1/21/14

You guys all sound great!!!

 

I'm so sad to hear that Sarah's nerve block didn't work. Dang! I was hoping she would be able to start feeling better. This has been going on for over a year now! Man... You're in my prayers Sarah! I'm glad to hear Reida's doing better! Can't believe that woman is 102... wow.

 

Branson sounds like a good idea. Sorry, I didn't get to that in my last letter. That will be fun! I just really hope I'm not a freak when I get home. Warn Maggie and Emma that I might be a freak. Let me know how the games went! I want to know who's playing in the big game! I hope that work for you goes well - hopefully you can have a nice little party for yourself after the week and hectic-ness ends!I don't know about leaving early... I'm already kind of leaving my mission early and I don't know if I want to leave earlier than that. I know President would let me, but I don't know if I want to... Let me think about it and talk to O'D, but I don't think we will.

 

So this week was great and terrible all at the same time. ha!

 

Monday night nothing too exciting going on. Tuesday we met a less active that no one in the branch knows. She's really nice, but not too interested in coming back. We helped Jill get moved! THANK GOODNESS! She's still moving bits and pieces. because they filed for bankruptcy the bank has the house and said that she could live in it 1-3 years. so she's taking her time. We also had dinner at a member's house! That was the first one since Christmas! So it was nice. I had my interview with President Vellinga. It was so great! I loved it. He asked me how my family was doing and so I got to tell him about Rex being out on a mission and how you guys are all doing and how Sarah ruined my car, he was very sympathetic. He said he wished he could have video taped what I said and sent it to you guys. He told me to write it down in my journal instead. ha! He's the best.

 

Wednesday we helped a less active dedicate her apartment, that went really well. Patricia Coffin is her name. She's a fun lady! Thursday afternoon we met our Sister Training Leaders for exchanges. I got to go to Bowling Green BIKE area... But it was snowing so we got to ride around town in the MINI VAN. good times as a missionary.... But SIS. O'DRISCOLL is in Bowling Green also! So I got to see her! That was so wonderful!!!! It's what I needed. I had a good time there. Friday was the terrible part of the week. That morning we went and taught this guy at the library, Melvin. He was a complete jerk to me. So rude, offensive, and disrespectful. I wanted to leave after being there for 5 minutes, but Sis. Mitchell kept us there for 20 minutes... I was so happy when that was over. My Darlene side was coming out. haha! Then we went back and got my stuff and I had to say goodbye to Sis. O'D, that was hard. So I got home and was already kind of emotionally unstable and then read a letter from Sis. Trussel back in Massillon letting me know about some things going on back there. Leilani tried to commit suicide and they still never see Rick. So then I kind of lost it and ended up having a minor emotional breakdown. I had to call Sis. Vellinga and let her know that I wasn't going to be able to work to efficiently and she told me to go take a hot bath and go to bed. I was so grateful for that. That is exactly what I needed. So this weekend was a little rough. But I got ahold of myself by Saturday and am fine now. It's just hard because I don't know what's happening back in Massillon, Sis. Trussel didn't give me any details so I don't know how everyone is doing. So President is having interviews out there on Thursday and is going to see what he can find out for me. I LOVE THE VELLINGAS. They are incredible people. They were meant to be my president. Sometimes I hate being a missionary. You invest so much in these people that you work with. They become your family and are so important to you. You work SO hard to help them and to bring them closer to Christ. But none of that matters. Because they all have their own agency. I hate it! But that's what this life is all about - choices. That is why we are here, to CHOOSE to go back to live with Heavenly Father again. Life is hard, but the gospel makes it a little easier. How blessed we are to know that!

Saturday we had dinner with this new family that we found last week. They had us over for dinner! How sweet! It was really good too! They made Chipotle burritos. delightful. Lucas seems interested but Lynne said that converting really isn't something she's interested in. But it went really well! Lucas' first question was, "why are Mormons on average more successful than everyone else?" ha! Loved it! He knows we're special people. When Lynne said she wouldn't convert Lucas said, "I don't know, I might drink the cool-aid." haha! They are funny  people. We like them a lot! We'll see what happens with them.

 

Sunday was great too! Church was great. I love the branch, they are fantastic! Then we went over to Dane and Robin's for dinner, they family who we are bringing back to church that loves to feed us. They didn't make it to church, family stuff, but Dane really regretted it. He said that the Sunday he came to church was wonderful. He said it was the best Sunday he's had in a long time. He started getting emotional too as he was talking about it. He has such a solid testimony and he knows that's where he needs to be. He talked about the 2 sister missionaries that converted him a little bit. I asked him what they would say if they were here. He said they would be disappointed. So I told him he needed to change that. I asked him if he was going to come back, if this was something he was going to do. He said, "I think so, yah, it's going to happen."

 

ALKEIURHAUIWFBNELUIHAWEIJURIAWUERHALEIUWH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HECK YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

That was such an awesome moment. But he is TERRIFIED to do this. He's so scared to let go. He tells us that the only person he can trust is himself, he can't trust God. So we're going to have to help him see that that really is the only person that he can trust. I don't know how you help someone see that, but we're going to try. I'm just happy that he's making the choices right now to get back to the Temple. SO HAPPY! So we're having a lot of success with them - thankfully.

 

Yesterday Sis. Lemmon and I both woke up with colds... great. So we both carry a box of Kleenex with us wherever we go. that's fun. We slept a lot yesterday which was fantastic. We went over to Jill's for a lesson with her last night. Her new apartment is great! We love not being at her other house! She realizes the difference too! She hates going back over there, she can't feel the spirit. How cool is that? She realized that all on her own! She's reading the BOM and all the pamphlets we've left with her. She's doing so well.

 

Well that's pretty much my week. Not too much else going on here, just trying to stay healthy and busy. Tonight we are going to a member's for dinner and then are going to be planning and doing things at home the rest of the night.

 

I hope everyone is doing  great and that all is well back home! I love you all and miss all of you!

 

-Rachel