Transfer news!! Here are pics of before transfer meeting (terrified) and after (bestfriendsREUNITEDisthisajokeorwhat?!?!)
WELL. Today I am just feeling SUPER grateful for everything.
Last Tuesday was transfer meeting, and we had already made our pics of who was going where. Hna Hudson's district leader had called and told her she was coming to my area, which was a cruel joke as he didn't even know that and got her hopes up for nothing. Really, though, we knew this could never be. We love each other too much; we would burn down this mission; missionary work is not supposed to be fun; who would babysit at this sleepover?!?!?
BUT at transfer meeting (aka Hunger Games selection), we were the last two hermanas in the ENTIRE MISSION to be called. Our zone was last; our district was last, so when he called us at the end we had already done the math. I waited for Pres. Hall to say, "PSYCH! Be REAL, Hermanas- the Lord would never trust you two together!!! Look at what happened in the MTC!" But instead he announced that Hna Hudson would be transfering to this area. We were both laughing, her whole district was freaking out, some elder said "What!?" a little too loudly for the chapel, and then all the missionaries stood up and did the wave, a banner of our faces with the words HUDZZ Y SIMPZZ: 2013 unrolled from behind the pulpit, confetti fell down from the ceiling as "Together at Last" from the musical Annie played in the background. We stood up and everyone congratulated us and took pictures. That's how I remember it, anyway.
The shocking thing is, this has been my favorite week of missionary work so far. Our Spanish is actually not terrible- she's always had Latina companions until now and she has progressed a TON. We're both too new and enthusiastic to believe that we can't have a baptism by the end of the month. We're super excited to work and this ward is already in love with her. We're teaching more lessons (and member present lessons), talking to more people and finding more new investigators than ever before. It's seriously so fun. In the words of the Princess Diaries soundtrack, "Miracles happen once in a while, when you believe."
Last night after fast sunday dinner at Hna R's house in the ward, we were super tired and just wanted to go back home. But we decided to stay out and we taught the plan of salvation to this teenage boy with all these questions and as we were walking back to our bikes after the lesson, my favorite less active family pulled up to us in their car and asked if we could call the elders; this woman's mother-in-law had just come back from the hospital with something that sounds like a pancreatic tumor and she wanted a blessing. So we were able to be there for all that and then just sit with Zulema after it was all over. I knew I could really feel the Spirit during the blessing, but then after Maria (the mother in law) left and the Elders left, we sat by Zulema, hugged her, testified a little bit, but mostly just sat there as she cried. It made me so grateful we had decided to just stay out. It was such a blessing to us that we were able to be there when they needed us.
Now that I'm starting to understand Spanish better, I really am so grateful to be speaking it. It is really surprising to me how things don't translate over. I feel like when I speak spanish my personality is different- I'm more loving. Less funny, way more quiet, more touchy-feely, more humble. It's still so weird to me how things don't translate directly. The ideas can, but it's just different. So weird.
FUNNY THINGS THAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK:
While teaching Christian, age 12, at his cousin Cesar's house. Cesar is a member.
Me: "Cesar, have you ever felt like you had a prayer that was answered?"
Cesar, age 14, wears blue colored contacts: "Well... losing weight, yeah."
later in the lesson:
Me: "Christian, why wouldn't you want to come to church on sunday?"
Cesar: "Well, to be honest, sometimes it's PRETTY boring"- this continues on for a couple minutes and we desperately try to convince Christian that this Sunday will not be boring. (But in my heart, I know that the cousin is right- I have been attending sacrament meetings here for 3 months and truth be told:sometimes, it's pretty boring.)
OMG OMG THIS WEEK I GOT A PACKAGE!!!! My friend Hannah sent me unexpectedly a CD and a letter in the mail full of current events and royal baby gossip! I have no email address for her, but HANNAH IF YOU'RE READING THIS THANK YOU!!! It was the best surprise, we love the music and I will write you back stat!
ALSO I am decorating my desk with lots of good quotes so send me your favorites!!!
Not totally sure what is happening today- hopefully we get to bum a ride to Target for some first-world joy, and hopefully we get a ride to wherever everyone is playing soccer and didn't invite us.
Did laundry this morning at the Washanderia and paid 75 cents for a mediocre doughnut at "CHINESE FOOD DONUTS." With a name like that, you can't not.
IMPORTANT THINGS THAT HAPPEN THIS WEEK:
LINDSAY TURNS 21!!! I actually feel like I am 21 so that's pretty cute that we're the same age. Next year you will be able to tell people they are correct when they all guess that you are the oldest <3
HAVE A GREAT DAY; EAT SOME DELICIOUS FROYO; SEND YOUR FAVORITE HERMANA AN EMAIL.
LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!
<333
Hna
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