"Pink Washing" Brownsville

August 27, 2012

Apparently I am pink-washing, not white-washing. Whatever. People need to stop coming up with new mission terms. It's throwing me off.

So this week has been one of the most interesting weeks of my mission. Taking over an area has its challenges but all in all I feel like we are pretty on top of it. It cracks me up to realize, once again, how nerdy I am. Wow! We have so many lists now and maps and areas and everything is just so organized. Yup. I'm a nerd, what can I say. But it is good.

My new area is called Resaca Point. Five points to whoever emails me first and tells me what a resaca is. My area is pretty big and yes, we have a car. We came into the area with no investigators so we have been working our legs off trying to find. We have 2 investigators right now and hopefully another family that we are having dinner with this week. The bad thing is that we don't have records of a lot of the people in this area. The good thing is that the missionaries before had good relationships with people so even if we don't have record of people, they still seem to know us. :) It is interesting.

I wish I had more to write about but this week - really has just been getting lost and exploring and visiting members and less actives and knocking. We are working hard though and we are just tired at night so we sleep fast. But Sister P's bed squeaks so I wake up. Such is the life of a missionary.

Last night I had the desire to make tortillas but I put augar and cinnamon in them too so they were sweet. Then we and Sister G ate them with chocolate ice cream. That has probably been my favorite part of the week so far. :)

Apparently our zone gets together every week so today we are playing volleyball. I get to see Sister H which I am super excited about! Love her!

Sorry this email isn't the best email in the world. We have had a crazy day yet again and we have to go eat lunch before our zone activity. I love you all and yes mom, I will write you a letter in Spanish and I bet you will be able to tell a difference in my grammar. :) Hopefully!

Kate

Transferred to ....... Brownsville

August 20, 2012

Yup, I won transferdomus. What is that you say? It is where everyone in the district takes a guess of the zone you are going to go to. I totally won. I guess I am just cool like that. 

So the weekend was really great! The Lady got baptized! It was such a beautiful thing and she just felt amazing! I wish I could put into words the thoughts and feelings at a baptism, but I just can't. It is too amazing. She asked me to talk about baptism which was a first. O man, she is just awesome! Our other baptism had to get pushed back because our investigator got sick. Dang it! The things Satan uses to get us! But she will be getting baptized this week! 

This week has been super crazy with it being the last week of the transfer. Sister B is coming to replace me to break Sister V. It will be really interesting to see where the area goes now. 

I didn't think it would be this hard to leave this area but it is. I think the part that made it the hardest is that whenever I told anyone I was leaving, they had to get all sad and everything. If everyone would have just been normal, I would have been fine, but NOOOO, everyone has to get all emotional! Gol! :) Both bishops made me and Elder M (also leaving) bear our testimonies yesterday, and I did fine in Spanish but the English one had me in tears before I even started and you know me, I DON'T cry! They have just been such a great ward full of amazing people that have changed my life more than I have changed theirs. I can't wait for you to all meet them! I've been fine since then, but tonight we are visiting the B_____s and the S_____s which is going to be ROUGH! I can just see it now. Man. But after those goodbyes, I should be fine. Change, just a part of life right? :)

I guess I should tell you where I am going huh...Well...I am about to embark on a lovely adventure in the city of....Brownsville! It is the most southern city in Texas, right on the border. Like more so than McAllen. I am really excited! It should be really fun and Sister H is still down in Brownsville too so we will get to see each other at least once a week! Yay! My area is called Resaca Point. It is an Elders area right now so it will be an adventure whitewashing the area. I really have no idea what to expect walking into it because all we will have to go on is the Area Book. Those Elders better have taken good records! I am really excited though because the mission efforts down there right now are to get the stake split. I am SO excited to be up on the forefront of that project! There is nothing I love more than finding people and rescuing less-actives! The people in Brownsville better get ready because they have NO idea what is about to hit them. AND I am SUPER excited to be right by the coast for HURRICANE SEASON! I want nothing more than to get evacuated. I know that sounds sadistic, but I am my father's daughter. And I LOVE me a good storm! But anyways, right now we have one big English ward that covers the Brownsville area so the ward of 150 actives and about 800 in-actives has about 26 missionaries. 26 missionaries in one ward! I can't even imagine that! But it should be interesting! That is just the English ward though. There are quite a few Spanish wards. I am going to have a mainly Spanish area which is AMAZING because I want to work hard on my Spanish. I really am very excited because this area will be a challenge, but I am so up for it! Transfers are tomorrow morning so I guess I will have a BUNCH of stories to tell you guys next week!

Today was a fun last p-day here but BUSY too. That is why it is 5:45 right now. Right before p-day is about to end. We started off with a jaunt to the office to turn in a baptismal record then went fishing with the D____s (I didn't catch anything :( but Sister V did AND she gutted it. Sick) then a cookout with the A_____s then back home to take a nap because I am SICK, then now we’re here to email, then a birthday party for M_____s son, then B_____s then S_____s. SO MUCH! But yes, I am also ill. I feel like I just want to throw up, which is AWESOME right before transfers! I am super excited to get in a car for an hour tomorrow with an upset stomach. YAY! :) But really, it's all good. Just part of the work! 

I have taken a BUNCH of pictures but I still have room on my card. I think that I will buy another card anyway once I get down to Brownsville and send you the card I have. That way you can see all my pictures and what-nots that I have. I figure you would probably want to see them. I think it's been awhile. I have wanted to send it but I am just TERRIFIED that the card will get lost and I would be devastated if that happened. I think we'll be okay though. 

Well, my time here is coming to a close. Tonight I have to finish up packing. You know how much I LOVE packing! I have a lot done already, but I did another load of laundry so now I have to find where to put all of those clothes too. It is amazing what you gather after 9 months! Wow! But it is cool! I will get it all done before tomorrow morning AND obey all bedtime and wake up time rules. What would be a better word for wake up time? It has been a long day so that is all the creativity my brain can currently muster. 

This week I found Alma 27:17 which is such a great scripture. I think it is Ammon in the scripture but now I am not sure. Anyways, he is so happy that he just passes out. I loved it because I feel that way as a missionary quite often. I love the people here so much and I love what I am doing. It is freaking me out how fast it is going, but it is okay. God has a plan for all of us. Love you all!

Kate

SANTA FREAKING ROSA!!!!!!!

August 13, 2012

So this morning we get a text from the assistants telling me that I have a package so we waited extremely patiently (NOT) to leave the apartment after studies to run to the office and pick it up. They knew how excited I was so I just walked into the office with a huge smile on my face and they just laughed at me. We pick up the package, told EVERYONE what it was, then walked out to the car so I could properly freak out once I heard where my lovely little one will be going! SANTA ROSA! That is so stinking cool!!!!!!!!! I love that Dave and Ben will be in the same mission! If Dave can't serve with me, that is the next best thing! WOW! And 6 days before Christmas?!?! At first I thought Oh man! That would be not so fun! Then I really thought about it and realized how truly awesome that would be! The MTC takes care of their missionaries! And Dave will get to hear from all sorts of General Authorities! How cool! Wow. I still can't believe it all! WOWOWOWOWOW! P.S. Get Dave a white handbook, it has ALL the different blessings and everything in the back.

On that note, I don't really know what to say. :) We have another Chalk Walk tonight but it is for the whole ward this time. We were talking logistics this morning so we hope it all goes okay! And yes, we actually have TWO baptisms this weekend. The Lady is SO ready to be baptized and so is The Mama. We are so excited to have such a great weekend, especially because it could possibly be my last one in the area. Transfers are a week from tomorrow. We won't find out until Friday, so I have no idea what will happen but logically, I will probably be leaving my home of 8 months to go to the great unknown. Weird. But I will be okay with whatever happens. God knows everything.

So another neat thing. We DID go to La Michoacana and got tortilla presses! And guess who is now a PRO at making tortillas. DE SCRATCH! That is right, this sister. We are going over to a member’s house today because she is helping us make dresses (gotta love member trust) and we'll probably show her to get her stamp of approval. And her husband is so funny. There is a saying in Mexico that when you can cook, you are ready to get married so he told me that and I freaked out and was yelling all sorts of stuff in Spanish about never getting married. (Everyone yells in Spanish, no big deal) He thinks it is so funny so he teases me about it ALL the time. Super gross.    

I am trying to look for Dave's mission boundaries on LDS.org (an approved mission website) but to no avail. I will have to get Sister V to help me. She is cooler than me most days.

Man, the mission is so wonderful. Every day I just get a renewed sense of why I am here. Our purpose here as missionaries is just to share what we love about the Gospel. How cool is it that we get to talk about the thing that makes us the most happy, all day long, every day. Want to know something cool? We can do that even when we AREN'T missionaries. Hey, that's a good idea! :)

Hey, just found a CD you can send me that next time I have a birthday or something. The I Believe in Christ Mo Tab CD. :) We are looking for something for The Lady for her baptism but it is kind of hard. :) We'll think of something.

Well, I know this email is short but we have a busy day today. I have to go organize stuff and we’re making dresses and I think I might actually write letters today. Maybe. We'll see.

CONGRATS DAVE!!!!! I'M SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!

Kate

I Had a Neat Week!

August 6, 2012

Hermana V and I decided that you shouldn't email or call and tell me about David's call, just send it to me on the recorder and she will record me listening to it so you can see my reaction. Or I guess I could read a letter too. Doesn't matter. :) But we decided that you guys probably would think it was funny to see my reaction. But I can record it either way. 

So this week was a neat one. We did A LOT.

The Crew-We have been meeting with two of the boys from the crew this week and their family. (Active parents, inactive sons) They are doing great and ALL the boys came to church yesterday. That has never happened while I have been here. The boys are 17, 19, and 22 or 23. It is super fun to go over there because the oldest has two kids and we play with them, then the two younger boys just feel like my little brothers. They are really funny. I invited their family up to Utah next summer or for Christmas. They are going to come. :) Hope you don't mind that I have turned our home into a hotel. I have also tried to convince EVERYONE with family in Utah to go up next Mothers Day so they can be up there for my Homecoming. Not that I am thinking about that, but I am trying to think of EVERY possible reason to see people from here in the next life. Attached much? Probably.

We also had a miracle yesterday! So the Z_____ family. They had twins two months ago and they brought them home from the hospital about a week ago. They are so cute! Anywho, they brought the babies to church yesterday because they were going to get blessed. I went to PEC so I missed the testimony meeting but I came back and asked them how it went and everything and they didn't do it! I didn't understand but just went with it then talked to A_____ after and he said that we needed to visit them that night because they didn't bless the babies because Da____ wants to do it and Di____ wants to get baptized because they are doing this as a family! WHAT! I love that family! Always so spontaneous. This is the third spontaneous baptism in their family! Hopefully she will be baptized on the 19th. (My last Sunday. Well, 99.9% sure it's my last Sunday) 

The Lady- She is SO COOL! You will meet her when you come down! She is already in 2 Nephi! She reads faster than I do! She is so on track for the 19th! She technically could get baptized today if she wanted. She is just that cool! Yesterday she even went to the Singles Ward AND the family ward! She loves the Gospel and thanks us every day for bringing it to her. She is even telling her whole family about it and has asked for extra copies of the Book of Mormon to give to family. Talk about Golden right? O man! I never understood the excitement when missionaries would get so excited about their investigators telling their family about the church but now I totally get it! Once you have the greatest gift from God, you will do anything to share it! How cool is that!

As far as activities, Sister V and I are heading up two in the ward. The other missionaries are involved too but they just kind of do what we tell them. We have another chalk night at the park on the 13th that we have invited the whole ward to so it should be HUGE and AWESOME! We invited President and Sister Trayner too. Just for fun. Then we have a free car wash on the 18th where we will give people church tours while the youth wash their cars. Should be exitoso!

Well, I love you all so much! We have a schedule today that is quite strict so we can get everything done we want to. We are off to a Mexican store to buy a tortilla press. I don't remember what it is called in Spanish but we have like 5 different families teaching us to make tortillas like natives. I'm going to be pro soon! Can't wait to see pictures of your trip and hear about Dave! Love you all!

Kate  

I Miss Cruise Food....

This is Kate's mom. I was out of town for a week (on a cruise, therefore, Kate's cruise food title), so I am just getting this letter on the blog. ENJOY!

July 30, 2012

I feel like I have nothing else to say in this email besides that I am jealous of your current menu of food items. Dang! O well, I guess saving the children of God will just have to suffice it for this week.

This week was an interesting week because we had two mini missionaries this week: the Terminator and the Agent. Sister V and I had fun coming up with their names. It was interesting because we were just basically on a week long exchange. It was a bit hectic sometimes trying to plan when to meet up when I had the car and Sister V had the phone. But it all turned out great because we had a lot more time to find and a lot more time to do everything, even if it WAS crazy. Funny part though is that the Terminator kept falling asleep during studies so Sister V and I would get pots and bang them together right by her head to wake her up. :) She loved it. We laughed a lot. Really, it was a bonding experience. It was interesting though because even though we are in the world, we don't know what is going on with ANYTHING so it felt almost like the first week of the MTC again where people actually knew what was going on in the world. It was weird. I didn't like it.

So the Lady is doing AWESOME! She literally is the best person I have ever met! She is so on fire and has completed all the requirements to be baptized; we just have to finish teaching her! O man! We will be friends forever for sure and I can already see how her testimony has grown and how this is changing every aspect of her life. Every time she learns something new, she just gets so excited and says, "This is all just so exciting and I am so excited to be a part of it." O man, I couldn't have asked for a neater experience!

This week we also found, "The Wall." I'm going to call her the wall because she has spent her entire life putting up walls and not talking about anything with anyone so we are helping break them all down so she can let Christ in. The first lesson we had was Puro Espiritu. We were going to talk about the Doctrine of Christ but we ended up talking about prayer and how we can always turn to Christ. She cried through the whole thing and after we left, the Agent turned to me and just said, "Wow, that was so cool!" You are right Agent, it was amazing! The next time we went over, we talked about the Atonement and how it is available for all of us so we can let things go. I explained to her that a huge part of forgiveness that people often forget about is that we must forgive ourselves. She said that she had never thought about it like that before and I think that will really help her. 

The Nanny is still on the radar but she is concerned on what parental units will think so we are kind of on the back burner for now. 

The Postman has been out of town so we haven't seen him. :( Sad day.

Now for The Crew: They are NUTS! I actually wasn't in the lessons with them this week so I don't really know everything but they are funny. They gave me the nickname of Blue because of my eyes. Seriously, I don't understand the eyes thing down here. Colored eyes are HUGE. I think it is OBVIOUSLY because tons of people in Utah have them but seriously, people comment on my eyes down here every single day. So if anyone needs a self esteem boost and has blue eyes, come to the Valley. Those with brown eyes, sorry, you're outta luck.

Tangent: I just looked at my last email to remember what I wrote last week and found SO MANY ERRORS! I remember reading emails from missionaries before my time as a chosen one and thinking, "Really? Do you really throw grammar and reason out the window?" The answer to that question is yes. Please don't judge my lack of correct use of grammar and punctuation. I can only do so much. 

I feel like I am being tested this week. The Olympics are EVERYWHERE! Luckily all our favorite members and investigators know my love of the Olympics and my desire NOT to be distracted by worldly things so they don't mention it. BUT last night one of the members that didn't know about this slight addiction I have mentioned that Michael Phelps got 4th in one of his races.... Someone should have taught him the Word of Wisdom sooner....

On that note, I have to go now. We are being super good on time today because this week was SO crazy that we are rushing home to take a nap. The priorities of a missionary. That, and we lost our mail key and the office doesn't have another so we are trying to catch the mailman so he can open it for us. Don't worry. We left him a nice note explaining the situation. I can't wait to hear what he says. :) 

Love you all! Can't wait to hear from you all!

Hermana Giles