A Long But Great Week!

September 24, 2012

CONGRATS ZACH!!! So cool about the mission! I will have to start sending him advice too. It seems like writing letters gets harder and harder but when I get to talk about mission advice, it is a cinch!

I will be completely honest. I have never been trunky on my mission until I read your e-mail mom! Gosh! Why do you have to get me all excited about the people you talk to! Gol! I hope you got their info though because I will absolutely be talking to them when I get home! ;) (Kate’s Mom – “Sorry Kate”. I talked with some of Kate’s work associates who asked what Kate’s plans are when she returns home.)

Good news: my trunkiness is now gone.

This week was a great week. Also, probably the most draining week of my whole mission. Yesterday we went over to visit a family and their 16-year old was like “Sister Giles are you okay? You look like you have been crying.” So I went to the mirror to fix my mascara. Funny part of this story, it wasn't mascara, I just had circles that dark under my eyes. HA! Long week!

Another reason why yesterday was long was because we have a permigator in our area that up and decided to get baptzed yesterday, but he was terrified so we spent 4 hours of church talking him through it. In the end, he didn't go through with it because he decided he wanted his family there. So...he will be getting baptized next week along with our other fun friend! Should prove to be an exciting week! Then we visited the little guy and he is having a rough time. He didn't come to church yesterday. He kind of wants to run away, AND he currently dislikes his family. Fun stuff right! So then we talked to him for a good hour and a half. O man. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!

But really though, I love being a missionary so much! Even though the water stinks and I have about 764 mosquito bites on my legs, I love every single second of being a missionary! We had zone conferences this week where we talked more about the Book of Mormon and how great it is. We had a mock trial of the three witnesses and it was SO POWERFUL! I just love President Trayner and the way he teaches! So great! And next time when we have zone conference, we are actually having a visiting general authority for a mission tour so we are all going to McAllen. The whole mission has never been together at the same time since the Trayners have been here so that should be exciting! I'm thinking it is going to be a cool experience. Sister Trayner is hiring a photographer so that she can get a picture with everyone. Also, I told Sister Trayner you look at the blog so she said she would put more pictures of me. She said she always puts more pictures of the missionaries that she knows their parents look at it. haha.

Anyway, we have to go now. Gotta go to the store. I guess I need to eat or something like that. :)

Kate 

P.S. Mom-you should just tell them I will work for them when I get back. :)

Happiness is all in the Attitude

I think this was Transfer Day last time - not Mid-Transfer Transfer, but the
Transfer before that when Kate headed to Brownsville??

Mid-Transfer Transfers?

September 17, 2012

I like that you sent the email again just so you could include a subject line. :) Ha Ha HA!

So Brownsville got a shock this week. MID TRANSFER TRANSFERS! Sister Pena is now in Edinburg and Sister Holmes is in Corpus. I am getting Sister Ramirez in about an hour. Crazy right? WE were not together for long, but we left our mark yesterday with a BAPTISM! We baptized a boy, we'll call him the baby because he is the 4th child in the family to get baptized. It was very special and we helped the 12 year old brother write a talk for it and it was AMAZING and he cried and everyone cried (minus yo, no tengo un corazon). It was amazing though! I LOVE BAPTISMS!

To answer your question though, now, unfortunately I didn't get to see the lighthouse. :( We had to go to Edinburg. But it was okay because we stopped by the office and I got my package from Cheryl! THANKS!!!!! All the missionaries are jealous now! And yes mother I would love one in Spanish. Who doesn't have 4 Preach my Gospel books in the mission? :) And the fruit was perfect! It stays very well in the car.

This week we are having zone conference about the Book of Mormon. I am very excited because I just love to learn! How wonderful right?!?! We are going to learn a lot about resolving doubts using the Book of Mormon. Really, with the Book of Mormon, we can do anything.

I am excited to get back the recorder again! I have missed it! I will have to introduce you to all my fun friends here in Brownsville!

That sounds so fun about Park City. Mom to answer your questions, I don't know. I wasn't here last fall. haha. I am sure the leaves change a little bit. When I got here in December, the trees were either green with all their leaves or completely bare. I guess you will just have to be patient to see.

Sister Ramirez is on transfer number 2 so looks like I will be finishing up training.  I think I am forever destined to have an extra hour of comp study. I guess I need it. :) But it is okay because I love it! We are going to work hard! I love being connected to my goals and just working! Apparently, I am developing the reputation of a work horse. I am strangely very much okay with that. :)

O and HAPPY DAY FOR US ALL! Sister Greenman figured out how to play Nertz with Uno cards. Yup! Sister Giles' game is BACK! Last night we tried to figure it out right before bed and I actually beat her while talking on the phone doing follow-ups with District Leader. Yup. I'm cool. But we are only going to play on P-days so that we can stay focused. :) Good move us!

Well, got to go! We’re going to go to Texas Roadhouse. Gotta get me some carbs in the form of the world’s yummiest rolls! Love you!

Kate

Busy Week

September 10, 2012

Mom-I can read emails really fast so feel free to write however long you want. :) That sounds cool about the talk. I will have to find it. If you want to send it to me though, that would be cool. :) We have to pay to print stuff and I am running out of change. Everyone wants my quarters! Printers, laundry, and carwash! Man!

I can't believe Annie started high school! I have been telling people down here that she started. :) They are all excited for her. And an ingrown toenail? Fanny! What are you doing to your poor toes! Follow your sister’s example and TAKE CARE OF YOUR FEET! haha! We are actually having an epidemic of ingrown toenails down here. Super gross. Seriously, doesn't get more sick than that.

So Brownsville is the most southern part of the continental US, I learned this week. Pretty cool right? We are RIGHT THERE. How funny. Our water smells like rotten eggs. The mosquitoes have some sort of crazy disease right now. Seriously, could I be any closer to Mexico. I LOVE IT!!!

My district leader’s name is Elder Cullen. I have a list of Twilight jokes I am going to give him when he gets transferred. You know, gotta stay focused. We also have Elder Dungan from Michigan that goes home soon, Elder Martinez who came out with me, Elder Graff from St. George and thinks I am just the sassiest person ever, Sister Greenman who eats chocolate milkshakes with me, Sister Monson who is not related to the prophet, and Sister Pena, who is my companion. We have a lot of fun together!

The work is going great! We are staying focused on our goals and reaching them! This week I have learned that instead of the Lord shaping our trials to something we can handle, he shapes us to handle the trials He is going to give us. It makes more sense because we don't govern our trials. The way we handle our trials is by shaping ourselves. Cool right?

I love you all but we are on a tight schedule today. We have to go to Edinburg. :) Love you all!!!

Kate

Our Water Smells Like Rotten Eggs

September 4, 2012

So this whole week I have been thinking that our hand towel was super dirty because it smelled bad every time I washed my hands but nope, it's actually the water. Huh. Imagine that. :)

Everyone failed. No one told me what a resaca was. O well. More points to keep to myself.

This week has been a great week of ups and downs. It is such a great experience to start a new area, but it has so many challenges too. We have done a lot of exploring, a lot of walking around, a lot of "where is that street?......yup, just passed it", and a lot of trying to find formers. Our area doesn't have a lot of members, and only 1/3 of them are active members. That is just 6 familes. In two wards. We have a lot of GREAT work ahead of us! Our area actually is doing quite well. We are always busy and I have just been thinking of even more ways to involve the less active members. A lot of it is trying to find them now. The wards down here are great though and have given us focus families of less actives to go see so we have a great place to start.

I really like Brownsville. We are even closer to the border here. Our apartment is 1.5 miles from the border. :) but that is to the side. The closest bridge is 3 miles away. I got a map for you guys that I am sending so you can see where it is. Super cool. Next p-day we are probably going over to Port Isabel to see the ocean and a lighthouse! I LOVE LIGHTHOUSES! Seriously, I am very excited. Then we might go to the zoo. All I really want to do is go see the wall. (aka, the border) I will take a picture. Don't worry. It is so weird because we only work in our small little area so it is hard for me to wrap my brain around the fact that Mexico is literally less than 2 miles away...I love my mission.

We are currently working with 4 people to get baptized. We didn't have any when we got here so I would say that 4 is pretty good!

The Joven- He is 17 and actually was a former that we didn't have record of that we knocked. He is really cool and wants to change his life. He is going to get baptized on 9/23. Funny experiences we have had there is that I fell off a chair because it only had three legs which was HYSTERICAL and I got bit by his dog one morning when we were trying to find him. I am happy it has only taken 11 months to get my first dog bite in the great deep south. :) It wasn't bad though so nothing had to happen. Aka, didn't break the skin.

The Husband- He is married to a less active member. He knows it's all true but has a drinking problem. Pobrecito. We are working with him towards 9/30.

The Husband's Friend- This is the Husband's friend. He wants more direction in his life and has the same baptismal date.

The Referral-We found the referral last night. We were contacting him from a member and he wasn't home so we were walking to the member’s house and ran into a guy that happened to be him. He wanted to come with us to the member’s house so obviously we said yes! We taught him and committed him for baptism on 10/7. Very cool!

We also have the dad of a recent convert and a young single adult that come every week but haven't committed to anything. We'll just have to see with those two.

The work is coming along great! I love everything about it and I am so happy to be here! I love the people, food, and all the experiences God has blessed me with! Love you all and I will talk to you again soon!!!

Kate

Mom-can you send me dried fruit. It is expensive to buy so I was thinking you could dry some and send it to me. :) that kind of treat lasts better in the 100 degree weather. I like apples and pineapples. And my address in 2425 Barnard Street Brownsville, TX 78520. It's the Casa Grande apartments. Our area is farther north though next to the expressway. Morrison to Parades Line to 511 to the expressway to Morrison.