Welcoming Sister VanDyke from Kaysville - Companion #4

May 29, 2012

So because yesterday was Memorial Day, you couldn't write, then this morning we had transfers, so we couldn't do it then so we are just getting to it now! 

This morning at transfers I was inside the office and as I was walking out, the Assistants laughed as they were walking towards me and they said, "O man Sister Giles, you have the most energetic, peppy one of the bunch. She is just like you!" HAHA! What a way to start a conversation! But it is very true! I now am the proud mother of Sister VanDyke from Kaysville, Utah! She is so excited to work! We just made a list of things we were always/never going to do here so we could start good habits early on and she is just a spitfire and we have so many goals and we are just ready to work! I think one of the great things is she is ready to do anything if it means she can learn. That makes a WORLD of difference! Not that we won't have our challenges, but I am super excited for the opportunity to train again. I can already feel the success we are going to be rewarded for our A+ efforts! But the blessings always come after the trial of our faith! 

I forgot to tell you transfer news: Sister Ramos went to Corpus to Flowerbluff where she will live on an island. (Jealous!) Sister Bocanegra went to Sinton. (Where they only speak English) And Sister Oomrigar is getting Sister Regis who is the other sister from Bountiful! It should be fun! Sister Regis is still coming in from Brownsville so we have Sister Oomrigar with us for another hour or two. 

My birthday was GREAT! I literally have 3 birthday cakes in the fridge! The Ainsas bought me a cake and some nice perfume after our language study session on Thursday. They are the sweetest and Elder Ainsa has helped me A LOT with my Spanish! The dinner at the Gonzales' was SO FUN! And SUPER yummy! Yes I made death by chocolate and it was a hit! It was the 4 of us Sisters and the 3 Assistants (they were training the new assistant: Elder Duncan, who I went to EFY with about 7 years ago). I love the Assistants. They CRACK me up. Elder Maldonado ALWAYS has a mark of something on his shirt and so when he spilt his death by chocolate, he blamed ME! RUDE! Anyways, it was really nice and they gave me a nice pearl bracelet. It was super sweet! I have pictures I will show you. Then on Sunday after church, we went to the Sanchez house for dinner and cake. Isaac was sick but we had fun! I recorded the kids being SUPER funny so I need to figure out how to send those to you! They had a super yummy fruit cake for me too. O man, I am seriously blessed with the best members in the WORLD! And tonight we are going to the Gutierrez house. They are the best too. O man! I love all of the people here! O, and my other cake was made by Elder Giron and Elder Peterson. They are too funny! They wrote in chocolate chips, "Happy Cump" because they ran out of chocolate chips. Too bad we couldn't read it anyways. :) It was good though! 

Yesterday we had a carneasada (not sure how to spell that) in La Joya and I got BURNT! No fun! But it is fun with the other Elders. Our zone is spread out so we don't get together a ton but I love when we do. They are super funny! Hopefully we will get together this Monday to play soccer. (Elder Covington from Edinburg is going to put something together. Don't worry, Mission will win!) 

Well we have to go because the Roques are here to pick up Sister Oomrigar! LOVE YOU ALL and I will talk to you soon!!! 

Kate