"You're not the only one, who is your father's son."

FAMILIA!

Hermana Christensen is so ready to take over the whole city without me.

Big news this week is that after 6 months in Bearcreek, I’m getting transferred to 10th ward, Fairbanks area with Hermana Tates. She’s the same age in the mission as Hermana Christensen. Her trainer is going home Wednesday, so I’m going to be greenie breaking again! I’m really excited to go to a new ward, but I’m going to miss Bearcreek a lot. Still… this is a good time to leave. We’re finally starting to see a little bit of success, so now I can go before I screw it up.

Seriously though, Olivia, one of the women who we’ve been teaching finally accepted our ‘proposal’ (that she just go ahead and get married to her husband and then Baptized) and ever since then we’ve been making wedding plans! I’ll have to come back for the wedding (June 5th) and her baptism (June 6th) but it won’t be too difficult since Fairbanks is really just down the street. She came to church yesterday and so did her husband and we have a lesson with them both tonight. Yesterday at church she was talking with the bishop about booking the building and getting the license and everything and she’s got her sister working on invitations. We’re so excited! And so is Olivia, you can really tell that she’s developed a strong desire to follow the commandments and the Lord.

I did have some wonderful mail this week, so I’m holding off on sending the sad-face pictures. Tell aunt Les that I’m sorry and she’s not chopped liver: ) I haven’t mentioned her letters publically in a while—partially because I haven’t gotten her letters recently, but we might be going down to the office tomorrow… maybe, so I might be able to pick up any mail there. If not, I won’t get any until next week, because that’s just the way that transfers work.

This question may seem totally removed from all relevance, but I’m trying to come up with as many names of real people as possible from the initials G. B.

So far I can only think of Gerard Butler and Gob Bluth, but I’m sure there are many—probably many, many, other people fictional or historical or still living who have those initials and if anyone can think of them off the top of their head—do tell me.

I’ve learned that I’m been correct all along in the ‘immediate-family-only’ e-mail thing, so never mind about what I said last week.

Immigration has indeed become a hot topic around here too. One of our less actives (unprovoked) declared to us with great pride and zeal that she’s been in this country for 23 years and (has never learned English) BUT she came in with proper paper work and she’s been a legal resident the whole time, never once has she violated the immigration laws and she’s seen the blessings that come from it and she’s also seen the difficulty that her illegal friends face, on account of being illegal. A few of our other, not-so-documented-people who we visit are very upset. But for the most part the attitude seems to be, “Bring-it-on!-you’ve-got-nothing-on-me!” which is also something unique to this area. Usually most of the people we’re working with are illegal, but in this ward, people are pretty good about having their paper-work in order.

Our ward mission leader told us a funny story about how he had to take the citizenship test when he was serving as a missionary in Idaho about 20 years ago. Apparently he couldn’t remember the names of any of the Supreme Court justices and was kind of amazed that the question was even on the test. He nearly failed, but everything worked out for him, partially on account of the testing advisor being sympathetic to the church.

It’s really getting bad out there isn’t it? At least that’s what everyone is telling us. Politically it’s getting more and more divided and hostile and basically ridiculous and people are legitimately scared. I think you’re definitely right that we’re seeing the fulfillment of all those prophecies in The Book of Mormon.

We do have Kohls here, I’ve never been… I was under the impression it was a kid’s clothing store, but it sure doesn’t sound like it from your description. I’ll probably refrain from buying any more clothing on my mission, and continue with this money-saving trend I’ve started where I just take dying missionary clothing and wear that. It doesn’t always fit perfectly, but it looks good and has already survived someone else’s test. I’m not going to be bringing back much clothing—but don’t worry mom, I will bring back all of YOUR clothing that I took with me, though, I’m not going to lie, it is a little worse for wear. I don’t think anything I own is fully intact anymore.

I’m not crushed that we won’t go snowboarding. There’s no snow or mountains in Texas, so I’m not sure how we’d manage anyway: ) I hope you guys will make a trip out to Texas with me sometime. I’ve got some sealings/missionary farewells/post-paperwork baptisms I might get invited too and I’d love to have company for the trip! Although, mom might have to avert her eyes when we’re driving/walking around. There are SO many stray animals in this city. That’s crazy that Lauren gets home before I do! But you’re correct—it makes sense with the way transfers work in her mission. Since she came into the MTC during my… I think 6th or 7th week, that means that her transfers would be about 2 weeks removed from mine and… whatever, it works in my head. I actually still have never written Lauren, I thought about it a couple of times, but I sort of feel like we’re in contact because I get to read her letters that you forward me, and I’m pretty sure she gets mine as well… It’s pretty awesome that we got the chance to serve our missions at the same time. Her letters are always a real inspiration to me, she’s doing some much good over there in Argentina! It makes me excited to go out and work for another week.

Uncle Dan and Uncle Filly’s Honduras trip sounds so FUN! I love Honduranians . They are always so funny. Especially Victor and Hermano Medina. This reminds me. I need to learn to talk in Vos.

Don’t worry, I will be cooking when I get back. I’m not sure how good it’ll all be. I’ve learned how to make a lot of things, but most of it to be made well, requires a great deal of practice, which I haven’t yet devoted to it. So… Most of my cooking for you, might qualify as ‘practice’ more than anything. Salsa Verde is amazing, and I actually can make that myself now. As spicy as you want it. That’s one of the few things I’ve learned to make that I feel pretty confident it. It’s sooo simple and it tastes so much better homemade.

This “The Ark” thing sounds suspicious. Is it in the same genre as “The Garden”? The Michael Mclean musical? Ooooh Michael Mclean. As my companion once said “He is kind of a freaky genius… but. That Concert was just a little too special for me. I was honestly worried I’d accidentally joined a cult.”

I’m confused about the Garden. The actual Expiacion song is basically brilliant but what the heck man, it goes from being an allegory to literal to an allegory again and most of it’s just seeds and trees and mill stones singing and you know what—the land lord kind of has a point, it’s his property. Then again, I’ve already expressed my contempt for the soliciting laws, so maybe I’m actually with the Gardener after all. What a rebel I am.

He’s responsible for so many songs that make up the soundtracks for the movies we’re supposed to occasionally watch with our investigators.

Anyway, I’m sure Ameer will do very well… I don’t suppose anyone is going to tape it for me?

I’d better get going… The word count is informing me that I have typed 1,391 words. Eer… 2, 4, 5…. I can’t keep up with it for some reason.

I love you all deeply, from the bottom of my heart and I am SOOO excited to call you on mother’s day. I hope it’s alright if I do that calling early in the morning to let you know what time I’ll call later that night thing, just since I still don’t know what the word is on that. HUGS AND KISSES AND HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

MWAH, Hermanita Lili

P.S. My companion has just informed me that “The Ark” is a Michael Mclean original, to which I replied, “Good heavens, I was joking.”