So much happened this week I can't even write it all.
Transfers. President announced that Hna Evans would my new companion. Then at the end of the mtg he asked the 3 newly-formed hna companionships to come and meet with him really quick. We go into a room and he tells us we are experiencing some real-time revelation. That after they announced it he became aware of a piece of info that he previously misunderstood (whatever that means; it was all very vague and mysterious-sounding) and that he and the assistants had apparently stepped out during the 5 minutes of announcements and asked Heavenly Father if they needed to make these changes, because it had already been anounced, etc. Their prayer was answered in the affirmative and so they switched us around again. SO my new companion's name is Hna Watts! She's from Park City, studying Mech engineering, and has an excellent work ethic. Very smart, knows the doctrine, and studied spanish for 7 years so she can correct my grammar!! Awesome.
I've realized that what people think is good spanish is actually just confident Spanish. I had a friend tell me before I left that the way he learned was just by being cocky to the point of resiliancy- and since he knows 4 super weird Asian languages, I figured that was good enough for me. The more you talk, the better people think you are, even when you're not that good. That is what I have found to be true here, at least, in this spanish-speaking mission. Outgoing personality = language skills.
This week has been super good. I mean, with transfers and everything, we still had a pretty darn fruitful week. We've been so blessed to be able to work more with our ward members, AKA start teaching their family and friends, and it is AWESOME. I was shocked at how easy it is. After we started teaching Paola, I was like "this is a breeze. I would really enjoy doing this more often." So now we're teaching Hna Escobar's mom who used to want nothing to do with the church but yesterday she came for THE FIRST TIME EVER!! And now we have 2 lessons set this week with family friends of la fam Flores. I am praying they go well.
KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR HNA FLORES IN THE PROVO MTC, YOU PEOPLE THAT WORK THERE. SHE COMES IN JAN 26!! (If that's a wed.)
Vicky Flores got her mission call this week!!! She's going to Boston, MA, spanish speaking. It was so awesome. I told my companion "we have to go to this!" and I think at first she was skeptical of "is this really a finding activity or are we just going to a party?" But what I've learned in Reseda is PARTIES = FINDING. Birthday parties, baby showers, anything. It is the easiest, most comfortable way to meet people's friends and family. We just show up, eat, and then invite them to have an FHE with us or something. I don't know why it's working- why these people are all of a sudden saying yes to a simple invitation when they've said no when their friends asked them to come to church stuff before. But it's working so we're rolling with it! haha. #HASTENING
Watching Vicky open her mission call was so special, and a little surreal being on the other side. You just have no idea what a mission is until you go. She read, "Your purpose will be to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, repentance, baptism, recieving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end." And that's when I started to cry, because it was just so tender- to remember everything I hoped and felt then, and to realize how much that sentence means to me now, and how I had no idea.
In other news, although I don't think I like celebrities any more than the average 23-year-old with a healthy knowledge of basic pop culture, it has come to my attention that I like celebrities a wee bit more than the average missionary. Seriously though, and the elders who see famous people don't even deserve it because they don't know who they are. Last night a couple of elders said how they met Jessica Alba and her family yesterday, and not just met her- they said hi and SHOOK HER HAND. The bike hermanas and I are freaking out like YOU MET JESSICA ALBA?!? DID YOU SHARE A MESSAGE BECAUSE DO YOU KNOW SHE IS HALF MEXICAN?!?!! HOW SOFT WERE HERE HANDS???!? which, I guess, is exactly why I have never seen anyone famous out here. On the plus side, Hna Watts does not share my love of celeb-stalking but has promised me that since we'll both be back before Sundance, she will let me stay with her in Park City and we will do just that.
My hair is short again. It was cut by a wonderful woman who doesn't know as much as I would like about blending edges, but it's okay. I'll have to get it cut in a few months again anyway.
Alright that's all I've got!! So far I've just been super excited to be a missionary during Christmastime. Then we watched the 1st Pres Devo last night and it sunk in that I won't be coming home after finals this year, after all. But it's good. As long as we have work to do, I'm happy. Thanks for all the prayers!! I am so grateful.
It's been a bit nippy here lately. Low 50s/ High 40s. I was feeling like a true martyr until I read the email and you told me how cold it is in Denver and Provo. Of course, I still have no pity for you normal people because you get to do things like stay indoors and wear pants. But I have been thinking a lot this week of the poor souls who are missionaries in all the tundra biomes- how very brave they are and very how glad I am that I am not one of them.
To Russia With Love,
Hna Simpson
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