The Luau! It was a superb missionary opportunity as many people invited friends and neighbors. We gave tours to the groups as they'd come in and go from "island to island" (from Primary, to Relief Society, to Seminary, etc.) and the members would explain what each program was and such.
Sisters Bell, Wright, this one, Biolena and Marley.
While helping that member bag stuff for fumigation, I found this winner of a Sturgis shirt and he let us keep it. So we washed it and gave it to Sister Marley who is quite the biking enthusiast.
Sister Torgerson resting on a couch in a bathroom at the mall.
The amazing Izquierdo family who love history and robots (the boy kept scaring me with his robot dinosaurs during dinner, and you know how jumpy I am!).
An outhouse in the woods.
Jordyn and her "new baby bwotha", the kids of a wonderful less-active lady.
Sister Goodbar and Sister Cerrano, who wanted to treat Sister Bell to a fancy lunch before she left (Sister Goodbar does a great Jar-Jar Binks impression.).
Bapi, Ernesto (the one with the bubble-wrapped couch), and Doris (who said she might want to be baptized!).
Herbie and Sister Adrian, the Italians we watched conference with.
Kevin and Karissa filling out his baptism papers. And, yes, that's a finch on his head.
The Wonderful Dean Family! The face paint was from a FHE activity.
Dearest Darling Family!
I'm so glad that conference was this weekend! What a joy it was! I cried during the missionary announcement, that was just the best thing ever. Granted, it doesn't currently affect me as a missionary, but it will affect generations to come as more and more sisters serve missions and gain burning testimonies of the Truth by the time they're 21. The whole confrence was superb. We watched two sessions at the Church with a small gaggle of members.
Another session we watched with Sister Adrian, the Brooklyn/Italian lady who made up a rap about the word of wisdom. Afterwards we talked around the table. She told us she came through Ellis Island as a child and was adopted by a wonderful couple. She came over just as WWII ended. In her village though near Rome, the war wasn't over. People would just start shooting people and setting each other on fire and other horrific things. She was grateful to come here, and LOVES America. And she loves the Gospel so much. And despite all the hardship she's gone through, she is the most happy, positive, bouncy, upbeat person I've ever met.
We watched the other session at the Dean's. They are a really special family. Eric joined the Church a couple months ago, and Brandi just started coming back after years of not going. They remind me of our family, just super fun no matter what you're doing. They've sort of adopted us and make sure we always have a sunday dinner. And their Bassett Hound just lumbers around everyone and wails when he needs a belly rub.
The rest of this week we did Sister Bell's departing stuff. On Monday she went on the Ellis Island trip, while Sister Torgerson and I went about Morristown and Dover to window shop. I got 3 skirts for $10 at a thrift store, which is quite a steal! On Wednesday Sister Bell went to the Temple and Sister Torgerson and I vacuumed our car in the rain, hiked up quite a steep slope to visit someone who at one time was interested and now no longer lives there, hiked or skipped down a foresty muddy slope past an outhouse to visit a member who wasn't home, and finally met Eisl. She's an Austrian woman who was walking her dog. She seemed interested in a living prophet, but said she was fine with her faith. She did take an invite to Conference however, and hopefully she ended up watching it. On Thursday we went back down to Morristown for Sister Bell's departing interview.
Kevin had his baptismal interview and he is very excited to be baptized this week! I'm so happy for him! Eek!
Also, Sister Torgerson and I are staying in Sparta for at least another transfer! This will be the first time in four transfers that just the two of us will be companions, we two have always been in trios before now. I'm glad I get to stay here! It'll be sad to have Sister Bell leave, but she'll go home, get married, and begin rearing a righteous posterity, so that's positive.
I love you!
Sister Mister
