Laree's Little [B]Log about Life

Hello dear family,

Today has been very exciting. We spent the majority of our day driving to different libraries to try to use a computer for e-mailing. we didn't find one so we ended up driving to the mission office to use the computers there. plus, my companion, Hna. Ward, was asked to come to assemble on of the bikes here- she's a bike mechanic! so we finally found a computer!

This week has been very exciting. We're just barely starting to get our minds around the area and the work here in Pomona. It's a great area with tons of potential. On Tuesday we headed to the chapel to visit the bishop and he is incredible! This ward is super organized (comparatively speaking) and were really helpful. The zone leaders have also been really helpful. They took us around on Wednesday to a bunch of people's houses that we can start working with- less actives, investigators, etc. unfortunately, none of them were actually home, but we have a good list of addresses and people to start with. The first few days were not terribly efficient, but we're getting better and busier. 

We started teaching this woman and her boyfriend's teenage daughters. She really wants to get baptized but she can't because she can't marry her boyfriend because he's married to a woman who lives in Mexico (a very common problem among Latinos). We're working on her. Her boyfriend has no interest in the church, but she really likes it. Her son is a member and she see's how much it's changed his life. 

Hermana Ward is my new companion- another 19 year old! She's a Utahn and is really nice. She's a bike mechanic and a bike racer. She's a good missionary. I'm excited to work with her. She teaches with the Spirit and alot of emotion and she feels the Spirit really strongly when she teaches, which is great, especially when I'm a little less emotional in general. It really moves them. 

General Conference was amazing! So much to learn about missionary work and what I can do to improve myself as a missionary. I love it. We went to the stake center to watch conference and I got to see my investigator Juan from Rimgrove!! He is amazing! In between sessions he was calling a friend to tell them to come to conference. The change in him since we first met him is incredible. He's becoming a very different man. He truly is converting to the Gospel and to our Savior. He is teaching himself things that we haven't even taught him! He was talking about tithing and how great it is and I know the other hermanas have not taught him that since I left! 

So....I also had the unfortunate event of experiencing my biggest fear on the mission. Latino woman love to give us hugs and kisses. I was hugging a woman in the ward the other day and went to kiss her cheek and almost kissed her lips!!!!! AWKWARD!! that's an interesting welcome to the ward.... ugh, i still squirm thinking about it. that's been my fear since day 1 on the mission. anyways, after several sessions of therapy, i'm doing ok :)

how are all of you doing? Love you!!

love and miss you, 

Hermana Laree LaPierre