Hola Familia: March
23, 2015
It is so weird typing on a keyboard that
doesn't have accents
and nyays.......hopefully my spelling will greatly improve....but I
doubt it. I have officially gone on strike with apostrophes.
They were too hard to find on the Mexican keyboards.....but the CCM has changed
me when it comes to correct grammar.
So my first area is...............DRUM
ROLL..............Rialto. I love it here! I was so excited to go to a place
that is basically a smaller, safer version of Mexico! It has been an
interesting first week. Kind of feels like the first day in the CCM. It's
like drinking out of a fire hydrant....you get a little water, but it mostly
just hurts your face. There has been a lot
of meeting and smiling and nodding..... especially when people speak Spanish,
because I have come to
the great realization that at the CCM they enunciate and slow down.
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| My First Companion....Sister Jimenez |
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| Just arrived in California. This is Sister & President Van Cott. |
My goal for this transfer------fluent and tan....as well as 4 baptisms.
Speaking of baptisms.... meet my
investigators.
We don't
have too many...but hey more opportunities for finding!!!!
We have Crystal-- English Speaking, and we are
still not sure if she will continue taking the lessons...she is mentally
handicapped....but mostly still there. But, when we teach her it's
really hard for her to understand.
The Ocampo's---they are on date for
baptism in April. They have 4 kids
and they are ADORABLE!!!!!!!!! Mario, Jose, Cesar, and Jonny! Only 3 of them
are getting baptized, but I am WAY psyched! They are such great kids!
Karen and Lupis---DEFINITELY fluent in Spanish.....and
they are talkers....the worst part is that they talk over each
other....which
is really hard for someone who has a hard time understanding anyway.
Whenever we come out from their lessons I
always feel really bad about myself....but oh well.
Oh....the Ocampo boys are English
speaking as well..... which doesn't
make me as stressed for their lessons.
We taught a lot
of Less Active Member Lessons and Active Member lessons this week. We only have
1 ward here....and we only get like a third of the members. So, Hermana Jimenez
has been helping me get to know them all.
One of my very favorites is Hortencia!
She is so awesome! She is paralyzed and always in a
lot of pain. She is taking the Temple class lessons,
and hopefully will get to take out her endowments soon!
As far as Spanish is concerned....I
need to do a lot more work! I
have made all these goals to only speak Spanish...but
it is SO SO SO easy to speak in English.
But, mark my words....I will be fluent or at least close to in 5 weeks!!!!!!!!!
They say my accent is pretty good....now I
just need the words to go with it.
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| This is Sister Sanford, a fellow missionary from South Jordan. |
One of my favorite lessons we taught
this week was with Hortencia....she is going through a hard time right now and
we shared with her the 'Refiners Fire' Mormon
message. Afterwards I shared with her (and two other neighbor girls that were
there) the story of the Currant Bush. I bore my testimony about how God knows
us, and he knows what he wants us to be! Of course this was all in English...so
it was nice to be able to express myself freely.
Usually everyone here just speaks English,
but in their houses they assume you are fluent. When they ask about my Spanish
I tell them 'un pocito' (or a
little) and then they try to speak in English....but
I tell them to speak in Spanish and
that I will try to get as much as I
can!
Moments:
Funniest
moment---Wish I
had a picture of it, but as missionaries we are supposed to have the companion
back us out of the parking spots...and I
have a really hard time remembering to do that (I
can't drive here
yet, because I am a trainee).
So Hermana Jimenez put a sign on the Dashboard that says, in really big
letters, BACK ME.
Loving
Moment--- (I will come up with a better name
later) A sister in the ward was in charge of feeding us on Thursday, but she
texted and said she had a busy day and would just drop it off. She called us
later and said her son had been in an accident at school and was at the hospital;
she apologized and said she was coming later to bring us food. We met her at
our house and she was so apologetic and started crying. It was a testament to
me that these people are quite possibly the sweetest, most humble people I
have ever been around. They truly have big hearts and serving is their second
nature. We consoled her for a little bit (well I
did because Hermana Jimenez doesn't
know what to do when people cry---she keeps saying that). Such
a SWEET lady! I love these people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tender
Mercy--- This is more of a compilation
of many tender mercies....most having to do with Spanish....since that seems to
be my weak point. I kind of always feel down about the language....but He knows
when to give me confidence-building experiences. When we met with Hortencia, I
said the closing prayer in Spanish
because they wanted to hear me. They kept raving on and on about my accent and
how I was going to be just fine! Then on
Sunday we had some other sisters come over (one of them was Sister West---FROM
THE MTC!!!! We were so excited to see someone familiar) and we role played the
Restoration lesson. Sister Jimenez was smiling the whole way through;
she told me later it was because she didn't
know I knew that much Spanish
:) It made me feel better.
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| My new home... |
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| Our front door. |
Spiritual
Moment--- One of those other sisters that came
over on Sunday was
Hermana Stuber...from Bountiful (look her up, she gets home in 3 months ish.
She says she knew a Cameron Wright). She shared a really cool scripture with
Sister West (her companion) and me
about the Gift of Tongues. It's
in Moses 6:31-36. It's about Enoch
and his ability to speak well. But, it was a good reminder to me that the Lord doesn't
care if we are eloquent in what we say. When we follow the spirit and open our
mouths, it doesn't matter
if everything comes out jumbled, because what we say will touch their hearts
and will be what they need to hear. It really helped.
Painful
moment--- We went to Hermano Toris' house for Saturday
night dinner. It was an awesome meal....but he told me if I wanted to be
fluent, he could give me a dulce that would make me fluent. I came back to my
plate and he had put a Habanero pepper on my plate......anything THAT orange
should not be eaten. I knew it would be hot....but I decided I
wanted a little. He cut me and Hermana Jimenez little pieces. I think they were
too small and so it was fine. But, to prove his point he gave us bigger
slices....of course I had to
take the one with all the seeds! It entered my mouth and without touching any
surface made my whole mouth catch fire INSTANTLY!!!!!!! I was crying within 7
seconds....when I swallowed it
burned all the way down.....and didn't
go away for about 3 hours. Needless to say....it was a rough night :) But,
hey....I am fluent (just kidding....but I
would eat a whole one of those a day if it made me fluent).
I LOVE THESE PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!! They are
so so so so so awesome!!!!!!!! Thank you for your great letters. and thank you
for the Greenie Package!!!....and my bedding of course :) it was like
Christmas!!! I love you!!!!!!!!!!
Hermana Wright
Oh,
PS. Sunday was good....I was supposed to get
up and bear my testimony but the bishop forgot I guess. But don't worry!
Viernes es Noche de Hogar, y yo will have the opportunity to say a little bit
of the lesson....WHOO HOOO!!!!!!!
Love
you!
Thank you for your prayers!!!!
Thank you for your prayers!!!!
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