First day in Guadalajara

Hello!

Today (Wednesday) is Pday, so I get to write you again. But it feels a little weird since I emailed you just the other day.

But things are going great! We had an orientation meeting with the (mission) president yesterday, and afterward, Pres. and Sis. Watkins drove us out to the mission home where they fed Hna. Marín and me lunch. (The others weren't as lucky as they were all going to areas fairly close and in the other direction). Then Sis. Watkins drove us out to Guadalajara. It is really beautiful here!

Our piso (apartment) is pretty small, but it is fairly nice. We live fairly close to everything, and I can see why they don't need cars or bikes here.

Last night we met a few people. We first stopped at the home of a recent convert Evelyn, and an investigator, Ana. Evelyn introduced Ana to the missionaries, and now we are teaching both of them, as well as all the children who live there. (Ana and her family live with Evelyn and her family) It was a crazy lesson, and we didn't get much teaching done, between the kids and the neighbor who stopped by, but it was fun, and I think that the neighbor said she would come to church with them.

Then we met up with another recent convert Josetty, who is the lady they introduced me to at conference. She just got baptized a few weeks ago! After that we did some contacting in the street, and then went to the chapel where we taught Jorge. Jorge has a baptismal date for next Saturday!

The chapel here is on the ground floor of one of the buildings, and is really small. They tell me that the rama (the branch) is really small, but that the members are all really good. (The chapel isn't that big, so it must be a pretty small branch.)

It is just Hna. Marín and me out here in Guadalajara. We are the very last branch in the Madrid East Stake. But we can't be more than about an hour or an hour and half away from Madrid (at least I don't think so, I wasn't really paying attention when we drove out here yesterday, but we weren't in the car much longer than that.)

The chapel is fairly close to where we live, and both are close to the main street. There is a walkway in the middle of the street separating the traffic, and that is the best place for contacts I guess. It seems like there are a lot of different people who use that street. And from what I can tell, the investigators all live fairly close to it.

I'm glad to hear that everyone is doing good! I can't believe that we are already into April, it seems like just yesterday I was getting ready to go in to the MTC! Time really does move quickly here!

Love, Amber

Surpise Email - last one from the MTC!

Hello!

Because we are leaving tomorrow, we get to email our families today!!!!

Wasn't conference soooo great? I loved it so much!!!! We watched the Saturday morning session Saturday night at 6. Sunday morning we watched Priesthood, Saturday afternoon, & Sunday morning sessions. And we watched Sunday afternoon this morning.

All of the missionaries who are serving in the Madrid Stakes got to come and

watch conference in the Stake Center on the Temple grounds. In between the Saturday Afternoon and Sunday Morning sessions, we went down to the temple grounds and chatted with all the missionaries! So we got to see Hna. Wilson, Elder Ashworth, Elder Raiano (the one who broke his foot) as well as a few other missionaries we had bumped into during our stay here.

But we also got to meet our trainers and find out where we are going!!!!!
My trainer is going to be Hna. Marín, and we will be serving in Guadalajara. It's about as far away from Madrid as sisters get. She's a native Spaniard, so I know that my Spanish will improve very quickly, as will her English, because all the natives are encouraged to learn. Everybody tells me that she is a great missionary.

They also introduced me to a member or an investigator or something.
(I don't really know, they were speaking in Spanish very fast) They told me that she makes the best juice in the world, and that her food is some of the best. I think they said something about eating there this week, I don't really know. But they said that her house is the best!

I also ran into Elder Knorr, (the one with the mission blog).
He and I knew each other from High School, and I met another Elder I went to school with, Elder Stone. (He was one of my driving buddies when we practiced on the range at school.) So we took a picture of the three Timpanogos kids serving in Madrid. He found it funny that I go into the field the week he leaves. It might get posted on his blog, so keep an eye out for that.

The missionaries have all been out and about this week as transfers are happening right now.

They've been going to the temple and conference and meetings and stuff, so we see them down on the temple grounds. It is a little weird to think that we are going to be with them in just a few hours!

We are busy packing away, I forget just how much stuff I have!

I got the family newsletter today! I love reading everybody's letters!

Also, every time I read I learn about something happening in our family that you forget to mention to me! This time I learned that Brenna is going to the State Solo/Ensemble festival.

I am so proud of her and so excited for her! I I know that she will do great!

Love you lots!

Amber

Pictures!

Sisters' Fiesta!
Irma Lima, Sister Gomes, Hna Soderquist
Irma de Sousa, Hna Wilson, Hna Lewis

Prado Museum

Hna Lewis, Hna Soderquist, Hna Wilson
in front of the Palace

The Palace

More Pictures!

Hna Wilson, Hna Soderquist, Hna Lewis
in front of the Madrid Temple

The Cathedral

Hna Wilson and Hna Lewis

MTC Pictures

Hna Soderquist, Hna Wilson, Elder Ashworth, Hna Lewis

Hna Soderquist, Hna Wilson, Hna Lewis

Almost Time to Leave the MTC!

I'm glad to hear that your trip was great! But I knew you would have a good time.

We leave on Tuesday, which is so close. It sort of feels like we've had our last real day of class.

We'll have class again tomorrow, but because Friday is in between P-Day and the Park, I can never remember what we do on Fridays. So tomorrow will be our last real day of class. Saturday we will still go to the Park, but then we will start Conference.
Sunday we will watch three sessions of conference. President Earl lets the sisters watch

the Priesthood session. And Monday morning we will watch the last one.

Pres. Watkins will come to get us on Tuesday Morning, and Hna Greer does get to come with us. They do some sort of orientation or training or something here at the MTC before they send us out. I'm glad that we get to do that here, and that I don't have to take a train or anything first!

All the teachers here are natives, but they all speak English. So our classes are in both English and Spanish. And they have been teaching here for a while. I guess it is hard to find people who live in Madrid, are returned missionaries, and speak English. So they hang on to teachers when they get them. We also have teachers who come only at night and help us with our teaching skills. They speak English, but teach only in Spanish. That has helped with the natives too.

We were thinking about how missionaries at the Provo MTC start to feel really comfortable with their Spanish. They can talk to each other, their teachers, that sort of thing. But then they get in the field and realize that they can't speak any Spanish. That is not going to happen here. I know that I can't really understand what people are telling me. Last week in the Park, Hna Greer and I were talking to a man, and he started talking about something, but neither one of us knew what he said. This kind of thing happens a lot in the park. We often just smile and nod, and bear testimony of something.

I believe that P-Day is Wednesday, so you'll know pretty quickly where I am.

We were so excited for Hna Greer, and for the Elders she flew over with. There are six new elders in the district behind us. It had gotten pretty lonely with just the four of us. We love having more people to talk to!

Well, I can't think of anything else, we've just been busy learning and practicing, and getting ready for the field.

Love you lots!

Amber

More Missionaries!

¡Hola!

I hope that you enjoy the pictures!

This week Hna Greer joined us! She just got here about two hours ago actually, and she came with six more Elders! We are so excited for more missionaries!

I love hearing about Brenna and Ryan and Softball and Track! It is so great to hear that they are both so awesome!

We hear all about the BYU basketball team! Pres. Earl is an avid fan, and will wake up at 3 in the morning so that he can watch the games! That's been kinda fun.

I am so excited that Brenna has decided to go to BYU-I! I know that she will love it up there.

After the Temple and email, we go into the city. We have been seeing the sights. Last week we went to the Prado Museum, and this week we are headed to the mall!

I found a boy for Brenna! Elder Pearce is one of the Elders who loved her pictures! And I think that they would have a great time together!

The KSL News van was there when I entered the MTC, and they were there at the last devotional we had in Provo. We were singing in the Choir, front row! (Hopefully you can see us!)

Thanks for all the love and support! I am glad to hear that everyone is doing great, and that you all think of me often! I think about all of you!

I can tell that my Spanish has improved so much! Especially when we are teaching. I still don't think I could carry on a real conversation, but I can teach a lesson! It doesn't take as long to think of vocab, or how to conjugate a verb! It is so cool to think about!

I only have a week and a half left in the MTC! I'm excited and nervous at the same time! But mostly excited! It is just a little weird to think that it won't be too much longer, because the MTC has felt like it has been really long.

Love you lots!
Amber