A Whole Lot of "News"

Well I did it. I said goodbye to Pampa, Hna. Rocha, Coffee St., my recent converts, Don, the Gwendolens, + Texas. Transfers in this mission are weird cuz it's so huge we have a transfer bus that drives North on Tuesday + South on Wednesday. So that left me staying in Amarillo Tuesday night. 3 Sister Training Leaders + a greenie.. But there apartment is so dang nice!!

New Mexico. So I am now in a new state and new timezone and new town. With our District Leader in Texas, an hour ahead, it makes night calls interesting. The town size is about the same as Pampa, 17000. We do all of our proselyting in T-Town (Taco town). Which literally looks like Mexico. Portales is a dairy town though + when I walked in our apartment and saw "snot rags" (dairy rags) I about died I was so excited!New Work.The work here is WAY slower than Pampa, so I'm trying to adjust. We do a LOT more bike riding trying to contact more people. We usually ride for 4 hours every day which I had no idea about so I didn't wear sunscreen + the arms paid the price. Don't worry I'm buying sunscreen today + a kickstand because my bike didn't come with one + it's making me crazy. But besides that + the day my skirt got stuck in the bike, the same day a plastic pink kiddie pool was carried by the wind and hit me, and a tumble weed got stuck in my tire and my scripture bag broke. I LOVE the bike! Don't worry that day we got a snocone to make up for the mishaps. And yes I gave the man a mormon.org card.New Companion.Her name is Hermana Gonzalez. She was companions with Hna. Rocha in the MTC. She is also a convert. She was baptized 1 year and a half ago. Spanish was her 1st language. And ever day she tells me that I must be from Alabama or Georgia because I just seem so souther to her. Tell that one to Aunt Dawn.New Language.Spanish. Spanish. Spanish. I heard more Spanish in one day then I had in 6 weeks. We only teach in Spanish. And I'm not gonna lie it's muy muy dificil. I'm used to contributing + now I don't exactly know how. In one of our lessons with our investigator Yesenia, her 9-year-old son was correcting my Spanish. Talk about awkward. But on Tuesdays + Thursdays at night we teach English classes and I like that! Gives me a perspective of just how far I have come in Spanish.

New Branch. So I'm in my first all Spanish Branch, El Llano. Branches are different than wards + Spanish Branches I think are even more different. Yesterday we started Sacrament Meeting with 10 people in the chapel. Then more drifted in as it got later. Pres. Harris is white but he served Spanish and he married a Mexican. His 2nd Counselor Hno. Guiterrez is hilarious! He rides his motorcycle to church. And he thought he was so funny to ask me to say the closing prayer in Sacrament Meeting. NBD. Then it was high council Sunday and after the 1st speaker the High Councilmen asked me to bear my testimony. NBD. I just can't speak Spanish. But someone I managed both. After 3 hours of listening to intense, fast Spanish my brain hurt to say the least, but it's good for me. And after the Branch President gave me a new Book of Mormon. Which is what I have been wanting my whole mission, one seperate from my Quad. Then get this after church we were going to an appointment and we got a call from the Branch Mission Leader. He had bought us Sonic, on Sunday. Yeah so that was a good hamburger though jaja.

New Saying.

My new motto is "Fight the White." And it's working quite well here :)

The Spanish is hard but I know it will help me and my faith to grow. It's like Elder David A. Bednar said we need a load to help us progress. Loads are good they help and bless us. Until next week. Hasta Luego :) I love Spanish!

xoxo

con amor,

Hermana Slade

BTW: Yesterday it was 90 degrees and today it is 34 degrees. Go figure?

Line of the Week:

Driving in the car back to the Amarillo Sister's apartment.

Sister Calderwood: You like to write! What do you like to write?

Sister Brown: Mostly historical fantasy is my favorite!