Welcome to Woodbridge!‏

Callie's mission email

From:	Callie Horton (callie.horton@myldsmail.net)
Sent:	Tue 2/18/14 12:53 PM

Hey all you out there reading this lovely email!

 

I am officially in Woodbridge! I am like 25 miles from DC. It secretly kills me inside knowing how close I am to that great city, but it is so cool at the same time! It is really so beautiful here. My area is called Potomac River. How cool is that?! And I am serving in the Potomac River Spanish ward with the beautiful Hermana McRae. She is from Tooele. She's fabulous! I love her so much already. We're having lots of fun and working hard! It’s wonderful. I actually really wanted to serve here at some point in my mission. I had heard how amazing the ward is here and I don't know! I just had this draw to serve in Woodbridge. So I was SO excited when I found out where I was going! But the goodbyes in Mechanicsville were HARD. Especially saying goodbye to people that we've been teaching for most of my time there like Filiberto and Veronica. We went to dinner with Filiberto one of my last nights there and while we were there he was like, "I have a question for you... How do you feel knowing that you have brought someone into this church and into the path of God?" I was speechless. First off because that is such a profound question to hear and I wasn't expecting it. And second, I literally feel speechless when I think about that. There aren't words to describe the happiness and peace that it brings me. But I also had to remind him that it wasn't just me. None of that would have happened if it wasn't for the Spirit and the help of the Lord. Saying goodbye to Veronica was pretty sad too. She was pretty sad when we told her and then when we were leaving I said, "Adios!" And she said, "No. Hasta leugo." Which means like "see you later." I literally burst in to tears when she said that ha-ha. But it’s alright. I will see her again one day!

 

I had the coolest experience at church on Sunday. We were sitting in sacrament meeting and the weirdest/greatest thing happened. We were sitting towards the front and I just kept looking back at all of the people there, and I was just filled with this overwhelming feeling of love and compassion for every single one of them. I was seriously fighting back tears! I have never felt that so overwhelmingly before, and especially not on the first Sunday. I just love all of those people so much already!! I love Hispanics! They are just loving people. That is one thing that is great about being back in a Spanish ward; you get endless amounts of hugs and kisses! That ward really is so great. They just have an awesome ward mission plan and they are so missionary minded and ready to bring everyone into the gospel. They have no fear when it comes to sharing the gospel with their friends.

 

I am really excited for all of the adventures that lie ahead! And I am excited to be back in a Spanish ward. But I have to do a lot of things in Spanish that I haven't had to do before. Like yesterday, we led a family home evening with a couple of families. And tomorrow we are teaching a class to members of the ward. And on Saturday, our stake has a women's conference and we have to teach the class for the Spanish members. I'm excited for my Spanish to blossom even more! This is going to be a great transfer.

 

Well I hope you all have the best week ever! I love you!

 

And now I close mine epistle. I am Hermana Horton.