October 21, 2013

Family!

I didn't write last week because I was gone all day partying in Boston. A member has a membership to the science museum and got us in for free. Shout out to you matt - totally thought of you the whole time. Dont worry - we'll come back together and you can explain everything to me. Then we got to go on the duck tour which was fun but defintiely wouldn't do it again. We had such a fun day and was 100% graciously sponsored by our wonderful member.

What was even better....we got to pick up sister crane and her companion that night to come down to Ellington to do exchanges down here! THEN we got to drive them home and spend a few days in the one and only Belmont, Mass. Very different from Ellington. I spent my hoytie toytie days walking around in harvard square and for dinner went to a members house who happens to be....Jane Clayson Johnson. NBD - just  the person from Good Morning America who now has books and recipes about motherhood. Her husband has the most miraculous and sacred conversion story that he shared with us. We got to teach their 7 year old who is getting ready to be baptized. It was so cute - at the end of the lesson, Bro and sis johnson said to their son "wow, don't we have the most wonderful missionaries?" and he said, "I was JUST thinking in my head 'These are the best missionaries ever! This is my favorite lesson!". Their kids ate salmon and kale salad for dinner. Um hello, where do you freaks come from. Then we visited this old lady who had a stroke who lives in a mansion of 52 rooms. Welcome to Belmont. Belmont aside, it was mostly just a tender mercy that I got to be sister crane's companion again for the week. It was a tender mercy for sister barney too as her companion sister nielson used to live with sister barney before the mission. Happiness all around the block and back again.

I learned so much from that exchange. I learned that i'm not as much of a consecrated missionary as I want to be. I learned that I've been slacking in the comp department - forgetting to put her first a lot of times. We are taught that in lessons we forget about the material, in some cases we have to forget about the people we are teaching and focus just on our companion. If we do everything inside and outside lessons that do nothing but glorify your companion than we succeed. I havent been very good at that so im workin on it. Sister Crane said she was amazed at our area and how its progressed. She said she didnt have any advice for our area or for our investigators - that we are being very productive and on the ball about everything. she just gave us single advice as us personally as missionaries which is good and which i really needed. its hard to let go of an area and trust someone else with it which i think im struggling at doing and im too concerned about getting it all done that im loosing the love of missionary work. sister crane reminded me how to love and calm down and i taught her some productive and effective tips how to plan and be on the ball :) needless to say - we all learned a lot. We went from Belmont who everyone puts on a pretty face and wont tell you how they struggle to Ellington who has people who daily just unload all their burdens and problems on you. i guess you just cant pick and choose in this life :)

I am happy. It can be very very hard but everytime I struggle or cry I realize they are things not all in my control so it makes it seem ok. This will 99% likely be my last transfer in ellington so i made it my goal to make these last few week the best weeks not just for me but for my companion. ive taught her how to be productive and how to work through members and now its time to show her how much i love and appreciate her...a new department im working on. Sister Barney is wonderful - i couldnt ask for anything better.

A few of you have asked for specifc names to pray for for those we are teaching. way to take gen. conf advice :) and prayers are needed!: Don, Gary, & Stephen are our main progressing investigators. Yes - all old men. we keep it real over here.

Love you all and say goodbye to fall and hello winter. This morning our car had frost on it. GASP.

Love,

Sister Bell

"Happy are we, happy are we"