Changes!

All the translators at the RS conference. Sis Warmbier is the one on the far right!

Obispo, Martin, and a handful of sister missionaries

Hey Fam!

Ok, big news of the week... Sister Scholl is being transferred to St Peter. I am staying here and finishing the training of Sister Warmbier. She got here last transfer and I've talked to her a couple of times. I think we'll get along great. I have really enjoyed the short time I've spent with her. She grew up in Germany, spent the last 8 years in Utah, and her mom is Mexican. So she speaks all three languages fluently. It takes off stress to know that as a companionship we wont be completely lost during our lessons, but at the same time, I am in charge of the area, and I wont have the help of a more experienced missionary. Also my Spanish will be put to shame. I am actually looking forward to the opportunity to let my language capability grow. Having a semi-native speaker will be really good for me. So that's the news. I am really excited.

On top of transfers we have had a crazy week. Definitely not a "normal" week, but I don't know if that exists in mission world. We did more than 20 hours of service this week, had a baptism, and found 8 new investigators even though we had literally zero finding time. A ton of our time this week was spent prepping for the Stake Women's Conference we had on Saturday. They have been working for more than a year  to make this Conference happen, and there were more than 200 women there, Spanish and English speakers. We spent a lot of time translating the quotes during the week, and then Saturday we helped translate the classes. Sis. Scholl did the English to Spanish and I did the Spanish to English. I had never done it before, so I think it was so-so but the other sisters said I did ok. The major purpose of the translation was to help the Spanish ward feel loved and included, and I think it totally worked. They went through a lot of work to make it happen, but it was great. We also helped a sister in our ward make some of the table centerpieces. The Stake Relief Society President is named Deanna Murphy, and she is incredible. She owns an international company that teaches coaches and trainers interpersonal skills and motivational stuff. The point is that getting people to feel united is right up her alley, and the Spanish ladies love her because of how much care she has shown them. She shared a lot of personal stories at the conference, and is somebody that I really admire. All the classes were great, the food was great, the company was great, it was all awesome. We were there all day Saturday, and then we had Martin's baptism that night!

Martin's baptism was also not average. It was great, but just a little weird haha. The speaker was a recent convert who is awesome, he's on fire with missionary work and drove all the way to Chaska (like forty minutes give or take traffic) almost every week to visit with Martin with us. The object lesson he used involved a banana. I didn't get it. Then the baptism itself was great, and then the closing prayer turned out to be some closing remarks by Hermano Benjamin (another recent convert of 2 or 3 years) who is an ex-evangelist preacher. He gets a little passionate when he speaks. So His remarks/prayer were a little fiery for a baptism, but what can you do haha and then after the prayer, Martin wanted to say a few things, and it was good and he bore his testimony, but then after he crossed himself in classic-Catholic fashion over the pulpit. Yay recent converts haha. It was awesome. 

Another interesting experience this week, there is a family that we haven't been able to teach for more than a month, and the mom called us this week and asked if we could come over "ahorita" like right now. We were a little confused and slightly nervous as to why she needed us right now. But when we got there she explained the situation (it's a legal thing) that their family had been in for a month or so and asked if we could help. We did, and now we've been back two or three times and read out of the Book of Mormon with her and her sons. They are really fun and we are excited to be back in with them. 

We also found another new family this week! Last Sunday we were knocking doors and found a guy, Victor, that wanted us to come back and teach his family,especially his kids, more about God. So we went back last night and taught him, his wife, and his two kids the Restoration. It was a great lesson, the asked good questions, and invited us back. Victor is definitely someone that Heavenly Father has prepared, and I am excited to see how their family grows spiritually.

Obviously I need a food paragraph in here as usual. My new favorite food is pozole. Officially. It's a Mexican soup with hominy and meat and it is soooooo good. I had it for the first time this week and twice after that. Also we had tinga, which is like meat and onions that you put on a tostada with cream and salsa and lettuce and cheese, also delicious. And for a change of pace, Bishop Volz took us out to Vietnamese food this week, so we ate pho (pronounced fuh). It was delicious too. Now you understand why I need help exercising. 

I got your other presents this week! I love love love the Pinterest binder and the jar that Morgan sent. I love them. I also got a Halloween package from the Hughes family. They are adorable. They also send me pictures of their family that I love. I also got my prescription finally this week. What happens is they stop sending mail a certain amount of time before transfers, so they had everything on hold for a minute, but we went up to the office when we were at the conference on Saturday.

So that has been most of my week. It has been crazy, productive, fun, all the things. We have so much stuff to do today with Sister Scholl leaving. 

Keep me updated on life, I love hearing the fun things that are happening!

Also, what's up with the hurricane in Mexico? Tell me all you can about it, because all I've heard basically is that it hit the Eastern coast, and it was big. 

Thanks for your love and support!

Emily