Week 11

Hello! Sorry you didn't get your letters, I promise I sent them. You will probably get them today. I didn't know yesterday was a holiday, the joy of being involved in the work and not the world. I didn't get them in the mail on Wednesday cause I didn't have stamps but I do now so it won't happen this week. You will hear from me 3 times this week! Lucky you! Well this week has been good. A lot of knocking still but all is well. It is getting better and I just have to remember that the worst thing they can do is say no. All we are asked to do is invite and share and the rest is up to them. On Sunday Gary was confirmed and it was wonderful. He is so great and I love seeing his testimony grow. The gospel truly changes our lives as we look to Christ and live. We had 2 investigators drop us this week which was hard. It was too big of a change for them. We did what we could and planted the seed so now we just have to wait for it to grow in their hearts. We visited a less active member named Junior Masoe. He just got out of the habit and said that he wanted to return. His wife isn't a member and he has 3 daughters who are old enough to be baptized. It is a golden family and we hope that we can get the firing going. We are meeting with them for dinner this Thursday and are hopeful that this is the family that we have been looking for. Today has been wonderful already because we went to the Los Angeles Temple. It is beautiful! We got up super early(430) in order to make it to the 630 session. It was so wonderful! The spirit was enriching and the temple is just so beautiful. It reminded me a lot of the Salt Lake Temple. I took lots of pictures which I will be sending home today. I am sad that we only get to go to the temple every 6 months but I will make up for it and treasure the times I do get to go. Maybe next time we will go to Newport. It is getting pretty hazy out here. The Santa Ana winds were supposed to change and pick up yesterday and you can see a difference. It hasn't bothered me yet and I hope that it doesn't the pollution makes for a pretty sunset though. The sun was starting to come up when we were going into the temple this morning and I really wanted to watch it but we didn't have time. There were some funny things that happened this week. I'm sure you will all enjoy these brilliant moments of mine. One night I was backing up Sister Colwell( we lucky junior companions get to be backup guides) and I was walking backwards and ran into the car behind me and almost fell over. I just see my companions head drop and knew that I had been seen. I got back in the car and she tried to play a straight face but tears were in her eyes and we just busted out laughing. It was pretty funny. The next day we were having lunch with the Wilson's and Brother Wilson called on me to say the prayer. I started out fine and all was going well. I went to say please bless and started to say por favor but stopped and continued in english. I tried so hard to not laugh and took a lot to laugh. I barely said amen and elder Anderson and Sister Colwell just started laughing. Elder Salmon was completely clueless so we told him what we were laughing at and he started laughing as well. It was a good laugh and they give me a hard time about it as much as they can. It's a good sign that my brain is finally thinking in Spanish and coming natural. When we pray we do it in spanish always so it is harder to pray in english only. The spanish is getting better. Reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish out loud everyday definitely helps and my mind picks it up faster now. I don't have to think about it as much anymore. I need to teach more and practice more. I am following conversations better but I still get lost. One day it will be ok and I will understand without even knowing that I did. I got a letter from Darin and Drake this week. It was fun to hear from them both. I love being able to compare and share our mission experiences with each other. I can't believe that this transfer will be over in a couple of weeks. Time just keeps going by. It is weird to not see the leaves change and have the snow fall. It doesn't get a little chilly at night but it is relatively warm compared to what I am used to. The mission is great and I love the work. I love being able to read and learn so much. I am learning a lot about church history right now and I love it. We are truly blessed to live in this day and age. I love you all and miss you! I pray for you always and I am reminded of you everywhere I go. Whether is something I see or something I hear, I remember a good time or a lesson that I have learned. Thanks for all of your great examples and love. I promise to get you letters in the mail when I normally do so that you can get them on schedule. Love you!!!!


*We get an email from Steph every Tuesday and then usually letter either Friday or Saturday. This week we didn't get them cause she didn't have any stamps on Wednesday when she usually sends them out. Monday was a holiday so no mail. We got our letters Tuesday night at six. All of us we anxious to get her letters.
It's funny how you get into a routine, then when it doesn't happen that way it throws everything off. We look forward to the hearing from her twice a week. (I'm sure that this is only the first time it will happen) As does she, she loves to get mail just like we do. We do our best, which is not as good as she does.