Week 18: Halloween...in the Ghetto!‏

Dear Friends and Family,

          My little letter of love is going to be a bit shorter today. It was transfers today. I am in the same area, but I have a new companion. Hermana Wrubel, who actually was in the same YSA ward as me at BYU! So we knew each other a little bit beforehand. I am just super stressed right now because I am in charge of the area since she doesn't know anything about it. Also, we are both in the 'not fluent' stage of Spanish so it's going to be rough for a few weeks, but I know that I needed a big push like this in order to really get me learning faster. Scared to death, but I know the Lord will not  let me fail! 

          Last P-day we had an adventurous day. We went to Target and got fleeced lined tights, leggings and socks. I refuse to freeze! Then, we ate Teriyaki Chicken at a Vietnamese restaurant where one of our members works. He speaks Spanish and Vietnamese, but not a lick of English! Anyway, on our way out of the restaurant, we went up to the register to pay and they told us that one of the ladies that was sitting in the corner paid for our meal. I will never find out who that was, but thank you random citizen for your kindness! Then we bought pumpkins and carved them!

                                      

                                                Hermana Boley

Creepy Hermana Stoddard

          

Non Creepy Hermana Stoddard

          So we had some interesting lessons this week with a lady that is a 7th day Adventist. She told us that she basically is like the Virgin Mary and has virgin conceptions....yep I didn't have any doctrine or scripture references to back us up on that one. We were just like, "Okay.....pretty sure you are still living with a man you are not married to so.....I don't know what to tell you." She came off so sweet and quiet, but after our 2nd lesson she was said, "Let's pray and ask God about how your church is wrong." We just bore our testimonies and left. And that was that. 

          Some of the best parts of the week were doing a scripture study with a lady in our branch and her 8 year old daughter. They are just returning to activity, but their goal is to go to the temple soon. They study their scriptures and pray together everyday for 20 mins. We were then invited to a family home evening with them and with another less active family that are starting to come back to church. This week there was a big emphasis of Family Home Evening. The Lord said, "Whether it is said by my voice or the voice of my servants', it is the same." Our prophets and apostles have been telling us for years that we need to hold family home evening on Monday nights. I am gaining a testimony of the importance of this time and the blessings of being exactly obedient to our leaders. So this is my challenge for the month-to have a family home evening every Monday night. I promise there are blessings in store!

          For Halloween we were able to help the wife of our branch president make 8 batches of corn bread for a tri-ward party. We could only be at the fiesta for 30 mins because we had to be inside by 6pm. It's a good thing too. It is getting dark here around 5pm. There has been a lot of stuff going on around here lately including a dead body found near where I live and lots of schools having lock downs because of rumors of shootings. What a crazy world we live in!

          On Sunday we went to a fireside that was just for Spanish speakers. All the Hermanas and I sang "Lord, I would Follow Thee" in Spanish. I just love working with the Hispanic people. It's such a blessing. Well, this week is going to be hard for me so keep me in your prayers. I know that everything will work out the way it's suppose to in the end. I love you all to pieces!

My District before the transfers:  Me, Hna Boley,
Elder King, Elder Childs, Elder Vaise, Elder Nickel, Elder Savage and Elder Robinson

Con Amor,

Hermana Stoddard

Celebrating my 4th Click Day with Pumpkin Pie