Hola familia!
What a great week!
Monday and Tuesday were very busy!
Sister S and I were running around trying to get a lot of things done
at once to prepare to be transferred out of our area! There were many
people to visit! We did our best to contact all of our investigators
to make the transition of the new missionaries coming more smooth. It
went well.
We had Sister B with us on Tuesday
because her companion (who was actually my Sister Training Leader
Companion- meaning we would plan and go on exchanges with the other
sisters together, and while we were doing exchanges, our companions
would be together) finished her mission and went home. Sister B is
here for two transfers from temple square and she is incredible!
On Wednesday Morning we went to the
church and I hopped on the "Border Bus" which is really
just a very large van driven by missionaries!
We left around 9:30 am, and I arrived
in Del Rio around 3 or 3:30pm, after making other stops to drop off
missionaries and eating lunch at authentic super tacos. (spicy!)
My new companion is Hermana A! She was
born and raised in Mexico, then later moved to California with her
family. She is a native Spanish speaker and has helped me so much
with my Spanish! She is an amazing, sincere, diligent missionary. Her
humility and desire to learn and serve inspire me so much. I am so
grateful for her. I am as happy as a missionary can be! (which is
extremely happy). I love (LOVE!) speaking Spanish all the time and
having the opportunity to teach in Spanish and English here!
Del Rio is a little town about... 45
minutes away from Mexico! We have two little branches here - one
English and one Spanish. There are three sets of companions (Me and
Sister A, the sisters we live with, and one set of Elders) and we all
work in these two branches. We have the branches divided into three
sections so we each stay in our little area. The closest other
missionaries are in Eagle Pass (about an hour away). Eagle Pass (they
have only 1 pair of sisters and maybe one or two pairs of elders),
Del Rio, and Uvalde (the English area that is about an hour from
Eagle Pass), plus Carrizo Springs (another hour or so away from Eagle
Pass) make up the Border Zone!
It is a very different experience to be
here, but I have never been more happy! Well, my whole mission has
been tremendously happy!
We are in a very small town. More than
one person has told us that it is the kind of town where everyone
knows everyone's business. Haha! It is a very friendly place. We are
teaching and meeting a lot of people!
On Sunday I attended my first church
services in Spanish and I can't express how much I loved it! We
attend 4 hours of church. First, Spanish Sacrament meeting, then we
have Sunday school (English Branch and Spanish Branch have Sunday
School and Relief Society at the same time- their primary and youth
are combined English and Spanish), then Relief Society, and then
English Sacrament Meeting! It was great! The Spanish branch is tiny!
One of the Sisters that left when I came was the only piano player,
so I've been chosen as the new pianist! I played piano in Sacrament
meeting and that meant that we often had only one hand playing... But
I was able to play both hands on a few songs! The members were happy
just to have piano! In the Spanish Sacrament Meeting, the counselor
who was conducting asked each of the new missionaries to come up and
share their testimony. (Sister A gave us other missionaries a heads
up that we would be asked to bear our testimony) I love the members
of the Spanish branch so much! They are so warm and kind, and they
help me with my Spanish! One of the sisters said she wants me to
teach her Portuguese! Lots of love and lots of kisses on the cheek in
that branch. I love it. Going from three hours of Spanish church into
the English Sacrament meeting was a culture shock! The congregation
was very large and we had a great pianist!! My brain was still trying
to transition back into English so every time I met someone I wanted
to say "Mucho Gusto" or "Hi Familia Judd". I felt
like the gears in my brain were rustily turning slowly trying to
switch to English! It was fun! The English Branch is also wonderful
with lots of members that are so kind and willing to work with us!
On Saturday we taught two miracle
lessons in Spanish! It was wonderful! My first time teaching real
lessons (not just brief street contacts) in Spanish!
I feel extremely blessed. It is so
interesting. When I was first learning Portuguese I had such a hard
time dividing Spanish and Portuguese in my head. I prayed and
practiced a lot and focused on just Portuguese. Before I knew it, it
was very difficult to speak Spanish, especially without Portuguese
words sprinkled throughout it. Right now, Spanish feels like the most
natural thing in the world. I am learning so much every day and
Sister A and I are working on being very diligent with our study. In
the apartment she speaks English and I (sometimes) speak Portuguese -
if not Portuguese then I always speak Spanish. When we leave the
house we both speak all Spanish together. It is helping me so much! I
know that the gift of tongues is real! Sister A was expressing that
feeling to me too! We have both received so much help from the Lord
in learning and speaking the languages He wants us to speak to help
His people.
I really can't express how wonderful it
is to serve here with Hermana A (Ella es una angel!)
Todo esta muy bien. Me siento tan
feliz.
Que le vaya muy bien esta semana!
Con amor,
Hermana Greenall
