Week 29 in Florida (Naples Week 1)

I can't believe I only have a few days left to be a teenager! But I
feel like the mission kinda puts your age on hold. We don't really
have ages here, because we don't count time :)

I forgot to tell you all! In Tampa, well, maybe here too, there's a
bird that sounds unreal. Remember in Star Wars III when Obiwan Konobi
is riding the big lizard thing when he's fighting Grievous? Yeah, this
bird sounds just like thAt thing!! Maybe that's where they thought of
it.
Also, there are lizards ALL over the place in Florida. Here, they live
in the house!!!! They freak me out, and I don't like it. But I'll
probably survive. Don't worry :)
Humility, guys. It's a thing that everyone needs to have. Without it,
you won't get very far at all. Mostly because you'll never learn
anything. People won't want to teach you, and eve if they do try, you
won't get anything out of it.
I'm working with my 6th companion now, and I've been thinking about
everything I've learned from everyone else. I know that Heavenly
Father puts us with our companions for a reason, I've learned
something for every single one of them. Sometimes I don't realize it
until we aren't together anymore. But I realize it eventually :)
Almost all of the investigators here either live with members or are
neighbors and so es teach them in members homes. It's awesome! We have
3 people with date sets for baptism, 2 for March 27 and 1 for March
20. And there are a couple that should be getting dates soon. A lot
more of the people we teach here are youth, that's been different,
because they speak English, so we teach in English. I was a little
worried about being able to adjust to a new area with totally new
people and everything, but I think it went smoother than I thought it
would. It's funny, I miss Tampa a lot and all the people there, but I
love the people here so much already and can't really imagine still
being in Tampa. That's been a blessing.
It's been weird too to be the senior companion. This is going to take
some getting use to. I've been really good at just following and
asking questions. But now I need to be the one that has the answers.
So far it's ok, and it should get easier as we go, right? Mostly it's
been different to be relied on for the language. It's better than the
zebra thing at least. Hna. Killpack is still learning, but she's
already awesome. It's so cool to see the people understand her even if
she says things wrong. That must have been what people did when I got
on the mission!
The ward here is great, and they're such awesome missionaries! I'm
excited to work with them. A lot more people here speak English, or
are trying to learn it. Pretty much everyone in the ward understands
it a little and tries to speak it with us. But that doesn't help me
learn Spanish! Just kidding, it's awesome that they want to speak
English with us :)
Oh, also, I've been a missionary for 8 months. That seems so nuts to
me! The time is going by so fast, I don't even know where it went. I'm
doing my best to make sure I'm living it up and doing everything I
can. Thank you all for your prayers, letters, and support. Les quiero,
muchísimo!!!

Con amor,
Hermana Despain

All the pictures for Naples are on my camera, but here's some from
saying goodbye to Tampa! This is Miguel, Marisol, and Briana. Briana
says she needs to choose us or the testigos de Jehova. But she likes
us better because we celebrate Christmas :) Her mom, Marisol, is a
less-active member.