Welcome to the Zebra apartment!

I have a love/hate relationship with holidays that fall on a Monday.  I love them because in most cases it means that I won't have work but, I hate them because it means the libraries are closed and I won't get an email.  That was the case this past Monday being Martin Luther King Day.  I thought I was prepare and I knew what was coming but I wasn't.  Last Veteran Day we got an email from Mitch about the same time (1:00) as usual on Tuesday so I thought that would be the case this time too.  I kept checking my emails through out the day and nothing.  3:00pm rolled around...nothing.  4:00pm...nothing.  By 5:00pm I was convinced that we weren't getting one.  Finally at 7:00pm we got one.  It's short but it's worth it.

How great it is to get to write you :) I loved the story about the Sharple kid ha ha so funny.(One of my library student loves when we dismiss to checkout books because "It's like being voted off the island".) I don't have a lot of time because we need to get to a cena (dinner) here pretty quick but I just wanted to fill you in on everything!

I am now companions with Elder Spears.  He is wonderful.  I love him already.  He was in my old district so we have seen how each other works and that has really given us an advantage.  He is from a itty bitty town called Craig Colorado.  His ward boundaries are bigger than the mission...so basically its a super small town.  He reminds me at times of Sam.  He likes to hunt and hike,outdoors kinds of stuff.  His heart is two times the size of mine and his love for others is hard to comprehend.  We are going to do a great work here :)

I am moved to a car area now but what really happened is I stayed in the same area just moved apartments.  I am in the same ward and have a lot of the same area just minus some here and there and add some elsewhere.  It's nice to still be in a familiar area where I know the people and the work.  I feel so so blessed.  Our apartment is basically the Garden of Eden to me.  SO nice ha ha.  Dishwasher, CD player, oven, and a sweet zebra painting.  I love it.  Don't worry I packed and transferred everything just fine ;) (I was sure he would leave something because I'm the one who packed for him the first time.  It looks like he's growing up.)

My desk

My kitchen

The Zebra Painting...pretty awesome

Elder Spear on moving day!

I am so happy to hear how excited you get about teaching your class.  Even if its hard sometimes.  There are days here when I feel like I am just casting pearls to the dirt all day because no one will recognize how great our message is.  But at the end of the day I start to notice how truly beautiful the pearls are.  They start to shine differently and mean so much more to me.  My appreciation of them changes and I feel grateful I get to carry a whole bag of them everyday!   Don't lower your expectations for your lessons.  Your pearls are beautiful and important.  Love your class and they will feel the Spirit.  Proud of you :)

Sorry, I don't have much more time.  We are doing great here and I really feel so blessed to have not only worked with Elder Speth but to have this new opportunity to work in the same part of the vineyard just with a different servant.  The Lord truly watches out for his missionaries.  He knows us perfectly.

More to come next week

Verdadero y fiel

Elder Bagley  

San Fernando Valley

Last P-day with Elder Speth. We went hiking well it was more of a walk but the view was incredible.