Quick update on Sister Price!

This is Rebecca's most recent email and pictures.

My new companion is Sister Escobedo and she is from Mexico City! Since my assignment is West Gate I expected an American companion. When my name was called to be paired with a Mexican sister my face lit up and I ran out of my aisle and pulled her into my arms. Her English is good because she worked at a call center in Mexico. But I still have to help her out some times and correct her pronunciation. Now that I have a Spanish companion I am teaching Spanish speakers in Columbia, Argentina...and wait for it....PERU! (Lima to be exact). We teach on the phone and she translates for me. I can understand more than I thought I would be able to, but they talk so fast so it makes things difficult. We also take Spanish chats on mormon.orgtogether. My first Spanish chat was a person from Ecuador then someone from Peru. When I want to message on the chat I just say English and what I know of Spanish then Sister Escobedo tells me how to type it in Spanish.

Temple Square is way less busy now. It drives me crazy because I have way more down time than I have become use to. Even West Gate is less busy. So I read Our Heritage. Once I am done reading that I will read Jesus The Christ. Of course I am doing this as I read the Book of Mormon and Bible as well. We now have 1 hour dinner. I am use to only having 30 min for dinner. So it is different. With less people on the square means less tours. We have only taken 2 tours in the past week :( so sad. Once the Holiday lights are on more people will come to Temple Square!

Lately my companion and I have been focusing a lot on our investigator Tiffany. She is from United States! Oklahoma to be exact. She is a busy mother and really pleasant to talk to on the phone. Tiffany is having a lot of personal struggles. I wish I could just give her a big hug. I love all the people we teach here.

Sadly, antimormons come onto mormon.orgchat and break my heart. I try not to let contention swell in my heart. I remember that they are children of God too and He loves them. They made the same decision that I made to come here to earth. With anti's the best thing to do is just keep the conversation peaceful and brief. Arguing with Book of Mormon and Bible passages is not the way to go.

This week Sister Hale, who was in my MTC District, came to me and told me that she thinks that I have really changed since the MTC. Then she and her companion left a note in my mailbox that was so sweet and made my day. It was really sweet of her to saw that. It is hard to explain how I have changed. But it is all for the better. 

Thanks for all you do! Let me know what I can do for you!

Love Blue!

Pictures sent October 15 and link to SLC Temple Square mission blog

http://slctemplesquaremission.blogspot.com/

This is the link for the Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission! Check it out!

Email from Sister Price sent October 15, 2013

Dear Family,

Sister Humble and I will no longer be companions as of tomorrow. I will miss her. She and I have become best friends. We feel like we have known each other for years, but also feel we have only been together for a short time. Her new companion is Sister Takahashi from Canada. Sister Takahashi has been out for 6 transfers I think.

Now for my new companion...well I have no clue who she is because she is COMING FROM THE MTC! That's right! I am training! I am the youngest Sister ever to train at temple square so far. I am so excited! But also shocked because I am only going into my third transfer! President Monson's words have been comforting me as I mentally prepare to train, “When we are on the Lord’s errand, we are entitled to the Lord’s help. Remember that whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies.”
My "baby" (as we call the trainees here) is arriving tomorrow morning and I will find out who she is at 1pm! I can't wait! My MTC companion, Sister Nakayama, is training too! How lucky and awesome is that?! She and I had so much fun being sister training leaders for those 20 days at the MTC and now we will both be training!
This past Sunday we spoke at a homeless branch. It was so humbling. We spoke very briefly and simply, because most of the people who come aren't even members. During sacrament I sat by a woman named Michelle. She has a walking disability and is so sweet. She brought her own green hymn book to church! I invited her to come to temple square so I could see her again and I mentioned the Christmas lights then asked her what her favorite holiday is, she repleid "hmm probably Hanukkah because I am Jewish."  Michelle was so precious! I attached a picture of me with a bag. The branch presidents wife gave me a goodie bag filled with candy, soap, a pillow case, and wash cloth for speaking at the homeless branch.
With the new transfer tomorrow means new roommates. Sister Dantas has been out one transfer more than me and she is from BRAZIL! She will be my new roommate along with her baby who comes tomorrow. I will really miss rooming with Sister Gudiel from Honduras. She and I are best friends and I really want to visit her in Honduras one day.
Funny story, my roommate Sister Torres from Mexico was frustrated with another Sister and said "I'm going to kill you Sister Peters!" But she was KIDDING (of course) and then added..."Just kidding Sister Peters I am so candy." We were all confused, what she meant to say was "...I am so sweet." It was hilarious! Sister Torres is still learning English. Once she was just walking and moved her body and said "Oh I love the window!" and what she meant to say was "Oh I love the wind!"
Below I also attached pictures of the mission board and my West 1 zone. Guess what?! I will be at West Gate for another transfer!!! I am so happy! Usually sisters are only there for two transfers, but I will be in there for my third. It will be fun training there. My p-day will be on Tuesdays again.
All my love,
Blueski (as dad would say)
P.S. Natalie and Sydney, Please update my blog! :) THANK YOU!

Last Week in Temple Square!

Sister Shumate and I! She went to BYU-Idaho too and is serving in Idaho. Her mission will include the Idaho Falls Visitors Center. Any missionary going to a visitors center comes to Temple Square for training one day. In one photo we are holding to the iron rod that leads to the tree of life! I helped make the tree--you know how I can't pass the chance to work on a craft.

Me with the fan that the one and only Meredith Lee Price made and mailed to me--thanks Mere Bear!

Sister Humble and I in the teaching center where we teach investigators over the phone and email. We also take inbound calls for the church and mormon.org chats here. If you ever go to mormon.org and chat with Becca that is me! We use our first names on chat.

                  

Clara and I

Rebecca's most recent email!

On Saturday I was on exchange with my zone leader Sister Hvistendahl from Denmark/Greenland. We were talking to a group of old people and when we said goodbye one of the woman became very emotional, grabbed my hand, pulled me in for a huge hug, and said I remind her of her granddaughter Hailey. It was so sweet, yet unexpected. Hugs are the best (only from girls-NO BOYS) since I don't have momma here to give me hugs. 

My companion and I are old people magnets. Our newest investigator is Wendy. She is from Nevada and is interested mostly because she is preparing to die and she feels it is what she should do. However, we did learn that her father was a less active member and she actually knows a lot about the church. We are just helping her nourish and strengthen her own faith and testimony.

On Wednesday Sister Humble and I took about 7 Norwegians on a tour and they were super interested in the Book of Mormon so we gave them one. We also gave them The Living Christ, Family Proclamation, and Articles of Faith in Norwegian.

Whenever I happen to meet a member they usually ask: "How many nonmembers do you usually get?" I will answer this question for all of you. On an average day I do not talk to any members of the church (except for other missionaries of course). The only time we talk to a lot of members are Sunday's and when big events on Temple Square take place. Thousands of nonmembers come here everyday! Friday and Saturday nights are date nights so we see students being all lovey dovey eww around temple square. Creeps me out! haha.

General Conference is this weekend so 99% of the people I talk to are going to be members. I am so excited for conference! I will be attending one session, but I don't know which one yet. I've been hearing (through email and letters) of people who I know who are coming. Of course I hope those people will find me, but I don't want anyone I know to see me! I've become (as Sister Doriaswamy from India would say) "fat with the weight."

We got to attend the General Relief Socity broadcast! We sat in the front section on the far right, I will probably be found there at General Conference as well. The meeting was wonderful! I loved hearing all the speakers. As Elder Holland and Elder Christofferson walked out they blew kisses to us temple square sisters! It was so precious!

Rebecca's picture of last week!