Somos las Misioneras, we want to be your Friends!

Guess who had a baller week! Hanatea did! 

We finally got two of our investigators, Ismael and Nathan on baptismal date. Me and Hermana Allen were like okizayyyy - we need to do something different. So we had an awesome lesson with them in the Chapel and were like, hey, we'll play basketball with you guys after the lesson! The Mom is a Menos Activo and the Dad isn't a member. We taught the lesson, decided on a date, and we just felt the spirit so strongly. Then we all played basketball together and their whole family was just playing and laughing and having fun and I just kept thinking this is what it's all about. Is having fun as a family, no matter what your situation is. It was a super cool day and reminded me of why I'm here and how much I love these people. 

Right after that, Hermana Allen had a leadership training and came back and told me that we're not allowed to play basketball with less-actives or investigators or pretty much anyone and that crushed me a little, because that was just super effective and totally fun and just GOOD. So here I am pissed about mission rules again haha...angst.  

I also got to go on an exchange to Rupert, and do some English work. I met a less-active named Brother Schawl and he played his guitar for me on his porch outside during the sunset and it was so magical that the hummingbirds even came out and said aloha. It was just a straight up slice of pie in my soul. Also super cool to do some English work! Rupert has a lot less members than Burley and there is a lot of people to talk with there who are more interested in learning!

Last thing that made my week - In Rupert, we had lunch with one of the WML's there and they had just come back from a trip to Hawaii. They stayed in Laie and just LOVED it there so much, and freaked out about musubis and all the goob foob you can get at 7/11 and how pretty the hikes are and the ocean and I was just full of super happy joy for my place! I miss the ocean. 

I miss you all! Thank you for all of your support and love - I feel it everyday. If anyone needs anything, let me know! If you love me, write me back (lol Isaiah)! Hope everyone has a great week and knows that I love the crap out of you. 

Hermana Elkington

Hanatea finds a Trombone to play!

So the Mother's day skype thing is the best thing in the whole world. It was soooooo good to talk to my parents and get some advice and just talk about their lives and what's been going on with them! Really really sweet. Also the member's house that we skyped at, he had like 60 guitars and a soprano sax and also a trombone which I jammed on for a bit haha. SUCH A GOOD DAY

Me and Hermana Allen have had a GOOD week. We are really close to setting a baptismal date with the Magana kids, we've talked to them about it, taught them, and they are currently praying about June 10th. Keep them in your prayers that they will continue to progress towards baptism! They are super smart kids and just know their stuff.

We found 5 new investigators this week - A family of 5. They actually came to US and asked to be taught, which was this huge fatty miracle! What even! That never happens!

We also had to turn one of our investigators, this lady named Jenny, over to the English Elders here in Burley. She was pretty dang golden and really interested, but said she would prefer going to Church in English - so we took the Elders by and introduced them to her and oh my goodness gracious, that was the most awkward thing I've ever experienced. The Elders were just sooooo awkward and said weird things and I was just like what! Nooooo! And Jenny kept looking at us like "ummm....are you guys gonna still come by?" So we'll have to go check up on her once in a while haha. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Elders. 

We had a big district lunch and Elder Montgomery made us all this thing that he calls "Tongan pancakes" and I have no idea why but it is a halfway-cooked packet of ramen with a tomato, ranch, and taco sauce, in between 2 pieces of white bread and we were like uhhhhooookayyy but hey - I was pretty stoked. Not as bad as it sounds lol. I also had a good hot dog this week, so spirits are high my friends. Oh and also we had crepes. So spirits are REALLY high. 

Keep on working hard and being nuggets of gold and goodness! I love each and every one of you! 

Lots of love,

Hermana Elkington 

ft. sick pics of city of Rocks and goob missionary experiences and a reeeeally dark pic with the trombone cuz my flash stay broke

Jawaiian Jams and the Sun

Aloha PRIMOS,

We got our car back and have been cruising this week! I fo sho miss being on bikes because I feel less air and less free, but now we can do all of the work we have been needing to do in Paul and Heyburn, the places that are too far to bike to. But HERE'S A MIRACLE THIS WEEK.....IT HAS BEEN LIKE 80 DEGREES! Me and Hermana Allen have been studying outside and helping Araceli fix her deck and (shhhhhh smallkine playing in the water cheehee haha) and getting slightly less white than we have been. I've just been jamming! I love the sun.

We have been working a lot this week with the Familia Magana. Nayeli, the mom, is a member and has become really good friends with us - we took her to a lesson and all of a sudden she's wanted to really come back to Church and have lessons with us. We had a Noche de Hogar with her and her kids and her husband, who isn't a member and it went so good! We had fun and talked about baptism and the Gospel of Jesus Christ! I'm really stoked to keep on working with them and hopefully we can help them get their kids baptized soon. I really love them a lot. 

We have also found 3 new investigators and a TON of new potentials around Burley, just by being on bikes last week. It's hard to find people that are really interested in learning about the gospel, but it's such a blessing to have so many people around the area that we can visit and teach, and our days are busy and full. 

We also helped clean Tina's house this week and she jammed some Jawaiian music for me and BLESSSSSSSSSS I miss home! So funny how you hate Jawaiian until you leave the Island. I got a package this week that was full of letters from my L2 family and it made my day with happy tears.

There are always struggles in the mission life, but we keep on keeping on! Trying to have as much fun as we can while we do it and help as many people as we can. If you guys have any questions, feel free to shoot and I'll answer them in my next email! Hope everyone has a great lovely sunny happy wonderful week - let me know if there's anything I can do to help! Love you all!

Hermana Elkington 

'Aina timezzzz

Aloha jarritos!

Me and Hermana Allen had a tough week. We had so many scheduled appointments and almost all of them fell through - and we made other appointments and then THOSE ones fell through. And I was like what! Burley! What happen! 

But here's the cool thing - our car has been taking longer than we thought. And so we have still been on bikes, just being cruzahs through Burley, feeling the 'aina, and we have met tons of new people. Yesterday we saw this Mexican family having a BBQ and we stopped and just talked to them and this guy hands me this huuuuuge piece of carne asada wrapped in a tortilla and is like "you have to take some food! Just take it!" And Hermana Peterson always said, "never say no to food" and so I'm like "gracias amigo!" and let me tell you, that might have been the best thing I have ever eaten in my whole life. 

We also went on a smoothie run on one of our rough days, and I got a mango smoothie that cooled down my soul and made me happy so cheeeeeeeeeeeeepono

We have found 2 new investigators and they are pretty open and happy to hear from us, which always makes the work fun. 

Hope everyone has a great week, keep being happy! By the way, it snowed this week - and it's APRIL! lololololol Idaho

Lots of love,

Hermana Elkington

Corn Dogs and Earth Day

First off, HAPPY EARTH DAY I hope you all got out and breathed some goob air and felt the wind and hugged a tree and sat on some grass! For Earth Day here, we got to do a huge service project and do a bunch of yard work for a member here in Burley. Made my LIFE foreal - we were weedwacking and pulling weeds and mowing the lawn and chopping down trees and it made my hands feel busy and my soul a little more happy haha. Good stuff - we also saw a Pelican fly across Snake River! A real live Pelican! It was like an effing National Geographic documentary but with my own ojos! 

We also got some 99c corndogs this week that were meeeeeean! Surprisingly! Me and Hermana Allen had a dinner cancel on us so we were like welp. Corndogs it is! Best decision of the week. While we were there Hall&Oates were playing on the radio and I was like BLESSSSSSSSSS 

This week has been tough visiting people. Almost all of our appointments fell through and we visited tonnnns of houses, but no one was home. So we haven't been able to teach a lot, which can be discouraging - hopefully this was just a bad week. I'm trying to know everyone's work schedules too and after being in the area for only one transfer, it's really hard to remember everything. 

Our car is in the SHOP this week, so we are on bikes! And guess what! It's actually a huuuuuge blessing I kid you not! Being outside in the wind and rain has brought us to like 4 new houses just in the past day, and we have been able to just stereotype some Hispanic houses and knock on the door and set up a bunch of appointments! Bomb stuff. Feeling real close to da aina this week haha.

We also had a dinner with Juan and Araceli last night which was hilarious - somehow the conversation got turned into how to make alcoholic drinks (me and Hermana Allen learned a lot!) and then turned into not smoking weed and I taught them the word "pakalolo" and Araceli is just walking around now saying pakalolo all the time and I just was roooooollling laughing. 

Hope everyone's week was good! Love you all with all of my corazon! Remember to stay happy and BREATHE

Lots of love,

Hermana Elkington

Hanatea leads the Area!

Mi Amigos! Como estaaa!? 

This week was crazy! I had to lead the AREA in Burley! I have a new trainer, from Arizona, Hermana Allen. We are suuuuper different and I am doing my best to know who to visit out of the 40+ people we visit weekly. It's been a ride - but a really great one so far. I get to drive the car too! Haha not safe!

This week I had the best Sunday. Juan Trinidad got to come to Church and Araceli was there too! Me and Hermana Allen had to teach the Principios del Evangelio class and it actually went really cool. We had most of our recent converts there, and even got like 3 of our Menos Activos to come to class! We also had a few investigators. And we just had a good, solid, chill conversation about the gospel. It was bomb times and I loved it. I also gave a talk which was fun haha in my broken Epsanol. 

We got to see so many people this week and because I am leading the area, I have gotten to know the people here that much more. And I love all of them so much! I learn from the people we teach every time we see them and talk to them. My testimony of the importance of this work is strengthened every day. 

It was hard to leave Hermana Peterson, but the mission is full of challenges - right now I'm just feeling like I'm jamming and it's the best feeling ever. I feel like I could face anything and I love it. I'm stoked about the mission life, and it gets easier every day - there will always be hard times, but I think if you can have a positive attitude through it and just have some freaking fun then todo esta bien! 

Love you all and hope everyone has a great week! One member made us these meeeeeean homemade tortillas filled with chicken and cheese and mole this week! SO ONO I DIED

Food, Family, and Friends,

Hermana Elkington 

Space Mountain!

Aloha all of you Mango trees!!

Last week I had a crappy week. It sucked. And for some reason, this week, I had the best week of my entire mission so far (haven't been out that long, but I guess what! I just finished my first transfer in the field! cheeeeeeheee!) 

So, the mission is basically like Space Mountain. Because it's a rollercoaster of emotions and you don't know what's going on half the time, but it's not just a rollercoaster - it's a rollercoaster in the DARK. So you don't know WHAT WAY IT'S GONNA GO NEXT. Luckily for me, this week the ride was pretty dang fun and happy. 

On Saturdays here in Burley, we usually have ZERO appointments. All of the brown people are out partying with their families and shopping and taking a break from work. But this Saturday we got to visit so many people! Straight up miracle! 

One of our appointments was with our best less-active friend Araceli. She gave us some mean Mexican soup and talked to us while it snowed outside (lol Idaho). Then we just had a suuuuper good conversation with her about how she finds peace in her life and she's like "honestly sometimes not at Church. I feel it outside when I'm hugging trees and feeling nature in my soul and when I'm not around people." And I'm like daaaang Araceli! She also said "man, I need to mail one of these Prince of Peace cards to Donald Trump because he needs more peace in his life!" I was rooooollling laughing. 

We also got to visit another one of our less-active friends Marta and her son Miguel. She had some really tough questions for us and it just ended up being a super good conversation about doctrine! Which was really refreshing for her to trust us with her questions and her doubts and just talk it out with her (super hard for me to do in Spanish, because I can only say things really simply, but hey! humbled every day!). It was a cool visit.

Lastly, we got one new investigator and loooots of potentials. I knocked on lots of doors this week and led the door encounters which is actually not that scary! One lady invited us in and gave us hot chocolate and tamales. It also thunder stormed one day and me and Hermana Peterson were like BLESSSSS RAIINNNN!!!

I have some big news as well about transfers - I'm staying in Burley! But guess who is leaving! Hermana Peterson!!!!! I have never been more scared about something in my whole life! This means I will be follow-up trained by an Hermana who will be coming from Twin and won't know the area or any of our investigators, members, or less actives. BRAHHHHHH

I guess this is what the Lord wants of me. Suuuuuper terrifying but that's aiight. I'm filled right up to the brim with happy and laughs and it's all good. Hope everyone has a ballin' week! 

Lots of Love,

Hermana Elkington

P.S. Also the Elders in our district left donuts on our doorstep one night and I was like blesssssssssssssss