Last Week in Virginia!!!

Just kidding, I'm not going to send a mass email because I don't really have anything great to share with the world... Well more like 5 people. But still. I will just send you a few pictures from this week. One of our biking adventure we had one night this week. ( Let's just say I like having a car better..) There's this Elder that is our neighbor that sprained his ankle and couldn't bike this week and needed to go to an appointment, so we got permission to switch transportation methods.. It was an adventure! Haha. And the other one is of mine and Hna Allen's favorite member, Hna Bruno, and her son Jonathan. She has been such an angel. She has helped us out in so many ways, and is so willing to help out with the work. One thing Hna Allen always says that I love is that this is the member's work, and we are here to help them. I think that is so true.

So I'm not 100% positive yet, that I can call you at the airport, but I'm assuming that I can.. If I do, I'll try to think of something to say in Spanish to you guys. I can't really do it when I'm put on the spot. Haha. But I feel like my Spanish is coming a long pretty well!! I just can't wait for the day to be fluent, and have dreams in Spanish. That will be the day!

Oh!! I remember something funny from this week. Saturday. The day of Seviche. It's a Peruvian dish. Until this day, I have loved all the Peruvian foods I've tried. Then we went to the familia Pocorri's house for lunch. I was so excited because she is an amazing cook. However, we had seviche... Not positive what it is. But tastes like a super super sour/ onion spiciness sauce, and apparently it's raw fish and octopus. Didn't know it was raw until after the fact. So I downed that really fast. We had a nice slice of Costco pumpkin pie to finish it off though, so that was nice. Little did we know, our dinner appointment at the Joya's would be the SAME thing. Seviche. and some rice with little octopus pouchy things, I have no clue what it was. And I looked on the counter, and there was a Costco pumpkin pie. I thought it was so funny!! The elders were at this meal with us, and no one ate very much, and they were offended, so me and Hna Allen took one for the team and took seconds.. Then that night we got a text from the elders saying that someone ELSE gave them seviche... Poor elder Creager threw up that night, and him, Hna Spencer and Hna Argueta had dreams about seviche.. Sooo funny. Well!! Have a great day!! love you!! :)

Another great week in the mission! I've been getting to know and love Hna Allen and am really sad to be leaving in a week or two, or whatever it's going to be. One thing I knew, but have really realized that every companion is SO different. Each of them is a new experience to learn and grow from. Hna Allen has taught me what is like to be an obedient, hard working missionary. She knows why she is here, and what she should be doing. We have had so many laughs too, which is great. That's one of my mottos as a missionary, is to laugh often. The one who laughs lasts!! She has told me several times that she is grateful for that and that it makes missionary work much more enjoyable, and she hasn't had that with any companions for a long time. However we do know how to work hard. I think I've taught more lessons and done more finding and actual talking to people with her, and I feel myself improving leaps and bounds faster. I also love that she loves sports, and we get along great, so we are definitely going to be friends after the mission.

 

One funny story this week... So we were teaching this former investigator, named Gualy. She's this 70 something maybe 80 year old lady from Bolivia. Super tender and in a way kinda walks and talks and reminds me of Grandma Wilde.. Haha. But we were teaching her the first lesson, and right when Hna Allen was done saying the first vision, we made a little pause, and Gualy said "..hm.. Jesus.. Oremos?" Which is basically saying "Shall we pray?" Aka time to leave!! Haha yeah, she's definitely not interested, and pretty oblivious, and super cute and nice. but we had a good laugh.  And I just realized that the majority of my funny stories don't even sound funny when they are written down.. Well, there's that.. Haha.

 

Right now we have one progressing investigator, named Patricia Coca Cayo. The missionaries have been teaching her on and off for about 7 years.. And she's just kind of clueless and just loves hearing the word of God. But since Hna Allen has come, we have seen some serious improvements and it's so exciting. She came to one session of General Conference, then to a baptism on Saturday, then to church on Sunday, then asked us how to watch the conference talks online, and is praying to understand better. It's great how much she's improving!

 

I don't have too much to report this week, but things are going great here, and I'm just learning how to be a missionary each day, and it's great!! Can't wait to see what Argentina brings to me. I've been trying to start using the Argentina accent when I say some words, and I just laugh every time.. I can't see myself getting used to it. but we shall see!! Love you all so much!! :)

Hna Wilde

So we had transfers, and Hermana Simpson left me.. :( but I got Hermana Allen to come finish train me here in the same place. She's great! However, we won't be spending much time together because I GOT MY VISA!! It was so embarrassing. We have a transfer meeting at every transfer and it's basically a chapel full of missionaries. When our names are called out to meet our new companion, we stand up and find them and hug them in front of everyone. And as I was doing this, President Riggs says over the pulpit: "This may be a good time to tell you that you got your visa". All the heads turn and I'm just stunned. Speechless. It's pretty crazy, and I am feeling all the emotions possible right now!! All the other missionaries that came with me like Elder Reid (in my district) Hna. Rasband, Hna. Withers, and Elder Skaggs all got them too. I'm hoping we all fly together. We don't know exactly when we are leaving yet, but we leave somewhere around the 20th is what President said. So that's my news for the day. keep sending me mail and what not while you can!! it will be a little harder to Argentina. Especially packages.. Costs a lot!! love you lots, and will be emailing on Pday!! :)