Blanquita!

8-18-14

This has been such an awesome week! I love California and I love missionary work! On the plane ride up here from Mexico I had the opportunity to give someone a Book of Mormon.  His name is Miguel and he's a junior in high school. He looked a little rougher around the edges, had a tattoo on his face and whatnot.  But I started talking to him and he was super cool.  So I just got to know him before we took off and then during the flight we both just slept. But as the plane was descending I got the feeling that I should give him a Book of Mormon.  That's kind of a nerve-racking thing, so I prayed that if it was right, I'd be given an opportunity to give him one.  As the plane landed I asked him if he had a connecting flight and he said yes, to San Francisco, but he had a 4 hour layover.  When I asked him if he had anything to do for the layover he said no, he'd probably just walk around.  MY PRAYERS WERE ANSWERED.... perfect way for me to lead in to the BOM... so I told him I had something for him to do, gave him a Book of Mormon and bore my testimony of it.  It was great.  

This week I have seen a lot of tender mercies and little blessings along the way.  That was definitely one of them.  Alma 48:11-12 talks about how recognizing blessings is an attribute of a great man, which I think is so true.  So here is a shortened list of my tender mercies this week:

-One of the pieces of my luggage was lost, but I had been prompted to switch things I needed to the suitcase that made it to me the night before my flight

-My first area is Lake Elsinore, which is where our family looked at houses, and is one of the few areas I've heard of 

-My trainer is awesome! I was so worried I wouldn't like my trainer but she is so great!

-We're living in a homeshare (a ward member's house) which I was afraid that I wouldn't like, but it's awesome! It's super homey and nice and Sister Palmer makes homemade bread that is delicious!

-I got a blessing right before I left the MTC and it was so great! It's been such a comfort

-A ton of people have told me that I have a really good accent (which is basically to say no accent at all) when I speak Spanish.  That is so nice! 

-We have a TON of investigators! I was not expecting that. It's so awesome! I feel so blessed.

-The California Riverside Mission is the perfect place for me! There are a ton of Spanish-speaking people here, but some speak English as well, which is nice so that I don't feel totally helpless right now, when I don't know a ton of Spanish.

Because we're teaching all Hispanics, a lot of times I feel super out of place. I'm pretty much always the only tall, blonde, white girl in the house or wherever we're teaching.  Not to mention, I get so lost when a lot of the investigators talk because their Spanish is hard to understand. Hence the title "Blanquita" or "Little Whitie".  Although, I don't know that "little" fits since I'm so tall compared to all these people! But I love it.  I love all of them.  

There's one family that I've totally fallen in love with.  They're recent converts and their last name is Arizmendi.  They had a pretty sketchy past.  Valerie, the mom, was basically born and raised in a gang family, and most of her family is still part of that gang.  When she was younger she was actually shot in the face.  She was also hit by a truck, which has left her with some lasting side-effects, one of which is pretty intense pain on occasions. She was telling us last night that she was in pain when she woke up that morning, but she knew that if she went to church it would help her feel better.  She would do anything in her power to get to church on Sundays.  Sometimes she's in so much pain that she can't even walk, but she will still go to church.  And she went to church yesterday and started feeling better! But her faith is incredible.  This family also doesn't have a lot, but they are so generous! Every time I've been over there they've offered me something to eat or drink, they fed us dinner last night, and they're feeding us again on Friday.  They're great.  And the husband, Amador, said the closing prayer for us last night and it was one of the most sincere, powerful prayers I've ever heard.  I didn't understand all of it, because it was in Spanish, but the Spirit I felt from it was overwhelming.  I almost started crying.  I love them.  

I also committed someone to baptism this week! His name is Ruben, and he committed to the date of September 14th.  So hopefully that one follows through! That was cool for me, because a lot of the investigators we're teaching now are already halfway through taking the missionary discussions and are already committed to baptism, which is great, but it's cool to be teaching someone from the beginning. 

Also, sometimes it feels like Mexico here.  We were teaching a recent convert, Jesus, in his home one day, and it literally felt like Mexico.  It was super hot in the house, there were a ton of flies, the house was kind of beat us, outside the window looked like Mexico, and was speaking very Mexican Spanish.  Even though I didn't understand a ton, I loved it.  

I love it here! Missions are awesome. The church is true!

Have a good week! 

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Horne

P.S. When I was in the CCM I found a picture of grandma Horne's brother, Toney Bentley in the main reception building, because he was once a President of the CCM down there. So cool!