"Welcome To Hell Paso" October 6, 2015

Howdy, yall.... 

You guessed it! I'm back in El Paso, this time on the northeast side though. The first day I got here someone said to me, "welcome to hell paso!" I wasn't sure if I should say thank you or laugh or cry or just stand there and let the sweat roll down me...so I did the latter. 

This area is definitely one of a kind. It is SO cholo. Everyone in the ward (yep, spanish WARD, wohoo!) has either done drugs, dealt drugs, been in a gang, or been to jail. Let's just say my eyes have been opened already. There is a set of elders in our ward too so that's fun. One is brand new and the other one was in my very first district. 

My new companion is Hermana Verdoorn. Here's her fun facts:

-she is from Sacramento, California

-she has been on her mission 6 months (i'm her 2nd companion)

-her dad is a weatherman

-her dream is to work as a ride operator on the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland

-she has no flaws

We taught quite a bit this week. The good thing of being new in the area is that it's a lot easier to be bolder. Also with having more experience in the mission. There isn't a lot of member help here. The biggest challenge of this area: NO ONE has a car! It is crazy. 

Here's my address:

4600 Fairbanks #515

El Paso, TX 79924

General Conference was so wonderful. I loved it, especially the Saturday sessions. I loved that the overall theme (to me, at least) was that it is time for us to step it up and to be better than ever before. I have such a testimony that the Lord can make us so much than we were before and this is what our inspired church leaders are asking of us. 

My challenge to you all this week: find 3 joys in every day.

Loves,

Hermana Dearden