I'm Going to Ecuador!

I'm Going to Ecuador!  Katie got her travel info--she leaves for Guayquil on Nov 18th!

November 8, 2013

Last week we got 16 new missionaries, 8 elders and 8 hermanas.  The district just before us left on Monday for Argentina, and since the four sisters I was living with all left and my apartment was empty for a couple days, I spent three nights in one of the other sisters' apartments.  I think they were sad for me to leave.  I really love those hermanas, they're all so great and really genuinely like having me around, even when I'm tagging along or dragging them places.  I'm really glad.  We got even more missionaries in our zone this week though, and there are--are you ready for this?--20 of them.  That's right, we got 20 new missionaries this week, and 16 last week.  It's half and half again, 10 elders and 10 hermanas.  So we now have six districts: my district of 5 elders and me (Elder Taylor left for the Colombia MTC on Tuesday), the two districts of 4 elders and 4 hermanas each that came last week, and we just got another district of 4 elders and 4 hermanas (these hermanas are living in my apartment with me now), a district of 6 elders, and a district of 6 hermanas.  There are 42 people in our zone now.  We doubled in one day.  Crazy.  I really like our newest hermanas so far, especially the ones in my apartment.  I haven't gotten to know the other 6 hermanas very well, but I think I'll like them pretty well.  But yeah, so we're officially the oldest district now.  We're the grandparents, the 16 are the parents, and the 20 are the babies--I mean, kids.

On Sunday, I got called to be the zone music coordinator.  I basically have to pick out the hymns for meetings and get people to lead and play piano.  I also organize musical numbers and make sure everyone knows how to properly lead music and stuff.  Should be fun!

Since Elder Taylor left and I was teaching with him and Elder Bueno Cabral, the two of us have been put with the other two companionships.  So now I'm teaching with Elder Howell and Elder Williams, and Elder Cabral is in a trio with Elder Robins and Elder Burnett.  There are two trios in our district now, a little weird.  

I got to host new missionaries on Wednesday.  Basically what that means is that when new missionaries get dropped off, I help them take their luggage to their room and get them settled in.  I kind of love it a bunch.  I super love new people.  My elders were laughing at me on Wednesday because I was just so happy and excited about all of our new people.  Anyways, as we got a new busload of people, I saw one of my friends from my last EFY standing on the corner!  I had remembered that she had gotten her call to Mexico, but I didn't know when she was reporting.  I remember we were the two Katies (except she spelled it Katy) and we both had curly hair, but she was super duper tall.  I pretty much jumped her when I hugged her and I got to host her.  I was so excited to see someone I knew!!!  I've seen her a couple times since then.

I saw two people I knew today on main campus (we went to print out our emails): one elder was a guy from my ward this past spring up in Rexburg, who is flying out on Monday for Ukraine, and the second elder was actually a friend from SOAR who went to BYU-Idaho as well and was actually friends with Brian, the first guy.  Small world!

I get like no mail ever (just two dear elders and two packages from you and a dear elder from Ashley, that's all I've gotten in four and a half weeks),

I better go, I have more emails to write and Elder Robins is dying to talk to me about some sort of girl advice or whatever.  He's an interesting guy... Talk to you more next week mom!

Love your baby girl, 

Hermana Iverson