After preparation day (because apparently calling it P day makes it
sound like you're talking about pee), on Wednesday we has zone
meeting. We we talked about planning, and obedience a lot. We are
getting the okay to get Facebook soon, so they are really cracking
down on obedience. (The preparation/ p day was a part of it...) It was
fun though because I got to see Sister Robinson! I love her
so much.
After zone meeting we had exchanges. I got to go to Cumorah with
Sister Greenman! Sister Greenman is on her second transfer and
hilarious. She is from Utah, and knows Spanish because her parents
both served in Argentina, and they spoke Spanish with their kids at
home. She is so excited about everything and we saw so many miracles
together! It was a lot of fun.
Then on Friday we had interviews! I got to meet with President and
Sister Bennion. They had asked us to study Alma 32 before hand in
preparation. It's funny. I never really understood the whole "faith is
like a little seed..." Until my mission. It all makes sense now. You
just have to nurture what you've got and keep on almost "faking it
until you make it", and one day you know.
Sister Kafu said that when she was 16, for new beginnings they gave
all the girls a flower and they were supposed to bring it back in a
year at the next new beginnings in a year. (Which honestly impressed
me that they could plan that far in advance...) so she kept her flower
alive and it grew a little bit, but when she went back in a year,
everyone had these huge flowers in these big pots! She was talking to
one of the moms and she said, "you have to move the flower into a
bigger pot for it to grow!"
It reminds me a lot of where Hermana Martinez and I are now. We are
definitely being stretched. But we are also growing a lot.
It's hard sometimes because we are both these kind of "babies" on the
mission. I love her and am so happy to have her for
a friend!
The area is very suburbany. It's weird being Spanish. When you're
English you feel responsible for everyone in you're area, but when
your Spanish, you don't feel that kind of responsibility. (English: I
am responsible for everyone here; Spanish: I am responsible for some
of the people here). That's not to say we don't talk to everyone, but
anyone we do get in with, if they're not Spanish, we have to refer to
English. Which is kind of sad.
Also, it makes Spanish feel like it's this secret area within the
area. Very weird.
The area where we live is very pretty. It's very green. We work a lot
in Duluth though. And our work is mainly in apartment complexes.
The branch is very supportive of us!
We love the people we work with a lot. Recently we've been trying to
focus more on serving them, and it's working! We are actually seeing
sincere spiritual growth! The Lord has also done a very good job at
reminding us that this is His work. It is not our work. It's His area,
and His work, and it's a privilege He's allowing us to be a part of
it.
I am so grateful He is allowing me to be a part of it. There's no
where else I'd rather be.
On Thursday, Hna. Martinez said to me, "I love being a missionary!
It's so much fun! You just get to go talk with everyone about the best
person ever!" I wanted to leap with joy when I heard those words come
out of her mouth! I am just so excited she's found the joy in the
work.
I love you! I love hearing from you!!! Thanks for the Birthday wishes!
Love,
Hermana Wallis
And then we got this letter... Which sort of sounds like an "SNL skit!" Her words, not mom's... But I (mom) can't stop laughing...
Here's just what a mess I am. You just have to laugh. Because I've already cried.
So, last Sunday, after I testified that Joseph Smith is our
Savior (whoops- language error!) in fast and testimony meeting, we came home to do language
study. I opened my iPad to discover that the screen was totally
cracked.
Yup.
So I called Elder Dixon (senior missionary in charge of iPads), after asking other missionaries who shattered or lost their iPads as to what to do and that's what you're supposed
to do. He said to call the Apple Store and set up an appointment and
they can swap my iPad out for me.
Here's what the conversation with Apple went like:
Apple machine does his intro, and I can't really tell if it's a real
person or not because he asked what our problem is!
"Hi. We are missionaries from the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints. I cracked my iPad and would like to make an appointment to get
a new one..."
"Many problems can be solved over the phone..." And Yadadada ....
"I'd you'd like to talk to a real person, please stay on the line!"
What. You mean I haven't been talking to a real person?
"What is your serial number? To find your serial number..."
Is this the real person? Because you sound exactly the same.
I'm also panicking because I no longer have the box the iPad came in,
and I'm looking at the case wondering how I even got the iPad in the
case. I'm pretty sure one of my trainers must have done it for me.
After struggling to get the iPad out of the case and then finding the
serial number...
"I see you are having trouble. Let me have you talk to a real person."
Really!?!
Real person has a very thick Mexican accent, but is very positive and upbeat.
"Helloooo. This is Apple. Am I Speaking with La-shaunda?"
"No. We are missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday
Saints. I cracked my iPad, and would like to schedule an appointment
to get a new one."
"Okey. What is your first and last name?"
"Madeleine Wallis"
"Ok Madeleine, your last name is Wallis? Can you spell that out for me?"
Where are their manners?! You can't just call me by my first name!
"Actually can you just call me Sister Wallis?"
Uh errr confusion. And I spell out "W A L L I S"
"Okey Madeleine..."
"Can you please call me Sister Wallis?"
"Uh Sister?"
"Yes."
"You're first name is Sister?"
I give up.
"Yes."
"Okeyyy Sister.... What seems to be the problem?"
"We are missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints. That's why I asked you to call me sister... And my iPad is
cracked, so can I please make an appointment to come exchange it?"
"Okey... What's your email address? Can you give me an email address?"
"Yes! It is 244....278....635@mormon.org"
"Okey... Let me just clarify. It is 244 278 635 @ and can you spell
the rest of that for me?"
"Mormon. m-o-r-m-o-n"
"Mormon?!"
"Yep."
"Okey... Dot com?"
"No. Dot org..."
"Okey. So we have appointments for tomorrow at 6:50, 7:50, 8:30, and 8:40"
"Let me check real quick... Can we take 6:50?"
"I'm sorry, the only appointments we have for tomorrow are at 7:50, 8:30 and..."
Just remembering that we should probably wait until preparation day to
do this....
"Do you actually have times on Monday?"
"Mondey? Uh sureee... What's your email again?"
Same thing again.
"Okey we have appointments for 12:40..."
"Great! Let's do that!"
I am not letting someone else get my time this time.
"Okey Sister. We have your appointment confirmed for Monday at 12:40.
Anything else we can do for you?"
"Just check out Mormon.org and have a great day!!!"
Yup. It felt like an SNL skit. And my companion was dying laughing the
whole time.
Then today we went to the Apple Store. To fix it. They can't. Elder Dixon just told me to keep the cracked iPad.
So I have to keep my cracked iPad.
Savior (whoops- language error!) in fast and testimony meeting, we came home to do language
study. I opened my iPad to discover that the screen was totally
cracked.
Yup.
So I called Elder Dixon (senior missionary in charge of iPads), after asking other missionaries who shattered or lost their iPads as to what to do and that's what you're supposed
to do. He said to call the Apple Store and set up an appointment and
they can swap my iPad out for me.
Here's what the conversation with Apple went like:
Apple machine does his intro, and I can't really tell if it's a real
person or not because he asked what our problem is!
"Hi. We are missionaries from the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints. I cracked my iPad and would like to make an appointment to get
a new one..."
"Many problems can be solved over the phone..." And Yadadada ....
"I'd you'd like to talk to a real person, please stay on the line!"
What. You mean I haven't been talking to a real person?
"What is your serial number? To find your serial number..."
Is this the real person? Because you sound exactly the same.
I'm also panicking because I no longer have the box the iPad came in,
and I'm looking at the case wondering how I even got the iPad in the
case. I'm pretty sure one of my trainers must have done it for me.
After struggling to get the iPad out of the case and then finding the
serial number...
"I see you are having trouble. Let me have you talk to a real person."
Really!?!
Real person has a very thick Mexican accent, but is very positive and upbeat.
"Helloooo. This is Apple. Am I Speaking with La-shaunda?"
"No. We are missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday
Saints. I cracked my iPad, and would like to schedule an appointment
to get a new one."
"Okey. What is your first and last name?"
"Madeleine Wallis"
"Ok Madeleine, your last name is Wallis? Can you spell that out for me?"
Where are their manners?! You can't just call me by my first name!
"Actually can you just call me Sister Wallis?"
Uh errr confusion. And I spell out "W A L L I S"
"Okey Madeleine..."
"Can you please call me Sister Wallis?"
"Uh Sister?"
"Yes."
"You're first name is Sister?"
I give up.
"Yes."
"Okeyyy Sister.... What seems to be the problem?"
"We are missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints. That's why I asked you to call me sister... And my iPad is
cracked, so can I please make an appointment to come exchange it?"
"Okey... What's your email address? Can you give me an email address?"
"Yes! It is 244....278....635@mormon.org"
"Okey... Let me just clarify. It is 244 278 635 @ and can you spell
the rest of that for me?"
"Mormon. m-o-r-m-o-n"
"Mormon?!"
"Yep."
"Okey... Dot com?"
"No. Dot org..."
"Okey. So we have appointments for tomorrow at 6:50, 7:50, 8:30, and 8:40"
"Let me check real quick... Can we take 6:50?"
"I'm sorry, the only appointments we have for tomorrow are at 7:50, 8:30 and..."
Just remembering that we should probably wait until preparation day to
do this....
"Do you actually have times on Monday?"
"Mondey? Uh sureee... What's your email again?"
Same thing again.
"Okey we have appointments for 12:40..."
"Great! Let's do that!"
I am not letting someone else get my time this time.
"Okey Sister. We have your appointment confirmed for Monday at 12:40.
Anything else we can do for you?"
"Just check out Mormon.org and have a great day!!!"
Yup. It felt like an SNL skit. And my companion was dying laughing the
whole time.
Then today we went to the Apple Store. To fix it. They can't. Elder Dixon just told me to keep the cracked iPad.
So I have to keep my cracked iPad.
I love you so much.
Love,
Sister Wallis
Sent from my iPad
Love,
Sister Wallis
Sent from my iPad
A plant in need of repotting...
This missionary loves American Girl!
