God Bless America! LET'S BAPTIZE LADY LIBERTY!

Querida Familia,

This letter might be short this week, because I just wrote a monster one to President Hansen. It’s a long, dramatic, tear-jerker-of-a-story. I’ll tell you about it in a few weeks. Sorry.

I’m SUCH a horrible daughter. I totally forgot about your anniversary. Horrible person. Right here. I finally remembered yesterday when we were driving along and Elder Inkley started talking about how he had a dream that he got married on the fourth of July. As soon as he said, ‘married on the fourth of July’ something stirred inside of me, and I was like, “hmmm… why did a bell just ring in my mind?” and then he told us about the dream and ended with, “I have always wanted to get married on the fourth of July… or maybe the third of July.”

And BOOM. Se me cayo el veinte. (Silly expression that means ‘the lightblub turned on’, which I just realized is kind of an equally dumb expression in English) I realized that I’d TOTALLY forgotten. I’m so sorry. I owe you cake. Or maybe guilty missionary pie. I invented it here after talking about Waitress with one of my companions during P-day shopping. Lightning hit my brain for a delicious and horrible-for-you treat. I claim no ownership of this recipe. I’ll give credit where credit is due. God inspired it. It’s amazing. There is banana. But mostly chocolate.

I did remember Laney’s birthday though… and I made her present like a month ago. It’s sitting in the trunk of our corolla right now. Hermana says we can go to the post office today after service, but we’ll see. I know I need to sent it SOON. It’s got a bunch of other stuff that I won’t need for the next three weeks and don’t want to pack. A Spanish grammar book—the only journal from my mission that anyone else is allowed to read right now, a plastic rose from Olivia’s wedding and some other fun stuff. Oh! And that article from the Houston Chronicle about us. It’s better in print because it’s in print and Anti-Mormons can’t leave digital comments all over it. But yeah… I LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL TONZ! HAPPY BIRTHDAY and HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! Sorry I’m a horrible person.

Does anybody know the Waka Waka song? It’s all I’ve heard since the world cup started and it’s been stuck in everybody’s head. They tried to teach us all the dance from the music video. I know Shakira is kind of an idiot, but the song is pretty groovy and she’s a daughter of God, so if you haven’t heard it yet, enjoy it, and imagine me trying to dance like that with a bunch of adorable Hispanic young women.

You bought Jensen a GUN!?

…SICK!

Even better that she named it Vera. Wow. We didn’t own a single gun when I left and now there are plural guns. Fair enough. You never know when Zombies might attack. Vera will be so useful just during the beginning of the apocalypse. That’s the sweetest early birthday present ever. It would be a sniper-rifle too. Geez. We’re so cool.

That’s too bad about Airbender. I was super excited for it. We got happy meals and everything and were playing with the airbender toys while I gushed about martial arts stuff and the Elders all looked confused and awed. Well. At least the cartoon is still amazing. But I’m sad that they didn’t adapt it into a very good film. I can wait to see it then. I’d rather start out watching the movies I’ll actually enjoy; twilight, harry potter, Alice etc.

I love it when you talk about the food. You mentioning your diet makes me think of my diet though. I mean the inevitable one that I have to go on when I get home. A member in our ward made us all weigh ourselves when we went over to her house for lunch. Hispanic people are so blunt, they just call each other fat, short, bald etc. Nobody has told called me Gorda or even Gordita yet, but I’m just waiting for it. Some people did ask me if I was pregnant.

Grr.

I’m not.

Fourth of July was fun. Another story I’m going to wait three weeks to tell you.

So, I think I mentioned months and months ago about how the Liberty Tax Credit Union over here had hired dozens and dozens of people to wear these aqua colored robes and Lady liberty hats and dance on the side of the road with signs until the end of Tax season. There was this one girl down who we saw almost every day, and she really stood out because she was dressed like lady liberty, first of all, but also because she was always smiling and just looked so friendly and happy. She had her Ipod on and was just grooving by the side of the road every day, totally into her own music and smiling and waving at us as we drove by. We decided that we needed to figure out how to talk to her. Even though it’s a busy road etc. So we parked and went to talk to her. She was so sweet and prepared! We got to visit her a couple of times before I got transferred and since then she’s continued studying with the missionaries, and tomorrow she’s getting interviewed for baptism! YAY! HAPPY FORTH OF JULY! LADY LIBERTY IS GETTING BAPTISED!

I love this woman so much. I got to visit with her yesterday during P-day and it totally made my life. Missionary work is the greatest thing ever.

I’m loving my life out here in the field, I can’t believe how amazing my mission has been and will continue to be. I love you all and I miss you!!!

Q.B.S.P. Hermana Lillywhite