I'm Home

Farewell to Texas - leaving with Elders Jensen and Browning, Sisters Holmes and
Regis, and good-bye to the wonderful President and Sister Trayner

On the plane from McAllen to Dallas with Elder Jensen, Sister Holmes, and Elder Browning

Waiting at the Airport. How long does it take to get off the plane?

How sneaky!! Going through the other terminal to sneak in the back way behind us - SURPRISE!

So glad to finally have Kate home!!!

Happy!! Happy!! Happy!!

Thank heavens Elder Jensen and Sister Holmes were there all the way!

Pues...This Is It

April 22, 2013

Well, I guess that is what people refer to as a missionary’s last email. I am not entirely sure what they mean because I plan on being a missionary for the rest of my life AND I assume I will write emails (not sure if the world still writes email), so this is not the end.

We had a great week that ended with two baptisms. As I was sitting in both baptisms, I couldn't help but reflect on the amazingness that missions are and how they truly help you learn and grow. You push yourself so you can become the person Christ needs you to become. One of my favorite mottos that I have adopted on my mission is that God doesn't give us trials based on what we can handle. God changes us to be able to handle the trials he already wants to give us. Change hurts, but that is just how we learn and grow. Imagine if we couldn't learn and grow. LIFE WOULD BE SO BORING!

Second motto I have lived by on my mission: Be so happy that when others look at you, they become happy too. I actually found this at Hobby Lobby and succumbed to buying it. :) I couldn't NOT do it. Anyways, the gospel makes us happy, right? In 1 Nephi 8:10-12, Lehi talks about eating the fruit and how it made him so happy, he just wanted to share it with everyone. News Flash! THAT IS ALL THAT MISSIONARY WORK IS! It is sharing the things that bring you the most happiness. We aren't trying to convert people for numbers or to get a trophy; we share this message with people because it makes us happy. If people can understand that we visit them for the sole purpose of their happiness, they are going to listen. Like Sister Trayner always tells us, "The people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." We have the way to eternal life people! WE GOTS TA SHARE IT!

Knowing me and my excellent ability to MASTER chapter 8, I am actually, basically almost done packing. It is actually fun because it is a missionary's closest opportunity to play Tetris on a mission. Not only do you have to try to make everything fit but you also have to make sure it doesn't weigh over 50 pounds. We had fun weighing stuff this morning because, depending on where the scale was, my weight fluctuated 15 pounds! Then we had fun moving the scale to different parts of the apartment to see how much we weighed in each room. It was like the exhibit at the Clark Planetarium where you find out your weight on different planets, except it was how much you weigh in the different rooms of the apartment. Gotta love the things that make missionaries happy!

We are heading out to the island again today to play on the beach for zone activity. Gotta love Frisbee on the beach! Sister Sturgis is hooking me up with some awesome boxes to ship my books home, so they should be getting there via box. Speaking of, did my bike make it home? I hope you are pleased with how much that cost me! If you weren't so insistent on me having my bike, I probably just would have donated it to a local child or something. HAHA! But don't you fret, I will get some great use out of it. I love my bike. She's worked hard!

I reached a very cool milestone this week. At the beginning of my mission, I set a goal of how many people I wanted to baptize. Numbers aren't important, but without a goal, the people perish. Anyways, I reached my goal this weekend and it was one of the most fulfilling feelings of my life. God has blessed me so much! When it looked like I would miss it by one person, he transferred me into an area that would help me to gain my last baptism. God is good. Seriously. He has such an amazing plan for us. I get so excited when transfers come around because I love trying to use my logic powers to guess where everyone is going. I feel like I will be the same way up in heaven, jumping so I can see over God's shoulder saying, "hey, hey, where's this person going? Send them here!" I can just imagine Him saying, Sister Giles, watch this. Then He would do something CRAZY that I never would have thought of and everything turns out better than I would have ever guessed. Hey, that sounds a lot like life! ;)

I have come to realize over the past year and a half of my life, that the analogy of the waffle and the spaghetti and how men and women think is kind of inaccurate. Or maybe it's just different for missionaries because in my brain right now, I am spaghetti inside a waffle box. For those of you that have no idea what I am talking about, I will explain. The short version is that women think like spaghetti where they are just in everything and everything is intertwined and men think in waffle boxes, one at a time. I say that I am spaghetti in a waffle box because I am thinking about everything intertwined and crazy spaghetti, but yet, I am still in my mission box. People keep asking me when I am checking out and if I have died yet, but I honestly don't understand how people can. I understand I am coming home in a matter of hours, but my brain doesn't really comprehend that, so I have been acting exactly the same and it's weird to people. Ah well. If you can't tell, I am just rambling my inner thoughts. Crazy missionary.

Tonight we have dinner with am awesome member family named the Banks. They have instantly become our friends and we love them! Then we are going to have an FHE with a member family and their neighbor; then we're visiting their other neighbor. That means we are going to be WORKING until the very last moment. I am still trying to figure out how I can work in Mission East until we have to go to dinner at the Trayners. I have like 3 hours between my interview and dinner so I don't see why not! I'm still working on logistics.

Family. Friends. Stalkers. I love you all so much and I am so grateful for the support that you have given me for the past year and a half of my life. I can honestly say that it has been the hardest and best year and a half of my life. I have learned so much and grown exponentially. I have learned how to love. I have learned the basics of the gospel. I've learned another language for cryin' out loud! I know that this gospel is true because I have received a spiritual confirmation from God. I have had some of the happiest moments of my life this past year and a half, and I can't wait to see what is next. It had better live up to my mission though or I'm coming back!

TMMer for Life!

Sister Giles

Speaking of Fresh Air

April 15, 2013

We are doing emails a little bit later today because we spent the morning at the aquarium where we got to see all sorts of crazy stuff because a YSA that works there took us so she got us into all the cool behind the scenes things! Then afterwards we decided to go get a bite to eat and I realized how much I have been spoiled with seafood and will probably miss fresh seafood at my fingertips. We went to this great little pier that is right next to the Lexington and the aquarium and the bridge and downtown and as I was just sitting there I said to the other missionaries, you know what, WE ARE SO BLESSED! It is true! I love everything about my mission and about my area and about my friends and about just everything! I think I have just been reflecting lately and I just love everything about being here!

We had a fun experience to be in a wedding this weekend! We have Sandra who is getting baptized on Saturday so she and her husband got married last Saturday. Super cool! She then passed her interview on Sunday so she is ready to go! I am excited that she is making this change in her life and then they are going to work towards getting to the temple! So cool!

Marie is coming up to Corpus next Tuesday to pick me up and take me back down to McAllen for me to leave. I am so happy I get to see her and little Aiden! They are so special! We're going to get some lunch then she'll drop me off! It's like I've gone back to Guru's in October, waiting to go to the MTC, except this time just sucks haha! No, I am excited. It is definitely harder to leave here than it was to come.

Over the course of my mission, I have really learned a lot and I can't wait to learn even more! I am feeling a little light headed right now trying to think and talk about how awesome my mission is! I don't think it will really hit me until I am actually home, which is actually great because it helps me just work work work! We have awesome members, awesome ward, awesome area, awesome apartment; basically awesome everything! And we're so blessed to live so close to the elders because they help us out ALL THE TIME! Like anytime we need anything, we just call them. They are helping me ship my bike today. They are awesome. Well, they also have the truck so they kind of have to help me. :)

I can't believe it is snowing there! It just started getting warm down here which is like high 80s so I don't know how going back home will work out. Good thing we will be coming right back because my body will need to thaw out.

Well. The work is going. We are getting another group of 8 sisters when I leave which will make every companionship of sisters except for like 2 or 3 a training companionship. And I am going to be made a great-grandmother this transfer, along with a grandmother 2 more times. Sister Ramos and Ramirez will be training and Sister Huskinson, Sister Vandyke’s baby, will be training as well. I think Sister V is coming up to Corpus to replace me which would be SICK! I think we'll have to come and visit her wherever she is when we come down. Just sayin'

So...I'm struggling with this email. I just have so many things in my head that I don't really know how to approach it because this is NOT my last email, but I feel slightly like it is. Weird. asodig aherkjhgsdkfjhvslerhgs;erhgasefg

I think that helped.

Well. I love you all family! You have been the best support a sister missionary could ever ask for! I can't even begin to express the love I feel for every one of the family members and friends that have helped me in the past year and a half. It has meant the world to me! And more than that, it has helped me do the work. Indirectly, every one of you reading this has indirectly been a part of changing the lives of the people I have taught. You have brought people unto God! How great shall be your joy!

I love you all so much and will see you in just a few short days. Weird!

For those of you that really want to know, I am coming home on the 24th and anyone who wants to come and see me at the airport is welcome. Not that I am screaming to the world to come, but everyone should feel like they can if they want to. I have no idea what time though so call my mom and ask her. :) 801 298 3105

Thank All the Stars in Heaven

April 8, 2013

Yes mom, I am grateful for our family! HAHA! It's getting close! Crazy! I was just telling Dad that my brain doesn't completely understand what is going down so I am still working strong! It's great! We have so much work to do so I don't really have time to do anything else. :)

Wasn't General Conference just amazing! WE LOVED IT! We watched it at the church. We probably could have watched it with members, but I really like watching it at the church now because it helps you to focus. Plus, once you get the missionaries together, it is ALWAYS a party. There were only 16 of us though. But we loved every second of conference! Between sessions on Saturday we all went to the mall and grabbed some food and then went up to a park right on the bay and sat on the sea wall. It was really awesome and kind of the first time in a long time we just sat for a second. It was AWESOME! I took loads of pictures! Then we came back and watched another awesome session! Sunday morning session was my favorite! I loved it so much! Then between sessions, some members fed us at the church but we didn't want to miss the world report because we’re all nerdy missionaries so we opened up the back and ate in the gym while watching the huge projection of the world report. We know how to do things right up here in Corpus! Basically, all of conference was amazing and I got A LOT of questions answered! For reals, I wish it was conference every single week! Well, minus the same fact we didn't have the sacrament, it was perfect!

The only thing about conference that was just a bit lame is that both Sister Perez and I have NASTY colds! Like coughing, no sleeping, sore throat nastiness! But, we have AWESOME leaders and members and everyone helps us out! We both got blessings last night from the ZL’S and that has seemed to help a lot! We're getting over it, but we both sound like smokers and every time I sing, it is HYSTERICAL! Sister Estiva, who lives with us, is sick too, AND our district leader, so we're just basically all useless. HAHA! Which should be fun because we're going up to Portland today for 2 elders’ birthdays and to play soccer. 4 sickies and a soccer ball? Fun combo! HAHA!

We are currently working with some AWESOME investigators in our area! They are all so great! We are working on getting someone married right now which is kind of difficult because they want to get married and baptized and all but aren't willing to humble themselves to ask their family for the money to get a marriage license. We're still working with them but they will for sure get baptized! Then we have another awesome joven that is from California that is teaching me how to be cool. It is hysterical because I have realized that I have been raised in a bubble where people speak normal English. But in bigger cities, people talk in crazy talk! I am learning though! Gotta go where they are if we want to bring them to where we are.

Working in the inner-city is GREAT! Basically, our entire area looks like the valley! We have even had a few Spanish lessons which is AWESOME! Our area is what some people would call "the ghetto" but we love it! In fact, other missionaries kind of want our area which is funny. I loved Flour Bluff a lot, but I love Weber too! And because it seemed fit, we have named our car Peter Parker on account of the fact that we are the Weber sisters. Get it? HAHA!

Our apartment is smelling a lot less like boy which is great! They cleaned the carpets this week which was much needed! I actually really love where we live because the Elders are so close and whenever we need anything or they need anything, we can just run over. Like this morning, we needed 3 eggs to make a birthday cake and so they brought them over or like how we let them use our bike pump. It is just awesome being so close!

On Wednesday we had exchanges and Sister Dudding came to work with me! IT WAS AWESOME! We had so much fun working together in Flour Bluff that a one day exchange was just not enough. It was funny though because they put both of our greenies on the island together. Two greenies together during the 12 week program...SUPER FUNNY! They did good though. Sister Perez is on fire. She will do great things on her mission, I can tell ya that. Of course she will! I'm her momma! O and Sister Dudding and I are going to have a comedy show when she gets back. We'll be called mullet because I'm all the business in the front and she is all the party in the back. (No wonder we got so much stuff done!)

The closer I get to coming home, the more I begin to reflect on what my mission has been. What I have accomplished. What I still want to accomplish. How I can apply these things to the rest of my life and I find it hard to even come up with words for all of it. My mission has meant everything to me. I am still the same person as when I left, but at the same time, I am 100% different. My testimony has become unshakable. I have this weird sense of duty now to rescue and save everyone I come in contact with. Even though in a few short weeks I will be getting released as a full time missionary, I have taken the advice we learned this weekend in conference to have my plaque forever in my heart. I will forever be a Texas McAllen Missionary!

Well, I have to get going so we can be on time to Zone Activity. Chapter 8 ALWAYS!

Sister Giles

Time is Getting Short

April 1, 2013

Yes mom, I was surprised to get transferred to Weber as well, but then I remembered that my entire mission has been crazy so I just went with it. :)

Weber is GREAT! I was just telling Dad, Weber is inner city Corpus, meaning that we have some of the more sketchy parts of town. But you know me, I love that kind of stuff. We live in the same complex as the Elders, which has been fun because they help us out a lot. We love 'em. They are coming with us to Arby's today because I FOUND AN ARBY'S! After a year and a half, I guess I have been craving it a little bit. Quien sabe.

I'm trying to think of experiences to share so I am going to make a list.

-Moving into an Elders’ apartment that smells like urine is gross. But we disinfected everything so it should be good. They are coming to clean the carpets tomorrow.

-We talked to a lady who told us that a block away, in our area, a guy killed his grandma and cut her up and buried her in the backyard. Yup, that's my area.

-We have awesome members in our area! We had an Easter egg hunt that was AWESOME on Saturday.

-Last night we had an Easter program that was AMAZING!

-I flipped my calendar to April today. It was weird because now I can see the day I go home. GAG ME NOW.

-My new bishop is from Bountiful. Small world.

-We have set 3 new baptismal dates this week.

-I am super excited for conference! I love listening to the prophets speak directly to us! Seriously! IT’S AMAZING! I have been waiting for this for 6 months! I hope they talk a little bit about the ages change. Man, I feel like we just had conference! TIME FLIES!

-While being chased by dogs on Saturday, I popped my bike tire so I have to fix it today. Lame.

-Elder Marble is making up words right now and we just took like 4 minutes of email time trying to find the Spanish translation of his made up word. This is kind of how much I don't want to email right now.

-I love you all so much, don't get me wrong, I just can't believe I am going home so soon. Like subconsciously I just keep thinking, oh, I can tell them this soon anyways. I think I just want to cherish as much time here as possible, so emailing just went down my list. I really do love you all though I promise.

-Elder Marble said that if we come up to Corpus on the Monday we’re down there, we can see all the missionaries because it will be P-day. Just a short drive from McAllen, we should do it!

-Mom, can you schedule a dentist appt and hair with Stephanie for like the day after I get back? That would be cool.

Well. I love you all so much and I hope to hear back from you soon! Dad, please don't cut your finger anymore.

LOVE YOU!

Kate

Will the Surprises Ever Cease?

March 25, 2013

HAHAHA! Where to begin this week? We'll start with exchanges.

We had exchanges on Wednesday and I went up to Rockport. It was awesome! Up there reminds me more of an East coast fishing town. Super cute! That night we thought about getting a Blizzard because, when is that ever a bad idea, and while we were around Dairy Queen, we decided instead to go to a former’s house in the area. Baptismal date instead of a Blizzard? We'll take it!

We ended the exchange going down to Zone Conference which is always fun. We had to go early because I was in charge of the musical number, which promoted me to junior zone leader. (Super not a real title but the zone leaders love it. haha). Then after the awesome trainings we had, we had to do departing testimonies. Everyone going home before the next zone meeting had to say their testimony. Elder Jensen and I (flying home with me) talked about running away the whole time but to no avail; we had to give our testimonies. Knowing your daughter/friend/sister, you know it had to be interesting. I talked about how I have learned to really love and how much I loved the church, then I proceeded to say that "our mission is so great and united because we are a little bit, what's the word? off-kilter." HAHA! President just looked down and shook his head, stood up, and tried to escort me down. He was just teasing me, and everyone was laughing and I thought, "this WOULD be everyone's last memory of Sister Giles." HA! It was literally hysterical. Then after, Sister Trayner said in her testimony that maybe we’re so united because of how weird we are. Then President gets up and says that no one will ever be able to forget Sister Giles, head of the weirdos. HAHA! I seriously love my mission and everyone here. Only here does that stuff happen. But anywho, I now have members teasing me about it too.

THEN on Friday, we got a call from the Assistants harassing me to make them cookies and I said okay Elders I will do that, but what's really up and they said “Well Sister Giles, ya’ll are doing so great in Flour Bluff, we want you and your companion to go do great in Weber”...................Yup, surprise transfer! But this transfer is different because it only affects our zone and there are 4 areas getting white washed! We set up our area perfectly for the Elders to come in and take it over and the Assistants want us to go into this other area and build it up. It is more of the city, which will be fun. No more Bluff and the ocean. President Trayner told us we are inner city weirdos now. :) Funny stuff. So, on Wednesday, we are moving into Corpus Christi, same complex as the Elders, and working Weber. I am going to make a Spiderman shirt now. But ya, who would have thought that with 4 weeks left in my mission, I would be whitewash training? Do the surprises ever end? I think not! haha! I should just keep expecting the unexpected! My speculation is that they wanted Elders up in Rockport, a sisters’ area, but the sisters couldn't come down here and live with the elders because they have a four person apartment, so they had to move us and the other elders too. Who knows but it will be fun! We are still going to the same church, just at 1 instead of 9 so we will still get to see everyone.

Our people are doing great! BP got called to be the chorister yesterday, JF and NF received the Holy Ghost, JC got the priesthood, and JA passed her baptismal interview. Things are happening in Flour Bluff! I am bummed that we are leaving, but I know there is work for us to do in Weber!

I love you all so much and I hope everyone is having a great week! Keep the work in your prayers!

Sister Giles

Another Awesome Week!!

March 18, 2013

I love that we are all bad at writing longerish emails now. I'm okay with it seeing as there is just SO MUCH GOING ON! I have started writing in my journal again though, (I repented) so I will fill you in on all the details when I get home but this weekend was GREAT! We had a baptism on Saturday who got confirmed with her husband on Sunday. (Craziest story ever!) Then a father and son got baptized on Sunday. It was SO COOL! So our week was pretty productive. We also had investigators at both baptisms! YAY! It is hard though planning two baptisms in a small branch because we try to get different people for everything but sometimes it just doesn't work out that way. But everything turned out great! We started a trend of doing a musical number but every time, we fail to choose one until we have to sing; then Sister Dudding and I just pick one and switch between the alto and soprano parts and Sister Perez just backs us up. It’s seriously hysterical.

Last night before the baptism, we ate dinner with the branch president and family, but instead of going to their house, we had a cookout at the beach. Family, you will LOVE them! Seriously, they are the greatest and they are like my second family. Truly. L____ (25, married with a wife that lives in Brazil, complicated) has never liked sister missionaries. Until he met us. Now he loves sisters because we are real and we act like a big family. O man. AND, family, they are taking us surfing. So.....be excited for May!

I love everything about being here. I actually decided that I will never be going home so....have fun when you come down here to visit me! HAHA. but for reals, my mission has been everything to me and I don't want to let any second go by without being the best missionary I can be. It is amazing how the Lord lets us struggle throughout our missions to let us grow. Then in our last transfers, he transfers us to an area that is ON FIRE with all of your best friends, in the best branch with leaders that trust you and know how to work with you to help you reach your potential. I love it! My leaders here are PERFECT for me! They just give me the ball and let me run with it. That analogy is actually very funny because we joke almost every day about dropping the ball. I will have to show it to you after I get back. O man. I'm gonna miss this. In fact, while we’re down here visiting on that Monday, depending on who gets transferred where, they want us to come up to Corpus for P-day so we can do something with them and they can meet y’all. I couldn't say no. :)

So, I wish that I could help y'all understand how awesome it is here. You will get to see such a small part when you come down, but it will be good. The crazy, quirkiness here is great and you will LOVE IT!

Well, I love you all and I hope you have a great day! 

Alma 27:17

That is how I feel. Passed out with joy. Yup.

Sister Giles 

Spring Break 2013!

March 11, 2013

It's spring break here on the island and the bluff. It is like a mad house! But it just makes everything more fun!

We just found out last week that the Church changed their policy so now we can email family, friends, converts, etc. Pretty weird right? I think so too. But it is pretty cool at the same time!

So, thinking about what is going on in the work right now, I just get in this way where as hard as I try to explain what is going on, I can't. It is just so great and there is so much going on and it is so busy that I just try to say something and I make a weird noise, (I'm all about noises now) and I have no idea where to start or even where to go so.....it makes this email all the more interesting to write.

We have the world’s coolest people here in the Bluff that are so ready and excited to start their lives over. We just had a baptism of an awesome lady who now only watches BYUTV and a cool man that is just legit! His wife is scheduled to get baptized next week along with a father and son. Then the next week, we have a part member family, then the next week a member’s girlfriend! The work is progressing! Almost faster than we can keep up with, but we have it under control! With God, all things are possible! Now we are just working to continue to find even more! Our March is good but we just gotta get April better!

I've realized while writing this down that I don't know how to talk to real people anymore. hahaha. I can say this same thing to missionaries and I will just go off because they know like exactly what I am talking about but I think that I just can't explain it well to real people. Ah well, A for effort right?

So, sorry this email is short but I have to go print off President's email. I love you all and I promise that eventually, I will figure out how to write again. I think I just don't like talking to you because I am going home soon and I'm back in denial phase. SORRY! BUT I STILL LOVE YOU!

P.S. Grams! Get feeling better!

Sister Giles

Da Bluff

March 3, 2013

Congrats to BP for entering the waters of baptism on Saturday and confirmed on Sunday! Her son flew down from Seattle to do it all and it was SO COOL! So beautiful! I think baptisms are so special! We had some other minor hiccups this weekend but all is well. We have fixed it all for now and everything else should be going great!

This week we went down to McAllen for New Comp Training. It was so much fun except for the part that we were in the car longer than we were actually down there. Three hours each way...just sayin’... But I got to drive so it was fun. I had my first experience with the Check Point which was fun. And we drove through fields of absolutely nothing. McAllen was fun though because Sister V is training right now too and so she was there. She had no idea that I was training and so I was standing with some people and she walked by and I said hi and she did a double take and yells MOMMY?!?!?! It was funny. She loves referring to me as mommy in the most awkward of ways possible. Gotta love posterity.

Dad-I have come to understand something. I am no longer the favorite. :( In your Dear Elder to me and Dave, he got a page and a half. I got 3 sentences. Ah well. I'm over it now.

I've also come to realize that as my time dwindles down, my emails just get shorter and shorter. It is so funny to see the differences between me and Sister P because she still has the greenie effect of explaining everything and having the shocked effect when things happen. I think because I've been around the block a time or two, something crazy happens and I just roll with it. I think I have relaxed on my mission, which is funny because usually it's the opposite. I wish I could write y'all more stories. I guess I will just have to think of some. :)

We have the coolest members up here. Seriously, our branch is AWESOME! Yesterday, we went to dinner with President S and his family and I seriously just love them so much! They are the ones that are teaching us to surf when we come back. It is funny because Sister S says that I just fit in with their family because they are just the most sarcastic people ever, and you know me, if someone else is sarcastic, I can't help it. Sister S reminds me a lot of Aunt Jany. But anyways, coolest family ever!

As far as investigators go, I don't want to jinx myself but if everything goes right, we should have at least one baptism every week this month. Now we’re just working on finding for April so we can continue to see the miracles!

God is so good. I find myself thinking, almost daily, is this really happening? Am I really in the Bluff with all these amazing people serving the Lord like there is no tomorrow? I love so much everything that is going on here and I really don't ever want it to end. I feel almost like I'm in the Twilight Zone holding this time in my hand and it is just all falling between my fingers! I HATE IT! But it is good because I know my purpose and why I am here and Sister Giles will be going out with a bang! A huge bang! A super sonic bang!

I love all of you and think you're pretty neat! Gonna go see C____ now! Bye!

Hermana Giles

P.S. Yes I still refuse to wear my English tag so people think my first name is Hermana. I love white people.

Some pictures from Leadership Training in February

This is Leadership Training that was held in February. In the first 3 pictures, you

can see Kate in the Turquoise. Can you find her in the last two pictures?

Kate is sitting two to President Trayner's left in the red. Where did the really

long hair come from? I almost didn't recognize her.

Can't wait to see her - April 24th is coming soon!!

SURPRISE!!!

February 25, 2013

Remember when I got set apart and President Terry told me that I would have many challenges on my mission and seek them out? Well, get ready for the story of the week! :)

So, Monday night while we are planning, Sister Smith comes over and says, “Hey, are the new sisters here yet?”

(P.S. Training was actually in Corpus, not Laredo. :(

We were very confused and said no they are coming tomorrow and

she said, O really, the Choules (housing coordinators) said they are coming up tonight.

(Sister Giles and Sister Dudding confused).

THEN we get a text from Sister Trayner that says “Hey we’re at HEB right now. We have 2 new sisters for you to meet. We'll be there in 10.

Jaw drop

Clean the apartment AGAIN

Wait for new sisters

President and Sister Trayner show up with two greenies that got in on Monday morning.

SURPRISE!

We then worked with the two greenies and a companionship from Laredo for the next three days (two trios).

Then, at the end of the conference, President Traynor announces that Sister Dudding is taking over the island, I'm staying on the Bluff, and we’re both training. Effectively immediately.

Jaw drop. AGAIN.

SOOOOOOOOO, I'm a mommy again. Maybe fifth times a charm. :)

The Leadership Conference was AMAZING! I probably had way more fun than I should have. I just had such an amazing realization this week of how much I LOVE being a missionary and how much I LOVE everyone here. It was interesting being at the point I am in my mission and a lot of my friends being around the same point too and realizing that we all don't have much time left together. It's weird, but fun to all be in the same boat and kicking it up a notch together! I'll have to tell you more of the stories from Leadership Conference post mission if you know what I mean. But one of my favorite moments was role-playing in a group with my district leader and one of my zone leaders and telling my district leader that I would make him cookies if he cried. He had tears streaming down his face. It was NUTS! But seriously, I can't even tell you how much I love everyone here. I hope you are excited to meet my mission friends because I think I have invited every single one of them to our house. :) I can't help myself!

In other news, investigators are doing great! We are looking for two of them to have a baptism on Wednesday. Then we are having one on Sunday and then a few more in the coming weeks! The work up here is progressing amazingly! I can't think of anywhere else I would rather be!

I wish that I could truly tell you everything in my mind right now but I have never been more of an ADD person in my life. I am filled with so much joy that I think I might just burst!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kate

Go Bluff or Go Home

February 18, 2013

Sister Dudding and I think up new "Bluff" slogans almost every day. We're making t-shirts today for us and the DL and the ZLS with all the funny phrases we have. We're pretty excited. :) We have a leadership conference tomorrow through Thursday of this week and I am super excited! We are having a lot of Sisters come in the field in the next two transfers (15!?!?!) so we Sisters have to get ourselves into gear! But it is cool because our area is SO prepared that they are looking for a place to house the missionaries on the island! What does that mean? It means that they will be splitting our area pretty soon with Sisters in the Bluff AND the island! SO MUCH WORK TO DO! But what will probably end up happening is Sister Dudding and I will get split up and we'll each take over an area. It's nice to know that in advance because we're making sure both areas are set up so that the work continues to go forth without hiccups after the split. So much exciting news up north!

So any cool experiences.....mmmm, when we’re all up in heaven and watching our videos, you can see it all! That is the great thing about this area. Every single moment is a cool experience! We leave every lesson saying "Only on the bluff." I have the hiccups constantly and am probably the happiest I've been on my mission. I love that I can just walk outside and my hair is already a curly mess that looks like I've been at the beach all day. I love being able to contact on the beach. I love being able to visit with people SO prepared to hear the gospel. I love being part of a branch turning into a ward. I love serving with missionaries that are focused on our goal. I love having the goal of baptizing be our zone goal. I love having investigators fall into our laps. I am in the Promised Land, people. It's real.

One such awesome story is this - A super cool, recently-activated family that are starting a BMX track down here in CC. They are hysterical! We went by on Saturday so they could fix Sister Dudding's bike and they told us about the meteor that hit Russia. After a long series of ADD-style comments, we all ended up around the table eating Oreos and talking about who let the autobots into the Celestial kingdom because their 17-year-old son is going to baptize all the autobots that were the real cause of the meteor in Russia. THINGS LIKE THAT DON'T HAPPEN ANYWHERE ELSE BUT THE BLUFF! It is literally a movie all the time.

We also have a wonderful, one-legged Native American member in our area that makes jewelry and every time we go over, he has made us some other new thing. He is making me another necklace right now and a medicine bag. Perhaps, a dream catcher after that. And he always makes us take his food. That is one thing that is the blessing and the curse of Flour Bluff. Because we have a branch all to ourselves of the rock stars of CC, we have a meal appointment literally every day. I am going to become a fatty again. They are so great but it means we eat, A LOT. Then they make us take the leftovers, SO we don't have to buy food besides breakfast items. Ya I know, it's more of a blessing than a curse.

I can't wait to show you all my mission! It is awesome because I have come to terms with the fact that I am going home, and it just makes me work harder. I was in denial about it for a while, but I am past that now. I will be a strong finisher because people remember how you finish your mission, not how you started it. I am ready to rock and roll and BAPTIZE THE BLUFF!

Well, I am off to bigger and better things! (Hobby Lobby. :) ) Talk to you soon!

Sister Giles

New Address

Sister Kate Giles
3917 Sweet Bay Dr.
Corpus Christi, TX 78418

Flour Bluff is Heaven!!

February 11, 2013

So I just told Dad in my email to him that Flour Bluff is HEAVEN! Up here we just call it "the bluff" and it is CRAZY! I wish I could explain it to you but everyone here is just a little bit off, which makes me appreciate it even more! The people are seriously just CRAZY! For example, we got a referral for a guy named Tarzan and a little black girl asked me where my weave was. I feel like I have arrived! The Bluff is the gem of the mission that no one knows about. The Lord is blessing me so much by sending me up here for the end of my mission. Especially with Sister Dudding. She is like the hippy version of me. HYSTERICAL! I have had the hiccups for a week straight.

The bluff missionaries have lived in a little house on a member’s property for years now and because they are doing some stuff to their house, we moved into a smaller apartment they have just behind it. These members are LEGIT and are seriously the best neighbors in the WORLD! So our new apartment is SUPER tiny, but it has a washer and dryer AND an AMAZING shower! But what I love the most is that they have 3 cats and they have stories like a British drama as my companion puts it. It is so funny. Anywho, we have been moving stuff all week and the Elders came today to help us out with the last bit. I think it's good now.

The missionaries up here in Corpus I think are like the unique ones of the mission or something because they are all AWESOME! These are what make them so awesome:

Phrases I have heard in Corpus: (All relate to the work)

You gotta pay the cost to be the boss

Scared money don't make no money

O my swagga stupid

Give it to 'em chunky

And so many more....

We have FUN doing the work up here! And the members are very involved so it helps us out a lot. We are currently helping 7 people come to the waters of baptism! All of whom are LEGIT! One has even purchased tickets for her son to fly down here from Washington to baptize her. I have never been in a place where the people have been SO prepared. I mean, we just had 2 people yesterday show up out of nowhere to church and now want to get baptized. Bring on the miracles! Whoever said the North doesn't baptize is CRAZY!

Another part of the amazingness that is the Bluff; we have North Padre Island in our area. (Mom, look up Hawthorn by Wyndam. I saw it on the island on Saturday) What that means is that half our area is on the beach! People have canals as backyards that they can just take their boats out to the ocean. So we have the bluff, then the bridge, then the island. So where we live on the bluff is a block away from the laguna madre, the body of water between the bluff and the island. It is amazing. In a 5 minute walk, we can see the water. WOW! Anywho, on Saturday we took our bikes to the island and rode them around and went with a member to the beach to help her find some seashells. It was GREAT! I was in awe the whole time that I am literally serving on an island of prepared people. WOW! In the next 3 months, we are getting 15 new sisters, so the rumor is that they are going to split our area and put sisters on the island. I don't know exactly when, but if it’s this transfer, Sister Dudding and I will get split and each work one of the areas. O man. I love everything about this area.

Also, yesterday we had to speak in the YSA ward. We both spoke about becoming and how we can become the people Christ wants and needs us to become. It was great! What was really interesting though is that Sister Dudding and I were singing the sacrament hymn and we were harmonizing and it sounded amazing so I started laughing (naturally) because of how funny it was. I was just thinking like hmmm, I am in the best area with the best people with an awesome companion that can sing, what else is there! HAHA! GOD IS GOOD!

I wish I could more fully put into words how good God is. I am literally SO HAPPY serving up here! The people, the members, the area, my companion, the outrageously small apartment, EVERYTHING seems like it was just made for me. The bluff and its quirkiness is just, perfect. I will send you home some pictures after I figure out how one does that up here. :) We have the best leaders, and the best missionaries. I am just so proud to be a part of the mission and especially a part of the Corpus Zone. We have a leadership training next week in Laredo, so I will get to see Laredo (yay!) but I can't wait to see what crazy things the CC Zone will do. One of our zone leaders came out with me and he is from Miami and has Miami pride, like crazy! So everything is always about Miami. I LOVE IT!

O man, I guess I have to go now. Sister Dudding is going to dye my hair today and then we’re going to go back to work! I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE YOU ALL!

Sister Giles

(Mom-my address is 3917 Sweet Bay Corpus Christi. I don't know the zip. Also, google North Padre Island and Flour Bluff and you can see pictures of my area. And I really do live like a block from the water. It's heaven!)

Kate's District in Brownsville

Corpus Christi -- Here I Come!!

February 4, 2013

I don't know how you figure transfers but you are always a week off. :) That being said, yes, yours truly is getting transferred and replaced by the lovely Sister Holmes! I love her. I will be getting shipped out tomorrow to the land northward known as.....CORPUS CRISTI! I'm really excited. I am going to an area called Flowerbluff and everyone just keeps telling me how beautiful it is. I have the beach in my new area. Just sayin'. Corpus is right on the ocean so that will be a new change. I am going to be with Sister Dudding, who is the Sister I sang with during Christmas. She is great so I am super excited to just hit the ground running tomorrow! Corpus has the reputation of not baptizing as much because it has less of the Hispanic culture, but that won't stop me. If the Lord didn't have prepared people there too, he wouldn't put it in our mission. We are a baptizing mission.

Everything else this week has been good! We have been keeping our heads up as lesson after lesson gets cancelled. :) Such is the life of a missionary. I still love it. We have been doing awesome work down here and I know that Sister Holmes will be able to step in and take over just fine. :)

Well, the rest of the things this week...well...I have to think of something unique that happened. That is the hard part about writing home, everything all just blends together! :)

I got one. I made tamales this week. We helped out the Spanish ward and made a billion tamales for a Relief Society activity. So, I'm basically pro now. :) Except now, I don't want to make them because they have like a billion pounds of Manteca in them. AKA lard. So I'm going to make them with olive oil. Don't judge me. I've had them and they are good.

That is one thing I will miss is being so close to the Spanish and yummy food! And I'll have to use my English tag. :( But I am excited! I actually know English so this should be good!

I think one of my goals should be to baptize someone in the ocean. That would be neat right? I think I'm going to. One of the other Elders did, (heard the story yesterday) so I think it's very possible.  

So, I'm not very good at writing today because I have packing and getting everything ready to go on the brain. I am a very efficient packer though. :) I will be able to get it all done but I think I will be sending some stuff home.

We’re going to lunch today which should be fun. Not entirely sure where we are going but a member suggested it so I'm game. I've really learned how to go with the flow down here. But only when it comes to some things. Other things I say all right, there is definitely a more effective way of doing this. We’re changing it. :) Gotta love that!

Well, gotta go get the laundry. I wish clothes could just wash themselves. I will be inventing that post mission; self-washing clothes. Wish me luck!

Sister Giles

Sweet Baptism!!!

January 28, 2013

WE HAD A BAPTISM YESTERDAY! YAY! And right after, the Bishop took him in to have his interview for his priesthood. Talk about FAST! It was AWESOME! Our only slight setback was that the morning of, we couldn't find him! We literally stalked his house and all his friends’ houses. But then, at 12:30, we stopped by again (church starts at 1) and he had just gotten home from work. YAY! Well, we had another setback too. We have a new ward mission leader and our old one was a senior missionary couple who just went home last week. They took their computer with them and on that precious computer of theirs is the template for the baptismal program. SOOOOO we had to make a new one, but the program on the English ward’s computer wasn't working so we found Elder C, our constant lifesaver, and he tried to figure it out. It was crazy so we just went to the Spanish ward’s computer and tried to do it there which resulted in an hour of laughing hysterically as Elder C and I tried to figure out how to do it. Funny thing about missionaries is that we don't remember squat about technology! hahaha! The four of us just settled on a very interesting looking program. THEN it was funny because the new ward mission leader laid into Elder C, but in a totally funny way so we were just basically all laughing the whole time. I think that as a missionary your humor completely changes because we think things are funny that in real life just aren't that funny. HAHAHA.

In other WONDERFUL news, I, for the first time ever, finished the rubiks cube this week! Yay! Shout out to Elder C.

For those of you that don't know, Elder C is our District Leader and loves to be involved in EVERYONE's business, hence the reason he is in ALL the stories.

We also had interviews with President this week. I LOVE THAT MAN! Seriously, I just love him to death because he is just the best ever! He says exactly what we need to hear to support us and keep us going. One thing he told me is that I should tell everyone to stop telling me about when I go home. HAHAHAHA! Now it's not coming from me; it's coming from him. :) Love that man! He also was very supportive of me and the things that I have had to go through and he said, Sister Giles, you have had some very unique challenges that you have had to go through the last few transfers and I can tell you that that is not how you are going to finish your mission. He said that people never remember how a missionary starts, but they remember how they finish. FINISH STRONG! I am planning on doing that, so stop talking about that! hahaha.

The work here in Brownsville is AMAZING! I love everything about the work and the mission and life. I wish that I could just stay as a missionary forever. Want to know a cool thing? We never have to stop being a missionary! I plan on never stopping. Ever. Yay! I plan on being a 100% visiting teacher for the rest of my life, and give out BOMs like candy and hmm, I don't know what else but everything! haha!

Well, I used up time. I love you!

Hermana Giles

Look what came in the home e-mail today!!

(From Kate's Mom and Dad)

Look what came in the e-mail today. Time is getting short for Kate. Exciting for us, but I think not so much for Kate. 

April 24, 2013  Woot! Woot!

*** This is a NON-REFUNDABLE TICKET; cancellation or change fees may apply.  We have 24 hours to cancel or make any changes at no additional charge. Please review the itinerary.

 

*** ELECTRONIC TICKETS HAVE BEEN ISSUED AND ARE READY FOR TRAVEL, SEE ETKT INFORMATION BELOW. PLEASE CHECK IN WITH A GOVERNMENT ISSUED PHOTO ID TO RECEIVE YOUR BOARDING PASS.

 

*** CHECKED BAGGAGE FEES MAY APPLY PLEASE BE PREPARED TO PAY - Please request your bags to be checked to your final destination

 

CHURCH TRAVEL CWT                          DATE 25JANUARY13

50 EAST NORTH TEMPLE ST                    AGENT VH/RS BOOKING REF 2IVW2W

SALT LAKE CITY UT 84150

TELEPHONE:  801 240-5111                   GILES/KATHERINE

FAX      : 801-240-5115                    

                                           

  MISSIONARY TRAVEL

  TEXAS MC ALLEN MISSION

 

SERVICE               DATE  FROM           TO             DEPART  ARRIVE

_____________________ _____ ______________ ______________ _______ ______

AMERICAN AIRLINES     24APR MCALLEN TX     DALLAS TX      1035A   1215P

AA 2058           WEDNESDAY MILLER INTL    DALLAS FT WORT

Q ECONOMY

           NON SMOKING                                    NON STOP

                            RESERVATION CONFIRMED         1:40 DURATION

                  AIRCRAFT: BOEING (DOUGLAS) MD-80 ALL SERIES

                            SEATS 26D/26E/26F NO SMOKING CONFIRMED

 

AMERICAN AIRLINES     24APR DALLAS TX      SALT LAKE C UT 430P    620P

AA 2295           WEDNESDAY DALLAS FT WORT SALT LAKE CITY    

Q ECONOMY                                  TERMINAL 1

           NON SMOKING      FOOD FOR PURCHASE             NON STOP

                            RESERVATION CONFIRMED         2:50 DURATION

                  AIRCRAFT: BOEING (DOUGLAS) MD-80 ALL SERIES

                            SEATS 27D/27E/27F NO SMOKING CONFIRMED