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Life has been really busy here in Yakima this past week, but here are a few highlights:

We had a branch Family Home Evening on Monday night! It was so fun! We had about five investigators there (woo hoo!!) We taught the lesson-how to study the scriptures better, using topical guide and footnotes, also highlighting and color-coding techniques, etc. I loved it, and it was exciting to see all the members, especially recent converts getting excited about the scriptures. There’s seriously so much that we can learn. The coolest part about the scriptures to me, is you can read a verse one time, and have it mean one thing, but then a few months later you are reading the same verse, and it has a totally different meaning. Sometimes you notice parts of verses or chapters that never stood out to you before.

 Me at my desk

I accidentally dropped a Libro de Mormon in a puddle.

I am starting to forget words in English... Maybe that's not awesome or amazing but it's pretty hilarious. I'll be talking in a mission meeting or something where we're speaking in English and I'll be snapping my finger like "um what's that word again? uuuuuh....." and I'll look at my companions and be like "evangelio" and they’ll say, "...gospel?" haha it's so weird! I also have been dreaming in Spanish a bunch!

Tuesday we got to go work at Northwest harvest again. It was really fun!

 Building boxes at Northwest Harvest

 Packing Mashed Taters

That whole box was full of mashed potatoes 

that we sorted. It was exhausting!

We had two exchanges this week. Since my companions are the STLs, we have exchanges a lot. It's where our companionship and another companionship of sisters will swap one person for the day, so we can learn from each other, practice working with different teaching styles, and support each other. It's pretty cool being comps with the STL's because I get to know a ton of the sisters! This week we had exchanges with Hnas. Garcia and Parry, and Hnas. Aldrich and Clark. It was really interesting seeing the different personalities, experience levels, and teaching styles mixing. 

HNA STREULING'S GREENIE IS FINALLY COMING!! Woo hoo! We just found out like 10 minutes ago from President that Hna. Hawkins will be here tomorrow! It's sad that we won't get to be in a trio anymore, because we can go anywhere and do anything, but it's also so exciting to have Hna. Hawkins. Since the STLs will be split in two companionships now, whenever they have exchanges, I will be working with Hna. Hawkins, which makes me kind of her trainer.... kind of…just on some days. Haha! But anyway, after having that day with Hna. Juarez and hearing all about our new roomie, I am so excited. She sounds like a gem. 

We met an AMAZING new investigator named Lensy. She is SO prepared for our message. She said she has never been religious and her parents didn't believe in God, but that she always believed in a higher power and wanted to learn more about God but didn't know where to start. She said it is amazing that we just knocked on her door. It's so cool! We just met her on Wednesday, and she already came to church yesterday and loved it! Yesterday morning she called and asked, "What time does church start today? I really want to come" THAT NEVER HAPPENS. It was amazing. She brought her three daughters too. 

I have apparently lost 20 pounds on my mission so far. Pretty sweet, except my clothes are getting a little big... good thing my mom taught me how to take tucks in things. Ha ha! And thank goodness for the sister-swap closet in my apartment. Past sisters who have lived here before left a ton of clothes that they didn't want anymore, so I was able to go through and organize it the other day and pick out a couple of new skirts that actually fit well. 

We had a great district council this week and my district leader really took charge of a difficult situation. It was great to see him standing up for what is right. 

We had dinner with a family, the Sameules. Turns out they speak English fluently! It was pretty refreshing to have a solid conversation in my native language with someone that doesn't have a tag on!

Yesterday I got to play the organ for the branch in sacrament meeting. Elder Jimenez usually does it, but he actually got super sick and had to go home. So then it was up to me! It was pretty nerve wracking, because I've never done that before, but it turned out okay. 

Love you! 

Hermana Streuling is just fiddling around