Sept 29, 2013
I really am sorry about the quality of my emails for the past little
bit--it's really crazy at computer time and most of the time I have to
spend sending a letter to President Wall. I'm not meaning to neglect
y'all, but between reading all the emails, writing to President,
writing to our stake president as he's requested us to, and writing to
you, I don't ever have much time to really think of details to put in.
I feel bad for being upset with my missionary friends for not writing
me back, because preperation day is just as busy as every other day,
and it's the only day we can write emails or letters. (if I didn't
have a lawn to mow, I would be fine!)
I hope the pictures came in useful--it's the only way I could think of
sending them with captions. Life of a missionary is crazy and I really
do wish I had more time.
Poor Teddy boy :( I miss our puppies and the kitties too. Last night
we were at a less-active member's home and they have TONS of animals.
I was petting one of the kittens hanging out by the house and she
stretched and was holding on to my skirt as I petted her, but then she
lost her balance and was holding on ONLY by my skirt. At least you
guys know I'm a sucker for animals.
Also funny--lizard roundup has begun again for the first time in a few
years. I rescued a tiny one from the shower, and we constantly have to
keep them and the toads out of our house. My companion thought I had
actually gone insane when she heard me talking in the shower. It was
after a really long day, so it was understandable.
This week was not quite what we had been expecting: we had received
promptings that we needed to go tracting (going door to door asking if
people want to hear the gospel--sort of what you think of when you
think of missionaries), but that's not the most effective way of
working. But on our side of the river, there are only three members
and two less-active members within a 5 or 6 mile radius. So we thought
we were going to have a lot of investigator lessons this week.
Instead, we ended up somehow only teaching three, but we taught 12
less-active members this week, which never happens. Our goal, which in
our entire time together and in Sister Jones' entire mission, is to
teach 20 lessons per week...this week, unbelievably, we taught 21. I
have no idea how we did it.
So, to respond to your emails, Dad's questions first:
A transfer is a six-week period of time where we are in one spot, or
area. Every six weeks, any of us could potentially be moved somewhere
else, though usually we stay for more than a transfer. Every six weeks
new missionaries come into the mission, and old missionaries leave. So
my email headings are T2 W2, meaning transfer 2, week 2. sisters have
12 transfers in a mission. Last transfer meeting (on the Wednesday of
Week 1) Elder Adkins got transferred and we got Elder Virgin as
district leader, or the guy who's sort of in charge of the
missionaries in our area. Sister Jones and I are hoping we get to stay
together through next transfer (T3) because she goes home at the end
of it and that means I get to stay in Vidalia for at least another 6
weeks after that. I don't know if I've grown taller in the heat :) but
I know my hair has grown about an inch and a half since July. The
closest temple is the Louisiana Baton Rouge temple, and we're about 2
hours away. We got to go last week, and it was much needed. I sent
some pictures of the district home in the box. I think the closest
temple aside from that is...Jackson? Not sure. I just know our temple
here is the LA-BAT. There definitely aren't any in the neighborhood,
no :) And as for the football scores, I don't know but I sure hope so!
I only know when LSU is playing and caught a glimpse of the LSU-Kent
State game. Mark sends me the USU scores though every week (and last
week he sent me the Utah Gymnastics Schedule.)
As for fire ants....I apparently taste really good to all kinds of
bugs because I get bitten like no other, Just on my legs, though. I
don't normally have issues with my arms. And I haven't gotten chiggers
or red bugs yet though, which is a blessing.
I'm trying to include details! I really am! The mission website isn't
loading so I can't email president right now, which is why you're so
lucky :).
Katie, I'm sorry about New Zealand :( But I hope you get to go to
Poland! That would be awesome. did I tell you I saw Emily King from
Alta in the MTC? If not, she says hello. She's going to Poland (well
she's already there.)
It's been rainy here, but no snow thank goodness. I had enough snow
last year to last me for this winter.
I don't know where this email is going...it's sort of stream of
consciousness, but you should expect that of me. The bishop here is
moving into a really cool antebellum home in downtown Natchez, so
we've been helping them clean it and paint. The missionaries have been
helping for the past year or so, because it was seriously
terrifying--they bought it for $50,000 and sold the stuff that the
people left in it (they were hoarders) for $40,000. But we've been
helping with drywall and painting and insulation and so on and so
forth. So finish the remodeling at home before I get back, so I don't
have to help :)
Louisiana is very flat. Mississippi is very not. But I have now biked
accross the Mississippi river and across a state line! I thought I
was going to die, yet here I am.
Carrie, Kalo looks good in his pictures, and you definitely look good
on him. Glad my nephew pony is doing better :) So does Kalo just sort
of hang out with the old farts and Ellie now? I feel like he would get
bored. But I hope eventually when I'm not allergic to most things
anymore I will get to come with you and go trail riding or something.
As for the work, especially with investigators...well, it's been a
challenge this week. We have one investigator who for some reason just
lit on fire this week, reading and praying and generally being
awesome, but other than that...we don't really have much progress. The
people are great, but one of our two solid investigators we gave to
the elders and the other no longer wants to speak with us. We don't
know what happened. But this week will be full of finding.
Well...I don't know really what else to say. Pray, read the scriptures
(I just got to Alma 11 this morning. If you need a good chapter to
read, go read either Alma 5 (page 217), Alma 32 (page 288) or Ether 12
(page 508)).
Work hard, play hard and I love y'all so much!!
Sister Steele :)
I really am sorry about the quality of my emails for the past little
bit--it's really crazy at computer time and most of the time I have to
spend sending a letter to President Wall. I'm not meaning to neglect
y'all, but between reading all the emails, writing to President,
writing to our stake president as he's requested us to, and writing to
you, I don't ever have much time to really think of details to put in.
I feel bad for being upset with my missionary friends for not writing
me back, because preperation day is just as busy as every other day,
and it's the only day we can write emails or letters. (if I didn't
have a lawn to mow, I would be fine!)
I hope the pictures came in useful--it's the only way I could think of
sending them with captions. Life of a missionary is crazy and I really
do wish I had more time.
Poor Teddy boy :( I miss our puppies and the kitties too. Last night
we were at a less-active member's home and they have TONS of animals.
I was petting one of the kittens hanging out by the house and she
stretched and was holding on to my skirt as I petted her, but then she
lost her balance and was holding on ONLY by my skirt. At least you
guys know I'm a sucker for animals.
Also funny--lizard roundup has begun again for the first time in a few
years. I rescued a tiny one from the shower, and we constantly have to
keep them and the toads out of our house. My companion thought I had
actually gone insane when she heard me talking in the shower. It was
after a really long day, so it was understandable.
This week was not quite what we had been expecting: we had received
promptings that we needed to go tracting (going door to door asking if
people want to hear the gospel--sort of what you think of when you
think of missionaries), but that's not the most effective way of
working. But on our side of the river, there are only three members
and two less-active members within a 5 or 6 mile radius. So we thought
we were going to have a lot of investigator lessons this week.
Instead, we ended up somehow only teaching three, but we taught 12
less-active members this week, which never happens. Our goal, which in
our entire time together and in Sister Jones' entire mission, is to
teach 20 lessons per week...this week, unbelievably, we taught 21. I
have no idea how we did it.
So, to respond to your emails, Dad's questions first:
A transfer is a six-week period of time where we are in one spot, or
area. Every six weeks, any of us could potentially be moved somewhere
else, though usually we stay for more than a transfer. Every six weeks
new missionaries come into the mission, and old missionaries leave. So
my email headings are T2 W2, meaning transfer 2, week 2. sisters have
12 transfers in a mission. Last transfer meeting (on the Wednesday of
Week 1) Elder Adkins got transferred and we got Elder Virgin as
district leader, or the guy who's sort of in charge of the
missionaries in our area. Sister Jones and I are hoping we get to stay
together through next transfer (T3) because she goes home at the end
of it and that means I get to stay in Vidalia for at least another 6
weeks after that. I don't know if I've grown taller in the heat :) but
I know my hair has grown about an inch and a half since July. The
closest temple is the Louisiana Baton Rouge temple, and we're about 2
hours away. We got to go last week, and it was much needed. I sent
some pictures of the district home in the box. I think the closest
temple aside from that is...Jackson? Not sure. I just know our temple
here is the LA-BAT. There definitely aren't any in the neighborhood,
no :) And as for the football scores, I don't know but I sure hope so!
I only know when LSU is playing and caught a glimpse of the LSU-Kent
State game. Mark sends me the USU scores though every week (and last
week he sent me the Utah Gymnastics Schedule.)
As for fire ants....I apparently taste really good to all kinds of
bugs because I get bitten like no other, Just on my legs, though. I
don't normally have issues with my arms. And I haven't gotten chiggers
or red bugs yet though, which is a blessing.
I'm trying to include details! I really am! The mission website isn't
loading so I can't email president right now, which is why you're so
lucky :).
Katie, I'm sorry about New Zealand :( But I hope you get to go to
Poland! That would be awesome. did I tell you I saw Emily King from
Alta in the MTC? If not, she says hello. She's going to Poland (well
she's already there.)
It's been rainy here, but no snow thank goodness. I had enough snow
last year to last me for this winter.
I don't know where this email is going...it's sort of stream of
consciousness, but you should expect that of me. The bishop here is
moving into a really cool antebellum home in downtown Natchez, so
we've been helping them clean it and paint. The missionaries have been
helping for the past year or so, because it was seriously
terrifying--they bought it for $50,000 and sold the stuff that the
people left in it (they were hoarders) for $40,000. But we've been
helping with drywall and painting and insulation and so on and so
forth. So finish the remodeling at home before I get back, so I don't
have to help :)
Louisiana is very flat. Mississippi is very not. But I have now biked
accross the Mississippi river and across a state line! I thought I
was going to die, yet here I am.
Carrie, Kalo looks good in his pictures, and you definitely look good
on him. Glad my nephew pony is doing better :) So does Kalo just sort
of hang out with the old farts and Ellie now? I feel like he would get
bored. But I hope eventually when I'm not allergic to most things
anymore I will get to come with you and go trail riding or something.
As for the work, especially with investigators...well, it's been a
challenge this week. We have one investigator who for some reason just
lit on fire this week, reading and praying and generally being
awesome, but other than that...we don't really have much progress. The
people are great, but one of our two solid investigators we gave to
the elders and the other no longer wants to speak with us. We don't
know what happened. But this week will be full of finding.
Well...I don't know really what else to say. Pray, read the scriptures
(I just got to Alma 11 this morning. If you need a good chapter to
read, go read either Alma 5 (page 217), Alma 32 (page 288) or Ether 12
(page 508)).
Work hard, play hard and I love y'all so much!!
Sister Steele :)
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