Week 44

Hey hey hey!!!
Mom thanks for forwarding Ethan and Lukes emails- they look like they are doing really well which is so awesome. The mission helps you grow up soooo Im happy for anyone that makes the right decision to get their butt on a mission. Its changed me so much, that is for sure, Im still cool tho, I think haha.
Eveything here is going good, today I have a doctors appointment, I am going to be asking for stronger medicine- the Plaquinil (sp?) is good and has helped but I am still pretty sore a lot of the time so I hope that it will all work out well. This past week we were able to teach some really awesome lessons, Hermano Luevano and I had a serious heart to heart last night and I was just asking him the most direct inspired questions and at the end I was like, "Hermano you need to come back to church" and he was like, "I know" and he just sat there thinking, it was cool, he has been through the temple and everything but the church burnt him out with callings etc.. I just dont know how you can receive so much spiritual truth and turn away from it, all the less actives I see know that their lives would be better with the gospel but the obstacles (and dont get me wrong- a lot of them have very big obstacles) keep them from making the changes that would make their quality of life so much better. It is frustrating to know what is best for someone and them not do it... freaking agency! haha.
Juanita was supposed to come to get baptized this coming Sunday but she didnt come to church.. so tragic. Yesterday we had Marcos Castillo's baptism which was a great success! He is Andrea's son (she was my first baptism back last year). The work is coming along, the Cardona family are progressing well but slowly because they talk soo stinkin much. We will be talking abut faith then Alfredo pulls up a random funny youtube video in his ipod touch...haha its funny but annoying, but they are awesome and will get baptized pronto.
Sorry I dont have more time, we need to head to Glendale to the doctors then we are going to that cool mall 'Americana' and meeting up with Hermana Herrera and Hermana Ence there... Should be fun, love you guys!!!! XOXOXOXO. Laura.

Week 43

Life here is good, same ol same ol in Covina haha. So this is transfer #8 here and President told me I would be here next transfer to train so that is pretty loco. We are moving apartments next week because the lady we share the apartment with needs to downsize so we took matters into our own hands and are moving into a cute little studio in the hub of where we spend most of our time in our area so we are super stoked. It was a dumpppp but they are renovating it and we will be moving in sometime between the 25th and the 30th- so thats prettttty exciting! My first move! The work is coming along great, Juanita was supposed to get baptized this upcoming Sunday but she didnt get to come to church yesterday because of work so we will need to push it back (they need to come at least 3 times before they can be baptized- and obviously be taught all the lessons) so we are busy with her, she is solid and will deff be getting baptized here real quick. The Cardona family are still solid but not progressing quickly with the lessons as they are TALKERS and sooo hard to control... one minute we are talking about faith and the next he is showing us random ghost videos of of youtube on his ipod touch haha, deff need to figure out how to control the lessons a little more. We are working a lot with Karla, the less active and she is sooo awesome and her brother is a less active who served a mission and everything (he has a super crazy story) and he wants to come back to church and I just LOVE them so much. It is amazing to have been left here so long, these people are such a part of my life, I feel like a piece of my heart will always be here in Covina. I am veryyyyyy excited to train, Im gunna work her into the ground haha.
We got some insider info from up the chain that Elder Tom Perry will be visiting here in the end of April and that we will be joining the West LA mission to have a huge conference- that is gunna be sooooo legit. And conference coming up- wow its like Christmas! Minus the sweet phone call home haha. Mothers Day will be here before you know it though so its all good. Then Ill be home- weird how time passes. Some days are slowww and others go by so quickly but now looking back so far- its gone by fast.

Anyways, it is gross and rainy here. We have a zone activity that we are about to head off to- volleyball yay! Should be a good week.

Week 42

On Monday we had a really good time at the Huntington library with the Luenanos - it was full of history and the gardens were really pretty. There was a famous painting in there called "The Blue Boy" and I remembered having read about it in school so I felt so smart to actually recognize a painting haha. the weird things that bring me joy! Monday night we had a fun family home evening. Anyway the the week was busy but not super progressive but it was good. Friday night we had a ward movie night where we watched the Joseph Smith DVD and it turned out pretty good - you know I love popcorn so I was happy to sit and eat and watch a movie - deff a luxury. Saturday was transfer calls and we were with the elders eating pizza awaiting the calls - and sister clawson and I are together again for another transfer here in covina haha and I was informed by the president that next transfer I will be left in the area to train - sooo basically my mission will be Covina. So that will be 9 transfers here - wow! I love it. We are going to be moving into a cool new apartment next week so that will be my first move in the mission! haha crazy! Sunday 2 really cool investigators came to church for the 1st time. Juanita is our most golden investigator right now - she is sooo cool and she loved church. Bishop was shocked to find out that I didnt get transferred haha.

Sorry the letter is short - rather uneventful week but Im feeling good and am happy to stay in Covina.

Week 41

Tuesday we did a surprise goodbye party for our ex ward mission leader Hermano Palasuelos where we ended up eating lots of yummy food and playing an intense game of Signs – we are addicted. Thursday we had a tour with a lady named Juanita and she asked if she could be baptized before we even invited her – she is super golden – she is the mom of one of the youth who is a member, she said his good example has really touched her – a good example goes a long way! Friday we had an awesome lesson with recent convert Alexi, she amazes me – just so solid, this Sunday her formerly less active husband bore his testimony and got a calling so my heart was just filled with happiness to see such progress in both of them. Wow. Later that night we had a movie night with Blanca and the girls. We brought so much junk food – ice cream, cookies, brownies and popcorn and we watched the new Joseph Smith movie with them – they didn't know we were so persecuted back then and the girls kept saying "What the heck, what was their problem, just let them be Mormons" and "oh my gosh, now why are they taking Joseph Smith to Jail!!??" haha I love it.
On Friday we also got our key stuck in the car and after a 10 minute battle we called the elders to come help and Elder Weenig on his first try got it out and they went on to tell us "its because we're men" (While flexing their muscles of course) haha - pretty classic, I feel like we brought dishonor upon our gender! Haha . Saturday night we had a big dinner at the Remirezs house and Elder Kidd came with his family! It was weird to see him not in missionary clothes – I told him his facial hair looked stupid! Haha he and I were good friends so that was fun to see him. Sunday I taught the class in Relief Society, it was on the Restoration and the spirit was really strong and I really liked teaching it. I stood up and said " since I've been here so long they've assigned me to teach RS" haha.. I love this ward/area – transfers are quickly approaching, transfer calls are Saturday night – if I stay next transfer that means I'll be here for 2 more transfers cause Clawson goes home at the end of next transfers – so it’s a mystery. I'll be happy with literally whatever happens. I'm realizing President doesn’t have a lot of options due to drivers, seniors– so maybe he'll leave all of us. Regardless we need to move, Gloria, the lady we live with, needs to move so we are going to get relocated so we are on the hunt for a new place to live – kind of exciting, I'll keep you posted. The Cardona family were our only investigators to church – they missed sacrament though so I was all depressed that no one came. The work is coming along great, I'm working hard and can see the blessings and the happiness it is bringing to my life. Today we are going with the Luevanos to a place called "Huntington Library" (maybe google it) which is supposed to be really cool – big old mansion with a bunch of history and really cool gardens. It opens at 12 – so we are planning on passing all of pday there. We get to go to the temple next transfers so I am excited for that. Overall life is great and I am loving being a missionary.