Lizbeth is doing pretty well at church, the members are all being super nice to her. Lizbeth and Oscar are both sweethearts so it's not that hard to get a long with them. Michelle is still her main friend. They haven't even given the Gomezs callings yet! So no. Yes, having a Spanish ward is such a blessing. It's almost more of a cultural thing than a language thing though. Most of the ward has both moved to America and been introduced to the gospel within the last 10 years. So it's definitely different. Last week was Stake Conference. The whole stake is Spanish. And it is HUGE. They had a separate chapel for those who were better watching it in English, so all the missionaries, mixed couples,  and people under 25 went to that room, haha.

 

Haha sorry about "my little note". But I was really sacred too! And I don't have anyone else to tell anything to! That guy was caught, so we're all good. President was about to pull us out of our area! Wouldn't that have been terrible! The mission office would call you if something happened to me.

 

Michelle is taking an immigration test tommorrow. Me and Morley have been quizzing them on this one test about their relationship with eachother. They have to prove so many weird things. Make sure to keep any and all pictures of me that prove I was where I said I was at all times just in case I marry an illegal and he wants to get a green card. Also, pray for her! It would be really sad if she got deported.

 

We were talking to a member yesterday who was helping us find people. Her name is Dania. She is a convert of 2 years and when we asked her how the missionaries found her she said they were chasing ducks unsuccessfully and asked her if she thought she could catch one. After she caught one with some bread they asked if they could teach her. I don't think this method is in Preach My Gospel, but I'm glad it worked! Dania is awesome.

 

 

Letter to Matthew

Hola!

 

We still haven't gotten our Ipads yet. They keep pushing back the date. I really want mine because I think it will be so much easier to not have to carry so much stuff around. And it will be easier to keep the area book. But I agree that shaing those videos with people sounds super weird. I think I will stick to using the scriptures and testifying. I'm also worried that having Ipads will distance us more form the people we teach. I felt like they respected us a lot more when we didn't have a car. Every sign of wealth that we have scares them into thinking that we won't understand them.

 

Why is it so cold there?? And is it just Illinois?

 

That's so cool that they want to serve a mission. That is what Elder and Sister Collette do in my mission. They are really good at it. Apparently before they came here, all the apartments were super ghetto and not entirely safe. Now they are all super high quality and they standardized all the furniture and the appliances. (Matthew's parents are going to serve as missionaries in their area starting in April).

 

OBBPCT is going well I guess. Right now the Cruz family has someone else living with them. A workmate of Oscar's. He is super nice and wears University of Illinois Sweatshirts even though he doesn't know where that is. We have taught him with Lizbeth and Oscar a couple times now, mostly answering random questions about the Book of Mormon and differences in between Catholicism and Mormonism. But he doesn't seem very interested. Apparently he has been telling people at work about us and making fun of Oscar for letting us visit them, so Lizbeth is keeping her baptism a secret from him.

 

Also, now that Lizbeth is baptized, the ward randomly decided to be super helpful. We had been begging members to help us with her ever since we got here but I don't think they took us very seriously. Now they are all obsessed with her and her family. Better late than never I guess.

 

Right now we are teaching a million recent converts, because we have our own and we found one that everyone forgot about from about a year ago. Also we have one that the English ward baptized and then decided maybe she would understand Spanish better. They are all super nice and people I would have been friends with in high school. Do you remember Kasia? They are the kind of people that would be in the friend group that me and her put together. Especially the Luna family. Jeannette is the one who was baptized a year ago. She is 19 and married to Julio who has always been a member, and they have a little baby girl. When we go over there to talk to them about faith, they start talking about the Law of Attraction where if you think good things will happen they will, gracias a Dios. And then Julio breaks into some random rock song and then proposes some sort of eating contest. It's great. Also Julio is best friends with Abraham Torres (Michelle's brother) so we might start including him in their lessons too.

 

I read that section in the Doctrine and Covenants. I want to study it further, but I think fullness is referring to all the knowledge/light/truth that God wants to give to us so that we can reach our potential of being like him. Apparently getting all of it at once would be breaking an eternal law.

Good Morning!

Thank you for their addresses! Can you buy me a watch? Because I'm allergic to the one I have. I don't know if it's because of the material it's made out of or if I'm just allergic to keeping track of time or what. I don't know, but it's giving me a rash. Also could you send me face lotion that is ultra hydrating? My skin is soo dryyy. And I can't find any type of face lotion here at all. I thought that was a normal thing to buy. Also could you send me a llama? And one of those things that makes it easier to put boots on? And confetti? Just kidding. But I'm serious about the watch and the lotion. Don't go to dress barn. I want a different grey skirt por favor.

It is really warm here. I spent my MLK day sun bathing with Valerie.

Wowww that couple sounds uptight. I recommend teaching pregnant illegal immigrants. They're so much nicer. Did I tell you about that one girl that started having contractions in one of our lessons?

Can I guest author for the one about how no one in California speaks English even though it is technically part of America? We can have all the vocab be in Spanglish with asian people yelling in the background.

So Lizbeth got baptized!!!!!! Yayyyyyyyyyy!!!!! I'm so excited. Finally! I've been teaching her from October 9th, my second day in the field. We went out knocking because we didn't have any investigators. (The Elders before us were too creepy to have any of those). We knocked on her door and started telling her about who we were and what the restored gospel was. Then she invited us in and we taught her about the Book of Mormon. I was like YO! You should totes read el libro de mormon guuurrl. And she was like claro que si! I totes will!! And then she agreed to be baptized and has been awesome ever since. Jesucristo for the win.

She told us a super cool story the other day. Apparently around Christmas they didn't have enough money to buy a Christmas tree. Both of her boys were super bummed and that's what they wanted for Christmas more than anything else. The first time we brought Michelle with us, she brought a little Christmas Tree to them just to be nice. (Michelle is famous for her thoughtfulness.) At the time Lizbeth did seem pretty happy to receive a dinky Christmas tree from a stranger. But she told us later that that is when she for sure decided to be in Jesus's church. Because she knew that if God loved her and her family so much, that he had some random Mormon give her family a Christmas tree then she should probably do what she knew what was right all along and be baptized.

Step 2 of Operation Baptism Because of Pequeno Christmas Tree: Get the rest of her family baptized.

Maybe its just the way Hermana Morley teaches (she comes from a family who watches rated R movies too) but if something isn't a direct commandment we tell people it's not a sin and that they can make their own decision. People really like making their own decisions. Was the guy who talked about dating a lot Brother Ames? Because he has given me that speech on multiple occasions. It was like he thought I thought I had found my one true love in high school and didn't realize there were other people out there. He seemed very worried about it. I recommend not telling him dad didn't date. So what did you say??? Haha I miss you. And your liberalism.

We had a lesson this week with an AWESOME family. The Castalans are beyond nice. They asked a lot of questions about missionaries and what we thought we were doing. Once we explained it she had each of her kids individually thank us for coming to their house and telling them more about God. And then she told them to pray and thank God too. It was so cute. She is under the impression that her family sorely need more religion in their life if two random girls showed up at their door wanting to talk to them. I think she is right.

We took Lizbeth to the temple tour on Saturday. Michelle has been going to all our lessons with her so she was there with us too. It was very special. You can always feel the Spirit so strongly at the temple. Michelle and Lizbeth have become really good friends. It is the most adorable thing I've ever seen!!! Me and Morley were walking behind them at Newport and they were giggling with each other and rubbing each other's backs. (They're both super short which makes it even cuter) Me and Morley look at each other and were like "awwww" an unforced friendship!

We also helped set up and attended a wedding reception for a daughter of a member of our ward. We've only met her about 4 times but each time we talk for an hour so we're pretty close. We probably shouldn't have gone to the reception though.... But it was so much fun!!! Mexicans really know how to party.

Did you know??????

You can make a cake with solely a boxed cake mix and a can of soda?

Hermana Estudillo got married two weeks ago without telling anyone??? Her and her husband are both in our ward and we spend a lot of time with them. They've been dating for decades and then moved in with each other two weeks ago secretly!!! I'm furious.

Both of the companions I've had so far have a mutual ex boyfriend???????????

I speak perfect Spanish in my sleep??? Course of action: spend rest of mission not awake.

I love you!!!!

 

I loved talking to you on Christmas! I miss talking to people who think the same way I do. It didn't make me homesick. We spent the rest of the day at the Gomez's. We weren't allowed to knock that day, we didn't feel like doing weekly planning, and I doubt anyone else wanted to see us as bad as the Gomezs. We had a HUGE gift exchange. I have never witnessed so many thoughtful presents infused with inside jokes in my life. And I taught everyone the pictionary telephone game. We also ate a lot of food and took multiple communal naps.

 

Isn't my comp pretty!? And the girls too. Sorry I haven't been sending pictures. I keep forgetting my camera. But I promise I will eventually. Abraham is an inactive member. He comes occasionally with us. He told me he knows the Church is true but doesn't agree with all of our principles. We are trying to encourage him to go to church more faithfully and go on a mission. He would be such a great missionary!

Hahaha your trip sounds hilarious. Charles sounds like that guy on SNL, what's his name Stephen or something? The one who goes on the news portion to tell people what they should be doing in NYC. haha I wish I could go to the temple!

 

No! I like your emails. And I'm a fast reader, courtesy of you. I just meant that if you ever want me to actually think about anything you write me you should probably print it out and send it to me.

 

Good luck on your diet! I wish I could go on a diet. Or at least exercise more. But we can't have our bikes back because on of the Elders is using Sister Morley's. I hardly buy any food to help me not eat as much but people give us SO much food ALL the time that it's not working.

Hi again!

 

Emily's mission sounds really cool. And different.

 

Everyone thinks our family is very attractive. Go team!

 

Annnndd I get to spend another 6 weeks with my mission mom here in the Grove. Live on the adventures of Smith and Morley! I'm excited for 6 more weeks of happiness and ridiculousness.

Love you!

Hola!

Hmmm Jdubs. They are terrible for missionary work. If we are knocking a complex that has had jdubs recently knock there you can immediately tell because everyone is super annoyed and no one wants to listen. We usually just leave and go somewhere else.

Sergio and Diego are characters! They say some of the funniest things. We still visit them but not as often and I really miss them. One time during a lesson I sneezed really hard and got snot all over my shirt. I thought they would think it was funny and start laughing, but no. They were both horrified. For a while they couldn't talk and then Sergio finally put palm to face shaking his head and said very sadly, "That was hard to see." Haha  good times good times. They're parents are super nice too. They don't come to church right now because the mom works on Sundays and the dad needs to take care of their older son who is handicapped. But when the time changes in January I think the mom will start coming.

They were also very disturbed when they found out that we're not from California. They assured us that we can go to college here and live at their house. When my companion told them she wants to live near her family, they were like oh no problem! You can bring them here too!

Umm, I don't really know what time I will call you. I will be at the Gomez's most of that day. And I will use their stuff to contact you. I can skype. Most people call and skype at the same time so that you can hear better. Sorry I don't know what time.

This week we had a really cool ward Christmas party! Lots of people came, the food was amazing, and they had professional dancers come in and perform. It was so cool! This girl came up to me and told me she recognized me from Idaho. Apparently she lived at Hillcrest too and went to a lot of the same things I did. Now we're best friends. Also, that morning we had a Christmas party with half the mission there! We ate Korean food and watched Despicable Me. I don't know if it's just because I live under a rock but that is a really good movie.

Love you!

Hola!

Prayers in Spanish are the best! We're supposed to say all our prayers in Spanish but I don't like saying my personal ones in Spanish. (Don't tell).

Sergio and Diego Ortiz got baptized yesterday. They are 12 and 10. Sons of a less active family. You should have seen their smiles when they got baptized! It was adorable.

Champurrado is the best! I will make some for you when I get home.

Love you!

----

That week we also got a text that said: "Hi, this is Max Gomez.  Your daughter is here visiting with us.  Just wanted to say hi and thank you for raising a wonderful person.  She's been so important in our life.  She came into our life at the time when we had the most difficult moment in our lives and she's been a blessing from God." (the text included a photo of Ella, her companion, and one of Gomez daughters).

We can do whatever we think will bring people to Christ. But we never really do service because we're too busy teaching people and even when we do ask people if we can help them with something they look at us like we're crazy and say something like, " Why would I ask someone sent from God to do something for me? Also, just so you know, you're wearing a skirt. You don't go outside like that at night do you? Want a tamale?"

I didn't get to watch the broadcast either because I had a baptism. It was the only time everyone in the family and the bishop could do it. I miss the temple.

Lizbeth didn't come this week! Even though we stopped by her house two hours before and she said she would! Sigh, she better feel guilty. She is mid thirties. She is super nice and loves us to death! She is from Mexico but has lived in the States for about 8 years. She only knows a few words in English. Her husband Oscar is also super nice. He is a landscaper. She has a 13 year old son and a 4 year old son.

I know! I am so excited for Max! It is amazing how much their family has progressed in such a short time! Now we just need to convince Michelle's brother Abraham to go on a mission. Victoria got baptized yesterday. First baptism of the mission yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!! It was a beautiful service. Max and Michelle spoke and they both mentioned their baby so the Spirit was very strong. Everyone was crying. Even the non members. Afterwards we went to their house to eat tamales and champurrado, which I helped them make the day before! Victoria is 9. I was going to send you pictures but one of the Elders took my camera because he wanted to clean it. (It was kinda dirty...) So you will have to wait till next week!

Our most distracting lessons are with two boys named Sergio and Diego. Ages 12 and 10. Picture two Mexican Patricks. They are hilarious!!! They are getting baptized this Sunday. So excited. Our lessons get so off topic. Highlights include: their prayers ( I can't keep from giggling during them), the fact that that every person we bring up ever they ask how that person died, and that they are closet feminists.