Maywood Translado Tres: Semana Uno 5/5/10

Hola Familia!
 
I'm still in Maywood, and I am sooo happy about it! I really love Maywood. My new companion is Hermana Garcia. She is from Phoenix Arizona and her family is from Mexico, so she is fluent in English and Spanish. I love her so much already. She is a short little mexican-american fireball. She is so friendly and personable with everyone- the whole ward already loves her. I feel like she is a lot like what my mom was like on her mission. She has all of these amazing ideas for ways to improve, she loves the work and the people, and at the same time we have so much fun together. In fact I was almost feeling guilty this week, because I didn't realize that a mission could be fun too. Not to say that it wasn't fun with my last companion . . . it was just that we could both be a little intense, and I tend to do better with people that are really chill and that can help mellow me out and remind me to have fun. Speaking of having fun, I forgot to write last week about how for our zone p-day we all went to a park and had a big paintball-style war with balls made out of nylons filled with flour. I'm going to be sending some pictures, so in case you are wondering what was happening, that was it. We played capture the flag with juniors verses seniors, and if you got hit with a flour ball you were out. It was a lot of fun. I feel like our whole zone was really close this last transfer. With this transfer our area was changed to be part of a different zone, but it will be good.
 
I gained a lot more appreciation for Maywood this week when we went to Marina Del Rey for a doctors appointment for Sister Garcia. She broke her finger playing football last November and has been dealing with it ever since- she just had surgery three weeks ago. Sister Stout is in Marina Del Rey with Sister Salazar now. It is an area just like what I would imagine for LA- right by the ocean, very urban, and all of the people are very busy and not very friendly. I tried talking to a lady in the doctor's office and offered her a pass along card, and she was not interested at all. We went to grab lunch and I was like "Donde esta las taqueria?" (Where is the taco stand?) It is going to be quite a shock when I finally do get transferred to live in the temple apartments and work in an area like that. Part of me loves that there is so much variety though, and that it will be like serving two different missions.
 
On transfer day last week I got sick for the first time on my mission. I got some sort of 24 hour flu bug, so one of sister garcia's first impressions of me was me puking on the side of the road. I still tried to go to our dinner appointment right after that- I had prayed and I thought that because of my faith I had been miraculously healed ( I think the flu bug had gotten to my head a bit, ha ha.)- but that was a big mistake. It was at the branch president's house, and I didn't throw up again, but I couldn't eat anything and felt horrible for coming over when I knew I was sick. I realized that the Lord was trying to humble me. I needed to be humbled- because I was feeling like because I had been in the area I needed to be able to know everything and do everything and was trying to take that entire load on my shoulders without trusting in the Lord and accepting his help, so he showed me again that without him I am nothing. "Sometimes the Lord brings us low so that he can lift us higher". (Joseph Smith movie reference. I love the movie, but I will have it memorized by the time I get home.)
 
We had P-day this week on Wednesday because we had our temple P-day. It was so nice, and exactly what I needed to recharge and get pumped again for the work. I've been loving the work, but it is hard, and it takes a lot out of you. It requires so much of yourself- emotionally, physically, mentally. You are dedicating your whole life to loving and helping these people, and sometimes they just choose not to change. We have another baptism coming up that I am really excited for- His name is Felix and he is James' age- he just barely graduated from high school. He is very smart and has read the book of mormon and received his answer that it is true, and he is excited to be getting baptized next Sunday on the 16th. We are so excited for him. It is so amazing to be able to see the whole process- to have been one of the missionaries to meet him on his doorstep all the way to helping get him ready to be baptized. His mom also wants to be baptized but want s to wait until her husband is on the same page.
 
Oh, before I forget, you need to tell Aunt Debbie to tell her friend Sister Crosby's mom to tell Sister Crosby (I don't know her first name, i just saw it in the area book) that I'm in her area, and that We're teaching Leonor, and that she still has a picture of Sister Crosby up on her cabinet. Sister Crosby should write Leonor a letter- that is if she still remembers her. The address is 3544 59th Maywood. We're working with her and hoping she will get baptized soon- she said she will if her son will.
 
Anyways, isn't it crazy how small the world is sometimes?
 
I hope that you are all doing well. I can't believe that it is summer already- sometimes i feel like the rest of the world should be on pause. Everything is going to be so different when I get back. You need to keep me filled in so it isn't too much of a shock. :) Take care everyone! You're in my prayers!
 
Love,
Sister Dansie