Alright turkeys, let's talk about the week.
We have a new woman to teach named Roberta that we contacted Monday and then taught Tuesday. She has questions about the trinity so that is going to be the next thing that we cover. She has a one month old little girl that has the prettiest black skin and curly black hair. I can hardly stand to be in the same room with her and not hold her. She dressed her up on Tuesday for our appointment. Oh my word, they're both beautiful.
We went on Wednesday to visit Cameron who is dying of Leukemia. She was told two weeks ago that she has two weeks to two months left. She is incredible. She is so intellectual and intelligent. She joined the Church last spring and understands it intellectually but desires so badly to understand it in her heart. I am so humbled and touched by having this amazing woman with a colorful life looking to me with so much innocence wondering how she can feel Christ more fully in her heart. I love being with her and it is hard to know that she is so fragile. She isn't supposed to have contact but she always says she'll risk it to give us a hug. What a tender time to be here.
That night we helped set up the Church for the Thanksgiving dinner. We went with the Howards and the elders to put up chairs and tables and decorate. You can imagine that I loved using my party skills for something.
Thanksgiving:
We got up and got ready and then cooked a turkey. That's right, we were responsible for one of the dinner turkeys. Then we didn't have appointments and they had told us not to go tracting or impose on family time so we just got to spend some extra time getting ready and preparing for the day. It was really nice to take some time and do my hair differently just for fun. It felt like such a luxury. When we got to the Church we got put on turkey carving duty. Our cambodian brother came up to help me and had that meat just gliding off the bird. I will never carve again.
The dinner was nice and there were a lot of people that came. None of our investigators made it sadly because we had been planning on several but we were able to enjoy being with the Kinderman children (the ones that I love that throw food and are crazy little boys). After we stayed until the bitter end and helped clean up and then just sat around with Sister Sasser and Sister Jeffrey for a bit and talked. It felt really good to have some time to relax.
Friday we had District meeting and then planning. That night we got to eat dinner with the Coulters who feel like people from home. She is from Idaho and it's obvious. I really enjoyed being with them and I think I really needed the time to talk with her as we helped clean up. After that we were able to teach Nick and Anthony again which went well. We got there with Sister Howard before their mom got there so we were able to get to know Anthony better and let him play a little Smoke on the Water with his Gibson Les Paul. We had a strong Plan of Salvation lesson and I think that he is really taking to our teachings. I'm excited about their future.
Saturday night was awesome. I was so happy and having so much fun in our lessons. We got to teach Paul and Angela an incredible Plan of Salvation lesson. As we taught and as Paul asked questions he just kept saying, "see, and that makes so much sense!" I love those when you can hardly feed them information fast enough and when their questions just lead right in to the next thing. Their little girl Holly was running around being hilarious the whole time and we definitely made friends that night. I need to get a picture with them to show you. At one point I was sitting on my chair and Holly came up and put her hands on my thighs and then reared back with a sneeze and shot snot onto my skirt. Mmmm...
After their lesson we went with Sister Allen the Relief Society president to teach Stephanie and her kids. I got the "job" which I would spell j o Y of playing with Joryn during the lesson. He is adorable and I love him. When I try to whisper something to him he gets really close and pushes his ear up against my mouth. He is four and amazing. We were playing and then I would chime into the lesson and then at the end we were looking for the pieces of the lesson that he had taken and hid on my lap and he couldn't find them so he lifted up my skirt and looked for them! Oh children.
Our next lesson was with Michael and Mandy who I love so much. We have to give them to the Elders this week and I am so sad. We have a joke about sneaking up on them when they are out on the balcony smoking and so this time we went around the other way so that we could actually scare them. They weren't out there but me being me it sounded like a good idea to scale the balcony. So I pulled a Robin Hood and climbed up. I was teetering back and forth and realize I was right in Michael's view but by some miracle he didn't see me. We both make it up and then I walk up to the door and about give him a heart attack when he does finally realize I was there. It was so funny. So now we come and go over the balcony. I know, such a lady. But that is what I love about them, they warmed up to us because we have just been so ourselves and Mandy said last night, "you're the reason that he has taken to it because with the last missionaries he didn't want anything to do with it but we like you." (While she was saying this I was thinking that the Book of Mormon, the Spirit, and the timing are the difference but you don't argue with someone who wants to get baptized). Anyway, it feels so good to just feel totally like myself and to see that my personality has been used for good. They nicknamed me Blondie the Super Pirate. Too long to explain.
Yesterday at Church my little friend Grace came and sat by me to tell me about her first time to the temple on Friday with her family. She is the one who made a missionary doll when we came over for lunch. She had on a skirt and a matching pin that she had made herself. She is adorable. I love her so much.
Last night we were able to teach Mandy and Michael again, I have so much fun with them and with Sister Speakman, Mandy's mom. I am going to miss them so much! I don't want them to move.
I am so grateful to you family for all the of the happy memories that I have with you. I am so blessed to have something wonderful to think about in my hard moments. I have been having to conjure up a lot of those great memories in order to fire my patronus and I'm lucky that I have such a wealth to draw from. You all mean more to me than you know. I was having a hard time the other day so I pulled out your videos from back when I was in the MTC (see why I need to keep things) and it really helped to see you all. Even if you were really different then. Can you believe that it has been so long? I really can't. I love you so much. Thank you for making my birthday special from afar.
