Hi family! Guess what this friday I've been in Texas for 1 YEAR!!! I think that's called "residency" right? I'm starting to feel like my mission is just over. I actually cried (like real tears. crazy.) the other morning cause I just felt like it was speeding to it's finish and I can't do anything about it! And I'm not the missionary I want to be yet. (Yes. I did cry. I felt so retarded. But I was sad. So i did. So sue me.) I'm trying but I am also sooo not what I want to be. This week I had a big step in the right direction. I think if I double space this it might be easier to read? Sorry for my epistles being so long and psycho sometimes.
So. Last week was a good week. Monday we went out to eat with the oldest couple in the ward and the sweetest couple. He's our stake patriarch. And she is just so sweet. Everything she does is just so... genteel and southern. ha i spelled genteel right. Sweet. Anyway they took us out to eat at a seafood resturant and I am a scaredy cat so I got a hamburger. But afterward we went and talked to Kathy, their son's girlfriend who lives at their house and just got baptized February. She is so awesome. I hope they get married. Except it is weird to me that EVERYONE in texas is on their at least 2nd marriage. When we meet someone who has been married to one person, I'm shocked. It's crazy, just very different. Not bad, in fact the B's have the most solid relationship ever, but it's just sad to me that they had to have the trouble of divorce in their lives earlier. They are stronger for it though.
Tuesday we studied at the little park on the water by our house. Oh it is so beautiful. SO beautiful and we talked there about one of my goals. I've written it the past couple weeks I think: Talk to everyone. Let me explain the progression that this goal has undergone. I felt at first, like I should talk to everyone. That made me feel guilty that I hadn't talked to everyone and that I didn't want to. But then I examined it and realized that I actually want to talk to everyone I'm just afraid to. So I started to think about how I wanted to talk to everyone. But it didn't happen. So finally I wrote it in my journal one day. I knew that if I did, I would be accountable for it. So I put it off and put it off, but one day I realized that I simply just had to do it. So I did. After a week or so, I told sister Erickson that I want to talk to everyone. And I continued to bring it up when we talked about goals for the next two weeks probably. During this time we got put into the Spanish Zone and loaded with a Quality Contact goal of 13/week (crazy. Spanishland, for sure.) and we got our new district leader who is just a REALLY great leader. I don't know how he does it but he motiviates people a TON. I will observe how and get back to you. And then at the park studying sister Erickson and I talked about it. And we said "Okay, on the way home we're going to talk to 3 people we wouldn't otherwise talk to." and we saw this guy and we just walked over. It was awkward. But we got a return appt. And then we talked to another man down the street. Then we made a guy stop mowing his lawn haha and talked to him. Then we talked to a guy in his front yard and got a return appointment. All on one tiny road on the way home. And we kept doing it all day. On our bikes we would stop people or go over to people. And I did it!! AHHH!! It was so cool. It was amazing to see how God helped me reach my goal. He put everything in order to make it reachable. How cool is that? Does it sound cool to yall? Cause it WAS cool, I don't know if I'm making it sound as cool as it was.
Wednesday I wrecked on my bike! HA! It was my first bike crash, let me pain the picture for you. We're on our way to stop by a less actives house on this BUSY, long road (South Broadway/Old Hwy 146, if you want to Google Earth it) we were right the Little Cedar Bayou. And I think i might have overcorrected. I'm not sure. But all the sudden the handlebars were facing the opposite direction so obviously the inertia of the bike wasn't jiving with that so I went forward into the handle bars and then we went down, me and Daphne. My shoe flew into the road and I felt like I was going to puke. I've never had the wind knocked out of me, I guess. I just kind of crouched there sounding like I was gonna die cause I couldn't breathe and it hurt really bad. And then I hobbled over to the grass in case I was going to hurl. And sister erickson comes over and i'm like "Get my shoe!" and then she tells me I'm bleeding. (Not bad. I just realized that this might sound like I was really injured. I wasn't I'm totally fine. Just a gashed elbow and foot and a very sprained foot) sister erickson is like "do you want to go home and lie down?" and I'm in a daze so I'm like "no. let's just keep going. rebecca likes us to come in the morning" and then we got to rebecca's and talked to a man on his porch - Joe - and came back later and taught him and now he's reading the book of mormon and our new investigator! so that was good. Wednesday night we talked to Jonathan. We dropped him :[ We had to. We have to stay connected to our purpose and teaching him every week is not fulfilling our purpose. I was so sad. So was Sister erickson. We love jonathan a lot. I know that one day he'll be baptized, but he just needs to DECIDE.
Thursday was a LONG day where I felt so sore because hello I just wrecked on my bike yesterday and forgot to rest so all of my muscles hurt. We planned and did some work from the house in the morning and in the evening went tracting and had correlation mtg. Sister Manzo is my hero, just know that! She is changing things! I know I always say it but if one person can get a vision for what the Lord wants them to do they can literally change everyone around them.
Friday we had district meeting with our wonderful Fuits - the senior couple. Dad will you ask Grandma about kathy hicken? Friday my foot was going bonkers. I coudln't step on it without a TON of pain. But we taught angie and robert and morris and visited with the elders old investigators (finally!! we haven't been able to get in with them all transfer)
Saturday we all our appointments kind of bombed. That was awesome. But Sister Manzo took us to lunch and then to one of our appts that ended up bombing. I'm going to take a picture with her this week so that yall can see her and start the blueprints for the statue of her that you're going to make, right? haha for reals though she helps us so much.
Yesterday we had dinner with the Gallachers. oh the gallachers I love them. They're moving back to Utah probably so maybe I'll come see them when I get home? That would be so crazy but I'll do it. Then we saw Lauro and Maria and taught a plan of salvation lesson. Why do I ever teach anything but the missinoary lessons to pepole? I don't know. I love teaching the PMG lessons.
Today is Zone pday (we're watching the best two years hoorah!). Tomorrow I'm going on an exchange with the HERMANAS!!! I'm going to spanishland! I'm so excited! I love spanish so so so much and I love hearing it and learning it. And then it will be a normal week were we try to talk to everyone we see while we're out and I try to be a better missionary. I really want to be so much better than I am. But I am happy and grateful. I wonder if I should feel more discontent, because I sort of feel guilty that I'm so happy when I'm so not perfect. But I think that's just Jillian's mixed up thought pattern.
Sister Erickson is doing good. She's still adjusting but she's doing well and we're communicating well and I really love her. I wish I was a better trainer for her, but I just have done my best and I'm okay with that.
How are yall?
Mom, y ou're the best. I LOVED your letter to me. I laughed when you told me about Grandma and your outing, it sounds so sweet. I love Grandma. Will you tell her that when you see her next? I love her very much. How is work going? I think Rebecca Tingey was here last week? That was the rumor around the hood. haha. How are you feelihg? You said you were feeling sad kind of. That's okay. I told Sister Erickson this morning that she should let herself feel sad. And that she won't feel sad forever if she lets herself feel sad right now. I also loved your cookies thing! She sounds really smart. How is the ward? I miss the good old ward sometimes. Keep writing them.I just like to hear what you do with your days.
Dad, thanks for your e-mail! I loved it! I love to hear about your week and your advice and everything. I'm glad you got to see some of the people you saw. And that your fathers day was good. I cannot believe that last fathers day I was in the MTC!!!! AH! I feel ancient. For real, I'm going to come home and everyone will be younger than me. Keep your letters/emails coming! I love to just hear about your week. Also I wanted to know if you have one of those little baby tiny tape players. I know you used to have a gray one and I'm really hoping you didn't chuck it because mikelle sent me a tape and it's one of those like 1 inch big tapes and I can't listen to it cause NOBODY has a tiny tape player anymore. Do you have one? Let me know if you do, I want it!!
James thank you for your letter. I always freak out when I get a letter from you! It sounds like you're doing really good! I'm happy for that. Will you go out with one of my companions please?? I really want you to, I will write you an e-mail filling you in. And I'm mailing the letter I wrote to you tomorrow. Your bachelor party sounds fun! Keep telling me things about your life! How's the everything? Will you write me again :]?
Jonny!!!! Dude! I wrote you your own e-mail but let's just say that i am sooo happy to hear from you! Shoot, you sound mature. It's cool. And weird. You better finish the letter you said it was in two parts. How is work? How is summer? Are you getting a tan? I'm pretty sure you're the only member of our family who can really really tan. It's unfair. Just read my e-mail to you. Mmkay pumpkin?
I love yall! I think the theme of this last part here is I just want to hear about you!!! I want to hear about your week. I know it kind of is laborious to write it out, but please keep doing it!! I heard from you ALL this week and it made me so so soo happy.
I love being a missionary. I love this church and I adore this gospel. I love the book of mormon. read it every morning. Even just one verse. You have time to do that. Will you do it?? one verse every morning this week. Promise you're life will be better. I realize that I totally like bare my testimony in every letter haha. Oh well. so sorry. I'm what i am :] I'll be normal when I get home, I hope. Love you! Have a good week!
pictures:
- cassi's baptism i look so matronly. yucko.
- only in texas will you find a no guns sign in a public library. i love it.
- at the beach
- on the way to the temple
- at the temple
- again
- one year later!! we met a year ago this day. And I was wearing the same skirt. Neato.
...stay tuned I'lls end antoher picutre email!
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