July 29: Summer Heat

This may be short because we are at the library and it is busy today. They have a one hour time limit and I forgot to write President S. last week so I had to write him a really good letter to start this week.

 

We had interviews this week which was really really good. I loved getting to visit with the Sch... (mission presidents) and it turns out they gave us the new guidelines for clothes that say we don't have to wear nylons, our skirts just have to cover our knees when we sit ( I will stick with the longer ones, we move around too much and what do you wear on your feet if not knee highs? the sockettes come right off your heel) and they don't require solid, conservative colors.

 

I have been really hyper the last couple of nights. If I didn't know any better I would say that cirque de soleil blew through our apartment based on the running around and stringing of my body through hula hoops. They told us this last week that there are seven prepared investigators in every area at all times so of course I went off on this Harry Potter Horcruxes thing and got really excited. We Will find them. When I get home I will write the discourses on how HP relates to the Gospel. Anyway, my mind has been all over the place and it is sometimes hard for me to sit down and focus all of my thoughts into a sensible outline.

 

Last Friday night we knocked on the door of a Less active, Brother Johnson. He was so nice and showed us part of his five acre backyard that needs a lot of work. His wife died four years ago and he and his son took it pretty hard. He hasn't been to church in about twelve years but he still has a testimony. We set an appointment with him and went back yesterday. He said that his son had been upstairs when we came and wished he's come down because he thinks they should go back to Church. Bro J agreed and so we are trying to schedule an appointment with both of them where we can help them and provide support. So exciting. That is the very brief version but I am constantly in awe of the Lord. He prepared them and then through our efforts we were able to be led to their home at this time. He matched us up and it is so cool. Nothing that we said or did had anything to do with it but they were prepared and when the Spirit came to their home they recognized it and decided to act. I am so excited about it and not to mention I held his machine gun because he was used to having the elders come around in the past and so he was used to talking to them about such things. Anyway, we took Sister Stohl for lunch yesterday and he bought us all sandwiches and really needed the company. We had so much fun and he talked about going to Vietnam and cried and it was just an up and down wonderful appointment. I can't wait to see them at Church.

 

On Saturday it was the hottest day ever and somehow we always find ourselves outside on those days. We were walking around an apartment complex but the power was out for the whole block because people's AC was on too high. It's funny what the Lord allows you to do for the sake of missionary work.

 

On Sunday we had Church which was excellent. I really am dreading whatever is going to happen this transfer. I shoudn't even say that but I really don't want things to change. Even though I have been stressed out about taking care of two units I don't want to give either of them up. I am going to be friends with all these YSA's when we are all out at BYU. They are the sweetest.

That night we had dinner with the McNaughtons which was really fun and I talked to Nelson about the Phone Call. I was laughing so hard thinking about it and thinking about "putting her at ease" See Alli for the reference.

After that we went and helped a recent convert that hasn't been coming to Church with her eviction notice and talked to her for a while. She has had such a change of heart and I really hope to see her out at Church. It was sad but really good and I am so excited that she wants to make changes in her life.

 

On Monday we had District Meeting and it was hysterical. I feel bad sometimes that I'm not more mature but put me in a room with Elders and I lose it. We were doing role play and Elder Moody and I had the whole room in stitches. (Colton's cousin). We were trying to work on specific teaching skills but by the end everyone was just watching us and laughing so hard. Ooops.

After that we went around to some LA YSA's in the area and invited them to this big munch and mingle that we are having on August 8. It was really good, it was kind of like a scavenger hunt picking up phone numbers, new addresses, and clues about these people. I like that kind of thing. We were able to talk to a guy from another ward who seems like he's really interested in coming and bringing friends. Awesome.

That night we were able to have FHE at the home of Ahmad and Jayne Corbitt. Look him up, he does PR for the church in New York and he's more than a big deal. He was one of three people to talk to HBO about big love and he knows anyone. I am still surprised that ya'll don't know Pres. Sikahema. He's on ESPN. Anyway, the FHE was really really neat and spiritual and I didn't want to leave but we had to go early because of our early bed time.

 

Tuesday we got to help Sister Bonacci (reminds me a lot of Alli) paint her house. She went on a mission and we had a lot of fun talking and talking about missions. I was so glad to get to do some service. That night we had dinner with Sister Corbitt and it kind of changed my life. She is Pres. Corbitt's wife, if you need a review, and so she eats with dignitaries and women with PHD's and the whole bit. She was telling us how she knew that after her initial degree and serving a mission (she was baptized at 21) that she needed to be a mom instead of continue with school. She said that it can be hard at times to sit with those women and have them ask her what she's done with her life when she knows that she is capable of doing what they have in their degrees. But she says that she is so sure that her calling was to be a mother and that she doesn't regret a day of it. 

 

We were able to teach Dan and Crystal again yesterday with a sweet RM that went to Hillcrest and is out here selling security systems. We called Spencer on Tuesday to ask him if he would come teaching with us and between when we asked him and when he called us back we decided to teach the law of chastity. When he called back I answered and told him the scoop about their address and everything and then realized I needed to tell him what we were teaching. I flipped through my planner and saw the words and it came out all awkward and then I hung up the phone and just yelled, "the law of chastity?!? Why did we bring him for the law of chastity?!" It was weird because they are a dating couple and when we got there she was in a spaghetti strap and short shorts. I hope he comes with us again. It's hard to explain it better than that but just know that we thought it was pretty funny.

 

That was a better email than I thought you were getting. I think the heat is making me crazy. CAn you believe that it is going to be August in two days?! I can't. Thank you for supporting me and loving me and taking care of me.  

July 22: Greetings from Your Jersey Girl

I can tell already that my brain is scattered so forgive me if this is all over the place. Sometimes I bet you think I'm crazy because you contrast my writing from week to week and I don't always write in the same style or format but I probably don't notice the difference as much as you do. You'll have to forgive me based on the fact that my brain is responsible for holding on to four missionaries worth of information because there were four missionaries that knew the ward and the branch and it's dropped to just me. Those are quite the odds. It will be two of us knowing soon. I hope. So, disclaimers aside, here we go.

 

Last Thursday I skipped out on ya'll because we were going to the Colliers. They made us lunch and showed me how to bake bread and snails (not actual snails). It was a really fun day and I walked away with some really yummy recipes for homemade oatmeal, the aforementioned items, etc. Not to mention their company is darling and they let us do their laundry there for free. It was a really fun day and I wish that I had Sister Pallas' camera cord still because I have no way to connect my pictures to the computer. I don't know that we'll get any printed today but I am building up a wealth so get excited.

 

On Friday we finally got back to Pitman Manor where I could see my darling friend Ruth. I don't think I told you but we always visit her and we couldn't go one week because of meetings or something and we went back the next week and she'd had a stroke. She was talking really quietly and wasn't herself and it kind of broke our hearts. What makes me sad is that was the last time Sister Pallas saw her. She is doing slightly better and the bruising on her hands is healed but it was so sad and seeing her racks me up a few extra notches on the tenderness scale now. Anyhow, it was good to see her last week but sad because she talks about how she is going to get out of there someday and we can kind of tell that that won't happen. That night we got to eat with the Applegates who are an older couple that live in a trailer home community and could hardly be cuter. They also have a cat named Chessie who looks dead when she sleeps because her stomach caves in like the cat in Hocus Pocus. After he's been run over. I am going to take a picture of it before I leave.

 

We've walked around a lot even in the heat. On Tuesday we tracted for five hours but somehow you get going and you just deal with it. No complaints, my clothes are holding up well and I figure we only have one more month of the heat. But everybody has said that this is the worst summer they can remember and that it never gets this hot for this long this early. So I've been here for a remarkable winter and summer. 

 

I have loved going to Church twice, I am really going to miss it when things change. I don't know what is going to happen come this next transfer but I am really hoping that I get to stay here. Either way the cute college girls are going to go home at the end of the summer so maybe if I left the area I wouldn't have to be so sad. A mission teaches you the meaning of bittersweet. I can't tell you how cute I think the YSA's are and how much I wish I could be one of them. It is so cute to see what they do together for FHE and how close they are as a unit. We are working with the presidency to bring people into it because if it doesn't grow it may get dissolved. I look at the people in it and think, "I'll go out and work hard and talk to everybody so that you can have someone to marry!" I love them and want more people to be able to take part in it.

 

As far as the ward, the Bishop has been out of town as well as the ward mission leader as well as Sister McNaughton and I am thrilled that they are all back. We have been working so hard but I really need their guidance and I'm grateful that I feel like my support system is back. I have had so much responsibility on my shoulders for the last few weeks and I hope that I've down alright and that I am keeping us afloat the way that I should be. I love these people and I want to do everything I can for them so I get worried when I feel like things depend on what I do or don't do.

 

My companion and I are having a lot of fun together and we get along really well. We have been laughing our heads off lately. The other night we only got watermelon for dessert and being that we are crazy fatties and have to have ice cream sometimes, we got in the car and discussed such sentiments and then on our way to our next stop we saw the Mr. Softee truck. Maybe we did chase it down and wave out the windows trying to stop him. But let me tell you, Mr. Softee is not messing around. They have a soft serve machine in the truck and they put it on the cone and dip it in chocolate fresh right there. When they make their ice cream sandwich they get two cookies and put the soft serve between them. It is so good. I got the chocolate dipped cone and loved every bit of it. Believe it or not I am getting rid of the weight. But I get to splurge a little here and there or I'll go crazy and give up. Anyway, we are having lots of fun and during companion study today I had to turn around and face the other way when we were reading in Preach My Gospel because I had been laughing so hard I was crying. I still kind of have a headache. Sister Sasser is really obedient and I've learned a lot from her about how to talk to people better at their doors and on the streets and I've seen improvements in the progress that we make with people based on approaching them better. That is the tough thing, you learn more and more and wish you'd known it sooner.

 

In Church on Sunday the Colliers spoke and Brother Collier told us a story about how they were visiting his mother in law and he said, "do you want to hear an old people joke?" and she said, "all old people are a joke." I rather enjoyed that. Last night while meeting with the branch president he was telling us about a situation that one of the members is living in and he was trying to describe his roommate. He told us that the roommate bought some body spray called "be cool" and had been spraying it around the room as a form of air conditioning.

July 15: A New Companion

I'll go ahead and let you down early because this letter won't be as illustrious as usual. We are going to the Colliers today because the very first day I was in the mission they made me get up and say what I liked and I said I like to bake. Then after the meeting in the foyer Elder Collier told me that if I ever served in their area they would have me over to bake a loaf of bread. (they are in their 70's and darling). So today is finally that day because Sister Pallas and I were always running around like crazies on Preparation day trying to see and do everything we wanted to. 

This week was a good one and time is flying. I can't believe that this transfer is almost a third of the way over. I can't even remember Sister Pallas' voice and our world here together vaporized and now so quickly it became me and Sister Sasser's. I am glad to say that I haven't been as sad as I thought I do really miss my little buddy. People say that you don't know who your best friends are until you go on your mission and find them and I kind of believe that. But I don't think they have to replace you just graft them in. Anyhow, I miss her but Sister Sasser and I get along Really well. We were so instantly ourselves and just kind of fell into stride.

 

Things that I saw this week: Step Up 3D poster. I have no other words about it.

Things you should read: Change your questions, change your life by Elder Nelson's 2nd wife ______ Watson Nelson. Really really neat from what I've been told.

    Ensign p. 28  "and their wives" Just read it and look for it, I didn't really prepare well to quote it but I always like when the wives get props.

 

Let me review the week in my mind really quick so I don't forget anything important. Hmm...So last Thursday we ran to Target and then went home and my companion realized she had a fever so she went to sleep basically until Friday late morning. You can only imagine how crazy I went in the apartment by myself for all those hours. It's on film so look forward to that. It was really really weird to be alone and have all that time to do who knows what. I wrote letters during the prep day hours and then organized and cleaned out a bunch of papers and then worked on some projects that I'd been wanting to start. I felt really productive and it was nice but I wanted to get out by the end. The next morning we couldn't go to Pitman Manor and see my Ruth so that broke my heart a little bit. Did I tell you that she gave us a bunch of fabric the week before? She is the sweetest and I can't wait until I can see her tomorrow!

The next day we were able to teach Theresa finally! She kept her appointment and we had Sister Algecera with us. It went really well and I just love Sister A so much. She is sweeter than honey and you can't really imagine how sweet until you see her. She sometimes reminds me of Molly Weasley too. We had a lot of really good member presents this week and we were able to go back and teach Theresa on Tuesday and it sounds like she's really on track with what she wants in her life, it is just a matter of getting out to Church without her boyfriend stopping her from taking the kids there. He doesn't stop her from meeting with us but I guess they go to another Church and I don't know, she'll be there. She'll get there.

 

This week has been fun for me because I have gotten to take Sister Sasser around and show her to all of my treasures. I am like Horace Slughorn in that I collect people. I have so many jewels in my pocket from my mission and I love the people here. Let me tell you about another jewel that has sparkled forth in the past week.

Alice Stohl: her daughter, husband, and five kids have been living here in our ward for a couple years while husband does residency and they have gone to North Carolina for four months. She has raised her six kids, seen them all married and is living in the house alone for the next four months to read, explore, and write her life history. She has brought all of her journals and scrapbooks, sold her home in Idaho and is drifting until she gets it all finished. Mom would Love her setup. She went on a mission a few years ago to Canada and she totally gets it so she is coming teaching with us whenever we ask her. She also had us over for dinner last night and had picked up some fresh fruit and vegetables (she sent us home with 2/3's of them) and made up a fresh salad for us. I was in heaven. I was so enchanted being able to set and talk with her about her life, about her choices, about her children, about each of our individual growth. She has an open invitation to us at all times and said if we ever need dinner to call her and she will make sure that we are taken care of. You would tear up if you could see what a little sweetheart she is. I am so happy that she is here and that we get to be her best friends right now. She is great to teach with and I am so thrilled. Can you Tell!?

I am also falling more and more in love with the YSA branch because they are adorable. They are this little group of friends that bands together and comes out for all the activities. They are trying to stay strong and doing such a good job living up to their standards. There is one girl who reminds me so much of Sam. She goes to BYU and I already decided that I am rooming with her when I get back. I'll tell her sometime.. The girls in the branch are so excited to have Sisters and none of them have gone out teaching so we are involving them and they are loving it. We taught the 10 commandments to Dan and Crystal this week and had Lysa along with us and she did so great. I was glad that she spoke up and bore testimony and provided really good insight as we talked to them about deciding to be baptized. They are still praying for an answer but they want to live the commandments and they committed to so I know their hearts are in it. They will keep looking and they will get that answer.

 

We also were able to teach Sam and Jessica twice since I last wrote and they are planning to get baptized possibly on August 21. They just have to see if their grandpa can come out that weekend and baptize them. I am so excited! We had Sister Nieves and her girls Bibi and Maria come with us to teach them the 10 commandments which was so fun. There was an Elder in the mission who was really talented with watercolors and painting. He made up a picture of hand signs for the 10 commandments (I'll be sending a copy home next week) and so we used those to help the girls memorize them. It was a really good lesson and I am getting better at asking questions and discussing and not just talking at people. It is hard because normally when I have presented spiritual material it's a scripture and then your testimony, you don't usually ask for understanding but as a missionary you really have to draw them out and get them talking. It's neat when you do and then they hear their own testimony as they respond.

 

I have been thinking this week some things I want to share. Because you know that I put a lot of pressure on myself, you probably know that I expected myself to be some super human by the time this was over, radiant with charisma and perfect at articulating with no fear of anything or anyone. A third of the way in I'm realizing that I haven't gotten a third of the way to that goal. And talking with Sister Stohl I thought more and more about how there are going to be lots of things that I will fight through my whole life. I can acquire patience here but that doesn't mean I will never be impatient or that I'm a failure if I am. I just am realizing that our whole life we are climbing up this ladder toward eternal life and all the while there are noxious weeds wrapping themselves around our ankles. The better we become and the stronger our testimony is the sharper our sword (pronounced swore-d) becomes and the better we are at hacking them away. But as soon as we do, a different one grabs us and we have a new problem to worry about or attribute to attain. And that's ok. We just have to keep hacking. I think that when the end of this life comes those things won't have a grasp on us and we'll float up with as much momentum as we were using to propel ourselves through this life. I've just realized that all life really is is gaining the desire and the tools to keep fighting. We have to want it and we have to be willing to keep doing everything we can to attain it. Does that make any sense? Does anything I ever write you make sense?

 

Well, I love you all. That is what I'm thinking about today and also thinking about the humidity. My brown shoes got soaked in the rain yesterday and today they aren't the slightest bit dryer. I am worried about how they are going to come out because the results of other rain storms have not been easy on them. I'll let you know how they do.

July 8: Happy Birthday America

Do you know how patriotic the East coast is? I know that we celebrate holidays and everything but there have been red white and blue things up since April. I am really proud of that. I am also really proud to be out here where there is so much American history. Where it all started. I love my mission. I love serving here and knowing that it was made to fit me. I see the Lord's love in so much of what and who is around me.

 

Last Wednesday we got a mini missionary that was taught and baptized by the Spanish Elders in December. And she already wanted to come out with us! She was really quiet so I hope that she had fun because she didn't want to talk during lessons but we were able to get some of her interests out of her and talk to her about her family. I hope that she still wants to go after being with us.

 

Thursday we got to meet President Schaefermayer and his sweet wife. People, they were incredible. While we were sitting there listening to them I had such an overwhelming feeling of love for them and I knew they were here for me. I know that I am going to connect with them and love serving with them. But I'll be honest in telling you the details of our first meeting. Where to begin... We had an appointment before our meeting but we left time to be there fifteen minutes early so that we could hopefully meet and mingle beforehand. To keep a long drive short I will tell you that we arrived at our destination fifteen minutes after the meeting was supposed to have started. I had my blazer in the back seat because it was too hot to wear all day so we get out and go tearing across the parking lot while i'm trying to button myself and get everything together. We get to the GLASs doors and step inside to be greeted by a very calm President Schaefermayer who I'm sure wanted to just laugh at us. I try to cool down my embarrassed cheeks and give him a nice greeting and then step aside to ask Elder Morales what time the meeting was starting. He said in fifteen minutes. Turns out the zone leaders lied to us all because they were afraid that we would be late. Thank you? So I go flying to the bathroom to straighten myself up and get composed and when I throw the door back who should be in there but Sister Schaefermayer. Also very sweet and quietly washing her hands. Someday I won't be such a disaster. I gave her a hug and did some fast excited talking and she was probably relieved to be able to leave the room. That aside I think things went really well. I can't express how excited I am to work with and get to know them. They are darling and so in love with each other and I can tell that she is missing her kids and that it is hard to be away from them. I am so excited to have a zone conference with them and spend the rest of my mission under their care. 

 

This next part I will skim over because the details will make me sad. Very unexpectedly Sister Pallas got called Friday night and told that she was being transferred. We bawled and then got to packing and finishing up some of the projects that we had started together but I am really sad about it. I'm ok now but I felt that so much was left undone and I was looking forward to so much with her. I'm grateful she was transferred then though because if we'd been together another transfer I can't imagine being separated. Tender mercy in disguise. Her new companion is adorable and I know that she will be just fine. I tried to reassure her because she was scared to leave her first area and me but I promised her it would be ok and that she didn't have to make herself sad just because it seemed like we were supposed to be sad. I told her to just open her heart to her new companion and new area and I know that she'll love it there too. But her leaving meant that we spent the weekend saying goodbye to people which is a hard thing to do.

 

We went to visit Donna who is the most incredible lady. I told you about her before and how she let us in, fed us, gave us water, visited with us, etc. We went back a second time to thank her which I think I told you and then we went back Saturday so that Sister Pallas could say goodbye. She fed us crackers and told us that she had been so worried about us out there in the heat. Then she said, "come by this week and teach me so that you don't have to walk around in it too much." We taught her the Restoration the first time that we were there and we really wanted to teach her about eternal families so this seems like our shot. We have to take an approach that allows it to be on her terms and as her friend but we are able to get a lot of teaching in and we committed her to watch Finding Faith in Christ before we came back. She is trying to move to North Carolina because she feels called to go there and I bet that she is being called there as a preparation to join the Church. I love her so much and feel so much peace in her home. She is more than prepared and I know that as we continue to teach her that the Spirit will keep giving her those positive feelings. I wish you could meet her, she is wonderful. Get this, she said, "I'm so happy you came by, I get these pet catalogs and I use the cat one but I wanted to give you the dog one just so you could look through it." AH!!!!! She kept saying, "Oh I was thinking about you girls when I..." or "I saw this and was thinking how you'd love it..." She also gives us hugs and says, "this is a mother's hug because I know how proud they are of you and they would do this if they could." Wow.

 

Did I tell you about Maddie last week? We hadn't taught her yet but we've taught her twice now and she is also wonderful. We met her a while back and as soon as the Elders over the branch told us that we would be taking over I couldn't wait to pounce and take over teaching her. MJ grew up in the Sewell ward (my ward) and just left on his mission and in April he referred Maddie to the missionaries. To keep it simple it was really meant to be and he did a lot of teaching her with the Elders before he went on his mission and the Elders left the area. A third friend from that graduation class, Emily Carr got baptized last year and so now she is there at every appointment and I love being able to see her strength and the depth of her conversion. I also know that Maddie was meant to have sisters teach her, at least for a time. Yesterday her and Emily both cried during the lesson and it was so filled with the Spirit. Maddie wants to be 100% sure before she joins the Church but she is working toward finding that answer and the Spirit taught me some pretty neat things as it spoke to her through my mouth yesterday. I am grateful that we are all getting closer and learning together. I was also glad that Emily seemed to gain an answer to some of her prayers through what was said yesterday as well. It has been so fun meeting with them and also challenged me because I am talking pretty much to my peers and I want to help them weather this time in their lives as best I can.

 

We also get to teach Dan and Crystal who are YSA age. They are progressing really well and I think that they will decide to get baptized soon. They are praying for an answer and they have so much faith. When we were teaching them we asked if they'd prayed about it and they were so patient about understanding that the answer wasn't guaranteed to come the first time they asked and they said they will keep reading and praying. I want them to choose it together and then get married. Dan's mom just got baptized in April three days before I got here. That is when the missionaries started teaching them. Liz is the sweetest and has been a really good influence. Dan describes the way he felt at the baptism as this really good "energy." He also talks about feeling it at Church and when we're there. That, my friend, is called the Spirit. 

 

Sam Casey should be back in town and we are teaching them tomorrow night. She is the one who brought her mom back to Church and really wants to get baptized. I am so excited to keep teaching them and to see her mom growing stronger in her testimony again. I hope that they can get to Utah soon because her grandpa lives there and she wants him to baptize her. 

 

Kristina, Max, and Brandon returned from their vacation out to see her member boyfriend in California so that the boys could meet his girls. We had a Spirit filled lesson with them on Saturday and the boys said they want to get baptized! We weren't sure if Brandon was going to hang in there and really want to do it or if he'd lean toward his loyalty to his dad but he said he wants to! So now they have to get their father's permission and figure out when Kristina's boyfriend can come out here and baptize her. She thinks October. Yeah, it shoves, but at least they are working toward it. We are going to keep teaching them and cocoon them so that nothing pulls them away from their desire to do it. I am so excited and I hope that we can continue to build a support system around them. I also hope that we can impress upon them that it is a life commitment, eternal commitment if we're being honest but what I mean is that they have to come to Church forever and read their scriptures, pray, and do it all for the rest of life, not just leading up to baptism. That is going to be the goal, to fix their sights beyond baptism but to help them understand that baptism is an important and urgent gate to pass through.  

 

Monday we had transfer meeting and it was run really differently than I was used to. They didn't tell Sister Pallas where she was going until we got there, they just tell you to pack up. It used to work that the Mission President would call you Saturday night to tell you where you were going and who you were with. Then you would have three hours Tuesday morning to pack and you would report to transfer meeting via a ride with a member on Wednesday. Then you would have Preparation day so you could actually go get groceries etc. Now it works that you get a call Sunday night and you just show up Monday morning. By some miracle we got the call Friday so Sister Pallas could say some goodbyes. But you get to the meeting and they separate you to either side of the chapel. One side is those staying and the other side is those moving. They flash the staying missionary's pic on the screen and then flash their new companion up there. You walk up in front of everyone and hug then go back to your seat. After everyone is done you say a closing prayer and leave. We used to do it that they would have the leaving missionary's bear their testimony, the new missionary's would introduce themselves, and then we'd watch a 20 pictures slideshow for each departing missionary. It was really sad to not even acknowledge them. It also didn't have the reference of a testimony meeting because the Elders would go flying up there and pick each other up and body slam when they got paired with their companion. I hope that they adopt some of our traditions. I can't imagine being in President Schaefermayer's shoes right now trying to sort through all of those details. I truly can't imagine.

 

My new companion is Sister Sasser from Blackfoot Idaho. She has been out nine months and I am glad to not have the most experience. I am thrilled to be able to ask questions and work alongside her. We get along really naturally and I was immediately myself around her. I didn't really feel the transition as much as I thought I would. We are teaching with a lot of unity and I look forward to this transfer. I am excited to get to know each other better and I can tell that she wants to work hard. We both have a conscience that doesn't allow us to break rules and not be constantly working so I am grateful for that because most other things can be worked out.

  

I will now proceed to walk away and think of everything that I wish I'd written. That is always the nature of Preparation day. Ah yes, dinner with the Hoffmans last night (my favs). We went to Friendly's which was unexpected because she always cooks really healthy good food that is usually grown in her garden. But nonetheless, the two of them and four kids was a riot as always. They both ended up eating their kids desserts after their own to keep them from melting and then looked at each other and said, "we're such good parents" while laughing and rolling their eyes. Then Brother Hoffman said, "We've really been eating out a lot lately honey" and Sister Hoffman looks up at him with daggers in her eyes and says, "what was that dear?!" He repeated himself and she starts laughing and said that what she heard was, "You've really been putting it down lately honey." So funny. We are going to visit them when we make the rounds as a family, that is for darn sure. I love the people here. and I love the people there. You are the best. Thank you for your support. I pray for you every day.