Happy Summer in One Month

Mi querida familia,

Sister Novakovich and I are trying our best to tackle East Sac. We realized that we're polar opposites, just in the sense that she's from Alaska, I'm from Texas. She's the oldest of five (2 girls then 3 boys) and I'm the youngest of five (2 boys then 3 girls). Other than that we mesh really well! We've been able to hold the fort down relatively well. After working frantically on Thursday through Saturday inviting people to church (and running around like mad women on Sunday morning calling people, arranging rides, reminding people about their commitment to come to church, and going to their homes to wake them up and help them get ready--we're really good cheerleaders), we had one to church! Woo hoo. We were expecting at least seven, but that will come in due time.

Sister Fernandez made it safely home to the Dominican Republic on Thursday night. Wow, the California Sacramento Mission is going to be completely different without her. I mentioned last week that I was called to be a trainer and the next morning President switched our transfer calls. The next morning after that (Wednesday morning), we were at the mission office making the swap (dropping "Fernanda" off and picking up "Nova") and President asked if I would be one of the three exchange sisters. Yikes. So now I'll be going on exchanges with three companionships each transfer and share all the wisdom and knowledge I wish I had! I'll be going out with the Spanish sisters in the other ward in Sacramento and two English companionships (it's nice serving in English work but very, very strange at the same time).

Happy birthday a day later, Stace! Hope everything was spectacular. I said happy birthday out loud to you a few times during the day--hope you got the message. And happy birthday next week, Grandpa! Hope you enjoy the Texas HEAT!

We had a very cute Relief Society activity on Thursday. The sister in charge of visiting teaching made dinner for all the sisters and gave us crowns and reminded us how we're all princesses and daughters in the kingdom of God. She set up little castles and had sparkly tablecloths and all sorts of treats. It was very well attended and I'm sure the messages that we skipped out on were very inspiring.

The man who came to church yesterday, Is, has a lot of interest in giving up drinking and learning more about God and changing his life. We see a lot of promise in him (he lives with members! They were baptized a little over a year ago and are slightly less active but we're working on changing that.) and hope that he will continue to come to church although he has to work right after. We taught the Ra family again and were expecting them to come (at least to one hour like they said) but don't know what happened. The Ra are a family of six--Lucy, the mom, was baptized about fifteen years again and her parents are sealed and the brothers are all active. We had a great lesson with them about the Restoration of the gospel and R the dad said a beautiful prayer at the end of the lesson. They were waiting for us to come and eat! (didn't know about that) and we had tostadas with cueritos (pig skins soaked in pickled vinegar mmm).

Well that's about it, folks. Love you! Glad that life is moving forward happily and healthily.

Love,

kates