Houston is a dumb place to park.

I'm REALLY enjoying being able to drive again. I didn't give my companion the keys back until yesterday. Have I mentioned that Texas drivers are about 10 times worse than Utah drivers? And the parking spaces--I don't get it. Everyone here buys these gigantic trucks, but then ALL of the parking spaces are compact. There too small for our little Malibu 2010, so I don't know why they do it. It's downright dangerous is what it is.

Anyway, that's enough ranting about the traffic. I don't want to sound ungrateful, especially since I can finally DRIVE! YAY! I'M FREE! And yes, I did notice that they had included an envelope for me to send them the paperwork directly, but only after I'd already put together the letter for y'all. I'm so glad you enjoyed the Twilight Musical. It was all Hermana Christensen's brilliance, after I mentioned to her that when I was 14 I had this idea to make an Alice in Wonderland musical using entirely contemporary music. She said "YOU SHOULD WRITE A TWILIGHT MUSICAL!" as soon as it was said, ideas for songs started to explode like fireworks as a gift for my birthday from the muses. Don't worry though, I've only given out three copies. One to you, one to an old companion and then I mailed one to Sister Singleton in the East mission as I figured she'd appreciate it.

Your collective week sounds lovely! I've got to admit, I am very excited to go to art exhibits to see my little sister's work displayed. Do you have a picture of her project that you could send me?! I'd love to see it. That's so sad about Steve, I hope his family is working through it alright. When it rains it pours is right. I can't even imagine what it must be like to lose parents/children when they're still relatively young like that. But the funeral does sound like it was nice, as strange as it is to say that. So Maddox is really all it's cracked up to be? I saw the pictures of the old Lillywhite home on dad's blog. Laney looks so big! She looks like Cat. For a second I thought it was Cat. Crazy! She's going to be so grown up when I come home!

I'm really looking forward to my Easter Package. And Conference. I probably will not get the chance to go down to the mission office this week, but as long as you sent it through the regular post they should forward it to me. So, I might get it Saturday. THANK YOU!!!! I'm very excited. This is my last conference in the mission field! I'm still holding out for that announcement about sister missionaries being given the option to extend 6 months. The Elders are talking about the possibility of 3 year missions.

As for my week...

So. Wednesday night we had Hermanos Solano with us. Hermana Solano served in the South mission, and Hermano Solano was one of her ward mission leaders. After her mission they ran into each other again in none other than... MURRAY! Yep. They had their first date in Murray park and now they are married and he's the second counselor in the bishopric and she's the adorable very blonde blue-eyed lady in the ward who speaks perfect Spanish. So, we were walking from one apartment complex into another and suddenly, in front of us... there was a little kitten!!! It was SO cute, and way too young to be wandering around on it's own. We caught it and snuggled and it fought to get away for a moment than calmed down. It was a feral little thing, but very sweet. We knocked on the apartment it was hanging around and they said it wasn't theirs' and that they already had a cat and didn't want another one, but that it had been hanging around on their porch for a while annoying them and they had no idea where it came from and figured it was just stray. We asked a few more people but no one had any idea and it was getting late and dark.

"Can we keep it?!" Hna S

"Absolutely not." Hno S.

"Please!" Hna S.

"We already have a cat and two dogs! You don't need any more pets!" Hno S.

"But it needs a home!" Hna S.

They argued back and forth about it playfully while I wrestled within myself. Finally, we just went to see if our investigator was home, and she was! So we taught her while little "Sarita" as we had started called her (to the exasperation of Hno) fell asleep in Hna Christensen's arms. Our investigator didn't want the cat either.

"Listen Hno. You guys need to take the cat. At least for the night," I started to explain to them, "If you don't. You'll be forcing me to be disobedient."

"How will that be forcing you to be disobedient! You guys can have pets!" Hno S

"NO WE CAN'T, IT'S AGAINST THE RULES!"

"I had lots of pets on my mission!" Hno S

"You served in an apostate mission honey, everywhere else, missionaries aren't allowed to keep pets." Hna S

"What?! Sure they can!"

"No they can't... Can we take her home?"

"NO!"

This went on for several minutes as we walked back to the car, now I was holding her and she was so little and cute and clinging and sleepy, "Listen. I can't take her home with us... AND I CAN'T LEAVE HER HERE!"

"Sure you can! She'll be fine, she'll get bigger!" Hno S.

"She'll get eaten! It's Texas!" Hna S.

"Well... she... we can't take her home!" Hno S.

"Why not? We already have a litter-box and food and everything she needs and she's so cute! Look at her!" Hna S.

"Hermanas, do you want some cat-food and a litter box?" Hno S asked us as he pulled the keys out of his pocket and went to unlock the car.

"HERMANO! You cannot seriously leave us with this cat!" I finally cried.

He sighed and relented, FINALLY. ("YAY!" -from Hna as she took the kitten from us.) But only on the condition that we call around and find someone else to take her the next day.

My journal entry that night ended with the line 'I'm pretty sure the Solanos have a new pet.'

Turned out it was true. They decided they were keeping her pretty fast. She is adorable. And guess what mommy! Remember those funky six-toed kittens that you were always cooing about? Guess how many toes Sarita has?! 21! She has a cute little sixth toe on one of her front paws. She is SO CUTE! I took pictures. They will arrive with the package I'm putting together.

We did a LOT of service this week. Way more than normal. We had our regular service at the theater, building sets with Ben. I'm basically a carpenter. It's very holy of me, I think. The next day we went to go help the Medina's paint their new little house that they bought, and then on Saturday we totally renovated this members 6/10 acher backyard. I got to ride on a riding lawn mower. It was pretty boss. It looked AWFUL when we got there, but she made us juevos racheros and I thought of Uncle Phillies yummy juevos racheros that we always have at san clamente, and then we were put to work. two hours later it was completely unrecognizable. It looked AMAZING! We really did a good job if I do say so myself. There were 8 of us working on it, so we got a lot done in just a short amount of time.

As far as missionary work goes, it was actually kind of a rough week. Lots of slammed doors and 'missing' return appointments. We're not discouraged though. Quite the contrary actually. I feel certain we're on the brink of a new dawn for this area. Wow. That was rather epic. I mean it though, I think we're going to see some miracles this transfer. I'm glad we've got this opportunity to put most of our efforts into finding.

Yesterday, Hermana pointed out to me that it's my 'T-minus 4 months' countdown day. I'm on section 122 in the doctrine and covenants... Reading backwards so I'll land on 1 on the plane-ride home. I've been told it's an old missionary tradition. I hadn't realised this until she pointed it out. It's also her 5 month birthday in the mission. In response I wrote this semi-agnsty self evaluation in regards to the Christlike attributes in Preach My Gosple. I just want to share part of it, the clever bit on Obedience...

Journal Entry-Obedience, obedience, obedience... my love, my precious. My worst enemy. My hero. I don't know why I have so much trouble with you my sweetest friend. We all know that whenever I break up with you, I'll just crawl back, hurt and tearstained and begging you to take me back again. I had such a recalcitrant youth (word my Stake President taught me in my pre-mission interview). I flirted with Rebellion all the time, but it was such a joke. I knew it would never go anywhere, really, and so did Rebellion. No matter how he enticed me, and as fun as a day at 'Naughty-World-Amusement-Park' sounded, I just could never go along with it. Every time I found myself on a date with Rebellion I always felt like I'd been tricked into it. Besides, he knew that I harbored a not-so-secret torch for Obedience all along. I was too shy to talk to him. "He's too good for me," that kind of thing, but I knew that I'd never love anyone like I loved him.

When Obedience and I finally got together, I was a little young, but I still gained a real determination to maintain the bounds we formed. So, I'm a crap girlfriend. Still, I'm trying. I'm just being a jerk is what it comes down to. I know that Obedience will always take me back, and I totally take advantage of him. I know I can change though. I'm getting better. And Maybe then Obedience and I can really commit. He's said all along that he's ready with that ring whenever I'm ready with my heart.

-So, there's part of my entry from last night. Eccentric, affected, whatever you want to call it, I think it's kind of clever. Hope you enjoyed it!

I just got mommy’s little reply, I’m glad Jensen likes Castle! My companion was gushing to me about it. It sounds like exactly my kind of show. Well, I’d better wrap-up and send this. I LOVE you all so much. I hope you have an amazing Pascua and conferencia! MWAH, mwah, mwah! Os amo.

Besito, Hermana Lillywhite