10/14;

Hey Family!

So its the first day of Transfer 6 for this little missionary. Aaaaaaaaand I´m in Barrio 1 back in Madrid again! My new companion´s name is Hna Olsen. I´ve hung out with this hermana a couple times on pdays before, I really like her and I´m really excited to work with her. I´m like dead on the inside from having to leave Torrejon...... but hey its what the Lord wanted. They white washed our area. Hna Bellota is going to Guadalajara with Hna Soto. (Who is on her last transfer!!!!! Crazy!). There´s just been a lot of movement this transfer. Olsen and I are whitewashing B1. The companionship that was here got sent up to open Vallodolid in the north. And they left us a ton of work. We have 2 baptisms this week! And 2 more on fecha. So things are about to get all sorts of crazy. We´re emailng super quick and then I have to go back to the Alcala piso and have a nice little meeting with the Hermana thats coming down from the north to whitewash Torrejon. I have to make sure I´m leaving my favorite place in good hands you know? And run like crazy back here and sort out all the stuff we have to do. Crazy crazy but hey, thats mission life. 

This week was kind of a blur. We had an activity at the church for Dia De La Hispanidad. And it was awesome. Colombia was not represented though which bummed me out because I miss Colombian food but I´m good on the Ecuadorian food hahaha also everyone was expecting Elder Weixler and I to cook something American but we dodged out of it... oops. But it was a good time, we had an investigator come and enjoy himself so it was a very good night. Oh! On Saturday night we went to my favorite member´s Jhonny and Alba´s to wait for transfers and Hna Bellota guided me in cooking the meal. Yes I made chicken! Hahaha I was so proud of myself! We made some kind of rice called... cholafan.... i am definitely not spelling that right. but it was good! On Sunday we had to say goodbye to all the members, they made us go up and bear our testimonies and I thanked the ward for being so good. Honestly, Torrejon is the best ward in Spain. No offense to any of the other places but my heart will always be in Torrejon. And a little in Alcala. I´m just a little in love with all of the areas I´ve left behind. Heres to number 4! I was very sad to leave, but I was good about not crying until I was in my bed and under my covers. Haha I´m just really going to miss Torrejon. Mom, if you come pick me up I am definitely taking you to Torrejon. Well everywhere but definitely Torrejon. 

I hope I can make you proud Mom and Dad. Thanks for always writing me good things and being so good to me. I miss you guys a lot. I love you guys! I´m sending Amelia a lot of pictures ok so be ready for that :) have a good week. 

Hna Palomino

10/7;

Hey Family!

Yeah, wasn´t conference the best? Definitely everything this little missionary needed to hear thats for sure. Elder Ballard talked about me. Not specifically because I mean he probably didn´t want to make anyone feel bad but I was part of those missionaries he met. So he was totally talking about me. Its fine. hahaha 

So this week I learned a really hard lesson in doing your best even when things suck. Let me explain. I guess I should explain that things in Torrejon although they are good, could be better. The people we teach are awesome, we just can´t meet with them a lot due to work and all that stuff that people have going on. But we meet with them whenever they give us a window. We have a lot of potential here. The people we teach are really good, I just wish they would come to church and progress you know? This week I had to do another intercambio with the sister trainer leader and I was just super stressed because I wanted her to see how hard we work and EVERYTHING failed. Back up plans. Everything. And then conference rolls around and we had about 7 people that had promised they would do everything they could to go to a session and EVERYONE failed us last minute. I was having a break down during the last session on Sunday. I was sitting there trying so hard not to just break down into tears and then we heard the prophet speak. And one of those little conference miracles, where it just touches you. And I just got a nice feeling come over me. I know that I am trying my hardest, maybe I do need to think outside the box and find ways to help these people progress but I am doing what I´m supposed to be doing. Maybe my numbers don´t reflect that but I am working hard. I look at the picture I have of Christ in the piso when I come home every night and I can look at it and know that I´m doing everything He expects of me. There is always room for improvement but I have to stop beating myself up and letting it get me discouraged. I have to move forward and continue and perseverar hasta el fin. 

Things with my companion are hard but I know that with the help of the Lord i can accomplish anything. There is only one week left of the tranfer and if its in his will to change us, then he will. If not, then I will hold my head up high and do what I must and keep working hard. I love you Mom and Dad. Thank you for your words of comfort. I did hear Marcelo translate but one of the members set up Elder Holland and Elder Ballard´s talks in English for me and Elder Weixler in the other room so we could hear it because they were our favorites. We both cried together. Haha But I heard him in the other sessions. I´m glad you guys got to go to the conference center. Thats super cool. I miss you guys. I hope you have a good week, ok? I love you! 

Hna Palomino