the one where I get a greenie

Hola a Todos,

It's been an anxiety filled week here in the OEM, but still an amazing one non-the-less. Transfers don't get anymore fun the longer you stay out I guess?

TRANSFER NEWS:

For those of you that weren't counting down- so everyone except my dad- this week was transfer news. I'm pretty sure every transfer goes faster than the last one. I was pretty calm about it most of the week, 18 Sisters are coming in this transfer, and only four Sisters left; Hermana Coca and I had been joking about trio-training for the last few weeks. Around Friday I started to get pretty sick thinking about the news. My 'spidey-sense'- or the Holy Ghost, call it what you want (accidentally just typed "call it what you want" and remembered it's a Taylor Swift song and now I'm a little sad, pero está bien)- had been warning me something funky was going to happen for days now. 

BUT last night we were in our apartment at 8 PM, and hadn't received a call. When you're training or in any leadership position they call you on the phone pretty early in the evening, so I figured that I was just freaking myself out and everything was actually fine. Exactly three minutes after we got a call from one of the APs. 

He told us he was calling for both of us, and extending a call for us to train...our eyes got so wide and huge grins spread on our faces. Trio-training all our dreams were coming true!! He asked if we accepted the call, and we both said yes very enthusiastically!...Then he said it, the destruction of all our dreams. "Great! Hermana Coca you'll be going to Santa Clara to cover the Spanish group there." Our faces dropped.

I think apart of me knew Coca was leaving, but I refused to believe it. My greenie and I will be here in Garden Valley; so not only will I be training for the first time, but I'll be training in a language I can't speak! :) Tune in next week, I'm sure there will be some absolutely hilarious stories for you, and some absolutely mortifying ones for me.

All jokes aside, I'm absolutely terrified, but I guess God knows what he's doing, and this will be a growing transfer for us both. Send prayers. I guess this is where we learn how to rely on the gift of tongues.

THE REST OF THE WEEK:

Maria invited us to her house this week for our lesson! Which no missionaries have ever been to! It's super cool that she feels comfortable enough for us to come over now. We also did some family history with her this week, and it was the most entertaining hour of family history I've ever witnessed. Maria's SO smart- as apparent by her being the most proficient in English of all our Spanish people, despite only being in the U.S. for half a year- so she remembered A LOT of names for her tree. She was getting excited too! She said she'd call all her family in Mexico to get more information for it.

I had my FIRST overnight exchanges of the mission! Wahoo! I joined Sister McLean in Winston for the day! And it was a party!! We had tacos with a non-member, I forgot my scriptures at my apartment- but I remembered deodorant last minute, so you win some you lose some. She's also a die-hard Swiftie so that was pretty epic. I forgot to take a picture but homie really had a Taylor Swift calendar hanging above her study desk. 

The entire zone also showed up for a free car wash at the church this Saturday. We were blessed with no rain for pretty much the exact time slot of the car wash. It was so fun, we had a pretty great turn out, and had to deny money from quite a few people! :) Good times only here in the Burg. 

Yesterday Hermano Smith was speaking so Hermana Coca had to translate in sacrament meeting. So naturally this was the one week the translation equipment didn't work and she sitting by all of them and talking pretty loud in the back of the chapel. 10/10 comedy. 

Anywho....Roseburg is still the promised land! and I'm very hyped to stay here, even though it's going to be incredibly difficult. :) All in the Lord's hands. He'll prepare a way.

Con mucho Amor, 

Hermana Shelton