English Class

February 23, 2015

So this week was pretty good. Except for both sister Johnson and I got sick! What's up with that. I haven't had a voice since Friday. I sound like a Banshee - which I'm sure how they sound, but if my imagination is spot on (which it usually is) than I sound like a banshee. Or like a deep voice on helium.   But it's makes it all the more fun and interesting.  A little harder to teach since you can't talk, but fun and interesting nonetheless. 

We are still teaching Irma- our golden investigator. We had to move her date though because she is getting surgery right before the first date we set, but she is super excited. She is getting baptized on the 22nd of March. She even announced it in good news minute in relief society. I'm so excited for her. And her daughter's mission president gave her permission to Skype when her mom gets baptized. 

So we helped with the Red Cross this week. We ran the snack table.  So that was super easy. Most of the people that showed up were Mormon because it was at a church. But this one kid came and we were talking to him and we asked him why he wanted to donate blood, and he said because it made him feel high. Haha. We just changed the subject after that. 

Also went on exchanges this week. It went well. I went to YSA again with sister Smith. I really like YSA. I wouldn't mind missionary-ing there. It was fun. Met a lot of cool people. 

So we are starting an English class for all them folk that wanna learn how we speak over her in Murkah (America...that's how you say it now days) so we were trying to find a program to use and there are a bunch of Korean Elders that teach English a few times a week in our church and so we asked them what they use. Wanna know? They wrote their own dang textbook. Yep. Over a hundred pages with cultural facts, grammar instructions and practices. Oh and one of them does digital designing so he just drew all pictures. Our old mission president had a publishing program so they used that and sell their textbooks to their students. o_O 

What? Sure it took them forever but they wrote their own legit textbook! Why are Asians so smart? Better question, why aren't I Asian. I feel like that would solve a lot of problems. 

We biked a trail in La Habra last Pday. Man. I'm out of shape. It was soooo hard for me. Every hill we came across tried to murder me. Two of the elders stayed behind me just in case I should die. Actually probably so they wouldn't lose track of me, but those poor guys. I was going so slow. They kept telling me how good I was doing. Which I guess was nice except for the fact that I obviously wasn't doing that great. Psh. Whateva.  They're going to do it again every week. Show up if you can. We don't have time this week but next week is already breathing down my neck. Maybe it'll be easier next time... Guess I'll have to let you know.

Anywhoo. That was my life this week. Super duper interesting. I hope yours is just as eventful and fun if not more. I love you! 

Love hermana May 

Solid Gold

February 16, 2015

So my week was grand. 

You know that one investigator that your just day dream of all the time? Ya know, the ones who just accept everything you say and already love reading in the Book of Mormon and praying and going to church every week? Yeah. We found her. 

Her name is Irma. I think I talked about her a week or two ago. She's the one who just drove past the Catholic Church she used to go to every week and came to our church and decided that was what she wanted. She's the one with a daughter who is on a mission right now. She is the coolest most prepared person ever. Solid gold. Fíjense family- she got a gospel principles book and she is already half way through it. We asked her to read the first chapter of Nephi and when we came back three days later she gave us a detailed description of what happens in the first ten chapters. She accepted baptism for the 8th of March and it just makes perfect sense to her why she should be baptized again, even Christ was baptized as an adult. She is awesome! We love her to death already. I'm so grateful I got to be part of her experience in accepting the gospel, because she is ready and would have accepted it anywhere by anyone, but I'm glad it got to be me and sister Johnson. 

Um so it was my YEAR mark this week! Woot woot. I didn't really do anything to celebrate . . . Well I took a selfie so I guess that's celebration enough, right? The next day sister Johnson had her six month mark so it's been a pretty monumental week in our books. 

And it was Valentine's Day. What did we do? Well I ate the chocolates you sent me, mom. Thank you! And we had the adult session of stake conference that we went to so that was fun. Shook up the routine a bit. Elder Packer of the seventy was there. He was nice. 

Oh and guess what? Nothing huge and incredible, but it made me feel good about myself. So last Monday we went to the swap meet and then we went to this yummy Italian ice shack place, so we were sitting outside eating and whatnot and there was like cute little 3 or 4 yr old girl that points to me and says "look mommy! It's Ana from Frozen!" And then she stared and smiled at me for the next twenty minutes. I felt famous. 

So there ha have it. My week. How exciting, right? Today we are biking with our zone so we just have an adventurous day ahead of us. We cool. Oh and pray that I won't get sick, because I think it's trying to come on. 

Okay, well I love you guys! Hope February is fantastic still and all that good stuff. 

Love Hermana May 

Spring Fever

February 9, 2015

Any whoo this week was just swell. Kidney stones gone. Thank heavens. 

This week the weather has been wonderful. I feel like I have spring fever ... Which I'm not sure how that works since technically it's already spring here. Sun shining, seventies, light breeze, flowers in bloom. It's quite lovely. 

This week it was an elder in our districts birthday. I decided if I had a little brother he would probably be like this elder. We all went out to Cafe Rio and then to a Red Cross meeting so we can volunteer! Woot woot. Happy birthday to him. 

At one of our dinner appointments this week the member told us she was going to bring out dessert. She said she was going to feed us jam. We were confused, but not too worried. I was expecting her to just slab some jelly on my plate or something but then she brought out some sort of vegetable. I was so confused and then Sister Johnson goes "oooohhhh it's yams!" They pronounce their y's like j's here so that was confusing. We spent the next ten minutes trying to teach her how to say jam and yam. Good times. 

We had an appointment with Irma. She is golden. She reads the gospel principle book just for the heck of it and she already knows sooo much. And yes! She wants to be baptized but she wants to wait til her daughter comes home from her mission...in November. ay. We told her to talk to her daughter about it, so hopefully her daughter will tell her not to wait. Guess we will find out tomorrow. 

There was a baptism yesterday that I got to play the piano for because they couldn't find anyone else. It was good though. The lady who fed us for Christmas was there. She ran up to me and gave a me a burrito with lobster in it. It was actually just beans and cheese but ya just play along. Then she goes all excited. "Voy a casarme! Voy a casarme!" (Im getting married) (she was the one 63 yr old lady that was Dating the 27 yr old guy and kept calling him her precioso) so I was like "really when?" And she's like "oh. I don't know" and walks away. Haha she is kinda crazy but hey, at least she's getting married so she can get baptized. 

 This next week should be fun. Why? I'll tell you why! Tomorrow is zone conference and Thursday is my year mark and Friday we are going on exchanges and Saturday and Sunday are Stake Conference. I like it when weeks are busy.  It's a lot more fun. Not that it's boring other wise l . . . Well sometimes but that's the game of missionary work I suppose. Anyways. I'm looking forward to the next week. Oh! And it's Valentine's Day. Woot woot. Ps I got your package mom. The pink box made me happy. You da best. 

Okay well not much else to report. But I love you all! Thanks for helping me get through my first year as a missionary! Have a supercalifragalisticexpialadocious week. I probably spelled that right. 

Love hermana may

A Pain-filled Week

February 2, 2015

So my week was a little painful.

So last Monday as you already know, mom, my stomach and my back were
hurting. And it wasn't just a tummy ache kinda hurt, it was an intense
kinda hurt on my insides. So I took some meds and tried to lay down,
but the pain didn't go away no matter which position I was in and
standing around sure didn't help either. But after about forty minutes
it went away and I was just like "huh, that was weird" and we went
shopping! But afterwards as soon as we got to the zone activity I
started hurting yet again and it was worse this time. So my companion
and the zone leaders made me call the nurse. She was afraid it was my
appendix (it wasn't) but the pain went away again.

Then on Tuesday, we were in pep boys for  f o r e v e r  and a day so
they could fix our tires, sheesh. And then the pain came back. So they
sent me to the doctors and what did the doctor say? Kidney stones. And
I don't know if kidney stones are hereditary or whatnot but if they
are, Dad, you're in so much trouble! Kidney stones hurt!

Wednesday was fine and then Thursday it hurt like a Harry Potter scar.
Good thing they gave me pain killers. Man I was soooo relaxed during
district meeting (on a side note Sister Johnson and I wore black to
our district meeting, because we are mourning our old district leader)
Afterwards I took a nap for two hours, which was nice. Anyways since
then I haven't hurt too much. Only hurts sometimes when I walk and
sometimes when I turn in a weird way... So I just don't turn in weird
ways anymore and I'm good.

Yesterday we met the coolest lady named Irma. She said every Sunday at
One she goes to her Catholic Church on the same street as our church
but today for some reason she just drove straight past it and wound up
at our church so she decided this is where she should be and she asked
to meet with the missionaries. Another cool fact, her daughter is a
convert and is serving a mission right now in DC! We have an
appointment with her on Tuesday. We are super excited.

Nothing too else too exciting. We taught a lesson to a drunk guy...so
you know that was odd as usual. Other than that it's been a pretty
quiet week because we haven't been able to do a ton due to stupid
kidney stones. Psh. Dumb.

Well I love you all! You're the bestest best family ever!

Love hermana May

It's a real place!!!

Round 4

January 26, 2015

Okay so my week here was just peachy.

So transfers today. Woot woot. What happened. You wonder? I'm staying
in Garden Grove with sister Johnson! We are happy and oh so excited to
take a nap today. This will be our fourth transfer together. That's
six months. A whole 1/3 of our mission. Crazy, right? She is cool
though so I'm happy with it.

In fact, all of our whole zone is the same again, except for our
district leader left and we get the only black Spanish missionary in
the other district. We are stoked.

Let's see, what happened this week?

Well we taught tithing to two of our investigators that really didn't
like churches asking for money. It went fairly well, I thought. The
wife gets it and is already planning on donating fast offerings. The
husband was a little less thrilled, but he doesn't hate us.  AND they
came to ALL of church this week! Which is a drastic improvement. And
our ward had cake afterwards, so I'm sure that just added to the sure
fun they had.

Not a lot of exciting things happened this week. I played the piano at
an old folks home thing this week. Didn't have anything to play out of
really, so you just kind of went with it. Comforting to know that most
of them won't remember a thing a minute after I'm gone.

We also cleaned a fish tank this week. That was gross. I don't like
fish. Never again will I own a fish.

We met a cool lady this week who is interested in temples. She has
some mormon friends so I think they're going to take her to go see the
San Diego temple soon. But we are excited to keep teaching her, she is
super cool.

Oh and Kyler sent me light sabers for my birthday. Weekly planning is
so much more fun now. He's a true friend.

January is almost over. How crazy is that? It just started, didn't it?
Ay ay ay. But I guess it's better that time goes by real quick than
painfully slow. Right?

Any who that's about it for this week. I hope all your dreams came
true this January.
Love hermana May
Picture of elder Dehlin (DL) and elder Esplin. Thought we'd take a pic
since one of them is leaving and all...

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