Familia!! Amigos!!
Que tal?! This week has been absolutely STELLAR!
First: I´ll begin with something amusing. Last week we were running in the morning on Pday and the mornings here are usually foggy. We were running on what we thought were small black leaves and didn´t pay much attention, then I swear I saw a few with atenas. So I took a closer look and realized they were SLUGS!! Everywhere!!!
Second: We have an appointment set up for Saturday with a cute Italian woman from Proselitismo last week. :) Yippee!
Third: I was called this past Sunday to be the "Sister Training Coordinator"... I´m in charge of looking after all the English speaking sisters. I love it. I go to the District Mtgs with President Openshaw and the District leaders and I am Hermana Openshaw´s councelor in Relief Society. So I organize and conduct :)
Fourth: Monday was THE best!!!! We were praying in our district when all of a sudden I hear "Hermana Owen! Hermana Owen!" being yelled outside our window. The prayer ended and we all bolted to the window. You know those moments when you jump in an ice cold pool or land on your tail bone really hard and your breath is just taken right from ya? haha the second I saw who was standing outside, my heart dropped and I literally couldn't speak. I was taken by complete surprise and couldn´t even speak I was so happy!! I went right down to bawlin! ELDER JAREN SWEENEY... you´re kidding!? Nope it was him alright :) I could see him laugh as I couldn´t even respond... I think I might have let out a scream of joy haha idk. I ran downstairs and we got to talk for a few minutes (which was good because we didn´t get to see each other at Elder Cook´s devotional). Oh it was the greatest. He is so tall and skinny! haha He is just beaming with the missionary spirit and his new companion is actually one of the Latinos that was here just a week ago. It was so good to catch up a bit. He asked me how I was doing and just told me how much I would love everything. He is doing fantastic. (His mission came to the temple that day, that´s why they were here) Apparently, seeing each other wasn´t allowed but both our Mission Presidents wives said they would turn their heads :)... I think it´s cuz of motherly instincts. Halelujah! (below is from Jaren Sweeney's letter that came to them on Monday- his side of the story)
This week was a great week. We actually have the meeting with Elder Cook on wednesday but............... i got to see Hillary today!!!! On friday we got a text that all of the mission was going to go to the temple today. After the session i asked Hermana Gulbrandsen if I could go over to the CCM and see if Hillary was there. she said “ya, i will turn my head and you can go over there and see.” Then she told me they are really strict in the CCM and that they would just send me away. But I could try if I wanted. So, i took the risk and went over to see. Just so happened that hillary is on the top floor and some of the kids from her district were saying stuff to us and then i found out she was actually in the room so i shouted up to her window “SISTER OWEN!!!” and she came over to the window and started crying!!... making me almost cry. I didn't really know what to do so i told her to ask her teacher if she could come down and talk to me for a few minutes. I went in and there was a teacher just inside the door. I told him that my cousin was inside and i had not seen her for a year so could I go up and see her and he said “no”. I thought a minute about what to do and then decided that “well im going to see her on Wednesday so i will just say hi from the window while she is upstairs.” As we walked out the door my comp said “wait! she came down.” We started talking and she told me she asked the CCM president’s wife if she could talk to me.... the wife said the same as Sister Gulbrandsen “I’ll turn my head and you can try.” haha. The moms let us talk. Haha We only talked for a minute or two and then the sister came out and said we had to go but at least i got to see her. It was awesome!
Fifth: there are four-leaf clovers here!!! I am sending some home! :)
Sixth: Holy Rain! Two days ago, weather reports read that we would have thunder storms, and boy did we ever! The second it started raining the streets began flooding! It was psycho!
Seventh: An Apostle of the Lord... so yesterday Elder Cook came to speak to us missionaries. It was one of the neatest experiences ever! We stood up and row by row he wanted us to come up and shake his hand. I was bawling as you probably aren´t surprised (Nate and Nick ;) Oh but His spirit was just incredbile. I can testify to you all that he is a wittness of our Savior Jesus Christ and he is an apostle of the Lord. He promised us a blessing, that our missions would be not only the greatest work we do for ourselves through out our entire lives, but for all those around us... family, friends, futures spouses, children, grandchildren. This gospel is amazing. The banner is unfurled and we are taking this word to all the world. Christ is coming. We need to be prepared. Oh I am so grateful for you all and for your examples to me. One of my recent favorite scriptures, Katie shared with me was Mosiah 2:34, "ye are eternally indebted to your Heavenly Father, to render to him all that you have and are..." Isn´t that a neat one. I love the scriptures; I have been striving to really ponder and study them more lately.
Okay so there are two Elders here that I have already found connections with! An Elder Lacey from Farmington, New Mexico! Totally knows Macquel!!!! And he went to BYU this past year and we have some of the same friends. Second, Elder Morris I came to find out that he is cousins with Tyler and Parker Traasdahl!! He totally looks like a Traasdahl! What the small world! ...mormons :)
Con Cariña,
Hermana Owen
Birthday shout outs to two of my best friends... Michelle and Brianne!!! Love you two!!
To addres some questions: I can´t look at my blog (I don´t think). Tell Mrs. Hetsler I say hi. Tell Dani Neisen I love her and couldn´t be more honored that she wanted to go on a mission. Congrats to Mish and all the graduates! OH I saw Blake Cowan at Elder Cook´s thing!! How neat that Katie got to read seminary names.
P.S. Mom ask Clara and Brianne if I wrote them back... I can´t remember... I feel so bad.
xoxoxo LOVE YOU ALL!
