May 2014

5/12/2014

I am really missing CJ. Maybe it's because I know he will have this same opportunity in just a couple of years. But I think about him so much. I'm glad that I have such a sweet brother who is loving and dorky and cool :)

I can hardly wait to share with you the miracles I have seen while teaching Adrian, our 19 yr old investigator. I sort of feel like you did when you experienced that powerful change of heart on your mission. If I don't receive any other confirmation for the rest of my life, I will be ok! After a matter of weeks, an unmistakable change took place in his heart. And after that spark, the light in his eyes is so brilliant! One month ago, he would barely speak and simply slouch into the couch, more like he was enduring the lessons. He didn't trust us enough to pray with us and didn't understand anything he would read in the Book of Mormon. Now he smiles!! He tells us about his happiness, confides in us about his concerns, and bears his heart in every prayer he offers, I know the Gospel is true because it makes people change. And maybe we're not so much becoming new, unrecognizable people, but rather we're changing more into the people Heavenly Father has created us to be. But also like you said, we must be constantly experiencing changes of heart through the spirit to be truly converted.

Before my mission, I wondered if I would be one of two missionaries. The kind who needs their mission, or the kind whose mission needs her. I shortly realized (and am still in that process) that I need my mission in order to be truly converted, to be able to truly cherish the Gospel and become like the person Heavenly Father expects and needs me to be. I am so grateful that I need my mission! It really makes me appreciate this sacred time I have here. but also, for the first few months, I was teaching and baptizing people who were so prepared that I knew it didn't matter who taught them, they were going to get baptized. While I was able to see just how the Lord really does prepare His children, I was feeling a bit useless, As if there wasn't a point in me being here because I wasn't affecting the work. It would be done with or without me. I came with the expectation that I would be the answer to someone's prayers, and that my decision to serve and be obedient would be in direct correlation with someone accepting the Gospel.

With one minute left in my P-day, I'll just say that Adrian is why I'm here! Maybe there will be others, but I can't wait to tell you more about his conversion :)

Sorry that came to an abrupt ending, but I love you so much!! Tell CJ happy Birthday, and you as well!!

05/19/2014

I've been thinking about what that does to us a children of our Heavenly Father. I've noticed now more than ever the effects of passing unfair judgment on others. It really does weaken the spirit and makes it very difficult to be lead and prompted by the spirit. Very often, we disregard the Savior's admonishment that if we love him, we will keep the commandments. If we are loving the Savior, we are loving others. And if we are loving others, we are loving the Savior. You can't have one without the other. Not saying that I am perfect in that department at all, but I have been able to see that I am much happier and at peace when I have the companionship of the Spirit, so I've been making an effort to change.

Adrian was baptized last Saturday!!! It was such a beautiful service. Before that, though, my companion and I sang Divina Luz, or Lead Kindly Light, because Adrian's favorite songs all have "luz" in them :) i.e Jesus es mi Luz, La Luz de la Verdad, etc. The only problem is is that I have inherited Dad's musical talent and am not worth that much when it comes to harmonizing. My companion on the other hand, is very musical and encouraged me to try to sing the melody as she sang the harmony. Every time we practiced, when we would come to the 3rd verse and Sister Harmon would break off and sing the harmony, I couldn't keep singing the melody, and we would both lose composure and laugh. I warned her that I couldn't promise anything if she chose to break off during the actual musical number in front of everyone, but she insisted that she had faith in my ability to sing the melody. When the 3rd verse came, she broke off and I was able to hold my own for the first three lines. But, and the very last line of the song, I couldn't get the melody, and I was very off. My companion started laughing during the song and I soon joined her! We were both embarrassed, but the thing that made her a little mad was that all of the members asked why she messed up the beautiful song! Both her and I know that it was my fault because I can't sing which then made her laugh. But all of the members are tone deaf and thought it was beautiful!

Adrian didn't mind, though :) He was very emotional after he rose out from the water and didn't gain his composure for the rest of the service. He is so special, and I am so grateful for this time I have had in San Leandro. These members are so wonderful and I love them dearly.

I found out Saturday night that I will be leaving San Leandro and going to Oakland (specifically Berkeley) for the next transfer and I will be moving my things there tomorrow. It was tough in Church yesterday as the Branch President asked me to come up during Sacrament Meeting and bare my testimony. After Church there were a lot of hugs and tears, but I'm really excited to start a new transfer in Oakland! My new companion came one transfer after I did, so she's pretty new as well. I guess I'm not THAT new, though...

Last night we saw Adrian at a member's house and as I left, he started to cry. He told me thank you for all that I had done for him and he would miss me. He said that he wishes I could see him change other peoples' lives and be an example and grow into the man that Heavenly Father wants him to be. Needless to say, that made me cry quite a bit :) I was overwhelmed with gratitude that my Heavenly Father loves me enough to experience this joy and happiness. I am also very humbled by the fact that if it wasn't for the Spirit and the love and help from the Lord, Adrian wouldn't have changed at all. I feel such pride in my converts, but am so very aware of the hand of the Lord in each of their lives.

I really am nervous for this change which will be happening tomorrow, but I know that this is where the Lord needs me at this time :)

I love you so much! Have a great week :)

Mads

The first picture is of me and Santa and her daughter Maritza. I love this
family so much!! Santa was less active when I first came to San Leandro,
but she helped us a lot with teaching Roldan and Adrian. She loved coming
out with us and helping us teach because it reminded her of the beautiful
testimony she has. She's now in the YW presidency. Her kids are amazing.
We had family home evening with them quite a bit, and Maritza and her
brother Ricky have been getting a lot more involved.

 

 

The second is our San Leandro District with Hermano Miranda, a really
amazing man.

 

 

And the third is Hermana Canales on the left, and Hermana Enamorado on the
right :) Hermana Canales, la Peruana, fed us every week and she is an
AMAZING cook!! She also serves so much. I want be like her when I grow up
:) That includes being Peruvian, of course.

 

I love los Pena!!! They are amazing missionaries, I love them so much.  They have been so involved in the missionary work in the branch and so supportive. Hermana Pena always gives us the food she buys at Costco :)

 

Adrian's Baptism

 

 

 

Hermana Smith and Hermana Harmon

 

 

5/26/2014

Well. I was transferred to Oakland, which you already know. Our area covers above the 580 into Berkeley and Emeryville, so you can look that up on Mr. Google. We're in a car, obviously, for the travel and also because I would protest walking around downtown Oakland. It's actually not that bad. The part that we are in is very diverse and very hilly! But it's great :) The Elders have International and South of that which is the sketchy part of Oakland. I wasn't shaken up at all though while moving or the morning after. Usually after a change, I get really nervous and anxiety kicks in, but this transfer I just felt secure and peaceful. And then I found out that we don't have any investigators. That was a really big shock and a HUGE change from San Leandro. When we would have 7-8 member present lessons and a couple of others a week in SL, we had only 4 lessons last week and they were with recent converts and less actives. The numbers look really pitiful and discouraging, yes, but I am so pleased with how hard we worked last week.

The Lord's promise is that He is preparing people to accept the gospel. He will lead us to them, or He will lead them to us. That is conditional on our obedience, work, diligence, and love for the Savior and willingness to serve him. I know that we did that last week. I think this is what brings me this peace and hope. I don't know when we'll see those blessings, or even if those blessings will manifest themselves as people to teach this coming week. But I know that we will be blessed for our work. That is something I've been gaining a lot of perspective on out here.

Thinking about several situations within the family and seeing investigators I love choose to use their agency in ways that are contrary to the gospel, I've had a question for several months. Which is: What is the difference between hope and faith? We learn in the scriptures that all things are possible if we have sufficient faith. That miracles have not ceased to exist because of our faith in God and His power. And that if we are truly faithful, we won't even ask for things which are contrary to the will of God. (1 Nephi 7:12, Helaman 10:5)

However, if something doesn't turn out the way that we had hoped and prayed for, does that mean that our faith wasn't sufficient? Or was it contrary to the will of God?

Recently, I've noticed that for myself, my hope leads me to have faith. My hope that we will find a family and baptize them within this transfer leads me to act and work to find people to teach! Our hope is a confident expectation and longing for the promised blessings of eternal life. So far in my understanding, my faith leads me to act and is fueled by that hope for eternal life (Alma 13:29, 2 Nephi 31:20)

It's all very confusing. I still have some more thinking and studying to do, but I think I'm getting closer. If something didn't turn out the way I had hoped, it's not necessarily due to a lack of faith. I still have hope which allows me to keep going and move on, and my faith in the Lord assures me that He will keep His promises as I keep mine.

I hope that was somewhat beneficial and not a complete jumble of unconnected thoughts :)

I love you so very much and want you to know that your prayers are truly appreciated and recognized. I know that my endurance levels aren't a result of my own strength, but by your faith and the mercy and love of my Heavenly Father. Thank you for everything, I love you and pray for you constantly! Until next Monday!

Love, Mads

 

The first one basically says screw off if you're not Catholic. We knocked on their door anyway :)  The second one is to show that I can prepare mediocre meals!

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Trainer/mom went home last week :(

I said goodbye to Sister Harmon, but my new companion is Sister Hernaez from the Philippines!

THIS is why we don't put Mom in charge of updating the blog.

From Christi:  So yes, I'm a terrible blog-updater.  Terrible.  But here are some of Madelyn's recent letters and pictures.  She's doing great!  Just a warning:  you will cry if you read 3/3.  And you will understand every parent's anguish when their baby girl is so far away and hurting and you're not there to comfort.  It was torture for me, and I'm so glad she's doing so well now.  Because this heart couldn't take much more!

torture for me, and I'm so glad she's doing so well now.  Because this heart couldn't take much more!

3/31/2014
Hello Parents!!

I was watching the Women's Conference and laughed as soon as the Primary President started talking.  I love how the new YW President isn't so smiley. She's like a real person, and I can see her maybe having a dirty home or smacking her kid if he is acting stupid.  The Primary President just smiles sooooo much!  Happy people...  But I thought of your and Giorgi as I watched it, picturing Mom watching it in bed and Giorgi going in and out and asking how much longer it was.  But I was very touched when the choir sang and I just thought of G!  So weird and spoiled, yet a really awesome kid!

OH!  DUH!  Biggest news of the week!  Roldan got baptized!!!  He's so cute!!!!  He bore his testimony after the service and spoke for like 10 minutes, but no one cared, because he's adorable!  He is very smart and very humble.  He mentioned how he is not finished yet.  While he had always lead a good life, now he is going to strive to walk on the straight and narrow and never waiver, because he has to make it to the temple and back to Heavenly Father :)  

So even though that really cool family of 5 I told you about dropped us, we had an awesome week.  Yeah.  The mission is a roller coaster.  Sometimes I'm all like "WOOO HOOOO! Yeah!!" But also a lot of the times I'm just like, "uuuuuuuugh. whyyyyyyyyyy?"  But it's a good balance.  

Our ward mission leader and his wife love us so much!  They really don't like 2 of the elders in our ward, though, because they're not hard workers and they're stupid.  But They always come out with us to appointments, and this weekend we're watching conference with them and they're taking us out to eat :)  Just me and my companion, though.  Like I said, my district leader is being really difficult. 

He and his companion know one of our investigators relatively well, and told him that he would talk to the mission president and see if they could teach him instead of us!  What?!  And they had a lesson with him after Church on Sunday!  They broke so many mission rules, plus they are super rude to us, just because this person lives in our area and they can't teach him!!  And now, the Zone Leaders (who are really awesome) and the mission President (who is also fantastic) are involved because two stupid Elders are stupid. I think Elder Gleason, my stupid district leader, may be going through something, though.  He has been really disrespectful to our ward mission leader, and every one else, and they aren't doing well in their area at all.  Their numbers are half of mine and my companion's and we work in the VC half of the day every day.  He seems like he is depressed, so I'm trying my best to be patient and kind to him.  I'm not sure what he's going through, but he never seems happy.  No excuse to be disobedient, though.  I don't know...  I'm workin on it. 

I love you!!  Talk to you next week!  Can't wait to talk to you for real in a couple of weeks!

3/24/2014

Dad, I don't know how I'm going to tell you all about what happened this week, I get exhausted just thinking about all that we did.  A good start would be that we added 8, count em, 8 new investigators!  Now I'm not really sure about all of them, but we do have this really cool family.  One day we were sitting in our car getting our things ready, when I saw a teenage boy walking towards us.  I hopped out of the car (usually I'm not very spry and energetic to leave the car) and stopped him, and we had a nice, short conversation.  He didn't know his address when I asked him, and just said, "It's the pink house across the street from the firehouse with a split pine tree in front, and a red brick pathway."  It sounded really weird, but I figured that no one would really make that up just to loose the missionaries...  Turns out, it exists!  When we found it, a woman answered the door and she said she was busy washing dishes and didn't have time to let us in.   We told her that we'd be quick and we would just talk while she did her dishes.  We ended up doing the dishes for her, which she protested, and when we were finished 5 minutes later, the entire family was waiting in the living room to have a lesson.  Every one was there, except for the guy that we had initially contacted... Oh well.  But they're really cool and I'm excited to see where they go.  When we invited them to come to church, the mom said that they couldn't because it was her daughter's first communion... We'll work with them!! 

Roldan is set for his baptism this Saturday!  He told us about an experience he had last week where he had taken his Book of Mormon to read while he ate at a restaurant.  The waitress asked him if he was Mormon, because she didn't think there were any Latino Mormons (funny, right?).  Cute, sweet, Roldan answered, "Yes, I'm a Mormon.  Would you like to have the missionaries over to your house so you can learn more?"  HE'S ALREADY A MISSIONARY!!! aaaaaaaaaw :)  He said, "I've tried the Catholics, the Baptists, the Jehova Witnesses, but no!  I'm a Mormon!"  RIGHT?!  so cool :) 

We had a really fantastic stake conference with Elder Packer, the area's 70, and yesterday morning in the Visitors' Center there was a recent convert/ re-activation activity.  Elder Packer lead the meeting, which had about 40 people, and just wanted to know everyone and why they were their.  Sergio, my recent convert, was the first one to speak, and he was so appreciative of the gospel and he said he was there because he couldn't deny the peace and joy of knowing the true gospel.  Roldan spoke shortly after, and he started to cry, Dad!  He said that he knew that this was the restored Church, that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that he has such a strong testimony of prayer.  He has literally been healed of his sickness through his faith and priesthood blessings, and he recognizes the hand of the Lord in his life every day.  This was literally the best day of my life!  These people are changing!  They are becoming more like the people who God has always intended them to be, and I'm watching it happen.  This is changing me, too.  I know that the things I'm going through are shaping my life and shifting my view on the person I know I can become.  I don't think I believed everyone who said the mission would change your life, but I don't think it's possible to imagine such change until it's actually happening! 

I know you will, but make sure to forward this to Mom :)  I love you both so much!  I love my mission so much, and I am so blessed to be serving these people and the Lord.  I love this work and the people here, and I love my Savior for making it possible for all of us to change. 

Talk to you next week!

Love, Mads

3/10/2014
HELLO!!! :D

Another week gone!  I think I'm doing a lot better with not counting down, so you're not allowed to do it either.  It's just going to be a regular day, and what?  We have to pick up Mads from the airport?  ok.  Time is already going by faster, I feel like now that I have a couple of months under my belt, the rest of the mission seems a lot less intimidating.  I think I had the same reaction my first day in California that I did in the MTC.  The one where I wake up and the first thing that pops into my mind is "What the heck am I doing."  Now it's just second nature.  I rarely need an alarm clock to wake me up, which frightens me just a bit, but I'm almost not a new-ish missionary!  almost.  

I know I said I was doing better with not thinking about post mission things, but I can't wait to see Giorgi in her gymnastics competitions!  I really miss CJ and Giorgi a lot.  I was so used to them and I think about them frequently and can't wait for them to have this amazing opportunity!  

I got your package on Friday!!  There was a hair in the box, and I didn't know if you meant to send a piece of you to California, but I couldn't help but laugh and smile.  Weird. I know.  Don't worry, I won't be sending my hair home for you.  But I love the bread :)   Yes, I put the second loaf in the freezer, but I didn't really need to since it's already out and being worked on.  I was curious as to who Giorgi drew.  I knew that if she drew me, she would draw little dots for the boobs because she's a brat like that, but I also thought that she would draw a picture of herself for me.  I guess I don't give her enough credit, though!  That's very sweet that she drew Emily for me so I don't miss her :)  I love the dress, too!!  I got many compliments on it.

OK!  So do you want to here about probably the best week of mission?!  So I can't remember if I have told you about Roldan yet...  He was a referral from other Sister missionaries who teach in English, and we went to meet him for the first time outside of his work about 3 weeks ago.  We ended up teaching the first lesson outside of a Walgreens and have been teaching him ever since.  Mom and Dad, he is the cuuuuuuutest old man I have ever met!!  He's about 70 years old and works as a security guard and lives all by himself.  He reminds me of Grandpa, but isn't as sassy.  Any ways, the first time we went to his house was with my new companion, Sister Harmon, and we asked him if he had read the introduction of the Book of Mormon like we had asked him to.  He said "Oh, yes!  I'm already to chapter 9 of first Nephi."  whaaaaaaaat?!  He then gave us in depth descriptions of all of the chapters, names, cities, dates, events, etc.  He was like "and then I was reading about the tree and the fruit and I had a dream about it, like Lehi did.  I think it means that I need to eat the fruit to have eternal life."  Who is this??  So we've had three lessons with him so far and we tried to set a baptismal date with him, but he said no.  We were confused because he is SO READY and he reassured us that he's definitely getting baptized.  He said "No, I'm going to get baptized.  I know I have to, I just want to prepare a little more."  Valid.  But then he came to church yesterday and our stake president spoke, and I looked over at Roldan and he was crying!  We talked to him after the meetings, and he said he LOVED it!  He said it felt like home :)  Then we had at least 2 people come up to us to ask us when he was getting baptized.  The ward took him in in an instant!  He has no family, but now he feels so loved and cared for.  Our ward mission leader's wife already invited him over for family home evening tomorrow night.  This is such a special branch.  Also, Roldan has been experiencing some health issues and he recently had some blood work done, but he is very nervous of the results.  We talked to our stake president, and he stepped out of his office, was the first one to greet Roldan, and after the third hour gave him a priesthood blessing.  We had to leave to work at the Visitors' Center, so I'm excited to have our lesson tonight!  I can' t believe I was worried about not loving people!  Teaching Roldan and seeing him progress has filled me with what I can only imagine is a fraction of the love Heavenly Father has for him!  I don't think I've experienced such joy and love on my mission to this point!  He's the first investigator that I've had who I began teaching, and I'm going to be the one to see him through to his baptism, so I am beyond thrilled!   I am so adopting him as my Grandpa when I get home.  He wants to move to Florida, so I told him I'd visit him and have him meet Gram and Grandpa.  There may be a language barrier, though.  Grandpa doesn't show any promise in the Spanish department looking at the letters he's written me.

Some news on the Xochitl front.  I really need to come up with a good Soap Opera title for this family, because it is honestly one thing after another.  It's a good thing I love them so much, because they are freaking difficult!  So not only is Xochitl still married to someone who lives in Mexico, but Ruben, her "husband" is also married!!!  So there needs to be a miraculous recovery for Xochitl because she is really sick, two divorces, and one marriage.  

Is this what it's like to have children?  Some are super awesome, and some are stinkers, but you still don't have favorites?  Or at least you don't admit it.  But I'm telling you that Roldan is my favorite.  

The lady in the VC just came up to me and said "Let me send a picture to your mom!"  She has a daughter out as well and wished people would do that for her, so definitely do that for our missionaries!  Thank you for my package, Mom :)  Those vitamins are awesome and so are the burts bees :)  And Dad!  I love you so very much!!  This week was very much needed and I feel one thousand times better! 

3/3/2014
HI mom!!

Last week was first week of transfers.  I stayed in my area of San Leandro, and I got a new companion, Sister Harmon :)  This is her 3rd transfer so we're both sort of just going with it.  At first when we'd get lost, we'd both get a little frazzled and worried, but now we just say that we go on frequent adventures.  They're getting less frequent, though.  I was really scared.  I didn't think I knew the area or the ward members that well, or even how to be a missionary.  I felt so incredibly overwhelmed at first!  The first three mornings were really hard for some reason.  I think the realization that I was running an area hit me every time I woke up.  During studies my mind would wander and then I'd start thinking of all of the things I had to do, and I couldn't breathe!  I had a 3 day continuous panic/anxiety attack.  It was horrible!!  All the while I couldn't stop thinking about you and how I just wanted to see you and sit on your bed and cry!  And then I cried for real. A lot.  Every time I saw a plane in the air, I'd think about going home!  I couldn't bring the water bottle you got me any where because I'd start to cry if I saw your face.   It was so frustrating!  I knew that I needed to focus on the work and I needed to be strong,  but I also needed relief from my pain.  It felt like my heart was literally breaking.   

I prayed a lot.  Asking for relief and support from Heavenly Father, and asking why I felt abandoned.  And I got this feeling that this was something I needed to experience.  That for some reason, this is something that will shape me for my future.  But I figured I should learn my lesson now so Heavenly Father doesn't think I need to have a re-do.  I hope that's how it works...  I'm doing better, though.  This has just been a really humbling experience and an opportunity to know Heavenly Father and strengthen my relationship with Him and my Savior.  

I can't wait for your mail :)  I'll be sending a package home today, too.  I couldn't last monday because apparently the post office closes at 5. what?  oh well.   I love you!!  Thank dad for his letter, if I don't get an opportunity to write tonight.  I love his insight and words of wisdom.  He really is a very awesome dad, and a great missionary :)  I love you both!!  

2/19/2014

So, we had Temple day today!  Our P-day is today, Wednesday, so if I didn't e-mail you on Monday, it's not because I don't love you!  If you still don't receive an email after today... 

I'm sorry, I wish I could get back to each and every one of you!  This is tough business.  I feel like I'm losing motivation to write large, detailed e-mails as the weeks go on, but it doesn't mean that I'm losing interest where it matters!  It's more that the very thought of writing about every thing that happened this past week and a half makes my brain hurt. 
 I had my first exchange last week and my companion went to a different area, so I was in charge of getting us to our appointments and leading pretty much whatever we did.  San Leandro is still standing, and all of our investigators are still in tact, so SUCCESS!  It was really great to do something new and talk with our Sister Trainer Leader about some things that I didn't feel like talking about with my companion.  I was worrying that I wasn't being a fully committed missionary, because my mind wasn't always in the work.  I would find myself thinking about things like, "I can't wait till I see my parents standing at the gate at the airport waiting for me." and "When I get home, I can't wait to do..."  I was really struggling with this and feeling guilty that I wasn't capable of putting my entire focus on the work, as I was told to do so many times in the MTC and by church leaders.  My Sister Training Leader really helped me by simply saying "Oh, that?  Yeah, EVERY missionary goes through that!"  She reassured me that the first couple of months, I would be like that, but that it's ok!  I sometimes forget the significant change that I recently went through from normal people life to full on missionary mode.  She told me to enjoy while it lasts :)  It's been better as I've sincerely asked Heavenly Father to take away my longing for home and a more focused mind.  I still find myself thinking quite frequently about home and family while I'm studying and at my apartment and when my mind is more free to wonder.  I can't help it that I love thinking about my family, though!  

Like I said, we had the Temple today, which was fantastic!  Usually, you can hardly see any of the bridges that cross the bay because of the gross brown smog over the city, but today when we walked out, it was completely clear!  We could even see the Golden Gate Bridge and the tip of the prison on Alcatraz.  There was also a new new version of the movie!  Not the important part of it all, but still cool.  I feel so blessed to have been able to attend today.  I went in with some questions that I had in mind for a reasonably stubborn recent convert's wife.  I've been thinking and praying about her constantly, but there seems to be little to no progress.  I was able to just sit and feel at peace that I was doing all that I could.  I thought I would try the "open the scriptures to a random page and have all of your questions be answered" thing, not really having faith that it would happen, but willing to try.  IT WORKS! haha I was feeling so frustrated with the investigator for not opening her heart, and frustrated with myself for not knowing what to do, but the thing that I read in Alma 26:27 basically says to suck it up and keep pressing forward and everything will be aight.  Ammon may have said it better, though.  I know that our time here on this earth is a time for refining.  As a missionary, my goal is to help others not only gain a testimony, but become converted.  And that's because what we become is the most important thing.  It's not like there is a heavenly account that we're depositing good deeds into to rack up our points.  Nephi describes the final judgement in terms of what we havebecome (1 Nephi 15:33).  So everything that we go through and do determines the kind of person that we will become, whether we choose to grow and turn outward like Christ, or to turn inward and satisfy our own selfish desires.  True conversion is change and acting on your testimony.  When we choose to act, we're just becoming more of the person that Heavenly Father has already planned for us to be and we grow closer to our divine potential.  I love what Dallin H. Oaks said, "In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the Gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something." 

Wow! I guess I had a bit more to write than I thought.  Sorry.

Thank you for the packages, the letters, the love, and the prayers!  I love you all!

Hermana Smith

Oakland is.....Oakland-ish

Hi from Hermana Smith!  I finally get to send pictures today!  The computers we normally use at our ward house are ancient and don't even have usb ports. soooo you can see the dilemma I was facing.  But I shall be sending a wave of photos very soon :)

This week had its ups and downs.  The biggest up was that one of our dear investigators, Sergio, was baptized and confirmed :)  We had the opportunity to listen to Elder Cook and drive across the Bay Bridge into San Francisco.  I got a letter from Grandpa!  I opened the card expecting to see Gram's familiar hand writing, but was pleasantly surprised to see chicken scratch.  I looked at the bottom to see who signed it and it was signed "Your Great Grandfather" I was worried that he is starting to get confused, but after reading his letter, Grandpa clearly explained that he is a great grandfather, so the title fits.  I just laughed as he went on describing how handsome and smart he was as I am so accustomed to him doing :)   There were references to house work, Gram keeping him busy, canasta, and of course that he hopes I find someone as good looking as he is when I return home.  

The members LOVE feeding us amazing Peruvian and Mexican food.  This is the perfect place for me!  Have I mentioned the corn tortillas? seriously, I can't go a meal with out them now.  Today I think we'll have pasta and pesto, salad, and heated up corn tortillas.  So weird. So good.

Thank you everyone for all the letters and packages!