The Adventures of Sister Pew(ny): Week 13 Ponies

Hello, all! My emails keep getting progressively shorter, so I hope this week's is a little more satisfying.
Friends and family, you are in for a treat this week. Why? you might ask. Well, because. We spent some time out in the country this week, so we get to have JUST SOUTHERN THINGS!!!
-Monogramming. It's something that literally everyone does down south. Their initials are embroidered all over everything they own.
-There is waaaaaay more state pride here than in Utah. Everything has palmettos on it. EVERYTHING.
-Also, everyone is a Clemson fan and I have been tempted more than once to buy myself a National Champions t shirt...Also, will I be rooting for Clemson when I get home? You bet I will. (Unless, of course, they play BYU.)
-For some reason, everyone really likes pineapples down here. They have pineapple door knockers, pineapple door mats, pineapple gate toppers, pineapple jewelry, pineapple decor, you name it. EVERYTHING is a pineapple.
-The phrase, "Guys in ties, girls in pearls" and holy cow that is the cutest phrase ever
-I asked Miss S (who is verrrry Southern) and she told me that it is, in fact, the natural reflex of a Southern woman to offer food to anyone who shows up on her doorstep. In her words, "if you come to my house, I don't care why you're there, Imma get up and fix you something."
Monday I got to play basketball for the first time since the MTC. My companions wouldn't play with me, but I still had fun and relieved some tension. We also went to Chic Fil A to celebrate 3 months!!! But I didn't eat there because I am broke, and I needed to send a package. So I made myself a salad instead. But it was good. We also had all of our appointments fall through. Meh.
Tuesday was the hardest day of my whole mission and possibly my life. Don't worry! I made it! With Christ, I can do anything! But, let me set the stage, and tell ya what I learned. I was so, so tired. I was highly emotional due to said tiredness. In this vulnerable state, we met a very depressed and angry man who threw God's name into the mud and trampled the most sacred and precious of the truths we believed. I have never been more offended by anyone's language than this man. No matter what we said to him, he wouldn't listen. He had completely hardened his heart. But even as distraught as this made us, God held us up. He put words in our mouths that may not have changed the way this man thought, but which might have touched his nonmember wife sitting nearby. In tears, we testified of Christ and His love, and the covenants we had made which meant and mean that no matter what goes on in the world around us, we need never despair. And we left the man still bitter in his heart, but we were definitely a lot more humble. Because we know that we didn't have the strength in that moment, when we were so tired and run down and appalled at the things we'd heard, to testify so powerfully. God was with us, and He used our mouths. Friends and family, please be worthy of the Spirit, and if you're not, do whatever it takes to get there. Because without it, we'd flounder as missionaries, and as people.
But! On a more positive note about Tuesday, we taught theeeee best lesson to a guy named T over FaceTime, and he accepted the invitation to be baptized! Unfortunately, we found out that he lives in Irmo, but, good thing number 2, guess who else is in Irmo? SISTER CORDON. THE FIRST COMPANION I EVER HAD. And so we got to pass him off to her and her trainer. They taught him twice this week and he is on date to be baptized April 8th, plus I've been able to talk to Sister Cordon on the phone, which is basically the best ever. Also, that night I received another priesthood blessing. The priesthood is so real. I've noticed so many cool repetitions of promises anytime a priesthood holder gives me a blessing, and it's so wonderful.
Wednesday was lots of fun! After that hard day, it was much easier to appreciate the awesomeness of feeling better and also the pure joy of working our tails off. We went finding and did some good ol' knocking. We accomplished a whole lot and it was so fun.
Thursday we didn't go to Mepkin, but we had a lesson with One-Legged S and then had lunch with Miss U. She's a hoot. We also went to visit Brother H because he had a stroke. We sang for him and his wife since they weren't at church, and they both loved it. It was hard to see Brother H so helpless. He's a very intelligent and tough man, and he can still talk, but it takes him more effort than it used to. That night was Book of Mormon class, and I think Brother S might be Grandpa Louw reincarnated, because he likes to deconstruct Hebrew cultural references and talk about the Christian dilemma of soteriology. We actually had R come, though, and she loved it! She was very inspired to actually read the Book of Mormon afterwards.
Friday we had zone interviews with President about obedience. Mine went like this.
President: how are you?
Me: better than Tuesday.
President: good! Are you over it?
Me: pretty much.
President: anything you need to tell me?
Me: nah, it's cool.
President: Sweet! I bet you'll be a better missionary since you had a hard time and you learned from it.
Me: thanks, President.
President: Also, be obedient.
Me: okay. I will.

And that's it.

Also on Friday, we taught a Bible referral named S, and she was so great. She loved the story of Joseph Smith. She is a new investigator now!!! Also, I got to meet a less active's investigator wife who we haven't seen since I've been here but apparently have been teaching for awhile. Her name is S and she is way cool.

Saturday we did zone service pretty much all day. We went to this barn and did lots of stuff, including but not limited to: picking up sticks, touching horse poop (on accident), destroying red anthills (WHICH ARE EVERYWHERE AND THOSE BUGS ARE LITTLE TINY SATANS. ALL OF THEM.), putting up a horse fence, and moving A TREE because I AM SUPER SWOLL. I actually have notice how much more toned and defined my arms have gotten, thanks to the two pound weights my mom sent me. This is not a lie, or a joke. But anyway, at this barn, they have ponies. Which brings us to the subject line. I have seen ponies in the past, and it was great and I loved them. BUT. Have any of you ever seen a pony run? Because holy cow. I have never laughed so hard in my life. Their little stubby legs! I can't!

Yesterday we got to see a returning less active named R. We sang for him to try to give him hope to quit smoking. He loved it.

We worked real hard this week, and I sure feel good, fam. That's how missionary work works.

Only one quote really matters from this week, and that is:

"The sisters are probably cleaning their apartment. Sister Pew could be the mop!" -Brother D

Don't let the muggles get you down!

-Sister Pew