Here I come Oakland, California

Hi Family,
 

It was so great to hear from you guys this week.  I loved the letters in the package you sent me, it made my day!  I am going to love getting letters from you.  And thank you for the package you send me.  I will try to fit the pillow in my luggage because it is really comfortable.  I will be sending some stuff home in the box because since I am going to Oakland first I don't need a couple of things that I brought.  I'll try to send it tomorrow and it should get to you guys later this week. I also need to pick up the other package you send to me.  It arrived yesterday but I didn't have time to pick it up. 

Well, the MTC has been great.  I have enjoyed my time here and I am sad to leave tomorrow.  I can't believe that I've only been here 12 days.  These have been the longest 12 days of my life jam packed with laughter, spiritual lessons, and learning experiences.  Life here is wonderful! Mami was right, the MTC is an amazing place.  I grew really close to my district and having to say good bye to them was really hard.  Some of them want to plan an after Mission MTC district reunion...Its a fun idea, but honesty, I don't think that its going to happen because we will forget and have different lives.  They keep talking about it thought, so I guess we will just have to see.

Everyday I wake up at 5:30 am and then have breakfast of cereal and cereal.  We then have class for three hours and then we have a break and then lunch.  After a hardy lunch of pasta, vegetables and a cookie I have more class and then district teaching.  District teaching is a lot of fun. Because I am in in the advanced Spanish class I get the opportunity to help the beginning level classes.  My companion and I found a class of like 12 boys all serving in Mexico and Honduras.  They were really funny and had tons of questions for us.  We taught them verb tenses, phrases to say and told jokes in Spanish.  The elders in our district never taught because they said that the only reason why we Sisters ever got to teach was because we were sisters (and the elders in the other classes would only want sisters to teach them, not elders)...haha the power of Sister missionaries!
 

Well, everyone in my district have pretty much left for their missions already.  Last night we stayed up a little bit later to help two sisters in my room pack.  And then, this morning 7 in my district left and we woke up at 3, 4:30 and 6:30 am to send each one of them off.  It was worth it to say good bye to them but I am really tired.  Good thing that I am almost already all packed and that I can go to bed at 10:30 tonight.  I don't want to stay up and miss my sleep.  Only 5 of us are left now, all of us waiting for our visas for Argentina.  4 of them though are staying another week at the MTC because they haven't been assigned yet.

 

About my reassignment, I am actually really really really excited to go to Oakland California.  I don't know why I didn't get my visa, why I am not on the tourist visa list, or why I am going to California; however, I know that there is a reason why I am going there.  I get to have two missions with two different experiences and people.  When I found out that I was being reassigned I just felt so excited for this opportunity to serve here in the United States.  I don't want you guys to get frustrated or try to get my visa to go through faster.  What ever happens will happen, but on the Lords timing. Don't try to interfere what He has planned for me.  There is a reason why I am going to California, and I am going to take this opportunity to do make the best of it and be the best missionary I can be for the Lord.  Be happy for me, because I am happy. :) Plus, I've always have wanted to go to San Francisco and here is my chance!  Also, when Loli gets you the list of people she taught in Oakland, I would love to visit them and tell them hi for her!

The MTC Devotional was really neat.  I sang in the choir.  I was amazed at the power of singing with so many Missionaries.  I am incredibly blessed to be surrounded my missionaries all around, who are going to go across the world and spread the gospel.  One of the things that I learned this week was that I am not going on a mission, I am going to become a missionary for the rest of my life.  My MTC teacher said that we need to decide here and now to be a missionary 100% because we can't go back to what we left behind at home, we can't go back to who we were before.  I am learning a lot in my class and from the people in my district.  Earlier this week we were split up and one of the elders in my district was teaching me as a pretend investigator.  I chose to be Fatima and then later Ines (from Peñalabra).  After he taught me, I told them the story about sharing  a little bit of the gospel with them. This elder later wrote to me and told me that after my mission I will be able to use the skills that i have learned to really share the gospel with Ines and Fatima.  I don't know why, but I started to cry because I know that I want to share the gospel with these two friends.  I feel like they are searching for something but don't know where to look.  I can't wait to go home to teach them.  The MTC really prepares the missionaries for teaching by the spirit.  And that is what makes a mission successful. 

I continued to see all my friends this week.  Sarah, I talked to Elder Day this morning and he said that the reason why we haven't seen Elder Harris is because he is at the England MTC.  I don't why I didn't remember.  I tried to get a picture with all of your friends but I didn't succeed... :( also, I am sitting next to elder Bryce Stephens at the computers.

I also saw elder O'Brien.  he told me to say hi to you guys and to say hi to his family.

Also, guess who I ran into??? Well, you don't know this person and I hadn't met her before, but her name is Hermana Fries.  I was talking with some sisters who are also going to the Argentina Bahia Blanca Mission.  I told them that I was from Kaysville and they asked me if I knew their friends from Kaysville.  Sister Fries asked me if by any chance I knew a Brooke Nelson. I said that she was my cousin and she just freaked out!  Brooke Nelson was one of her missionaries that taught her and her family!!!  can you believe that!  What a miracle for me to meet one of Brooke's converts!  When we get to Argentina we will send you guys a picture of us together and you can give it to Brooke. 

Talking about Brooke, I'm so excited for her and her fiance (don't remember his name)!!!!  Tell her that I love her and that I wish I could have been there for her wedding.  What a birthday present for Zach to have Brooke married on his birthday.

Thanks for the Dear Elder letter, papi.  The dear elder system is great for me to hear from you during the week and to be updated regularly.  It also helps me to know what to write to you guys and so that I don't have to spend time reading the letters and writing back :) And I hope you guys all got your letters I wrote to you. It was so much fun to actually write you guys letters because I was much more excited for you to receive them and to read them.

When I got your letter about Elder Ward I couldn't believe it.  I am so grateful that he is safe and that he was protected.  I told the girls in my room about it.  On Sunday, one of the branch counselors came up to me with his wife and told me that my cousin had represented the church well.  At first I was confused as to what he was talking about but then I remembered about Elder Ward.  Apparently one of the girls in my room brought it up during branch meeting.  They told me all about how he was on the news and how he represented the church very well.  :)

Happy Birthday Sofia and Soraya! I am so glad to hear that you guys had wonderful birthdays! All Sunday I thought about you two and I was wishing you a happy birthday!  I also sang  the "Happy birthday" to myself for you guys! I wish I could have been there but I know that you had fun even without me.

Well, tomorrow I am off to Oakland!  I will be calling you guys around 7 am if I have time in Salt lake before my flight.  If not, I will call you guys when I land in California before I leave the terminal around 10 am.  They told me that I can only talk to you guys for 5-10 minutes and that I need to make it quick.  I can't wait to talk to you guys and to hear your voices.  I have really missed hearing you guys. :) 

Miracles of the week:
 

1.  Having my prayers answered. It seemed like my prayers were answered each day thought something someone said in class, through a scripture, through a lesson my teacher taught or through pondering and writing in my journal.
 

2. Being able to speak spanish more easily.  It is still hard and I am still having to really concentrate on my spanish but it is coming to me much faster than ever before. Thanks papi and mami for having me learn spanish.
 

3. Not being so homesick.  I don't know why, but being here at the MTC I have been blessed with the comfort that you guys are all okay and that I don't need to worry about you guys.  There is a scripture that says that when I am on my mission I don't need to be worried for the lord will protect my family. 

Daniel:  Congratulations on your 2,749 names indexed!!! You are doing an incredible job! You are truly being a missionary as you help people find their family names!  Keep up the good work!  You may have "the brisket in the bag" but when you stop, the bag will get a hole and the brisket might fall out...keep going! Go Fast, but steady :)  I love you Daniel!!

Levi: You are almost done with your Eagle!!  What was your favorite merit badge that you got??  You are only 13 and you have 21 merit badges!! By the time you are 18 you might have all of the merit badges!!  I am glad that you were safe at scout camp and that you had a great time!  Keep working! Maybe you can beat Pablo and get more badges than him :)  I love you Levi!!

Carlos:  Can you send me a picture of your Lego ships??  you are  like the most aweseomest Lego builder ever! Also, you know how you love pokemon? Well, the boys in my MTC district yesterday were making an MTC version of the pokemon song.  I don't remember how it went but it reminded me of you! Also, keep playing the piano.  Its so important that you practice because you might be the only one on your mission who can play.  I was the only one in my ward here at the MTC who could play the piano.  I love you Carlos!!!

Sofia: How is it having Soraya in your room?? you are going to be an incredible big sister to Soraya! Just like I was the best sister, you can be the best sister for her!!! haha :)  I love you Sofia!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!  You are now 9 years old!!

Soraya: Happy BIRTHDAY Soraya!! You are going to be a great 4 year old!! And you are a princess, a woman princess !!!  Also, have fun sleeping up stairs with Sofia.  How is your potty training going??

Sarah!!  Congratulations on your tests!!! I knew you had it in you! :) 

Papi and Mami:  I love you guys so much!  Thank you for all you have done for me and for being my parents! 

Well, today is my last day at the MTC! I am going to enjoy it by packing and doing laundry.  I have learned so much here and I am excited to go out to the field and start serving and sharing the gospel.  I am nervous and sometimes I feel like I am not prepared spiritually or gospel intellectually wise enough to serve a mission.  but I know that just like in Ether 12: 22-27 (I think these are the verses) that I will be blessed for my service and that with the Lords help I can do anything, even if it means speaking in spanish. I'll send you pictures later today when I get to the computers in the Laundry room!!1 I love you guys and I can't wait to go to Oakland California!!!!!! Just like Mami, I going to serve in California!

Love you!! I'll talk to you tomorrow!!

Hermana Zubeldia