Letter #18 (January 20, 2014)

Welp, I can't seem to keep a companion for longer than one transfer. Both Sister Scott and Sister Richards were transferred. My companion is now Sister Lee. She is from Utah/Korea. She lived in Korea until she moved here at 11. Her first language is Korean, but she doesn't have an accent at all. She's been out for almost nine months. I had actually met her before, which is a first for transfers so far. I went on exchanges with her once. She's really nice. I'm kind of relieved to not be in a trio any more to be honest. Don't get me wrong, I love my last companions a lot, but being in a trio is really stressful.

It will be interesting though because we had a car last transfer because of Sister Richards. I don't know how to not have a car in this area. It wasn't an issue in Walnut because we never had a car there. So now I have to try to figure out the buses/Gold line/figure out which members can give rides. It should be an adventure. I'm excited to not have a car again though. I didn't like it much. We pass by SO many people when we're driving, it's really sad.

I don't really have much else to talk about, I was sick most of last week, so I didn't really do anything exciting. 

Something cool that is coming up though is that we are helping with a missionary activity this Wednesday. The youth from our ward are combing with the East Pasadena youth and we're going to teach them a little bit, answer questions, and do some role plays with them. It should be really neat.

Oh! I don't know if I wrote about this before or not, but I went back to Walnut for a baptism last Saturday! (Not this pastSaturday, the one before that). The one eternal investigator that I taught (the one that's been investigating since the 70's) got baptized! It was so exciting! It was weird going back. I felt like I had never left, but then had to leave again. It was bizarre. It was a really wonderful baptismal service.

Anyway, sorry this is so short!

I love you all!

~Sister Kretchman

Letter #17 (January 14, 2014)

Hello everyone! I just wanted to let you know that I'm alive. I didn't email yesterday because I didn't do anything yesterday. I woke up at around 3:30 AM and started throwing up. Before yesterday, I hadn't thrown up since I was around 7. So it's been over a decade. I don't like it very much. Needless to say, I was unable to get to a computer.

I'm feeling a bit better today, but still recovering. I'll be great soon though I'm sure.

Anyway, I love you all! Hope you're having a great week!

~Sister Kretchman

Letter #16 (January 6, 2014)

So I came to a crazy realization on New Year's day this week. January 1st 2014 is the first day of the year that I willonly be on my mission. It's so crazy to think about but also really cool. Not all sister missionaries have an entire year on their mission. Most have part of one year and part of another. Sister Scott will almost have the whole year, but she goes home right before Christmas. 

I am so grateful to have this year to completely focus on bringing others closer to Christ. I don't make New Year's resolutions, but I am determined to become a much better missionary this year. I have been working really hard ever since I got here, but I am still not a very effective missionary. I have really struggled with that because I have this huge desire to help my brothers and sisters make  it back to our Father in heaven, but I haven't felt like I was doing a very good job at doing that. But this year is going to be better. It has to be. I'm going to do all that I can to become the person that Heavenly Father would have me be, and especially the missionary that He needs me to be in order to help the most people come to Him as possible.

On a less serious note, I got to go to the Rose Parade! It was really neat, we didn't get to see the celebrities perform or anything (because they only perform where people pay big money to sit and we were  just sitting on the sidewalk along the parade route). Except for Hall and Oates. Their float stopped right in front of us because there was some kind of hold up. I didn't even know who they were, but a lot of people around me did and started yelling "play play PLAY!" And they did! When I found out who they were I immediately pulled out my camera so that I could take a video for my dad. It was SO cool. I've never actually seen anyone live before (although I've always wanted to go to a concert, they're just so expensive!) so it was a really neat experience.

I can't find my camera cord, so I'll have to send some pictures from the parade later.

Anyhow, I hope that everyone is having a wonderful year so far! I love you all!

~Sister Kretchman