Rolled up in a cookie

Dear Fam bam,

HEY EVERYONE! WHAT UP WHAT UP?? Finally feels like winter here right after christmas... I swear that always happens!!! Thank you mother for the fleece lined tights...  the humidity can go through anything as thin or thick as grandpa HR's legs but they MOST definitely help!! How fun it was to see you all on skype you cuties you! I just have the bestest estest family of allllll time! Christmas is amazing as a missionary! I just seriously love life. I think that's the one thing I've mainly learned from serving a mission. That LIFE IS AMAZING! It's like a big bag of pop rocks tied in satin ribbons. SOOO GOOD! It just sizzles and pops. Somedays are terrible and some are amazing but that's just life and it's so darn fun! I love it! And I love you guys! Let me tell you just one of my favorite christmas memories from this year. THERE ARE SO MANY TO SHARE! But we wrapped up so many books of mormon to give out on christmas day. So christmas comes and Christmas night we just walked around and handed them out to everyone!  We went up to this group of little boys who you could tell got nothing for christmas. We handed them this incredible book and they just DEVOURED it like little wolves. They were so excited to open it and then they kind of looked bummed out like, ahh man just a stupid paper back book? But we looked them in the eyes and told them, "This is the best gift you will ever receive." Who knows if they read it or threw it away that night but they KNEW and they could FEEL how powerful this book is. They held it in their little hands!

Well let me tell ya a little bit about our trip to 5151 on saturday. I have no idea where in the world I am but man all I know is when we have our day scheduled to bike to 5151 I never want to get out of bed and go run at 6 a.m. because I know what kind of day I have ahead of me... all heck breaks loose.  It looks a lot like preparing for a backpacking trip up the Windriver mountains. You get prepared for a heck of a ride and just prepare well because it's going to be a whole day long ordeal. So I pack up my snacks-granola bars up the wazoo, and pretzels. Next you get your best riding shoes on- rain boats for me. Check. Get your garbage bags in case the Texas rains hit you. You'll never make it home alive. So we head out... first mistake.. forgot my water! I'm dying! We hit a couple of storms along the way but we made it in one piece... The people we were going to teach were either hung over from Christmas or just not home because NO ONE ANSWERED!! So we start heading back and we decide that the first store we come to we will stop for water. This ride however takes you past fields of grass and flowers and lots of land.... 

We had no idea they were diggin up a pond and so we start riding and then it started getting really really muddy and before I knew it my wheels stopped turning. I WAS DARN RIGHT STUCK IN MY TRACKS. This mud was thicker than cookie batter. I got rolled up in a cookie all right. Clogged up my wheels quicker than Jackies candies will clog my throat. I felt and looked  like I was dragging a small angry child to the first day of school. My bike would not move. I ended up having to carry it. Everyone was yelling out their window helpful hints like "try running it on the grass!" ok thanks! "That's mud! watch out!" ohh yeah i didn't see it thanks! We make it to Sunny's food store and met Ralph the Cherokee Indian..... What a man what a man.... Now i really felt like i was in the WindRivers. He's like, "ladies man o man! you got caught in my street! I'm sooo sorry. I'm just digging myself a fishing pond back there." I'm like, "Ralph you know I was a little angry but to hear you are building a fishing pond -I'd go through your mud any day!"

He then invites us to grab a bite to eat at the taco truck and we didn't turn him down because NO ONE DOES THAT HERE! i mean this isn't utah. The ladies wearing long shorts aren't mormon moms. The mini vans with family stickers on the back with thousand of kids still aren't mormons. But Ralph wasn't either. He is a missionary for his First Indian Baptist Church. what a guy! He taught me some valuable lessons that day. We start talkin religion and I'm like Ralph do you believe in the bible? "Don't we all?" he says. I'm like no there are a lot of people who have never read the bible and don't believe. He's like, "you're right. You can be in a grocery store and still be hungry. You can be in a library surrounded by books and have no knowledge. You can be in a church your whole life and not know god!" YES RALPH YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKIN ABOUT!!! He just got out of prison 8 months ago and is now diggin ponds! What a turn around!

Well guys- It was wrapped in a cookie with an indian kind of week! It was a terrible morning at 5151 but God always sends something beautiful after bad things happen. I know I was suppose to meet Ralphy that day! so good! God is good! people are great! and texas is crazy!

love you all so much!

tiny tinnie tony

the stupid COOKIE BATTER MUD!!! thank heavens for Ralph the indian always makes things better!

 from my side! best family EVER!!! i would pick you guys over any family anywhere!

  

   

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD YEAR!   Most of her gifts were food storage... haha I know how she feels. I got food storage one year at HRs party!

wowwzeerrrs we are loved

Girls in my district and me and my companion

Christmas conference!

                                                                               Christmas Eve

Home for the Holidays

Dearest darlingest family on Naniloa,

WHAT UP IN THE 801??? SO MUCH SNOW!!! I haven't seen anything white in months. I did make some instant mash potaters and wondered to myself if I could make enough just to simply lay a thin layer of them all along the grass in front of my house. BUT NO GET THIS! We run on the bayou every morning and there's this creepy fog stuff that floats above it because it's really cold. (kinda looks like a fog machine in a haunted house) but since my companion is such a fast runner I usually have to sprint to make sure I don't lose her in the fog and when my little eyes get all squinty, IT LOOKS LIKE SNOW!!! It's crazy how it doesn't feel like Christmas one bit! It's like 60 degrees out there, not many people have lights out, haven't received my 8x1000 christmas card and I haven't even heard christmas music. (But don't worry I bought a David Arch cd at the temple today. HEART. IT MELTED! HE'S SO GOOD!) But I really do feel like I'm now at home for the holidays and here are a few reasons why....

Norma.... OH Norma. She's a mix of Blaine Young, Julie O'leary, and mainly THE GRINCH. Blaine young, because she can decorate a yard like ain't nobody seen before. It looks like Christmas every inch of her house. (I'm too scared to tell her about the kicking legs because I'm scared she might chop off mine and use them) Julie O'leary because she makes me feel like I'm her best friend. She calls me Hija. And the grinch because she has a pot belly, she hates life, she is hilarious, and SHE STEALS FROM EVERYTHING! The other day we are just walking down the street and I see two shopping carts flying down the middle of the street with metal, bed springs, knickknacks, you name it EVERYWHERE ON THE STREET. And of course it has to be NORMA running after them like she just won the Price is Right. Cars are stopping, honking, yelling and I just start running towards her, "ohhhhh nooo dear Norma everythings going to be ok. Everyone just keep going so so sorry. We are her missionaries. Nothing to see here. Keep driving. Yeppp nothing to see here!" I'm like, "Norma, what in the world are you doing with all this stuff?" Norma- "Pagando mi renta Hija." She spends all day going to dumpsters and grabbing anything she can find to pawn it. (I'm pretty sure she pawned my birthday cake. It's bad. She pawns everything) I bring no valuables with me because she will pawn it! She's hilarious and just a little vacuum for houston! cleaning everything up!

Next we got to do service in this HUGE WAREHOUSE! looooveee it already! love factories. still no idea why! but they tell us we get to make bikes for all the children in third grade who have good grades! I was like a little elf . but I guess I put on the handle bars backwards for like 10 of the bikes. whoooopps. My bad! 

 I MADE THESE BIKES AND COUNTED EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM

WE FOUND A FAMILY!!!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS! They are cuter than a button! The familia Burgos. They accepted baptism dates and we are seeing them tonight at 7. so please keep praying!!!

And last but not least the experience I had today. The temple. I walked into the temple with nothing but my recommend and it brought the christmas spirit stronger than I've ever felt in my life. It's like life. We will walk away from here with nothing. I really haven't felt like it's Christmas time here but today I felt like I came home for the holidays. I felt like I walked into my home. It felt so familiar. I felt as if I could have seen Dad sitting in the kitchen squeezing oranges for orange juice, mom and I dancing to Michael Bubles christmas Cd, everyone sitting on our red coach laughing. I felt the exact same way and I loved it! We were 2 of the 4 woman in the session today so we got to have the Celestial Room to ourselves and I couldn't help just bawl my eyes out for how wonderful the gift of life is. And it's all possible through our Savior Jesus Christ. THAT IS WHY WE CELEBRATE, why we sing, why we rejoice, why we do all things,. Because Christ was born! And I can't wait to meet him again someday. If it feels half as good as I did today in the temple, it's going to be the most beautiful day! It was amazing though because as I looked around the room, there were so many empty chairs. Every single one was empty. So I walked over to my companion and said, "We are going to fill these chairs Hermana!" And we are! I want everyone to be able to make it and live with God! I have so much work to do!!!!

But mom and dad i just wanted to thank you for letting me grow up in a temple. The next closest thing we have to temples is our homes. and I truly had the privilege of growing up in one! It felt so familiar today. I GOT TO COME HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!  I felt like i had you all around me today! I LOVE YOU ALL MORE THAN ANYTHING! 

love you more than all the nutcrackers the Fluits have in their home! wooooo woooo hooo merry christmas!!

love you, natsy catsy!

 SHOUT OUT TO AUNT ANGIE FOR THIS UNREAL TREE! MAGIC WATER!

                                                                                 it makes this

H9 YOUR SO FINE. YOUR SO FINE YOU BLOW MY MIND H9

FAMILIA! HOLA HOLA HOLA MI FAMILIA LAS EXTRANO MUCHO!! WELL HIIII. THIS HAS BEEN A WIRL WIND OF A WEEK! I can't decide what has been worse-the goodbyes or the hellos... I guess I'll let you decide for yourself.....

Beginning of last week. I'll have you know, I packed those days with people I love and had to say goodbye to people tighter than dad can pack a snail shell. You don't realize how much you really, really, really love people and how much they love you until you have to leave. So Monday we walk into the office and I'm positive God was trying to throw me a going away party because all my favorite neighbors and workers were there. Joe nooooo joe was so sad! He asked if he could give me a hug... it was awkward to say no but he understood! The office lady made me laugh sooo hard. I was like, "Hey, I'm leaving, it was so nice to get to know you." She quickly threw a little tantrum... "Nooooo not you! You just came and now are leaving so fast. not you!!!!" I was like ohh wow she loves me I didn't know that. (nope just crazy ideas about Mormons like usual.) "So now you have to get send off to get married right? They choose an Elder for you that you have to marry. You poor thing. Are you ready??" Sooo glad they are just transferring me. Not making me go get married! Whenever I am having a hard second I just think, "Hey, at least I'm not married!" haha losers!

Then Wilver, Jaime, Vanessa, Judy and Cristian were sooo hard to say goodbye to! Jaime tried calling the President. Wilver started making signs for all the relief society to go protesting at transfer meeting! He just kept calling us all day, "Are you sure you want to leave sister? I'm just really sad that you have to go." I cant wait for you guys to meet Wilver. Literally became my older brother. Reminds me so much of Tal! Best guy ever. ohh man what a deal. And Kelvin ohhhh kelvin that will be a story for when I get home! I had no idea how hard it would be to say goodbye to everyone. HACKETT DRIVE IS MY HOME BASE! It was like leaving home all over again.

But the hellos were just as wild! Transfer meetings.... first things first start with what I know...I go to give my new comp a hug and she simply pulls me aside... sorry I can't hug you I have LICE...... ohhhh no where are they sending me!!!! bedbugs, now lice! noooooo!!!! I still haven't really unpacked so it doesn't feel quite like home but the apartment reminds me of the old ranch house if that tells ya how much I love it! You know how much I love the ranch! The wood floor is the exact same, it sometimes smells like it, I always feel slightly frightened. It's like the ranch! So wonderful! My comp is darling! We came out on the same day, She just went to the mtc in provo. We were companions the first day and now today! She's from Henderson Nevada and likes running (I'm sure you can guess how that's going), basketball, and hopefully will like me! ha

So first night... powers out. No big deal but super confused. Not a storm in sight. No wind. Nothing.... just an old apartment complex I guess.

Next night.... I thought it was time that she would except me if I wore my velvet nightgown that I love to bed... but right when I put it on.. BANG BANG BANG. So loud on the door... I got so scared! Hna. Kirkendall's like "Call 911." I'm like, "lets just lock ourselves in the closet and call President." She runs over to the peep hole. and yells, "THE GUY HAS AN AX. CALL 911" So scary. I'm just hiding and she yells, "who is it?!" They yell back, "Fire department. Open your door!" So she opens it and two firemen are standing on our porch with an ax and they ask me to act calm??? I'm thinking about going to the Houston Fire Department and giving them a training on how to properly knock on peoples doors... because I have that skill and they need it! They asked if we had smoke in our apt but we didn't. I was so embarrassed because it's like 9 at night and they were laughing at me! So mean! Turns out the apartment below us was on fire. WELCOME TO HEAVEN OR the other place I guess you might say. BUT WE ARE HAVING SO MANY ADVENTURES. I LOVE IT! I love me a good adventure...

Next night.... flat tire.... nothing too crazy. Just had no idea how heavy tires are. Lucky we were close to a members house and they helped us out big time!

This area is going to be a lot of work but a lot of fun! There is not one progressing investigator but we are finding a lot. There was this lady Norma. She's black and from cuba and speaks Spanish. BINGO! Her Spanish is very different though. I feel like I'm learning a whole new language. So Norma. I'm like "can we come see you tomorrow?" (so desperate to see anyone at anytime! just give me a set appointment please!) She tells us it's her birthday tomorrow but that we could come over. I'm like sweet we will throw you a b-day party because I am off the hook good at throwing parties! NOPE! so bad! Bought her a cake, wrapped up a book of Mormon.. and it was the worst party ever. We get there and she's hanging up Christmas lights, smoking who knows what, so I just start singing happy birthday walking up the stairs. I give her the cake and she just like throws in on the chair. I'm like ohhh ok that's ok! Then her mom calls from cuba and tells her that her son just got sent to jail! It was a rough birthday for Norma- birthday let down you could say but I love her so much! I can't wait to go back and visit her. She's a hoot! SHE HAS HOOFS! I kid you not! Nothing brings in the Christmas spirit like reindeer hoofs! 

Well it's been an adjustment but I love everything about this area! The adventures and people we are meeting everyday! Pray we can find a family! I'm praying too!

I love you so much fam! You guys are the sizzle and dizzle pop to my mop! Have the best week ever!!!! love you soooooo much! whooottt whhhooottttt!

Hermana swagstaff or Hermana whatups what everyone calls me!

flat tire

our fav panda buffet

                                                             bye to my fav sugee sugee best friend

Judster

so disgusting had ourselves a good cry

saying bye to my girl hopie! she's so cute

random from the zoo

last sleepover

nooooooo not Hackett drive

new comp... new way to hug with lice

1,2,3,4,5 HIT IT FERGIE

DEAR FAMILY, 

Well as you all know that stupid saying, "all good things must come to an end." I decided I HATE IT AND I DON'T BELIEVE IN IT! ALL GOOD THINGS NEVER COME TO AN END.  Good things just keep going! I'm getting transferred from my absolute favorite area with my best friends! But I am excited that I have the opportunity to go find and love more people because I will never stop loving the people I've already met. I'll just add to it! After us three threw a good fit and hna. rivera related it to the time her parents got divorced, I headed to the shower and had a good cry. Then Fergie came to me and reminded me, "big girls don't cry Nats!" so I guess I'm a pretty big girl! I'm excited to see where and what the Lord has in store for me! It's going to be so sad. literally Hermana palmer and I are sooooooooo close! I mean there aren't many people in the world that you can say, " I was with her 24/7 from July 29 till Dec 1! THATS A ALONG TIME! but not long enough for us. We could talk and talk for days. and Hna. Rivera- my daughter!!! She's only six weeks old! She's young. So young! 

GUYS I SAW SNOW!!! I saw two pieces of snow. I know it was snow just as much as I know that GAP has a hideous grey sweatshirt that says GAP on it right now for probably 24.99. I KNOW IT! and mother thank you SOOOO MUCH FOR THE COAT. dannnggggg I'm getting so many compliments on it. And black gloves..... i had no idea how fun they are. I feel like a pedafile when i wear them with short sleeves. My companions have been getting so mad but it's so much fun wearing black gloves cooking, planning, you name it! I didn't have any gloves so i was thinking about wearing our oven mitts biking but Hna. Palmer always saves the day. Don't know what I will do without that girl. Today we decided to choose each others ponderize scripture and it was so creepy because we wrote it down for each other and hung it up on the wall and we choose the EXACT SAME scripture. Proverbs 16:20. We had never read it before but it reminded us of each other. It was crazy. So much unity we have! We then both picked verses for Hna. Rivera. They were funny. I'll send a picture. 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FAMILY!!!!!! HOLY MOLY I NEVER WANT TO SEE FOOD EVER AGAIN! This week all together was just pure eating!

Tuesday we won a date with the one the only Alfonso Reyes. Cutest one legged, 70 year old, grandpa I know. He has become our grandpa and he wanted to take us out to his favorite don don don... BUFFET. (family I don't care how healthy, how strong, how capable you think you are. You stay as far away from this place as you can!) All the Chinese women spoke Spanish. All the food was made years ago and I saw an octopus so I thought why not... cuttin' through an old rubber boot that thing was... My favorite part was that there was like no one in the restaurant except a couple construction workers packing up a lunch and the worker ladies decided to cut the green beans on the table next to us! very sanitary place. THEY HAD MINIATURE SPOONS! That was amazing! and I got a fortune and Hna. Palmer and i take fortunes to the next level. We decide when they will happen and what day. so my fortune hna. palmer said this is what will happen with transfer day. My fortune said something like , "Good Timbers grow with ease. The stronger the winds the stronger the trees." whatever that quote is. Sooooo that's pretty exciting. Looks like I've got a rough transfer ahead of me! ha

Alfonso and the buffet and the octopus

Thanksgiving was nutso. Thanksgiving here doesn't matter what you make, you just better make so much of it! We had three appointments.. and they went a little like this....

din din #1 i take you to the table of Kiko C. 

He is a single guy in the ward that wanted to have us over. It made me SOOO grateful for families to be there sitting at his table. but I also felt very sad that he didn't have any family to share this happy holiday with! But we made the best of his, well he made the best of it and made us DELICIOUS brisket! and mom you wanted to know the menu at each house so here you go.... Dinner with kiko. Brisket, grandma sycamore bread, potato salad, watermelon, jello (with no lettuce on the bottom), and Hershey kisses. beautiful!

Din din #2 i take you to the appartment of the familia Hernandez. 

They are the family that has us over every thursday to eat. IT WAS SOOO FUN! It felt like I was at home. They had all their family over and we were just squished with people, love, and food! People just reaching over me to grab salt, screaming kids, teenagers on phones, soo happy! I LOVE FAMILIES! I AM HAVING 100 KIDS! The menu there looked like a typical thanksgiving dinner. Turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, beans, corn, pumpkin pie, rolls (not your homemade ones mom don't worry they weren't as good.) That apt was at 5 and they wanted me to eat soooo much! I ended up just asking if I could take it to go because I was so full. My companions were laughing at me when I was doing sprints back and forth around them on the way to the car straight to the next appointment but they shortly joined in. 

Din din #3 Familia Alonso... 

Walk in, no one there. Just SOO much food set up like a wedding and it was allllll for us. I literally wasn't sure if I could fit in anything else and I also wanted to cry but somehow and someway it fit! God was good that night! The menu there looked like, turkey, mashed potatoes, pasta salad, normal salad (couldn't find the dressing. word to the wise-don't use turkey juice as a substitute.), corn on the cob, pies, cookies, apple drink. SOOOO MUCH FOOD GUYS! I AM SO GLAD I NEVER HAVE TO RELIVE THANKSGIVING 2015. IT WAS WORSE THEN CHRISTMAS 2014. jk It was amazing! All the families made us feel so at home and happy! I wouldn't change it for the world! Everyone is very humbled at this time of year and we saw 9 of our less actives that we visited that week come to church. And our amazing investigator Victor. I haven't told you guys much about him. Sweetest 50 year old ever! All his fam is in El salvador. He is constantly on the phone with his wife and just misses her so much! He is soooo cool! He's come to church 5 times and he actually drove one of our less actives to church for us! BEST INVESTIGATOR EVER! It makes me soooo sad how many families are separated here. This one guy, Fernandos brother was like my wife called me and told me to come back. She said she'd rather eat tortillas with salt for the rest of her life then have me away from her here. The people are just so humble and I am humbled by them! This was just an amazing holiday and I am beyond grateful for my family! I would not be the girl I am today without you guys!

HIT IT FERGIE! CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS THIS WEEK!

LOVE YOU SOOO MUCH!

NATSY

 gotta love a good purple undershirt 

ate too much turkey... flat tires on thanksgiving

                                                                    REY DAVID AND BLANCA

hey you're in traffic.... discover something else unsurprising 

WHO WANTS THE GIZZARD... I DO.. TOO BAD!

DEAREST DARLINGEST FAMILY!

Hi everyone. How are you guys?? This week was beautiful! and I am so GRATEFUL to be a missionary!! I am learning and messing up and learning again just like life! I am also so GRATEFUL for a family like mine! I literally got so lucky. I am so blessed! This week I wanted to tell you why I am so GRATEFUL according to my five senses. I love the Thanksgiving season and I want to be more grateful throughout the whole entire year!- make that my life.

This week according to my five senses it went a little like this....

SEE- This week looked like the most beautiful beautiful fall day up Millcreek canyon. Not a cloud in sight, the sun rising over the city, and air crisp as a lay's chip that I always had a hard time stopping eating.  It was quite deceiving when you walk outside and the air freezes you right to the inner thigh. But this week i'm grateful for the literal EYE BALLS I have! We volunteered with this project SEE TO SUCCEED. It was for all these kids who didn't have the money to buy glasses so they had volunteer doctors there to give them the right glasses they needed for FREEEEEE.  I don't know how or who told them I was HR'S granddaughter but they knew full well that I had hand signals up the hiz-house! The director is explaining to me what I will be doing for the next 7 hours of the day, making me feel like I'm going to be doing this crazy job. She's like, "you are the one who will make this run smoothly. You are the one who will make all the nonsense go away." I'm like sweet. Picturing myself with a walkie-talkie in one hand and clipboard in the other. NOPE just got placed by the exit sign and directed the children which doctor to go to. "Head to the doctor in the red. Follow the group of kids to the doctor in the black." But I was so GRATEFUL to be there and I knew they are grateful as well. So I thought we need to change this up a bit and make it more fun. This is where HR really pulled through. Hand signals they'd never seen before where coming out. And to each kid I was like, "Do a dance move before you sit down in front of doctor in the red." Their dance moves were hilarious. Then the doctor in the red was like this is awesome why is everyone dancing... all the kids are like, "That girl over there told us too!" I had my rainboots on and the doc would just yell in this huge room. "Bootss haayyyyyy booots! I want your boots!" so freaky! but so grateful!

SMELL- this week smelt like turkey juice soaked into my fingers. This is where I'd also like to give a huge shout out to my hunk of a father for cutting the meat on holidays, Sunday, whatever occasion, he always pulls through. I had the scariest yet funniest experience at our ward Thanksgiving dinner on Friday night. I FULLY regret asking if they needed help serving food. The relief society president was like yes and just hands me a knife and tongs and says, "don't give them too much or too little." and thats when the fun began.... picture me hacking at this poor turkey as the ward is yelling body parts that they want, that I have never heard of, with turkey juice just running down my legs and arms! I had about I'd say 12 birds and a line of 100 people. I was so nervous! I started sweating so bad! This one guy was so particular about what part he wanted and I was sawing at it for a good 5 minutes... I'm like, "wait for it wait for it!" I finally just had to give him the knife. Everyone was dying because I was trying so hard but cutting turkey is not for 20 year old girls like me! It was a disaster but so GRATEFUL FOR MY DADDY! I kept saying "WHO WANTS THE GIZZARD? TOO BAD. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS!" 

TOUCH- This week felt like globby bird poop everywhere!!!!! so I love myself a good challenge. ya know me! We are biking and said, "person who stops smiling first has to carry all the bikes up the stairs." So I already look like the biggest cheese ball biking and my cheeks are about to fall off and we are stopped at this stop light and I look up and I'm like noooooooooooooooooooooo thousands of birds above us and this is a long light... Pretty much looked like a can of whip cream was poured down on all of us. Best part of it all was we were still smiling and that made us laugh our heads off. sooo disgusting!

This week also felt like warm hugs from all our english class learners who threw us the cutest class party. Really reminded me of those fourth grade- right before break parties! ohhh how I love my english class ladies! We made a turkey and wrote what they were thankful for on a feather. In honor of my mother! i don't think they understood it at first because every single person put "family" but then they understood when I wrote trees and giraffes that you can be grateful for anything!!! 

SOUND- this week sounded like the sweetest testimony from my recent convert Cristian. OHHHH HOW IT WARMED MY HEART SOOO MUCH!!! at church I asked Cristian if he would come out with us and he was SOOO excited! he was like, "really? you want me to come teach with you guys!?" and ohhh I wanted to cry when he was bearing his testimony for this new family that we met. He was like, "I have no doubt in my mind that this is the true church. It has completely changed my life. I use to know there was a God and Christ. but now I FEEL THEM WITH ME!" IT WAS SO HAPPY! and we three started walking out and he just stayed and was talking to the family. he was like, "No, really you guys HAVE to pray. This is the true church and I really want you to find out for yourself!" so wonderful the gospel!!!

TASTE- this week tasted like sacrament bread. The joy of being a missionary. The taste of grace and the taste of happiness! I am so grateful for the grace of god! In the new missionary mtg we had this week, President was teaching the new missionaries how to teach the atonement. and i just learned SOOO MUCH! God's grace is sufficient and it works for me! I am so far from perfect and sometimes i think that i have to be perfect for grace to apply to me but it does. it works after I DO ALL THAT I CAN! i love the atonement sooo much! that is was i am sooooo GRATEFUL because without it i am nothing and with it i am everything! i love you guys so much!!!

p.s. you can know that the weather is changing just by knowing that i have a cold sore or it might be picture day becasue that always happened on the same day as well. but hna. palmer asked me this week, "Does that weather thing on your lip hurt? does it make you sad?" and i said, "No it will go away. Things that go away don't make me sad." haha they have been making fun of me all week. They think I'm such a child which I am! but it's great! wohooo hooo hooo!!!

love you love you love you 

hermana tony malony



Jaime Antonio and my lovely comps!

getting ready for bed... in my velvet love! usually the sleeves are long like angels ha but ya can't wash your face with those kind of sleeves so velvet wife beater. Don't mind if I do!
     
english class turk turk

CALL DOWN MERCY FROM ED TAYLOR

My darling little companion going on her first exchange!

Family what's up!!

hey, it's me again... once again...just here still on my same street! not much happened this week. Hna. Palmer got the flu and we studied a lot! 

This week we were just simply driving to family history in Wilver's car. I was sitting back middle eating an apple and peanut butter (i love giving you guys all the details ha). There is always traffic always traffic. I thought, I hated traffic but I've learned to just absolutely love it! It's like a big game of tetris and all of Houston gets so frustrated but I love just waving to people and having them not wave back. It's so fun! oh word to the wise... if you're looking to merge in the city always stick out a limb. Always gets the people! haha just my arm but coming at ya Cliopatra. Anywho Wilver thinks he's back in Guatamala just a terrible driver, loves flying over pot holes, and having us hit our heads on the ceiling. We were stuck in traffic in the middle lane and all the sudden Wilver's like "My car wont start, won't move!" I'm like, "Wilver come on now.. GO you silly man!" he's like no seriously! We are like a small piece of meat in an ocean of sharks. Cars were just flying by us and I was so scared we were going to get slammed from behind because we didn't have break lights on or anything. So I knew I had to call down mercy from Ed Taylor during this holiday season. Wilver is like,"I'll just get out and push!" so he opens his door and quickly shuts it surprised by his surroundings i'm sure. So i just start praying out loud and then I see Wilver start the key back up for the fifth time and it WORKED! He turns around with the widest eyes, "Wow Hermana Wallace, you have powerful prayers.... I didn't think that would actually work. If I ever need a prayer, I'm calling you!" It was a great lesson on prayer for all of us! I told him it doesn't matter who says the prayer, God answers all prayers! If we ask in faith he will answer! it doesn't matter how simple our prayers are or what we are praying for. He will answer them! 

other quick thing.... we were helping this little investigator with her homework project on Exploring and she looks over at me as I'm frantically writing all the instructions down. She's like, "ummm what are you doing?" "uhhh I really like exploring so I was thinking about doing it to!" 

I FORGOT HOW MUCH FUN HOMEWORK IS! AND I LOVE EXPLORING! I BOUGHT MYSELF AN EXPLORER JOURNAL TODAY AND JUST CAN'T EVEN WAIT TO SEE WHAT TREASURES I FIND IN IT. HOOT HOO HOOO HOOOOUSSSSSTTTONNN! 

I LOVE YOU SOOO MUCH FAMILY! HAVE A BETTER WEEK THEN A DEEP FRIED TURKEY PARTY  IN THE ORCHARD!

p.s. this week my tongue got so swollen so I had to take benedril (no idea how to spell that) but it knocked me out! I still had to teach so I literally was asleep with my eyes open. My comps said it was hilarious but I can't remember anything that happened! You could have thrown me into an NFL football game quaterback..no idea what happened Friday the 13th. I HATE DRUGS! DON'T DO DRUGS! 

HERMANA WAGSTAFF! 

I love giraffes!!! zoo with hermana sanchez! she's so cute!

. district

my giraffe Harold meets his habitat 

Neighbors

Dear family,

Butter is perfectly boiling over the stove, just about to grab the sugar to make my world famous Aunt Sandy's brownies when I look in the deserted cupboard... NO SUGAR!! I've never messed up on these brownies guys, never burnt em, never been too salty, always just right and here I am with no sugar. I quickly throw on my rain boots and tell my companions to follow me. I didn't know my plan exactly but I knew I had to act quick. So my plan is to knock on a neighbors door and ask for just two cups of sugar. I don't know if it was the fact that I was a missionary or that mom never let me go door to door with Happenings books so I'm not very experienced but no one was opening and Hna. Palmer was too embarrassed to come to the door with me. But I love me some neighbors! You guys know that. I know more about them then probably all of them think just by listening to conversations or talking to them. So I thought today I'd let you know just briefly what it's like to live on my street where the old folks home across the street smells like Millhollow rotten bacon year round and behind our house looks exactly like way before Brooke Bishop's time when the trees and plants were very overgrown. I don't wanna know what kind of Texas creatures are living in there.

But our neighbors.... oh our neighbors how I love them! First and foremost-Joe! How I love Joe. He leaves every morning 7 a.m. to take his son to work. He's not working just maning the house taking care of his son with down syndrome. Usually buys his plants at Lowes for .99 but occasionally home depot if they are having a sale. He likes woodside village but is looking for a home. He didn't answer and his car was gone... usually means he's grocery shopping.

Next neighbor- don't actually know their names, only somehow know their dogs names Isaac and Gypsy. Every time walking in I'm like, "hna palmer, should i say hi?" she's like, "noooo don't embarrass me!" me- "Issac, Gypsy good morning!" I have no idea how I learned their names and their owner is so confused too! But one night like 9 o'clock he knocked on our door and that would be so normal if we were normal humans but we for some reason thought we were like getting bombed. Hna. Palmers like hiding behind the couch. I go to the door and yell, "who's there?" he's like, "Ummm, it's your neighbor just wanted to tell ya you left your car lights on." I swing open the door. I was like, "Sorry sir no one has ever knocked our door so you just scared us." Needless to say he thinks we are freaks so of course he wouldn't answer when I come knocking for suggy!

So I try Baby's mom. Baby's the black cat and her owner is just as old and fragile as an antique bag of frames. She supports nightgowns so you know me and her get along real well! From what I've observed she likes mashed potatoes and green beans when her kids bring her dinner. Wasn't home or couldn't hear me... one of the two.

Next neighbor I tried to ask but Hna. Palmer wouldn't let me is the twins... ohhh the twins. We aren't sure if they are twins or just married but they have identical long blonde, stringy hair and sometimes when I shower at night I wake up in the morning looking like the twins... I hate waking up looking like the twins! We also aren't sure if they have some sort of drug lab going on but it's very suspicious. They are always out on their back patio cooking and smoking weird things. So one night I decided to ask them... "whatcha cookin?" they look at each other and back at us... very slowly reply "chhhhiiickkkonnnn leeggggsss??" really? I wanted to bust in there and take the lid off but couldn't get the courage....

I then tried Grace. Born and raised in France. Looks just like the Flintstones lady. She wears one High heel and one flat because one of her legs is shorter than the other. She wasn't home and then I remembered that she's allergic to humidity so she moves to Las Vegas for half the year. She's a hoarder but when I asked her how long she's been a hoarder she said, "it's called "collecting!" i love collecting! and Hoarding so i love grace!

Next I tried Chores and Gladys. African American couple. Every Saturday morning they take the taxi to Walmart and sometimes we are lucky enough to help them carry their groceries up the stairs. They support Walmart insolation bags... great buy in Houston. keeps your food cool for up to 12 hours!

Joelle... walks his dog all day everyday with two cigarettes behind his ears... and always tells me. "Christ is coming you know. Christ is coming!" He was addicted to cocaine in 1901 he says... I think he still might be addicted because he should be far dead if he was alive back in 1901. gotta love the people on my street! so many treasures you'll find!

I tried Judy but you guys know her... NEVER HOME....So as I sadly walked back to the house so sad that I couldn't make my brownies for Alondra's baptism. JOE JOEEEEEEEE I REPEAT MY FAVORITE NEIGHBOR joe just popped out of nowhere and I was so surprised and happy to see him I think I scared him when I yelled his name and ran towards him with my measuring cup. Joe saves the day always! He always knows the weather, the stats about Texas. You name it, joe's got it! so I made my delicious brownies and took him and his wife some! 

And I took them to Alondra's baptism interview. Her baptism was so so sweet! When we asked her who she wanted to baptize her... there is this elder that just came in a couple weeks ago and he's super super tall so she's like, "I WANT THE GIANT!" and it was a really really sweet baptism! She is the cutest little girl ever! i love her so much! The primary president spoke and she just started bawling she said, "Alondra, I thought you were lost for a while. I didn't see you in primary for so many years and I hate when one of my children gets lost. But now you will never be lost because you have the Holy Ghost. So even if your mom doesn't bring you to church I will come get you!" It was such a beautiful night last night because CHRISTIAN walked in and wow i've never seen him so happy! ahhh and he was just telling me how happy he felt so much happy to handle! he was telling me how he skyped kevin and the whole family came on. He said, "Ah it was so scary! i met like everyone in your family they are all so nice but i didn't know how to express myself in your language."

well fam, I love you guys so much! I love you more than the zoo giraffes that I'm going to pet today with my district at the zoo!!! i love giraffes and i always wear my giraffe necklace. his name is harold he's a good guy! love you so much

tony flony baloney

baptism pics! this is Alondra and her mom

the giant she wanted

christian's back and Hna. Johnson came for the bap! love these people

we have no idea who this guy is... the mom's boyfriend just left for the streets like a week ago... next thing I know this guy is just in the family photos... awko