Our Hermanita (Ellie) Update

Hello, hello!   I hope you all are having a wonderful June!   I'm here on the blog today to start  a person-by-person series of blogposts, because it feels like there's a lot happening amongst our family members right now...way too much for one long blogpost!     I figure I will start with the youngest first...

Ellie hits her 6-month mark on her mission next week, which is kind of wild to me!   As per usual with my missionaries, it's gone incredibly slow, yet incredibly fast at the same time.  Thankfully, she seems very happy and, from our perspective, the Spanish seems to be coming along well and doesn't  stress her out too much.   

She served in the same area (Oxnard) for her first three transfers and just got moved to a new area (Santa Barbara) this past week.  We haven't even talked to her yet, so we have no idea what she thinks of her new area and new companion.  She's really loved her first few companions, though, so we are hoping this next one will be good for her too.  

Her  mission hugs the coast of California just north of Los Angeles, so I imagine that most of her areas (if not all) will have Pacific beaches in them.  As full-time missionaries, they obviously can't get anywhere near the water, but  sometimes on p-days they go down to look at the beach from whatever safe distance falls within mission rules.  They like looking for dolphins and seals, and just feeling the ocean breeze on their skin.  I think Ellie really enjoys this proximity to the beach, even if she can't fully appreciate it at this stage!  

On p-days, her district usually plays pickleball, volleyball, or basketball, but occasionally they go thrifting.  She's never been a huge sports player, but she really likes expanding her wardrobe in the bargain bin at the thrift store!  It sounds like they also do a fair bit of trading outfits among the other missionaries and  I have to laugh at how few of her clothing items I recognize in her photos.  😂

These three girls have been Ellie's roommates and also have become her good friends.  She was a little sad when Hermana P and Hermana W got moved to their own apartment this past transfer, but they were still in the same ward and area, so they happily still got to see each other regularly.

LEFT TO RIGHT:  Hermana P, Hermana W, Hermana C, and our sweet Hermanita!

There's currently a lot of stress among the Hispanic people in her area, but she is finding great joy in serving them and sharing the gospel with them.  So far, none of the riots have spread to where she's at, though there have been protests in her new area.  

We are so incredibly proud of our Hermanita's decision to serve a mission and share her light with the people of California.   She has hard days, but we know she is making this world a better place...one day, one person at a time!