TEXAS!!!

HOWDY!!!

Guess what.... I'm in TEXAS!!! Ahhh I love it here!!!  My transfer was the biggest transfer in the Church, 43 of us, so they took a picture of all of us, and are planning on putting us in the church news, be looking for that. After dinner at presidents house we all got split up and transferred to different homes to stay for the night. All the Hermana's and I went to stay at Sister Mortens house. It is HUGE!!! I wish I would of taken a picture,but I was way to tired. The next morning we went to our mission office which is a church and had a big breakfast. I went with Sister Morten to a Calache restaurant and bought like 20 dozen calache's, calache's are like a roll filled with breakfast foods or really anything. They're originally from Czech and were brought to Texas, and they are HUGE here and really good! I'm trying to find a recipe so I can make them. :) All day Wednesday we had training with the President and his wife, and some of the office missionaries. We were taught about all the bugs, snakes, and hurricane season. I guess they said last week they got 12 inches of rain and all the missionaries had to walk in rain that went up to their hips in some areas. I need a rain coat as soon as possible. :) After training's we went and met our trainers. My trainer is Hermana Wilzbach and she is from..... Kansas City, Missouri! This is her third transfer out here, she's new too. ha She took years of Spanish before she came out, and was an answer to my prayers. I was praying for a trainer that would have the patience to teach my Spanish and she was praying for someone she could teach Spanish too. The Lord really does answer prayers. We are perfect for each other. And we have lots of connections. She's from Kansas City, Missouri and guess who her temple worker escort was........ Grandma Watkins!!!  Also, she has cousins in Vernal. Tyra Anderson's family, and Eric Caldwell.  Small world. Also, l've been asking her if she knew the Brundidge family, but last night I remembered Amanda's married name and I was like do you know Amanda Orelman, and guess what?? She and Amanda were good friends up at BYUI until Amanda got married!  Basically I love my trainer and we work really, really well together. 

After meeting Hermana Wilzbach President announced where are areas will be. Hermana Wilzbach and I are in the Houston 1 NW mission. Which is right outside Houston City. My area is as North as you can get in the South mission. Don't freak out, but I live in the GHETTO's! For real! We are the only white people in our area. And it's the third most dangerous area in America. But like I said don't freak out. I can't even explain how safe I feel here. I love it!  Everyone else is Hispanic or black. Which is SWEET! We are in a ONLY bike area. We don't have a car, but I love it! I love riding my bike around. We can talk to more people that way. :) Our area was just opened the beginning of the year, and the President said it's been a dead area and hasn't had much success so he's decided to put sisters here to see if that will change it up, and it has!! We Pink washed the area! We are the first sisters to be in this area. Originally the Elder's would get the like four lessons in a week, but we have had at least two a day since we've been here. Blessing! I love all the people we have taught.

Coming here I thought I would be really stressed, and would be freaking out about the language a lot, but everything is going really, really, really well. I wish I could explain how much I love it here. I feel like I'm home! And I feel like everyone here is like family to me. They really are, but I've never really noticed it till I got here. The nice thing about this area is we have a dinner appointment every single night!! Yeah buddy!!! Good thing I'm on a bike or else I would be very fat!! My bike has been eating my skirts. My white one is toast!! Most of my skirts have holes in them now, but oh well I'm doing a great work here. 

Right now my mind is like blank, but we have taught a lot of fun people. We've met people who are from Honduras, El Salvador, Nicagauga ( I don't know how to spell) and tons from Mexico, and  know is from America. Ha Everyone here drives a mustang or a really expensive car. We have seen the gang leaders in their fancy cars. They're really nice actually. I stop and talk to everyone on the road. That is my specialty and my favorite thing to do :) Even though I can't speak a whole lot to them I can usually get across who I am and the message I have for them. Hermana Wilzbach does most of the talking in the lesson's,but I share my testimony on things, say one of the prayers, and ask for referrals from everyone. I love it!!  I have seen so many miracles being here. If were doing what were supposed to we will be blessed, and we see it everyday. We have four lessons planned everyday this week and hope to have more from street contacting. :) The only thing I hate about riding bikes is all the people that honk and whistle at us. I love when they ask us for our number, because then we give the a little card that has the number to receive a free BOM and I tell them to call that number, and to check out Mormon.org. Ha in one of the apartment complex's we go to there's I have a group of little hispanic boys who are my friends. They wait everyday for us to come by and we play and joke around with them, and tell them to tell their parents to let us in. Ha 

Our favorite place to go is called Cancun apartments and it is probably the most ghetto place I have ever been, but I LOVE It! :) On Sunday after church we had a dinner appointment there and after we just decided to do more tracting there and see if some of our investigators were home, and checking on an investigator  to see why he didn't come to church, but we had this feeling like we needed to leave and next thing we know there's all these nice expense cars that drive by and do this weird honking tune. Everyone told us to leave, and that the honking means there will probably be a drive by soon. Yesterday Hermana was sick and we were late getting out tracting. We started over in Cancun and we show up and there's cops everywhere, ambulance, and crime scene tape. The spirit was not there at all and we decided not to go there till later that night. When we went back we asked him what happened and there was a drive by shooting and someone died. Again I tell you this, because it's kind of a cool story, and I'm super protected here. DON'T FREAK OUT!! I love it here, and I know I am supposed to be here. I will stay worthy of the spirit to keep this protection. The Lord want's me here. 

 I had I older man stop me on the streets one day and he told me I look like a Angel and wanted to know what he did to deserve someone like me... Next thing you know it we have a lesson planned with him later this week, and we are going to tell him EVERYTHING!! When we were talking to him a Hispanic guy came up with his baby daughter and asked Hermana and I if one of us would like to be his babies mom..... it was really weird!! 

Well I have lots and lots to say, but I can't remember everything. I love my mission! I love my district and Zone. My district and Zone leader are companions.  Elder Watts is my district leader and his first name is Ross. Cool huh! 

I love you all!!! I love Texas. I love this Gospel! I love EVERYTHING!! I will write down everything I want to tell you next week. Have a great week. No freaking out about my stories! Thank you for the prayers. 

Love,

Hermana Watkins