Birthday Package Fail

Hello family,

On Thursday after district meeting we were teaching E with a member, Hermana Meza, and President Lewis called me. I ignored the call--it's E!--and then he called back. I said I should probably take the call so I left the apartment and President told me he had a calling for me. I was thinking, "How can I have a calling if I'm a missionary?" He then proceeded to tell me that he needed me to transfer to East Sac... the next day. So now I am in East Sacramento and will not be in Manteca to retrieve packages/letters. I hope not everyone got involved--I was hoping it would just be my scriptures coming but I'm afraid that's not the case (sorry, Grandpa). We all should have gone with our instincts! Gosh, Heavenly Father is so good. The good news is that Sister Beale told me that she got two of my packages (I was able to give R and P and V their triples and Bibles before I left--they loved it!!!) and she can bring them to her Zone Conference tomorrow and one of the APs can bring them to me at my Zone Conference on Thursday. Mmm hmm now the APs are going to know that I gave out my direct mailing address. No more giving out my address and I wouldn't even dream about giving out my phone number!

With that being said, I now live in Carmichael in a wonderful member's home. Sister Schow is 81 years old and lets the sister missionaries live with her. Sister Fernandez and I are companions once again for the next 2 weeks and then I think we'll be together for the next transfer--I'll end up 'killing' her on her mission because she has these next 8 weeks left. However, she really sounds like she's dying--like she has tuberculosis. She doesn't, of course; at least I hope not!

Of course after my email last week I would be transferred all of a sudden. I love Manteca too much. It's strange how quickly everything can change. I think I'm still kind of in shock that I'm in a new ward, about an hour and a half north of Manteca. I really miss Sister Beale and was sad to leave her. We didn't finish the training program together, but another sister who's going home in 2 weeks is going to finish it with her. It's cute because she had all sorts of evil plans for my birthday and had been preparing things here and there to surprise me--I had no idea! She gave me the chocolate-covered pretzels she bought me before I left and the list of things she liked about me that she was going to write on hearts and scatter throughout the apartment. Nobody here knows that it's my birthday on Thursday and I'm not about to tell them--so happy birthday to me, right? :) It's probably best not to be reminded that I'm a quarter of a century old!

Oh, by the way, my new district leader is Elder Walker. Yesterday after dinner with our bishop, Obispo Woodland, he heard me say that I'm from Dallas/Ft Worth. He asked if I knew the Grimmetts. His sister is married to Brian Grimmet. Brian told me before I came that his bro-in-law was called here and I knew in the back of my head that there was something about an Elder Walker but didn't remember. Yep, that was a weird whoaa, Brian is married and his wife's little brother is my district leader. There are TEN missionaries who serve in our ward, and our area alone is pretty huge. We cover like Fair Oaks, Citrus Heights, Sacramento, North Highlands, and Carmichael (something like that). I think it's just parts of all of those. The ward is supposedly huge. I don't have to play the piano. :) Someone plays the ORGAN. Haven't heard that in ages!

Now the mission office and the temple are in our area (at least I think the temple is, not exactly sure. I at least know that it's about 30 minutes away, so hopefully we will be going on transfer P-day in a few weeks.). I miss the cows and the almond blossoms and the crop fields and the long stretches of highway and my investigators and the members and the stench of Man"stink"a. :)

Sister Fernandez is still the exchange sister and hasn't done her exchanges yet so she'll be leaving tonight and gone until Wednesday night. I don't know this area at all and I know about 3 people and none of the members. This should be really interesting. I'm not as stressed about it. We've been taking it a little slower because I've been super exhausted from losing an hour of sleep last week and packing and all the new changes. I've been able to nap a little bit--I've decided I don't really like sleeping on the top bunk. Supposedly I got off the bunk last night at about 2:15 in the morning and don't remember it; that's amazing because yesterday when I got off the bunk (awake) I hit my bum on the door handle and got a bruise. I love the house we live in, though. There are actually rooms and photos of family and books outside of the gospel library and a piano! Sister Schow shares some of her food too :) and we use her washer and dryer. Oh I'm in heaven.

That's about it. I've been transferred and thrown for a loop but this is what was supposed to happen. I think Sister Fernandez and I are going to see lots of miracles in the coming weeks. One of our investigators (who I've never even met) called on Sunday morning (after we seriously prayed for miracles on Saturday night) and told us that he wanted to be baptized on April 14. Done and done. We will baptize R from Peru on April 14. Hope to meet these people soon. Sister Fernandez says they've been teaching R for a while, had taught him everything basically and it was just up to him to choose a date but he wouldn't "until after he went to Peru," but he didn't know when he was going to Peru. Anyway, pretty cool deal.

Alrighty, can't really think of what happened this week in Manteca--my mind kind of just stayed there when I left. Something that's been on my mind a lot lately is pondering the Atonement. The significance of the Atonement and what it really means in our lives--how we can apply it. Not just learning about the Atonement and reading the scriptures (although that's great and necessary) but seriously meditating it. Taking the time to stop during the day and reflect and think about what I'm really doing with my life and why and how I've been so blessed. For Zone Conference Thursday we're supposed to prepare a 5-minute talk about the Atonement, which is just perfect. I don't think we seriously consider it enough.

Love you all! Eat some cake for me on Thursday. :) Thanks for all the birthday wishes! Don't send mail to Manteca--send it to the mission office! It'll be okay--Sister Beale has a new missionary meeting next Tuesday and will be seeing the APs again at that (I should have been going to that too) if more mail comes. Ahhh kicking myself.

Love,

kates