Aloha from Lemoore!!
Well here's the big news. I am staying in Lemoore and getting Sister Denton as my companion again! Sister Lemalu is going to Modesto to step-train Sister Haueter (the sister that Sister To'a was training this transfer)! Sister Denton is an English sister so I am once again going to be on my own doing my Spanish thing. Haha.
It will be Sister Denton's last transfer, so we'll have a lot of motivation to finish out her mission strong!
We saw a miracle Sunday night. About three weeks ago we received a referral and the information told us to call ahead for an appointment. So, we did and the lady on the phone did not sound interested slash had no idea what we were talking about. This is a common occurrence so we didn't think anything of it. Well, on Sunday we got a call from the Bishop saying that a man had called him from Colorado with a referral from us. It turned out to be for the same woman! However, there was a different phone number--we hadn't called the right woman! So, we decided to hitch a ride with one of our ward missionaries and be off to find this address. It was raining pretty heavily all day Sunday, and this address was near the northern boundary of our area---a journey through farmlands and dairies and the like. Anyways, we had hard time locating the address, as the only thing where the house should have been was a huge dairy. We spotted something though, behind the dairy and across a large field of mud, that looked sort of like a residence. So we decided to try it out. Luckily the sister that took us is adventuresome! I was prepared to get out and push the car through the mud when suddenly the car smoothly drove toward the establishment. It was a house!!! We were looking for the number and creepily drove around the whole thing. Then, we saw someone come out of the home. I jumped out (because Spanish was required) and asked if this was indeed the number of the house we were looking for. It was, and so then I asked for Elisa. We were a bit perplexed, but then all of a sudden the most jolly, kind Elisa walked out of her home and asked us to come in. We had a beautiful conversation, all in spanish by the way, where she asked for a Book of Mormon and told us that her brother was just baptized (the one who had referred her). I taught her about the Book of Mormon, committed her to read 3 Nephi 11 and then set a return appointment. She is such a happy woman! I love the way she speaks Spanish. So clear and loud. Hurray! She's definitely a miracle. Her son lives with her, Juan, and I am excited for the future of the family!!!
Sister Lemalu and I sang in Church on Sunday. We sang a duet of a song called "Teach A Child" and "I Love to See The Temple". It went really well and was a great way to try to repay the ward for everything they have done for us!
We have had a lot of fun playing AN INTENSE game of slugbug. So "fun" that we have bruises. Haha. It has been quite the adventure getting along and I'm so sad to see Sister Lemalu go! I have learned SO much from her this second time around and I hope to always be more like her. :)
We have also received some wonderful referrals from the ward and are seeing great success in getting into Less-Active and previously "DNC" homes. Our strategy is very awesome. There is a neighbor of a member who has a HUGE lemon tree. She hurt her shoulder and therefore can't pick her tree. So we go over and pick it for her. And then take huge bags and bags and bags of lemons to use as our ruse into disarming potentially disgruntled members. So we knock and then before they can even talk we mention how we love their yard, their home, what good things we have heard about them and whadaya know we have some fresh lemons we would love to give them! :) It works!!
I made another spanish mistake the other day. I was talking to a sister and discussing the weather. I said... "Oh, esta llorando!" Hahah. I said "it's crying"! The sister and I laughed and then I got the right verb and fixed it saying, "Oh, esta lloviendo!" But, I was pretty close and we had a good laugh saying that indeed the sky was crying. :)
Things are going well here. We're seeing success with our investigators and I just keep praying my texan heart out to be able to speak and communicate with these people! We have had to track so many of them down and it is heartbreaking to see the struggles they have! But we have great support and we're going to make church a marvelous experience for them!
I have discovered an amazing way to get things done. I make lists. And then I give these lists to our ward mission leader. And then he knows exactly what to go after! In Ward Council the Bishop likes the Ward Mission Leader to do all of the talking with Missionary work. So we just make lists for him. :) It is amazing how much can get done. I made an inventory of all of the spanish items we had and then made recommendations of things that need to be added to make this a beneficial area for the spanish speakers. We tested all of the translating units and head phones and headset. It was great!
I can't believe I am coming up on a year of being out! I can't believe that I reported to the MTC March 31st!! Time is absolutely flying!!
Peace by the Journey,
Sister Bolliger
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