Your handwritten letter written your first week came in the mail later in the afternoon after we emailed with you that first Monday, so we do have it.
Questions! Okay, I'm glad the letter got there.
Where are the other 2 sisters in your apartment from?
Was the photo of you holding the sign in the parking lot of your apartment? I think it was.
The picture of the sign was indeed in the parking lot outside our apartment.
The mission Facebook page said you would be finding on Labor Day. What did you do, did you do a special activity or go tracting?
On Labor Day we just went tracting. It was awful until it wasn't.
How many people in the ward and at church if there are 10 companionships of missionaries? Are there a lot of inactives for you to work with or does the ward just cover such a large geographic area that there is room for 10 areas.
Recently there are more members, maybe 200 or so. However, there are hundreds of less actives, and recently our district has developed a system to go find them all and figure out their situation. The ward would split if they had more priesthood holders. 10 companionships is a lot, and some of us share areas, which is just confusing and kind of frustrating.
Last week you said you did not have a whole lot to write but the first week you had too much. You can go back and tell us about the first week or tell us how has your experience changed from when you first got there?
I think I have a bit more to write about this week, but I can try to look back sometime and reflect on a change.
Are you still studying Russian?
Cooper says they are trying to arrange phone calls with other missionaries from his district so they can practice Portuguese.
I still study Russian in the mornings. Mostly I read out loud from the Book of Mormon. Did I not write to you about how a family in the ward speaks Russian? The wife is from Russia, and the husband used to teach Russian at the MTC. He's called us Russian speakers in the ward (me, Elder B_, and Elder Ba_) and done a conference call Russian review.
Are you cooking dinners? Do you need recipes?
Do I cook. Sure. Wal-Mart has these great $1 pasta dishes that last me two days. Breakfast is cereal and lunch is a sandwich. I think this week we have a lot of dinners with members, which is exciting. Our kitchen is kind of bare however, as in not a whole lot of utensils. The thing with recipes is they require ingredients. I think I'm good for now. I make sure I eat my fruits and veggies.
September 23, 2013
Last Monday we went to the mall for P-day. It felt very strange being so "in" the world, but being separated as a missionary. While there though, we received a call from the Sister Training Leaders that they wanted to go on an exchange the next day. So Tuesday was my first exchange.
The Sister Training Leaders are in another zone, the Sandy Springs zone. Sandy Springs is a very nice area. Their apartment actually had marble countertops. Their church building is also on the grounds of the temple, so that was cool. They put the two babies together, so I was with Sister B_ who came out the same time as me. It's okay though, because we totally handled it. And just like back in College Park, appointments fell through. There are only two people in an apartment there, so it was very silent at night.
The next day, the sisters were on an exchange with the other sisters in our apartment, so I got to be around Sister H_, the other STL. (Mom - the other sisters in my apartment are from Utah, Sandy and St. George.) Sis. H_ is a hero. She mentioned how she has on her bucket list to eat an entire box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and we were like, "we can make that happen!" So we bought her a box, and she ate them all in one sitting. As she was eating one, I would warm the next one up in the microwave so it would slide down easy. She felt pretty sick for the rest of the day, but she said it was totally worth it. Fun fact: she's on the BYU ballroom dance team/company. On Wednesday Sis. M_ and I spent a good portion of the day helping a family move in. They were actually a referral, and when we went over they had just moved from Memphis, so we said we could help them organize things and share the gospel. They're a great family.
Wednesday was my three-month anniversary, so we made a cake. I helped decorate it, and we tried to put enough frosting on it to hide the fact that I didn't use enough Pam and the cake stuck to the pan and came out in many pieces, and we ate some of those pieces. It looked pretty awesome. That night I also had dinner with a family in the ward, which was a classic meal of baked mac and cheese, baked pork chops, black eyed peas, and corn bread. They make the best corn bread out here. It was so good.
Thursday morning I got to spend at the dentist office. Sis. M_'s tooth has been hurting, and we finally got insurance figured out to go down there. Turns out she is going to need two root canals, and got the initial procedures today, with a return appointment on Oct. 14th. Yep, my birthday. So, depending on the visa situation, I could spend my birthday at the dentist as my companion receives two root canals. On the way home I told Sis. M_ to turn too slowly, and we almost hit a cop on a motorcycle, and then he told us to roll down our window. He then asked if we were lost, so we humored him and let him lead us home. He took us most of the way, and then told us to "roll up your windows and lock your doors, because they are ANIMALS out there" referring to the area where we were going. Then when he learned we lived there, he told us "God bless." Yep. That's where I live. We're ANIMALS.
On Sunday Sis. M_ gave a talk, so I got to sit in the congregation alone. I was supposed to be next to some investigators, but instead I got to sit next to two empty seats I had saved for them. It hurts to be stood up. But I guess I’m just being prepared for post-mission dating life.
Well, onward and upward! Fun miracle: last night an investigator who really hasn't shown much interest called us because he hadn't heard from us in a while. We were thinking of dropping him! It was really exciting.
I love you all! God bless,
Sister Tanner
No comments:
Post a Comment