August 30, 2011

Ckemi!

Holy moly- the leaves are starting to turn. The temperature is dropping fast and so I am saying goodbye to summer :(

So a TON has happened since my last preparation day. I had one last uber fun one, and then got moved to the boonies... Literally.

President called an emergency mission meeting for transfers. It was huge, the whole mission came and he revealed the new plan. We are to read the entire book of Mormon with our companion in one transfer... that's 13 pages a day or 7 chapters. It is A LOT of reading. And we are not to do it during companionship study but in our lunch breaks and dinner...which we get very few of. It is definitely hard to fit in, but we are managing. It was a neat conference and he had one missionary get up and sing on spot which was fun.

I won't lie I shed some tears when I said goodbye to Sister Carver, and she really did become one of my best friends. It's hard because I was the ONLY one in my zone leaving, I will not be seeing them for a long time. It felt like being ripped away from Albania. So I moved my cornucopia of stuff from car to car and said goodbye to the elders I started with because they did not get transferred....

So Shortsville, its COMPLETELY different. It is the country, it is a house, it is only 5 mins from the sites. The people that come to church have cars for the most part, and they have clothes to wear. It is a whole new atmosphere here. We have people to teach, and we are working towards a family baptism on September 10. After last night though we don't know. I think he was on cocaine again....The family is so ready, he gave us like 20 cartons of his cigarettes and gave them up.

Working with Sister Correia is different because her trainer just left, so she is in the stage of not being told what to do. Apparently me and her trainer are complete opposites...so she is trying to get used to it. We have worked at the sites almost every day, which is nice. Our hours change back on Thursday to fall hours, which will be nice so we can have dinner appointments.

Wednesday we had a Site meeting and The Site sisters asked me and Sister Carver to get up and bear our testimonies as we would at the sites. It was a very neat experience. I had the whole room in tears......just kidding :)

Friday night we had Sis. Carver and her new Greenie Sister Green come and sleepover because they had to work early. It was SO much fun to see Sis. Carver again, and Sister Green is 23 and from Jarom, ID, and played Basketball for ISU.

I can't remember what day, but we had the Adams family come to the JSF and we took them on a tour. It was really cool, Sis. Correia has never asked someone to be baptized. So she told them at the beginning that we were going to ask at the end. When we reached the part on Stafford road where you can see the temple, I stopped them and explained baptism is the first step and the temple is the real goal, and then eternal salvation....The dad turned to me and said you should have given us at least a 72 hour notice to baptize us today! Haha.... we had to explain we were only going to ask them to be baptized on Sept 10. So when we reached the Cooper Shop, we asked them and they all said yes! Then we took a stroll through the grove and at the end we looked over the bridge and we SAW A HUGE TURTLE! I'm pretty sure it was a snapping turtle.

This Sunday we worked at the BOMPS. We get to leave church early...I remember Mitch saying "When you go on a mission you will have like 3 wards to cover"...in this mission we barely make it through an entire meeting without leaving to a site...You can imagine my thrills of getting out of Sunday school :) Just kidding!

At the sites we have been trying to get our tours down to about 20 to 30 min tours, some senior couples have made them 2 hours....

Today we got to go on a "special tour." It is very rare to go. Bob, the grove whisperer took just me and my companion to the Hill Cumorah, and he showed us trees and pointed out and talked about things that are very rare for a missionary to hear. After that was said and done, he told me he thought I didn't like him, but I am like a pine cherry tree. He said things change and also I am not a surface person- you have to dig deep.I thought it was cute..... we are friends now...don't worry, then he took us on the Indian trail around the temple. I am finding some cool things I know Mom and Dad are going to love...when they come pick me up right? :)

Anyways the life of a missionary here is great, I can't wait to send pictures of the leaves. My scrapbook is coming along, my knowledge of the things in this sacred place and my testimony .

Clare

August 8, 2011

Hey-

Well another week has come and gone....We got a lot done I feel like. We worked at the sites only like 3 times so it was weird, and we actually had to plan for a day, not my favorite thing.


We enjoyed a day in our area on Tuesday. We blogged I think, and then we went and tried to contact our referrals, then we ended up going to a members house to help them move. I painted their stair railing on the outside of her house. I still have paint on my hands. It was really fun though, because she was a foster parent and that's how they got their little black girl, and I am totally interested in it now.... She also served a mission in Korea and so we got to hear
all of her mission stories. It was really fun.


After that we went to the Larsens who are from Logan and ate dinner. We were praying that it would not be hamburgers, they last like 14 appts have been. Thank heavens it was not and it was even what we were craving- LITTLE CAESERS PIZZA :) We enjoyed their company and then went out to tract some more....


Wednesday we worked at the BOMPS and it was fun; I got to take an EFY group, which was the highlight of my week. I really loved it! I felt like a counselor again, and was a little sad that I was not. They had some good youth, and crazy because they get to go to the cradle of the restoration......

Then we went to site meeting; it was really good. We are having what is called "Invitation to a Miracle" Did I come up with the name? Maybe...at the BOMPS


We are going to hand a a BOM to every family who comes in so they can give it away before they get home....We are pretty excited. They will send back postcards to us with their experiences, a good way to see the fruit of our labor I guess...

After that we decided to stay in Shortsville for the night to save the 60 miles it takes to get home. So we slept on some nasty mattress with one blanket. We got up and then went and worked at the JSF.

We ended up working there the AM shift and then no sisters showed up for the afternoon shift, which was when we were going to go check up on my Albanians. We ended up staying and working, because of the sister with Chicken Pox..... I was kind of sad, and I was feeling uber sick too. However the Shepards senior couple are so nice they gave us some money and we went to dinner and had Subway!!!! It made up for it, other then that we had some good tours.


Friday we got out of working at the Hill, and went and worked at the CARNIVAL at CAMERONS. It was so fun! We got see a lot of kids who have nothing and work with them. Naturally I was at the putt putt with Elder Larsen and we had a good time. After that we went to Brother Kies for a GOOD dinner. We had ribs. He is so funny, and the assistants are great. I love Sister Carver because she is very VERY witty..... And so we get into to some good conversations those nights.


Saturday we had a lot of teaching appointments. We taught a man named Hector. Usually he is high, and so this time was our last. He told us that he was the creator and that he thinks he made the world. We loved it. However, probably not the most effective person to teach. It was pretty funny though.


Then we taught district meeting on asking questions, and then we went and worked at the Hill. I gave a great tour to two nonmembers who were really nice. Then someone donated a pizza to us so we loved that....The site trainers like the female AP's came to re-leave us so we could go home at a decent time, so we decided to try and see the Albanian. I was SO NERVOUS. But don't worry they were not home....Soon though we are trying again this week.



We have been teaching Daniel a lot this week. He is getting closer and closer. He made it to church! Because no one has cars we were freaking out. His ride brought him only to Sunday school, but hey, that's a start. We had the elders come and give him a blessing to quit smoking, and drinking coffee and beer. Since then he says it tastes gross and so he can't...How cool? Blessings work!!!! He has made this week fly;its so funny when you start to love the people, when he doesn't doing anything we are really devastated....



I have been able to study PMG a lot this week and its helping. I have been abnormally tired. To the point that I may or may not not have been falling asleep in lessons....I have a doctors apt on Friday so we will see. My stomach has been awful as well, I have been throwing up almost every day this week...good diet I guess. We have zone conference tomorrow and then sites the rest of the week.

I am sorry to hear about Gretal, and am uber jealous and I want to come play rockets with my mom. I hope the bee sting goes away, at least it's not bed bugs. We have a few missionaries with them...that's New York for you. I hope that the hike goes well, don't get eaten by a bear, and I can't tell if your serious about bear bells??? ha ha and I am stoked about my package...I've gotten maybe a letter or two in the past three weeks.....hint hint to my siblings.....even Max writes me..... We'll from the cradle of the restoration all I can say its true....
and I won the blog bet against elder Wilcox. I am up to 2253...can you believe it?


I love online work its my favorite!
love CLARE

August 1, 2011

-- well hey girl....

Here is a great commercial for you.....

15 weeks of Albanian
2 Different Mission Calls
$10 on my MasterCard
1 face book referral...
= two Albanian families who live in Palmyra!

So I will get to it.....

The week started off okay. We had a fun preparation day and then we ended up working at the sites pretty much the entire time. I had found out that I was going to be going on exchanges on Wednesday to Thursday. I don't know if you know me, but obviously that stressed me out TOO MUCH! It was awful, I dreaded it so bad. So we work and seriously I was having like anxiety attacks because it was not something I was used to.

So then we get to site meeting and its super super long. I think because I am so exhausted by emotions are like UP and DOWN....So by the end of site meeting at 9:30 President was like I would like to talk to you after these sisters. So then I was okay..... We waited while he solved a lot of drama between 3 other sets of drama and then it was 10:30 and he talked to me...No big deal... So finally the sisters were like, "We don't have time for exchanges tonight. We'll have to do it another time." I was like PHEW! Then they called the next morning and said we are doing it.

I was going to have to go to Palmyra and stay in the white house or now known as the Barbie Dream House. I DON'T really ever want to live there. Six girls? Really? So then it comes down to Sister Sultanian from Iman Jordan actually has the chicken pox and another virus, I told them I did not want to stay there because I catch weird things like worms in the MTC.

So then Sis. Maughn came to Henrietta on Thursday. It was not as bad as I thought it would be of course, but I will stick with my companion. We had gone to Cameron, and it was pouring water by the gallons. I couldn't see a foot in front of me while driving, totally guessed...ha ha... We worked there for awhile and then we went to the JSF and did a shift there. It was different; she had me give a tour with her, and the whole time I felt like she was coming up with all of the criticism. but at the end, she was like, "You are the most unique sister here!" It was pretty funny, and I know Mitch is already thinking I think the worst first.....

So after that Sister Carver and I were reunited, and we decided to go check up on my face book referral.

SIDE NOTE: I had met this girl in the pageant from Palmyra and she said she had known about all these Albanians that lived there, but she had to run and so I gave her my card and then she ran......

FINALLY last week, she emailed me and said that they all worked at the same restaurant that we drive by ALL the time. So Sis. C. and I decided to go eat there. Sorry- I had to put it on my visa..ha ha. But we sat down there were two different races there. I couldn't tell which one was which, so finally I was like, "Do any Albanians work here?" And then like six or seven ran over and started to talk to me.

Two of them speak no ENGLISH at all. The dad, Janny, said he gone to church in Albania but not here, and he told me to come and meet his wife. So this Wednesday I will....seriously how cool though!

The other half were Greeks, who happened to be anti. The Greek owner said to the two boys my age, looks like your wife just walked in...AWKWARD....but funny...then the Greek who had gotten our number from them texted us, "You two are the cutest Mormon duet I've ever seen." So now I have some Albanians, they want me to come translate for them at church.....I foresee a transfer to Palmyra soon, which blows because white house and no carver...but I guess for Albanians I will...

Pray for me to have the gift of tongues for sure!!!! I am so happy, I know that it is only through Heavenly Father that I have remembered the language well enough, and can use it....I say I guess its a pretty cool mission miracle...

Next day we went and had district meeting, seriously the funniest thing ever. We have the ASL missionaries in our branch... One elder got up and gave seriously a 35 min talk about teaching records.

Here are some of the highlights:

I was crying because I was laughing so hard, and at the end he asked what did I see that was so funny....

1. Please do not write cuss words on the teaching records (while a sister is gasping and saying NO)

2. Please do not abbreviate things like P.O.S, or W.O.W for all I know it is world of war craft...

3. If we are not supposed to go back over please write that give us a warning like, YOU'RE GOING TO GET SHOT, or GET CUT - the sister said in back or just don't back

5. Last line, that I almost lost it completely... " THERE IS A SERIOUS EPIDEMIC IN THIS MISSION when it comes to teaching records and it disgusts me"-while banging his fists on the table..
It was like Dwight's speech skills for Michael on The Office...too good...

Then we went and taught the Wingates again. Second lesson to a LA family the brother said he would get baptized on Aug 20 his birthday and right before transfers... YES...we were so excited!!!!

We were able to pick up a few new people and it has been good. The best was last night, Sis. Carver and I had no dinner appointment and that's when the Suppernaughts had called because they heard we were going to celebrate Harry Potters birthday, they said they were too. They had us come over and have ribs and play with their son's Hogwarts Express....So fun.....

Then we went to go check on some formers. It was like 8:30 and we knock on this lady's door, we know she is a widow, she opens the door she is in all white, just her underwear, kind of awkward. She's like, "No. I have a barmitzfa coming up." And then we said, "Well, take our card. If you need any help, even cleaning." And as she was about to slam the door she said "Really?" She then let us in and we talked to her. She has thrown her back out and she is like 65 and husbandless...She said, "Is this for real?" So we are going to go back to clean on Saturday.

We have been praying for miracles, and that's what we have been getting.....It has been really good and so we are loving it!

I set a goal to pass 2,000 hits by the end of August, and today I have 2,105 on my blog....I am soo glad I reached it. If I do 1,200 a month I will be happy...keep giving to people out there :)

Well, other than that the work is good, I am trying to mail things, but I have been out of MSF so sorry.....

I am glad to here that girls camp was fun. Seriously that sounds ten times more epic then when I went....I am going to best honest....The hike alone was sweet, if you send me a good write up and some pictures, I will post it! Anyways, we are going to play in a park all day, and I also met another boy going to Max's mission in two weeks. And a Krystal was looking for me? Which one? any idea? From our stake...

Tell LVD and Joe that they are doing great missionary work, but tell them to get the missionaries there too!

I hope you are all clean now and that you get a nice week of rest, I'm excited for a package.

love y'all
CLARE

July 25, 2011!

On my mission:

Well, things have slowed down almost to a stop. We got the totals in this week, in just the Grandin building we had over 20,000 people come through and in the Smith Farm I think over 25,000. This last Tuesday after pageant we only had like 40 people come through the hill. It was quite the difference. We can not believe it....

I have started something new because we have so much time. I have started a mission
scrapbook slash journal. It is going to be sweet. In this mission we do what is called "sign journals." Pretty much its like writing H.A.G.S. when they leave. So it a mix of other missionary stuff and mine. It has kept me busy at the low times of the sites.

So we are still at the sites 4 times a week. So with that and P Day and then Sunday we get one full day a week in our area. SO still a lot of driving.

It has been an interesting week. We had about 6 self referrals come from the pageant in Henrietta...So Saturday we went out tracting to them, and I actually walked some and not only that but I got sweet shoe tan lines. It was awful though for one reason: every referral (remember they were self) said they were not interested and one was a fake. Sis. Carver was really down because of it, and I thought it was pretty funny and ironic. So we celebrated our failures with some McDonald's and then went to Brother Kie's for our weekly dinner. It was just us and the AP's. Brother Kie thinks it's so funny to try and set us up.....He made steak burgers..(....not public. but why WHY would you ruin a steak?) hahaha...

Then we went home and tried some others and then went to plan. It turned in to quite the evening. We decided to sleep on our deck, and set up our new DVD player and watch Mr. Kruger's Christmas. It was SO much fun until we were about asleep and it started to rain. So we brought our couch cushions back in and went to bed.

Then Sunday came, and we've decided to celebrate a holiday everyday. Yesterday just happened to be Pioneer Pancake day for dinner at our house, Parents day, and Christmas Eve in July. So today is Christmas in July....Celebrate.ha ha We have had SO much fun together. It is so different when you get along with your comp and you like each other. I am loving it finally.....

So after are failing Saturday we prayed for miracles. and we got them yesterday. We went to visit the Wingates, who are less active. The dad got baptized and then stopped coming. We called him and for the first time he was like this is the perfect time come over. It was so cool, he sat down and said, 'I want to come back to church." So we are working on them going to the temple. Then his brother was hiding in the corner he had listened to everything and then we saw him, and I said, "Hey do you want to learn?" He was like, "Yes." So we have him with soft Bap. date. Sweet! Then we went to visit a black lady who lives on the most dangerous street...sketch. She has been a member for 8 years, but when the church moved she stopped coming because she didn't know where it was. She has 5 kids, we will have to find rides for them to get to church, but we are now teaching her 13 year old daughter named Quniece. So we ended up having some sweet things happen.... Its all about your trial of your faith...

So yes, we have been working at the sites, we finally went back to our ward, people think we are inactive..hahaha with pageant.

I had to buy a new pair of shoes for pageant because one broke, so that's the 20....Its crazy how fast MSF runs out. My companion is making me run sometimes..

And I am just living the life of a missionary.

BUT CRAZY.. I forgot
On like Friday I think, a man from Switzerland came in with his family. He saw my name and we made the connection that he and dad served together. Pashkeo or something. I will have to get his name. I left it at home. He was known as the swearing DL..ha ha! That was so much fun though, they took a two hour tour... Seriously what are the odds that it would have been me!!!!

With my online stuff I have loved it. I have gotten more emails of changing lives, and I really feel that is one of the reasons I'm in this mission... Mom that is a great idea the B's. I will look into them. I am almost to 1900 I want to hit 2,000 by August. You should take my blog to those Girls Camp girls...

tell everyone hi, that I'm loving it and that I am doing well...Serving it up in the ghetto..
Now we are all going bowling!!!! The whole zone...fun!!!!!!!

Loves, Clare

Letter 24 July 18, 2011

On my mission.....

ITS OVER!!!!

Okay, so you know how elves prepare all year for Christmas and then it comes and goes. Well that's how I feel. We prepared all year and now it has come and gone. Kind of sad! I have honestly met over 15,000 people.

It was a long week. Most people don't think that this is a real mission, but let me tell you, you have to be so good at having the same conversation over and over again like a million times.

So here are some highlights-

Elder Costa came and he talked to all of the missionaries. It was quite the event, he told the same stories that he did in the MTC, which is total fine. Then he went off on how he was about he wanted to use the sword of LABAN on some of his investigators as a missionary..

So that's our new motto.....He gave the perfect visitor center quotes though....

"You can count the seeds in an apple, but you can't count the apples in a seed"

It is so true......I am so happy we are Facebooking missionaries. I gave out probably a few hundred, and I have been getting lots of emails from youth who have said different things...

ready..

1. One told me that she decided not to kill herself after I talked to her.

2. A boy said he was going to leave the church and after I talked to him he wants to go on a mission.

3. A future sister missionary said she hated her call, but after we talked she was sooooooo excited.

4. 13 people self referred themselves.

There are some of the miracles...

I know I am not baptizing, but I get to help so many people who will go out and do that! I like this work better anyways :)

So this week we worked at the hill, and I had been praying all week ALL WEEK to find an Albanian....I thought I could just get it over with...

It was Saturday night, we had our two investigators with us 5 mins till pageant. When Elder Lenker came up to me and said, "Do you want to meet an Albanian?"....I SAID YES! I can't explain to you how happy I was..We hunted through hundreds of people to find him again....When I did I just yelled out:

"CKEMI! SI JENI JU!" Hey how are you! We got to talk for a few mins in Albanian and he did correct me, which was fine, but he said

I was really good for not going there at all. he was impressed. He was already a member, so I don't think that he was "the one", but it was a nice answer to a prayer.

Then our investigators sat through the pageant with us and MEMBERS. They have been being taught for TWO and half years. WE did not even tell them to stop smoking, and she came with the patch on. I think they are starting to change! We are so excited. The next day one of the volunteers from England said her son wanted to talk to me on the phone, you will never guess where he served his mission...ALBANIA!!! So I talked for another 10 mins with him and he said the same thing. That I did great....I was so excited!

It really is weird to have pageant over with. We are going to have to have a schedule again, Not to excited for that. We had only a two week transfer as well..... So everyone got switched again. but us

We got a new sister named Chatterton ...any relation?

I had a member come into the hill yesterday, he was a professor at Harvard, and he in a very SERIOUS manner, said that our mission president needs to allow us to watch Harry Potter because it had to deal so much with the veil, and he said that he was going to email President......funny.....

My blog hits are almost up to 2,000! I am so excited for it. I need more to read it though, I am working on it.

The Harry Potter man also brought up a good thing, he said its not all about you, its those Albanians, maybe they are being prepared......it was a good thing he said that I never thought of it that way.....I am starting to practice even more...

Anyways we are back in our area part time, we are still at the sites 4 days a week! Which I am happy about, because one shot summer....I will be home by this time next year crazy.....

I also ran into one of my EFY counselors- fun! Jazmine Baer..? Well life is good, companion is great, and question, what do you think about sending me my external hard drive.....sending cds now is too expensive but I would need it soon ish....I have a full card and my other one broke....

well I am happy to hear you saw the movie that shall not be named, and I hope dad has a HAPPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!

I am working on gifts this week, this past two have been nuts!

Well anyways, you're hot!

love CLARE

July 11, 2011 Letter 23

Hey

So it might be a quick email!

Anyways, PAGEANT IS INSANE!!!!!

I can not even tell you how exhausted I am. We work on our feet from about 10:30 am until midnight. These times are sweet though because we can sleep in until whenever...haha catch up on sleep! Seriously, the farm is crazy, and I have probably told the same story a million times. We have one more day there ( tomorrow) and then we go to the hill.

I have seen the pageant every night and will see it every night. It is really good. I like it because it is super short. Its only an hour and 15.

I really do run into a ton of people that I know. Emily's friend, EFY participants, kids from USU. I have run into Matt a few times, pretty funny. The first time happened to be in front of all the sister missionaries, and he was just so excited....I have met his whole family, that has been way fun! Having Staci and their family was so nice. It was so good to have them at pageant, and they were so nice to. They provided dinner and tons of food. I think I will loose like 10 pounds because you just don't have time to eat here. Really, it was nice to meet their cousins.... I have seriously talked to over like 9,500 people. I am pretty tired of people but I still love them. We related it to when Christ came and had all the kids come and talk to him in 3 Nephi so Sis. Carver and I are trying to be like him and enjoy it......

I love Sis. Carver. She is great. I honestly can't find something wrong with her.... so I am loving it. She may whip me in to shape, because she loves to run. so I guess we will..... after pageant though because I am so tired!

We had Elder Costa and his wife come last night. That was fun. They gave pretty much the same talk they did in the MTC so it was review for me. I got a letter from Max!!! And all other mail is held pretty much until next Monday.

I met a man that grew up with Alan, Valene, and Rodney... Owen Harris? From Preston..that was a fun reunion..

Then I met a Gloria Jones that knew the Quayles....and Emily's friend... and some boys who have offered to date me when I get home. I can not tell you how many parents offer for us to date their young men...crazy.

We have only three small children fall down on our watch in the log cabin. idk I think you would like to come non pageant time, because you don't get a tour....

Anyways, I am doing fine,....sooo sooo soo tired, and they were right- this is like Christmas of our mission and we may have nothing to look forward to after? hahaha oh well.

Okay it sounds like Boise is great and that the cars just all need to go! Keep up the good work out there and good luck to Joe!

oh and I met a boy from Alex's mission.... a Mike Thomas (?) rom AZ and a boy that just got called to Max's mission- he is really excited!!!!

loves

Clare

Letter 22!!! July 5, 2011

Great news! Sorry it's late. I got my new companion. I think I will really get along with her....

Her name is Sister Carver. She is pretty and you would pull the best friend thing with her because she loves to run marathons. We are in Henrietta still. We will move into Shortsville with two other sisters for the next two weeks starting tomorrow. I will be at the JSF for the first week, and then the HILL the second week.

I don't think we will have a preparation day. Its going to be nuts and crazy.

You can give Staci our number. 585- 415- 9643. I have been told I can go with them for some time for a dinner or pageant.

So this past week has been crazy. We got to work at all the sites for Wilkinson's last time. We were at the PWF the whole day- that was long. I gave me first tour there, and it consisted of 35 youth from HEARTFORD CN- like Gilmore Girls... It was a good Gilmore Girl experience, and I knew Emily would be jealous.

We had training on Friday and Saturday at the Hill with three head men from SLC. It was intense. There was so much contention. They were prepping us for pageant. We were out of miles and so we ended up staying in Brighton, and we were a little scared because someone had gotten stabbed the night before outside their window. There was still blood everywhere...But we rocked it for two nights so it was fine. SO I live in the ghetto and that's fine....

We played Bananza so many times- the bean game, I am obsessed. I am sad though because Sister W. took it with her....withdrawals major.

P-day was so FUN! President told me to sleep in so I could catch up, so I did. and Sister Wilkinson packed. Then I wrote some letters and cleaned the whole apartment. We went tracting with Sis. Sneddon and blitzed some doors with pageant stuff. Then we we to the church and played some Zombies and Eternal Lightening. So fun!

Then the big GAME.... We went to the baseball game, and it was epic. There were like 20 missionaries there. We ended up stuck in traffic for ever downtown.

So Sister Lowe who I love just went home, got out of the car and handed out pageant cards. Some boys took the card right behind us. She got back in the car and they ran back up and said, "Is this Mormonism?" We said yes, and they said we are freakin' Catholics. We felt weird...So Holm and Lowe got out of the car and walked to the stadium. About 10 mins latter the boys in the car behind us hit our car. I could see them swearing in the back. I got out and saw that no damaged had happened. SO Sister W. went and introduced herself and was super nice, and then said this must be humbling haha and they were by the end we were all best friends and things were good. Kill with kindness- it works.

Then we went to the game, and I got to sit with my favorite elders so it was so much fun. We lost but saw like 3 home runs. The fireworks came and it was sweet, and I love FIREWORKS.

We ended up teaching a few lessons after the game at like 1130...late...we got home about midnight and then Lowe and Holm spent the night- it was way fun! We were told to just get ready for transfers and so we did...and here we are.....Hopefully I can write you at some point again.

Anyways, I hope your 4th was good.

Sister V.