Monday: We had a zone picnic day at the park. I wrote letters and spent time with the missionaries getting transferred. Sister Zeiner left our zone and I heard that she went back to Park City!! Also, we went to Brother Passey's and he helped my back again (it still hurts! What the heck!) We went to Nancy & Noelia's. And we met with Evgeniy at the park! Elder Pokrovski couldn't make it, and we didn't have our Russian cheat-sheets, so we just improvised. We are understanding more and more! (or so we think).. He wrote a tiny little Russian sentence in my journal, which I think means "I love you" and signed his name. He pointed to himself, blew a kiss, and pointed to me! That night, Sister Kiser and I made a giant farewell card for Elder Mayo, our zone leader who was getting transferred.
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| Elder Mayo! |
Tuesday: Sister Kiser and I picked up Sister Mackelprang to come to a teaching appointment with us. She is so good! She can hardly walk and hardly see, but she was the only one willing to come with us! I keep telling her that I think she will be "twinkled." We had a lesson with Nancy and she reported to us that she had been doing extra scripture homework assignments that she found in the pamphlets we gave her. So good! We got a new district leader-- Elder Connell!! He is perfect!! He has been in my district the whole time I've been in Cottonwood, so he's been the only one I've known consistently for 3 transfers. Sister Kiser and I got a text from the elders saying, "Guess who you're new district leader is?" Sister Kiser and I were screaming!
Ummm, we also found out that our former investigator (the 26-year-old) is in JAIL!!! Ohh boy.
Wednesday: Sister Kiser and I visited a Less Active who we heard had surgery recently. There she was in her yard, cleaning up pinecones! We asked if we could help, she said no, and we did it anyway. haha! She was so stubborn, but I was persistent! We helped her and she kept saying things like, "Go on now and do what you're supposed to do." I said, "This is what we do!" Mom, she reminded me so much of the lady on Pollyanna! ("You've got a stubby little nose, what do you think about that?" "I know it, I wish I were pretty like you!") We just talked to her and loved her to death. When we got done, our hands were SO sticky!
We asked to go inside and wash our hands and she said Ok. Then I asked if we could share a message and she said, "Be quick about it." hahhaa. So we did, and she was so stubborn! but I could just tell that she loved it.
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| Sticky fingers |
Nancy had her baptismal interview! And she did so great!
We had dinner with the Dansen family and their little girl was so adorable!! She was like 4 years old and demanded that I sit by her, and then she kept kissing my arm! Sister Kiser was giving the spiritual thought and asked the little boy what his favorite person in the Book of Mormon was and the little girl whispered to me, "You're my favorite in the Book of Mormon"... !!!!
We finally met up with this family we have been trying to get in touch with forever! It went well! The ward missionaries went with us, just to drop by, and they were so receptive.
Thursday: Elder Connell conducted his first district meeting! The Spirit was so strong! He used a lot of scriptures, which I love! We had district lunch at this place called Noodles. Mmm!
That night, we had a crazy lesson with the Boyak family and the Gautneys (Nancy & Noelia). It was absolutely gongshow, but we played this fun Gospel game and the girls all loved it.
Friday: For the first time on my whole mission, I was asked to leave someone's property! We were tracting and this lady answered the door and was talking about energy making the world work and naturalism, etc etc, and I told her that everything works out so perfectly because of Heavenly Father! She said, "Now you are arguing with me and I have to ask you to leave my property." haha. Oh bother.
We did service for this really sweet lady who had just gotten home from dialysis. We helped her upstairs because she was so weak and we cut her some cucumbers. We weeded her yard and shared a message with her. She said she doesn't go to church anymore because of her lack of energy but said that she missed hearing the hymns.. so we sang for her! Out of key and not the best, we sang, "Be Still My Soul" at her request. She was so grateful.
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| Scavenger hunt |
Sister Kiser and I did a scavenger hunt for Nancy!! I can't wait to send the pictures. It was so so cute and fun! Nancy loved it! We had a scripture on each card and a little hint, pointing her in the direction of the next clue. At the end of the hunt, she was in the chapel, and found a little bag of treats and a card congratulating her on her baptism. We just wanted to do something fun and get her excited for her baptism the next day. She loved it and felt so special! I love service!
That night, we had dinner with the Lees. They planned on going to a teaching appointment with us after dinner, but the appt. cancelled, so we asked them where they thought we could go instead. So Brother Lee took us to a Less Active couple that he hometeaches! We never would have gotten in without him! I just love member missionaries!
Saturday: We attended a very last-minute-planned surprise party for Elder Connell! His companion, Elder Andrus, kept saying, "Do you know how hard it is to plan a surprise party for your companion??!" haha! He did so great though! We went with Allie Eggbert, an 18-year-old member who we invited to come with us for the afternoon. We snuck in the church building, saw Elder Andrus and asked him where Elder Connell was. He said he didn't know, but then we heard Elder Connell whistling down the hallway, and so we all hid (Sister Kiser, Allie, and I). They ran into the gym, but I didn't have time, so I hid behind the couch. Elder Connell came in and was talking to Elder Andrus, and then turned around and I was laughing so hard, and he saw me! I said, "Surprise!" And the other 2 jumped out. A few minutes later, the rest of the district showed up so we made Elder Connell leave and pretend he still didn't know. Everyone hid and Elder Connell came walking down the hallway again and we all Surprised him! haha. It's a secret that we double-surprised him!
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| Surprise! |
We had a really great day with Allie!! We met up with the family we had seen on Wednesday again, and we played Memory on the lawn. Two of them aren't baptized and agreed to let us come back and teach them!!! Wooo!
When we dropped Allie off she told us that she really looks up to us! She said that the first time I had come over with Sister Summerhays, that she really felt the Spirit and it was then that she decided she wanted to go on a mission!! Wooo!! Inspiration!
That night, we had Nancy's baptism!! YAYAYAYAYAY. It was so so good and I absolutely love her and I love that family forever!! They are so special to me.
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| Nancy's baptism!! |
Sunday: We went to Nancy's confirmation. She was glowing.
We went to dinner at this professional chef's house. He announced every item on the menu and Sister Kiser and I were like, Whaaaat. There were a ton of people there! He handmade pasta and made this giant fruit trifle. Let me set the scene of the next events.. So, we are all finished eating our dinners. Sister Kiser and I are preparing to share a spiritual thought, and suddenly, we hear music playing on overhead speakers. Softly at first, and then louder and louder. Cool, we say, music for our spiritual thought. But no. The sister and brother are standing at the end of the table, staring at the wall behind everyone, like they are getting ready to perform. And suddenly. She begins to sing. And then he joins. A duet. They are singing opera. Loud! It was sooo random! And then she did a solo. And then him. It was absolutely crazy. Don't get me wrong, they were good singers, but it was just so unexpected!
That night, we ran into a Return Missionary on the street, talked to him for a minute, and then told him we had to go to a lesson. He asked if we needed a member to come with us and we said, Sure! So he ran in and changed and then followed behind us in his car! It was such a great lesson! I never want to go home, but if I ever have to, the missionaries are going to be so annoyed with me because I want to just do missionary things with them!
Well, it was a nice week. I am never leaving Utah. Sorry, mom. I love you sooo muchhh!!
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| Dog on the roof! What the world?! |
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