"I've died 9 times!! I have 11 death certificates!!"

Greetings from good ole' Baton Rouge!!

 

This has been the BUSIEST week of my mission so far..... our numbers were out of control!! Hardly anyone ever gets em this high any time during their mission....you ready........................................ drum roll........................ 11 hours of service (not that great) and 32 lessons!! 32 FREAKIN LESSONS!!! what?? Is this even really life?!?!? Have I ever been more tired in my life??? Don't think so!!! haha But we are working so hard and I love it!!! :)

 

So I left my planner and my camera at home b/c we were going to go home before we emailed and then there was a change of plans so I will try to remember everything that is important.

 

First off, I am having a little bit of separation anxiety from Grandmas house knowing that you all are there. So I went and bought some Wheaties because every summer I would eat Wheaties at grandmas house. So now when I am at my apartment eating my Wheaties I kinda feel like I am at grandmas house with all y'all! :)

 

Monday

Last Monday..... we wen tot the zoo to celebrate sister steele and sister Hill's birthdays!! It was fun but I have never been a really fan of zoos because I can just look at picture of the things on the internet and have the same thrilling experience of seeing exotic animals in the comfort of my pajamas but the company was very much enjoyable and I am glad we were ableto do something for them!!

 

Tuesday was district meeting and it went really well!! We  didn't get done until later and then it rained pretty hard so we went to a members house for an hour so that it would calm down! Then that night was ward temple night!!! ahhhhhhh it was so awesome!!! I just love it so much! Since being in Louisiana I have been able to go 5 times! so it has definitely been a blessing to be close to the temple. Heavenly Father must have know that I would need that monthly boost!! Because it works! After ward temple night I am ready to take on the world!!! :)

 

Wednesday was crazy busy! We taught 7 lessons that day! We met a crazy woman.... my favorite quote from our conversation is down at the end just for the suspense! :) So that was fun!! We were able to just see so many less active and so many non members! We have really been working with this one less active. she is awesome and I can see some real potential for her coming back to church if we keep working with her! She has been doing her "homework" as she calls it and keeps wnating us to give her more things to do!!! Now we jsut have to get her family on board too because that just makes things easier!!

 

Thursday was even crazier! We taught 8 lessons! That is an all time daily high for me!! and for Sister Steele! It was just so awesome and the Lord was just making everything fall into place that needed too!..... did I tell you that a few weeks ago the elders made me drink buttermilk at a members house and I about puked?? Well that happened... we had dinner at that same members house thursday night so that just reminded me!! :) ahah

 

Friday we had our last specialized training with Pres. Wall. It was definitely a little sad. But the discussion we had was amazing... pres. Wall would ask certain wuestions to missionaries and people just opened up really fast. We were talking about the tender mercies of the lord in relation to hope... It was just super cool and the spirit was jsut so strong you could have popped it with a needle! :) We also talked about the atonement in realtion to missioanry work and they showed that video that I told y'all to look up when I first got here to Louisiana! It was just super cool. President Wall pretty much just went through what he wanted us to learn most and what her thought were the most important things to learn while out here. it was just awesome! So after that we started sharing with everyone this idea of finding hope through the tender mercies of the Lord. It brought about some amazing discussions in which you could jst feel the spirit all around us. It also caused me to reflect on my life and taking the time to recognize the tender merices. I have recognized so many more since being a missionary but I don't think it is because they just increased in number but more I am looking for them and am grateful when I find them. As simple and finding a pull through parking space so sister steele doesn't have to back me!! :) The tender mercies of the Lord are everywhere! And I have noticed that as I reflect on those tender merices when I say my nightly prayers that it makes a big difference in the type of day I have the next day!

 

Saturday we did service all day for this less active woman........ I stayed and helped with the kitchen for 3 hours it needed a lot of work but I am glad we were able to help! Sister Hill and Sister Weidmann came too becuase we knew it was going to be a big project!! Then we went to dinner with one of our recent converts!!

 

Sunday we had to teach relief society and it was one Dallin H. Oaks talk from the priesthood session. It was am AMAZING talk but it was on a subject that made me a little uneasy to teach about because so people are crazy and when you ahve an investigator at church who still has some unresolved issuses with the priesthood you just get nervous. I have come the the conclusion that I need blood pressure medication just for the sundays while I am on my mission. Nothing stress me out more than church...... even wrinkled paper doesnt stress me out more thats how stressful they are! But really it s only when we have investigators there.  But the lesson went surprisingly well and we really just focussed on the fact that we have equal but different responsibilites and then talked about thsoe!! So it went well!!

 

Today we had a bike ride. Those are the pictures that I can send becuase we have sister steeles camera with them. Pres. Wall is an avid cyclist so his last wish was for everyone in the mission to ride their bikes from 10-12 on his last p-day (today) with their districts! It was fun! My butt hurts soooo bad!! but thats just because I haven't ridden a bike in a while! (I borrowed one from some members!) And we ahd t-shirts that say the final ride on the front and bringing hope one mile at a time on the back! So they are pretty groovy and it was a pretty fun things to do! We went about 14.23 miles [after 2 people getting flat tires and someones chain falling off. Can you tell most of us have been working on patience for our christlike attribute this month? :) ] So collectively as a distict we rode 113ish miles! So it was pretty fun! Now we have some more projects to do before he leaves!

 

 

I miss you guys but I hope you're having fun on the adventures youre going on!! I am happy, health, and working hard!

 

I love you!

 

Your favorite missionary

 

Quote

 

*We talked to this crazy lady and she was tellin us how no one can stop her. She proceed to not yell but very forcefully proclaim "I've died 9 times!! I have 11 death certificates!!" I, with some extra strength given to me by Heavenly Father, was able to surpress my laughter until we got into the car and then I jsut lost it! Like tears rolling down my face I was laughing so hard! How can you have more death certificated that times you have "died"!!!! 

Tornado???? Just Kidding!

Well I forgot my planner today, so trying to remember everything from this past week will be interesting.

 

First off! It has been four months today since I was set apart!! CRAZY!!

 

Tuesday.... There was a pretty bad storm on Tuesday.... haha so the way for Sister Hill and Sister Weidmann to get home was mega flooded. (We had district meeting so we all met at the church) so its a miracle that they got there without flooding the engine or something... But it was still raining super hard after the meeting so they called president wall and he told them to stay with us until it got better. So they came with us! We went and did service at a members house and it was raining ever harder! I could wring out water from my skirt!! So we stayed at the members house for a little bit to wait out the storm. For being a place that rains a lot their drainage systems aren't wuite up to par so I didn't want to drive until things calmed down a bit! and they did about an hour later! The weather here is so bipolar because it was just sunny and hot! :) But it was super fun to be able to spend some time with them!! THey are like our best friends! :) So that was fun! :) But tmost of our afternoon apt. cancelled on us b/c they didnt want us driving in the storm!

 

Wednesday was asked if they needed any help with mutual, so we went over to the leadres house and helped and then agreed that we would do part of the lesson that night. Unfortunately we doubled booked ourselves without realizing it so we had to find some people to do splits with! So we each went with a yw from the ward for a portion of the after noon and then met back up at mutal! Bu tin the end when we were talking about it we realized that we were both where we needed to be with the person we were with! So it was super fun to get to know the yw a little better!! We are arranging for some of them to spend a day this summer with us and come see what missionary life/work is all about! :) so that should be super fun!! YW was great! and we ever got a wendy's frosty out of it! :)

 

Thursday we had exchanges!! Those are always so fun! I went to South Baton Rouge with Sister Stennet! It was super fun!! :) We were pretty busy! We helped clean this womans house......... gross....... first off she asked how old I was and I said 19. She said" wow I thought you were 29! But thats okay becuase I thought your compnaion over there was 7!" Man she knows how to lift people up!!  But we are cleaning this womans house. Now I dont have a weak stomach but my stomach was in my throat. I was about to toss my cookies any moment. Just from the smell and looking at food that had been out for 4 weeks..... So sister stennet is doing the dishes and then she gasps and her face goes pale......... I hesistantly go over b/c I am afraid of what I might see..... then I see it.... or should I say them.... maggots....everywhere in this one dish that was at the bottom. I nearly lose it then. Sister stennet who doesn't have a weak stomach either wants to lose it about then. So the woman takes the whole container and just chucks it over the railing of her aprtment complex!!! WHAT!!! oh my gosh it was so gross and I about puked everywhere!! We powered through and finished though!! then went and had a lesson with their investigaotr from gladys knight who is getting baptized this saturday! She is so awesome and wow.......thats all I can say........ wow! We had a good time talking about k-love songs!! :)

 

Friday we were going to exchange back after studies but this text comes in telling us not to leave our appartments b/c of a tornado watch. It was storming and their were winds of about 45 mph but there wasnt a torando!! but we were only on lockdown for 30 min. The funny thing is that sister hill and sister weidmann were the reasons! They called the office and told them there was a tornado by their house! but it was just bad wind! ahaha when i had them reinact what it was like and what they did I nearly peed my pants! Just imagine two siters in a bathtub with bikehelmets on their heads!! ahahah it was super funny! I will ahveto record them telling the story!! :) But we exchanged back and then wnet on our way!

 

*There was no actual tornado! Just overreactant sisters! :) *

 

Saturday. I could not focus all day. at all. like I already have ADD and focussing problems but when you mix those with being able to see my best friend it was just to much for my little mind to handle! It had been 3 1/2 months since I have seen and even really talked to sister Dixon!!!!!!!! So the fact that we were going out to dinner and then she got to spend the night at our apartment was just too much!! :) But we made it through all our appointments for the day and they went to pick them up from the stake center! (The drove the 2 hours with members from their ward) It was honestly one of the best moments so far! She might have even shed a little tear but shhhhh dont tell her I said anything! :) It was so good and just what the both of us needed! We were able to just talk and be together for like 18 hours is all but that was really all either of us needed! We have NO idea when we will see each other next so it was good! :) Plus it was Sister Steeles b-day so it was just a good day all around!!!

 

Sunday

Stake conference! it was really good! the saturday night session is when our recent convert spoke! I was SUPER nervous about that but he did a GREAT job!! I really wanted to make a sign to hold up cheering him on but I figured that would be a little irreverant! :) So I just told him afterwards!! :) Bu tthe sunday session was good!! :)  It seemed super long! But it was good!!! :) Pres and sis Wall spoke so that was good!! I am sooooooo sad that they are leaving!!! :( Really though! I am sad and  little scared about how strict this next president is going to be b/c pres wall is one of the most relaxed presidents! But we will see!! After atake conference I had to say goodbye to sister dixon! It was actually harder than I thought it was going to be and I am going through some withdrawals now!! :) I just love her so much! And we are just best friends! And it was like having a little taste of home for a bit! :) But I am grateful that i was able to see her fo rth short time that we did! :) But after that we went with the STL's and sister hill and sister weidmann (the plaquettes) and ate lunch at the Laupers! It was super super fun! like alot! You might want to check her blog because she took pics and said she was going to update it that night!! :) But after that we went and visited some less actives and then went home to finish our day with our studies!!

 

Today we are going to the Zoo as a district b/c its sister Hills bday today and it was siter steeles on satuday!! Yay for parties!! :)

 

I love you guys! I am doing really well, I am happy, and up until this weekend, I hadn't laughed so hard since we took flight going over those railroad tracks in Utah or that time when Max and Ethan threw tomatos all over the house!! :)

 

I pray for y'all everday!! I love you!!

 

Your favorite missionary