Friday, December 20, 2013

Transfer 6 in Louisiana

December 17, 2013

We had Zone Conference on Tuesday and it was awesome. (Side note- we were SO busy Monday we didn't have time to vacuum our our car so we took the floor mats inside and vacuumed them, but had to get a bunch of tape and go out and use that to clean the rest of the floor. It was miserable. I'm over that car.) We mostly went over what Elder Zwick taught us about simplifying and intensifying our lessons. In the middle we got to have a gift exchange, where you roll the dice and have to open the stuff with gloves, it was really funny. I thought they would do one where everyone got a gift but it was just a free for all. People were going crazy, using their teeth and punching boxes open and fighting over the gloves, it was quite the sight. At the very end of Zone Conference we all got mail from family! It was the best part, it was so good to hear from everyone that wrote, thank you! The testimonies really were the best part. I was cherishing every word, you can tell the conviction in a testimony even when just reading it. You know when the spirit feels kinda like a knife? That's how it felt in there. Everyone around me was crying, Dad's letter almost got me but it was just too happy to cry.
 
Sister White and I are together for another transfer! I am really happy. I'm a little traumatized from being torn from Sister Stevenson after training only one transfer. We have a lot of work to do. It's funny, everyone thought Sister Brimley and I were great together but it is even more so with Sister White. Like the AP's and President and everyone are just obsessed with our companionship, President only said like one thing to me personally at Conference and it was that he nicknamed us, "firecrackers, small, but powerful!" He is so funny.
 
Wednesday was exchanges and it was really fun, I went with Sister Jenkins who has been an STL since I've been here, so yeah, a long time! But I have never gotten to be her companion on an exchange til now! And she goes home tomorrow! It was interesting because we are a lot alike, which I never knew. We just have the same approach and teaching style. Also the spirit talks to us similarly. We talked about our difficulties discerning the spirit, ever good thought comes from the spirit, but there's a point where you have to draw the line. For example, the spirit tells me to talk to every person I see but I can't stop every 2 seconds on the way to an appointment I'm already late for. She is the only other Sister I've met who feels that way, she said she never quite figured it out but to remember that miracles will always inconvenience you. If you are in a hurry, if you are confused, if it's bold, then it probably needs to happen. The struggles of missionary life... haha
 
On Thursday we had a really strange day but it ended with us being able to go to Ruston to march in the Christmas parade! There were about 12 missionaries and most of us walked along the float. The float was Mary and Joseph and the manger (everyone wanted me to get inside... typical.) There was spiritual Christmas music playing. It was really good because all of the others were all about santa and had fun music, and ours was the only one that was about Jesus so people appreciated it. They also appreciated the hundreds of Joy to the World DVD's we passed out, and pass along cards with candy attached. It was the funnest. We were running to keep up and eating candy off the road as we went.
 
I don't know how much I have said about Tameka, on Monday we had Courtney come teach with us and they related so well! It was perfect! Courtney was just like, "Trust me! This is the BEST thing for your family!" She finally came to church too with her 4 kids this Sunday! It is never easy to take care of 4 young kids in sacrament meeting but she still enjoyed it so we are really excited. We had her and a bunch of returning members we have been working with come. Sister White and I taught Gospel Principles as usual and the lesson this week was on the Law of Chastity... We taught an entire hour about it, and survived!
 
One more exciting thing is that Sister Brimley got her Visa! She is either in Brazil right now, or still on the plane! Craaazy stuff, no one had gotten their Visa for so long it didn't seem like anyone's would ever come. It's a little scary because we got our calls on the same day and submitted our Visa stuff within days of each other. It has been really hard to take my language study seriously lately so it was a good wake up call and reminder that it could happen any day.
 
Miss y'aaaaaallllll! Hope those in Hawaii are having fun and that those that aren't are just as jealous as I am.
 
Sister Stevens
 
PS Send the questions you want me to answer on Christmas please or I won't know what to talk about!

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