June 5, 2012

Helloooo Family!

Well it looks like you're all doing just wonderfully. Loved the pics of Jake's 6 months, and of Carli's baby blessing. I also loved seeing Gretta look so professional in her swim meet! I didn't even know 6 year olds could know how to do that stuff. Way to go, Grettaa! So, sounds like you're all doing good good good.

What all do I have to report this week? I am not sure. So maybe I'll send a lot of pictures to make up for it. So, we're back in the VC, which has actually been really nice. It's so cool to have 2 sides to my mission call, and it's cool how I've come to love them equally, yet differently. It's nice to have the VC to break up the day, to speak in English, to see some other missionaries, etc. Since we've been back, we've also been doing a lot more chatting!

So, chatting is way cool. We get to talk to people all over the world. You accept a chat, and you never know what you're going to get. This past week we chatted with this one guy in Finland. He used to believe in God, and then he lost his job right after he got married, and has been unemployed for 2 years. So we talked to him about how he can come to know that there's a God. Then we chatted with this guy in England who is meeting with missionaries, and had some questions about repentance, baptism, etc. We do get a few like "pranking" chats, when people will just  be joking around with you. Or we'll get some argumentative chats, but those are both to be expected. But it's really cool to see how many people get on there, with really sincere questions. I also like that it allows us to be more conversational, and almost more personal with them. It's a lot of resolving doubts and stuff like that. So, it's way cool. I'm still getting the hang of it, but I'm excited to see what comes out of it. 

Soo, that's been nice, being back in the VC. And our new little cozy room is nice, and it's kinda fun to be living with some other people, along with their two dogs haha. And their like 80 chickens in their backyard. Like I mentioned before, I think it's been interesting having me and Sister Cottrell be together for a third transfer. I can't even tell you how many times I've seen the line from my setting apart blessing come to pass...that I will have great companions that will provide insights into my personality, and prepare me for marriage. Sister Cottrell is SO awesome, but after so much time together, I think we're trying to learn how to not just turn this into a constant psychoanalysis, because we know eachothers weaknesses, strengths, etc., like the back of our hands. I continue to learn so much about myself, which isn't always fun, but I guess it's necessary. I'm trying to learn how to let things go more, how to trust more, how to not read into things so much, and how to be okay with just being chill. Anyways, my future husband is going to have it so easy,  because all my comps right now are taking the hit for him. Hahaha just kidding. But, big lessons learned: prayer, study, and having fun. I am so grateful for prayer and scriptures, and that we have the opportunity to have the Spirit right off the bat in the morning. And, as for having fun, so, I think I mentioned that I've been trying to do something to break up the monotony each day. So, it can be something super simple, but I try to do one each night...like cut out a weird picture of me and stick it on her pillow, or I made a fortune teller with inside jokes in it, anything like that. I sound like I'm on Dr Phil or something. But, these are the life lessons that I am grateful forhahaha.

Ok...otherrr than that, other news to report: New. Ward. Mission. Leader. This is huge. Haha, so Hermano Laguna switched places w/ Hermano Melchor. Hno Laguna is now the YM pres, and Hno Melchor is our new WML. He was the WML of a branch a year ago, and he really loves this calling. It'll definitely be different, but I'm excited to see what happens. Hno Laguna taught me how, as a leader, it's so important to act like you're on a team, and act like you're there to serve, and to never lose your passion for the work. He never had his own "agenda" or anything, he would always just ask us what he could do for us, and we trusted him, so we'd give him responsibilities. I'm going to miss working with him a lot. He would start crying any time he started talking about his calling as WML, he loved it sooo much. But, we met w/ Hno Melchor yesterday, and it'll be way good. He's a younger guy, a total go-getter, gets stuff done. He has a lot of ideas, and he's really organized, so I'm excited to see how we start working more effectively. I made it my goal this transfer to be better about coordinating w/ members and delegating to them, so I think he'll help with that.

What else...so, last night was really fun. We had two really great FHEs. We had an FHE w/ the Sierra family...Nadia, Claudia, Jovita, and Oswaldo. We read a story from the Ensign, and then we played a little game w/ questions quizzing them how well they knew their family members. Totally brought me back to when we'd try to have FHEs...Claudia was at a friend's house and had to come home, Nadia was on her laptop the whole time filling out applications, etc. Hahhaa. But the game was really fun, and it was fun to see them answer questions like "Favorite Dance Move" or "Biggest Pet Peeve" for eachother. Then, right after, we went to the Castillo family and had an FHE w/ them. I think I've mentioned this family...they're one of my favorites. We're doing member lessons w/ them right now to get them to find more opportunities to be member missionaries. So, they live in a teeny tiny trailor, and have 4 boys and 1 girl. It's like WWF every single moment with the boys. I'll look over in sacrament, and one will be in a headlock with the other, kicking underneath the pew hahaha. So, we had a really fun FHE where we had them write/draw on postits their nonmember friends, places where they could meet more people, things they could give them, invitations they could extend, all of that. And we stuck all their drawings/postits on the wall. It was way fun. 

Anyways, I'm gonna try to send some pics real quick. But I love you all so much!! Thank you for everything. This email was kind of random, I'm not entirely sure what happened this past week, but I love being a missionary. I love that I can feel the Spirit so frequently. I love that I get to interact with all sorts of people and hear their life stories. Although it's painful sometimes, I love the life lessons that I'm getting from it and how it changes me. I know I will be forever grateful for my mission. Love you all, stay safe and healthy and happy! Love Sister Fors