Settling in

So, the last day that we were in the MTC, the 8th, we had to leave super early. We got up at 3 to see the other half of our district off and them we left at 4. Oh and mom apparently Sister Holt is going to send you an e-mail so keep and eye out for that. We had to take a bus, two trains, and a plane in order to finally get to Albuquerque (why they didn't just drive us to the airport I don't know, I mean, it's not like there were people to talk to on the train at 4 in the morning but whatever. Ha, we also had some people turn and run from us in the airport that was fun. I feel like I've never had people be nicer to me and I've never had people be meaner to me since becoming a missionary). Anyway, we finally got there around noon on Monday and took a picture at the temple and then had a million hours worth of instruction at the mission home. President and Sister Miller are pretty cool, they are both pilots and like to race motorcycles. 

The missionary stereotypes also started in the mission home since they kept giving us a bunch of food to eat and asked us like 10 times if we wanted more. Elder Campbell and I also had a contest to see who could choke down the most tomatoes since neither of us like them and they gave us so many. I feel like I've really already encountered most of the missionary stereotypes. I've already run into an investigator on his way home from the store with a 6 pack, already been asked about why we don't drink caffeine and why we have weird underwear and about oppression of women in the church (that was a fun conversation with a Jehovah's Witness) so I've got most of them down already.

So I'm actually in a trio right now, my comps are Sister Stokes who is my trainer and Sister Mendehall. Sister Mendenhall leaves the day after Christmas so there will be the three of us until then. They're both from Idaho and Utah so people are always pleasantly surprised when I tell them that I'm from Washington. I actually even met a member couple last night that grew up in Everett, so that was kind of cool. We get along pretty well and Sister Mendenhall and I bonded over our mutual dislike of cooked fruit (see mom, I told you it's totally normal!). 

I haven't met any super crazy people yet, one lady who was burning sage when we came over to ward off evil spirits, but that's about it. We did have dinner at one member's house though who's dad was staying with them. He's 98 and totally coherent and can walk around with pretty much no help and everything. Seriously, the guy is a beast for an old man. He was telling us about how he served his mission in Holland before WWII and about how being a Post Master used to be a political position so it would change depending on what the political affiliation of the president was.

Just Serve also just started here. We had the presentation on it on Sunday. Have any of you done anything with it yet? I guess here we aren't allowed to do anything off of it unless we're invited by a member, so that's kind of disappointing, but oh well.     

Well, that's about all that's been going down. Mostly just trying to get the hang of things around here and figure out the new area since Sister Mendenhall will be leaving soon and it's new to both Sister Stokes and I. But things are going well and I haven't died yet! (Although if I did there would be plenty of desert to bury me in). I hope that things are going well for you all and that you have a fantastic Christmas! Don't forget to remember Christ in all of your partying! Don't make me come up there and show you all the He's the gift video! (honestly, it's pretty good but I've seen it sooooo many times now). Also, there's rumors of getting ipads at the zone conference this week! So exciting things are happening. 

Love you all!

April