Hello Rain

Hola mi familia bonita,

Thanks for the emails! I heard from my friend Nicole, Stacy, Verna, and Mom.

P-day(preparation day)--we have zone sports from 6-8 am, we do emails for an hour, go to Walmart to shop, do laundry, try to squeeze in a nap, clean with the little energy we have, eat lunch and dinner. Yeah, that's pretty much it. We don't have a visitors' center at the temple--being a temple VC missionary would be cool... which reminds me...

You can see the Spanish Temple Tour my mission did a few weeks ago. http://lds.org/church/news/sacramento-temple-night-unites-missionaries-members?lang=eng  I haven't had a chance to read the article, but the second elder to the left, Elder Villar, is in my district. I haven't served with the other elders.

Last Sunday the Laotian elders asked me if "Bishop Shields" was my uncle. Uncle Eric? Yes! How do you know him?? They told me that he works at the institute building right next to our Stake Center! So I caved... before our correlation meeting on Wednesday night I went and surprised Uncle Eric. He said, "Hello sisters" as we walked in the door. When he recognized me he said, "Oh hellloooo sisters!" And then called me by my first name. That was strange. :) I was so nervous that I forgot to tell him to tell Aunt Heidi and Camryn and Clay and everyone else hello. We'll see if President lets me eat Thanksgiving dinner with them. Hopefully! That was a fun surprise.

Last week we had our first rain day. We were on a main street contacting, far from our car, when he started pouring. Sister Carlos and I got absolutely soaked, and some elders in our district passed by in their car and had the audacity to text us: "How are you enjoying the rain? We're enjoying it in our nice, dry car." Mom, I'll be able to buy some rain shoes here.

We had a great district meeting this week. Our zone leaders invited us to bear our testimonies, which was perfect because I'd had an amazing personal study that morning and the spiritual high just continued. I decided that morning that Alma 26 is one of my favorite missionary chapters. Alma 26:5-7 (I'll let you look it up!), 22, 27, 35-37. I just loved that chapter because we really do have reason to rejoice--we have the gospel, and I have the wonderful opportunity of dedicating 18 months to sharing it. I haven't had a baptism yet, but verse 22 promises that if we repent, have faith, good works, and pray continually, we can bring thousands of souls to repentance.

Hopefully we'll have a baptism this Saturday! L needs to get married but we have to find her husband's ID first. Pray pray so hard for her! We need to find that ID and get her married so she can get baptized this Saturday!!

I know the church is true. I know you can feel closer to God and feel of His goodness and the peace and power of the gospel by reading and pondering and praying about the Book of Mormon. The Ensign this month is amazing--everyone needs a copy.

Love you all,

kates