November 28, 202
From Abby: Mission Leaves the Mission...
Heyyyy,
It may seem as though I forgot to write a weekly email but the truth is this week is a hybrid week because of American Thanksgiving!!So this Monday was a half P-day and today is the other half that includes writing emails and calling family etc. :)
This email includes November 18-November 24!
so that the email I send on Monday can be November 25th- December 1st!
This email includes November 18-November 24!
so that the email I send on Monday can be November 25th- December 1st!
If that makes sense
I have a goal to shorten this email, or at least only to recount the most vital of events instead of going on about this that or the other (Be prepared for that goal to crumble before your eyes)
I have a goal to shorten this email, or at least only to recount the most vital of events instead of going on about this that or the other (Be prepared for that goal to crumble before your eyes)
And like I said I'm going to leave Monday Tuesday Wednesday and today as well as Friday Saturday Sunday for this Mondays Email... its confusing.. Yeah. Anyways!
MONDAY November 18th. Last Pday Elder Howard and Elder Bye wanted to introduce us to one of their ward members named Buddy. We were forewarned of his strangeness but nothing could have prepared me :D Upon entering he said "Welcome" and went in for a hug to which i said "I can't hug you but I can give you a handshake!" paired with that sentence I went in for a SOLID handshake which he essentially DODGED and still went in for the old man hug. All I could do was rotate my body and give him an arm and shoulder side hug. Once I got through the door a 4' statue of Joseph Smith was the first thing on my radar but as I digested my surroundings i realized that EVERYTHING in Buddy's house denoted that he was very much an obsessive Joseph Smith Junkie, and a retired drama teacher (Both things are true) He continued to lead us through his museum of a house which included: A Wizard Of Oz room suffocatingly decorated with everything Wizard Of Oz, 3 or 4 rooms absolutely filled with everything Joseph Smith and Church History and here and there a strange item like I framed Baby doll or a giant jester lamp (Every room smelled of old man)
At one point he showed us a PLETHORA of any book church history blaspheme or not. One of which was an Anti-Mormon book written by one of Brigham Youngs wives :D When it was my turn to hold the book I flipped through it and found all sorts of CRAZY things that were def made up. This wife either had delusion, or a wildly vivid imagination
i flipped to the end and decided to read the concluding paragraph of the book which went something like:
"This is my everlasting work. A work that cannot and will not be stopped until Utah -My beloved Utah- Is free from the clutches of the Religious Tyrant, Brigham Young."
Anti-Mormon stuff is usually so out of left field it ends up strengthening my testimony that Satan is a desperate man trying to win the battle by desperate means.
Buddy also said "You look like one of my actresses dearie" and kept calling me his actress which.. Slayed?
CRAY. Anyways
November 20th was TRANSFERS which didn't effect any of the Sisters in our district which means we're together for the Holidays! It also means 24 random new missionaries are wandering around and I'm not the newest anymore :D (What.) Anyways President decided to celebrate these transfers by taking the ENTIRE mission OUT of the mission so we could go to LUMINARIA Which essentially is a Christmas light walk about. (Literally one month in the field and I've already left my mission)
They announced all the Sister groups first (For who would be driving with who) and as they announced the groups before us they got up and went to the front to get their tickets so demure, when they announced "Sister Ellis, you'll be driving with Sister Ortiz, Sister Smith, and Sister Heaton" We all SQUEELED, and it was the loudest noise ever :D I thought it was sweet to know that my Sistrict is the most hype, and to know that we actually like each other.
ANYWAYS A part of Luminaria is statues of Jesus Christ and Joseph Smith AND a winding path to a re-creation of the tree of life which was so special, it was crazy looking to my right and viewing the re-creation of the great and spacious building looming over us with people scoffing and dressed richly but in extreme suffering. To feel as though you're existing in the midst of Lehi's vision AH so cool.
Two nights this week the Sistrict had dinner all together. I slapped together the yummiest homemade Pizza you ever did see, don't even mess with me and my homemade pizza :) and THEN the Sisters made crockpot chili the next day and we all munched together, I'm grateful for the Sisters in my district and inversely terrified for when I'll inevitably get transferred and probably whitewash an area as a trainer STL on bikes in Alpine.
I wonder how long I can make it without getting into a car area.. So far so good!
A couple weeks ago this member tracked us down after sacrament and told us about her non member mother who is lowkey against the church and told us to go visit her! To which we said "Girl absolutely."
We pulled up to this house and followed the instructions we received to go through the side gate. Upon entering these two RAVENOUS tiny rat dogs come running out barking and growling. bruh. It didn't phase me at first until they started literally nipping at our ANKLES?! criminal. Actually ankle biters. I was shook. Naturally we thought we were in the wrong place so we called this Lady (Louise) and she comes out and pacifies them with treats and tells us to speedily run inside :D Cray.
We learn that Louise is a smoker, her husband recently passed, she's very lonely, and she does NOT want to be preached at.. So we sat and listened to her entire life story and then she hated on Temples because she saw a video on YouTube.. We kindly shared our experience and tried to help her maybe see a different perspective
and on THAT note if I keep typing I'm going to reveal the contents that are supposed to inhabit this Mondays email, and for that reason I must STOP.
Insights from this week: I didn't know that the Ammon that discovered king Limhi in the Mosiah Chapters is NOT the Ammon that cuts off all the arms with king Lamoni, AND I discovered that the Alma that has a change of heart and is converted by Abinadi is NOT the Alma that persecuted the church with the sons of Mosiah. I think I always knew but this week I was like "Facts." and it all clicked in my brain. CRAZY.
Anyways its so strange to be writing this to be sent out on a THURSDAY just to be writing another one on monday :D
I'm not sick of myself...yet
Have an AMAZING Friday Saturday Sunday
and I'll be back on Monday
Don't miss me too much
-Sister Smith
MONDAY November 18th. Last Pday Elder Howard and Elder Bye wanted to introduce us to one of their ward members named Buddy. We were forewarned of his strangeness but nothing could have prepared me :D Upon entering he said "Welcome" and went in for a hug to which i said "I can't hug you but I can give you a handshake!" paired with that sentence I went in for a SOLID handshake which he essentially DODGED and still went in for the old man hug. All I could do was rotate my body and give him an arm and shoulder side hug. Once I got through the door a 4' statue of Joseph Smith was the first thing on my radar but as I digested my surroundings i realized that EVERYTHING in Buddy's house denoted that he was very much an obsessive Joseph Smith Junkie, and a retired drama teacher (Both things are true) He continued to lead us through his museum of a house which included: A Wizard Of Oz room suffocatingly decorated with everything Wizard Of Oz, 3 or 4 rooms absolutely filled with everything Joseph Smith and Church History and here and there a strange item like I framed Baby doll or a giant jester lamp (Every room smelled of old man)
At one point he showed us a PLETHORA of any book church history blaspheme or not. One of which was an Anti-Mormon book written by one of Brigham Youngs wives :D When it was my turn to hold the book I flipped through it and found all sorts of CRAZY things that were def made up. This wife either had delusion, or a wildly vivid imagination
i flipped to the end and decided to read the concluding paragraph of the book which went something like: "This is my everlasting work. A work that cannot and will not be stopped until Utah -My beloved Utah- Is free from the clutches of the Religious Tyrant, Brigham Young."
Anti-Mormon stuff is usually so out of left field it ends up strengthening my testimony that Satan is a desperate man trying to win the battle by desperate means.
Buddy also said "You look like one of my actresses dearie" and kept calling me his actress which.. Slayed?
CRAY. Anyways
November 20th was TRANSFERS which didn't effect any of the Sisters in our district which means we're together for the Holidays! It also means 24 random new missionaries are wandering around and I'm not the newest anymore :D (What.) Anyways President decided to celebrate these transfers by taking the ENTIRE mission OUT of the mission so we could go to LUMINARIA Which essentially is a Christmas light walk about. (Literally one month in the field and I've already left my mission)
They announced all the Sister groups first (For who would be driving with who) and as they announced the groups before us they got up and went to the front to get their tickets so demure, when they announced "Sister Ellis, you'll be driving with Sister Ortiz, Sister Smith, and Sister Heaton" We all SQUEELED, and it was the loudest noise ever :D I thought it was sweet to know that my Sistrict is the most hype, and to know that we actually like each other.
ANYWAYS A part of Luminaria is statues of Jesus Christ and Joseph Smith AND a winding path to a re-creation of the tree of life which was so special, it was crazy looking to my right and viewing the re-creation of the great and spacious building looming over us with people scoffing and dressed richly but in extreme suffering. To feel as though you're existing in the midst of Lehi's vision AH so cool.
Two nights this week the Sistrict had dinner all together. I slapped together the yummiest homemade Pizza you ever did see, don't even mess with me and my homemade pizza :) and THEN the Sisters made crockpot chili the next day and we all munched together, I'm grateful for the Sisters in my district and inversely terrified for when I'll inevitably get transferred and probably whitewash an area as a trainer STL on bikes in Alpine.
I wonder how long I can make it without getting into a car area.. So far so good!
A couple weeks ago this member tracked us down after sacrament and told us about her non member mother who is lowkey against the church and told us to go visit her! To which we said "Girl absolutely."
We pulled up to this house and followed the instructions we received to go through the side gate. Upon entering these two RAVENOUS tiny rat dogs come running out barking and growling. bruh. It didn't phase me at first until they started literally nipping at our ANKLES?! criminal. Actually ankle biters. I was shook. Naturally we thought we were in the wrong place so we called this Lady (Louise) and she comes out and pacifies them with treats and tells us to speedily run inside :D Cray.
We learn that Louise is a smoker, her husband recently passed, she's very lonely, and she does NOT want to be preached at.. So we sat and listened to her entire life story and then she hated on Temples because she saw a video on YouTube.. We kindly shared our experience and tried to help her maybe see a different perspective
We'll see her again so that's good!
Also a crazy thing this week: There's this one guy named Aaron. He's an interesting Less Active member who left the church because of the people but still believes in God and reads his book of Mormon every night. (Some of his beliefs are skewed that's for sure) BUT one day this week we decided to stop by and share a simple message on gratitude. Which he was fine with. After we shared he proceeded to "Give a word of advice" And slammed my teaching and called it cookie cutter and not personal :D
Instead of dwelling on the fact that he's less active and has never served a mission I decided it was a sign from God to start making my messages more genuine.
Also a crazy thing this week: There's this one guy named Aaron. He's an interesting Less Active member who left the church because of the people but still believes in God and reads his book of Mormon every night. (Some of his beliefs are skewed that's for sure) BUT one day this week we decided to stop by and share a simple message on gratitude. Which he was fine with. After we shared he proceeded to "Give a word of advice" And slammed my teaching and called it cookie cutter and not personal :D
Instead of dwelling on the fact that he's less active and has never served a mission I decided it was a sign from God to start making my messages more genuine.
Humbling myself is much harder than ever predicted.
This week I hit FLAT TIRE 2.0. AND it was during exchanges with Sister Ellis (She has a man bike because she's tall) So I got to take Sister Heatons Sketchy bike and also follow google maps for the first time ever :D Def dropped my phone and almost died like twice but its fine.
Saturday we did double exchanges. The morning with Sister Ellis and the Evening with Sister Ortiz. Sister Ortiz and I took my good for nothing tire and paid the price for it to be fixed and then when we all got back at 8:00PM my literal savior Sister Ellis put the tire back on after fist fighting with the chain on my bike. Her hands were black but her Aura has never been higher.
Sunday Morning we discovered the world as well as our bike seats thinly graced with a layer of white snowflakes, as I wiped them off with my now semi soggy glove i almost heard them say "Good morning! I hope your bed wasn't too comfy and warm!" > The first meeting was definitely a bit wet as we renewed our covenants but I must say biking in the snow and rain feels adventurous so you chalk it up to "It's good for the plot" and pray when that tactic doesn't work.
This week I hit FLAT TIRE 2.0. AND it was during exchanges with Sister Ellis (She has a man bike because she's tall) So I got to take Sister Heatons Sketchy bike and also follow google maps for the first time ever :D Def dropped my phone and almost died like twice but its fine.
Saturday we did double exchanges. The morning with Sister Ellis and the Evening with Sister Ortiz. Sister Ortiz and I took my good for nothing tire and paid the price for it to be fixed and then when we all got back at 8:00PM my literal savior Sister Ellis put the tire back on after fist fighting with the chain on my bike. Her hands were black but her Aura has never been higher.
Sunday Morning we discovered the world as well as our bike seats thinly graced with a layer of white snowflakes, as I wiped them off with my now semi soggy glove i almost heard them say "Good morning! I hope your bed wasn't too comfy and warm!" > The first meeting was definitely a bit wet as we renewed our covenants but I must say biking in the snow and rain feels adventurous so you chalk it up to "It's good for the plot" and pray when that tactic doesn't work.
Sister Ellis and Sister Ortiz were sick on Sunday as well, best believe we biked the 15 minutes into their area to give them Capri suns and drugs. When we rang their doorbell we heard Sister Ortiz run up to the door, look through the peephole and giggle when she saw us :) Service feels so good why don't we do it more often?
Compliment that was so nice:
his old ward mission leader we have in our ward Brother Fehlberg said this to me
"You can tell when someone smiles from the inside, and that's you." so that was epic.
his old ward mission leader we have in our ward Brother Fehlberg said this to me
"You can tell when someone smiles from the inside, and that's you." so that was epic.
and on THAT note if I keep typing I'm going to reveal the contents that are supposed to inhabit this Mondays email, and for that reason I must STOP.
Insights from this week: I didn't know that the Ammon that discovered king Limhi in the Mosiah Chapters is NOT the Ammon that cuts off all the arms with king Lamoni, AND I discovered that the Alma that has a change of heart and is converted by Abinadi is NOT the Alma that persecuted the church with the sons of Mosiah. I think I always knew but this week I was like "Facts." and it all clicked in my brain. CRAZY.
Anyways its so strange to be writing this to be sent out on a THURSDAY just to be writing another one on monday :D
I'm not sick of myself...yet
Have an AMAZING Friday Saturday Sunday
and I'll be back on Monday
Don't miss me too much
-Sister Smith
From Dad: Happy Thanksgiving
Dear Abby,
It was so nice to talk to you evern for a few minutes on Friday. How is the bike situation?
Last night I went to see the "Wicked" movie with Mia and Sam. The movie makers did a great job with it though we all agreed nothing quite beats the live musical. We went to the theater in South Edmonton Common and it was pre-booked seats and they were recliners! Nicer seating almost than at home! Mia wore her green pants and I noticed a tear or two coming from her eyes when Glinda decided to dance like Elphaba.
It is well and truly winter here. We got about a foot of snow in about 4 days. We even made the trip to Edson on Sunday for Branch Conference on snowy roads. I was nervous at first, but you get used to it quickly when you've done it your whole life.
Mom and I are still loving empty nesting and I still love her more than ever. She truly completes me:
We're making preparations to head to St George for the new grandbaby birth timeframe. We had just booked the tickets when I found out that I have a work trip that just got announced at the same time!. I'm working out a compromise but it is Murphy's law that stuff like this happens. I’m grateful Mom and Mia were able to spend some time there this month.
This week we get to go enjoy watching youth musicals that Madison helped direct. Annie and
Something Rotten. It’s been a busy time for them.
I had some trouble with my journaling software on my new phone so I’m having trouble remembering all that has happened in the last two weeks. Life just moves forward and we live it as faithfully as we can. I loved reading Ether 12 today. Living by faith is hard but truly does bring hope.
4 Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.
27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.
41 And now, I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written,
I’m grateful I can seek this Jesus, have my weaknesses humble me so that I can become stronger so I can have a hope for a better world both now and in eternity with all my family.
Happy thanksgiving to you Americans!
Love Dad.
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