-At least
every other day we take the bus to get to one area or another. As you get on, scan your card, and head to
the seats, the driver starts going again and it feels like you’re walking ‘warp
speed”. I LOVE it. Only none of my companions have seen
Star Trek, so they don’t get it.
-One day I
saw someone rolling an R2D2 carry-on and just about died (too bad they’re
probably not mission appropriate, otherwise I would be sorely tempted).
-The metro
(subway) stop for the church is called “Aragon” as in LOTR, which always makes
me smile. (Another reason I’m always
glad to go to church.)
-I have
legitimately contacted people just because of the book they were reading. One—my most awkward-contact ever was a
girl with a Mockingjay necklace reading “The Hunger Games”. I said “Este libro . . . me gusta.” Stopped awkwardly, dropped a pass-along card
in her gook, and got off at the next metro stop. Another was reading “El Juego de Ender” and
we had a nice chat about the book, the movie, and the differences between them.
-On the way
back to Valencia from getting my residency I spent an entire 3 hour train ride
passionately geeking out with Hermana O’Neill.
I explained the Weeping Angels, the Doctor-River plotline, the
differences between the old series and the new series and how it’s gone on for
50 years. She mentioned “Once Upon A
Time” and I explained how and why I’d only watched the first season. I raged about “Agents of SHIELD” and
correctly guessed her other favorite “Nerd” show
—“Merlin”. We commiserated over the ending. It was a total geek fest. And I loved it.
-There was a
little stand (Comic-con style) of Geek Stuff in the mall and I found it
physically difficult not to go in.
There was a Harry Potter T-shirt at Primark that made me supremely happy
(I would have gotten it if it had been for Ravenclaw instead of
Gryffindor)
-Pretty much
every spare moment with Hna. Stilson was a geek fest. She loves Harry Potter more than I do (a
near-impossible feat) and we spent hours contacting/doing a deep
character analysis of Snape, Neville, and Sirius.
These are my most recent nerdy
moments, though I’m sure there will be more.
I’m still a nerd.
After all this time?
Always.
Okay? Okay.
<3 Hermana Een
The
not-at-all annual Alayna health Update! 23/2/15
(European Style)
(I know you’re
excited)
At the close of another transfer,
you guys should know that I’m still alive and kicking. I no longer go running in the mornings (that
was a rare tripanionship--speared by New Years resolutions and a dying
missionary’s desires to not be fat—that has gone the way of most New
Years Resolutions at this point).
Hermana Lamerouax—the Sister Training Leader here, and our piso-mate AND
she just happens to be IN the picture from the Deseret News Article you sent
(so that’s funny)—loves running and was on her college track team so although I
went with her once, I don’t have the stamina to make that a frequent occurrence.
My current exercise regime is to
turn on “The Best Two Years” soundtrack (Thank you Elder Matheson) and
do sit ups for the first song, bicycles for the second, planking/push-ups for
the third, wall sit/read a Spanish dictionary, awkward dog kicks, and then collapse
and enjoy the other 3 songs I like on the sound track. But hey, it’s better than nothing.
I’m eating well-ish. There’s still that never-ending chocolate
hunger which is just part of being a sister missionary. The members feed us well and when they
remember to pass around the list our days are FULL. There was a week (full of member eating
citas) where the only “grocery shopping” I did was to buy milk, yogurt, and
cookies. (I have my priorities
straight.)
I found out that Valencia is famous
in the mission for two reasons. 1)
BAPTISMS, AWESOME members and miracles, and I can testify to all three of those.
2) For making missionaries gain weight L.
I haven’t stepped on a scale for a while
(both because we don’t have one, and I don’t WANT to) but I can feel a little “Mother
Gothel” “Plus, I admit you’re getting
kind-of chubby.” But we also found out
that the metro stops are a lot closer than we thought so we’ll be walking a lot
more. If I stay.
I’ve only cried . . . 5 times on the
mission. And most of that is more “tearing up” then actual crying, but
this past week especially has been emotionally difficult for me. But I’ve also had a lot of things bring me
joy. So we come out even. I don’t think I’m a very good trainer and
Hermana Manotas is much better in some ways and still struggling in others. Although I sincerely want to stay here and it
makes sense that I will, I’m trying to be prepared for any eventuality.
4/3/15 (European date)
And one more
for good measure . . .
Transfer
calls have come and gone, I spent one very potentially awkward evening being a
tripanionship (a word that’s catching on in the mission) with Hermana Manotas
and Hermana Terrazas. We left the piso
and met up with two Elders in our district (half of which were different
because of transfers) to give a blessing of comfort to Genoveva (who’s brother
died on Sunday). ELDER KEEN IS IN MY
DISTRICT NOW! This is cool for many
reasons: 1) He’s a 24-year-old sarcastic
British male and a 1-year convert to boot.
I can’t help but enjoy his company 2) He was in my same MTC group so
although no one is in my “same boat” (training with only 6 weeks in the mission
kind-of isolates you that way), he’s pretty darn close. And that’s downright comforting (especially
since I’m losing Hermana O’Neill to Lleida).
3) Our names are strikingly similar, which is just fun.
This morning we went to the training
meeting and HERMANA STILSON WAS THERE! She’s
going to train a girl from Tennessee (Hetrmana Ingram) which is perfect because she loves
faking southern accents. It was just
SO good to see her again, reminisce on good old times in the
tripanionship. Man, I need to email her
more.
The training meeting is exactly
the same as it was last time. And the
time before that. Hermana Manotas is
going to Bilboa with Hermana Vance—a seasoned missionary whose Spanish is very
good, who was also “Born” in Valencia, and who has received council from
President on what specifically Hna. Manotas needs and struggles with. I had expected to feel like a little bit of a
failure if we were separated in this transfer (even though I sort-of suggested
it in my letter to President) but I honestly feel like it’s all for the
best. And, seeing how I’m still
training, I know that it’s no fault of mine.
Hermana Terrazas is 20, the 8th
of 8 children, and very sweet. From the
little comments she‘s made about her mission experience so far I can tell that
her trainer let her down in many aspects.
In his response to my letter President said “Hna. Terrazas has great
desires to do the work and needs your help and guidance. Once again, you are the answer.”—not like
that’s intimidating or anything.
And it hit me who she reminds me
of. Eliza, she’s the SPITTING IMAGE of
Harriet Smith from “Emma Approved”. It’s
a perfect comparison in all aspects. And
I’m her Emma. (Hopefully with a bit more
wisdom).
<3Hermana
Alayna Emma Een
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