Sister Richardson filling up our rear tire for the second time that week. The first time a random man helped us and we ended up giving him a Book of Mormon. The third time another random man helped us and we gave him a pass-along card and assured him we aren't polygamists. The fourth time we took it to a tire place and they took a nail out of it.
Some pretty ice that's growing on everything out here!
We met Sister Biolena and Sister Tueller at the Wal-Mart last monday and chatted for about an hour next to the Kool-Aids.
Some of the sisters with Elder Christiansen who leaves in a few weeks. I'm glad I've served with him my whole mission because he's a gas!
My companion and I making sure we were classily dressed before running out to the car to retrieve some things.
The Marvin/Menendez family who made us really tasty foods. The grampa has the biggest testimony I can just tell! I can't undestand it when he says it, but I can just feel it!
Family Dearest!
How are things in the great wild west? I hear the temperatures there are frigid. They are quite cold here as well!
This week has been pretty great. We saw Dawn and Judy and they told us that Ashley wants to be baptized and Bill does as well! We're officially teaching them tomorrow! I hope I get to be here for it! We were walking about and met a lovely lady, Charlotte, walking her canine. She's Catholic but she readily accepted a Book of Mormon, and told us she had been to our Church in Maine and had had a wonderful experience there. We're going to follow up this week to see how her reading is going. We saw a less-active couple, the France's, and initially they said they were getting ready for bed. Then the dogs came piling out the front door and we had to shepherd them back in and we sort of shuffled in behind the hounds. We commented on an Angel Moroni statue he had and he told us he makes them and sells them. He took us down to their pottery studio and showed us all their crazy artwork. Then they gave us a bunch of oddly shaped pots to take home. It was quite a good meeting, and neat to see that, though he doesn't come to Church, he still enjoys making churchy things for other people. We'll be teaching them this coming week too!
We also had Zone Conference, which was amazing! I love it when we all get together and learn things! We learned a lot about love, which is our monthly focus. I have to say, I never knew I could love so much. Obviously I love you, my family, and that's just natural because I've grown up with you and you're all just amazingly superb! But learning to love people I've only known a few weeks, or even over the course of an hour, is strange to me. I feel the Spirit when we express to people how much God loves them, and that makes me love them too. With some people, I feel like my heart will just burst because I love them so much, like Little Peter and his family. And to think that very soon I won't be able to be around these people I love really breaks my heart. A sister who recently finished her mission told us to "love them 'til it hurts," and that's what's happening.
On Sunday at 7:30 am a member of the Bishopbric called and asked if one of us would fill in for someone who got sick. I volunteered, and only had about seven minutes to prepare my talk before we had to leave for all of our Sunday morning meetings. They told me to speak on the scriptures. I couldn't think of a broader topic except maybe Jesus Christ. I decided to talk about how when we study the scriptures, we need to Learn, Feel, and Do. We need to learn the doctrine and the stories of the scriptures and learn about our Savior. Then we need to ponder and feel what the message means for us. We need to feel the Spirit that comes from studying and feel God's love as He answers our prayers through His words. And then we need to do something about it. If we don't apply the things we learn in the scriptures, we may as well not read them. One of my favorite examples of doing is the group of Anti-Nephi-Lehi's. They went from being a bloodthirsty band of evil-doers, to hearing the word of God, feeling the Atonement as they repented, and burying their weapons of war, and then spent their time serving others. Goons! They're so amazing!
As Sacrament meeting started one of our investigators, Linda, and her less-active husband Miguel and their children came in and sat down. I couldn't stop grinning the whole meeting! I can't describe the joy I feel when people we invite to Church actually show up! Ah! Joy!
Before I spoke, a young lady named Libby spoke. She is half French/half Danish. She's got a lot of spunk and she's one of my favorite youths out here. She stood to give her talk on the scriptures, and halfway through she stopped. Tears welled up in her eyes, which I thought were from wanting to share her testimony. Suddenly though it became apparent that she was just terrified. She said, "I...I guess I didn't prepare as well as I'd thought...." It was so sad! And then, the most loving lady in the ward, Sister Adrian (the Italian who made up the word of wisdom rap) walked onto the stand and gave Libby a hug and gave her words of encouragement. Libby finished her talk and sat down. I gave her a hug and gave my talk. I just felt so much love in that room. This poor young woman was comforted by her ward family afterward. I didn't like giving talks as a youth either, but at least we're talking in front of our huge family who loves and supports us. Better to begin public speaking there than for the first time in front of a group who are looking to find faults in what you've got to say.
We ended Sunday by teaching Little Peter about missionary work. He can't wait to be a missionary! I'm so excited for him!
The day I leave there will be twenty-four new missionaries starting here from eighteen years old! Another missionary leaving with me described our situation as "being benched in the fourth quarter." I wish I could be here for all the crazy new things that are about to happen. Of the seventy new missionaries who will be here by April, forty of them will be sisters! There are only eighteen sisters in our mission right now! Woof. But it wasn't meant to be. And I am happy that I'll get to see you kids soon! I hope you're preparing yourselves for this one to come back and jump out from weird places at you, and make goonish sounds all the time!
The day I leave there will be twenty-four new missionaries starting here from eighteen years old! Another missionary leaving with me described our situation as "being benched in the fourth quarter." I wish I could be here for all the crazy new things that are about to happen. Of the seventy new missionaries who will be here by April, forty of them will be sisters! There are only eighteen sisters in our mission right now! Woof. But it wasn't meant to be. And I am happy that I'll get to see you kids soon! I hope you're preparing yourselves for this one to come back and jump out from weird places at you, and make goonish sounds all the time!
I love you and I hope you have a good week!
Love,
Sister Meeso Soup
