Happy Week!

Fambly!
Hi everybody, not too much to say except that after a couple of phone-calls and some first-class ward involvement Antonia and Patricia were successfully baptized and confirmed on behalf of their sister Elizabeth who died in 95 when she was about fourteen. It was very touching for them, and I wished we could have been there, but we had an appointment with Emily and Luis who’ve got dates for the 12th right now… the only problem is that Emily has a problem with coffee and they both have a problem with being able to keep all our appointments. We brought a recent convert who we’re working with, Roberto who is one cool kid, but sadly he kind of knows it. He wasn’t much help with the lesson. He’s got to work a little on the whole “church” thing, but I think a very healthy crush on the cutest and smartest and most reverent and attentive young woman in the whole ward should help. We figured out that he was carrying a torch for the lovely miss Hermanita forget-her-last-name, after we sat in on the Sunday School class with Patricia and Antonia. It’s very cute and obvious. She’ll never go out with him if he doesn’t start helping the missionaries more:) At least that’s what we’ll tell him.
It was SO fun getting to chat with daddy for a couple of seconds por medio de correo electronico. Although the practice is generally frowned upon (because some elders decided to go ahead and spend all their P-day e-mailing back and forth with their girlfriends) it’s acceptable to occasionally be on the computer at the same time and say HI! For a second or two, as long as it doesn’t go nuts or eat up all your time. (we’ve got an hour for e-mail)
Let’s see… que mas? OH! I gave a talk in Church. In Spanish. On El Dia de Resposo. Everybody says I did really well. Lies, lies, lies, it was probably pretty painful for a native speaker to hear. I was nervous, so I couldn’t think much about pronunciation or anything, I’d be willing to bet I had one of the worst accents ever. Hermana Forsling says that when my pronunciation is bad I “speak Spanish with a Russian accent” if you can imagine. And, she actually has a template for how that would sound, since we’ve got an Elder here, Elder Poole, who spoke Russian as a second language already and learned Spanish out here. Anyway, when I think about it, it’s not bad, but when I’m nervous, my Spanish sounds pretty weird. I just don’t have the same excuse as Elder Poole. Who knows what my problem is.
This morning, I was in the laundry room changing, which meant I was out of sight of the rest of the apartment. Hermana Forsling came out of our bedroom and couldn’t find me for a split second. So in her anguish she said something to the effect of “Not again!”
She had a companion hide in the kitchen cupboard as a joke once, and it was REALLY, REALLY funny until a few companions later when one of her companions actually did disappear (she didn’t leave the apartment, she just locked herself in the closet for six hours and wouldn’t come out). So, we had a discussion about like this:
“I’m not crazy, okay? Are you crazy?!” Hna. Forsling
“No.” Me
“Are you sure? Because, that’s what she said!” Hna. Forsling
I found this story very sad and interesting… Apparently there is actually a missionary psychiatrist whose job it is to go around and give counseling to the troubled servants of God.I hope it’s not too terribly common. Generally this kind of thing speaks of unhappiness, and I just can’t imagine anyone doing this work being properly unhappy… Sure it’s hard and lots of tragic and heartbreaking things happen… but there’s that Eternal Perspective that should keep you going.
I didn’t mean to scare her and we both ended up having a good laugh about it as soon as everyone’s sanity was declared. I wonder if any of my other companions will be crazy. Me and Hermana Forsling really do get along. Maybe a little too well. Every once in a while we have to ‘snap-out-of-it-woman!’ and force ourselves to be serious in time for some lessons or district meeting, or interviews with the president. But she’s a way powerful teacher and I’m learning a LOT from her, so I really hope we get to stay companions at least for next transfer too.
I LOVED Jensen’s Opera essay, it was so funny. Jensen, you really need to go ahead and write that Opera that you described as the Common Man’s Perfect Opera. I imagined myself in an elegant gown seated in the boxes overlooking the stage as the incredible story you described unfolded upon the stage, and since it’s me I was snorting with laughter and almost choked to death on my gum.
I’ll help you write the script/music after I’m finished with my mission, but in the mean time, work on it! It sounds SO good. We can be like Gilbert and Sullivan, accept the silly teenaged sisters version. Who are no longer teenagers. ‘But could’ve fooled me, amirtie?’
We’ll call it: The Venitian of Venice. It will be set in Italy and sung in Spanish.
I was mentioned on the radio again? That was definitely the best part of your letter for Elder Meade to read over my shoulder, our district wanted to know the whole story.
Mom, your dream sounds really interesting… I was just talking about the Stand with Elder Herrman a couple of weeks ago. No one else around us knew anything about it, so we probably sounded pretty apostate, but it’s a really good story and I’d say Randal Flag is one of the best and most accurately evil villains ever. Good representation of pure evil.
Congratulations on getting the job at prosperity! That’s so exciting. Don’t be nervous mom, you got the job because you were meant to have it, and you’re going to do wonders for those kids… if they’re anything like the kids who were at Kimber when I was there, then they’ll need a lot of help and love from somebody exactly like you. I bought Jesus the Christ in Spanish already, I saw the whole missionary library in Spanish for like 12$ and decided to buy it, I thought it would be great Spanish study. It’s been VERY helpful so far, but I haven’t started reading Jesus the Christ even in English yet, because Hermana Frieszell made me promise I wouldn’t until my six-month mark (Julio 7). Before I promised her that, I’d read a little about the war in heaven near the end---I CAN’T WAIT to read the whole thing. Some missionaries have this crappy prejudice against it, and basically refuse to read it because they say it’s not useful like Preach My Gospel or the more basic doctrine that we need to be teaching other people. That’s actually why Hermana Frieszell asked me not to read it until my 6 months. She said it would be better to study the lessons thoroughly first and then read it… I basically disagree entirely with the sentiments behind this way of speaking, but Hermana Frieszell was my trainer, I should honor her memory (she’s be pretty mad if she knew I was already speaking about her like she’s dead:) and I do see that there could be a happy balance to maintain, and besides… I can start reading it in about a week! As crazy as that is.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LANEY-BOO!!! Your birthday party sounds like it was a blast, all those crazy little girls running around… geez, I’m sad I missed all the chaos. And also, Happy Anniversary mommy and daddy! I love you all a lot… I already sent a short “sorry” to daddy about spending so much money last week. Hna. Frieszell was way good about keeping us in budget, so I feel a bit like a crazy teenager who just got sent out on her own. I’m going to have to learn to handle money a little more wisely from now on!
I REALLY want to see Jensen’s animation projects. I never got the e-mail with the attachments in my inbox---but I got it by regular mail, obviously—still it was such a tease to see the links to the attachments that I couldn’t click.
I love you all a ton! I hope you have an amazing week of birthdays and anniversaries and megamaniacal food eating and Shakespeare watching and take a minute to remember the birth of our fair country. I know Texas will.
Actually, I don’t think we’re allowed outside on the fourth of July.
Bit like marty-gras.
Say MWAH to Grandma and Granpa for me in St. George and to everyone else, I adore you all my cuddly little family! Besito, besito, besito.
Hermana Lillywhite