How are you?
Sorry for the short email last week. On P-day last week we went to Bandelier National Park. Always a great time. :)
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| Bandelier National Park - July 2014 |
And I bought the cutest book. I’m debating whether to mail it home or just pack it in my suitcase for the next 9 months
Dad I’m glad that you are having fun in utah!
Not gonna lie, a vacation sounds really nice right about now.
We are doing a lot and a lot and a lot of walking and attempting to talk to people.
It’s alright, but it does get a bit monotonous sometimes. We have to contact somehow. So we walk around and try to talk to people who are already outside. Not that it’s very effective, but that’s what we do.
Hopefully we find some new people to teach soon, because this might be a really long week
It’s been really difficult and stressful. The area is super small, so if the members don’t give referrals to you, you don’t have people to teach. It’s really different than down in El Paso or Las Cruces where you teach and talk to dozens of different people all of the time. I’m used to it, my entire mission has been slow and hard, but my companions aren't.
At least trials are meant to make us grow and it seems to be working, I think :)
it’s funny, on a mission, for your first 9 months, you don’t know any of the older missionaries, but then as soon as you are halfway, suddenly people you served with, people you know are starting to go home and plan for school and marriage. It’s very strange.
When I first got out an Elder told me that you know you’ve been on your mission a long time when you start to dream about being home and it’s weird, or when you panic because you lose your companion. It’s started :)
I think I have another transfer in White Rock, but who knows....
We don’t have any plans today. We were going to go hiking with a family in the ward today, but one of their kids started throwing up, so we decided to stay home.
We did go up to the new giant store they just opened in Los Alamos. It actually has things! Like clothes! I got a skirt! :)
And now we have about 4 hours to email. So just a slow nice day.
Yay Elder Paynter!!!! That’s sooo Exciting! One of the families here had a son go into the MTC and a few weeks ago, the daughter was talking about how he is already in Ecuador and getting used to the language, and I was like "Um, didn’t he spend 6 weeks there?" yep.
I know time has flown! Even at the slowest days, it seems to be going fast. And it just gets faster and faster. Plus we have 2 conferences and Christmas in between now and the time I’m home. :)
You ask about how I have grown. Psht, things that used to scare me to death, don’t bother me at all anymore. In the past 4 weeks, it seems like I have been pushed so far that even things that shouldn’t have been affected have changed. I noticed it when we went to Bandelier last week.
We went as a district my second or third p-day in White Rock. When we climbed the ladders, I was sooo scared. Then last week, I just zipped up the ladders, no problem.
It’s very strange. It’s as though my entire mentality has been slightly altered.
Yes we have been affected by the Ordain Women stuff. One of our recent converts heard about it and was asking us all sorts of questions. And we had to do some in depth explanations of the priesthood and basically re-teach it. It makes it a bit stressful but yeah, we had a good discussion about that.
It’s really hard to watch the people you’ve taught and put so much effort and love and time into struggle and fall. They are still plugging along, but some days are better than others.
Sea World?! Ooooo! That sounds wonderfully hot and sticky. Whenever I tell people I’m from Florida, they always mention the humidity. The slashing and water sounds lovely. I was vaguely hot when we went hiking as a zone and some of the Elders were joking about falling in the river and accidentally going for a swim. :)
I want to go swimming soooooooooo badly :/ The first day I’m home we are going to the beach!
I love you!
Em
