Week 45

Hoptown!

Greetings, from the far far away land of Hopkinsville.

It is snowing! it has been snowing since last night:P it's ether close

to 12 inches or more... I really can't tell. Everything is closed

though. No cars have moved. No ones owns shovels over here. His

morning Hermana Hoferitza and I went out to play in the snow and we

helped our neighbor who needed to get his mom to work (she works at

the hospital, hospitals don't get days off). We were using brooms...

There was literally nothing else to use:) so hopefully the streets are

cleared by the time we have to go out tonight or we might be having

personal study for the rest of the night (we live in the middle of no

where and can't get very far without a car).

Side story: As I was sitting here trying to get some emails sent to my

fam my compa runs to the door and bring in a big bowl of what looks

like snow. She runs back to the kitchen and in a few minutes sticks a

spoon full of now colored snow in my mouth with a spoon... She made

snow ice Cream! And it was delicious!:D Kentucky makes me fat!

Hoptown has got to have some of the coolest members! We got fed every

day this last week. Everyone here is super helpful and loving. We have

a small Spanish group that consist of a couple Hispanics and a big

handful of members who served missions in Latin countries and now

speek Spanish. Have I ever told y'all that I love my culture!?

Sometimes it can be a little much, but most days it's fabulous. The

rowdy jokes, and the laughs, and the parties, and the dancing, and the

drama!:) ha it's all so silly! I love it.  What I love the most though

is when white people act like Hispanics! Its the best!:D mostly really

though, their unbreakable testimonies of the restored gospel. It's

supper inspiring to see their life's change and the good that they do,

their dedication and love for service. I love my mission!

So I will introduce yall to my new compa:) she's from Syracuse Utah.

She went to Weber to study vocal performance. She wants to me an opera

singer:D yesterday I made her sing me some phantom of the opera

songs.... I almost peed my pants it was so awesome!! Her favorite

color is purple. She loves chocolate and when I play with her hair:)

she's awesome!

Leaving my last area must have been one of the hardest things I have

ever had to do in my mission so far. I love Murfreesboro with all my

heart. I can't wait to love all these new people!:)

We have a lot of things happening this transfer! We have lots of

meeting and activities... And birthdays;) it's actually my companions

birthday the 22nd:) we will both be turning 20 this month. How crazy!

I hope hall enjoyed your valentines:) mine was was one of the best so

far. I love you all!

- Herman Orellana

Week 44

Back to Kentucky!

We got transfer calls! I will be heading over to Hopkinsville Kentucky tomorrow to serve with Hermana Hoferitza:) funny fact so Hermana Capener and Hermana Warner were MTC companions in Mexico and roomed with Hermana Eastwood and Hermana Hoferitza who were companions. So these four gals were a little sister friend group and I have now forced myself upon them:) I have served with each of them in a row! Fun fun! We will all be friends forever. 

So I honestly thought I would be serving with hermana Warner for another transfer so when the news came in i was really surprised. I wasn't prepared to leave and so on Sunday i cried... a lot. Its fine! Erick called me a cry baby but mostly everyone else hugged me and told me they loved me.

Adiel prayed!! last night we passed by and we played the "Hna O is leaving... could you pray for her and her new companion?" and he was like, "ahhh... fine" and He did and it was the most beautiful thing and I wanted to cry but I didn't want him to freak out so I just acted like i was cool... but I was really really happy and completely NOT cool:D I had been working with him to pray almost the whole time i was here. It was a tender mercy to see the work I had been doing here pay off. That one moment made my 4 1/2 months here in Murfreesboro completely worth it, priceless, unforgettable....

Now i will spam you all with my photos:) and Ill try to explain some. 

I learned how to play the Uke this week! here is a video of the finished work:)

first batch of pics: 

-My district: (top left to right) E. Plant, E. Peterson, E. Harris, E. Casey, E. Zabriskie, E. Eisert, Hermana Orellana, Sister Tebbs, sister Bybee, Hermana Warner

-our crazy district meetings

-La familia Rico. I love them soooooo much yall dont even know

second batch:

-hermana Culson

-random YSA

-My friend Jason 

-Hermana Calva and her nietas

- hermana Kali (former Tennessee missionary)

third batch

- YSA sistas:D

- My WML Hermano Kaelberer:') I love this man

- Also Jose Don!:D

Enjoy!

   Hermana Orellana

Week 43

Mi Vida!

This we a typical crazy bike week:) we had some pretty good lessons and some cool miracles happen but nothing much out of the ordinary.

So we have this less active member who's name is Hermana Lupita:) she is the sweetest lady and reminds me a lot of my mom. Well she had this boyfriend she lives with whose name is Saul. And I have heard so much about Saul, "y que Saul hizo esto. Y que Saul hizo lo otro". Y Bueno! I hadn't heard many good things, but anyways Hna Lupita had signed up to feed the elders on Monday, but because they lived so far from them she changed it to feed us. Well we had forgotten and so at 6 we call Hna and tell her we have bikes and if it would be okay to reschedule but then she said she could pick us up so she heads over to where we are with Saul and his pick up truck and we are lockin up out bikes the the dumb lock wouldn't work! So Saul ends up helping us and putting out bikes in his pick up and just taking them with us. Well we have dinner, and because Hna Warner had never heard of all of Saul's deeds she is including him and we find out Saul is just a lost soul who needs the gospel:) we have a wonderful dinner and we are all getting along and Saul invites us to come back. So we did on Saturday:D AND we just show up and they feed us again! And Saul tells us his sad life story and now we really really want to teach him. And all of this would have not happened if our lock would have worked, or if we had ridden our bikes over (because that gave him an opportunity to serve

us), or if I had told Hna Warner all of Saul's deeds. Anyone can change with the gospel; even the foulest of sinners. Even Saul, who is just someone who needs a reason to do good and to see where happiness is really found. So now instead of getting Hna Lupita to leave her boyfriend we will be working on Saul's testimony:)

Other miracles: Rene takes notes on our lessons and marks his Book of Mormon!:D I was able to answer his question about the spirit world and now he has a testimony of the plan of salvation! We got lost in Shelbyville and someone rescued us from flesh eating dogs... Not really:) but they were quite scary looking.

-Hermanita Orellana:)