Wildbreeze in O-Town: No longer a baby

Hello!

Sorry again if I don't respond to like anything that you've written. My mind is super scattered today; it's been crazy. :P I do love reading about what's happening in your lives.

Our mission office still forwards mail, just not packages. They bring packages to Zone conferences or have someone in the district deliver it to us, generally. Mail takes ages to get to us when forwarded, though.

I think it's hilarious that you're using the burrito picture for my plaque, haha. I'm not even in proselyting clothes. I am always open to being given snakes and burritos. Always.

So, transfer news. I am going to be staying here, and my new companion will be Sister Petty. She's been out a transfer longer than I have, and she's from Utah. That's mostly what I know so far. Sister Lamborn is just moving up to the north side with Sister Angelo, haha. So she's still in the ward and I'll see her multiple times a week. That's not a usual thing, I guess. :P And Sister Parish is going to the Disney singles' ward.

And I found out that Sister Sorensen is training right out of training! Crazy!

This week!

Tuesday we had to go get a hitch put on our car and then go to the mission office to get a bike rack. So we got to visit with the senior missionaries for a while, which is always fun! Elder Creamer really didn't want either of us to leave his ward.

Had a little movie night with my Christmas popcorn to watch training videos. (I'm pretty sure we didn't finish training for the week, but there was SO MUCH.)

We made Brother Turner feed us. I dunno if I've written about him. He's this really entertaining member who loves to talk. He's got two giant, gorgeous akitas. And a ball python they let me hold after dinner! It was a little hard to get a spiritual message in, but we did our best, haha.

Had a sort-of visit with Sister Jones. Sister Lamborn gave her a message and I sat with Sofia, the 4 (?) year old, and she "magically" made my ring disappear over and over, haha. Jonathon, the 3 year old, has decided that he REALLY loves us, and locked us in the house so we couldn't leave.

Wednesday the Hamiltons drove us to Give Kids the World. He was the first Branch President in Jamaica! They told us basically how to get through to Jamaicans if we ever teach any.

The people at GKTW gave Elder James a little party. He's been in this area (and thus at GKTW) for EIGHT MONTHS, and he's going home this week. We got to work in Amberville for the first time, which is essentially a little arcade for the kids, plus a MASSIVE train station/town with like 30 buttons to push and turn things on in the town.

Thursday, last District meeting of the transfer. Soooo spiritual. Elder James has been an incredible District leader. He's gonna do great things in the real world.

We also held a funeral for him.

We wandered around a part of our area that we've never seen before, and it was fairly pointless, but pretty.

We've met SO many cool people in the southern part of our area this past couple of weeks! We weren't able to go down there much before we had our own car. The people there are amazing, humble, and so prepared. That day I tried to just testify with more confidence and boldness, and immediately noticed a difference in the Spirit I felt and the promptings I received.

That evening Sister Lamborn and I just sat and decided which Doctor Who and Harry Potter characters some of the people we know would be, haha.

Friday we anxiously waited and hoped that we wouldn't get a phone call telling us we would be training.

We went to Twistee Treat, an ice cream place that's everywhere down here. We've been meaning to go, and decided the end of the transfer was a great time to go. :)

And then planning.

Saturday we taught the COOLEST lady named Freddie. She was a Bible referral who was interested in learning more. And she just kind of absorbed the Restoration and asked really good questions. We asked, if she came to know that what we taught was true, if she'd be baptized. And she said "yes?" like it was an obvious answer.

Bishop called us with a referral for Elsa and Nelson, and it turned out that we'd delivered a Bible to them earlier in the transfer! It was such a cool connection that got us in to teach them. They're really trying to find God in their lives right now. Elsa interrupted us with questions the whole time, which was amazing. Questions are great.

Sister Lamborn finally made French toast with cinnamon for us, after we got transfer calls. She had been talking about it since the first week.

Sacrament meeting was great on Sunday! There were supposed to be 3 speakers, but the returned missionary took most of the time, and then the next speaker didn't really cut her talk any shorter. The high councilor basically told them it was fine. So we didn't sing the rest hymn and he didn't speak, haha.

We met this guy who started out super combative and would probably have bashed... But we just answered his questions and testified, and he opened up to us so much. We have met SO many cool people recently.

Went around for Sister Lamborn to say goodbye to some of her favorite people. They can still see her if they decide to come to church. So we're sort of using it as a bribe.

We just sat and talked for a while that night.

So much has happened in this transfer, and I have learned so much! About myself, about the people, about the Lord! Putting our trust in Him is so, so necessary. He loves us so much and wants to help us. And all we have to do is ask for that help and then act in faith. Everything is possible with His help!

Love,

Christine