ET?!🚨

 Okay this email was for last week but I never got a chance to send it...

Buenos días amigos! Some crazy things went down this week, so buckle up.

So first funny story. Hermana Olmstead has these mentoring meetings since she's still in training, where basically someone from the MTC does calls with us and we talk about how to improve our teaching, finding, faith, etc. etc. They're really good meetings! In her last meeting, we came up with some different ways to find. We decided to walk around a parking lot with a whiteboard that said, "What brings you joy?" and start conversations with people. It's worked really good in YSA areas whenever I'm on exchanges and we're walking around college campus. Well, it didn't work out too well for us hahaha. When we looked at the whiteboard after walking a few laps around the parking lot, we realized all but two of the answers written on the board were our own. It was depressing. But also kind of funny and I couldn't stop laughing on the walk back to the car hahaha

On Wednesday we had some really good lessons! One was with Diego, who's a friend we met through english class . Then we had one with Fernando and it was SO good. Two members came to help us and they said exactly what Fernando needed to hear.

On Thursday, I had an exchange with Hermanas Santa Maria and Olmstead! It was so fun! I got some crazy news though..

Long-story-short, last week I got a threatening call from someone in an old area of mine. For safety reasons, I got the news on Thursday that I needed to pack and be ready to move to Lompoc the next day. Sooo now I'm in Lompoc with Hermanas Buhrely and Nelson for the rest of my mission!! I'm so so so excited to be here with them, but it was super hard to say an unexpected goodbye to my comps and area in Simi Valley.

Lompoc is a town in the middle of nowhere. We also cover Solvang, which is about 30 mins away and it's such a cute touristy town! Also, Lompoc is right by a base where rockets are launched, so that's pretty cool!

On Saturday, I had an exchange with Hermanas Ellison and Buhrley in Santa Maria! It was SO fun and we got to spend a lot of our day in Pismo Beach! We did our studies at a table near the beach and ate the best cinnamon rolls ever. We also had a super good improv lesson with a woman named Gloria and the Spirit was so strong. We had a dinner with members later and the FUNNIEST thing happened. The dinner was at the home of an older man and woman. As we were talking, Hermana Ellison asked them when they got married. (Okay hear me out, they looked married. And we had no context to go off of.) The man looked at her funny and then said, "Never. She's my mom."

On Sunday, it was super fun to get to meet the Spanish Branch here in Lompoc. They were so welcoming and sweet!!

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT:

"The path of salvation always leads through Gethsemane." -Elder Holland

I'm so grateful to know that Christ suffered in Gethsemane so we never have to suffer alone! Life is hard, but with His Atonement, we can get through anything.

My invitation for all of you is to study the Atonement of Jesus Christ and pray to know that what He did was for YOU. I promise you'll receive a confirmation.

I love all of you!

-Hermana DeMordaunt