I have dos

...My 2 new companions! Hermana W and Hermana B. They're wonderful. So so wonderful. We make a great team. That's all I have time to say, unfortunately. Already witnessing miracles w/ these two rockstars.

Elder S is soaking wet b/c "April's May-kin' Waves" --the zone goal theme that I don't understand, but am grateful for b/c it somehow results in the zone leaders dumping big buckets of water on random elders. I heart elders. Never a dull moment.

Elder P's bday, celebrated in Boulevard Burgers.

Hna B's 1st elote. She loved it, and is determined to convert the street vendor who sold it to her. We look for ****** everywhere we go now. She's awesome.

She cooked stuff!

Their first pupusa experience!  It was a grand cosa. Of course they are obsessed with them now. 

Creepy stalker pics of Hna Olham and Wright (temporary companions for 1 night. Fell in love with them then got reassigned. Heartbreaking, but perfect. LOVE MY NEW COMPANIONS), 2nd giant group of new missionaries in a row! The work is hastening! 

JUST CALL ME “OCTA-MOM”

So, guess what???

I'm pregnant again. With twins this time. Due date: Tomorrow.

My initial reaction to the news I received last night: shock. Now, after much prayer and contemplation: still freaking out, but I fully recognize that this is exactly how Heavenly Father wants it.

Other fun transfer surprises: 

1) My dear, sweet companion, Hermana P, (who I am going to miss so very deeply...ugh. Can't even express!) and her soon-to-be companion are going to be training themselves over in Venice. They have both only been serving for a transfer. Win! Proof that my compa is just so beyond capable are marvelous.

2) My area has been split, and the majority of our investigators will be taught by the elders.

...and yet, I'm like, SO EXCITED. Don't ask me why b/c I'll just give you this ambiguous answer about "the hastening of the work" and "being missionaries at the most exciting time in the history of the church" and it won't encompass any of the horribly difficult trials that I know may very well lay before me. I've heard trios are tough business.  But I'm just determined that this one won't be. That the Lord knows exactly who we are and who  is in our area and that this is just exactly how he wants it to be. And He's more than prepared to carry us through this.

HOORAY!

Bad news: Our investigators have been struggling to call us back/be at home when we stop by this week.  Let's pray for their phone services, shall we?

Good news: We're finally getting a hold of them. AND: the Lord has still provided us a slew of tender mercies along the way. Like still miraculously meeting our daily goals and finally getting some enthusastic responses from our efforts to work with the few active members of the branch. Win! AND:  I'm learning so much. AND: I'm just in love with this work. IN LOVE.

...so that's my good news. Plus, I just sent ya'll a whole bunch of pictures. Which is how I spent the majority of my internet time today...

Plus, my sister's new baby is easily one of the cutest I've ever seen. I would be obsessed w/ her too, Chels. Love you so much! :)

Love,

Sister Wells

Why do you have an Asian in your protest? / This isn't missionary work! This is missionary FUN!

General conference! AH! GENERAL CONFERENCE!!

'nuff said.

It's like Christmas for missionaries. We were skipping around in excitement all week--inviting everyone and their dog (almost literally) to listen the voice of THE PROPHET OF THE WORLD.  Because it would OBVIOUSLY CHANGE THEIR LIFE.

Just a few life-changing highlights for Sista Wells (with the obvious understanding that the conference as a whole was EXACTLY what I and my investigators needed):

1)Sis Elaine S. Dalton...probably my favorite talk from her. It's through our covenants that we find meaning in our identity and our purpose. My part matters because I matter.

2) Elder Craig A. Cardon...the Savior wants to forgive. Even those most obnoxious, recurring human weaknesses and sins. He never demands immediate perfection, only sincere desire and effort.

3)Elder M. Russell Ballard...AND NOT A TOMATO WAS LOST. My almost-and-maybe-sometimes-kind-of-unhealthy obsession with self-improvement has so often been based in a fear of losing future opportunities to serve, learn, grow, and become.  But there we have it. Because of the light and living water of the Savior Jesus Christ and His Atonemnet, not one tomato need be lost.  Which is good. 'Cause I want MILLIONS, you know?

4) Elder David A. Bednar...the human body allows us to have the amplified and necessary experiences of mortality (beuatiful beautiful beatuiful! My soul  relishes in the beauty of this doctrine). Law of Chastity. No one coulda said it better.

5) Elder Neil L. Anderson...I hope you were ALL listening. :) So inspiring. This is Missionary Fun!

6) Rosemary M. Wixom...pray to know the needs of your children/investigators and speak to those needs.  As the Savior did and does with me.

7) Elder Jeffrey R. Holland...same topic as my farewell talk. Just an FYI: This is what I meant to say. ;)   But really, it was SO GOOD.  Never let what you don't know get in the way of what you do know. MMMMmmm..powerhouse.  I felt chastised in that hopeful way that only Elder Holland can manage.

...and just SO MUCH MORE. I'm literally skimming my notes and getting twitterpated all over again. (remember that MTC/Falling in Love analogy I threw out a while back? The truth of that is being made manifest once again)

And now on to other happy and odd things that happened this week:

MY SISTER HAD A BABY!!! Oh my gosh. I'm still all bubbly about this, Chelsea, and it's been a good hour since I read your e-mail. I'm so SO happy to be an aunt again.

This lady in the street was shocked to find out that Sister P******* and I were not native Spanish-speakers. Like genuinely shocked ('cause I can tell the over-polite fakers, you know?).  Hopefully she'll get baptized. I like her a whole lot.

So, as we were leaving our post-district-meeting, zone lunch, Elder W***** (who is Chinese and SO cool) and Sister P were putting some things in the trunk of our car when this homeless man walks up and goes:

 "Why do you have an Asian in your protest???"  

Sis P: "Um...protest...what?"

Man:  "You have an Asian in your protest!"

Sis. P:  "Well, we're not protesting anything. We're here to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which has been restor---"

Man:  "You should go home to your family!"

Elder W:  "What?..."

Then he walked away. It might have been one of those had-to-be-there moments, but it totally threw us all off. I love California.

Less happy:

We found out that one of our investigators has cancer. The same one who is in the middle of a divorce, just moved into a new apartment, has no money, and can't get work off on Sundays. And the same one who (as soon as she can get work off) is like A-okay lista for Bautismo. Baptismal Date status.

We had to erase ******'s name off our giant whiteboard and I almost cried. Ugh.

...Good things it's our zone goal to find 500 new investigators before May! Yay for goals!  

Love you all so much! I'll try to send pics someday.

-Hermana Wells

Sometimes, when I'm praying, Heavenly Father answers me in David A. Bednar's voice.

Literally. The other night, it came pretty suddenly.  And it was in that so-righteous-and-loving-while-still-making-you-feel-kind-of-silly-for-even-asking voice that he uses (You know the one--it's just shy of Holland's bang-the-fist-on-the-pulpit-"you-shameful-sinner-you" level). 

...In other words, I'm SO STOKED for la conferencia general. Let's joyfully prepare together, shall we?  

In the mean time, let us celebrate another week of Sister Wells' miracles in the field.

I forgot to tell you last week (because I was too busy being deep and reflective), but there's sort of been some crazy big changes here in Lynwood.  Namely, due to some...ahem--"obedience issues" in other parts of mission), the elders' area (South Lynwood--the other half of our branch) was white-washed and handed over to us sisters to care for for "a while".  

I left a space between these paragraphs to give you a second to panic for me. I don't know how to type the whimpering sound effects it caused me to make, but there you go. With a 2-second phone call from our dear AP, Elder Davidson (whose calls we've decided to stop answering), our stewardship doubled. 

So, we spent a lot of last week organizing area books and deciphering Teaching Records and erasing and reorganizing giant white boards (Fun note:  I LOVE giant white boards. Thank you, Home Depot) and maps (Another fun note:  I also love giant maps. Thank you, Staples copy center) and falling in love with investigators M****** and the M***** family. So, by yesterday night, I finally felt like I had a little bit of a handle on our new giant area. So happy. 

Not 5 minutes after having this thought, we get a call from our Zone Leaders (after 13 missed calls that occurred during our lesson--they were panicking), only to find out that they're taking the area back into the custody of the elders. 

In other words...we have to give their giant white board back. But you better believe I'm keeping the map. 

Today was Temple P-Day! Sorry I didn't warn you last week. But you know better than to worry about me too much, right? :)  It was, as always, a glorious experience. Lifted and love-filled and all that it should be. Go to the temple, friends. Best advice I could ever offer you. 

April Fools Day: Cupcakes filled with Dijon Mustard, Aalt, and Thyme and distributed by the Zone Leaders during their monthly apartment visits to all of the elders in the zone. Sister Perry and I were so proud of ourselves :)

Pictures! Ay! So behind. Don't have time now. It's another rushed p-day. 

Love you all! Thanks for the prayers and such. You're in mine :)