Crazy, Crazy Week!! Nov. 1, 2010

November 1, 2010

Holy Cow! Maybe you should skip e-mailing me more often; I had 7 e-mails in my box this time. It has been an hour and I am now just getting to write back.

This week has gone well. We had a sweet experience with a less active who is struggling with her testimony, her name is Tina. She is dating a member but they both were baptized around the same time as the other and now are both not coming to church anymore, but they both have become very hard to get a hold of, but we found the best time for them is during lunch. So we set up an appt. to go to lunch and "get to know them". One of the reasons why Tina fell away was because she felt she was pressured into baptism and that the church still pressures her, which makes her feel uncomfortable. So we are taking it easy. When the apt came around we found out that we accidentally scheduled there lunch apt over a meeting with one of our referrals. With  Tina’s permission, we invited the referral, Janie to come eat with us. Janie brought a friend and Tina ended up coming alone because her boyfriend was out of town, so it ended up being a girl’s lunch. Janie asked all the right questions and by the end Tina had a few of her own. Come to find out Tina didn't really understand all of the lessons before she was baptized which is why she has been so apprehensive about coming back to church because she feels her testimony is not as strong as everyone else. It was a very sweet experience and if it were not for having the challenge to have a member at every lesson we would have rescheduled the apt with Janie or not invited her to lunch but we felt that Tina is a member and what better member to be there than someone who is struggling and needs the lessons again just as much as a new investigator. God truly guided us that day. It was amazing!

Well wow, I'll tell you why wow. This week has been CRAZY! I'm going to give you a play by play of how this last week has been.

Starting Saturday~ P-day, Stake Conference. It was all about being prepared. Last week on Sunday the Stake Presidency sent a letter to every ward and branch saying that that figuratively there has been a disaster and that they have to try to live off what they have right now. That means no shopping, or going out to eat (or for our branches case), no bumming off of parents. It was a challenge to see how prepared people really were. It really made people think about what they need to do and especially since there has been a big push to get a 72 hour kit and get all the food storage they can. I truly feel that this is so important. We never know what might happen. We need to be prepared so that we are not a burden to others but rather a help to those in need. 

Then transfer calls. None of us are being transferred, we are all staying. I didn't know how everyone felt about that but apparently we didn't figure something out or we did and the Lord is ready to work with us now that we are all getting along. Whatever way I'm happy to be staying. I can to learn a lot here and from my companion. I love this ward and it's really starting to take off.

Sunday~ Stake Conference President and Sister Barry spoke. It was amazing. Of course they talked about member missionary work but he said that we are getting on board with the new 'Our Faith' with Mormon.org. It truly is inspired and we have seen a lot of success from it. We have three different referrals from it and they all brought there friends with them. It has been amazing!

Monday~ We find out that we even though we are not being transferred, that we are moving into a place closer to the institute and that has a washer and dryer!! Oh and on this day I realized how important dance is in my life. In past modern classes we have done what we call a tuck and roll several times, but I could never do them right. It was a summer salt onto your knees to stand. Well this particular morning I got onto my bike I realized my skirt was folded in the back where you could see my garments underneath so I stood up and pulled my skirt down and jerked my handle bars and before I knew it I slammed on my brakes and over my handle bars I went. Then a thought came to me, tuck and roll, before I knew it I was on my knees with my hands in the air yelling "I'm good". It was so awesome! I finally did it! Sister Cutler on the other hand who had crashed her bike and didn't have the same outcome as I did watched in horror. She looked more beat up than me. I told her I was fine which I was. I had a white jacket on and no dirt. I had one scratch and a bruised leg but I was perfect. I said, "I am really ok, let's go." She stopped me and through tears said you may be good but I'm going to need a minute. lol.  I love her so much. She was so scared for me. We finally got back on our bikes and headed to our appt. which we missed because of the wreck, but shortly rescheduled.

Tuesday~ transfers and p-day (Sister Backer and Mitchell and Elder VanGendren and Parker leave) I cried my eyes out. They have taught me things that I will never forget. I love them so much! They did a really cool thing; they gave us all our own "plates" with our names on it and all our notes from past meetings and everything a new missionary would need to know. It was so cute. Then they had all the departing missionaries bare their testimonies. It was so amazing and it filled the room with so much Spirit and drive to do the work more earnestly knowing that it is only for a short time that we are here.

Wednesday~ tabling for 6 hours. We were a little sun burnt, but it was good. There was a preacher screaming on the other side of us, so that was weird and kind of took away from the Spirit, but next time we will try singing. More cleaning and packing.

Thursday~ Zone conference we talked about the true doctrine of Christ and how much we need to apply it to our investigators and everything we do. We need to use the atonement when we feel like we need to rest and then keep going. I loved it. We have new Zone leaders. Elder Toney and Johnson. I have served around both. Tony, in Jax 2nd and Johnson was my district leader in Orange Park. It will be amazing! We also have a new district leader, Elder Fetty. He is nice, but I don't know him very well, but I'll get to. Then we did tabling. (Tour of the new place. So small that it will only fit church mice, we are not church mice, but large women, except sister cutler)

Friday~ Get new beds to fit the apt because the beds we had didn't fit. New bikes because the elders took my our last ones. Second tour of apt and they are finally done painting. Crazy day of teaching lessons.

Saturday~ Other sisters have a baptism. One of the most spiritual baptisms ever! her name is Zilan and the most amazing prepared loveable girl. I was asked to sing "I know that my redeemer lives". I balled through the whole thing and couldn't sing, and so the congregation sang until I gained composure. I sang the last verse. It was awesome! Then we moved into our new place. Three people showed up to help and nothing will fit. Very funny. We have been holding our breath since we finished. If we breathe the place might explode. lol  

Sunday~ sister cutler spoke and got so sick. Finished unpacking and moving furniture.

Monday~ Finally time to wash clothes, go shopping for food, and write e-mails.   

So as you can see I didn't have time this week to get on and tell you what happened. Yes my P-day is still on Saturday. This week is just crazy. I'm glad you got my tape and package. Did all the kids get there letter? Did Grandma Henrion? She wrote me back! I loved hearing from both my grandmas. I got a letter back from grandma Pedersen too. I love them. I also got a letter from Elicia. Tell her I sent her a letter but mailed it to Rexburg thinking she would get it before she left, but I guess not. Maybe she can call them and have them send it to her. I wrote it in July. I'm sad she didn't get it. 

This year's Halloween seems like you had so much fun. We didn't really get a Halloween but that's ok. We really couldn't have gone to the singles dance. lol that is just inappropriate. So we worked on Friday and Saturday and stayed in at night for Sunday. People are crazy here. It really does give people the excuse to wear nothing. So dumb. Halloween use to be such a fun, cute holiday. It still is as I can see from back home through the cute pictures you sent me but not here. Thank you for the package! It was perfect but you forgot a letter. I was thinking, lots of fun stuff but where is the love letter. lol Thank you family and mommy for sending it, after this weekend, I needed chocolate. Shanna looked so cute with Adam! I never thought of that. Sooooooo cute I love them so much! I miss them. You and dad were so cute too. I love the umbrella you added to it. So fun. Love it. Oh and yes the debit card would be nice to have. I didn't realize until I went to pay and I had nothing. lol oh well.

There are so many things that I want to say but I spent most of the time reading the e-mails. I love you all so much and I pray for you all individually every night. I love you. I hope you read my letters to all the family. Hug all the boys for me. I told each of the kids in their letters things they need to listen to or get that I think would be good for them, and that the whole family should listen to. Seriously find conversion of a Catholic and listen to it. Let me know if you can find it. It is amazing. I have said this many times, please try to find it and let me know when you do. It has changed my mission. Please don't put it off either. I pray for the Coffman's always and tell them I got their letters and that I will write them soon. I love you all. Shanna your letters is coming, I've been crazy I know. Love you forever! xoxoxoxoxoxxo

~Your Sister Missionary