words and wanderlusts: Me voy de Malaga! (I'm leaving!)

So change of plans everyone! I´m being transferred this Wednesday to Murcia. I´m leaving after 2 transfers and Hna Andrew will be staying a 4th. It´s not what everyone expected but I had a feeling it might happen. My new companion will be Hermana Cerna. I have been told she is from Peru and lives in Madrid, so I am soooo excited to have a native companion again! YES! I get to perfect my Spanish even more. I´m excited. And it´s ironic because it´s where my trainer, Hna Martín served too. So if I follow this pattern I´ll be going to all her areas haha. Murcia is about 2 hours away from Benidorm where I was before. It´s not on the coast and it´s a bit farther south. There are two wards, I´ll be in the 1st with some other elders. I´m excited for a new change.

Well, let´s see. Oh yeah New Years happened! We ate a member´s place and it was pretty classy actually. Maribel made the BEST meal I´ve had in Spain so far. Man. Mashed potatoes and some sort of meat I´m thinking it was lamb maybe but who knows. So good. We played some games too while we waited. So here they eat 12 grapes at midnight with each bell. I failed. I tried but got behind on number 4. I laughed once and then it all went down hill from there (plus the grapes here all have seeds so it´s harder than you think ok). I had 5 left which means I get 5 months of bad luck...

After we left to go back to the apt it sounded like bombs were going off in a war. Here everyone and their dog sets off firecrackers and fireworks. ALL THE TIME. Ever since December it has started and it scares me every single time. This last week was super slow as well do to the holidays, no one wants anything in our area. Today is also another holiday. Called Los Reyes (you know the 3 Kings) so it´s like a second Christmas but ever since Santa Claus came not as many people celebrate it anymore. While we were at a member´s house yesterday in a suburb of ours (Churriana) a little parade passed by (Cabalgata) with the three kings and other people dressed up singing and throwing candy so we went out for a few minutes to look. A giant Minnie Mouse came up and hugged us...I think it was actually a man...awkward.

We also had a zone conference this week on New Year´s Eve with a talent show so that was fun. Oh yeah, and Amber I got your package! You guys are the BOMB. Seriously, the pictures look so good and the chocolate is being well used.

Well, I will let you all know how the new area goes! And now a lot of pictures!

Love, Hna Thompson

1. well one is blurry but that was the group on Christmas eve (Maribel, Emilio, and Gustavo a recent convert)

2. one is just being goofy on new years eve (b/c obviously we are only ever serious haha)

3. and us with Patricia and Viergela from Haiti