Yuba Thus Far

Dear Family and Friends,

Well I forgot to mention to you last week, but transfers are next week. I know six weeks already? I am not exactly sure how that happened. I suspect I will stay here, but there is a chance that I'll be shipped off because we are getting 3 new Sisters and we are not entirely sure who will be training (Sister Howard has only trained one and then there are certain other factors so she might be training another. Though I told her that she could just consider herself as training me since I am learning a ton from her). So you are duly warned and I suggest any mail you send this week you send through the mission office just in case.

Before what I have learned, how about a little bit more about the area? I don't think I've really talked about it much. It is much smaller than Palo Cedro and rather more culturally diverse. We cover parts of Yuba--some apartments with interesting tenants, lots of new development, and then a little town called Sutter which apparently was at one point in running for becoming California's capital--although the Marysville natives (Marysville is just across Feather River from our Buttes Vista area) say that they were supposed to become the California State Capital. Anyway Sutter is pretty small but has a lot of members. It is our unofficial goal to tract every single street there before Sister Howard heads home at the end of next transfer. So far we have 3 streets down. We also have the Sutter Buttes in our area (if you've seen the mission logo, which most of you probably haven't it has Mount Shasta, the Sutter Buttes, a redwood tree, and a rose in it. So far I've seen Shasta, the Sutter Buttes, and technically been in Roseville so all I have to do is make a tour up to the Redwoods. Which is not very likely since they don't have Sisters in the Redding Zone.) Apparently Black Widows are pretty common over here; but thus far I've only seen the webs and not the spiders. Something which I do see with almost alarming regularity, however, are Chihuahuas. Everyone around here has Chihuahuas. I have yet to figure out why, but I will let you know when I do. And how about that Sister Howard? She is from Southern California, Brawley (sp? I don't know exatly where she went or I would ask her how to spell that) which is 30 minutes from Mexico in the Imperial Valley. She graduated from BYU-I in Business Marketing, and plans on working to go get a Masters or go into Cosmitology (with the goal of eventually opening her own school) when she goes home. Anything else you would like to know? She is a great missionary and keeps me on my toes, especially to make sure I am teaching well and OYMing like I should.

What I've learned? Well, now that I have no time to really write about that I'll just give you a taste. I have learned how to edge lawns and weed whack with some skill. So Dad if you need some help with that in a year I'll be glad to give you a hand.

Love,
Sister L. Sorensen

PS I have to give a talk on Repentance this coming Sunday so if you have any ideas/quotes/talks you'd like to send me that would be appreciated (but you'll have to send them rather soon for me to get them on time with the holiday this week, like today or tomorrow).