Christmas

I was able to speak with Sis Cole on Christmas, what a special time that was.  She really seemed happy, cheerful and thankful to be doing what she is doing.  She had gotten our package and was so excited she decided to have an early Christmas.  She had tears when she opened her gift from Taiason, a Mad Hatter Mug from Alice in Wonderland, filled with goodies.  She didn't get the package from the ward yet, but she and her companions did have a note from the post office that a parcel was waiting for them, so she is hoping that is it.  I will find out next week.

 She is now in a biking area and does car share.  She and her companions get the car for two weeks and then they bike for two weeks.  This will be good for her.  She had only been doing it a week when I spoke with her and she said that she was sore.

This is the picture that she took for her profile when we were talking.  See she looks good.  One of her companions is a cosmetologist, so she helped out with her hair and straightened it.  I thought it looked cute, although it is hard to see in the picture.

On Monday, before Christmas we were able to chat/email and here a few tidbits from our conversation.

Sadly my bike broke and a recent convert is a "fixer", well he couldn't fist it but returned my bike and got me a Mongoose Mountain Bike and he wouldn't tell me how much extra he paid for it, so I got a blessing right after getting here to Gulfport. (mom insert - Sis Cole did not have a bike from her previous area and needed one right away, she did not have much money and Walmart selection was pretty scarce, so she chose a "cruiser".  She quickly regretted the purchase of a bike with out gears, but figured she would do what she had to do, but I guess HF knew what she needed, because the bike broke and she had to get a new one. The first time we spoke about the bikes and she just got the cruiser, she said it was a hard work out just to get to the Library, I laughed.)

In our area there is a member that is a Manager at Subway so they will give us free sandwiches from time to time.  That is another blessing and will help with the food bill, ha ha...plus the members here like to feed the missionaries so that will be good too.  The first home we went to that fed us, made us "sing" for our food. lol  That was a first for me.

I have two companions again, but they are phasing that out and we will eventually only be a "twosome".  We get along, they are more preppy and fashionable than I am. :)

Zone Conference and transfers

Sis Cole had Zone Conference and interviews this past few weeks. I received a special surprise when Sis Rose, who used to be here in our ward before being transferred to Atlanta GA area, posted a picture of her and Sis Cole. She and Elder Dr. Rose were in Bastrop/Monroe, LA area for conferences and got to see her. She also was able to hear Sis Cole and her companions sing "What Child is This". I wish I could've hear it, I bet they were wonderful.

I also received notice that Sis Cole (I am assuming her companions too) won the Ruby award for an "exceptionally clean and organized" apartment. I love how the Ruby is in a Justin Bieber stocking.

I spoke with Sis McDonough, mission mom, and learned that Sis Cole will be transferred this next Tuesday. I know that Sis Cole probably knows she is going to be transferred, but I am not sure that she knows where...ha...I finally know something before she does, well at least I think so, lol...she is being transferred to Gulfport MS. Here is her new address...

10480 Klein Road #67
Gulfport, MS 39503

 Her location in Gulfport.

 Point A is her address; Point B is the Church, how lucky is that, lol

Birthday

Teighlor turned 20 on Dec 2nd. Sounds like she had a good time with her companions in celebrating.

SO Since my birthday i had a memorable time :) We went to crosset and I was sitting up in the front seat and a spider (huge and scary looking) came out from hiding and i was planning to kill it when it crawled to a place where if it falls it wont land on me and i wont freak out. Boy i was wrong. The spider fell on me (alive) and I scream like I was dead! sister haviland was screaming freaking out and sister stevenson didnt know what going on and scream along till sister haviland made a quick stop on the side of the road and i jump out flailing everywhere thinking the spider on me still till we found it in the car and killed it. My feet were blistering cause i bump on something that scrape it, didnt feel any pain till we reach the library. We soon met up with the Elders at Taco Bell and they paid my dinner and I got myself a new wallet and earrings to wear and get use to the studs. Btw we have been chosen to sing at the Zone Conference tomorrow on Tuesday :) we have been practicing "What Child is this." 

Friday we had a random special zone conference and the Quorum of the 70 Elder Zwick visited us and gave us an amazing talk about how to become better missionaries and MEMBERS AND MISSIONARIES MUST WORK TOGETHER!!!(so help out the missionaries please :)  :( but before we went to that Conference we had a small car race with the ruston area and it was funny I was the marker and they slowly zoomed away (we lost though) but it was hilarious missionaries were like what are you doing??! Cant help that we are bored since it becoming really cold outside :p. 

Btw it getting really cold and I am freezing to death i been secertly wearing pants underneath my dress and been waiting for those handmade warmers rice bags if you are planning to send them for christmas well i dont know but yea i was wondering where my hand warmers i ask for. Well I am running out of ideas other than i am finally writing n Taiason journal she given to me :) and I am really happy to use it :) gonna make it last for a while though it been 4 month i was writing in the Mad journal you given me. I am really excited to Skype you yall and i might call dad and chat with him if i can. Btw head up and keep your phone on guard cause if i am staying another transfer here in Bastrop we might Skype ya on Christmas Eve so i call before I skype ya so you can set up but make sure it really quick set up if I dont call ya that mean i am still Skype ON Christmas. :)  Love ya Bye.

Birthday dream shopping and fun with the Sisters.

Cross of Faith

Well I wanns sadly say this was a pitiful and sad week, Sis Haviland, Sis Stevenson and slowly me, got sick so we didn't do much, but this upcoming week will be great and we've been invited to do this service of the Polar Express, starting tomorrow and Thanksgiving is coming up. ;)
But this week we couldn't do many things because we've been home so the Sister's could rest and I might be getting sick, I have a lump in my throat and it is starting to feel scratchy.  We felt bad that we didn't get much done, but we'll do our best to make up for it.
We went to Walmart to get medicine for the Sister's, before we went home to rest, and in the door way there was 2 guys selling crosses, Trevor and Kenneth.  They asked if we would buy a cross and we sorta talked to them and it became a lesson and a conversation about Jesus and God and how much they did for us. Kenneth was just out of Jail for selling drugs, mainly meth, and now he is in this program for people to turn their lives around and he doesn't look like he ever did the stuff (mom insert - I am assuming stuff = drugs) and how God is really helping him out.  We gave them each a copy of the Book of Mormon and a third guy, George, came and wanted a copy too, so we gave him one and did 3 prayers in front of Walmart, in return they gave each of us a Cross.  Mine says "I can do all things in Christ" It was something that I needed to hear and read forever!

The first Frost - she didn't expect it to get that cold in Mississippi/Louisiana

 Silly Sisters

The Bastrop, LA group

More drawing from Sis Cole

Beautiful Colors

Funny Joke

Yep, she's in Duck Dynasty territory!

Dogs, Bee and Trees

"Ugh, It's hard remembering what I have told ya, that is why I am grateful I have a day journal so when I am home I can just go through it and tell you the stories behind it.

Anyways, this week has been really CRAZY, since this one sister came back into the church...she was gone for a while to avoid some drama and now that she is back the drama is coming up again. It is hard for us, we don't really want to get involved, I but I have a feeling we will and I am no good at coping with these things. :(  We did get a distraction when we saw a cowboy riding a horse IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD!!! He stopped and gave us a tip of his hat and rode off on his horse.  I teased Sis Haviland cause she said after being in LA, she wants to marry a cowboy...I told her to go after him and she played along saying "wait my love, come back!!" lol  Fun times

Did I share about the video the sister did to me?  I accidentally fell asleep and I slept through weekly planning, which is a long process, about 4 hrs.  I fell asleep cause we had a very hard working day and the sister's didn't bother waking me up.  I could've sworn I was half asleep and even tho I was in a deep sleep I could hear every thing they were talking about.  Then I would go into a deep sleep and my mind would wake up and hear more things.  During my sleep the sister's videoed me saying that this video will prove that I snore in my sleep...kill me is all I can say!!  I snore so loud but the Sister say when they tap I am quiet.  Then when I woke up, I walked to them and said "I know what you did" they freak out thinking I caught them video taping me, but I didn't I only heard them doing planning with out me and I couldn't fully wake up and join them.  So weird.

Have you figured out what you are going to send me since the other postcard series is over?  I really miss getting lots of mail (mom insert - guess I need to send more mail). Well time is getting short, I love you, bye

Sometime it is hard for me to get good answers out of Teighlor, so I asked her if she was glad that she made the choice to go on a mission...here is her response "Yes, I am very happy I went on a mission :) I been learning and seeing things and sometimes my life's questions are answered and stuff."

 Sis Cole and Johnson...dog that lives at the building...the Sisters have adopted it as much as they can.

Sis Haviland and Sis Stevenson being silly (as Teighlor says)

Sis Haviland posing for a drawing on her appointment book that Teighlor did...see photo below

Awesome shot of a Raccoon by Sis Haviland

They were Bathroom attacked again :)

Planner cover Sis Cole did for Sis Haviland

Another planner cover

The bee caught in the flower

The Southerner's love Jesus and know him.

Runt puppy from one of the investigators

November and their Tree is up, they are proud :)

This is Foxy (name via Sis Cole), neighborhood stray, kids have told the Sisters that she was hit in an accident but not too bad, Sis Cole wants to cry when she sees her out in the cold.  Say she reminds her of a Fox.

White Vans, Rumors and Ice Cream

We have been going through some drama and trouble lately...there is a rumor of a white van driving around Bastrop and "stealing kids"...supposedly the van is picking up kids if they are alone outside and selling them to use the money to provide for their ow family...I guess they also claim to be selling Kirby Vacuum's...so because of that story, many people with little children refuse to listen to us or they say "I'm sorry I can't help you" or something like that because they think we are working for them.  So that is one trial we have right now...then on Wednesday it was time to the the President in West Monroe, but we had a flat tire at the church and the Sisters left their wallets in the church and I was super low on money.  The church was locked and we did not have keys, it was lunch time and raining...the Sisters, Elders and I were in a huge pickle.  Lucky for us the AP were there to help us and drove us to Taco Bell for lunch. Elder Bendell paid for us sisters which sorta made me cry because it was nice and I felt bad.

So here is something funny, last Tuesday Sister Stevenson and I were laughing like crazy and Sister Stevenson said something very funny, I was in the middle of eathing Ice Cream and it blew out of my nose!!!  Ugh..and it was Cookies 'n Cream, and I had a cookie up my nose and it was freezing with the ice cream, it was awful, but Sis Stevenson laughed even more as my nose burned in pain.

By Wednesday, me and the Sisters became very excited because it was Shadoe's baptism interview...and she happily passed it. :D  We were all so exited and she was so excited to be baptized and soon waiting for a full faithful year to be sealed to her husband and kids. :)

Later in the day we did our first Bible Study where we were at least able to teach Liz and Leslie more about the Scriputres.  We read where Nephi and his brother's were commanded to get the Plates.  Liz is doing well and officially is done smoking, she said she wants to smoke but hasn't...we just hope she won't give in to the temptation.

I received an email from the Deans that we won the cleaning inspection...yay us!! :)  

This is the "Golden Mop" award

Do you remember me telling you about Johnson?  The dog? Well the Deans were over inspecting our house at the time and they had a truck, Johnson's owner has a truck too...he jumped in the Deans truck thinking his Master was leaving.  Thankfully the owner saw him and was able to get him out before the Deans left.

I received the Halloween package AND THANK YOU SO MUCH I LOVE IT AND SO DID THE SISTERS!!

Shadoe had her Baptism on the 26th of Oct and today, the 28th, is Sis Haviland's b-day...we carved pumpkins to celebrate her birthday.

I miss you guys so much and still waiting for your mail and emails on Monday (mom insert - I send her a letter every week, plus an email and postcards, trust me, she is getting mail, ha ha)...but my mind is still set on Jesus Christ and bringing those to the the Gospel. Keep up the wonderful support and love.  

Not quite sure what is going here, but she looks happy, lol

Sis Haviland, Sis Cole & Sis Stevenson...oh and a couple of Elders

Random pictures in Bastrop, LA

The sad sights of Bastrop...someone feed that horse!

A creepy house on a "rich" street.

Is this what they call a Redneck fire pit?

We came across an Emu farm.

Our bathroom was attacked by visiting Sisters, ha ha

A scary but beautiful abandoned home...

...the lighting there was perfect for my recreation of the 1st vision ;)

Yes, Short St. for Sis Stevenson, ha ha

...and I found my street.

This is the Sister bad attempt at giving me an Afro, lol

Yep, I broke my bed, I sleep on a air mattress and it broke, 

so for 3 days I was on the floor until I could get a new one.

Sis Uptigrove took us to a Chinese Restaurant...Yummy.

"All the answers you need are right there in front of you"

Couldn't be more perfect.

My first Baptism....Shadoe!  She is excited to be sealed to her family in a year.

This is Liz, another investigator on track to be baptized.

Me and Mona Lisa

Mission Pumpkin Carving Fun

Yes, we are throwing Pumpkin guts...