Hola! 03.16.2009 (Email)

Hola! How are you all doing? I hope you´re all doing well. Well, I´m in Roca because our district is going to have a little activity, so while we´re waiting for it to start we decided to start internet. I don´t know that I have that much time, so if I don´t write much right now, I´ll be sure to write more later.

Well, how did your talks go for stake conference? I´m sure that you both did wonderful. I actually ended up speaking yesterday as well... :D Saturday night about 10:00 I found out I was speaking the next morning at 9:00, so there wasn´t much preparation, but I think it went just fine.. I spoke on members and missionary work. Why ít´s important, and what the members can do.

I got letters from Shari, Lisa and Jordan, and AK as well. Very fun. I got the blog of all the fun things Nyah is doing. And Hallie - not a huge fan of the sand? And I´ve heard a little about the Denver trip. Good times.

Happy Easter! :D I got the package from Mom and Dad with all the yummy easter candy. Gracias! And of course, all the english stuff. I honestly haven´t had time yet to really check out the english materials, but I´ll do it as soon as I can. I´m excited to use all the stuff. Gracias!

AK, a bummer that things didn´t work out with Darci. Hopefully you´ve found someone else by now.

Well, we had a good week this week here in Allen. We decided to start working in a neighborhood that we really hadn´t worked in before, and things are going really well there. We have found some really great people so we´re excited.

I´m really enjoying getting to know the ward members better. There are some great people here in Allen. I am definitely learning about wards, how they function, and how I can help wards both now and after the mission.

I really have a testimony of the importance of visiting and home teaching. People need individual attention!

Yesterday we went on ¨splits¨and it actually went really well. I went with Hna. Moreno, our ward mission leader´s wife. As we headed off I told her we were going to do contacts in the street, and asked her what she thought about it. She kind of just looked at me like... What?? It made me giggle. But we did it and she helped a ton. She joined the church after already being married, but I´m pretty sure she would have left on the mission had she had a chance.

The splits actually went really well. I felt much better prepared this time than the first time I went without Hna. Celis. Things went well for Hna. Wilches as well and we found some new investigators. Yay!

We were eating lunch the other day with two sisters - Hna. Gabriela and Nilda Acosta. They were asking about my family again, and Nilda jokingly asked if I have any brothers. I assured her that I do, that he´s about her age, but if she wants to marry him she´ll have to learn english, or he´ll have to practice his spanish. Haha It made me laugh.

Lets see, Lisa reminded me that I never really wrote my new years goals. I think one of mine should be better posture as well. :D I did write some goals down, but I need to look at them more often. I want to improve my spanish - just a better vocabulary over all. I want to be more confident and bold in my teaching, but do so in a loving way at the same time. I want to be more patient and humble. I read a talk this week by President Ezra Taft Benson that talks about pride and it really opened my eyes. It was written in 1986 I believe, and it is a great talk. I believe it´s called ¨Beware of Pride¨ if anyone´s interested. I basically just want to be a better person over all. A better instrument in the hands of the Lord. It´s a constant battle isn´t it? I also want to be a better companion. I want to think about other´s needs before my own.
Needless to say, I have lots of work to do! It should be a good year.

I also read Pres. Monson´s talk from the last ensign about prayer and faith. Prayer really is important. You´re all praying and reading your scriptures every day right? :D

Dad, I love that you´re still playing soccer every once in a while with the Spanish branch. You´re playing much more soccer than I am! It´s interesting to be surrounded by a language that you don´t understand every once in a while. It´s a good reminder not to take our native language for granted. :D

I thought it was interesting because when Elder Scott was here he told us we should be doing our personal study in our native language, no matter how well we know spanish, because the Spirit can speak to us better that way. It´s the truth.

I love hearing from all of you. I love hearing what you think. The things that make you giggle, trials, thoughts... how the life is. The mission is great. I´m grateful for trials, because they help me appreciate the really good times as well. Hna. Wilches and I are really working here in Allen, and we´re starting to see miracles. Thanks for your good examples. Mom and Dad, thanks for raising us in the gospel, and for always being strong. And thanks to all the generations before hand, that made it possible for me to be born into the gospel! I love you all, and I´ll write again next week. :D

Love Always and Forever,
Hermana Jana Banana Pincock

P.S. Jordan, I¨m thinking of starting up the ¨peace¨and ¨I love you¨sign.