Sister Riley Dorrance's California Arcadia Mission: Week 39-40 The one where I actually write a real email home 😅

DODGERS GAME

Heyyyyyyyy

How's the week been?? I guess I need to catch you guys up on the last month or so (if there's actually anyone that reads these), but I'll probably just skip around. The last major event I can remember was the Dodgers game! It was AWESOME. The rest of the mission went on Saturday for Mormon night, but because it was our stake conference on Saturday night President Wells said that we could go on Friday night! Super awesome opportunity, we were all pumped. What President didn't know, however, was that it was LGBT night at dodger stadium! It was a party like you guys would not believe. Just kidding. There was a lot of drunk people though, and the funniest part of the night was the couple sitting behind us spotting one of the elders walking up the aisle and saying "oh. He's cute. Can he teach me about the book of Mormon????" And they were all very nice and told us that Mormon night was actually on Saturday, and we had the opportunity to tell them that we had come on purpose!

they thought that was hilarious! It was super fun and the dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves and all is well in Zion! Haha how many people can say they went to LGBT night at dodger stadium on their mission??

I'm pretty sure the next super noteworthy thing that happened was transfers! I got transferred to Glendale! Holy smokes this week has been CRAZY. We got the transfer call on Saturday morning from President calling me as an Sister Training Leader, and moving me to Glendale! (A sister training Leader is basically a zone leader but with no priesthood and less meetings but lots of blessings. it's great

) so I moved on Tuesday and it has seriously been nonstop since I got here! On Tuesday we still had Sister Packer and Sister Luke who are now home with their cute families! Sister Packed was sister Swapps last companion, and Sister Luke was on of the sisters in the zone who was closing out the area! So we were helping them close up their area, and get things settled, but also go to the appointments that sister Swapp and Sister Packer had set up, but also get the right sisters to the right appointments and it was wild. Oh! My new companion is sister Swapp! She's from New Mexico, she was in a bluegrass band and she's literally an angel sent from above because she's so kind and genuine. Its the greatest.

So the rest of this week. We've had so many lessons, and it's the greatest thing because people that are trying to figure out life are SO OPEN TO THE GOSPEL. Which I understand, because when literally nothing makes sense/is going right, the gospel helps. So its really cool. So sister Swapp and I Cover young single adults and mid single adults and I already love them both. There's some serious stigma around mid single adult ward, but holy smokes that ward is a forest of spiritual redwoods and I LOVE IT. Also, the YSA is full of very talented actors/actresses and musicians. If anyone wants to make it big then Glendale is the place to be! Haha this ward is super talented and they are fantastic missionaries. It helps a little that a good amount got home from their missions less than 5 years ago, but they are awesome people to take on lessons. Everyone should aspire to be like the people in these wards I kid you not.

Other exciting things!

Abraham! He wants to be baptized! He even came to church on Sunday and he forgot his phone so he couldn't tell us that he called into work early and was coming to the 9th ward at 11 instead of the 7th ward at 1. And he just showed up and walked in and he loved it!

We had some wonderful humans that haven't felt the spirit in a while reach out for some help! They want to come back to church!

I GOT TO GO TO JC AND JULIANAS WEDDING AND BAPTISM

Alright. I taught JC and Juliana when I was in Pasadena, and I taught them every week for three months straight. They have the cutest little daughter and the only holdup was that they needed to get married. Well. Last week I got a Facebook message from Juliana saying that they were getting married and baptized! So they were married at the church on Friday and baptized on Saturday and it was BEAUTIFUL. I don't think I can explain in this email how wonderful it was to be able to be there when two people I love so much make so many promises. It'd melt anyone's heart.

Uhhhhhh this week has seriously been great and I love being a missionary, and I love the gospel, and God answers prayers, and the church is true times infinity and it's super sweet to be on the Lord's errand.

Don't forget to read your scriptures!

-Sister Dorrance