Double Digit Crazy

Taping the door to keep bugs out. in Pratt, KS

This week, I went to the dentist because my teeth were getting pretty gross and I wanted them cleaned. Our Branch President is a dentist so I got the best cleaning of my life. The dental hygienist got out the machine they use on smokers and coffee drinkers to remove stains and it worked wonders! I was so happy by the end of it to have pearly white teeth again. It was great! 

This week I was sick and so was Sister McQuay. I'm getting over my cold but I haven't been able to sleep hardly at all this week so I got some medicine yesterday and it worked wonders last night. So hopefully I'll be able to sleep. 

Story of the week: Sister McQuay and I set up a time to do service in town, but the elders had to cancel last minute. So we had to go to a member's and get the chainsaw we were told to bring but the elder senior missionary wouldn't allow the member to give it to us, then we were shown a hedge trimmer that was smaller and that we could probably handle and the Senior again wouldn't let us use it.

Instead we got those little branch clippers to work with. So we were very upset by that point and then when the member we were doing service heard the elders couldn't come she tried to cancel on us. (Sister McQuay and I have this joke that we're only good for moving bedding and babysitting because that's all we're usually allowed/asked to do). So we just showed up anyway and asked if we could do what we could anyway with our little branch clippers. We had a lot of frustration to work off. We successfully cut up the branches except for the really big ones and bagged leaves and made a dent in the work. So we were happy to have been able to do that. 

Some good news! The wife of the Spanish member we came across a week ago has been reading the Book of Mormon and she says she really likes it and that it makes sense to her. She's going to keep reading but things are looking really great for her. They might move back to Mexico, but we love them and want to keep trying to teach them. Whatever is best for them. 

I've also now been out for 10 months! Double digits-crazy right?? More than half way through! 

Branch camp out.

This week we went to a branch camp out on Friday. It was an interesting place that the Branch President owns. There were cows on it and so there were a lot of cow pies. The elders were enlisted to shovel all the cow pies and throw them in the pond. There were massive wasps and then in the evening there were a bunch of other bugs. But hey it was fun and the food was good. I like California camping a little bit better. But maybe it would have been better if it weren't for all the cow pies. 

Church was great! Fast and Testimony meeting was wonderful and we had three investigators at church. Beth was one of them and she came in a dress for the first time ever AND her mom came with her. We've been volunteering at the History Museum where her mom works. She seemed to enjoy it.

For the third hour at church, Sister McQuay and I separate, she plays piano in Primary and I go to Relief Society. And that was a good lesson and it was my first time seeing Beth in Relief Society. The lesson was on overcoming trials and being happy. It was such a great lesson for so many of the women in there. 

I've been thinking about my family a lot lately. Some friends of mine are going through some really hard times. We have been so fortunate as a family and I’m so grateful for that. I'm so grateful that I have to support of all you guys and that I hear from family as often as I do. :] I love you so much.