I come and I go

Hello Familia!!

It is crazy that pday is already here and that the end of the transfer is also here...

I am sure you can guess by the title of my email the news I got on Saturday (07/05) about transfer calls. I will break you the news to you now...!

I AM BEING TRANSFERRED!!!...and with some figuring out and narrowing down, we know that I am most likely going to West Bakersfield. Oh and I am also designated a driver, whoo hoo!! 

This past week was really good! And I am sad to leave because we found tons of new investigators and they are families too, which is the best part! But the other Hermanas’ will take over our area for the next 6 weeks until more Spanish sisters come into the mission field. 

As for this week!

Monday- After emailing we went to the MALL whoo hoo! And then went to Trader Joe's and got MOCHI ice cream…IT IS SO GOOD. You have to try it. It is Japanese ice cream and it looks weird but it is so good :) Later that night we had a lesson over at the Solano's and we read Mosiah 18 and talked with them for a little bit. 

Tuesday- We did some service over at the Solano's helping Hermana Solano make 60ish pupusas for another sister in the ward, so that was fun! I was all hot and sweaty from flipping all of them over. And of course we ate them while we made them so by the end of those few hours I was stuffed with pupusas. Even though I was all sweaty and stuffed, I loved helping make pupusas and doing service. It just makes me happy and it makes others happy too!

(My desk where I study, Katherine Solano and I)

Wednesday- Was such a long, hot, day. We visited some potential investigators, but none of them were home (story of our life), so we then visited a less active lady and shared a scripture with her and then we left our car parked at that apartment complex and walked down the block to contact more potentials and man it was hot and windy and Hermana Musig and I looked hot! Our husbands will definitely be more attractive from today :) haha. On our way back we knocked into a lady that was outside with all her kids and we taught her a short lesson on her doorstep on restoration, and prayed with her and made a return appointment. It was a really cool experience. And we are hoping that when we (or other missionaries) go back to teach her family we can teach the parents that only speak Spanish. We came back for lunch and dried off and then headed back out to contact some former investigators. That night we had dinner by ourselves and then headed out, when it wasn’t as hot, to walk around some neighborhoods tracting. Even though it was a long and hot day, we really saw the Lord help us and we found a ton of new investigators to teach! 

(Our apartment from the outside - we live upstairs, Hermana Usher and I, my room.)

Thursday- planning day! It is always hard to plan for week 7 because you never know if you are staying or leaving, but we got it figured out and we both made some new planner covers during lunch and then dropped a picture and a card to a member in our ward as a thank you for feeding us dinner. Funny but creepy story---Later that afternoon we were getting gas and this old guy...not to mention shirtless...was flirting and helping this mom and daughter pump their gas...it was really weird, and Hermana Musig and I couldn’t help but just laugh! We tried to contact Omar and Cesar and we actually got to talk to Cesar’s wife, which has never happened, so that was good! And as we were leaving Omar's we saw all these cops swarming this car and they all had their guns out ready to fire…it was pretty cool!! By the end of the day we had seen lots of random things!! Haha. Welcome to California!

Friday- 4th of JULY!!! Of course I wore red, white and blue :) you will see pictures at the end of this email. We had ZTM this morning and learned about the importance of testifying and sharing our testimonies. Really good reminder when we share our testimonies with those that we are teaching. Our feelings and thoughts are the strongest tools we can use. No one can take that away, or bash on what you believe. We went over quick to the Solano's and we began reading in Alma 17 where Ammon cuts off all the arms of the servants and brings them to the king. They thought that was pretty funny and cool at the same time! haha. And then we headed to dinner at a members house and ate really good enchiladas and had cake. We had curfew that night at 7, so we couldn’t be out and about while people did fireworks and such…it made me sad to not see any fire works, but that is okay! We had our whole night planned out. I wrote in Hermana Musig’s goodbye journal and made another planner cover while Hermana Musig started packing all her stuff. And then for celebration we ate mochi ice cream and talked! It was a fun night. 

(Our district)

Saturday- We got our calls around 11am and they told us that both of us were leaving! duh about Hermana Musig since she is almost done with her mission. She leaves July 16 and heading back to Sandy. I am really sad to let her go home, but it is time and I guess I have to let her start the next chapter of her life. And then they told me that I was leaving and that I was becoming the designated driver…so that means my companion cant drive...So long story short we figured out where all the other Hermana’s are going and put the puzzle back together. Hermana Musig packed while I did some language study and then that night we headed to a farewell for a sister missionary that is leaving our branch to head to her mission. It was fun and we gave her some advice and then afterwards we had our correlation meeting and our branch mission leader was shocked to hear that all of us were leaving besides one Elder and one Hermana. Sad day!! 

Sunday- Church was really good. And we heard some great testimonies too from the members of our branch. We took some pictures with all the missionaries in our branch and then headed to dinner and afterwards we went by some members in our branch and said goodbye and then came home and did some more packing. You know what I found out? You accumulate stuff on your mission. I have NO idea how, but you just do! haha. So when it comes to the end of the transfer you have WAY more to pack than what you thought you did. 

Well I am sad to leave Rancho Vista and maybe just maybe I will come back and serve here! I sure do hope so. I have met a lot of wonderful people and have actually learned some Spanish :)

But it is time to move on and head to a new area. I am excited to be in Bakersfield…maybe not during the middle of the hot summer, but I will survive…maybe…haha. 

I will talk to you all next week and let you know how the first week in the new area went!!

LOVE YOU ALL!!

Hermana Aase