People Everywhere!

Hello!

I'm super excited to be in the city...and I was ready for a change from Guadalajara.

I bet we will do a few temple tours, but we don't actually meet in the stake center (which is the building at temple square).

Our chapel is pretty close to our piso, but we are about 30min. from the temple. We pretty much run by metro stops. Our metro is Ventas, and the temple is at Pavones. (Just in case you wanted to look and see.) We live in Calle Colomer.

We have quite a few less actives, and recent converts that we are working with, but we don't have too many investigators...we are still looking.

The main difference between Guadalajara and Madrid is that there are people everywhere! So many more people here...and they all have some place to be. In Guadalajara, the people would stop and talk to us for the most part, but here everyone has somewhere to be and something to do...it makes contacting a little bit more difficult. We do most of our contacting in the street. There are several main streets in our area, so there are a lot of people around. We seem to be more centrally located than I thought last week.

We were talking about learning to drive the other day, the differences between here and home, so I was thinking about Ryan in driver's ed. And I had to explain a little bit about the ranging process.

I'm glad that Brenna has a calling, sounds like it will be fun. And she will definitely learn a lot more from conference at home...it's just to easy to do other things at college, or throw a conference party and miss out on all the talks, even though the T.V. is tuned to conference.

I can't imagine Sophie not loving dance, choir, and violin. It sounds just like her!

I had heard about MagicJack, I think, but maybe the name just sounds familiar. But its great that you can talk with the senior missionaries, although I can't really imagine the senior missionaries living the same rules that we do...it just doesn't seem right.

Have lots of fun at the family party this weekend!

Love, Amber

Transferred!!!

Greetings from...Madrid-Barrio 2 to be exact. That's right, transfers happened.

They actually pulled the Hermanas from Guadalajara, now there are Elders.

For a couple of reason I think. 1st, because it's what the Lord wants. 2nd, because 5 hermanas went home this transfer, and none entered the field. And 3rd, because there just aren't sisters there to help us out.

The sisters that helped the most were pregnant, and gave birth this past weekend, or spend a lot of time on bed rest for a troublesome pregnancy. And there are 3 boys preparing to serve missions who can help the elders a ton. And because we didn't have sisters to come with us, we had to cancel lessons, or teach lessons in the street.

So I'm here in Barrio 2 (2nd Ward)...we live behind the Plaza de Toros, but other than that, I'm not exactlly sure where I am...North east part of Madrid (I think).

My new companion is Hna. Pulgar...that is my third Spaniard for a companion. That's right 3...And we share a piso with Hna. Pérez, and her new companion, Hna. Farías, who is from Argentina. So I live with 3 native Spanish speakers...Still can't believe my luck...I think The Lord really wants me to learn Spanish.

Didn't even realize that it is football season...I'm so lost here. But I guess that's good.

I felt kinda bad to leave the elders with an area with no investigators. We were still looking for people, and the investigator that was progressing most, will not continue with the elders...but I'm sure the elders will run into him and help him along, even if its just a little bit.

Ward conference, sounds like fun...I have yet to experience a ward/stake conference here...but I think that Guadalajara had its ward conference before I got there, and I think stake conference was a month or so before general conference...one day I'll get to go to one. But General Conference is coming up...Yay!

Sounds like school is going great for Sophie...Choir and dance classes sound just like her! (And planning what teachers she wants in the future too!)

I didn't really think that you would be able to come get me...after hearing the stories about the mattresses, the washing machine, and the wall repairs, I didn't think it was going to happen...and to be honest, if I start law school next year, I don't really want you to come...I'd rather spend a week or two at home before we head out east. And I think a trip out east would be fun!

I'll start thinking about Christmas things...But it feels a little bit early to be thinking about Christmas...(although I guess that you can buy Christmas stuff already)...and you know how I feel about thinking about Christmas early...but I'll get around to it and let you know.

Love you all lots!

Amber

Pictures Sent Sept 7

Hna McMurray and Hna Lewis in Guadalajara

Hna Wilson and Hna Lewis

The Hermanas!

Pres. Silva, Jenny, Hna Perez and Hna Lewis
at Jenny's Baptism

Hna Perez and Hna Lewis with Jenny at her Baptsim

Sept 14, 2011

Hello Everybody!

Glad to hear that everybody is finally where they belong, and that everyone has started to develop a routine.

We did spend some time in Marchamalo last week, one of the towns, and finally found a less active. She was looking for the church when we were having the good-bye party for Hna. Marín.

So we exchanged numbers, but something happened with her phone. And we finally got in contact. We had a lesson with her, learned that her mom is also a less active, and that her two children aren't members.We have some work there.

We had some good contacts in Marchamalo. I don't know that last time that the missionaries from Guadalajara ventured out there...And unless they work in Guadalajara, the people don't really need to come into town.

And yes, there are buses...Let's think of it like a Cashmere-Wenatchee difference.

In my personal study, I'm working on becoming better acquainted with the lessons that we teach, and am working my way through the Bible. Finished the Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants (in English) And am reading a few chapters in the Book of Mormon, in Spanish.

And companion study, we have to read from the missionary handbook, share what we learned in personal study, and finish planning our lessons for the day. We also watch clips from the training

videos. And the Spanish is mostly there...still lacking in vocab. But its definitely better. I find myself thinking a lot in Spanish.

And next week is transfers!!!! Who knows what will happen. I'll let you know when I can.
(I can't believe how fast these last six weeks have gone by...Its incredible!)

But things are still going great!

Love, Amber

A Great Week in Guadalajara!

It was a great week in Guadalajara. The baptism of Jenny was great! The spirit was really strong, and it was great to hear her testimony. You could tell that she was really
grateful for what we had done, and was really excited for her baptism.

We have spent a lot of time ¨knocking doors¨ and we do spend most of the time pushing buttons until someone lets us in. But sometimes we get references that way. We are going to start working in the small towns just outside of Guadalajara. We are having a hard time
finding people, so we are thinking about trying something a little bit different. I think that there are a lot of people who live in these towns that have never heard of the church. I hope that we'll find people there!

Hna. Pérez is from Málaga. Her parents are members, but her siblings aren't. And she got baptized with her parents when she was 9. So she's been a member for just as long as
other missionaries, but in a little bit different way.

But it sounds like you have had a busy week. With all the out and about. I sure hope that everything goes well. I'm sure that Brenna will have everything packed and ready to go when its time to leave, even if she finishes just when time runs out. Hopefully everybody can get plenty of rest this weekend. I'm sure that everyone will need it.

This week we had intercambios. I stayed in Guadalajara with Hna. McMurray. (The hermana who is friends with the elder who served in Wenatchee. Somebody was telling me about her a while back) She was serving in Guadalajara before I was, so we visited her converts and the less actives that she worked with while she was here. It was fun for everybody to get to see her again, and was fun for her to get to see them. But she loved visiting with our converts and investigators as well. The intercambios can be a logistics nightmare, especially since we are so far away from all of the other hermanas, but in the end I do enjoy them. I enjoy working with the other hermanas, even if I don't get to leave my area.

Today was temple day! I love going to the temple! And then we ate lunch with some of the hermanas who are leaving next week, and then we went to visit a convert of Hna. Pérez.
It was fun to see all of the other missionaries at the temple, and to be able to spend some more time with them. Next week are the changes, well next week is the last week of the transfer. And I have a feeling that I might be leaving, but I also feel like I might be staying for one more transfer. But my time in Guadalajara definitely feels like it's running out.

Glad to see that Gramma and Grampa made it to Russia alright. I was thinking about them all weekend. I'm sure they'll have a great experience.

Well, I can't think of anything else to say, and I have pictures to send!

Love, Amber