HOLA MI FAMILIA Y AMIGOS!

Hola mi familia y amigos! Soy Hermana Hood de la igelsia de Jesucristo los santos de los ultimos dias. Y estas mi componiera, Herman Baum. Hah... working on my door approach. Definitely a work in progress. 

We live kind of with a member. We live in the loft of their garage. So that's cool! It's little tiny place but it's really all the space we need. It is no "Corning Cottage", however.  

It has been an interesting week. So Monday we drove down to Antelope to stay with Sister Seely. That was a party. We got like no sleep since it was their last night as official representatives of our Savior. I felt apostate but that's normal. Haha. The next morning we had planned that I would go with Sister Duncan and Sister Seely to the mission office and wait there for Sister Baum since the other Sisters wouldn't really be able to pick me up at the time. So we thought we had a genius plan. But, when we got there we realized there was no one to stay with me and they weren't about to leave me alone, thank goodness. Soo... I got to tag along with the departing missionaries to the airport... NOT OKAY!!! It was awful. Haha. I felt like I was going home and I DID NOT like it! It was sooo sad saying goodbye to my "mom" and my "godmother", as we called her. Hahah!!!!  So sad... but it was awesome! I got to meet the only sister that came in. She is so cute. Ah!! The greenie fire is so real. I want a greenie.... but! Now is not the time! Heavenly Father wants me to do something with Spanish apparently! 

I have been trying to soak in all the Spanish I can. Tuesday I said my first prayer in green-go Spanish. Haha. It was really cool though. Simplest prayer I've ever said but I could still feel the power behind it.  awesome how that works!! I have noticed how much the Spanish that have learned from Daddy has actually stuck. It's just in the back of my mind hibernating or something, but it is being awakened!  The spirit is also INCREDIBLE! Man... I have retained way more than I thought I would within this week. Thursday, I kinda tried to testify.. I crashed and burned.. she didn't understand English so ya know.. haha, it's okay though. How else am I going to learn if I don't speak it, even if it doesn't make a ton of sense right now.. We had an Mission Correlation Meeting with the Spanish Branch Mission Leader. He was super kind. He asked me to pray... en Español and read from the scriptures... en Español... no bueno, mi amigos! Bad ju ju! (Don't know how to say that in Spanish.. haha) they corrected me a lot but he explained that it's to help me learn. Of course, I expect them to do that. I appreciated it. 

 We also went to a YSA activity!! It was a riot! We made cookies and took them around to less actives in the ward and caroled to them. The guys made the cookies... so as you can imagine, it didn't go as well as they hoped. Haha in the first batch they accidentally put double the salt. Haha... then to counter it that made another batch with no salt.  It was super fun! Becky, our 'gator on date, came! Haha. She's a funny one...  She has a very interesting profession right now.. She is going to be quitting here in January if the job she hopefully has at the DI doesn't fall through. Please pray for her. She really struggles with faith and the unknown freaks her out. So, we are trying to help her along. She's solid though. She knows she is doing the right thing. 

Another activity the Young Single Adult Ward had this week was their Christmas party. We played ping pong for a little bit and mingled awkwardly to each table... Then we judged the ugly sweater contest! That was exciting. Then, of course, all the rest of the awkwardness of the YSA. Like this one guy coming up and started showing off his Spanish to Hermana Baum. Haha. Our Ward Mission Leader was like "wow... that was subtle.." then he kept coming back and talking to us. 

Then Hermana Baum would walk a little ways away to talk on the phone and I was then cornered.... it was SO awkward... ya gotta love the YSA! It actually was really fun. There were some cool peeps there! Like Courtney!! She's awesome! She comes out with us a lot! 

The other night we went to visit a YSA less active kid named Taylor. I was stoked because it was in English, my native tongue!  He really struggles with Jose Smith (Joseph Smith). This lesson was a prime example of why the spirit is so necessary. We kinda got to know him a little bit and when he was younger he would always hear people talking about how they felt the spirit and everything. He was bothered because he didn't feel like he had felt it before. So he prayed about the Book of Mormon and he said that nothing happened so he just decided to go his own way. Well, the spirit told me to tell him that we weren't there to drag him back to church or even try to convince him that what the church teaches is right. I told him that it has made such a difference in my life that I wanted to share it with him. Then the spirit told me to tell him about my experience with the Book Of Mormon. So I told him that I had prayed about it many times and nothing extravagant happened. A few times I don't even recall feeling anything. So I just went on with life. But I felt like I still needed to read it because that's what I had been taught to do. I hoped that I would get an answer at some point. But as time went on, my questions were answered in the Book of Mormon in a way that no one else could have answered except if it had been from Heavenly Father.

That happened several times and it slowly became my literal life line. When I didn't read it for whatever reason, I felt empty. When I needed comfort, I would open it up and there it was waiting for me. When I wanted Heavenly Father to talk to me, I felt Him through the spirit. But it wasn't till I had come out on a mission that I realized how deep that testimony had burrowed into my heart. I didn't KNOW it was true till I bore powerful testimony of it. But I couldn't have found that out if it hadn't have been for those little acts of faith. By small and simple things, great things are brought to pass. I shared that with him and he really opened up even more. He then talked about how he believes organized religion is just for those who are looking for comradery. 

He feels that happiness can be found in many different places. The spirit, again completely guiding my words, told me to say that I understood where he was coming from. Then a question came to mind. I asked him if he had ever prayed to know if God loves him. He said no. I asked if he would try that. He agreed. The spirit was so incredibly strong... we all felt it. We asked Taylor how he felt. He just said he felt nervous because he had just opened up to people he didn't even know. Not exactly what we were hoping for, but it was definitely a good start. His mom chimed in and talked about how it was HUGE that he had even told us how he felt because apparently there is only a small group that he will do that with, and we were not necessarily included in that group. It was so cool though. I know he felt something. I saw it in his eyes as I testified to him that he is a son of God and God loves him. I knew that because I could feel Heavenly Fathers love for him right then and there even though I had literally met him 10 minutes earlier. Super powerful. I felt so blessed to have been an instrument in the Lords hands to touch this kids heart. So grateful for the companionship of the spirit and for my own testimony that I have been so blessed to receive from the spirit. 

Another lesson we had right after Taylor's was with a kid named Vince. It was funny, we knocked on the door and his dad answered. I don't think anyone has ever been that happy to see us.. Too funny. We talked for a minute then his mom pried Vince away from whatever he was doing. He didn't really let us in much but the spirit touched his heart too. We got to know him and stuff and shared the Christmas video. He said he was about to volunteer at a care facility. We told him that was awesome and that it was a perfect way to share his light and be the Savior's hands. We didn't share anything too deep with him but el espiritu was definitely there.  Hermana Baum is super fun! She doesn't talk much but that's okay! I'll have to crack her of her silence! Haha...  just kidding, she has opened up more as the days have gone on. So that's good. She is awesome though. She's from Abaline,Texas.  she's fun. Super mellow, which I can appreciate. 

This transfer is going to be great! I'm so excited to continue to see the Gift of tongues up close and personal!  I was thinking about how awesome it is to be a missionary! I just love it so much. I can't believe I have been out for over 7 months!!! Crazy... I'm glad I have 11 more to spend serving my Savior and being an instrument in His hands to introduce people personally to Him. I cannot say the smallest part which I feel.  

I love you all! You're always in my thoughts and prayers, when I pray in English. Haha.  thanks for all you guys do!!

 Love, Hermana/Sister Hood

PS ~  I ate some bad pork and have been really sick the past few days - please keep me in your prayers!! I haven't been able to keep any nourishment I've tossed my biscuits & had the trotts so the potty has been my new best friend - I will be asking for a blessing but it has been a really rough time!!  Don't worry I will be ok though.  But all your faith and prayers will help carry me through this rough patch!!