Wednesday, September 22, 2010

I got transferred to......

CHULA VISTA!!!! Yup I was transferred to the Rio Otay Mesa branch and my new companion is Sister Muir! She's great...really quiet but nice. Chula Vista is FREEZING compared to San Tee ha ha.. I miss San Tee and the hot weather! but Chula is cool because there are three awesome views. One of TJ (Tijuana), one of the ocean and then one of down town San Diego. When your up on top of a hill you can see all of them. It's so pretty, nice cool ocean breeze even though I’m not right on the beach.....I’m about 15 min away from the border. Everyone goes to TJ over the weekends so we can't get ANYONE to church, as far as investigators.... The branch is great...It's so weird though because they are a lot more responsible in their callings and everything is nicer... Santee was a little poorer area. I miss it though so much and my old companions, but I love CHULA!

It's weird not being in a trio anymore.. I like it though, it feels easier to teach. We have 8 missionaries in our branch which is a lot ...there is the two of us and two other sisters...one of them being sister Thomas my old comp :-). Our apartment is cool. The kitchens ghetto but that’s ok we're never there anyway ha ha.

BTW...anyone is welcome to send packages! Not too many, but since I’m in the states so it's easier and I don’t have to pay for customs! Popcorn, hot chocolate, goodies, chocolate, whatever :-) haha. Halloween/ any holiday packages are always welcome too.

One thing I’ve discovered is that I’m TERRIBLE at contacting. Just walking up and starting a conversation and then relating it to the gospel of course...just like, making it flow smoothly without being awkward, but I’m working on it. There's a new technique that we're using with the Book of Mormon. We've been finding it to work really well, only with Hispanics though. We teach them how the Book of Mormon was written by their ancestors and how they wrote it for them today to know of their lives, a knowledge of Christ, communication with God and then we invite them to read and pray about it. They really pay attention because Hispanics are always nuts about their family and ancestors! It works well.

We have more meal appointments! Dinner is always crazy, haha Because they dish the food up for you and you don't have a say in how much you want, so they pile it on! oy! One night we have "seviche" it's seafood like shrimp mixed in with this salsa stuff and put on a tostada....it wasn't my favorite because I hate cold shrimp....but I ate it anyway. OH!!! another thing. I discovered what "CHICHARON" is!! It's what was in empanadas the last week I ate those in Santee.... It's fried pig skin!!!!! AHHHHH!!! (hooeeeehhh!) I tried it at a ward party the other night and it was SICK! Ick...nasty consistency.....but there was a yummy Honduran dish at that party!!! Brenna and Brent! The second counselor is Honduran and made what's called Baleadas. It's so yummy I don't know how to explain it but I asked for the recipe.

Our area....We are pretty much finding new investigators because they split our area and the other sisters were supposed to get the new area, but since they are on bike they got ours!! Because it was closer to them and we have the new area now... and pretty much everyone is white. It's hard to find more of the Hispanics but we’re trying... so the work is really slow right now. I’m kinda stressed, so I’m breaking out and finding more grey hair! oy vey! We switched one night with our roomies though....they have a different branch and are on bike too and they needed our car so we biked for the last 3 hours of the night and BOY am I OUT OF SHAPE!!! I don't like these California hills!! haha oy vey I can't believe they do that all day, all the time. my skirt got caught in the breaks too! and ripped! only a little at the bottom but I sewed it back up....you can't really notice it though. I haven't been sleeping very well as it's just a new area that I’m getting used to. Which brings me to “This weeks Assignment” for all of you:
GO TAKE A NAP FOR ME!!!!!
Yes, I’m tired...but I’m so energetic at times which doesn't make any sense because I’m so tired. The mission Rocks though. Sometimes I feel like I’m in a dream and then I realize..."WHOA!!! I'm a MISSIONARY!" It's cool. EVERY girl should go on a mission. You learn SO MUCH. You learn about other people, about yourself, (I found out how selfish I can be) and find more out about our Heavenly Father and the way he works and his love for us.


We went to a family last night that are less active and I absolutely LOVE them!!! They have 3 kids 13 down to 3 and they are adorable.... The lady is super nice, it felt like home and she gave me a real hug!!!! Like a big squeezing one! haha the ones I love! I loved it..felt like home. Their family is so sweet!

Well I’m pretty much out of things to say other than for everyone! STUDY PREACH MY GOSPEL!!!!!! It's SO awesome and has everything right there! It explains things simply and clearly. It's for you guys too, not just us missionaries! Study it everyday!!!! Seriously you will learn the basics ...the most important stuff from it that we teach and need to understand everyday.
It has good scripture references all the time to go into more depth. So please do that everyone!

Letters are always welcome even though I might not respond right away. pictures too. I’ll try and send pictures this week or next.
I love you all! I love being a missionary and I love my mission! San Diego is heaven on earth!

Oh haha my district leader was in Spring Valley last transfer and remembers seeing Uncle Mike! haha "you know, he was tall and kind of intimidating looking?, oh yeah I’m pretty sure I know who that was!" ha ha yup that was cool.
Love you!
Hermana Dunn
GO TAKE A NAP FOR ME!!! RIGHT NOW!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Transfers! 9/14/10

Buenos Dias Mi Familia!!!
Como han estados? How have you been? Les amo muchisimos! I love you all so much!
Well Transfers are tomorrow and we get a call today to see who needs to start packing to go to a new area tomorrow and so on. We haven't gotten a call yet but we are all very nervous/ excited/ sad to be split up because we're all so close. Hopefully they will call before I finish this letter! ahhh! ha ha.
Well, this last week was tough because being Senior companion, (to see how it all works) is tough and hard! You are in charge of everything in your companionship and it's kinda stressful. You have to be on your toes and doing everything right and being completely in tune with the spirit to know where Heavenly Father wants us to go what to do and what to teach. It's amazing though, because after you pray and sit and just listen for where He wants you to go you just get a thought in your head and or a feeling in your heart and you know where you should go whether it's to see that specific person or someone that you could find on the way there, to that original person. It's crazy how the Lord works. It's really interesting to see and do it.
It's also amazing but frustrating to see this other thing.....As a newbie in the mission field I'm learning what to do and what not to do and how to do things. There are several times where I think I did really good or awesome but then it turns out that I totally bombed at whatever I did. But then other times I think I did terrible and my trainer says, "no you did good!!!" or whatever. So it's very unexpected what will happen next. Always up and down and up and down emotionally. It's tough at times, but then other times it just rocks.
Last p-day, we as a district, went down to the Mexican border to "Las Americas" to go shopping. They are these outlet malls....ha ha and they are RIGHT next to the huge fence that separates Mexico and the US. So we took some pics in the parking lot right next to the fence. ha ha It was fun. ....and of course I hate shopping so that part for me was boring, but it was just fun to be with everyone. Hopefully I'll be able to send some pics next week but I dunno.... lots of stuff to do.
Ok....so here's something that just came to me the other night as I was studying. I had to just grab a pencil before I forgot everything, so it might not make sense but take from it what you will. It's just about everything gospel related and I dunno maybe someone needs to hear something from it. I don't have time now to categorize/ organize it though. here it goes
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Jesus Christ said, "come unto me all ye that are heavy laden and I will give you rest." (Matthew 10???) Through the atonement Jesus Christ will lift our burdens for us in life because he knows EXACTLY what we're going through... whether we are sad or depressed or angry or confused, in the dark or sick WHATEVER. He loves us, He loves YOU, unconditionally and wants happiness and love for us. He has provided a way to do that through the gospel and atonement of Jesus Christ. We have to be willing to put in our part too though, be willing to act and do what he wants. Through the Atonement we not only receive remission for our sins, but we are blessed with the Grace of God when we have faith in him. "Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden and I will give you rest." *** "Love inspires us to make the right choices" (me, ha ha, inspiration from my Patriarchal blessing). It inspires us to do the right things. We serve others and serve God because we love them. Learn to love like a little child. No matter what someone does wrong, love them still. Just like a little child does. Have this same love for the Lord and His teachings and commandments. No matter what hard times we have in our lives, love Him still and KNOW that He does these things to help you become stronger and grow. So, overcome them! Press on and work through it and your Heavenly Father will bless you greatly and strengthen you. When we see that life's challenges are for the better and embrace them, we make life better. Open your minds, hearts, eyes, and ears to the ways of the Lord and you will learn more. You will be strengthened, you will have happiness, you will love and have love in your life and you will gain a testimony of the Lords gospel and his promises as you see the blessings He gives you when you follow his teachings. He has set a way for us to gain these things along with the promise of eternal life. To live with our Heavenly Father in heaven and our families, and that way is through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Heavenly Father has restored it once again here on the earth today, specifically for our day. He along with the prophets of the Americas saw this day and knew the world would be a crazy place. He knew Satan would work his hardest these days to tare apart the family and try and make our lives hard and miserable with the crazy things of the world. That's why Heavenly Father gave us the restoration of the gospel along with the Book of Mormon. So that we could find hope, and peace still in this world, through His teachings. So we would have hope of a better life to come after this life, as long as we are willing to set our pride aside and follow Him and truly come to know that we are all sons and daughters of God..... Through the Gospel we can truly find and learn who we really are.
I love you all! I love my mission!
Hermana Dunn
"Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden and I will give you rest."

Week of 9/7/10


This weekend we were home alone. We live with members, in their basement and they left for the weekend so we took care of the house. It was fun, not that we did anything different, but I felt at home Saturday morning as I told her that I would water her plants outside and water the lawn and take care of the dog. ha ha Felt like home! Their dog, Jetta, is an Akita... I think that's what it's called....like a big snow dog. He's old but sweet. We noticed he wasn't anywhere to be found... I was worried that he crawled under the deck to go die or something cause he's super old....but we were worried because he was gone!!! The gates were shut and all. We were calling his name and we finally heard a whimper and it sounded like it was coming from the neighbors yard. We looked through the fence and he was trapped inside their pool area with the gate shut. We have no idea how he got there. So we knocked on the door and no one was home so we just went in the back and got him because who knows how long he was there in the heat!!! and he has THICK black fur. He went straight to the water though to drink when we got him back. Then the next day we came home and he was sitting on the front porch!!! So we called the Hawkins AGAIN to tell them and they said there had to be a whole somewhere, so we checked and there was a loose board sure enough. haha. So that was exciting.
Well nothing too eventful this week other than my companion being sick. We've been letting her rest a lot so work has been a lil slow. But I'm "senior companion" for a week...just to see how it works. It stinks! ha ha ha They have to do everything, where to go, what to do who and what to teach and everything!!!! It's HARD! So much responsibility! I've been a lil stressed cause I don't feel like I'm doing a very good job... but I'm learning!
Today we're going down to the border to the mall of America for a lil bit. Oh and next week is transfers~!!!! I don't know and won't know till next Tuesday if I'm getting transferred or not. I have no idea what to think. So we'll see. Well I gotta go. No time ...sorry this is so short.
Love you all! And...Keep studying the scriptures everyday!

Love Hermana Dunn