Week 26: Hello Oakville!

With Sister Richardson at transfers

Sorry for the abrupt cut off last week! I did not expect to get booted off the computer. But hey, what can you do? I guess I could try to type faster... or something. Maybe try to have less eventful weeks? :)

This week was busy busy busy as well. Let's see... Last Monday, we had a dinner with members (we have a dinner calendar here!). It's definitely a different culture in the city than down in Poplar Bluff. Not better, not worse, just different! 

Tuesday, we had a busy day. We had a lesson with a new investigator, who is actually a former investigator that we picked up again. She is Bosnian. There's apparently a fairly large Bosnian population in St Louis, which I didn't know at all. I've learned that I cannot speak Bosnian one bit, that you take your shoes off at the door, and they like to feed you. For example, on Tuesday, she fed us a GIANT PIECE OF CAKE at 10 in the morning. Oh my goodness. It was a homemade Bosnian cake, absolutely delicious, but holy cow. I cannot eat that much sweet that early, I thought I was going to be ill. The communication barrier is pretty big, but we're going to hopefully look for ways to overcome that. No more cake though, I hope. Or if we have cake, let's make it in the afternoon.  Hoo boy.

Wednesday, we went and did service at a place called Feed My People. It was really good. We helped do things like organize food donations, mark cans, bag cabbage... Tiring, but really good. We taught another investigator this day, and a member came with us. We love it when members come with us, because it shows that there are real people who go to our church that can be their friends. It's not all wide-eyed, young missionaries!

We had a really great lesson with a member Wednesday night, with some really amazing fruits. We shared a message with her, about the Restoration, God's love, and the blessing of the gospel with families, and then challenged her to share it with someone she knows. Well, she decided to go share it with her cousin, who's not a member and who's in hospice. On Sunday, she shared the experience in Relief Society. She went and shared it, and they had a really powerful experience. Then she asked her cousin if she could do her work for her in the temple after she passed away, and her cousin said yes! It was a great example of missionary work.

Thursday, we had district meeting. Sister Esterholdt gave a good training on  recognizing the Spirit. 

We had a lesson with "Julie"! Julie has a pretty amazing story. She called the missionaries, and asked them to bring her the Book of Mormon, copies of the pamphlets, and a Book of Mormon study guide. Wow, that doesn't happen much. But she's great. She's already read to 3 Nephi 11, and she loves it. Sadly, she didn't make it to church this week... That's our next step with her. 

On Friday, we visited a less active member who survived, in the last year, neck surgery, which led to a heart attack and a stroke, another stroke, shingles, and breast cancer. Yep. That was a lot to go through in a year!

So I've decided to never get old. That's the plan, at least :)

Saturday was surprisingly busy. Usually Saturdays are a little slow, but not this week! We had a good lesson with our recent convert. And Sunday, my first Sunday in the new ward! Other than last week's stake conference, that is.

We had a lesson with an 81 year old woman who is a piece of living history, let me tell you. She is also a fantastic storyteller.

Oakville is a great area, with a lot of good stuff going on. It's part of St Louis, but it's more suburb than real city. Has real stores though, so that's different! We have a Target! And I'm getting better at driving, that's for sure. It was really that transition time that was the hardest. The ward is great, from what I've seen so far. Our ward mission leader is very involved and excited about the work, which is great.

We live in another apartment complex, which has a gym! Hooray! We've been working out there, and I have realized just how out of shape I am. Holy moly, this is what happens when you haven't lifted weights in six months. Not good, trust me. But I'm getting there, I'm getting there...

This week, in my personal study, I finished Isaiah! I've been working my way through the Bible, and I slowed down quite a bit at Isaiah, because I wanted to understand as I read. Obviously, I didn't understand everything, but I did love Chapter 53 again: "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him: and with his stripes we are healed." What a beautiful reminder of the strength and power and relief we receive through the Atonement of Jesus Christ! 

I love you all! Hope that your week is nice and restful :)

Sister Barret

Week: 25 Goodbye Poplar Bluff!

Well, it's official. I'm out of my first area, and into my second. And I am senior companion! I'm follow up training Sister Esterholdt. Lots of change, so I've been a little overwhelmed, as I am sure that you can imagine. Also, I have like no pictures from the last few days... I've got to change that.

Anyway! Monday was mine and Sister Reed's last P-Day together. That was sad, but we had plenty of fun to make up for it...

This is the mannequin FORMERLY known as Jezebel. She has a name! It's Julia. She stands on a corner on a main street in Poplar Bluff, and it was a goal of mine for the last six months to get a picture with her. I feel very accomplished now.

Tuesday was my very last day in Poplar Bluff. So strange! I was surprisingly calm though. We got to see quite a few people for the last time. Good-bye, my investigators! I'll miss you! But seriously, even though I was ready to leave Poplar Bluff, I am definitely going to miss so many of the people there. They are GOOD people, who really have a strong desire to follow the gospel. And small towns are fun :)

Wednesday was transfer meeting. My very first day on the mission spent proselyting OUTSIDE of Poplar Bluff! We woke up at six to pack up the last bit of my stuff (gosh, packing is the worst), then drove and drove. We got to the meeting early, which was lucky, because we were SUPPOSED to be at the meeting early, because Sister Reed got called to be a trainer. So I got to see people... especially Sister Richardson, my mission mommy. The actual transfer meeting was fun, as always. The highlight is seeing all the new missionaries.

Then, after the meeting, I got together with Sister Esterholdt and it turned out... they drove to transfers! So 1. we live close enough to the mission home to drive there and not have zero miles left, and 2. AH I'm DRIVING! After six months of NOT! I was a little worried, to say the least. But I bucked up, warned Sister Esterholdt not to be terrified (haha, there was no way around it), and drove to Oakville. CRAZY.

Once we got to Oakville, we actually got to have a couple of lessons. One was a member feeding us dinner. The other was a part member family. It went okay, he's very stubborn though! He did not want to pray at all.

Adjusting to a new area is rough! It's rough for both companions. The one who stayed has to basically run the area alone for the first week or so, and the new companion has to try to shove all this new information in their head as quick as possible. Plus adjusting to driving for the first time, and being senior and everything... I felt like I barely had a second to think for the first three days or so. And so much is different in our schedule here than in Poplar Bluff. The teaching pool here is smaller, and we do a lot of work with less actives.

This ward has seen a lot of success though this year! Three converts in the last three months. I'm excited to work here!

On Thursday, we had district meeting and met our new district. It's small, just two sets of sisters and a set of elders.

We taught a new investigator, Anne. She's a very nice older woman, and she's very active in the Church of Christ, so we'll see what happens there.

On Friday, I met our recent convert! He's a young, married man. His wife was less active and then they started meeting with the missionaries.

I have to go! They're kicking me off…good luck…love you

Pray! Read the scriptures! Go to church!

Sister Barret

Week 24: 6 Months!

Wow. I feel like I've already said this quite a bit. But... I'm leaving Poplar Bluff! And I'm heading to the Oakville 2 area.

I have a lot of emailing today, so this email probably won't be that long, even though we're at the community college again (thank goodness!). Plus I have to pack and shop and do all sorts of things today! Geez, leaving is so complicated! But I have lots of pictures this week, so I'll send a handful.

That's me with my birthday present stuff :) haha. Thank you so much Mom and Lyvia and Quinn and anyone else who wished me happy birthday. I really appreciated it! I wore the scarf yesterday, so it'll be in lots of pictures of good-byes. I've used a lot of the stuff already, actually. I made some cupcakes with some of the mint chips for the greenie who's coming into Poplar Bluff. (Sister Reed is training)

 

 Dress swap day! I'm going to miss Sister Reed's dress...

 

Sister Reed after we got transfer calls... She was a basket case. Haha for puns!

I'm taking lots of pictures with members/investigators, so I'll probably send some of those as well soon!

Highlights from the week...

We helped our recent convert prepare for her husband coming home. We helped clean out her father in law's trailer... and I have never smelled anything worse than that sink. I was literally gagging every time I got a good whiff of it. I cleaned dishes for two hours and I felt like I made barely a dent, geez. But we got the trailer looking a lot better, so that's good!

We went to a Relief Society service project on Saturday with a member, and helped make things for women's shelters and hospitals. One of the things was tote bags, so Sister Reed and I got to melt the ends of the draw strings so they wouldn't fray. Don't worry, we did it outside... no open flames in church buildings!

I had a lovely birthday on Sunday. We went out to dinner the night before, at a Mexican restaurant in town. Then I ate leftovers + eggs for a breakfast burrito, delicious. I made myself a dump cake. Waffles at a member house for lunch. Teriyaki and cheesecake at a member house for dinner. Lots of great food! Big day at church though, with it being my birthday and my last Sunday. Lots of happy birthdays/goodbyes. I'm definitely going to miss so many people here!

 In my personal study, I've been reading a lot in Isaiah lately. Crazy, right? But once again, my Book of Mormon reading and Bible study have coincided, so I reached Isaiah in both places at the same time. I will say this: Isaiah is tough to understand, yes. But I understand it SO MUCH better this time around than last! I don't know if it's just because I'm older, or because I've been immersed in the scriptures for the last six months, but wow, I am understanding so much more than before. Still not that much, haha, because it is Isaiah, but much better than before.

I liked this scripture from Isaiah 10:15: "Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood."

It reminds me of a scripture from The Book of Mormon: "Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever." (Alma 26:12)

We really are just tools in God's hands. When we try to set ourselves up to be more than that--when we feel that we are the ones causing miracles, or we're the ones converting people--we are completely wrong. I myself am nothing. I am a tool in God's hand. My job as a missionary is to work my hardest so that God can work miracles through me. This transfer's theme is Miracle Madness, so here's going :)

Love you all! Only a couple of months before we get to Skype again, time flies!

Sister Barret

Week 23: The Icepocalypse!

Good heavens, I am really starting to loathe the snow. I used to be ok with it, mostly when I was a kid and I didn't have to worry about driving and it just meant that I got to skip out on school for an extra couple days. But as a missionary...? Snow is the worst! And ice is even worse!

Pictures!

Looks like snow, right? NOPE that's all ice. It was everywhere. I have found out what sleet is, and it's no fun.

And in the morning... the snow. Woohoo.

I am really proud of this action shot of Sister Reed throwing a snowball at one of the elders. That's our parking lot, by the way.

And Wormella, the ugliest snowman ever.

So, we had some fun in the snow... but overall, not the greatest! Especially because it throws off our whole schedule!

But, backtracking a little...

Tuesday were our exchanges with the sister training leaders. It was a good exchange. It's always fun to get to see how other missionaries work and to learn from them. I went with one of the STLs from Utah, and we had a good time. We actually went and spent a couple of hours in a print shop doing service, because the woman who owns the shop is friends with a member. We got to help make shirts for a benefit for a little baby who just died of SIDS, so we were really glad that we got to go and make a difference.

We visited a lot of less active members this week. Just the normal encouragement to return to activity, and to keep reading the scriptures and praying... CPR (Church, Pray, Read).

I'm trying to remember what all happened last week. It feels so long ago! Time is so weird on a mission. Can you believe that I've almost hit the six month mark?! That's a third of my mission! Seriously, Lyvia &  Quinn: Be ready for the time to fly, because I really can't believe where my time's gone. Also, I didn't bring my journal this week, and I usually reference that to know what happened in the week. I guess I could pull out my planner...

I don't know, it was just a normal week I think. The snow kind of overshadowed everything. They warned us that an ice storm was coming in. We grabbed a few extra groceries, just in case. Good thing that we did!

But we got some missionary work done inside as well. We were able to work on paperwork, clean the apartment, work on our map of the area... just good stuff. Make phone calls. Look over potential investigators. The usual :)

ANYWAY, the weather is really supposed to warm up, so hopefully the college will be open next week, especially because TRANSFER CALLS are coming up on the 8th! Happy birthday to me, right?

Thanks for the birthday wishes, by the way :) I really appreciate them. 21 feels way too old, I'm not an adult yet, right?

Love you all! Hope you're having a wonderful, non-snowy week!

Sister Devynne Barret