Emily - Coruna Week 1

7.28.08
Hello Everyone that I love....

Well Im here in my new city and its hard to believe. First of all I will answer dads questions or his business items as he would say. Please do send me the new camera. Mine started working again and the memory card still has lots of space. The problem is with the shutter, I have to push it open sometimes. Anyways I can tell its going to die soon and I would really appreciate the new camera. Okay now for my new address. I had to figure it out while talking to someone is Spanish so I hope its right...
Sister Emily Gogarty
Manuel Piñeiro Pose 3,
12AA Coruña, España
It seems like Im missing a zip code but she assured me that this was the correct address. SOMEONE send me something and I will let you know if it arrives.

I LOVE my new companion. I know that Im suppose to be here with her. Ive already learned so much Spanish and Im thankful for this opportunity. Suprisingly we have actually been able to communicate pretty well. She wants to learn english too, so its a really good swap. She has lived in Madrid for the last eight years I think and she is 23. She is an in charge kind of person so thats good for me. I was so worried about having to do everything when I got here. Really we just work together and its great. Sometimes I forget that she speaks only Spanish and in the morning I talk to her in english. The other day she looked at me so funny because I talked to her for a couple minutes in english with out even thinking about it. She really is a neat person. She was baptized when she was 16 in Ecuador. I was really ready for this change even though there are things that I miss in Santander.

My first couple days here I was pretty stressed because I had to put a baptism together in Spanish. We spent all day Saturday sitting in the capilla filling up the font. It looks like a big blue swimming pool and it takes hours to fill. They had been teaching the daughter of a less active member. She is 15 and her name is Katherin. She was baptized on Saturday and it was a beautiful experience. The Elders are great here and they helped us pull it all together A LOT. We sang together, Divina Luz. I asked Katherin how she felt afterwards and she said I just feel so good. I feel like something has been lifted off of me that I didnt know was there.

It made me think back to my baptism and how I felt. I remember feeling the Spirit very strongly so much so that I couldnt stop crying. I just felt so good. I look back and that was one of the happiest days of my life. But is was a different kind of happiness that is hard to describe. Baptism with the authority of God is really an incredible thing. How amazing it is to watch someone make such a sacred covenant with God. I know that this church has the authority of God, Im reminded of this everyday quite frequently.

I already LOVE the members here. There is a family here that I can already tell are going to be my favorite. At church on Sunday the cutest lil girl ran up to me and grabbed my hand. She pulled me down by the hand to her height and began to talk like she was 20 years old. Her name is Aurora. She listened to me introduce myself and heard that I came from Santander. Her family went camping there during the week so she told me all about it. Then she pulled me over to her dad and said on the way that he needed to talk to me. He speaks english pretty well and it was nice to visit with him. He told me that he wants his kids to know who the missionaries are and he invited us over for FHE. His wife is awesome and Im excited to get to know them better.

While at church on Sunday I was thinking a lot about what Grandpa wrote about in his last letter. There are some amazing families in this branch and they need to be used. I also thought about a talk by Elder Bednar in the conference Ensign. He talked about how its is the responsibility of the members to find and miss. to teach. I met so many great families on Sunday and Im sure they have family friends that need to hear the gospel. Anyways I hope that I can do what I was called her to do. Its amazing to be a part of this. I wish you could just be in my backpack for the day and see what goes on. Its impossible for me to describe and I want you to be a part of it.

Sorry I made you almost cry dad. Everytime I think about you all for too long my eyes fill up a little bit. Right now I think its like 5 in the morning there and Im trying to picture you sleeping in your beds. I love you so much! Thank you for being my family. I hope you have a wonderful week. Love,The SisterSister Jessica-I love those pics. of that beautiful baby. She looks familiar, its weird. Anyways in one of the pics she looks A LOT like you. I cant wait to hold her someday. I love you! Sister Sarah-write me! I love you!