Saying Goodbye

Nicole sent this Feb 8 but I was enjoying the Philippines and didn't get it sent out. Hope that you will forgive me. :)

Hi All!

Transfers are probably one of the most miserable parts of being a missionary. I got the phone call this morning and was told to pack up and that tomorrow afternoon I will be in a new area with a new companion. I have truly loved my time here in Aguila and I am so sad to be leaving. Especially because for various reasons they will be closing the area that I worked in. Atleast partially closing it. I'm really curious to see what happens tomorrow at transfers. Hermana Ayala is staying here with Hermana Kigueta and they will be working in Montana del Sur. I am so bummed to be leaving them both. I absolutely love being with them. Hermana Ayala has been an amazing companion and I wish I would have gotten more than just one transfer with her. I'm still hoping to get more than just one transfer with Hermana Kigueta since she's only been out one transfer longer than me. I guess we'll just have to wait and see on that one. I have so many options of where I could end up. President is moving one sister from all but one Spanish companionship in the mission. So really I could go anywhere. This will be really interesting.

This week has been quite the week. Working in two wards was an experience. I'm glad I had such great companions for it, or this could have been really tricky to hold everything together for two weeks. Some highlights from this week include:

• Winter finally showed up! That's right, I spent three days wearing a coat, and it was freezing! The fountain outside of our apartment complex froze! I think Arizona might have ruined me. Also on one of those super cold days we had splits and Hermana Kigueta and I went out on bikes. It was so windy I thought I was going to get blown over.
• ROSSY AND REUBEN ARE GETTING MARRIED!!!! That was one of the huge exciting things of the week. I am so excited for them, and for them to be one step closer to being baptized. I can't believe it. I feel like part of why I was sent to Aguila was to be here with Rossy and Reuben and to work with them.
• We taught possibly the most interesting lesson of my life this week. It was just one of those lessons that felt like you were watching a car crash, you could see where it was going and what was happening but you could seem to get out. But these are the things interesting journal entries are made of, and you laugh about many many years later.
• Alma's dog finally decided to be friends with me. This may not seem like a big deal, but it was. Every time we'd gone over for the past three months he would sit and bark and growl, but yesterday he decided we could be friends... just in time for me to leave. Yeesh.
• Today I'm teaching a flute lesson! I am so so so so so so so so so excited for it. There's a girl in our ward who has asked me flute questions before, and so finally I decided I might as well just teach her a lesson. I can't wait. I'm not sure which of us will have more fun.
• Tonight we're going over to the Perea's and throwing a party for Brian, the youngest Perea boy. He turned 5 on Sunday and we found out that they don't have money for a party, so we're making him a cake and we're going to go do Testimony Pizza (a lesson about how building our faith in God is like building a pizza) with them. I am way excited for the lesson and it will be fun to surprise them with a party for Brian.

There's not much else to tell. You'll all have to hold your breath to see where I go after this. I'll write and tell you all about it next time. Where ever it is I know it's where I am needed. I am really really sad to be leaving Aguila, but I feel like I've done what I needed to here. I've worked hard and I'm happy with that. Now I get to go work somewhere else and really get to love the people there just like I've loved the people here in Aguila. Missions really are just so incredible. In just 3 months of being here I've found so many people who I just love and I have enjoyed serving.

Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Hermanita Okeson