T2W2 Nacho and Alva Baptized!

Dear Family,

How is everyone? I guess Emma is in NC? Miriam how are youuuu? Did you get my letter?! I still haven't taken pictures with my new/semi-new companions sorry. We have been working hard as usual. I am finally at a computer where I can see the pictures Clarissa sent with her and Miriam. Looks way fun... not gonna lie, it made me feel weird seeing you guys actually touching a guy. That's not allowed in the mission. Haha.

It is hard writing this email without my journal in front of me. I lost my journal last week and someone in a ward way far away took it with them from the Stake Center so I haven't been able to get it back. Last Monday we met up with most of the zone at the Stake Center to play this game they play every p-day called Poison. It's like dodge ball. The elders have no fear in pelting the balls at us two sisters who were brave enough to play. It is a whole new group of elders that I hadn't met before this transfer but they all seem like fun. I've been getting to know them pretty fast.

Just yesterday there was a stake fireside for recent converts and investigators in my old chapel hosted by my old Louetta ward. Just before that Alva and Nacho got baptized! I wasn't able to attend the baptism because my ward meets from 3pm-6pm. It's way late. We did get to go to the fireside though and Alva and Nacho were there. It made me tear up to see them so clean and living their new life. Their son Angel was taking millions of pictures of me. We were also able to see all of the other Spanish Missionaries that are in the city that we never see. That means my madre Hermana Draney! It made me homesick to see a lot of the ward members there. I miss that ward.

We have a baptism this Sunday! His name is Dolores and every time we teach him he is just great even when it is going to be difficult for him. He committed to paying a full tithe even though he struggles to pay for other necessities. He's told us about several times in his life when he almost died but was miraculously saved. We tell him that Heavenly Father must have some great purpose for his life.

I am getting to know the ward members in the Bear Creek II ward slowly but surely. I made friends with this older sister- Sister Luna- after Relief Society last Sunday and she invited us over to eat on Saturday. She is from Nicaragua but we call her a viajona because she travels like crazy! She lives in this big fancy house and has been to NYC, SLC, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Nicaragua all in the past year or so. Her and I are like BFF because I told her about my NYC Chinatown experiences and she new exactly what I was talking about. My companions just had to sit back and listen. She piled our plates really high with delicious food and we literally could not walk afterwards because we had to eat everything. Sister Luna and I will probably be friends forever.

It is amazing to me still how I am able to speak this language-how I can carry on conversations about Chinatown and listen to broadcasts, read the scriptures, etc. There are several Americans in the ward that married people from their missions. Interesting huh?

My companionship has been an experience! Hermana Dewey and I probably just missed each other so many times when were at BYU. We've found so many mutual friends and talked about certain parties that we were both at! Heremana Hollenbaugh and I still have a lot of differences but it is good that we have Hermana Dewey there to make us laugh about things. That was something we didn't ever do in the MTC.

I hope everyone is doing well. Our ward mission leader told us about his brother who was a bishop, had several stake callings, and converted over hundreds of people on his mission. His brother this week decided he did not believe the church to be true anymore. I think this is the reason why enduring to the end is so important. When we have made a covenant with the Lord- there can be nothing worse that not keeping our promise. I know this church is true with all my heart.

Love, Camille