Bernalillo, NM, Transfer 5, Week 1

Well, the time is flying by. I am still here in Bernalillo (for which I am very grateful) and excited to keep working and helping the people here.

Monday: The Marquez' took us to Santa Fe (about 45 minutes north) to look around. There's snow on the ground up there! I haven't really seen snow in months... other than the white-out storm we had a few weeks ago, but even that was gone pretty fast. Sister Michel went around and said some more goodbyes, and then we went home and stayed up late so she could finish packing and I cleaned the apartment.

Tuesday: We got up early to head down to the mission office. We called Sister Trunnell and Sister Shade to ask Sister Trunnell a question that Sister Michel had about something she had to take or not. Sister Shade was really excited to hear from us, and Sister Trunnell thought that she was talking to Sister Cabello or Sister Michel because when she left I couldn't speak Spanish. She was quite surprised in how I have improved. After we finished our goodbyes to Sister Michel, Sister Cabello and I headed back to Bernalillo to work for a few hours before we returned to the mission office at 3:00 like we were told. Well, when we got there, we were told it would be another hour and a half before the transfer van got back, so we went into a meeting with President Cox. It was a very inspired meeting and I learned a lot. Sister Shade es bien linda (is very pretty or very nice). She is originally from Sonora, Mexico, but is now living in Utah. We returned home very exhausted after a long day of traveling, etc. I finally got a package that my family had sent me for Valentine’s Day... though sadly it had been sitting in the post office for a week because big packages don't come to the house where we live because they only have small PO boxes close by and we can only make it to the post office on P-day (or Tuesday this week because it was closed on Monday) and the bread was moldy.

Wednesday: Mom sent me the new Personal Progress book, and I want to work on it again and earn the new medallion, so I started on that. It will be way easy in the mission! We also went to New Beginnings for Bernalillo Ward with the Marquez' and poor Sister Marquez had to listen to me translate with my limited vocabulary.

Thursday: We had District Meeting and met the new Elders (we got 3 in our District). We also had dinner with the Elders, and were fed Japanese food. When we walked in I thought I smelled shrimp... but I didn't, and it was actually quite good. It was a beautiful day! Sister Shade is in love with this weather after being in Cortez where they still have snow up to their knees. I really love the weather here!

Friday: We had planning day, and spent a good long time planning so Sister Shade could get to know our investigators a little better.

Saturday: We ate breakfast with a sister who Sister Shade taught and baptized when she was here 8 months ago. And we taught some lessons and did some finding.

Sunday: It was a little colder and rainy. It was our last Sunday with Bernalillo Ward, as we are now less than one week away from la Rama Coronado starting! It was ward conference, so we stayed together with them for Relief Society, and poor Sister Marquez had to listen to my translation AGAIN! Sister Shade was translating for some other sisters. Sister Marquez told me that I did really well translating, but I know that there was a lot lost. What a blessing it will be for these people to be able to attend church in their own language and be able to completely understand everything.

I love you all, and hope you have a wonderful week!

Oh, and congratulations to Leeann and John! And anyone else I know who is engaged but hasn't told me yet (I better be getting a letter soon if that's you).

Hermana Good