Hola humans!

This week we got a new Elder in our ward! And not just any Elder, but Elder Paiva from Brazil! Which is actually kind of a miracle because Elder Rushforth got transferred and he's the only one of us who speaks Portuguese and the Elders are teaching a Brazilian investigator who's getting baptized soon, and a Brazilian family just moved into our ward, and one of our member's non-member husband just moved from Portugal, and we've been working on getting another Brazilian family to investigate ever since me and Sister Bringhurst came and they finally came to church last week. But, it's probably just a coincidence that Elder Paiva came to our ward at this time. (NOT.)

We also got to return to the scene of the infamous pool baptism because the Bishop was hosting a giant barbeque swim-party for all the new families in the ward. We went over a little early to help set things up and the Bishop and his wife were getting dressed when people started arriving, so I began welcoming people to my beautiful home and thanked them for coming. I thought this would be funny because the Bishop lives in a mansion and I obviously don't own any part of it. But then I think people were really confused about why I was there and making lemonade in the kitchen ... Half the ward probably think we're live in servants in our spare time now.

Okay so due to my own previous experience of trying to send missionaries packages and due my current experience of being a missionary, I have decided to create a list of things that would be included in THE ULTIMATE SISTER MISSIONARY PACKAGE. This is not because I want to beg for packages (even though I totally am), but because I think it's hard to know what missionaries really would find useful unless you actually are a missionary. So after brainstorming and asking all the other sisters in my district their ideas, I have come up with the following list:

• Office Supplies - this would include cute notebooks, sticky notes of all shapes, sizes, and colors, favorite pens (Pilot Precise V7 RT if you were wondering ....), and basically any thing you could purchase at Staples.
• Things to Give to Kids - stickers, ctr rings, etc.
• Stamps - stateside and international are both appreciated
• Accessories - necklaces, scarfs, watches, rings, you name it.
• Scrapbook Paper - we are the Pinterest generation after all. We want everything to look cute.
• Quick-dry Nail Polish
• Coloring Supplies - crayons, markers, coloring books
• Good-Smelling Hand Sanitizer - being a missionary is gross sometimes.
• Lesson Aids - anything you think could be useful when teaching. Supplies for an object lesson, gospel pictures, etc. I've really been wanting a Children's Song Book.
• Gift Cards - for our area the winners would be Chipotle, Target, and Staples.
• Cute Quotes & Printouts - seriously. We tape them up everywhere.
• Favorite Conference Talks
• Any Random Mormon Themed Item - Missionaries all have Mormon pride. It's kind of our job. So socks, calendars, magnets, T-shirts ... We'll proudly sport it all.
• "Healthy" Grab & Go Snacks - It's not that we don't love candy, but crackers and granola bars and the like are a little more practical when you actually want to survive.
• Mission Approved Music - I think missionaries are the reason God gave us the ability to make mix tapes. We seriously will be grateful for anything.
• Pictures - getting pictures of home is seriously the best. Old pictures and new are both awesome.
• Cash. - Being a missionary is like being a poor college student. Except poorer.

Anyways, that's what we want. Straight from the mouths of the Sisters themselves.
And also we want referrals. So if you can some how swing that...
Okay, gotta go preach the gospel now. #missionaryswag
Love,
Sister Gledhill