10.06.2008 (Email)

Hello! How are you all doing? Things here are going really well. Dad, I got the email with the song. Thank you so much! I read in the bottom of Mom´s email that you were going to write... I don´t know if you had the chance to write but I didn´t get it if you sent it. It´s okay if you didn´t get the chance! :D

First off, to answer your questions I have gotten. The members are good with retention. The Bishop has just called couples in the ward as ward mission leaders that he wants to teach the retention lessons. We are planning on teaching the members the lessons so they can then teach, and have a relationship with the new converts. We hope this takes place shortly.

Also, Andrea and Gabriela just got callings! Andrea is a counselor in the RS, and Gabriela is the secretary in the RS. Yay!

As for washing clothes, there is a member in the ward, Hermana Lagos, who usually washes our clothes, with the exception of underclothes, which we wash in the apartment. If we don´t have time to take our clothes to her, we just wash what we need as we go. It works. :)

Yes, we have a cell phone. The sisters are allowed to carry it around with us during the day in case of emergency, but we´re not supposed to use it during the day otherwise. We can use it at night and in the morning if we need to call investigators or members, as well as our district or zone leaders. I think it works out to like 8 minutes a day to those who aren´t actually in the mission (missionaries).

We eat lunch with the members every day with the exception of Mondays, and every other Friday depends. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don´t. It´s the same schedule every week though (same members). The food is great... perhaps a little too great. Oh well, what can you do?? :D

Mom, you asked if I had accompanied Hermana Celis or done a solo on the piano. I had accompanied her in the talent show. No solos quite yet.

Lisa, Happy Birthday this Sunday! 25??? We´re getting so old! I hope you have a wonderful birthday, and know that I´ll be thinking of you. Here, you can pretend that I´m actually singing this: Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Lisa, Happy Birthday to you! ¡Feliz Cumpleanos!

Shari, how are you doing? I have really been thinking about you recently, and I hope you are doing well. You´re always in my prayers.

Rita and Oriana, mother and sister of Rocio, are scheduled to be baptized this Saturday. Yay!

Now for conference. Can I just say that I absolutely LOVED it! I really don´t even know where to begin. We had to go to Neuquen where there´s a satelite. We found out that they were broadcasting the RS broadcast Saturday morning before the saturday morning session, which actually started here at 1:00. President Cook not only allowed, but encouraged us to go. So that was great.

I watched/listened to the RS Broadcast in Spanish. Well, the songs of course were in English, but the rest in Spanish. I really enjoyed it. I was happy to realize how much I understood. Granted there were many words I didn´t catch, but I still got the message and feeling. Very good talks.

Then, for the rest of conference, they set up a room for all of us english speaking missionaries where we could watch it in our native language! It was SO wonderful! I honestly can´t express the joy of hearing conference, and just being able to enjoy the message and be spiritually uplifted. I don´t know if I have ever enjoyed conference so much.

After the saturday morning session Hna. Celis and I did divisions with the sisters in that area - Hna. Valderrama of Chile, and Hna. Diaz of Buenos Aires. I went with Hna. Valderrama, who is the senior companion. It was very enjoyable. We went and invited recent converts to conference. It was fun to see another side of Neuquen, the houses rather than just the city. It turns out that my area is very flat! It was fun to walk the hills in her area. Very fun.

Then we watched the Afternoon session from 5-7 at night. And that was the day! After conference on Saturday I just wanted to tell the world that we have a living prophet and apostles! What an amazing blessing to receive guidance for our day.

Sunday we went and picked up the members in the bus. I was excited because Rita, Rocio, Oriana, and Jennifer (another daughter) all came! Yay! Also, Liliana, a recent convert, brought her neighbor Maria (an ex-investigator) and her sister Maria. Yay for missionary work!

We ate lunch with all the ward. I´m always very amazed by their generosity. What is one person´s is everyones.

After both sessions we headed back in the Cole (bus), and we got back in time to do work for 30-45 minutes. It was such a wonderful conference! I am so so grateful that I had the opportunity to listen and learn. I feel like I have a new energy and desire to continue working. I hope that you all also received answers to your prayers.

Tonight we are going to have FHE with Gabriela and her family. Gabriela actually invited her friend and her mom as well. I´m grateful for her example, that she is already taking part in helping others learn about the Gospel.

Oh, I have a question. I brought my old tennis shoes, and I have recently started to notice that my knees are starting to feel it - like I´m training for a race or something! Do you think it would be smart for me to buy new shoes? Or would it be better for you to send me mine that are at home? Hna. Celis thinks they would cost me like 200 pesos here, so like 70 dollars? I don´t know. Let me know what you think. :o)

Well, I need to go. The church is true.Thanks for everything. I love you all tons!

Con Mucho Amor,
Hermana Jana Banana Pincock