion for us!) and President and Sister Watrous, then Saturday is my departing interview. Get all the good advice from President.

So that's all! Congratulations to Ashleigh on being baptized! I was thinking about you on Saturday and knowing you were being baptized too! Love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!

Love,
Emily

Marine Layers

Good afternoon (evening to some of you) my family! How is everyone? Well, everything is just grand here in Anaheim! I've heard all about the Philadelphia visit. Sounds like it was a fantastic time! Baby Yoda, cleaning carpets, doctor's appointments, and autumn back east. I'm jealous. Some of the trees here change colors. Not too much though. We're still having pretty amazing weather and I know I will miss it!

Well for Halloween we didn't do anything different. Just worked! And then we had chili with some Young Single Adults before they had a party. Hey mom, I remember how you made chili one year at Halloween, and you wouldn't let me go out until I ate some. In WA I think. Remember? Anyway

Friday night was interesting. We had an appointment to see Cesar. Now Cesar, he's a little different. He's not 100% there. He is, but he isn't. He gets everything we teach him, he understands the reading, and he speaks normal. But something's different. So when we get there, he's in a really bad mood. Apparently he had dropped his cell phone and cracked the screen and so he can't call anyone, and he wasn't able to receive calls, and felt cut off from the world. He wasn't in the mood to pray or to read or do anything. And no amount of our being patient and helping him think through his options would help. We had brought a Young Single Adult with us (Tracy), who is awesome and always comes with us, and she is so relaxed, very CA. She finally somehow distracted him by planning to meet him the next day and talking him to the stake center to do family history. He doesn't know who his parents are and doesn't even know if they're alive, so he wants to look them up. Oh, I was so grateful. I was getting so frustrated. I think I hide it well though. But seriously, he was just so upset that he wasn't seeing how it could be better, and he was just difficult. And I could only think that I don't know how I'm ever going to be able to be a mother if I have children that are stubborn like that. Huh mom? I just wanted to drop him right there! We all laughed about it though when we got out of the car.

On Sunday, our branch mission leader went to pick him up for church, and decided to have a little chat with him. Or in his own words he "interrogated" Cesar. And he decided Cesar wasn't ready to be baptized and told our branch president. We were so upset about it. It's all alright now, we've talked to Cesar again, and we'll just have to talk to our lame branch mission leader and reset the date. We're thinking November 15. He's accountable, he understands, and he wants to be baptized and is worthy. Who are we to not let him be baptized?

Nicole is doing really well. Her baptism is tonight at 7:00pm. The ward kept asking us why we are doing it during the week, and we said because we hoped it would deter some people from coming. Odd reason, we know. But Nicole's a nervous personality. And as it is, we know that a lot of people will still come, and she'll be happy with it. It will work. We're really excited for her.

Yesterday when we met with her she had a little breakdown because she's so stressed. Her mom has been driving her crazy, and she's sad that her husband smokes;-she fasted on Sunday for him to be able to stop-plus, they don't always get along. And it's hard, because she just feels alone, and even S. Cooprider is not always the most sensitive to Nicole. She's not very good at controlling facial expressions, and people notice. So Nicole was crying yesterday and I felt so bad for her. Sometimes there's only so much you can do. Unfortunately she's pretty attached to me, and I'm just hoping she doesn't have another breakdown when I leave. Ah! But all will be perfect with the baptism tonight!

And Saturday we have the baptism of the Lopez kids-Cathy, Kiara and Michael. Yeah! They're the best behaved little kids and just excited. So that's that! And the Lucero's are still a go for Nov. 14.

Last week we also did a couple of splits. It was so interesting because the last time I did splits, I was in a threesome, and I was with the other companion. It's so odd to not be with your companion for a while. It just feels wrong. But the appointments went really well. We visited a Hispanic family in the ward. The parents are from Mexico, and speak English, and the boys (should) go to the YSA branch. But they don't. One's an RM, and one needs to go on a mission. so we're trying to activate the boys, Bethuel and Yobel Montanez. And I went with a girl from the ward that’s going on a mission in a couple of months, and we visited this other less active family, the Chutes. They always cancel our appointments, so they frustrate us. But Jenny, the member, knows them really well, so it was a really good appointment. That's another reason why members are so invaluable in appointments-they give you another connection to the less actives you visit. It really helps! Also last week, we had a Hungarian dinner cooked by the Hungarian roommate of one of our less actives. He's a funny guy. And then another day we had Danish food cooked by the 2 Danish girls staying with one of the counselors in the branch presidency. But the funny thing was their Danish dinner was Mexican food. They said it's the way they do Mexican food in Denmark. Pretty much the same as we do it here. Also, we had our president's interviews last week. It was wonderful!

And that was the week! Pretty busy and amazing week! I love it! Everything is just fantastic and I'm still sprinting! I hope everyone is staying healthy. No swine flu! I love you all so much! Thanks for being my family!

Love,
Emily

Baptism!

Sisters Patten, Fatkin and Sanders
Mission President's house
July 2009

Buenos dias familia!

We had a great start to a new transfer this last week! We have some new people to teach and we’re pretty excited! The family ward has finally made contact with some of the people that ward council has been talking about having us teach them.. Sometimes it takes a while to get the process going. We didn’t teach any of the people yet, but it’s great that the work is moving forward, and we have some appointments set for this week. Mom, that’s crazy that Minnesota was one of the last states to learn about this process and get it going. I suppose we didn’t start it until around the new year, but I remember learning what it was all about, this time last year. It really is an inspired idea, and really helps missionaries have more people to teach. I hope that your missionaries find more opportunities to teach. If you’re not teaching as a missionary, it’s easy to feel like you’re not really making a difference or doing what you were called to do. But they’ll be okay, as long as they’re obedient and working.

MTC District

We knocked quite a bit last week: early in the day, in the afternoon, at dinnertime, and later on at night. Nobody let us in to teach. But we met a couple of people that said we could come back. So we’re going back! The first week of last transfer we knocked into this woman who was very nice, and had just had a baby like 2 days before, so it wasn’t a good time. And we kept thinking we needed to check on her again. So last week we did, and ended up meeting her brother-in-law (all the family live together). She told us we could come back the next day at the same time, but when we came back she wasn’t there, and he was. We didn’t think he was going to be available at that time, so we hadn’t planned ahead to have another girl with us. But the next day we came back with someone and taught him the Restoration. It went really well. He was a little hesitant to accept all of these things that seemed new and different, but he accepted a baptismal date. His name is Jose, and he’d be in the singles branch. Unfortunately he didn’t make it to church-because it’s football season. We’ll keep working with him.

Hermanas Chriswell, Sanders and Brown

We also have another potential young single adult investigator. The other sisters in our district are teaching this girl who was introduced to the church by a coworker. And because this girl is the young single adult age, the sisters are going to pass her to us, and she has a baptismal date too. Wow!

The best news though is about the Lopez family;. I don’t remember if I’ve mentioned them. They moved into this ward in the spring and were sort of inactive then. The Mom is member, the Dad is a recent convert, and together they have 5 kids, 4 age eight and up. And only one has been baptized. So they are a family that is part of this process where they were invited by the ward to be taught by the missionaries. It’s been really frustrating to even have appointments with them. They want the kids baptized, and they’re really really good kids and they’re excited to be baptized. But the mom just hasn’t seemed to be putting it as a priority. But finally on Friday we had an appointment with the whole family together and we set a date! So on November 7 (as long as the dad’s work schedule will let him have the day off) the three kids-Michael (8), Kiara (9), and Cathey (10) will all be baptized! We’re really excited for them! And hey, if I can’t be there to see Ashleigh baptized, I can see some other kids get baptized! Hopefully that won’t be all.

There are still some other part member families that we’re trying to work with and we’re still looking for new investigators. So who knows what else will happen!

It’s getting a little cooler here in California, and it’s very nice, especially to be walking outside! Yesterday we ate with our ward mission leader and I thought of you Erin.because his wife put out lots of fancy cheeses that she had gotten from work. Stinky cheeses not so good, but also brie and gouda. You’d like that, right? Thought so.

Good to hear that everyone is doing well! That the Sanders are reunited in Philadelphia, and everyone is enjoying their fall (winter?) weather! Life here in Anaheim, California is wonderful! S. Cooprider and I continue to get along really well and are improving our teaching together. Life is happy! As always, thank you for your love and prayers and support! I love you all!

Love,
Emily

Two Bs: Bike and Baptisms

Hello familia! Well, how was everyone's week?
We had a great week this last week! Vanessa Delgado and her son Andrew were baptized yesterday!!! She is super strong and amazing. She bore her testimony at the end and it was so good. The ward was really great at supporting her and being there, as well as her friends that she works with that are members. The support is always good and important. One guy sang a solo, and right after wards, Vanessa, her brother, and Andrew, started clapping. That was great. I love when people are new in the church! Vanessa also requested "Battle Hymn of the Republic" for the closing song. That's just great. End with a patrioticish feeling!
Now we just need to find some more people to set some baptismal dates with! This week we really have to focus on tracting and finding and talking to all of the part member families.
Last Thursday we had a district tract. All of the elders in our district came to our North Hills area (where not much is happening) and each took a different street and tracted for an hour. They each got us one name of someone we can check on, ironically some of them turned out to be very inactive members. That's okay. They all have non member friends! I know we'll be able to get the work going there; it just takes constant hard work!
Things are still going really well with S. Patten and S. Fatkin and I. S. Patten knows a lot of random church facts which comes from serving at Temple Square. So that's fun, because she brings a new viewpoint to the companionship. I'm sad though that S. Fatkin is leaving in two weeks. Super weird. She was my first companion when I came out, and now I'm her last companion as she leaves. I guess there was something we still needed to learn from each other. I've definitely learned a lot from her, she's amazing!

 

I finally feel like I'm getting to know the wards a little bit, it's just taking some time. That's okay.
I don't think we're doing anything special for the fourth of July. We're not allowed to go to really any ward activities or anything, besides our stake is doing the activity in the morning, and we can't move our study time. And fireworks are too late to watch. Well, maybe we'll go outside our apartment and try to see them from the high school. We'll think of something patriotic to do.
Today for p-day we and our district all went on a bike ride. It was sooo much fun. We borrowed these fancy bikes from these hard core bike riders in our ward and we went on a 7 mile ride. It was a pretty good one. Right in the beginning I tried to jump this curb thing, without really thinking that I might not be able to do it, and I did a good fall. I'm told I got some air, so at least I have that. And as long as the bike's good, I'm good. Though I got a bloody elbow and hand. Maybe I'll send a picture! It was just really fun and I'm sure we'll all feel it tomorrow. I have a really great district, all very nice elders.
Just so you get a little idea of our mission and how it's doing, this is a little from the e-mail our President sends us each week:

"It turns out that there were 10 baptisms this weekend. This gives the mission a total of 38 so far this transfer, with two more weekends to go. There is much work to do in order to achieve our standard of excellence of 57 for the transfer. For the same period in 2008 there were 27. As of the end of June, there have been 222 baptisms. Keep in mind that this total includes one weekend in March with 20 baptisms and two other weekends of 17 baptisms. The year-to-date total of 222 compares to 267 for the entire year of 2008. You are doing so well, yet there is so far to go. It is wonderful to stretch ourselves in the Lord’s service! Again I ask: If the Lord can bless our mission with 10 baptisms in one great weekend, why not 20? And if 20, why not 40? Is anything too hard for the Lord? Certainly not! All that is needed is worthy missionaries who have the faith to believe they can find the Lord’s lost sheep, and who are willing to work for the blessings that await. Our goal now is to reach 19 more baptisms (let’s just say at least 20 to make it a round number) over the next two weeks. The Lord could do that for us in just one week. He has done it for us before. Why not reach 20 each of the next two weeks? Our aim is to consistently meet or beat our standard of excellence each transfer. When we do so, the bar will be raised to greater heights. Thanks to each of you for your honest and humble efforts for the Lord and His children. Onward and upward."

So everything's wonderful and amazing and I'm happy doing this work and I appreciate all of the prayers and love and support from all of you! I hope that everything is going amazingly in all of your lives and that you're all happy too!

Love,

Emily

Yorba Linda or La Habra?

Sister Fatkin and Me


Hey familia! How is everyone doing this first week of June? Crazy! It's good to hear the update on everyone, job interviews, droughts, dogs, baby blessings, gardens, etc. Hooray! This last week was a great one! Change is good! I do miss the Spanish though. It's soooo fun to be with Sister Fatkin and Sister Jeung.
Sister Jeung is from Korea and is a temple square missionary. She has been out here the last two transfers with Sister Fatkin and is going back to temple square this Wednesday. She's a riot. Both Sister Fatkin and Sister Jeung mentioned right away how they aren't emotional, so that was a relief. I knew that about Sister Fatkin though; we just laugh all the time.
The area up here is just different. We cover two wards and really both of them just have a lot of work that can be done in terms of less actives and part member families. The sisters have been working really hard the last two transfers to get the work going with all of these people. So we don't knock doors very much. I actually miss it. But at the same time, its weird doing everything in English. Only a month and a half of my mission has actually been truly in English, and I've been realizing how awkward and weird it is to teach even basic lessons in English. But I'm adjusting. It will be good for me.
They also don't really have any investigators up here. Apparently they had a bunch just the other week, but they dropped all of them. Sister Fatkin's personality and style is much bolder; she really needs to see progress in people. So if someone isn't keeping commitments, then she drops them. And I don't blame her. I'm more that way, though at the same time, I probably have a little more patience for the people who go slowly. Though truly there are people who are ready to keep commitments and who are ready to be baptized. Someone shouldn't have to be convinced and bugged into praying and reading and getting baptized.
This last week we taught a lot of less actives and searched for a lot of people from the wards that we could visit that we're guessing probably have non-member family. It is weird being in wards where we are the only missionaries too. I can really see now how amazing the ward mission leader and bishop were that we had in Santa Ana. I miss them. They were absolutely devoted to this work. It's just different in these wards. But the sisters have been working really hard here so the work has started to move.
We actually have a baptism of a little 9 year old girl, Antonia Rodriguez, this Sunday. Her mom has been inactive, but Antonia has member friends and has heard about the church and told her mom she wanted to go to church, and then told her she wanted to be baptized. She is soooo excited. But I won't be there for it.
Because of the MTC pig flu and our new missionaries not being able to come out yet, there has been some rearranging of sorts; so for the next week, I will be with Sister Kioa (who has been with Sister Chriswell in the Tongan program for the last 7 months) in her new area of Yorba Linda/Placentia until her new comp comes out. This is a rich area. Like Irvine, but different. So it should be interesting. It will be fun to get to know Sister Kioa (who is from Tonga) because I've never been on exchanges with her or anything, but I've always wanted to.
And they have a baptism up here this weekend, so I'll get to be part of that. Then I'll go back to La Habra next Tuesday. Also, I guess I am going to continue being in a threesome. None of us were aware of it until the other day, because they didn't tell us when we got transfer calls, but the new temple square sister who is coming in Wednesday to replace Sister Jeung, will be with us in La Habra. So she will be with Sister Fatkin for the next week while I'm gone. Oh threesomes.
All of the gardens everyone has sound so fun. Too bad you can't have grapefruits and chiles and avocados. One of my favorite things out here is all the Jasmine. It's probably my favorite smell (that and Plumeria!). I'd always smell it and it reminded me of being in Italy because we'd walk by some of it everyday while I was there, but I never knew what the name was. Can Jasmine grow in Minnesota?
Oh yeah, up here they do work a little with Hispanic people. We met some and there are actually some in our wards, but they have translators. Normally if we find someone who speaks Spanish and who is interested, we teach them a little; then pass them to the elders in the Spanish wards. Sad.

Sister Fatkin and Me


Everything is going really well here though. This week I'll be seeing how Yorba Linda and Placentia are. Maybe I won't want to leave!
Oh yeah, last transfer we had 67 baptisms! That's a miracle, our goal every transfer is to have one baptism per companionship (a goal of faith of 2 baptisms)-which on average is about 57. We've gotten close, but hadn't reached it until this transfer and we surpassed it. We have 183 baptisms this year so far, and last year they only had 101 by the same time. Great things are happening! It's exciting! This week is my year mark. I can't believe it! It really does not seem too long ago that I went to the MTC. It's nuts! But it's been amazing! Thank you all for everything! I love you my family!

Love,
Emily

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!

My New Companion

Emily and the Persimmon Tree


Hi Family! This week was really good. My companion, Sister Lewis, came on Tuesday and we did the little orientation which is actually pretty long. I'm pretty glad now that I didn't do the whole normal orientation. You are just soooo tired and there is waaaay too much info to process.
That night we just had a dinner appointment and a lesson with Leticia, our recent convert, so hopefully it wasn't too much for S. Lewis the first day. She's really nice and willing to give suggestions to me, so I like that. Mostly I just want her to feel like she can say what she does and doesn't like the way we/I do something. She's from Sandy, UT and mostly has worked in a medical office for the last couple of years and taken some classes at SLCC. She's really great and really just wants to be able to share the gospel. It frustrates her that she doesn't feel like she can speak the language. It's an interesting thing to see someone who has just come and kind of see where I used to be. I haven't forgotten how it was frustrating in the beginning, to actually be able to communicate with people, but still, I guess my Spanish is a lot better than where it used to be.
Since S. Fatkin has been here the past week and maybe that was good to ease S. Lewis into the Spanish teaching because she didn't have to do as much. She mostly bore her testimony, said MTC style prayers and shared the first vision. But after Wednesday when S. Fatkin's comp comes in, it will just be the two of us. I'm not worried about her; I know it will take time to learn the language, and lots of patience. This is a really good area to start off the mission I think. This ward is amazing, I really love the people here but then that's what 6 months in one area will do for you.

Emily and her favorite MTC instructor, Sister Alexander

Leticia was confirmed Sunday and that went really well and she just really gets it. She truly is an example of someone who was prepared for the gospel and really wants to learn. I love it! We also found 6 new investigators this week and that was amazing; we didn't find any the week before. And we set a baptismal date with this young guy named Freddy. He asks really funny questions. He asks us where we heard things like living as spirits before we came here. Then we tell him we know from revelation and the scriptures, and he just accepts it. He didn't make it to church though, so he's not exactly solid yet. But we are putting out the commitment to be baptized with a hard date, on the second visit, so not everyone is actually very solid at that point. But if it's right, they will be!
Also, this week the Lopez family came back to church. Silviano (the alcoholic), Nicandra, and the kids. We had dropped them to give them a little time, but were planning on going back this week. But our ward mission leader never understood why we weren't still teaching them, and he called them this week and invited them to his house, and then to church and they came. It's a miracle because that's exactly what should be happening. Members should be involved as friends and continue to fellowship investigators even when we can't be doing the teaching. And it shows that when you have faith to “drop” someone, that you can be blessed for doing it. When Silviano saw us at church, he was very attached to us and kept asking us to come back and that they missed us. You always hope that people notice a difference, but we didn't expect such a reaction from him, because he always used to say that he didn't understand us. He did though. So we're going to go back tonight and eventually start teaching them again. I still believe this family will be baptized, I just don't know when.

Irvine: Shellie's baptism

It's interesting being at the halfway point in the mission; I feel like I finally get it. I get why people love being on missions. It took a while, but I really do love it and also get why missionaries start to think they don't want leave their missions. There's definitely some safety here. Everything's going really well and even though I don't know what will really happen this transfer, I think it will be great! Thanks for everything mi familia!

Hello

Here are some updates on our progressing investigators. Leticia is doing amazing. Before someone has there actual baptismal interview by the DL, the missionaries are supposed to basically do the interview first. That way we know if they are prepared and ready. So we asked her about if she believed in living prophets and President Monson. She said she wasn't sure because honestly, we hadn't done a good job of teaching that to her. Oops? So she immediately said she'd pray about it that night. We came back the next day and shared a little about church organization and watched President Monson's testimony on “Special Witnesses of Christ”. We asked if she had prayed about him and she said “yes, and I felt good.” Honestly we were all saying how we've never had an investigator who understands that they really can pray to get an answer, and then have that investigator also recognize an answer through their feelings. She's amazing! She's just one of those investigators that you don't have to worry about too much; you know she understands everything, even if our Spanish isn't fantastic. She can always reteach us what we taught, but in her own words. That's a first! So she is getting baptized this Sunday and she's invited all her family. Yeah! We finally found Juan Carlos on Saturday-after almost two weeks. It turns out he had been going to a lot of AA meetings. We really hadn't taught him enough to even know he had an alcohol problem. He told us right off that he was going to church and he'd be there at 10:40 and he was taking the bus. But he didn't come. We're pretty sure he just told us what we wanted to hear. And the Lopez family. Well, after stopping by and calling all week-with nothing happening, finally we were walking (stalking?) behind their apartment the other day and the daughter was out on the patio. She came down and let us in. Sounds like they've had a pretty bad week and actually went to a different church. They think their kids like it better there and they just want to go together as a family. We basically let them go. It was realllly hard. The dad was crying and the mom at one point too. But sometimes honestly it is not someone's time. Maybe they're prepared enough for the next missionaries who come by. We had a lot of potential and new investigator that we just didn't get hold of this week. So who knows? We don't have very many progressing right now. One girl we were teaching, Angelica, was doing really well (even though she couldn't go to church because she is always taking care of her 7 month old brother) but we won't see her very much for a while because she is going to go help her 15 year old brother's girlfriend take care of her new baby (ah!) everyday. But we did set a baptismal date with Stephanie Mendoza! We chose March 14, and she said that's her cousin's b-day and she (the cousin) had been thinking of being baptized that day. So it sounds good to us! She basically accepted, and we're going to try hard to get and keep her prepared. Stephanie is doing everything she needs to be doing, everything a member does; she just needs to be baptized to get those blessings! We're doing a whole bunch of exchanges this week-3 or 4 or something. The week is going to fly by. And then we'll get transfer calls this Saturday. I have no clue what's going to happen. We're getting two new sisters and the numbers won't be right for a threesome, and a new area will have to open up, so who knows! I would love to be here for some of our upcoming baptisms (like Jung and Stephanie) but whatever works that will be fine. We've been having a really really good time in our companionship, so it will be sad. I think (?) we are learning a lot from each other and have a lot of fun. Oh well, we'll see what happens! Well familia, things are going fantastic! Good times being a missionary! Happy late birthday Ryan, happy birthday Erin and thank you everyone for the letters and love and prayers! I love you all!

Dia de los muertos!

Mi familia! Como esta todos? Estoy muy bien! This is the last week of the transfer-I don't like that. The prayers are starting again that we can all stay another transfer! Mostly I'm worried about being transferred because that means a little decrease in my Spanish learning. Oh yeah, plus all of the investigators we're teaching! Last week was great and we were exhausted the entire time.

We taught Araceli and got her husband to sit in with us. Mostly we were teaching him the restoration to see if he'd maybe come to church, and maybe marry Araceli. It's funny, as we've found out this "problem" we've realized that this is probably why teaching her in the beginning was a little slow, and why she was stubborn. She is absolutely ready to be baptized and wants it so much. She wants to get married. But she has this lazy stubborn husband. He's nice, but he's not doing the best things for his daughter and wife. After he basically said he didn't want to be pressured to get married, he left and Araceli actually broke down a little and cried. It's sort of refreshing because she's a tough person, and it was good for us to see how much she really wanted to be baptized. Sooo, for now, we're going to teach her this week and basically tell her she needs to make some hard decisions.

And then we have Lupe. We got Lupe to actually verbally commit to being baptized Nov. 15 last week. But then I was talking to her on the phone on Saturday and we were a little worried about whether or not she was married (we never asked) and after confirming some appointments, I asked her how long she'd been married. But then her daughter Lulu (8) wanted to talk on the phone and told me they'd been reading the BOM together (we just gave her her own) and then her little brother "big boy" who is 4 decided to get on the phone and chat too (I felt like I was talking to Ashleigh and Braden and it was very fun!). Lupe got back on the phone and told me she's not married. It was actually pretty funny this time. Maybe because we were all tired so everything gets funny like that. So we have some more work to do. She doesn't seem opposed to marriage, so hopefully....!

So officially we have one Maria Tellez being baptized Nov. 30, Cleotilde Curachura on Nov. 22, Eulalio (if he stops being lame and comes to church) on Nov. 30, and possibly Lupe and Lulu sometime in November. And we're just going to keep praying for Araceli and Cibelly.

I don't know what else we did last week. We definitely taught some people and talked to a lot of people but I just remember it flew by and we were tired and it never seemed like we did very much by the end of the day. But somehow we met all of our goals-so that's good!

A little more mission info. So I live in Anaheim in an apartment with my companionship and another companionship-those girls are serving in Anaheim, not officially Spanish. There is one comp of girls who just got moved to a new area last transfer (they used to be in a Spanish area) and they are in a very nice area apparently, living with members. I don't know that there are elders living with members. I actually work in Orange, but our ward is Santa Ana, and when there are people who need to be taught by sisters in Spanish, then we can go to other areas. Otherwise our area is verrry small. I haven't seen the ocean yet, but I think if I climbed some hills I probably could. And yes, there are hills here to the east of it and I love it because when we drive towards them they seem like mountains!

It's still very warm here-no snow. But a couple of mornings it has been foggy and chilly. I like that a lot. But mostly sun and hot/warm. My ankle is pretty much better, I don't notice it anymore, but I think it's still a little swollen.

So Friday is Halloween and we have to be in by 6. To avoid all of the crazies I suppose. We're really excited to be inside so we can have a little time. We're just hoping that we don't have to do our planning at night. Once a week on Friday mornings we do weekly planning and lately it takes us 3 hours to do. We're afraid they're going to have us do it Friday night instead this week. Oh well, I'm still buying a pumpkin today and eating candy corn on Friday.

The prop 8 thing is really getting crazy around here. With how much we here about it in our little sheltered world, it must be really big. Every week in sacrament and in relief society they talk about it. They even cancelled the ward Halloween fiesta so people could go out and hold signs-which they do a couple of times a week. I hear that members who have signs in their yards are getting harassed too. Spray paint on their side walks and things thrown in windows. And in the Orange circle one day we saw all of these college students (there's an artsy school in Orange-Chapman U) holding anti prop 8 signs. It's crazy! Thanks so much mom for the absentee thing-it is a miracle that you got that, hopefully it gets here in time! I need to uphold my civic duty, even if I'm on a mission, right?

I got an e-mail from my friend Kathleen and she's in Brazil and has been for almost two weeks now. It seems so crazy that here I am in California just being a missionary, and she's in the MTC in Brazil. It's interesting where you're called to-where is the right place for you with people that you can touch and help. California girl, huh?

Not much else going on-even though I'm sure there is and I'm just not thinking about it. We're doing some exchanges again tonight and H. Chriswell will be our temp comp tomorrow so I think that will be pretty fun to be back together. And the elders have some baptisms this Sunday so we're hoping that our investigators with fechas bautismales (baptismal dates, not failed baptisms) can come see them. We're also eating with la familia Mendez on Sunday for Dia de los muertos as a little anniversary of the death of Hermana Mendez's mom. Weird? Oh no, fun. Her husband isn't a member, but pretty much is. They both remind me of my own little parents!

I've been thinking and realizing a lot lately that I am pretty lucky to have the family that I do. It's just amazing how solid everyone is in the gospel-that's a miracle. And I love it! So I wanted to say thank you to my parents for being amazing parents and doing such a good job with everyone! I hope that I can be just like you some day! I love all of you my little family! Thanks for everything and "talk" to you in a week!

Love,
Hermana Emily