Hermana Kelsey 6:1 -email-
Mama!
That's awesome you are going to do daycare again. You will love that, of course! :)
I had a really great week too. On Monday, I found out I was geting transferred, of course. I was super sad, because I love Temple, and we had so many good things going on there. But now that I'm in Arlington it is really awesome here too. Very different, but I like it. Here are just a few of the differences:
-We have a ward instead of a branch, which means a lot more members
-There are 3 sets of missionaries in our ward (two other sets of Elders and us). In Temple, we only had one companionship for a huge area and that was us.
But it is really a great area. Everyone that we have talked to has been commenting about my spanish. They all ask me how long I've been learning, and when I tell them they are really surprised, and comment about how well I speak it. They also talk about how I don't really have a gringo accent, which is cool too, because even people that have been speaking it for a while sometimes have gringo accents. I think that is a good sign that my spanish is improving. :) Hopefully it still continues to get better.
I really did have a good birthday. Nothing really happened in the morning, but then we were visiting some people, and the zone leaders in our area drove by. They said something about President Sagers, and I commented about how he had texted me that morning. One of our zone leaders used to be assisstant to the president, and he knew that President only texts people on their birthdays, so he asked me if it was my birthday. I told him, "Yeah", and he was like, "Sister, you need a Slurpee." So I said okay, and he took us to 711 to get a Slurpee. Then later in the day, we were eating dinner with some members, and the Elders that we serve with brought over pan dulce (or sweet bread, {it's super yummy!}) and they all sang happy birthday to me, in spanish. So overall it was a pretty good birthday.
Oh man!! I miss my sweet Tashers!!! Tell her I love her. Does she even still remember me? I sure hope so.
To answer your question, yes we are living in a member's home. It is actually a really nice house and the couple, the Kotters, are pretty cool. The husband works a lot (in fact, I only met him yesterday, and I've been living at their house since Wednesday). But they a pretty cool. I'm not really sure how I like living in a member's home though. I don't hate it, but I don't love it either. It's definitely different than living in your own apartment.
My companionship is great. Hermana Quiroz is awesome! She is a Lamanite! And she is actually a convert to the church. We get along really well too. We're gonna do lots of good things in this area.
We have a lot of great teaching experience, but none really that I can pinpoint right now.
The biggest challenge we face is trying to get people to live the law of chastity. Hispanic people in general are not into getting married, so then they can't get baptized. It's kind of hard, but every type of missionary work has it's hard points.
Just pray for all of them. I don't really know most of our investigators here yet, but everyone that we talk to needs blessings so much. Especially the blessings of the gospel.
How do we receive personal revelation? Well there are lots of different ways. Sometimes, when we pray, and ask a specific question, God tells us in our hearts what the answer is. Sometimes, when we are reading the scriptures, a certain chapter or verse really sticks out to us, and it answers a question that we have been having. Sometimes, someone that we confide in says something, and you know that the thing they said could really have only come from God. And then you know that he is listening, that he cares about you and what is going on in your life, and he wants to help you.
Well, I better go now! I love you lots. Be strong. Thanks for sending my package for me. :)
Love, Hermana Kelsey
P.S. Did you ever hear anything more about Cole?
Papi,
Ha ha, thanks for the recipe. I might try that sometime. I really am horrible when it comes to cooking though. We just don't really have time to do it. We usually eat something we can make super fast and easy. It's lame, because now I am starting to gain weight. Just a little, but I did so good my first two transfers, so I'm kind of upset that it's finally starting to stick. :(
Also, sorry about your toe. Maybe you shouldn't get so crazy in soccer! :) Jk. My other companion, Sister Summers, was the craziest soccer player ever. She was really violent with me, too. But I could take it. :)
Anyway, I better go. Love you!
Love, Hermana Kelsey
Emmysaurus Rex!
I am doing great. Thanks for sending me a card. I still haven't gotten it yet, but I might as well say it ahead of time. :) That's awesome you had fun at girls camp. I'm glad that you are such a good example for the other girls and that you take care of the girls that have trouble. :) That is a really good thing.
Anyways, I gots to go. I'll be talking to ya at another time. Bye!!
Love, Hermana Kelsey
