Narcoleptics Unite!

Yes, it's true. I met another Narcoleptic on Sunday. It was actually really ironic because I had to give a talk on Sunday in the 76th ward on the topic of courage, so naturally, I spoke about how I came to the decision to serve a mission and I talked about how Narcolepsy was the biggest fear I had in serving. Then after sacrament meeting, this woman who happened to be visiting that Sunday, came up and told me that she was a narcoleptic, too! She was so cute and it was so cool to be able to talk to someone who relates so well. It was also really cool because she is a stay at home mom with two kids. I hope that's me someday!

OH MY GOSH! You're gonna die when you hear this! The family we're living with, have a slide in their house! It is so COOL! It starts in an entertainment room, and it goes down to a theater! And it's a twisting slide! And the theater is so nice! It has like 6 couches in rows to sit on and is SWEET! Hopefully next Tuesday we're gonna have some other missionaries over and watch some movie on Pres. Hinckley or we're gonna watch something on Porter Rockwell. But we have to get permission to watch them, so we'll see...

We got invited to an investigator's quincenera. We saw her dress the other day and it is gorgeous! We obviously can't go to the actual catholic ceremony, but we're hoping to be able to at least drop in for a few minutes at the reception to at least get pictures. We would stay longer, but we decided that we don't want to risk causing contention in her extended family if they find out she intends to be baptized... Bummer we can't go longer, but that's OK. We are hoping to be able to get some service opportunities in though by helping get flower centerpieces ready and anything else they ask us to do. It's going to be awesome either way. And in the morning of that day, we have a baptism. WOOT! WOOT!

So, are you all SO EXCITED for conference? I am! The RS broadcast was so good! I love Pres. Monson! Man, I just can't wait! Glen Jensen has signed up to feed us on Saturday, and supposedly I will be meeting a lot of relatives. This could be interesting... I just hope that Sister Holliday is just as included in everything as much as I will be.

Anyway, I love you all! XOXOXOs for everyone!!

Love,
Sis S

Baptism!

And another one!

And yep - another one!

Fighting for Truth....and Cleanliness

Darth Sister?

Zone Conference!

Fun On Main Street

Can You Imagine the Torture?

Man, I've been looking forward to pday since last Wednesday! Things in our new area are super hard. (Eric, I'm not sure why you like whitewashing areas...) However, since we replaced elders, I think we've had at least a dozen people from each of our new wards tell us how excited they are to have sisters and then they tell us that they haven't had sisters for like 30 years... I suppose it's time for us to break some ground now though and find out if it's possible that sisters can get into some homes that elders can't (not to be biased/prideful or anything since the situation would be the same if reversed).

Anyway, the companionship is going well. . I think we're both a bit overwhelmed with names, but I'm sure we can work our way though it all. Sis. H. is helping me learn the area since she is the one driving and pretty much knows her way around now... She's awesome like that.

As far as the work goes, we have a few different people who are ready to be baptized, but for one reason or another (none being too bad) they haven't been. We have one girl who is turning 15 and is having a quincenera, so she can't get baptized until after that. Her grandmother wants her to be catholic for the ceremony. We have a guy that is ready, and has a date for Oct. 9th. He would have done it sooner, but he is going out of town, and then there's GenCon coming up. Another woman is ready, but she is waiting for her husband to quit smoking so he can baptize her. And another girl is ready, but her mom won't let her til she's 18. So, the work is still moving along, but slowly.

So, today was moving day. Sis H. and I were living in an apt with some other sisters, but that was only temporary. We were there because the Elders had brought bed bugs (yes, they're real) to the place where we were supposed to be living, so we stayed elsewhere until the problem was taken care of. And in the process, the members who own our new home did a lot to fix it up. They redid the floors, and repainted the walls... It'd really nice now, but man it is TINY! There's one room with the beds, table, counters, dresser, sink, mini fridge, microwave, hot plates, and a few other things, plus our bathroom. It is seriously small. But we'll survive. The apartment is actually a pool house, so we live with members, but we have our own place. The biggest down-sider: there's a pool right outside our door. Can you imagine the torture? Just try.

Ok, I love you all!! And I'm glad to hear all is well. Hugs and kisses for all!!

Love,
ME

Yes, I Was Transferred

As you may already know, yes, I was transferred. At 9:30pm on Tuesday night, President Ellsworth called and told me that one of the new sisters that was supposed to come out actually went home (we later found out to get married), so I was going to be transferred after all. I am now in the Pueblo Zone and Sister Holliday and I cover 4 wards in the Mesa East Stake, including the singles ward. Sundays are absolutely CRAZY! But its fun because first of all, the Jensen's are in one of the wards we cover, and Glen is actually one of our Ward Mission Leaders, so I get to work with him all of the time! Cool, right?! And second, which has its pros and cons, we are whitewashing our entire four wards. The cool part is that this area hasn't had sisters for nearly 20 yrs, or so we've been told, so everyone is super excited to have us. The bad part is that there are SO MANY people to get to know. It's very overwhelming. So, keep that in your prayers, would you? On an up note though, (you're gonna be shocked at this one...) Our area is almost an exact square mile. And it's about 40-50% LDS .

So, with all of your gardening going on... I have to tell you about the Jensens' backyard. It is absolutely beautiful. 

They have an awesome pool (which we can't swim in as missionaries...) and the yard is surrounded by a bamboo fence with these beautiful blossoms covering it. The flowers are like the pink ones I sent home to Lynz. Then, on the left of the pool, they have this arch that you go through where they have a brickoven-ish fireplace and an awesome table. On the right of the pool is a greenhouse and tons of hanging gardens. None of them are in bloom right now, but I can't wait to see it later. They even have this little corner by the pool where a mini table and chairs are. The granddaughters apparently call it their secret garden. Anyway, I am SO EXCITED to hear how the gardening is going at home. I have to keep reminding myself though that its going on fall and winter there. It's hard to remember when all we have here is heat and sun... But, at least it's cooling down!

So, today when we went to Walmart, it was SO FUNNY! Sister Holliday was pushing the cart, but our cart didn't have one of those things that drag along the floor to prevent static from building up, so every time she went to reach for something, she got shocked. By the end she had probably been shocked 15 times. Literally. The funniest time though, was on the 7th shock. She told me that she wasn't going to touch anything anymore, but when we were choosing some hand soap, she wanted to smell it. So, I opened the cap and held it out to her, and before I knew it, she yelled OW! It shocked her on the NOSE!!! Hahahaha! It makes me laugh just thinking about it!!! Then, I was laughing so hard that apparently my face was going limp because of the Cataplexy, which made her laugh harder, which made me laugh harder. I'm sure we were a bizarre sight to behold. Lol. It was hilarious.

Ok, well, I better go. I love you all TONS, and I love hearing from you!

Love,
Me

I"m Not Worried

So, this week has been interesting. There hasn't been any big events, but multiple little ones.

To begin, Friday we found out transfer news. Sorry, mom.  You were wrong. ;-P  My whole companionship is staying.  I wasn't sure what I wanted to happen, so I'm ok with it.  Thankfully it's not me who knows what's best.  The Lord does.  Everything is going well in the companionship right now, so I'm not worried.

Yesterday was hilarious, but ended on a somewhat "drained" note.  The funny part was when we were at a recent convert's house.  She is a woman who used to have her own congregation.  We read with her out of the BOM (1 Nephi 2, since that's where she was in reading it and after almost every single verse, she had something to say.  It was rather amusing).  When we left, it was really funny because I went to open the door, but her apartment is so cramped and there were 3 people behind me, so the only way I could open the door was to attempt to go to the side.  However, I'm not a twig, so when Janice (the recent convert) saw my attempt to squeeze between the door and the back of a chair that her husband was sitting in, she said "Darrell, MOVE! This girl's got hips!" It was HILARIOUS!

Transfers are ever 6 weeks right now, but I don't know if that will last.  I don't know if this is a church-wide thing, but instead of transfer goals, we now make monthly goals.  But with the change, it's throwing everything off in our planners.  So, we'll see if the goals remain monthly, and change the transfers to monthly, or if they will just change the goals back to transfers.  It's too hard to have our goals be monthly and then transfer ever six weeks though because then we have new people coming in right in the middle of a monthly goal... if that makes sense... Anyway, yeah, I don't care for change.  It just confuses everyone...

Ok, all.  I love you all tons.  Thanks for writing, it makes every p-day AMAZING when I get to hear from all of you.

Love, Sis. Stephens

I"ve Never Seen Such a Drastic Change

Hello everyone!

So, this week I don't have a lot to chat about... It's been a rather dull week as far as "funny" goes. Although, I did sorta lose my journal for a few days, which is funny now because I found it underneath a pile of clothes. However, it wasn't so funny then...Lol

As far as spiritual goes, Kristopher got baptized on Saturday, and so did Dora. I don't think I've told you about Dora, but she is amazing. She was absolutely GOLDEN when we met her. In fact, in our first visit she told us she wanted to get baptized before school started. that didn't quite happen, but close enough! She wasn't exactly "our" baptism though, since we had to refer her to some elders who were actually over her area, but we still count her as ours unofficially since we taught her.

Kris's baptism was AMAZING. The funny thing is, I don't think there was anything profound in the talks or anything, but my testimony was strengthened on the topic of "rebirth" through baptism. The reason I say it that way is because I was really watching Kris before the baptism, and then after. And I thought to myself a lot beforehand that "wow. Kris is going to be baptized. He will be completely clean." But I also wondered if I would see him that way or would if I would still see as he was before.

However, after the baptism, it was so cool because Kris looked lighter. I'm not saying he had rays of light, and he wasn't beaming with glory or anything. He was still just Kris. But that's just it- he was just Kris. He is now just dear, sweet Kris.

At first I dismissed the idea that Kris was lighter (for lack of a better word), that he was different. But then Sunday, after his confirmation, Sister Tanner asked if Sister Robinson and I thought he looked different. I agreed and that's the first time I really physically saw a difference.

None of this is to say that Kris won't say random things that throw us completely off guard, but it's easier to dismiss his past now. I can't wait to meet with him tonight to see what he thought about everything, and if he's been able to forgive himself as the Savior has. But he's completely different now. He knows that he is loved. That he has progressed. And he knows that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the key to being happy. I've never seen such a drastic change. And now he is baptized. WOOT! WOOT!

Anyway, that's about all for the moment. Transfers happen next Tuesday (I can't believe they're here already!). We will know on Saturday if anyone is moving in or out of my trio. I have mixed feelings about it. I want us all to stay together, but I also want to meet new people.

Anyway, I love you all.

PS. Mom, THE LAST HUNGER GAMES BOOK CAME OUT! AHH!!! You know, it's a fact that you're going to have to read it now and tell me how you like it... No spoilers, but I have to know if you're satisfied with the endPS. Mom, THE LAST HUNGER GAMES BOOK CAME OUT! AHH!!! You know, it's a fact that you're going to have to read it now and tell me how you like it... No spoilers, but I have to know if you're satisfied with the end.

Ashley, I love you.
Roomies, I love you.
Family, I love you.
Friends, I love you.
Deon, I love you. Thanks for doing my blog.

[Gina, I love you too!! - D.]