Sister Eliza Groneman: First Week in California

Hello from California!!!!!

It's crazy to think that I'm actually here now. Like, this is real. President & Sister Felix picked us up from the airport. They are so nice, I love them. The rest of the day was super chill. We picked up two missionaries later in the day who came from the MTC in Mexico, but other than that we visited the mission office and then went to the mission home. It's beautiful here. There are flowers and colors everywhere. And fruit fields and vineyards and things like that! MY PLACE.

My companion is Sister C** and she is from Sandy. Yes, we have a connection. Her sister is B** L**'s wife! She's actually known I would be coming since I got my call. It's crazy that she is my trainer. She's great. She has such a strong testimony and I've already learned so much from her. We are working on how to bring all our ideas together and make a better plan. She is a yellow [personality] and I'm blue, but we both have red as our second so we are figuring things out hahahahahah.

I am in Paso Robles. THREE HOURS away from the mission home. Our mission doesn't go any farther north. It's gorgeous here. There are vineyards everywhere and just rolling hills. Everything is green from all the rain. I absolutely love it. The stars are so incredible as well because there aren't as many lights out here. I am selfish and just stare at the stars every night as we are driving haha.

hahaha so proposals. Yes, Sister C** and I proposed. B** and J** have been investigators for a long time. She is baptized and he isn't. He has proposed to her a few times, but she has always said no for different reasons, but they're basically married already. Anyway, J** hasn't been progressing because he is ready to be baptized, but he hasn't gone to church and there wasn't much more we could do. So, our lesson was just bold, and basically we were going to burn the bridge until they were ready, if they weren't going to make changes and keep their commitments. The lesson was so good. The Spirit was definitely working through us and in them. What we were telling them was clicking and what we were saying was bold, but it was what J** and B** needed to hear. B** really wants to go to the temple but she can't until J** is baptized and they are married. It clicked in her and it clicked in J**. So we popped the question. And B** said yes, she would marry J**. and then J** said he would get baptized. So there will be a wedding this Saturday, and J**'s date was moved up to April 15. So excited!!

The people here are great. I'm slowly learning people in the ward. They are way nice. Our ward mission leader is great. He is really involved and very helpful, we just need to help the members get excited and involved in the work. I'm starting to see just how important members' involvement is.

I wish I could've been there for the drum recital!! I bet it was amazing!! And a new band? since when!? and COLDPLAY!!!!!! I hope it all works out.

I hope everything is going well back home. In the snow. While I'm in the sun;) haha

Oh so I don't need it for 6 weeks, but you can't really go anywhere without a GPS, so should I buy one here? I was wondering if there was a super cheap one on Amazon? Let me know.

I hope I answered all the questions. I'm going to try and send pictures now. The third one is of mexican food. It said it had a secret sauce. FRYSAUCE. It was frysauce hahahahahah I have way more to send from the last week in the MTC, but I don't have time so you'll get them next week. An hour isn't enough aghhhhhh

Stuff to think about--

"What we love is what we seek; what we seek determines what we think and do; what we think and do determines who we are and who we will become."

"Our calendars can never be so packed that we don't have room to show love to those around us."

Take time to focus on others and seek ways to serve them. Love is the Key.

See you next week!!

xoxo-

Sister Groneman