It's Been A Year!

Hi everybody!
Great Googly moogly its been a long time! Yes, on MLK day, I didn't get a chance to write, nor did I justify going to the Library after last monday to do it. Mostly it was because on Tuesday, Hna Campbell and I drove down to Galveston with two other sisters to help with the reconstruction going on down there. Usually the elders go down, but because Sister Putnam and I really wanted to go, and the AP's are such kind hearted people, they gave into our requests and let us go. It was so funny because the guy who was waiting for us in Galveston didn't know the APs had sent sisters. He was expecting brawny young elders to do the job of putting up sheet rock and installing insulation. When we pulled up to the church, we got out of the car, he saw us, and in an excited slash sarcastic voice said, "SISTERS! SISTERS?! Oh this is the best day of my life." It was a good time. I was sore the next day but we did a such a good job in that old fallen down house its not even funny.

The past couple of weeks have gone really well. Did I tell you that we have a new person with a baptismal date? Luis Hernandez is 20 years old and from Guatemala. He's progressing really well and has a fire for learning. Its so exciting to see! It makes me smile real big and nod my head a lot when I'm teaching him. And then there's another kid named Jesse Luna who we've known for a long time but just recently he decided to come to church with us. He's such a mess with drugs and lack of motivation to live. The first time he came to church--two weeks ago--he seemed slightly dead. He never smiles, can hardly hold his head up, wears his long black hair slicked to his head, and talks really slow. But during Sunday School, one of the girls in class gave him a picture of Jesus with little children and Jesse perked up more. He seemed to pay attention more. After church was over, he said in his slow voice, "I really like this church." And he came again last week. He told his Sunday School teacher that he's not working, not going to school, but he wants to get off the streets so that's why he's coming to church. We've taught his mom a little bit too so we're hoping that with Jesse changing and learning, his mom Sylvia will want to start doing the same.

ELDER PERRY IS COMING TOMORROW!! Yeah...all 6 feet, 7 inches of him will be in our chapel in Sugarland while all us missionaries in the Texas Houston South Mission sit all around. I'm hoping he'll just tell us stories and then give us a hug. I'm so excited to hear the words of an apostle. Its amazing the way that those with strong, unshakable faith help us in our own faith. Listening to apostles and even good, faithful teachers in the church gives me more hope. I need hope.

I've been doing good these past few weeks. I'm learning a new life lesson every day and moment of my life. Some of those lessons take longer to learn than others. I realize more and more how ESSENTIAL it is to have hope. There are a lot of cool scriptures that say how we can get it. But one way I'm learning is by being grateful. When I stop and reflect on the blessings I've been given since deciding to serve this mission, I become oh so grateful. I'm so glad that I have a better understanding of the gospel and of my Heavenly Father even though it has required a lot of painful experiences. So as I've been thinking about that, my hope for what I will experience in the future becomes something joyful. My gratitude turns in to a greater hope. It feels good. I don't like being unhappy, you know? Not fun. Not fun...

The shirt is so perfect and long. I'm wearing it right now with a black vest. And the skirt? Fogettaboutit! Man, I never thought I'd be so happy to wear a piece of my mother's wardrobe. The skirt is cute! It's actually cute to me....oh what have I become. But really, thank you.

To answer a few questions....Yes, I am still in the same apartment. This little shanty has proved quite adventurous for us! Que cosas! We've been collecting bedbugs in a plastic baggy. I'll probably send some home for ya'll to look at. It won't be as cool as Candice and Camille getting a piece of my sunburn on their missions, but it'll do the trick. I've never seen bedbugs before so its so weird to look at them and know they eat my blood at night. Hna Campbell's mom sent us a box of bug treatment stuff so we treated the apt today. We'll see if that helps anything.

I love you all so much. I sure miss you and wish you could all be here in Texas with me. So many black people. So many hispanics. So much work to be done.
Love,Hermana Langston