Week 24

I am being transferred to Smyrna Tennessee! I will also be finishing a new missionary's training because Hermana McNeill will be going home.

Its been a good week full of fun things that I cant seam to remember. All I can think if is bikes! We have been doing A LOT of biking and it has been the hottest week of the year! I dong think I have ever been this brown.

I had some sad moments when it came to saying good bye and some disappointments with the Velazquez family in Mayfield. it looks like they were anti-ed pretty bad and when I tried to say goodbye to them on Friday a mean lady from a church that they were going to told me that it was a "Christian home and that they would not be accepting anymore visits. I wasn't able to say goodbye to most of the kids and I left there feeling sadder than I have been in a long time.

My mood was lifted when I got to Guadalupe's house. My recent convert. She had made food for us as she always does ever Friday night and we had joked around about some fishes in salt that she had cooked. She made me try some and it was nasty. We ended the night playing some cool Mexican bingo game and took come pictures. Guadalupe and her boys, Roberto and Luis will always have a specially place in my heart.

On Sunday we had a family come to church! Maira and Pabro. They were referrals from the elders:) (Just as Juan was) They had two little children and I had some fun trying to get them to stay in their primary class long enough to have our lesson. We talked about the sacrament and they told us that they had enjoyed it and would be there next week! I'm supper jealous that Hna Stokes gets to teach them.

Last night we were also able to go down to Metropolis and visit my favorite (other than the Garcias) less active family the McCraws! Brother McCraw made me laugh all night and made me cry before I left as he told me how much they were going to miss me. I will never forget them and their sweet family.

I absolutely loved my time in Paducah and I know that I will never forget this little town for the rest of my life.

Now I am off to some new adventures:D

Hermana Orellana

Week 23

A shocking story! :O

Its been a crazy week!

Last week was tough with so many people dropping us but we figured we could use some clening out in our teaching pool so we decided to drop all the people that were just not progressing and we starting tracting! I mean really knocking doors for hours. We found some pretty cool people mostly for the English Sisters and Elders but is well we have faith that with our hard work we will be able to build our teaching pool back up!

As always the funniest times have been with the members! We have some amazing members in Paducah and I don't know how I will ever make myself leave them. I know that I have made true friends here. Friends that I will have for the rest of my life.

I had something kind of scary happen this week! We were on exchanged with the Sisters here in Paducah on Wednesday and Sister Allphin and I were contacting some potentials in what we call the Projects it is kind of a sketchy area but those things never bother me. Well, we got out of the car and as we did along side the street were three black boys walking. They called out to us asking us for our number but we ignored them and thought we would move on. We knocked on the first door and talked to a sweet lady and as we were moving to the second door one of the boys came closer and asked us if we wanted to go out. Sister Allphin shouted back that we were missionaries and we moved on. As we finished talking to another lady and we started walking again another one of the boys came right up to us. I was walking behind Sister Allphin and so he came up to me first. He had his mouth covered and said the most horrendous, perverted things. I was so shocked I turned momentarily to look and see if Sister Allphin had heard what he had said and as I did this young boy smacked me right on my behind and ran! I was completely frozen in shock and Sister Allphin was red with anger you could tell that she was about to run after him and smack him but we didn't because there were some people watching. She just grabbed me and we walked away. Not to worry I was totally fine. Just the shock of it all was traumatizing but Ill survive!

On a cooler note! Church yesterday was amazing! I don't know what it is about it but church on the mission is supper uplifting. It might just be because I pay more attention now or because I have the spirit with me constantly but I cant even express how much I love being at church. Yesterday we heard some amazing talks by some members about making the choice now to live the gospel and to keep the commandments. I love this gospel so much! I can see now how much it has blessed my life and the life of my family and I want nothing else than to share that with others and for others to have this same happiness that I feel.

con mucho amor,

     Hermana Orellana

PS I hope y'all enjoy my pictures I tried real hard to make them exiting:D

Week 22

im sorry I don't have time to email this week!

I am doing great!

This week was very difficult. We got droped by atleast five people and people have been canceling apointments left and right!

On a happier note Juan was confirmed and he is happy! A new week has started and it will be fantastic:)

I love my mission

Love,

    Hermana Orellana

PS I will write more next week:D

PPS Enjoy this photo that my trainer posted I thought it was fantastic

Week 21

Yesterday Juan Cortez was baptized! It was an amazing baptism. A recent convert Luis conducted and a member that we reactivated a couple months ago was able to give the talk on baptism. It was a real challenge getting Juan ready but it happened and although he still has some struggles with doctrines he had no doubt in his mind that this is what he needed to do.

We had two people that we had not expected show up to church yesterday as well. The first was Ana an investigator that we never get to contact other than through Facebook and Gabby the daughter of Ina a member that recently came back to church. Ina is a miracle all by herself but now she is starting to see the blessings of coming back to church. At first it was just her for a couple weeks and slowly her children have been coming back. Her son Danny is a regular going member now and Gabby showed up yesterday. Who knows maybe soon Danny with choose to serve a mission and both Gabby and Alex will become active again:) I sure hope so! I love them all very much.

I made a goal last week to start writing all the miracle that I see every day and to take atleast one picture a day. Its been pretty good and from these two goals I have come to see the blessings and be more thankful for them than I ever was before.

Miracle exist and they happen in my life pretty regularly. They happen, but I often forget them and now I can look back and remember them.

The weeks keep on passing and they get fast and fast as they go. It is almost the end of summer and kids are starting school again and I don't know where the time went. If anyone knows just tell me cause I would like to know.

Cheers!

     Hermana Julia Orellana

PS There has been a couple of Birthdays this last week including my sister Mariana! and my last companion Kara Winder! So shout out to both of you! I love you guys and I hope you had a great Birthday:D