Week one: Banished!

Greetings form the Greenfield ward!

 

I arrived in the San Jose airport just last wednesday. The first thing they did was let us loose on the local college campus to go contacting. It  was kind of intimidating but fun. Then we had some training and lunch and then we got to go to the mission home and hear some words from our Mission President. President Watkins is so wonderful! He is incredibly dedicated and he really knows and caters to the needs of his missionaries to help us be the best we can.

 

On Thursday I got to meet my companion. Sister Lindsay is my trainer. She only has 2 more months so I get to "kill" her. She is a super missionary. President told us we were going to open a new area so he gave us directions on how to get here and set us loose. We are about 90 miles south of the mission office which is as far away as you can get without leaving the mission boudaries. We are super isolated and our ward alone covers 4 towns and a few out croppings. The people here are very friendly and it is amazing how ready some people are. The very first day I gave away a Book of Mormon to a man I met outside of the bank and yesterday we taught the first lesson to a blind lady at a park. She was so sweet and I felt like I already knew her.

 

Because we are so new we are currently living with some members but we hope to be able to get a lease for an apartment soon.

 

We are the very first sister missionaries in this area and I feel like we are in a zoo because all of the members are always looking at us and we can hear everyone wispering as we walk by in church. The ward is combined English and Spanish. I don't really understand why they don't have two branches but the auxilary leaders are a total powerhouse. I have never heard of a ward mission leader doing so much. He and his wife are amazing people and work very hard to teach their insitute students and help them to love the scriptures.

 

Yesterday we went hiking at Pinnalces. It is ablsolutely beautiful! We passed through some caves full of water and slime and came out to a beautiful reservoir with amazing rock formations. I forgot my camera today but hope to post pictures soon.

 

Things are rolling along and we are able to teach more lessons as we get to meet the members and gain their trust. We hope to have two baptisms within the month.

 

I'll now share this cute little missionary parable I learned form sister lindsay:

 

A missionary's mission is like a man going to a faraway land who visited his friends and gave them addressed envelopes. To one he gave 5 and to another 2 and to another one. To each according to his ability and left on his journey. The one who received 5 took an initiavite and wrote 5 more of his own accord, the one who received 2 felt inspired and wrote 2 more, but he who received one got sloppy and lost it and upon the missionary's return received but a flimsy handshake.

 

I hope you all get the hint.

 

Lots of love,

 

Hermana Quintana