Week 11: It Snowed Last Week, I Almost Cried

Questions from my mother:)

1) What kind of food do you eat each day?  Are you cooking?  Is it healthy? can you get what you are able to make easily/quickly?

2) Did you get the box(es) of winter stuff I sent?  Also, did you get the bubble package with your slips?  Did I miss anything else you can think of?

3) How much money do you really have to work with for groceries/toiletries/etc each month?

4) For black boots, can I just put money in your UCCU account and have you buy them out these for Christmas?  Or did you want me to find something and guess a size?

5) Is there anything I can add to your Christmas box that you might like to have to give to families /individuals you are teaching?  Obviously it is something small...and inexpensive.

1. well, we usually eat some sort of "Mexican" food--burritos with refried beans, rice-a-roni, and taco/hamburger meat, plus Valentina sauce, have been the most recent common food. It's delicious. We also eat frozen pizza some times, and we made hamburger helper last week--that was an adventure in a not-ten-inch pan. Oh yeah, I eat a bagel lots of mornings. Sometimes we cook. But it just takes so long....and I'm not even gonna pretend that we eat healthily....sorry.

2. No....but we've got zone training tomorrow, so I may (?) get it tomorrow when the assistants/sister training leaders come. Or transfers are next week so maybe then. We'll see. Either way. I'll be okay. Hopefully. Pray that I don't freeze; I'll be okay. I can't think of anything else....if I do, I'll let you know. Thanks momma! You're the best(: Eres la major.

3. I think we get $150 a month.....I'm not sure. Hna Israelsen and I split the grocery expenses every week so we do okay. It might be $160.......the sisters and my hermana are saying $160. So there you have it. It's definitely enough to survive.

4. I was hoping you could just send me the ones I already have......it would take so long to find ones that I like. Plus, it'd be silly to own two pairs of the same boots. And if you were to look for them, they would be found in one of two places (I'm pretty sure). Either in the teal blue tub in my closet, under the laundry basket, or in the purple lid tub underneath my bed. Pretty sure they're in the former. I'm talking about the black long boots......so. No worries on sending them soon or not. I have boots so it's not like I'm gonna get frost bitten toes. But that was the best/number one thing I could think of for Christmas. Plus, then, you don't have to buy anything except postage. (: haha. No worries either way though momma.

5. Little (cheap) CTR rings. Those I understand are like 30 cents. Other little LDS paraphernalia would be good. Stickers and cards and things.... I dunno. 

Well. I dunno what else to write.....................................

I really cannot believe how much success this area is having. Well, I mean I can believe it because it's happening, but it's just so awesome! Especially in the Normal ward. It's fantastic. The coolest thing (I think) this week was this man we met with. His name is Charlie. We found him while we were driving, on our way home, and I told Hna Israelsen, "I think that guy's hispanic", so we flipped around and went and knocked on the door of the house where I saw the guy. We weren't even sure if he was, but when he answered, he did speak Spanish--and English. So we set up an appt to come back (it was late at night) for that next Saturday. We weren't sure if he was really interested in what we had to say or not, but when we met with him on Saturday, he was really solid. It was great because he asked a lot of questions, and we were able to answer most of them well enough, I thought. We invited him to be baptized on Jan 3 and he said he would be, if he felt ready. So we're (I'm) really excited to work with him. It'll be great.

We're working with a lot of great people, and doing our best to work with whole families. 

The Acevedo's are really awesome. I think they're kinda like the poor of the Zoramites in the Book of Mormon--they've kinda been forced to be humble. So we're glad that they're turning to God and the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ through us. They're so sweet and fantastic. Marcela (madre) and Emily (8 yrs old) are on date for Dec 13. We've gotta explain the Restoration to Juan Antonio--he missed that lesson, so he doesn't really get authority....but he will.

There really is so much good happening. I think every quarter ought to be the last quarter. Because we are seeing so much success and progress. I've definitely noticed it as we, as a companionship, do our best to really follow the fourth quarter focus, as well as our zone focus. We've definitely got a lot we can still improve on, but I'm excited to do it.

We went to district lunch this week. At this place called Pizza Ranch. If you ask me, it's a lot like Pizza Pie Cafe but more expensive and not as tasty. But it was fine. The elders picked I think....ah well. It was funny though; Elders Campbell and Olsen were telling about this lesson they had where the investigator told them that he was a vampire in a past life. And he was completely serious about it. Elder Campbell said he was legitimately scared for his safety. haha it was funny too because the point in the story where I began listening was when Elder Olsen said "I have a confession." Then Elder Campbell, "I was a vampire in a past life." hahaha oh man....too funny. I wish you could've been there. My retelling is definitely not sufficient.

Well, that's about it. I'm also about out of time; sorry. I'll let you know next week if I get the package or not. Thanks again! 

Oh, could you tell me some more about our family history (both sides) as members of the church? I can't remember (and it's killing me) if Gma converted after she and Gpa got married--Gpa's family converted when he was a kid/younger right? And then I really have no idea how dad's side found the church/was found by the church. But I wanna be able to tell people. (Hermana Israelsen asked, so that's what brought it up.)

Okay, now I think that's really it. Love you lots! Thank you for all the support.

I wish my emails were more spiritual. But I think this is all that'll happen this week. Just remember that I know this church is true. Every time we meet someone and/or teach someone, we talk about the Restoration, and every time I get the opportunity to bear testimony of it, my testimony grows stronger and more resolute. That is the best thing about serving a mission I think--if you think you've got a testimony, serve a mission. By the end of it, if you've done it right, you will have a testimony, without a doubt. I promise you that.

Con Todo Mi Amor

Tu Hija y Amiga

Hermana DeBuck

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