16 Nov 2010

Mom,

Beautiful weather is abundant in Yakima! The 60's yesterday and it's been mid 50's so far today.

Well, things are going fantastic here in Yakima. Transfer calls have come and gone and I'm staying in Yakima for the holidays with Hna. Salmon. We are excited to be together...especially since we've had a successful transfer together and are planning on have even more success this transfer.

Transfers are going to be interesting. In addition to doing Spanish work and working in the Branch here, the English sisters are getting doubled out of Terrace Heights and Sister Salmon and I are taking that over too. We'll have 2 wards and will be doing English work. I'm kind of nervous, but I'll do whatever the Lord asks.

I told you about Antonio last week and this week, it's just exploded. I really thought that he didn't have a super amount of potential, but I was proved wrong. On Sunday, his girlfriend told us that he wants to be baptized and on Sunday, when we had our lesson, he just told us to make it happen as soon as possible. So, we're working on that. And he's just had this amazing turn and he wants to be baptized! We're so excited for him. And it's amazing because he's not just doing it for her. He had missionaries come by and see him when he was like a freshman and they left. And now that we've come back into his life, he takes it as a sign from God that this is what he needs to do with his life. But, SOOO awesome!

Elder Gamett left yesterday and it'll be interesting to be in the branch and not have him there. It's so weird. I hate it when people leave...especially when they go home. Transfers always make me sad. It's so bittersweet. But anyways, it's life, right?

I can't believe on Thursday, I'll have been out for a year. That's insane to me. Where is the time going and why is it going soooo dang fast? I miss home, but I love my mission. And I get gooey to think about when I get to see you all again. I really am just going to burst into tears, I tell you what. Haha.

So, the boots. Yeah, probably easier to have me just get them out here. I want to see what they have and what'll work best. I still don't even know. But, we'll figure it all out.

Well, sorry this is short. Time flies, always! But I did get all the packages, THANK YOU! And I sent a letter off to Andrew this morning. I hope he enjoys it!

I love you all and miss you!

Con amor,

Hna. Pleshek

9 Nov 2010

Mom,

Well, this week has been crazy! We've had all sorts of good things happen and so many awesome people we're teaching. I love the little miracles we see each day. [And it especially makes my day when I see someone walk in the library with a mullet!] So, let's see.

Yesterday was awesome. I learned the art of cutting elders' hair. That was exciting. Elder Gamett who goes home next Monday asked if I could cut his hair. Of course, the only experience I have with cutting hair is Tom and Dad. And Tom's is easy. Put on a guard and go to town. Well, it's different with an elder who has to see his family and likes to 'do' his hair as they say. No pressure. Especially with 3 other elders and my companion watching. But, it turned out pretty good. At least I think so. Maybe I'm cut out for the whole hair thing. I sure hope so.

Well, we're teaching this kid named Antonio. He's the boyfriend of a less-active and at first, he wasn't so thrilled about the whole religion thing. He was like 'I'll do my thing, you do yours and we'll leave it at that.' No big deal, right? Well, so we started teaching him and it was such a bust! He was like oh yeah, I wasn't listening when we asked him what he thought about Joseph Smith seeing God and Jesus Christ. I wasn't listening? What the heck? So, we decided that we just needed to start with the basics and since he's very 'Catholic', just to start teaching out of the Gospel Principles book because that's something we could teach and agree on. Well, we've been doing that and as we've been teaching him the principles, he's become more open. He listens and gets involved in the lessons. He voluntarily tells stories and he's just...it's a miracle. He even came to church last week and so did the less active family. It was amazing! We had 3 investigators in church and that was ...awesome! No words.

And then there's this other lady we're teaching - Maria. And her husband is a less active member, too. And she's soooo golden. She asks all the questions you wish an investigator would ask. She's so ready and she's prayed and got her answer and so on Thursday, we're hoping to put her on date. She's so ready. Her husband knows it. The branch knows it. We know it. Now it's just getting her to see that she's ready, too.

We're also tag team teaching this man named Jose. He's pretty golden, too, but the elders can never seem to get a hold of him. So, we pass by and he's there, so we teach him. He's dealing with marriage issues, which I don't want to get involved in, but he's pretty determined to take the lessons even though he's dealing with issues and such. So, we're hoping that he'll want to involve the elders more than us. But he's pretty cool.

It sounds like things are exciting at home, as always. It really does seem like the weeks fly by. I too feel like I sit down to write and think of what all went on the last week. What will interest you to hear about me.

Things are going really good here in Yakima. It's getting cold...so we're hoping to finish tracting Moxee and then have some solid gators there...so we don't have to tract when there's snow on the ground. I hope the Lord provides for us, but I'm always willing to do what He asks...even if it means tracting in the snow.

Speaking of...I know you said you figured out my Christmas present, but does it include boots in any way?

And...things are going well. I love this work and I am glad to be a part of it. I love you all and hope things find you warm and healthy. =)
Con amor,
Hermana Pleshek

2 Nov 2010

Zone P-day soccer game. Selah vs. Yakima Zone. The Selah zone won because we are AWESOME!

Happy Birthday Hermana Pleshek! Cake from Elders Lundquist and Gamett.

Hermana Salmon and I are Mexican soccer players for Halloween.

Our WKM t-shirts.

Hola Mom!

Well, things are fantastic here! We've got some great things that have been going down this week. And I don't have a huge amount of time, but I just want you to know how much I love being a missionary! We're seeing miracles every day and I just love it more and more. I love the gospel and this is the best thing.

I had a fun birthday. Didn't do too much. Some of the elders made me a cake and we ate Chinese for lunch. Really good! But, other than that, we just were teaching and even though it rained, it was great! Seriously though, that cake was bomb! I loved it! And my companion and I had a very unexciting Halloween. We had to be in by 6, so we made dinner together, watched some church movies and just wrote letters and what not. We also roasted smores and that was fun, too. We've been wanting to do it for some time, but the time finally presented itself and we got to do it!

Let's see...what else has been going on? Well, the work is moving forth and things are progressing. I can't wait til the stupid apple season is over so the Mexicans will be back in their houses again. Or I can pray for rain each day.

Well, something that I've been really trying to work on hard the past little while is my prayers. My Spanish prayers have been awesome and have been getting more and more detailed and specific, which I love. It just seems like when the day is done, I just am so pooped that I have no energy to put that into my praying since it takes a lot more to pray in Spanish than English. So, I've been working on that because I don't have the time to waste to be prideful and think I can do it myself. Because I know that I can't. I absolutely cannot!

My Spanish is still progressing and it still blows my mind some days that I can and do speak Spanish. It's amazing how the Lord blesses us and continues to. I am so grateful for all the blessings I've received on my mission. It's been amazing and my testimony continues to grow each day.

Eww, someone smells like old cigarette smoke. Bleh!

I want you to know that I love you and I pray for you always!

Con amor,

Hna. Pleshek

26 Oct 2010

Querida familia,

Greetings from Yakima, once again. Things are well here and always looking up. The area is picking up slowly, but surely and once the apple season and other fruit/veggie seasons are over, it's going to explode. I just know it. The problem is is that all the Hispanics are in the fields working til late at night and that kind of puts a damper on the work. But once it's over, BAM! It'll be amazing!

Haha, I'm glad Andrew liked the letter. I wrote it really fast and I hope that you could read my handwriting. And I loved the letter that you sent. I read part of it to my companion and we just laughed at him running away. He's such a good kid. I'm glad that he's not all into that stuff. You know, it's fine to like girls, but they make it so much harder on a mission. I can't tell you about the countless elders that I've seen just get distracted by girls and what not. So, it's always better just to leave them as friends rather than something more. But, I'm sure it won't be a problem. Andrew is a good kid. =)

I'm stoked that your Conference was awesome! I got gypped out of another Stake Conference this fall. I barely missed Yakima's and Vancouver's was coming up a few weeks after I left, so I don't get another one. Which I'm kind of upset about because I love them and the spiritual feast I get to enjoy. But, you know what, there'll be more. One day. I'll get to have one right before I come home.

We had interviews this week and they went really well. President says that Yakima is doing me well. Which, I like to hear, because I'm still unsure of the area and the people and I'm trying my hardest to get it going and such. But, it was great. The only thing that kind of stunk was that he reminded me of how little time I have left. As of the 3rd, I'll have 5 months left on my mission and I'm not okay with that. Haha. I'm excited to come home and see all of you, but if I could just take a vacation, see my family, and then come back and be a missionary, that'd be okay with me. But, I'm setting some goals for my last little bit and working to meet them.

I really like what you told me about love and how you can't fall out of love. It's so true. I've been learning a lot about charity on my mission and what charity really is. I love the Bible dictionary's definition of charity. It's so true. Or maybe it's the index. I don't remember. But either way, it's awesome! I was always like 'charity, blah, blah, blah, pure love of Christ.' Yeah, didn't really have any deeper meaning, but after studying it and looking into it more, I've definitely seen the deeper meaning and have found that charity is the only way to be an effective missionary. It all starts with love.

Well, I'll work on finding the I heart Yakima t-shirts. I want one and I know Erin wants one and I want Clare to have one so we'll all have matchy matchy shirts. And if you want one, too, then okay. You can be twinners with us, too. =)

That's really sad about the baby dying. Especially with Brooklyn babysitting. I don't know what I'd do. That's sad and scary and wow. I don't even know how I'd react to that. That's so crazy. One time, when I was in Vancouver, Hna. Dunoskovic and I were saying goodbye to this old lady who had just had surgery and she told us to come sit on her bed with her and while we were, I swear she almost died like 3 times. It was scary.

11:11. Make a wish.

In other news, Hna. Salmon and I have received a new car. Yeah, a 2011 Malibu. It's beautiful and it's the newest car I've ever driven in my life. They must really trust me, because I've had two brand new cars on my mission so far that they've given to me while I've been the driver in the area. Yeah, I wish that I was wealthy enough to purchase one. Haha. Maybe in the next life.

And one last thing. Thank you for allowing me to come on a mission. I know it's a sacrifice for all of us and not just me. I get thanked all the time for my sacrifices, but in reality, if it wasn't for my family sacrificing, I wouldn't be here. But, thank you so much. I truly love my mission and even though it's coming to an end soon, I love it more and more each day. It will be a sad day when I have to leave my Washington and my family here, but I've learned so much and come so much closer to my Savior. I'm grateful for the Atonement and it has become more real to me on my mission than any other time in my life.

I love you all and I miss you.

Con amor,

Hna. Pleshek

19 Oct 2010

MOM
Things here have been going good. I went on an exchange last night with Sister Hendricks and it was awesome. It was fun to teach and interesting to work in English. It was my first time and just exciting. We had fun together and even though I was awoken by a coo coo clock every half hour, it was still fun. Oh, I also woke up with some sort of goopy junk in my eye. It's never happened before and now my eye is all red and pink. And it kind of hurts. Yes, I slept with my contacts in, but I've done it before and this hasn't ever happened. Just curious.

I wrote Erin about the whole staying in Idaho thing and so...yeah. I just told her what I thought and all that jazz. I don't know if it'll help or anything, but we'll see. Umm, let's see...what else.

Well, I've been working on re-committing myself to the mission again and focusing more. I've started over as a greenie and I'm just starting at the beginning. So, it's going to be exciting and I'm putting the Lord to the test to expect miracles. That didn't really
make sense, but you know what it means. Haha.

I can't believe that Jenny McGraw is home! That's insane! I knew she came home in October, but that seemed like it would never come. Yikes! Happy Birthday to Andrew yesterday. I have a letter I wrote to him that's got to be sent out. We share the same birthday. I turned 11 months yesterday. Where has the time gone? It's going so fast and I'm savoring each moment and using it so that I can be a better missionary.

Nuts about everyone getting their mission calls. I can't believe that. Poland. Russia. Dang, I'm glad that I'm in the US and speaking Spanish. Haha. I feel blessed. But it's still super funny because some days I wake up and I'm all, I can speak Spanish! And it's just funny. I don't know. I still wake up too some days and think I'm a
missionary. I'm a real missionary. And I still love being a missionary. It's great!

The work is moving and the area is growing. I'm excited to see what happens. It just needs some help and I'm so excited about seeing the area basically explode with awesome-ness. Oh Yakima. The work is going good and things are going awesome. I don't have too much to report this week. I'm sorry that my emails are getting shorter and
shorter, but I guess that's just what happens as the mission goes on. Ahh! I feel so bad. But, I'll write better next week. Sometimes I just am like AHH, I'm done writing emails. Haha. But, oh well. It will slow down...I hope.

I got the box, thanks! I loved it. And one day when you send a box again, can you put my leggings in there so I'll have them for the winter? I really want them because I'm already starting to get cold and it's getting chilly at night and I want leggings to wear under my skirt. And I don't really want to buy any because I've already got a
black and green pair at home. Just send both of them.
Well, I love you all so much. Thank you for all your support and all you do!

12 Oct 2010

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

12 Oct 2010

Oh Mom. Well, greetings from Yakima. I'm sure in Yakima even though it's dangerous. Haha. Nah, it's been really exciting. The couple of times I've been in Yakima, I've seen some exciting cop things. Well, I'm sure that if Clint wants to keep a job forever, the Gourleys could move to Yakima and he'd sure have lots of action. Yeah, it's insane, but you know, I've got the name tag with Jesus' name on it, so I'm sure I'll be fine...even if I do get freaked out a little bit. But, it's exciting.

I'm with Sister Salmon right now and I'm LOVING every single bit of it! She's awesome and I'm so excited to serve with her! We're just starting the area up and getting to know it all. Thanks for sending the stuff. I'll just send the Beltrans a letter because...well, I could just write a short email. Won't be too big of a deal. And, is there any way I can use the GPS? I don't know where I'm going and Sister Salmon doesn't really either. But, if not, no worries. We'll figure it out.

Let's see. Well, oh, I have to ask. Lloyd Zilch. Do we know him? Because he served here and a member in the branch presidency was asking about him. So, I hope so, because I want the connection. =)

The Branch here is so great! I love it! It's bigger than Vancouver and the people are just great. It reminds me of home a lot, actually. I love it. But, as always, not a huge amount of time. I love hearing from you all and am excited that you're doing well and everything is going well.

I love you!

Hna. Pleshek

5 Oct 2010

Wow. Sounds like your weekend was busy. Wish I could have been there to experience it with you! I sure do love Utah and visiting for Conference. I'm so jealous that you went to my mission reunion and saw my Annie and the Belnaps. And that Sara and Erin were there and you guys all had amazing seats! Wow. It sounds like a weekend and on top of that, Conference was great! I'm so sad that I missed it.

Well, this week here has been insane! I got the call on Saturday that I was being transferred. I don't know where I'm going or who will be my companion. Don't know why they're doing it this way, but whatever. We just do what we're told. All I know is that I do NOT want to go English speaking. But, part of doing the Lord's will is going where He needs me. And if I have to go English, so be it. It'll be an experience, that's for sure.

Well, these past few days have just been nuts! We've been seeing a lot of people and saying goodbye. I am going to miss Vancouver so much. I've put everything I've got into this area and I've worked so hard to build it. I'm going to miss it here and the amazing people that I've come to know and love. They're like my family and it's going to be hard to leave them.

The Conference was amazing! And...I couldn't have asked for better things to hear. Well, I better get going. We've got a million and one things to do today and no time to breathe! I love you all and thank you for all you do for me. Oh, the Beltrans. 2411 Neals Lane #303 Vancouver WA, 98661 I think that's the zip. I'll double check for sure next week when things are less crazy! Love you!

Con amor,

Hna. Pleshek