Monday morning we found out I was on my way to a new area so I started getting ready to transfer. First we did our laundry. Then we headed to a lesson with the ASL sisters. They are working with a Hispanic family and can't talk to the mom or dad but only the son. So we went to translate. It was interesting, the mom kept having another one of her kids translate for us. So it was just awkward and weird. Then we went home for me to pack and get ready to go. Then we went and visited Yanci who didn't want me to leave at all. Then we went and visited Chelsea and her mom for a couple of minutes. I got a shrimp soup recipe from them! Super excited to make it some day! Then we saw Anguie and her family took some pictures and helped them make food. Then she gave me a picture from her baptism of us and one from the temple trip with her. So cute! One of them said love you sis Ashford. So sweet! Then we saw Erika, Caitlin, and Lindsey. I was doing good until Caitlin started crying. Then I held it in until I got into the car. Then we went back to Chelsea's house to get some food. Then back to Yanci's house for some more food and pictures along the way.
Hermana Bandeaux & Hermana Ashford
Tuesday was a crazy day. The morning I spent packing and making sure that was all ready to go. Then I wrote letters to some of the members in the ward for Hermana Williams to give to people. We spent the last morning as companions goofing around and enjoying our time together until we are roommates in college. I just can't wait for that day! I love her so much! Then we headed to The mission office. Once there we got to see a whole bunch of people. Out of the people in my CCM district I was the only one getting transferred. A little sad. We found out our new companions and headed to my new area. So my new companion is...... Hermana Bandeaux. She is Hawaiian but her family lives in California. She played flute in high school band but nothing like our Texas high school marching band. She was at a 1A school so super small. This is her last transfer so I am killing her off. In October she heads to BYU Hawaii. My new area is Hampton Bays. The farthest part on the island and the biggest area. We cover most of the end of the island. We are in a branch of about 20 Spanish members and 25 English members. Like I said a branch. Then we had dinner at the senior couple's house who are in our area. We were supposed to have an investigator over but they never showed. The senior couple is Elder and Sister Martino from Denton, Texas!! I love Texas friends. So we talked Texas and had dinner then we're on our way! Then we just knocked doors for most of the evening.
Wednesday we had district meeting. There is a Spanish set of elders and an English set of elders and the Martinos. This district is super great! We did service were we helped a member, the Sullivans, clean out their RV for another member, the Barrilas, to live in. I am in the rich summer houses of New York. How there are Hispanics out here I have no idea. In the summer prices go up so the people who live in their homes live for the summer to somewhere cheaper until the winter. So the Barrila's needed somewhere to stay so they are staying in the RV. So we helped clean that and then we had correlation meeting with our ward mission leader which is actually Brother Barrila. Then we had a miracle! So we felt like we should go out to east Hampton which is about 45-60 min away to look up a referral. We get there and she is there with a less active they had been trying to find for the past couple weeks. So we got to have a member present lesson without planning it! So fun!
Thursday we had weekly planing which was good. Then we did some look ups and trying to talk to anyone. Then we we choose a random street to go to in Moriches. We started knocking then got to one house of another less active that they have been trying to get in contact with for a while and as soon as we walked up she was pulling in her drive way! Miracle number two! So we set up a return appointment and went on our way. Then we went to a member's house to skype one of our investigators named Sebastian. Hopefully he will be getting baptized in August! He is super cool and has a strong testimony.
Friday we finished up weekly planning and worked on a puzzle during our lunch break. We are on our third puzzle for the week. So fun! Then we helped Sister Barrila move her stuff over into a cottage they are staying in with the RV. That took a while. We found a less active and taught her super cool! Then we were in East Hampton trying to look some people up when it started to rain down pour!! It was raining so hard we couldn't see the street in front of us and the road was flooding so we turned around and headed home for the night. The storm was crazy.
Saturday we did a bunch of knocking out in East Hampton again. There is some big rich houses out there. Oh my! Then we had a lesson with Eddy a less active non member son. He is 12 and super cute. We taught him and he is trying so hard to understand the scriptures it is just awesome. Then we traveled back to Hampton bays. We looked one person up but they weren't home so we started to someone else's house. We passed by a less active members home and saw that he was there. We had an awesome, powerful lesson with him. There is no denying the spirit was there as we taught. Then went to the other members home and had a quick lesson with the dad. So we were doi our nightly planning and Hermana Bandeaux made a commit about needing to shave. Some how she talked me into shaving them so she would do my nails. Still don't know how that happened but it.
Sunday was a strange day. I don't play the piano any more only in relief society so it was different just seating there relaxing during all of sacrament and Sunday school. So the branch is a Spanish and English mixed branch however Spanish and English meet in speared rooms in their own language. The branch itself has like 50ish people half the size of my last ward. The Spanish section alone only has like 15 people including the 4 Spanish missionaries. Super small. After church we finished our studies and worked on our puzzle. Then we looked up a less active who has a daughter who is interested in the church.
However she was in the shower so when she got out she called us back and we should see her next week. Then as we were driving to our next lesson we saw the Sullivans pulled over in their RV. They were driving to the cottage where the Barrilas are staying but it broke down a quarter of the way there. So we gave them a pray and went on our way. We then met up with a college student who is back for the summer. She just graduated in April so she heads to medical school next. She just got called to be the YW president and there isn't any active YW so we took her out to go find some. We didn't find anyone but we will keep working with her on it. Then we went home and made some Hawaiian bread. So the Spanish elders live in the same complex as us so they come over and steal food.
So this week has been full of new beginnings and learning to be the missionary I really want to be. I have been reading a lot of talks on patience and how to develop this quality more in my life. In one of the talks I read from General Conference October 2006 by Robert Oaks, called The Power of Patience he says, "We can grow in faith only if we are willing to wait patiently for God’s purposes and patterns to unfold in our lives, on His timetable."
Sometimes we don't understand why things are the way they are. Right now I have no clue why I am in Hampton Bays and with Hermana Bandeaux but I know I am here for a reason. I am excited to see in time God's purpose for me. I personally love seeing that on a mission how much God works in our lives. I know he is always there for me and he is there to guide me. I love my Heavenly Father more than anyone else in this world. I am so grateful I have this gospel in my life to help me and guide me. I know Heavenly Father watches out for us. I love y'all!
Have a great week and a great Fourth of July!
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| My Texas Straw |
Con Amor
Hermana Ashford
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