Monday: Elder and Sister Martinez delivered our new bed. Gee... they only took Sister Trunnell's bed out 3 weeks ago! We're back to very little space between the beds and praying at the foot of our beds. I made banana bread a) because we had bananas that were going bad and b) I knew that all we'd get for breakfast at the mission office was a donut and juice and that we'd all be hungry.
Tuesday: (I wish I could put Spanish expressions into typing, because I've got a word that I'd love to use here but it just wouldn't have the same effect. Okay, okay, I'll try anyway.) Eejolai! (yeah... that was bad... ee--ho--lay) What a day. My first day training. The trainer meeting was really neat. There was an elder training a Spanish-speaker for the first time, so he asked Sister Michel for some pointers, and I was able to contribute what works for the trainee--because I was there with my trainer. Our new companion, Hermana Cabello, is from Trujillo, Peru. She is the sweetest sister you can ever meet. She is going to be an amazing missionary... she IS an amazing missionary! She is a go-getter. I feel so inadequate to be training her, and feel that I have learned so much more from her than she has learned from me.
As soon as we got in the car to head up to Rio Rancho, she started asking us about our investigators. It was great fun thinking in Spanish and driving in Albuquerque traffic :) We took Sister Cabello to meet President Roundsville and he told us the name of our "ramita" that is quickly on it's way to opening. Within the next 2 or 3 months, la Rama Coronado will be up and going with strong members. I only pray that I can be in this area for another transfer to see it started.Wednesday: We went to Pena Blanca again to do finding and meet with our one investigator there, but she told us that her husband doesn't want her to meet with us anymore. And we didn't find anyone else, so we're not going to continue to go out there. Which, I suppose, is probably for the better as it's nearly 100 miles round trip. We went to visit another of our investigators in Bernalillo, and instead of the planned lesson, ended up cleaning their house. Armando's wife has cancer and is going through chemo right now, which really drains her energy. She hasn't been too open to our message, and she didn't want our help cleaning her house, but we insisted, and she is more open to the message now. She was very appreciative of our service. And I continue to be amazed by sweet Hermana Cabello and her drive to work and learn everything and be the best she can be. I have a long way to go to be as amazing as she is.
Thursday: Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you all had a great day. We had district meeting and got to meet our new district leader and the other new elder in our district, Elder Jorgensen from Ogden and Elder Nash from... I have no idea. After that, we headed to our first dinner with a family in the River's Edge ward. Honestly, I left feeling homesick (I don't know why... it wasn't anything like what I'm used to... actually, that's probably why) and hungry (which was a VERY good thing.) Our second dinner was with the Luna family! I left feeling comfortably full. And our third dinner was with the Hererra family. I laughed so hard, but left a little uncomfortable in the full-ness area. Honestly, it didn't seem much like Thanksgiving. I wasn't with family, there was different food, no games, no fighting over who would turn on the Christmas lights, and weirdest of all, no snow. Okay, okay. There isn't snow in Idaho every year for Thanksgiving, but usually. And I was comfortable outside without a coat! But hey, I figured out how I can eat the same amount of food and not get sick: Just spread out the eating and eat a little bit at a time spread over 4 hours :)
Friday: We did our weekly planning in Spanish. Sister Michel and I have done it partly in Spanish, but this week it was all Spanish so Sister Cabello could understand what was going on. Our dinner appointment fed us Thanksgiving left-overs, which made me feel more at home--especially because it was more like the traditional food that I'm used to for Thanksgiving.
Saturday: We went to the baptism of a man we were teaching before the area split. It was neat to see that... and even neater to see Brother Luna dressed in white to perform the baptism. It was a little rainy and cloudy as we were out knocking doors.
Sunday: We had Relief Society and Priesthood combined with the Bernalillo ward because there was only one person who doesn't understand any English, and he sat by a brother who translated the meeting for him. And I sat by Sister Cabello and translated the meeting for her. That was a great boost in my confidence about my abilities to speak Spanish. I wouldn't feel comfortable translating church or a big meeting to a large group of people who don't know any English (because I had to say some words in English), but at least I know that I can, and that as I keep practicing, I will continue to improve my language skills and will be able to help translate toward the end of my mission and after. We also met a family who President Roundsville has been telling us that we need to meet. It's not that we didn't try... they moved and we didn't know where they moved to. They just so happen to be in our area and signed up to feed us dinner. And want to feed us one of our Christmas dinners as well.
Yep. The Hispanic people like to feed us. A lot. But the food sure is yummy!
Well, I hope you all have a great week, and that you're not freezing!
Oh yeah! Megan Meyer: My grandma told me that Linda told her that you're home. Has it really truly already been a year and a half? Welcome back to the real world. Tell me... how is it?
I love you all!
Hermana Good
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