Hola! (La Cuca-Racha)

August 4, 2008

Hey everyone,
How is everyone doing? I'm doing alright. This week has been a little crazy and I know I say that about every week but it really has, and crazier than usual. Sister Dastrup and I have been suffering from various health issues this week. First of all, last Tuesday, we were all playing ultimate frisbee and Sister Dastrup wasn't wearing her shoes even after the many times one of our Zoneleaders would say "Sister Dastrup, put on your shoes!" In the end, her disobedience led to a Bee Sting on her toe which ended up swelling her whole foot all the way up to her calf by Friday when we finally took her to urgent care to get that taken care of! Needless to say, we have both learned the lesson of obeying our leaders with exactness, even for something as silly as wearing your shoes!
As for myself, I have been suffering from something that feels like the flu but is not. I can't seem to eat anything this past week that doesn't make me sick to my stomach, so I'm trying to stick with the Soups and liquids and really chugging the water! Lol yes, health hasn't been 100% this week but we are on our way to recovery!
On top of health issues, with transfers and everything, they told us on wednesday that they were going to actually move us to a new apartment instead of leave us where we were as was originally planned. We thought they were going to move us into the really nice "Posh" apartments here in Stockton but we had another thing coming. I don't remember if I mentioned that the apartments we were living at had been occupied by Elders for the past 18 years (no joke!) and was a disaster when we got there. It took the whole month to clean it up and it was really neat by the end! I'm sorry mom but I have forgotten to take pictures. If I remember, I'll have the elders take my camera and snap some if its that important to you!
Well, they ended up not moving us to the "Posh" apartments but to another apartment that has had Elders living in it for YEARS! Not sure how many but YEARS! Not just Elders either, but Cambodian Elders. The apartment was a DISASTER! We had some of the elders come back and clean up the bathrooms that they left uncleaned but have spent our nights and mornings during Prep time, cleaning. Last night we attacked the closets! Oh my goodness you would not believe all the junk and white shirts that have accumulated over the years! We ended up pulling everything out and going through it all and are planning to take what was worth saving to the Salvation Army or donating the White shirts to the Spanish ward since lots of spanish members don't have white shirts! All in all, our apartment is slowly coming clean and is slowly starting to smell like coconut incense, that sister Dastrup bought, instead of curry. Now that it is almost clean and a place where the spirit can dwell more abundantly, we are starting to feel at home again!
NOTE: LOL- mom you are going to love this, while we have been cleaning and scrubbing, we have come across 4 or 5 dead Cuka Rachas the size of Quarters!
Ok, I hope you don't think I'm complaining. It's actually been fun cleaning and going through all the junk. And my testimony of keeping my room or house clean has increased. We have definitely been able to feel a difference since we have had a clean apartment! The spirit really is so much stronger when we live in a clean environment. Lol, I know for some people that might sound kinda lame, but its true!
As for missionary work, they added on to our area this transfer and we've taken on one of the Elders Firms. He's planning on being baptized this Saturday at 5 and his family is a part member family. We have a lot more to teach him before then but I think he's good. I'll let you know how things went with that later!
Ok my times up for today. I love you all!
Hermana Bradfield