Okay, it's not terrible, but it's a lot colder than I expected it to be in Louisiana (even though I'm writing from Mississippi)! It's currently 36 at 11:49 AM and it's pouring rain. I'm currently wearing my favorite pair of mittens (which everyone is super jealous of) and typing on the library computer. I'm keeping pretty warm most of the time--the blanket came and it's super soft and warm so I'm grateful for that.
On a side note, the ward mission leader's family looked up my blog last night when we were at dinner...and you haven't updated it since September! :P Sheesh, doesn't your life revolve around me?
But it's been a crazy week here in Vidalia. We had exchanges on Tuesday, which means that Sister Jones went down to Pineville with the senior sister training leader (sort of like a zone leader for sisters) and I stayed in Vidalia with...sister Lindstrom! It was interesting to work with her again, and hard to believe the MTC was only 4 months ago. So much has changed since then, and it's a lot more than memorizing scriptures and attempting to teach. It's been cool to see how both of us have changed in the last little bit. Exchanges are only 24 hours, so I got sister Jones back and we rushed off to see a new investigator who lives on the very edge of our area. Like, the left side of the road is ours and the right side of the road is the Alec elders, and he just happened to be on the left. How we're going to get back out there...good question. It's 45 minutes away. But it was a good lesson and he invited us to come back.
Thursday was awesome! We had an appointment in Ferriday, which is about 12 miles from our house (and we don't have enough miles on our truck to use it right now--we get an allotment of miles each month and we're almost out because we had to go to Baton Rouge and Alexandria this month), so we set out biking out there. We got out and our appointment fell through, so we biked a little further and saw one of our members we never get to see because she is really, really busy. When we were getting ready to get biking back, we got a text from Headquarters in Salt Lake--someone had been on mormon.org and requested a missionary visit (this is known as a media referral in case I mention it again), So we biked back 8 miles to her house, had an AMAZING lesson and committed her to baptism on the 21 of next month! She seriously is an answer to so many prayers. We've had three lessons with her in 4 days, she came to church and is reading from the Book of Mormon! Really truly, she is a miracle. We have never had an investigator this solid before. But, we were leaving her house, and the investigator whose lesson fell through texted us and asked if we could see her in an hour, and we prayed and felt like we should, so we biked back the 6 miles to her house and she bailed again. But it was okay because we got to talk to some people we wouldn't have otherwise. Then we biked the 10 miles to our house and ended up totalling about 35 miles in one day. It was a party.
That night we had fried catfish at a member's home. It was surprisingly good.
Friday we biked over the bridge in the pouring rain and worked at our bishop's house for 4 and a half hours, then biked over to interviews with President Wall, which are always good. He didn't give me a clear answer on if I am training or not, though, so I won't know for a few more weeks ;). We had the ward thanksgiving dinner on Fridayand Elder R confiscated the front wheel of Sis Jones' bike so we wouldn't bike the bridge at night.
Saturday was relatively uneventful...we had another lesson with K, our new investigator, which was awesome because our recent convert B came with us. It was really good because we went over Law of Chastity stuff...which is a little easier if we're not the ones explaining it.
But Sunday we went to church and K and her two sons were there, and the elders' investigator R was there too! And having 2 investigators at sacrament (we had one come late, but she missed sacrament) was amazing! far better than we're used to. Both of them are committed to the 21st. We had dinner at the E family's and K came too, and it was just a big party with a lovely spiritual center.
As for this week...I feel bad to say that I've been way too busy to miss anyone too much. But I'm sure I'll be thinking of you on Thursday. We're going with a member to her sister's (who's not a member) for thanksgiving (the same member fed us the catfish this week). Then it's Christmastime, which will probably be a little harder. But things are just almost too crazy to be homesick right now. And I don't even want to think about Christmas! The 21st will be my Christmas, hopefully.
So...as for how much we're biking, it depends on the week. Not as much as the Elders, but we're doing maybe (normally) 30 a week? usually a little less. But the next little bit will be more, because next month we've got Zone training in Alexandria, transfers in Baton Rouge and the mission's Christmas devotional in Lafeyette. So that number will jump next month!
Aside from that, I can't think of anything to email the family about! Love you all. Happy Thanksgiving and know I am grateful for each of you!! I'm sad I'm missing the holidays with y'all, but know I'm taken care of. I know what I'm doing is where God wants me right now, and I'd rather be here than anywhere else! I have seen the Book of Mormon and the confirming power of the Holy Ghost change lives, bring hope, and strengthen peoples resolve to do what's right. Most of all, I've seen it in myself. But this is God's work and I am honored that He would call me to labor in a little corner of His vineyard. So even though it'll be a change, know I'm doing well :)
Love you much!
Sister Steele
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