Holy Moly!!! I can't believe I'm already a third of the way done.  Time flies.  We went to Zone Conference and we got an award called the "golden plates".  It's a license plate holder that says "Golden Plates #1 car in the zone". Basically, it means that we have the cleanest car in the zone, and we get extra miles as a reward...funny thing, all the companionships that won it (one per zone) were Hermanas (sisters). 

 

One Friday evening I got a call about 9pm from a counselor in the branch presidency asking me "how good is your Spanish"...NEVER a good sign.  My response was "well...I'm not ready to translate for General Conference, but I can hold a conversation..."  He wanted me to speak on Sunday because the speaker assigned had to cancel.  The topic? Charity and how we shouldn't judge others...basically a call to repentance...on my first Sunday with the branch.

 

Hermana Dilworth has truly discovered how disaster follows me.  We set the stove on fire...Don't worry, it was just a small one that was promptly extinguished...apparently there was oil left on the burner from making taquitos.  Our smoke detector...that goes off whenever we open the oven and says "FIRE FIRE FIRE" didn't even go off when there were flames!

 

We found a store that only sells root beer.  Pretty much any kind of root beer you can imagine.  AND they give missionaries a 50% discount.  We have taken it upon ourselves to try as many as possible.  While out calling on referrals, we got lost...if I were still on the ambulance I would say we were doing "map study" to the learn the area :)  We did happen upon a great nighttime view of the downtown area that was amazing!  Funny story...While we driving Hermana Dilworth asked for a gross work story to send to her family, so I gave her one...she hasn't asked for any more :)

 

We were sad to learn the food bank were we volunteer is going to close.   We loved working there and will be sorry to see it go.  Well, that is it for this update.

The work is fun and we are meeting many interesting and memorable people.  I love the work, I love the opportunity to serve and share the Gospel!

 

Os amo,

Hermana Hargis

Reyes, one of my investigators is baptized!

I'll try and catch up. New Year's Eve we were in our apartment by 6pm and in bed at our normal time.  Not much of a celebration but that was OK.  New Year's day we had a special zone conference. On the way to the conference the sisters that we carpooled with asked if I was playing the piano for the meeting. I jokingly said "they haven't told me I was, but I probably will...I've just accepted that I'm playing for every meeting I attend"... and sure enough about 5 minutes before the start of the conference I was asked to play.  Luckily, all my years as organist paid off as I can play just about every hymn with little practice (some I just play better than others). 

 

It's amazing what blessings come our way.  We were in Trader Joe's and started talking to the people in line with us and it turned out they members of the English speaking ward.  Long story short, they ended up paying for our groceries and giving us some of their favorite yogurt.  It made our day and helped stretch our budget!  We've had some fun with the various people we've taught.  We were knocking on doors in one apartment complex and weren't having much luck.  No one was answering their doors.  We were able to teach one family and the husband told us that we might have more success if we knocked on the door and said "no somos imigra, somos misionereas" which is "we aren't immigration, we're missionaries".  Apparently people don't answer the door when they see two white people standing outside their doors. 

 

I've had a change in companions due to a medical condition that prevented another sister from driving so things were changed around.  My new companion is Hermana Martinez and she doesn't speak Spanish, yet :)  She was transferred from out in the country and we are now in the inner-city of Seattle so a bit of a culture shock for her, plus now she has to learn Spanish. We get some strange looks when I speak in Spanish and she doesn't.  We did have an opportunity to volunteer at the local food bank.  They lady in charge doesn't particularly like Mormons but loves that we can translate for her and like having the help. Maybe we'll grow on her. It did take me all day to remember the word for carrots. 

 

I was so excited.  My second week in Washington I began teaching an investigator named Reyes. Well he was baptized in January and I was able to attend his baptism.  That makes all the frustration of the slammed doors so worth it.  Also an inactive sister that I had been working with has come back to church and is now fully active. These two people make it all worth it and remind me why I'm here serving the Lord.

 

Os amo!

 

Hermana Hargis

 

 

"Keep your eyes on your dreams, however distant and far away.  Live to see the miracles of repentance and forgiveness, of trust and divine love that will transform your life today, tomorrow, and forever.  That is a new Year's resolution I ask you to keep". Elder Jeffry R. Holland