So I apologize that no one but my mom got emailed last week. That was so long ago. Let me tell you about it!
So we actually hung out with the hermanas and they are a blaaaaaaaaaaaaaast! We heart attacked the elders' apartments. The ZLs were pretty normal, we just taped up all the hearts and ran, but then we remembered at the espanol elders apartment that the elders had mentioned that they don't lock their apartments. So we heart attacked the door of the Spanish elders...but on the inside. They felt so violated. It was pretty funny because the next day at DDM they were like, "Man oh man that was weird" and we just like, shrugged. After the heart attacks we went to the Spartanburg building to hang out with the rest of the sisters. I read their fortunes in cards. It was pretty entertaining. That night we saw D & P which was bomb.
The next day we had DDM and we mostly just discussed our investigators. That day we had to go it alone on Golden Age because the other missionaries got out of one of their meetings late, and so we went by ourselves, which was a good thing because we ended up giving the zone leaders a referral for a guy we met there named T. T is a pretty nice guy who was just visiting his mother in law. So that was pretty cool. Then we went to see B and that night we had dinner at a members' house, the Es. They are awesome and fed us probably the best steak I have had ever my whole life. I'm serious, guys. It was delicious. And Brother E used to be less active and Sister E has only been a member for 2 years, so it was really cool to get to know them and their faith journey a little better.
Two Wednesdays ago I really don't know what happened very well. I remember I practiced with Sister S for a musical number for our regional conference we had that Sunday. We also had Book of Mormon class and the zone leaders taught about Isaiah. It was quite the lesson.
That next day, J forgot about MMA. I was really sad. Also we tried to take the elders to see Sister M because she loves her some elders, but she wasn't there, and I was really sad about that too. But it did rain which was good, but that day just sort of kind of...stank a lot. We did get to see P that night and she gave us both pep talks, which was really great, that woman is a better Mormon than I am and she's only been one for like a month and a half. Aaaaand then that night we got a terrible phone call from President telling us Sister Larsen's aunt had unexpectedly passed away. This is twice in the 2 transfers we've been together. She joked that by the end of this whole mission thing she won't have any family left. She's handling it like a pro. You'd never know. And she is so faithful that something wonderful is about to happen. I just am so proud of her. You guys don't understand. She is so strong and talented and wonderful. So we just decided to not answer next time President calls us.
The next day we got to see President Monson's funeral. It was so great. I got a selfie with my daddy, first one in a long while too! And then we practiced my musical number for Sunday again, and then we went to have dinner at the Suns' house. It was awesome. And then we got home to find that the other missionaries in our district had heart attacked our door. It really helped Sister Larsen to feel the love. Man, our district is the greatest.
Saturday we mostly did service. We went to see S and baby C it was a great time. We also dropped off a birthday gift for Sister A, who is the best human on the whole planet. That night we had an appointment with S and ward coord with the very bests, the Rs.
Sunday we had a regional broadcast for the North America Southeast region. It was so awesome! Elder Bednar spoke and just roasted us all for not repenting correctly. I definitely needed to hear that! Also, I got to sing the musical number for the local portion of the meeting, and survey says it was good. I'll hopefully send it on down. We also went to the Hs for lunch, and then to try to deliver a Bible to a house in a town five miles away from the North Carolina border. The guy wasn't there, but his weird roommate was. It was pretty interesting. Then we went to see J & K. They mostly just pep talked us as well. We had multiple good pep talks this week.
The next Monday we hung out with the hermanas again, this time at the home of la familia H. J, M and T H were all recently baptized, and they are working with A and G H to hopefully get them baptized as well. (Their boy T is too young to be baptized, but he wants to when he's 8.) G pays his tithing, has a testimony of church attendance, but doesn't understand why he needs to be baptized again because he was baptized as a baby. A is on date, so hopefully soon their whole family will be members! But they are the very best, a super duper awesome, family oriented group. T gave Hermana Crofts and Sister Larsen trims on their hair and we talked to the girls. It was just so fun.
Tuesday we had our last DDM before transfers. We watched President Nelson's address and had tacos. It was pretty good. We also went to Golden Age with the hermanas, saw Sister M, and tried to deliver a Bible but ended up knocking like the whole street and not finding the person, but running into a couple of good potentials. Snow was in the forecast, so people kept telling us to be careful and stuff. That night we went to D & Ps and watched Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration with them. They were impressed with the story of the early church. They just love it so much, and I love them so much. We talked about prophets and priesthood, and the spirit was so strong! And they fed us pizza, so that was wonderful also.
Wednesday we woke up in the morning to snow. Everywhere. It was nuts. This is the second time this has happened, and I was equally excited. That morning all work at the soup kitchen was cancelled, but we showed up anyway, and the pastor and his wife made us sort out moldy potatoes from good ones. IT WAS AWFUL. Mom, Sister Goettsche, EVERYONE WHO KNOWS ME SUPER WELL, remember my mold problem? Imagine. 3 hours. Of touching. Moldy. Hairy. Potatoes. And you could smell them. Ugh, I feel sick thinking about it. EWWW. It was terrible. But anyways, in the middle of our moldy potato adventure, the zone leaders sent a text to the zone being like, "please stay productive but don't drive your cars" and we were like, well shoot we have no bikes so I guess we're walking five miles on the main highway with no shoulder or sidewalk because we don't live close to anyone. And Sister R was like, Nah, I got you. So we went to the R's (Sister R drove us) house and Sister Larsen finished all her online stuff for training. We had planned to shovel people's driveways but they all froze because the temperature dropped once it stopped snowing, so we decided to go out. Sister R took us to see a recent convert, and S. She was doing well, and baby C looked better. He had been pretty sick when we went to see them before and her doctor keeps telling her not to feed him because he's too big. ...can you just stop feeding a baby? I feel like that's not a good thing to do. I'm not a mom, but it sounds like a bad idea. Anyways, it was a good day. We were as productive as we could be and had fun in the snow along the way.
The next day we had MMA at 1. The no car rule was lifted at 12. So we went to MMA and it was great. That night we had a meal with the W. They taught me how to play 5 crowns, which is a very fun game that I am also excited to beat Carol Rice in. ;) All this trash talking is going to cost me, I'm sure of it!
Friday was...so strange. We went finding most of the day, but we also had a bomb dinner with the Kennedies and went with the YSA elders to have them give S and C blessing. Afterwards, we were on the phone with the Spanish elders for some reason I have definitely forgotten, and whilst on the phone with them, they asked if we'd received a call from President about transfers. We scoffed, knowing that we wouldn't be notified of transfers until the next day. And then like 3 minutes later, literally, we were still on the phone with Spanish, and Sister Larsen looks at the phone and goes, "NEVER MIND PRESIDENT IS CALLING US BYE" and she answers the call. It went like this:
President: Hi! Don't worry Sister Larsen, no bad news this time. This is a good phone call.
Sister Larsen: Oh good!
President: Sister Pew, are you there?
Me: Yeah President, what can I do for you?
President: I hope you enjoyed your time in Inman.
Me: Oh no, President!
President: I want you to be a sister training leader, and help the sisters in your zone to reach your level.
Me: (outside) Oh.
Me: (inside) kjsngirjnfgkjdbauhakdjnroisuer
President: Will you do it?
Me: Yeah.
And then we exchanged a few more words, none of which I remember very well. And then I hung up and cried. I may have also called the zone leaders and cried, the Spanish elders and cried, and the hermanas and cried. It was just very overwhelming and unexpected. For those of you unfamiliar with the mission lyfe, sister training leaders are like the female versions of a zone leader, responsible for all the sisters in the zone. They train at zone conferences, conduct exchanges, and attend missionary leadership conference (council? I don't know. Some word with a c that means a group that meets together to talk about stuff). Anyways. My mom knows, but President made me promise not to tell anyone where I'm going. I'm excited though! It should be a fun adventure. But I'm also ultra sad because I'm leaving. I love the Inman ward. I have changed so much here. I'll miss it for sure. 
Saturday was full of weirdness. We didn't get to weekly planning on Friday because of some stuff that came up, so we did it, and then we went to a baptism for a cute lil 8 year old named A, and then we got the zone leaders airplane journals (that is a mission yearbook, in case you were wondering. Everyone writes nice things in them when you leave your area.) Then we saw a couple members and stuff.
Yesterday was hard. Saying goodbye to the people I couldn't visit personally was rough. I also sang my last musical number in the Inman ward, with one of my 4 or 5 newly adopted fathers. I will hopefully send that one on down too. I also bid farewell to the Ss, J & K
I'm just really really really glad I know that God knows everything. He is in charge. Here in Inman I have learned that for sure. I have learned that even if things don't work out how you hope, they always help you somehow. I have let go of a lot of worries, a lot of negative thinking, and a lot of self-doubt here. I feel like I'm becoming the queen I was meant to be -- slowly for sure, and with a lot of trial and error, and I'm definitely nowhere close, but I'm moving forward and it has been transcendent and joyful for me to feel that change taking place. Inman will always have a special place in my heart because here I learned how to really give of myself -- and see how God gives back when you do.
I love y'all, and I'll email from somewhere new next week!
Don't let the muggles get you down!
All my love,
Sister Pew
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| Snow in South Carolina! |
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| Lady who has a beautiful singing voice |
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| Saying good bye to this fun family |
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| Saying goodbye to another family |
