Transfer news and present from Gilberto!

I'll be here for Christmas. :) (Van Nuys) Hermana Penaranda is going up to North Hollywood. I'm getting a companion who I think is just out of training, which will be an adventure. I don't know why people trust me with responsibilities. ;)

I love it here, but it's way sketch. The thing is, the people here are amazing. We have these three families that are really progressing, and they're just so humble and grateful to have the gospel in their lives. My goal for this transfer is to get them all baptized. :) So.... stay tuned. :)

I also got sick this week. So fun....

Gilberto made us a Christmas present! They are adorable rocking horses that make galloping noises when you rock them. Gilberto is the man. :)

Thanksgiving!

Happy thanksgiving, all! We taught our members how to make hand turkeys to celebrate, so now they're basically integrated into American culture. :) We love the familia Cortez!

We ended up having two Thanksgiving dinners, but neither of them were traditional. Some of the missionaries were sad because the food we eat here is so different than Thanksgiving with their families. But to me it felt normal to eat something exciting and different. :) One of our members did try to make turkey, but she felt like it would be dry so she covered it in chile. :) It was really good. :)

I missed being with all of you on Thanksgiving. But honestly, for me, time is flying. I hit my halfway mark at the end of December, and I still feel like I just started! Missions go by so fast. :)

I want to be a missionary Now

Katherine had some pretty hard weeks but she wrote to me that she knows that being a on mission is the right thing for her right now. 

She wrote "Lots of missionaries do go home from my mission, but even with all the (hard things) I've never even thought about that as a possibility. I know anything can happen, but I really do trust the Lord. :) And I know that Heavenly Father will help me to do this, because it's His will for me to serve a mission. :) And even when things are hard, I'm happier here than I would be anywhere else, because this is where Heavenly Father wants me to be. :) (Also, it turns out that the missionary schedule helps me a lot. Sleep and exercise are pretty helpful, it seems. :) )

I know that all of us truly are known to God. :) He knows us, and He is so aware of us. :) He is doing everything He can to help us. :)

Speaking of wonderful weeks, we had 7 investigators come to church yesterday!!!! That was an absolute miracle. :) The work is amazing in this area, and I'm so grateful to be a part of it. :)"

   

Hermana Jensen making missionary name tags for little friends.

It's getting chilly in the Valley. We get lots of photos of Hermana Jensen eating soup.