So sorry the email didn't work last week!! :( I don't know what happened! Here I am :)

 

Well I had a WONDERFUL final week in Napa. Yep, that's right! I'm getting Transferred! My new area is called Middletown, in Lake County. I hear it's a great place and I'm excited for a new adventure. My new companion's name is Hermana Tracey - we were actually in the MTC at the same time, and sat beside each other on the plane flying in! I don't know her very well, but from what I remember, she is really sweet and happy and outgoing. I'm excited to serve with her. I believe she's already been in Middletown for a while, and I also heard that we drive a Truck, and there's lots of windy roads. She'll be the driver, so we'll see how this goes and how many times I get car sick! Hahaha. I leave on Wednesday morning, so until I have my new address, send things to the mission home!

 

I couldn't have asked for a better final week. On Monday for P-day we carved pumpkins in a beautiful park and the weather was perfect. This week we also had our very first Skype lesson!! It was really weird to teach in English, and weird to teach someone I had never met before over Skype! But it was AWESOME. We taught a guy named John. He is from West Africa (the way he spoke reminded me of watching videos from Tyler's mission), but is living and going to School in Arizona. We randomly started talking to him on Facebook, and he's going through a really rough time, and was looking for help. So, we taught him about the Restoration of The Gospel of Jesus Christ and how we can rely on Him during the trials of our lives. We also taught him about baptism and how as we more fully follow Jesus Christ in our lives, we recieve more blessings. He accepted to be baptized and to meet with the missionaries in Arizona. He is excited to learn more. It was so great! I attached a screen shot we took :)

Have I ever told you all about Cristobal? Cristobal is such an amazing man. He is probably about 70 years old, and he had throat cancer, and now has a hole in his throat, so he can't talk, except with a little machine thing that looks like he is holding a mini flashlight up to his neck, and it kind of magnifies the sound or something. Anyways, he speaks Spanish, and so it is SUPER hard to understand him. We can barely understand spanish in the first place, and then we try to read his lips and listen through the machine thing. Oh, and he also doesn't have teeth. It's hard, but I can feel the Lord blessing us when we talk with him - It's a miracle we understand anything! Sometimes his daughters or granddaughters help us out. So this week, we asked him how his reading of the Book of Mormon is going. He has read tons of chapters and he loves it. He told us how he had to go through radiation or something and that the doctors told him it would be extremely painful and he would get really sick, but he has barely had any side effects. He knows that the miracles that are happening in his life are from God, and he pointed to the Book of Mormon and said, "and from that book." He knows it is true. It made us so happy! We shared about in 3 Nephi when Jesus institutes the Sacrament and the importance of attending Sacrament Meeting, and invited him to go. Unfortunately, he was going to Vallejo for the weekend, but then I realized that Hermana Lawrence is in Vallejo (she still doesnt have her visa!) and he ADORES Hermana Lawrence. We told him how it would be the best surprise ever if he showed up to Sacrament Meeting there, so we gave him the information for the service. Tonight we're going to find out if he went and how it was!! :) So many little miracles there. He is the cutest man ever.

 

This weekend we had the "Fiesta de Pardi de Jalloween" (that's how the Branch President kept announcing it) :) combined with the English ward. We showed up for the last part, which was the Trunk-or-treat. We had a great turn out, and the kids were so cute!! Now that I'm leaving, I realize just how much I love these people and how much I am going to miss them. We have some incredible members here who are so devoted to the Lord and know that true joy is found in serving him. I have learned so much from the examples of these amazing people. On Sunday we took a bunch of pictures with the ward members (Hermana LeMmon is leaving too), and so I'll attach some of those.

 

The best part of yesterday was that JOSE CAME TO CHURCH!! Jose is our investigator who has a baptismal date in December but is progressing very slowly. He says he will do things, but then he doesn't. We're having a hard time helping him act on his faith so that he can feel the blessings the gospel brings. He's such a wonderful person, and he needs this so much, but sometimes he doesn't have the motivation to act. But, yesterday, after weeks of saying he would come and then not coming or not being home when we stopped by, we went over with a ride for him, and he quickly got ready and came!! :) It was so awesome. Thank you for your prayers!!! I hope that he was able to feel the spirit and will continue to come. We have a lesson with him on Tuesday.

 

Also, there was a baptism in our branch last night, and Yolanda and Yaneli came!!! The spirit was so strong at the baptism, and afterwards Yolanda asked us if we were coming over to teach her soon. We set up an appointment for tonight, and we hope that after seeing Toni so happy and feeling the spirit, she will want to follow Jesus Christ and be baptized as well. I got a picture with them and attached it :) It was such a wonderful day!!!

 

I am sad to be leaving all these wonderful people in Napa and my wonderful companion, but still so excited for a new adventure!

I just heard from you - glad it was a good week! It was fun to see the picture of you two raking leaves. I love you all so much!! I think of you every day and I'm praying for you.

 

I am so grateful to be a missionary and grateful to serve my Savior. Every day I grow in different ways, and I grow in appreciation for my Savior, His sacrifice, His love, and His patience with me. I know that He atoned for us so that we can repent and change and live with God again. I am so grateful for that knowledge and the peace that it brings. I am so grateful that I get to share that knowledge with others and be a small part in the Savior's work.

 

Love you all and I hope you have a great week. Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MADELINE (on Sunday!!!)

Con mucho amor,

 

Hermana Vance