I really am Part of an Army! - 4,000 Missionaries

Hola!

So this is weird right? Getting an email from me on a Friday. The short story is that for this week only they changed our P-Day to Friday so we could do a super cool activity. I will write more about it on Monday (because if not I will have literally nothing to say about the "week"). In other news I received the package. Thank you for everything! Although I am a little confused about why the person I assume is Uncle Jared is wearing a horse mask in that picture with Alyssa? I also got letters from Bro. Metro, Sis. Enya, Sis. Sherrard and The Cabreras!  Thank you!! It makes my day!

Things here have been pretty good. I'm about to finish my training which is pretty crazy. Hermana Perry and I are hoping for one more change together here, but we'll see what happens. We had a multi-zone conference last week. That was pretty fun. President told us that they are going to be opening a new MTC in Mexico soon and it will be the second largest in the world (only Provo is bigger). Last Wednesday the first group of the new younger missionaries entered the MTC...4000 went into Provo! That is absolutely crazy! I really do feel like I am part of an army. 

We also had two day intercambios this Wednesday and Thursday. It was a little bit stressful for me because I was left in my area with a mini-missionary. But I did it, and I learned a ton from her. Hermana Hernandez is a recent convert of less than a year, trying to decide if she wants to go on a mission. We had a lot of fun together, she is hilarious. 

So I have a funny story for you. A few Sundays ago Hermana Perry and I were coming home from breakfast and we cut through the church (it's faster that way). We were  approached by a woman asking us what time the meetings were at. We explained that it depends where she lives and the whole situation with having 3 wards in the same chapel. She told us about how last year these two elders had invited her to church and how she told them she would come so she came. She told us it was a Gautemalteco and a Gringo that she had talked to and where she lived. Turns out she lives in our area but near the limit with an area of two other elders (who happen to be a gringo and guatemalteco) so we went to visit her. When we showed up she proudly took out the pamphlet the elders had given her. We were expecting a Restoration pamphlet but what she gave was this black and white pre-Preach My Gospel era pamphlet printed in like 1985. We were shocked, it obviously wasn't last year that these elders met her, especially since the names written on the back were two elders that are not here anymore and no one has ever heard of. Well...almost no one. We were talking about this experience in Ward Council and when we mentioned the name of the Elders our RS president let out a gasp and exclaimed, "They baptized me! 11 years ago!" Yes, that's right, this woman showed up at church because over 11 years ago she promised two elders she would go. The coolest part is she has been going to church with us now and in our last meeting basically asked us when she could be baptized. It's pretty awesome she is reading the Book of Mormon and everything. After 11 years she came to the chapel for a reason, right?

Also, one day Hermana Perry and I were waiting to cross the street and this "viejita"came up and asked where we were from and started talking to us. She wanted to cross the street with us. A bus stopped and let us cross, and she joked that it was only because we're gringas and if it had just been her the bus would have hit her. There is really no point to this story she just specifically told us to write home about it.

Sounds like things are nuts back home with Blizzard Nemo (that's a really weird name, Clown Fish are tropical). But everyone loves the pictures of the snow, especially the Latinos...they're amazed. I also have to say, the mental picture of Jen, Aimee and Mom playing outside in the snow together makes me chuckle a bit. Oh and not really related but in the pictures you sent in the package you can totally tell that Daddy has lost weight.

Anyway, I am about out of writing time and I am really working on being exactly obedient ;) I love you and a pray for you everyday. 

Love, 

Hermana Victoria Giossi

P.S. Today I was riding with the assistants in their truck and they have this Mo-Tab CD with a bunch of songs from movies (Like the Lion King) and stuff on it. I think its called "Showtime"or something like that. If one day for my birthday or other random occasion you could ship one of those out that would be sweet. I'm getting sick of the same music over and over again haha. 

Also, to save money you should trying shoving things more tightly in packages, that's what Hermana Perry's family does...it seems to work. I don't know, give it a shot.