October 5 - Time to Meditizar

Conference was so amazing!  I had my little questions and things that I want to work on in my life, and of course who opens up the entire worldwide conference with all the answers I needed?? Thank you Heavenly Father / President Uchtdorf/ Conference!!!

I THOUGHT ABOUT YOU DURING CONFERENCE TOO! Especially the women's session, and then with Elder Holland's talk, and a couple others. 

I LOOOOVVVVVVEEE YOOOOUUUUU.

They voice over the Spanish talks, and it is better that way.  It is fun to hear the people speak in their native language, and I agree that it should be subtitles when they do like the Asian languages, but it is awesome.  They do a really good job translating.  For example Elder Christofferson knows how to speak Spanish, and so he pre-recorded his talk in Spanish, so it was actually him speaking.  That is fun. 

I loved this conference, and I think my favorite was the very first session.  It was so good.  I have a little part that I loved from each talk, so that was a goal I had, and it totally happened!  The only hard part for me was to see our Prophet struggle, but he kept going anyways and I was having a little panic attack for him.  Gordan B. Hinckley and Thomas S Monson.  I love the 2 prophets that I have had.  I am excited for the new apostles as well.

I predicted that Cecil Samuelson was going to be a new apostle, so I was doing, “Swoosh Cecil” all week.  Turns out I was wrong haha. Gotta love BYU traditions.

(Added by Sonja:)

We were able to watch a session of Conference with the Hernandez family, and the Meza family, with Exxxxo, and then one in English at the church.  I watched 75 percent of Conference in Spanish and I understood!! My understanding is great, but sadly sometimes I still have trouble speaking.  But it was fun to watch conference with some of my favorite people ever! 

Axxxxn did the Conference packet that you sent me last year!  It worked really good!  

Also we played a game with Exxxxo where we counted down Conference haha.  He was so excited.  He walked to the Meza’s to watch it at their house!  I loved the Prophet’s talk, and I am totally going to do the ponderizing haha!  I didn’t get it at first because it was meditizar in Spanish and I was like do I know that word?... but now I understand haha.  My first scriptures I’m going to meditizar are the 2 from the Prophet’s talk. 

But there were good times had. 

We did exchanges with the English/Spanish Sisters in Stockton, and I had my first day as an English speaking Missionary!  At our dinner appointment what did we eat?? Rice and Chicken!! It will never escape me haha. 

We were able to help decorate for a wedding, and that was fun.  I was having little mini OCD attacks, but thanks to that tendency the reception tables were lined up perfectly straight with the basketball floor lines, and the basketball hoops were up!  The table clothes were all different sizes and I wanted to put them on the tables according to their length, but refrained.

 

Also I got to use my old desk that I used in my Stockton thug days, and I took a picture of my name I drew inside the drawer (it was a yearbook of missionaries dating back to the 2010’s so that was fun). FLASHBACK!

I hope to have read the entire Standard works before the next General Conference, so that is a goal I set.  Start with the simple, and read it all!  I want to be a servant of God forever!!!! 

This Monday we had some miracles!  When Hermana Carpenter and I were first put together, the Mission President promised us that people would walk up to us on the street and ask to be taught.  It didn't happen really clearly like that until this past Monday!

In that short 3 hours of proselyting time we had 2 people ask to be taught! 

One is the family of Cxxxxs Hernandez, and Cxxxxs Hernandez Jr, and Axxxn, and the other was a long lost cousin of Exxxxo that we met outside haha.  She is amazing, and just lost her 3 year old son in a car crash 3 months ago.  I had remembered Exxxxo talking about it.  So we are teaching them.  I was grateful for that experience because we have been having no time in our area.  We do 4 exchanges a week and it has been hard to feel like we are really getting to work in our own area.  But this experiences shows God will do His work! Just another Miracle Monday!! 

I also received Elissa's SUPER LONG letter.  IT WAS AWESOME!!

I haven't done as much yoga this week.  But I went on an exchange with one of the new Spanish Hermanas from Disneyland basically, and she lives next to Huntington Beach, and a Korean town so she loves Korean things.  She taught me some words, and promised to show me the first pose of TaeKwondo? (dont know how to spell it :)) even though it is illegal, and can only be learned from a master :) So that was a super fun exchange.  It is hard to do all the exchanges, but it is really fun to get to know everyone, and hopefully help them out a bit!

The weather has gotten cooler and it is great!  California weather is the best! 

When I was on the exchange in Stockton I forgot my TIWI card, and Sister Boata can’t drive.  So I called Elder Gilbert our vehicle guy and asked if I could just drive without my card that day, and then get all that happened on my card later,  just this one time.  He was like, “The TIWI is a principle of Obedience and by doing so it is like taking just one sip of alcohol in the laws of the word of wisdom....”. HAHA.  But I am pleased to announce I DIDNT DRINK!!  I told him that too haha.  Poor Hna Carpenter had to drive all the way back up just to give me my login card.  SIGH.

We were able to see Bxxxxo again this week in between his crazy work schedules.  It had been raining that day, so Hermana Carpenter and I both were wearing our new boots.  When we got there Bxxxo was also wearing his work boots so I insisted we take a picture, for my picture of the day! He thought it was hilarious!  

Well Cxxxxs Jr should be getting baptized this Saturday!  One of us will be gone four of the next five days, so it will be a crazy week for sure.

WOW! That is so exciting about Nathan’s game!  CHEER SUPER LOUD FOR ME!  But don't have anxiety for me, because that would also be what was happening.  I love sports haha.

I have invited Leilani to Utah to come see all the National Parks just so ya know :)  Exxxxo too, and Bxxxa and family!  We are planning a reunion in Utah in 1 year!  So yaaaaaaa!

Thankyouthankyouforeverythingyoudoformeeverydayandforbeingmyfamilythatilovealotandiamsoexcitedtotalktoyouragainnextweekthanksforalltheemailsandtelleveryonehiandthatilovethemsomuch!

Love,

EMILY