Yep you read right. My time in Alief has come to a close. I will spend my two remaining transfers in a place to be announced. I felt it was coming so I am not too down about it. Words cannot even describe how much I have learned while serving here. I have loved serving in the International District. It has been a dozen missions in one. I have like at least 5 housing options if I ever wanted to visit Africa. The African people are so kind and welcoming. I will miss the people in the ward and all of the super cute kids. I had to say goodbye to the T family yesterday and it broke my heart! Some of the Sisters took us to lunch today to say goodbye.
I have loved this place.
Thanks again for all the birthday wishes! I went to the office on my birthday and all the packages were there waiting for me. Best birthday ever :) The C family took us out to dinner...with balloons and all. I felt very loved. We had our monthly breakfast with Bishop that morning too so don't worry I was well fed.
Dad, I will definitely give you the NASA run down when I get home. Better yet we can go when we all visit Houston one day. It was literally the best thing ever! As we were sitting in mission control I was remembering the time you told me about where you were when you watched the shuttle to the moon. It was a good time in America's history. But don't worry they are planning to land on Mars sometime around 2035...You'll be around for a whole other round of space adventures.
So to go back to last week, we had the chance to rescue like 5 animals. We were on a blitz and I see a squrriel laying in the road and so we walk up to it. It had a broken leg so it could only run in circles...I guess they are like ducks in that way. So we asked a random person for a towel and carried over to the shade. I got to pet a squirrel. I don't know how rare that is but I feel accomplished.
Later that night we came home to our apartment and we saw a little kitten in the middle of the road, so we picked it up and went to find it's mom. We totally did. They were on a random person's patio. There were four little kittens. The lady that lived there asked if we could take them. Obviously we couldn't so we just took them to our porch for the night. It was all fun until the mom came and took them back. So now we don't know where they are. But we named them. There were 2 boys and 2 girls so we named them after the four houses of Hogwarts of course. Best idea ever.
I got to go on an exchange this week down to Manvel. Spanish speaking. Thankfully around here many are just bilingual so we can speak in English. I did OYM a guy in Spanish though. It was weird because I hadn't left Alief at all until that day. I guess it was good prep for this week.
We have been so blessed this week with finding new people to teach. I all of a sudden have like no fear of going up and talking to people. It is awesome. I can usually go for like a day or so but recently it has been a constant desire to talk to all that I see! I am grateful that Heavenly Father is blessing me with that gift now. I don't want to waste any more opportunities. I don't have any time to spare. It is crazy to think that I have 2 transfers left. We have been so blessed that is hard to leave because I want to be selfish and keep teaching all of these wonderful people. This area has a lot of potential for baptism in the next month or 2.
Man I feel like my head is going a million miles an hour and I want to say so much. Hopefully the pictures will add some of the story.
I love y'all so much. Have a great week :)
Sister Greaves