Hola Familia!
Wow. I just love you so much! I really think that I love you more and more every day. You are wonderful and I love hearing about all the crazy things that are going on. I can't believe you saw Mr. Deatherage. Lukcy. I love that man and I wonder how he's doing every now and then. I'm glad to hear he's doing well. I also can't believe that Cam is going so soon. These three weeks are going to fly. I never thought I would leave and then all of a sudden I was gone. I'm so excited for you, Cam. This is the best thing you could ever be doing.
So much happened this week, but you're probably going to get the sweetened condensed version because we are going to DC with our district today and we don't have a ton of time before we meet, but I'll do my best to give you all the juicy details.
First, as you probably already saw, I went to Old Town! We had exchanges this week and I'm really close with both of the sister training leaders and they knew that I really wanted to come to Old Town, but they wanted to follow the Lord's will too and so they prayed about it and I'm so glad that it was the Lord's will for me to go. It was everything I had hoped it would be and more. That area is doing so well and it was so good to see that Hna Stewart and Hna Wallis and I really did make a difference there in building the foundation for what it is today. It was a really good reminder to me that all the work we do isn't for nothing, even if we don't see the immediate results. Just being back in that apartment and back on the Route 1 was so wonderful. I've missed it so much. We went to all of the sketchy apartments that we don't have because Centreville consists entirely of townhouses and basically nothing else. And there were so many people! I loved being back in the city! I also got the see the Castaneda's. It was perfect. Hna Cazier got out of the car and I got out and the kids were playing on the other side of the street and they saw me and screamed and ran over to me and they just hugged me and said how much they missed me. This whole time Hna Castaneda was on the porch and she didn't see my face, but she didn't know who it was and I turned around and she ran over to me and was so happy to see me. It felt like coming home for Christmas. Pili wasn't home, but she came home later and she saw me through the sliding glass door and ran over and we both just started crying. She's doing so well and she's been going to church and been really involved with the young single adults. I'm so proud of her and how far she's progressed. Being able to see them again just made my heart sing. Oh except for this part, this was gross: As we were getting ready to leave, Pili says "I have a surprise for you. Close your eyes and open your mouth." Okay. So I did. And she fed me a bug! It wasn't horrible. Until I knew what it was. Then it was disgusting! But at least it wasn't spicy. So that was Old Town.
Other miracle, we finally got to go to the temple! And it was amazing. I have such a testimony of VC sisters. They are so inspired. We took Heidy and Jhoana and they loved it. And it was amazing because Hna Pirir (the Hna that gave us the tour) promised Heidy some of the exact same blessings--very specific blessings--that we have also promised her. These blessing truly come from Heavenly Father and not from us. This is His work. It was so beautiful and the Spirit was so strong. It's something that you can feel as soon as you drive onto the temple grounds. And it's because it's real. I want nothing more than for Heidy and Jhoana to be able to experience all of the blessings of the temple. And I know that they can and that someday they will. Heidy's been really confused because she feels like she's being pulled in a couple different directions. Her stepdad basically hates Mormons and her mom isn't the biggest fan of us. But Heidy likes it and she even told us that she knows that it's true, but it's really hard for her, being pulled in different directions. We're working so hard with her and she has made such progress. I've come to love her so much.
We're continuing to make progress with Esperanza and we're getting so close to her wedding date. Now Jose just has to pull through for us and actually show up on the wedding day. Which is going to be my birthday, by the way.
Speaking of weddings, I got Laura's announcement. She looks so happy. I'm so happy for her. I would love to see Paola's and Braden's as well. All these weddings are so exciting. I'm glad it's not me though!
Well, I think that's about it for this week. Sorry I couldn't share more, but just know that I love you tons and that I pray for you always.
xoxo
Hermana Simpson
BUGS
Giant mushrooms in Old Town
Mi Querida Familia Castaneda
Temple with Heidy and Jhoana
Reunited with Hna Tuft (One of my favorite friends from the MTC)
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