Monday, July 11, 2016

My First Transfer!

July 11, 2016
Dear Family and Friends,
 
My farewell to my "Rock-Star" companion...Sister Mertens!
So I know everyone has been waiting to hear about my new area and companion so I will start with that.

My new companion is Sister Nail, she Is 19 and from Sunland, California which is 20min from LA... ew...jk :P  She came out with me from the MTC. UM.... I am her 7th companion in 4months! She has been in three trio's which is super cool because she knows a lot of the sisters. She is cool and sweet and we get a long awesomely!  (Alas, no pictures of her yet.)

I am serving in Abilene Kansas which is 30min away from Salina (pronounced “Sal-eye-na not Sal-ee-na.) But the church and our ward is in Salina which means we have to drive 30min to the church every Sunday and whenever we have a church tour or go up that way hahaha! That’s 60miles there and back ahhh all our miles!!!! Abilene is a really really, really cute old fashioned town of like 6,000 something people with cute doll house like homes. The people here are“eh” not super awesomely kind but not horribly mean either.  Haha its great!.

C.H. Lebold Mansion. Hey Mom, It's for sale!

I have to drive all the time because my companion can't which has been both fun/ugh hahahaha. In our ward there are 4 sets of missionaries; two sets of elders and sisters. The other sisters are our STL's which are Sister Peterson and sister Southwick (STL means Sister training leaders which is a leadership role for sisters. we go on exchanges with them and call them if we have a problem) But cool story—Sister Peterson is my Mission Grandma (she trained sister Tafua my mission mom) and Sister Southwick was sister Merten’s companion as well and she trained my MTC companion so it’s pretty cool! 

There aren't a lot of members in Abilene so we don't have dinner every night—just once or twice a week. But…the members that are here are freaking awesome and fun.  The 4th of July wasn't super, super fun but it was pretty fun. We hung out with the STL's all day shopping and talking and joking around then we had lunch with a member and then we went to the Brown’s house. They are this super cool family that makes the best food I have ever had...(other than my mom’s cooking cuz no one cooks better than her :D) but they barbecued hotdogs and GIANT hotdogs and then like these Giant BROTTS and homemade French fries and homemade mac and cheese. Sooooo good.  Then when we got home I attempted to watch fireworks from our deck/balcony. The stupid trees blocked them. The cool thing was that these were the kind of fireworks that go in the air!  They are not illegal here!   And these fireworks were going off for the whole week before the 4th.  It sounded like a war zone every night. 

Now, for my reply to your email. I'm so proud of you momma! You are so amazing at conducting and this was your opportunity to show it and you KILLED IT !!! (Alisha’s mom had the privilege of conducting a concert for the Valley Choral Society)

Holy cow that Pokémon Go game sounds so fun/dangerous hahaha I want to play it now haha.

Man that’s scary/upsetting what’s happening in Russia with the missionaries, but I am glad that Nathan is staying positive and doing what the Lord needs him to do. He is a great missionary and will see many miracles in Russia.

We got a new mission president his name is president McCuistion.   He was born in California and is a convert. His family joined the church when he was a kid. He went on a mission to Scotland and came home and married his wife who was his brother's wife's sister!  (Take a minute and process that one.)  He and his future wife had been friends since they met (through his brother) but didn't date each other until she wrote him on his mission. She told him that she broke up with her boyfriend and that she always compared them to him and none of them measured up to him. Pretty cool! He builds homes and has a big family... thats all I really remember but he is also really kind and loving.

Love you guys and miss ya but I am so glad to be here in Kansas and sharing the gospel. This has changed and blessed my life and that has brought me closer to my Savior and Heavenly Father. 

Love,

Sister Magda

P.S.  I wish there was a 7-Eleven here haha :P drink lots of Slurpees for meeeeee!
A delicious smoothie in my "Bubba Gump" glass.  Sigh.  It's not a Slurpee.





















Here I am saying goodbye to all of my Wichita "families."  I will miss them!