The highlight of this week, of course, was going to the San Diego temple. Good golly I love being able to go to the temple. It was a beautiful, sunny, warm (sorry, everyone) day and I loved having time to sit and feel the gentle presence of the Spirit. I left feeling rejuvenated and at peace for the first time in a while!

After the temple we went to Chick-Fil-A because apparently Sis. Jones has never had it before! I was flabbergasted! Our ride's jaw dropped when she heard, and she said, "you've never been to Chick-Fil-A?!" I promise if I had known, we would have fixed that a long time ago. Don't worry; she loved it, and we now know where to go when we need a fun lunch or don't have a dinner appointment. :)

This past week I also (while wearing mostly blue) was told that I looked like Elsa while standing in line at the grocery store. I didn't have the heart to tell the cashier that I've never seen Frozen, so I just smiled and said thanks. I do know what she looks like, so I guess that's a compliment, right? ;)

I love you all so very much! I promise I'm trying to figure out a way to bring some of this California sun home with me. Once I do, I'll send some to you!

Love,

Sister B

1. This week we did a lot of service, which was super fun.

2. We had our ward's Primary Program this weekend! It was so adorable. All of the kids got to write their own part (edited by their parents, I'm sure), and I loved that. 

3. We get to go to the temple this week! I am so excited to go to the temple again!

I love you always. I promise that next week's email will be much better.

Love,

Sister B

On Friday night we helped set up for a Sisters Retreat that our Relief Society did. It's also called a "Super Saturday:" basically, a day of crafts, lunch, and sisterhood. That was so much fun! Sister Jones and I were able to help out with a service project and make hats for Angel Outfitters.

Of course, we also try to cross paths with the ocean as much as possible... How wonderful it is to be so close. I never realized just what an effect the ocean has on me. There's no better therapy than listening to the waves, I promise. (Do I sound like a Californian yet?)

Surfers at sunset. People flock to the ocean every sunset to watch it go down.

I hope you all have a wonderful week. Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support! I am always so happy when I get sweet letters and emails from you. :)

Love,

Sister B

Last week:

I think there should be a book called "The Last 6 Weeks." It should tell you everything you need to know about going home. It should have warnings like "be aware when you are beginning to eat your feelings and, for the sake of those 10 pounds you don't want to gain, just STOP IT!" Or it can tell you things that are not cool to say in the outside world: "nobody knows what 'The District,' "The Testaments,' 'The Restoration,' or The White Handbook are in the outside world. DO NOT QUOTE THEM TO MAKE A JOKE. YOU ARE NOT FUNNY." 

Unfortunately, no such book exists, so I am going to have to accumulate my own knowledge about how to survive my last transfer as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All I know is that working hard puts the scariness of leaving on the back burner, so at least you aren't stressed about it until, oh, a week before you're on a plane home. ;)

Whatever these last six weeks hold for me, I am so glad to be here. I've never experienced a more difficult journey, but all of the bitter is slowly fading into sweet. And all of the sweet is becoming even sweeter!

Something I am excited for this week is the opportunity that our mission has to go and see "Meet the Mormons" together! That's right, a group of almost 200 missionaries is going to storm a movie theater and eat popcorn and cry over the lives of six people who are changing the world through their faith in Jesus Christ.

It comes out in select theaters on October 10th, but apparently the missionaries are privileged enough to get an advanced viewing. I am so excited! 

I love you all! If you have any more additions to my survival guide, shoot me a letter or an email. ;) And, as always, thank you for all of your love and support. I couldn't have done it without you.

Love,

Sister B

Pictures:

Horror of horrors! I forgot my camera! I'M SORRY!

Vista was my hood. Strangely diverse, from the hill-dwellers to the mini-Mexico apartments, there was a lot to be done and always something to do in the young single adult ward. San Marcos was like a cross between Vista and Temecula, newer and nicer in most parts with some desert-y outskirts where the coyotes roamed. Needless to say, it's awesome to be the first sisters in a ward that hasn't had any for years.

And now, Carlsbad. I'm still not quite sure what to make of it. It's a good-sized city with lots of diversity. It's right on the coast, which is new. The humidity here is almost on New Jersey's level! ;) There are a lot more Audis and Lexuses here than I've seen before (it takes a lot to afford to live right on the coast) but the people are actually kinder, in general, than most.

I see the Pacific every day. It's awesome. There aren't a lot of people to teach right now, which is less awesome, but we're working on it. The price of living in a higher-income community is more complacency, which is the enemy of missionary work. 

"It's All Good," the mantra of the coastal Californian, is probably the epitome of Carlsbad. If you're here, you're solid. The weather is perfect, the beach is 10mins away or less, you're living in a nice place with shopping close by. Good golly is it hard to find people who want to learn more about an all-encompassing, life-changing gospel when they are more than happy going with the current flow of their life.

But hey, it's all good! ;) Life goes on and missionary work goes on. There are people in every area that are being prepared to receive our message; we just need to find them. I am bound and determined to find someone to teach while I am here.

I've starting to notice myself flagging a little bit, spiritually, and that's never good. Luckily, General Conference is this weekend. Let me just tell you: GENERAL CONFERENCE IS AWESOME. 

It's the Superbowl weekend for missionaries everywhere! Getting hours to listen and absorb messages from the leadership of this church, as well as get a spiritual recharge that keeps you boosted for weeks, is priceless.

So enjoy conference this weekend. Don't go too crazy on the potlucks and the song break snacks. If you've got a free 10 minutes, >watch this Mormon Message<. This is dedicated to all moms, dads, student-athletes, artists, professionals, missionaries, or just anyone who feels like they don't have enough time in their day (and that's all of us). 

I love you all! I can't wait to tell you all about my favorite Conference highlights next week. :)

Love,

Sister B