I am in love with this area!!! - December 23, 2013

Hello great family :)

It has been a great week! I love love love being in a spanish area! So, let me first tell you why the last transfer was only 5 weeks long and why this one is 7 weeks. So, the transfer was supposed to end tomorrow. But President didn't want us to have to move to a new area on Christmas Eve, so he cut this transfer a week short and added the week onto this next transfer. I wish he would have made the last transfer 7 week one and this next one 5... oh well. But that is why we have kind of a weird schedule!

On Monday, Sister Smith and Sister Hoer and I wanted to do something special. We didn't have a dinner appointment, so we decided to go out to some country-styled restaurant - haha. It was soooo much fun!!! Sister Hoer's mom sent her a 20 dollar bill for each of us and we were supposed to use it to do something nice for someone during the holiday season. I still hadn't used my $20 so I decided to leave our waitress a $20 tip! It was really fun and felt good :)

Tuesday was transfer day and Hermana Soto, Ally and I were all stranded at our apartment without a car. So we did nothing that day... it was terrible! You think you want a break as a missionary, but when you get one, you realize you really don't want one! You just want to work! But I do love living in an apartment for a change. I have loved living with members, but you do get more privacy in an apartment. It has been a fun change :) The other sister's I live with are great! I like them a lot! I knew Hermana Wilson before, but I didn't know Hna Martinez. She is hilarious! She is from LA. She thinks I am hilarious and legit. I don't know why. ha! She told me that I would make it in the streets of LA. So Lennon, here you think you are the gangsta in the family, but it is really ME! hahhaha :) Also a family in our ward gave us and the Elders some spicy suits - absolutely hilarious. Lennon, I will send some pics - pretty funny! We have also had more Tuba-ruba fun this week - Mom, you need to find this game!!

On Wednesday was Mary's funeral. It was at a Catholic church. Hna Soto had a doctors appoinment so Hna Wilson came to the funeral with me. It was at a beautiful Catholic church. Sister Hoer and her new comp came too. The funeral was very good. All in all it made me so grateful for the gospel! It reaffirmed my testimony about God;s plan here on earth. I want you all to know how beautiful this gospel is! And also how simiple. The gospel is true! It is wonderful! I wish everyone would just know and accept it! People would be a lot happier!

This week we were supposed to have dinner with an Hermana in our branch but she got a cortisone shot in her back and couldn't move. We decided to go over and clean her house for her and make her and her family dinner! It was so much fun! She was very grateful! When we got there we shared a message and then got to cleaning! They don't have a dishwasher so we did all of the dishes all by hand and there was A LOT! Then she told us where the food was, so we started cooking. We made hamburgers. We made them for her family, then we made some for the Elders so they could still come over, and then we made some for us and the other spanish sisters. (There are 6 missionaries in our little branch!) It was an awesome day!

We also visited with 2 less active guys in the branch. They are both in their 20's and have been inactive for a really long time. And last week was the first time either of them have been to church in forever! They are both making a lot of changes in their lives. It is great! Jonathan had to work this week so he wasn't there. But Jesus came again! Yay!! Less active work is just as important as investigator work! We have some progressing investigators too, which is great! :) 

I love you guys!! I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!! I can not wait to talk to you on Wednesday!! Just two days away!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!! and to see your faces!!! Yay!

Love,

Hannah :)

(this is an email from the FABULOUS KAISERS - literally the best people on earth!)

We saw your missionaries today!  Yaaaay!  It was so much fun and Santa came too (Brother Kaiser)!  What a treat to sit and have lunch with them.  They are both doing well and happy.  We love your missionaries.  You can start counting the hours until you get to skype!  We can't wait to Google Hangout with our missionary that way she can meet her nephew and see her brothers and their wives who are all in Washington visiting the wives' families this Christmas.  Merry Christmas! Love, Kendra