6 Weeks - First Transfer - Staying Put

January 23, 2012

Can you even believe that I have been in Texas for 6 weeks today! I can't either! We are getting in a new batch of missionaries tomorrow and I am SO EXCITED! Sister Bricker leaves tomorrow and I get my new companion who is none other than...drum roll please...SISTER ZAMORA! She is one of the other missionaries that I live with so I already know her well and have gone on splits with her. She is a hoot and I already have some funny pictures of her to show you. If I had remembered my camera cord, I could attach them here at the library, but I forgot so I will just get the pictures at Walmart today. She goes home at the end of this transfer so I am killing my first two companions. I am starting to get the rep of a comp killer. Yup, that's your daughter; the comp killer. But anyways, Sister Zamora will be my companion and Sister Cooper is training a newbie. Because she doesn't know Spanish, we are thinking we are going to get one of the sisters from Mexico which would be AMAZING! Four sisters are coming here and only 2 are leaving so we think they might be opening another sisters area! We're hoping Hidalgo! At least I am, and the Hidalgo ZLs. We chatted yesterday at church and they said they wished they had sisters and they gave me yummy life savers. Since when are the 5 flavored life savers good? I was so happy! I told an Elder that I was stoked and because he is a native Spanish speaker, he didn't get it so we had a conversation about the word "stoked" and what it means and how it translates to Spanish. O man. SO funny.

As far as the work goes, it has BLOWN UP! I can't even believe it! One of our wards is doing a 40 day fast for missionary work and it is amazing to see what has already happened. Last week in our district (3 companionships) we had 29 new investigators! Is that crazy or what! We have been focusing on families so we set 3 or 4 baptismal dates at a time! February should be SO CRAZY!

We also had a miracle story yesterday. My second day in the mission we talked to this man named I_____ but that was it, I never saw or talked to him again but yesterday morning he called and said he got work off and wanted to come to church! It was so awesome! ! J_____ (my first baptism) was such a great little fellowshipper! I loved it! We have an appointment with him on Tuesday, but we will see what happens! I think one of the greatest lessons you learn on your mission is how to handle rejection. :) We still have faith here but we don't get our hopes up. :)

Well, as of right now, we have a lot of investigators we are working with. We have 10 baptismal dates set right now, but I don't know if they will go through. Then we have another 6 or 7 that are getting there. They want to get baptized, they just don't have a date. If they don't set a date within the next few weeks, we will have to move on.

But in more exciting news, F_____ is getting baptized on Sunday! She had her interview yesterday and ROCKED it! She is so great! We went over last week and made s'mores with her and went over the interview questions so she would be ready. She is scared about getting the Holy Ghost in front of the whole ward, but I think she will be fine. She is just one of our really good friends now. Love it!

Yesterday was awesome at church because I got to do sharing time in primary! I LOVE PRIMARY! I wish I could do Primary every week! The little kids are so smart and they are all going to choose the right this week and next week they are going to tell me about it and get a sticker! Guess I have to go get some stickers at Walmart today!

THANKS FOR THE PUMPKIN BREAD! I am already a fatty down here with the Mexican food but now pumpkin bread too! O man! Best package I ever got! We had to drop off Sister Cooper for a training last week and I picked it up and I totally knew what it was and the office missionaries were very jealous. :) I am so loved! (and p.s. yes, I am getting fed. Too much in fact. This past week we had one and sometimes 2 meals a day. I came home sick EVERY DAY! Way too much food! Sister Zamora is going to cross off days next month so we don't have to be super stuffed all the time. Smart, I know)

Two things you can look for for me. Red scripture marking pencils (they have a black outside. just the basic kind) and a baby PMG. I have seen them smaller and I was wondering if you could see where you get little ones. The big one is just hard to carry around sometimes. Could you look around and let me know what you find? Love you! 

Well, today is crazy getting stuff ready to go home, but it should be fun too. We are thinking of going to a thrift store to find something crazy. No se que yet but we will find something good. I'll take pictures.

Sorry for not sending the email last week. I guess I pressed a different button than send but thank goodness it was just saved in the drafts today. I hope you got it this time. I love what you are doing in the living room with the paint! I can't wait to see it in person! Crazy! And I was figuring it out the other day (this in no way makes me trunky, just curious) that my homecoming will most liking be on Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day mom! hahaha.

Love you all so much and I love getting your letters! Keep 'em coming!

Kate