So, I wasn't having the best day on Monday... :( to be honest actually I'm
not having a best day ever. I've been homesick since I left, but at least
before I was also in a daze. Now it's all sinking in and it’s not to awesome. But
I'm handling and I'm still having amazing experiences so it all equals out in
the end. As I said in my letter to the Mission President this week "it’s
hard, but I understand that it's supposed to be hard. I have a lot of hard
lessons to learn, and hard lessons can't be easy to learn." yeah, makes
very little sense... but there it is...
also... I'm having allergy issues I think. My eyes are always seriously scratchy and dry and my nose is itchy and I sneeze a lot and my throat is sore... it's not super bad, but it's annoying.
On
Tuesday we spent most of the
day in the car... again.... I love long drives but not this often! Seriously....
Mena is super pretty, but also super far away from the rest of the zone and
mission in general. Too. Much. Driving!
Anyway, on Tuesday we had zone training and president interviews.
I cried in front of the president... again. I'm pretty sure there is a
warning about me in my permanent file at this point.
Small clip of my interview:
PS : Hey there Sister
Longberg! How are you? How is the work in Mena?
SL: So
great! I love it, everyone is awesome and kind and I love it!
PS: I love to hear
that! Tell me about a cool experience you've had recently...
SL: I have had
so many great moments.... there was this lady - **sniffles** - and she **wipe
away a tear** - and... -**bust into sobs and words become inaudible** - church
- **more sniffles** - prayer - **more tears** - so beautiful!
PS: well... that
sounds like a great experience.
SL: **quiet nods
and wiping of snot on back of hand**
PS: I'm sorry; I
didn't mean to make you cry.
SL:
**embarrassed now**
The End
sooooo....
We got back to Mena
pretty late but not late enough to call it a day, so Sister Daines and I played
the "lets see if we can find someone who will open their door"
game.
We ended up on the
porch of a woman named Sandra Reid. (An inactive member)
It was hot and humid
and gross, and she had no air conditioning. I did not want to go in.
She invited us to sit
down. I did not want to do that, but Sister Daines gave me a look, so I
did.
(The couch was yellow
and brown... I think it was supposed to be white... dust clouds appeared after
we sat down. just FYI)
We asked how she was
and how her day went. She gave quick short answers. Sister Daines
loves to talk with people and to know and understand people before we share a
lesson and leave, I don't. I understand where Sister Daines is coming
from, but I do not like small talk. We are there for a reason and when it
is hot and gross and the person is in a small night gown with no underwear on,
I just want to get the message across and book it out of there!
So I pull out my
Scriptures and ask if we can share a short spiritual message with her.
Sandra nods and I read Alma 22:15-16 and I bear my
testimony of the atonement and the importance of faith and humility towards our
Savior. Sandra is in tears by the end and Sister Daines gives a quick
mention of her testimony and asks Sandra what she thinks about our
message. Sandra doesn't talk or anything, she just silently cries.
We sat in that hot and
humid home for 5 minutes in complete silence.
Finally, Sister Daines
asked Sandra if we could get some priesthood brothers over to give her a blessing.
She nods her head yes but say's that it's too late tonight and to come back in
the morning... but to call first.
Well, you can guess
that by the next morning she no longer wanted the blessing and she will not
answer her door or her phone. But we are sure not giving up on her that
easy! Silly people think they can out wait the missionaries! Yeah
right!
It has been raining
here for the past couple days.... yeah....
Rain in Arkansas is
not like the rain I am used to.
It's hot, humid rain
that literally evaporates off the road as soon as it hits. Nasty.
My hair will not stay
straight... and it feels like I took a shower in my under-clothes and tried to
put on clothes over that. I hate this.
I have been
baking! I made banana bread and oatmeal raisin cookies and oatmeal banana
bread.... I share it with the Shaws and some other members who have given us
rides or meals or something. I love doing that sort of thing! So
great!
On Friday and Saturday
we did exchanges again... I don't like those anymore :/
Bentonville sucks big
time and I hope I never actually serve there... but now that I've said that you
know I'm going there soon... bleck! They don't have a car so you have to
walk EVERYWHERE!!
You know when you take
a hot shower but didn't turn the fan on... yeah picture walking around in that
for hours! Gross :(
I did get to teach an
atheist... that was interesting.
When teaching this
"atheist" I learned a lot... and it wasn't as scary as I
initially thought. He prayed and he loved it. It was an interesting
experience that I wish I could have again but I can't because he is in
Bentonville and I am in Mena...
And then, while I am
away Sister Daines found us a new investigator! I hate that I missed it,
but I'm glad that it happened!
Kim is Catholic and
hates the Book of Mormon, why she is talking to us I don't understand, but she
is and it's great! she loves us and loves me because I have a better
understand of the bible then Sister Daines.... we kinda play good cop, bad cop
with her where I pull out bible verses and Sister Daines backs me up with the
Book of Mormon... it's pretty funny.
okay, last story
This morning, its
raining. Sister Daines wants to clean the car. I'm thinking vacuum,
but no. She wants to wash the car today. In the rain.
we got some really
funny looks.
I'm just glad she
spent her money on it, cuz serisouly. that was stupid. seriously.
~~~Blessings:
- Enjoying time with
the Davis family on fathers day.
- A sweet letter Joy
Prince sent me after she found my blog!
- Green grass after
rain storms!
- you know that one
tree in our back yard? with all the pretty pink flowers?
yeah, they grow like
wild fire here! every where! and they are almost all pink! so
cool,
- Sister Daines has
been sick twice... I feel great all the time :)
- members who feed
me... :)
okay. I want to
do a Blessing and Funny things and stuff section every week.... but I can't
remember half of what happened! I'll figure it out eventually... I have
17 months....
oh yeah, I'm also grateful
for an area with a car and Talimena drive. look that up! it's
amazing! not quite like Cottonwood Canyon, but close!
~~~ SL
