I'm here in the Oakland Mission

Hi Family!!!

I made it safely to California with no problem at all!  The plane ride was really short but I wasn't able to sleep much because my ears were hurting.  I think they were hurting because of my head cold and stuffy nose..and also my sore throat.  I'm almost all better now, all I have left is my runny nose...and its running everywhere! :)

When we got off the plane we (32 missionaries) were greeted by our mission president President Meredith and his wife.  They told us that we were the biggest incoming group of missionaries in the history of the mission! Isn't that just great! I was put into a sub group of 3 missionaries who are also waiting on their visas for Argentina.

When I was walking through the Oakland airport one of the airport workers walked by me and said, "hey sister, where is your companion?"  I guess people noticed that I was walking with just two elders.  She had to have been Mormon to ask me that.

We were taken to the Mission home/office which is right across the street from the Oakland Temple and visitor center.  I love the temple!! It is absolutely beautiful and stands on top of the hill for all of San Francisco to see.  Also, the weather was cool and crisp in Oakland.  It was so nice to have beautiful weather after being in hot and dry Utah. :)
 

After meetings all day with the President I was given my first companions and assigned to my area.  I have been assigned to the Brentwood Area in the Antioch Zone, which is the most east zone of the mission.  I kinda would have liked to have served in San Francisco but I am really liking the Brentwood area.  Its kinda like Kaysville; not so busy, very quiet but in the middle of no where.

My companions are: Hermana Cooper and Hermana McLaws, they are the Sister training leaders in the Anticoch and Concord Zones.  Hermana Cooper is from Arizona.  She is a fantastic piano player and singer.  She is so good in Spanish and has the same voice as Aunt Rachel. Sometimes when I hear her voice I think its Aunt Rachel.  Hermana McLaws is from Park City.  She has been out almost a year and is hilarious!!!  She loves dolphins, more than I've ever seen anyone obsessed with any animal!  She reminds me of one of my friends from BYU Jerusalem, Emily.  How lucky I am to have such great Senior companions! They say that I came pre-trained (just like Pablo's first companion said) and that they sometimes forget that I am brand new and don't know the area at all. They also said that I was an answer to their prayers.  They had been praying for a Spanish speaker for their area!  They love the Spanish accent and want to talk in Spanish as much as possible. I have learned a lot from them and they make me laugh all the time.
 

They have been teaching me how to plan for the week effectively and how to plan to get the most out of my days.  They are also teaching me how to study each morning and how to street contact the right way.  They are wonderful teachers and I am so blessed to have them.  Maybe this is why I am here...to learn how to get over my fears and just walk up to people and teach.  Its their goal to talk to Everyone! And I mean everyone!!! And we do. Apparently they have had the most new investigators and most street contacts in the whole zone.  And also, they have the most lessons with ward members.  Out of the 16 lessons we had last week, 11 of them were with a member.

I am serving in a Spanish/English area and ward which means that I have a huge Spanish area and a small English area.  Sometimes its hard because in some neighborhood we can only teach in English but in all the neighborhoods we can teach in Spanish.  Its fun though. At church yesterday (I'm serving in the Oakland 1st Ward), everything was in English and then the Spanish members wore head sets and the meeting was translated for them.  It was really cool.  Also, when a Spanish speaker went up to bear their testimony, the translator would translate over the speakers the testimony into English.  I am liking the area and getting used to where things are.  We have a car!  I don't know what we would have done with out having a car here.  Because my companions are the sister training leaders we had to drive to Oakland/San Francisco everyday this last week for meetings with the President.  And it takes an hour-an hour and a half to drive to Oakland with all the California traffic.  We only had a lot of meetings last week because it was the beginning of a transfer.  This week we don't have to drive to Oakland for any mission reason.

These are the boundaries of the Oakland/San Francisco Mission

I am liking the work here in Brentwood/Oakley.  Since I've been here we have been teaching a girl named Myren, Arlina and her daughter Tatiana, and an other girl named Jordan.  Myren is 15 and has a baptismal date but hasn't been able to go to church because her parents take the family to Sacramento every weekend.  We prayed with her and told her that with faith miracles happen.  We will see if she can find a way to church next week.  We have also been teaching a woman named Arlina and her daughter Tatiana (9 years old). They have a baptismal date for Aug 31.  The family has been going through a lot of challenges.  They came to church yesterday though which was a miracle.  My trainers have had a hard time teaching her though because she doesn't internalize what they say.  I pray that she soon understands and grasps the concept of the priesthood.  She asked for a priesthood blessing yesterday and I know that she felt the spirit. However, she still thinks that we are just like any other christen group...her baby was baptized catholic last week so I guess we will see what happens:)  her daughter does like to read the children's book of Mormon.   Jordan is from a part member family.  her mom was baptized 2 or 3 years ago and her brother was baptized last year. She is 15 and is the sweetest girl.  She is so excited to be baptized!  I love meeting with her because you can feel the spirit in their home.:)  her dad isn't a member though and has no interest what so ever. We will see about that!  My companions say that we will never give up on anyone!  We are also teaching a women who is a compulsive liar and is dying from liver failure.  She wants to be baptized and has a date but doesn't want to just put one toe in the water if she isn't committed to jump fully in.   We will see.  I met her yesterday for the first time after going to her house like 4 times.
 

This week I had all my firsts (I guess its a duh since its my first week :)
 

1. I had my first door slam!  I don't know you did it mami, going 9 months into your mission with your first door slam.  We were talking to a family outside having a barbecue.  They said that they weren't interested in what we were saying but their neighbor down the street would love to talk to us because he loved religion.  Well, we went to the mans house and guess what?  he was an atheist.  he said we were barking up the wrong tree and nicely slammed the door.  All I know is that we gave him a chance to hear the gospel and he rejected. 

2.  I had my first street contact! We went to see another referral but she wasn't there.  On our way back to our car we saw this man working on his car and so my companions told me to make my first street contact.  I was so nervous but I did it anyway!!!  1 down, a million more to go! And the miracle is that we talked with the man for 30 minutes outside and then he invited us for some lemonade with his wife and granddaughter.  We asked him one questions and he went on for the whole 30 minutes talking about his life and how God has blessed him for protecting his family and for helping him settle here in California.  He didn't want us to leave but we had to since we had another appointment.  We are going tonight to teach him about the restoration.  I hope that he still is interested and that he can feel the spirit tonight. :)  His name is Melchor (like one of the tres reyes magos) and his wife's name is Maria.  Neither of my companions knew the reyes magos had names.  Thanks papi for teaching me catholic tradition, it turned out to be helpful.  The man was impressed that I knew it. :)

Well, it has been another long week.  The MTC seemed like it forever! and now, these 6 days here in Oakland have seemed like a whole month!  I am liking it though and have enjoyed waking up early and going to bed early.  Each night I hit my pillow and fall fast asleep.  I am exhausted each night and can't wait to hit my bed and sleep.  I had a dream last night that Levi was getting married :)  Mami I want you to know that I have been eating well.  We usually have a member feed us once each day, usually for dinner.  So don't worry about anything, I am eating good and I'm not going hungry :)  We went shopping today and have enough food for almost the whole month.  The mission gives us bank of America cards and they put on like $160 a month for food and other mission expenses, excluding gas for the car.  But because I am here as a visa waiter my money has been put on my trainers card.  Also, my companions are so much nicer than yours mami.  They believe in sharing their food and in making the food together.  When we went shopping today they planned out our meals together for the week and split the cost of all the food.  its great!  Also, they are trying to eat healthier and so we bought fruit, vegetables, pasta, yogurt, quinoa (spelling??) and other stuff.  I am going to learn how to force myself to be healthy here! 

After teaching tons of lessons this week on the restoration I have to say that I am so grateful that we have the gospel in our lives.  I am so thankful for my family and that we are sealed in the temple.  There are so many people that don't have the gospel and I just want to share it with everyone.  When we are driving in the car my companion always looks at the people driving by and says, "they need the gospel!"  We just laugh sometimes at her, but when I think about it, it is so true.  If only people had the gospel they could be so much more happier.  I want to thank you parents for raising our family in the gospel! I love you guys so much!  Thank you for writing me letters and keeping me updated on all that is going on at home.  I love hearing about what you guys are doing.  And how fun that you had the Scoville family over for dinner.  I have only met them once, but I know that if their daughter Malia can be so sweet their family has to be as well. 

Its great to hear that Pablo is also doing so well!  Send him my love when you send him the next letter or package! :)

My mission address is: (the mail and packages are sent to the mission home and then they send it to the missionaries at their apartments)

Hermana Susana Zubeldia Barlow

California Oakland/San Francisco Mission

4945 Lincoln Way

Oakland, CA 94602

if you haven't sent a package yet i'd love it if you also sent me other snacks (like Oreos or fishy crackers or maybe some gummy bears )  You are the best :)

I love you guys!  Also, Dear Elder should work here. I just asked my companion and she said that it does :) 

I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!!!!

Hermana Zubeldia

PS: Also! I want you guys to watch MONK!! you know why???  Because I am in the San Francisco Mission, the same place where Monk Lives!!!!  When ever you watch Monk I want you to think of me!!