FELIZ CUMPLEANOS A MI!!! :D

HEY EVERYBODY!!! I don't have much time to e-mail right now because Sister Akin (my new companion - yes. It's true. Sister Woodbury - AKA: my "mom", as far as mission lingo goes, was sadly transferred on Thursday and is now a Sister Trainer Leader, and I'M TRAINING A BRAND-NEW MISSIONARY!!! AHHHHHHH!!! Yep! But it's ok. It's actually been SUUUPER good so far! I LOVE my new companion! She's a sweetheart!) and I are getting ready to go to DC with Sister Woodbury and her new companion, Sister Goates, for MI CUMPLEANOS!!! That's right - I'm going to be partying it up for my 21st birthday in DC!!! Can it get much better than that?? I don't think so. ...Unless you hike Mexican Hat, of course. Then maybe, ya. Haha. Oh good times at MH! (HEY! Michelle Hansen! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE write me!!! I love you and miss you! And I've been wanting to at least send you a quick e-mail, but I don't even have your e-mail address! PLEASE WRITE ME!!!) Here's my past week: Tuesday was interesting, but good. We had dinner with Huget at a really good restaurant, and since she's so funny and particular with everything, the manager is always making sure that she's happy; she even has a VIP pass there, so the waiter charged us barley anything! It was AWESOME!!! :) We also visited with Sister Kuang and that was wonderful! I love her! Wednesday was SUUUPER packed, but good! We had another lesson with Reacha, which went REALLY well, then we visited with the Chambers (former investigators who still love us and feed us every month, and Sister Akin and I are going to have dinner with them tonight); then we visited with Alma and Sis. W told her she was leaving the area, and Alma was sad, but was happy to hear that I'm staying; next we visited Rob (a less-active in our ward), and it ended up being more like a bible-bash with his athiest friend who he lives with (Sister W and I were NOT doing the bible-bashing, but Rob and one of the Elders were...); we had a quick dinner, then we visited with Jan! Then we ended up staying SUPER late while Sister Woodbury talked and giggled and said our goodbyes and Sis. W. finished packing. Thursday was transfers, and I'll be honest - I was SUUUPER nervous (and a little bit terrified) to train at first, but as soon as Sister Akin and I were put together, all of my fears, and most of my nerves subsided, and I felt like God was already blessing me with strength and confidence! It was (and is) an incredible feeling to be a trainer! Although I knew that I was going to train WAY ahead of time, it's still kinda really nerve-wracking at times to know that you have to be on top of everything and be setting the perfect example that will shape this new missionary's life! But I wouldn't trade it for anything! I LOVE training! And I love my trainee! She's SO sweet and wonderful! And we have a LOT in common! And yes, Mom - in response to your question about me driving, yes. I actually started driving (just every once in a while so that I could get the hang of it around here) a couple of months or so ago, and I can honestly say that I HATED IT. It was terrible. I HATED driving around here with all of the crazy DC drivers! But it's funny because since I've become a trainer and I'm forced to be the "designated driver" - at least for the first three weeks or so, until Sis. Akin gets more aquainted with the area, and how to drive around here - I've grown to be a LOT more comfortable with driving here! I guess that it's just something that you can't really ease into being comfortable with - you have to just jump right into it full-force, and then figure it out. Kinda like learning how to swim or something... Haha. Friday was AMAZING!!! Sister Akin and I street contacted for a little bit that night (we were doing weekly planning most of the afternoon), and then we got a text from our investigators Bobby and Keren (who Sister Woodbury and I hadn't seen for almost two weeks or so), inviting us to come over right then! Well, we just-so-happened to be street-contacting RIGHT UP THE STREET from their apartment building, so we booked it over there right away! We then ended up having an INCREDIBLE lesson with them!!! Keren is very curious and is reading the Book of Mormon with a completely open mind! Bobby has been reading, too! They’ve COMPLETELY turned around! I really feel like they might start progressing now! Keren started to tell us right away about how she had hung out with Vanessa (a girl in the Single's Ward who had driven Bobby and Keren to a baptism for us a couple of weeks ago) and went to a Zumba class with her, and then how Vanessa got Keren to download the Book of Mormon in Hebrew (since that's Keren's first language cause she's from Jerusalem), and Keren told us that she's already read the first 25 pages of it! She had only downloaded it TWO DAYS BEFORE!!! That's impressive!!! We then went on to have an INCREDIBLE spiritual lesson all about the Book of Mormon, and I gave her the soft baptism invite, and she ACCEPTED IT!!! Her answer was REALLY clever and kinda funny! She said something along the lines of: “Well, ya. I mean, I’m looking for truth, so if I come to find that this is true, then ya. I’ll be baptized.” She then told us about a video she had watched, where a rabbi and priest were talking to one another. The priest asked the rabbi what he would do if he came to know that what he was telling him was the true. The rabbi said something along the lines of, “I’ll go to McDonalds with you. I’ll eat pork. I’ll do whatever I’m supposed to do.” Then Keren said that is essentially how she feels, that if she comes to know it is true, she will do whatever is asked. Keren is still learning about The Book of Mormon and this gospel, and although at this time she still feels that the truth is in Judaism, she is honestly seeking for the truth!!! Bobby talked about how he studied the Bible with the intent of coming to know the character of Christ. He then asked how the Book of Mormon helps to further show the character of Christ, and how it has blessed our own lives. We gave him some examples of this, and testified of how it has blessed us. We sent him a chapter in the Book of Mormon to read that we felt impressed to send, and we asked him to read it. We're planning to meet with them every Friday night from now on! Saturday was really great, too! We visited with Alma and had the most incredible spiritual talk/lesson with her that I've EVER experienced with her! The spirit was SOOOOO strong! It was SO cool! Right after that, we went over to Jan's house and visited with her and she of course shared some amazing spiritual experiences as well! Sunday was AMAZING!!! We started the off at church with Sister Akin and I singing "I Know that My Redeemer Lives" in Sacrament Meeting. It actually went really well! :) A member of the Bishopric announced that it's my birthday over the pulpit in Sacrament Meeting, and that made me feel really special! Then a couple in the ward told us to come stop by their apartment that night cause they had a birthday present for me! When we went there, they gave me a box of Joe-Joes! They're gluten-free OREOS!!! I literally almost cried with happiness! THE CHURCH IS TRUE!!! The rest of the day was really amazing, too! We had a really great lesson with our new Chinese investigators, Jody and Chenj, and we talked a little bit about the Plan of Salvation, and then talked A LOT more about the Book of Mormon. We also gave them the soft baptism invite, and they said that they really WANT to believe in God and Jesus Christ, but since they've come from such a communist country, they want to rebel against anything organized, which I can understand seeing their point of view. However, they agreed to read and pray about the Book of Mormon! :) Later, we visited a less-active member of our ward named Rick; we took a lady in our ward named Sister Mickelsen, with us to visit with him so that we could go inside and visit with him. The visit went REALLY well! He even half-way joking said, "Maybe I'll come back." After twelve years of being less-active and not coming to church, I sure hope he comes back SOON! AHHHH!!! I JUST LOVE THIS WORK SOOOOOOOO MUCH!!! I LOVE meeting all of these wonderful people and blessing lives! THE CHURCH IS SOOOOOOOO TRUE!!! I LOVE YOU ALL!!! LOVE ALWAYS, Sister Aubrie Orrock