Week 11---Snow!

Well, another transfer is almost over. And that's CRAZY! I can't believe how fast time is going! It feels like this transfer started maybe a week or two ago.

So, some of you (Mom) were freaking out because we started emailing a little late this morning. Let me explain! There has been a lot of...SNOW! And ice.

Yup. On Thursday night, we started getting freezing rain, and then it snowed through most of Friday. This picture was taken near the end of the snowing.

I don't have as much time to email today, because the community college was closed, and we have to be at the public library. They only allow an hour for emailing (or maybe two... we're not really sure). But I got my SD card reader, so I'll try to send more photos than normal!

Monday, we had our district P-Day, and the theme was "Farmville." Just kidding... Mostly. We went out to a member from Dexter's farm, and he showed us around. We watered cows, saw an all-white peacock (it was so cool!), rode around in the back of a truck... And the main attraction was a giant zip line. I did NOT ride it. To get attached, you had to climb what was basically a telephone pole with giant nails sticking out the side. Then you had to stand on a tiny, rickety platform. Nuh uh. I got queasy just looking up at it.

Tuesday was mission conference! We drove to Cape Girardeau, an hour and a half drive, then had six hours of meetings, then drove home. As you might imagine, THAT was a productive day... Haha. Well, it was productive. I learned a lot, but we didn't meet with many people. We learned some new ways to present the lessons, and the mission president's wife, Sister Morgan, taught us about table manners :) Our car got a 92% on the cleanliness checklist. We got docked because our engine was dirty. What? Who knew that you had to clean your engine? Oh well, now I know for next time!

We had a pretty slow week overall, as you might imagine with the weather. Some updates on our investigators...

Edna has been having surgery! She's getting a kidney removed, so she's been in the hospital in Cape. It's sad, because she really wants to get baptized, but she's going to have to wait a while, because she'll have a big old hole in her!

We visited Hannah twice. She's one of our "older" investigators, by which I mean that we have been teaching her for a long time. She's been struggling with many things, and it's going to be hard if we have to drop her. But when someone isn't progressing, and can't make the changes in their life, it can be better for them to not learn more. With greater knowledge comes greater responsibility, right?

We have a new investigator! Maggie is 15 years old, and we actually met her because she came to church with some ward members. That's always exciting, when someone comes to church! We had the first lesson with her and her member friends, and it went really well. She accepted the invitation to be baptized when she learns that the church is true.

That all pretty much happened before....

 That's me, getting ready to head out into the icy snow. Or snowy ice? I don't really know... Haha. But yeah, it got cold. And snowy. Church was fun. There were maybe 25 members there when we started sacrament meeting! So we only ended up having sacrament meeting.

Timeline of snowiness:

 Thursday at about 3:30 we were told that we had to park our cars, because WINTER WAS COMING. At that point, we were getting mostly just rain. Cold rain, but just rain. Then, before we went to bed, we got….

That is ice, by the way.

Then, Friday afternoon, we had that snow you saw before. BRRR.

But Mom, those boots you got me are boss. They keep my feet warm and dry, and they have good traction! And luckily, winter clothing is cute. But when Sister Richardson and I have tried to visit people recently, they look at us like we're crazy. "Why are you two girls out in the snow and cold? Get inside! That's what we're doing!" And seriously, people have been staying inside. It kind of reminds me of Camas when it snows :) The school got let out Thursday morning, and hasn't been back in session since. And obviously the college is closed too.

While the snow/ice was here, we were productive :) We decorated a little for Christmas (see your snowflakes? I've been making some too). Sister Richardson's been knitting. And we baked pie! That is the first pecan pie I have made, and it was delicious. 

You might notice that some of those pecans are small. That's because we actually hand cracked and peeled the pecans. There's a pecan tree in Ashley's backyard, and she gave us some. The pie recipe was from a member we know. We also made a pumpkin pie, because I haven't had any yet this year, and I couldn't let a Thanksgiving go by without pumpkin pie!

Anyway, my time is wrapping up... Spiritual thought time! Haha.

I've been reading in Alma, and I love this scripture. It had never stood out to me before:

"For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored; therefore, the word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner and justifieth him not at all." (Alma 41:15)

It's almost like karma. We are sending things out in the world: good or bad feelings, good or bad relationships, good or bad messages. And they will return to us! Not necessarily in this life... In fact, probably NOT in this life. But they will return. So we need to make sure that, if we want good things, we are sending out good things!

Just got a notice that my time is almost up, so I'm going to wrap  this up! Love you all! Keep sending me letters :) And emails! only got a handful of emails this week :( Guilt trip! Guilt trip!

 Keep being missionaries!

Love,

Sister Barret