I'll just start describing my week from last Monday night because I
have no idea where else to even begin.
Monday evening: we had dinner with Sister Shaw. One of the best parts
about now being with a family ward is that we get to visit with
all the widows! They're hilarious! I'm pretty sure one of the widows is the
only one who remembers the premortal existence. She says she uses her
memory of it all the time to share the gospel with her neighbors! She
claims that she's not good at anything because she didn't work on any
talents in the pre-mortal existence. She's a hoot.
Tuesday: in the morning we visited someone the elders, who used to be
in the area, taught. He was actually on date for baptism! However, he
decided that after reading Revelations that the BOM could not possibly
be true and canceled his baptism and never met with the elders again.
4 months later, we sisters get the Elder's phone (we each have a phone
in our tripanionship. It's like we're APs! Haha) and we are able to
get an appointment with him! Turns out that he only let us over
because, in his own words "I'm just a super nice guy." Either way,
we've arranged to start having weekly bible study with him. We then
had district meeting because we are now in phase 2 of the iPads! Which
means we get the area book ap! More on that in a bit.
That afternoon we had to go to Atlanta for a doctor's appointment for
Sister Patterson. Then we had dinner with someone from Big Shanty!
Then institute! Haha I promise my week got way more interesting...
Because on Wednesday we took a surprise trip to Lilburn! This week we
had my 4 week follow-up meeting! (Can you believe I've been in Georgia
for 4 weeks?!) We woke up at 5:30 am and drove all the way to the
mission office. We thought we'd done pretty well on time because we
were the first missionary car there and we were about a half hour
early! We walked into the mission office, when the mission secretary
asked us what we were doing... "We're here for the follow-up meeting!"
Only to be informed that the follow up meeting was actually on
Thursday.
We had just wasted 200 miles, and a full morning. Self-disappointment
is an understatement.
We wallowed with the Senior missionaries for a bit, looked for my
package, and even got to see the companion ship board! Fun fact, for
the Big Shanty area, there's just one picture. Me. Just a greenie-
baby all alone taking over Big Shanty. The greenie-baby who tells her
companions that the follow-up meeting is on Wednesday, when it is
actually on Thursday. Yup.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha
That afternoon we visited a less active widow. She's from New York, is
Italian, and speaks with the New York accent. She's a hoot! She told
me I looked like someone on the T.V. (We've actually decided that 5
people have told me that now....) Sometimes, I have no way to even
summarize some of the things these women tell us... She told us about
her neighbors: the adulterer, the squatter, and the drug dealers. She
gave us much needed diet cokes and I got her to commit to coming to
church!
We had dinner with the Bishop's family from the family ward and
visited with a recent convert that night.
Thursday: we went to the follow up meeting for real! I got to see
Hermana Ray! It was great. So with the area books, because we're the
first missionaries in the mission to have iPads, we have to transfer
all the information from the past 2 years in our area books to the
iPad. President Bennion told us that I'm the only missionary with
access to the Big Shanty lds tools, area book, and key indicators.
When he told us that I basically have to handle Big Shanty on my own,
it was quite comical because we just stared at him, unable to form any
sort of response other than "uh, oh, okay...." As we sat down.
That afternoon we met with some recent converts from Big Shanty as
well as with some investigators.
Sunday: Sister Hanks actually spoke in the Kennesaw ward, some of the members
less active neighbors came for the first time in years! As
did one of their investigators! Their investigator is actually married
to a woman in the ward. His hold up is that he doesn't believe that
God would allow anyone to be baptized wrong... And he was already
baptized. Hiss mother even told him to just get baptized because she's
been baptized 8 times!
I love my area.
We actually had 2 investigators come to Big Shanty! It was great. It
was actually Branch conference, so the branch and stake president
spoke. Their talks were perfect!
Being a missionary is still a blast! My district leader just called me
and told me to take the mission stress test because last night I
sounded stressed when I had to give him the big shanty numbers... Haha
sometimes I feel like being a missionary is best summarized with this
photo:
I love you all,
Madeleine
