It's Not That Cold Yet

Hey guess what, it's a missionary's favorite day of the week, and your LEAST favorite, again! This week was a huge hodgepodge of things, all scrambled together and put in a blender. Basically just all over the place. Thinking about it though, that's really every week of a mission.

Caught a few frogs at the Hallmark Home

Lots of fun things to play with
out there :D

SERVICE AT THE RANCH. For example, we went to the very border of our area for some service at our Hallmark movie barn again, which was really fun. I drove a tractor! And we painted more, during which I successfully avoided covering myself in white paint. Then we also got to drive to Grass Valley (30 minutes another direction) to help with a zone service and clear out all the debris and overgrown jungle of a member's backyard. So, lots of service opportunities this week, which was awesome as usual!

More toys!

Plus we had the Ward (congregation) Trunk-or-Treat where we "dressed up" as Jehovah's Witnesses and really, just went as ourselves, because we get mistaken for Jehovah's Witnesses all the time anyway.

They even let me drive!

BIRDS AMONG US. Fun Fact: there are wild Peacocks in northern California! I don't know how they got there, or where they originate from, cause I don't know everything about all animals, believe it or not. But I'd heard about them from friends who have served in other areas. When we did exchanges, I was at an apartment that supposedly usually has them wandering around, but it was too cold for them so I didn't fully believe it. But driving to the Hallmark Barn, I spotted some! They were just happy to be there, doing bird things, but it was so weird to just see these fancy birds out in the middle of a field.

Service Selfie after a
good while of painting

BRRRR FOR SOME. We're also getting to a time of the year where the mornings are a bit more brisk, and my companions are always cold. Mom, they must have the same cold blood as you. But I still sleep with my thin blanket, and they've got their 4 each, and still get cold. There are a few times, though, that I've walked outside and my arm hair raises up a bit. SO LAME, that my body has adjusted to 115 degrees and thinks 50 is cold! I'll adjust back to normal soon though, no worries.

How weekly planning feels, for someone who's
been out for over 18 months now 

I AM LOVED. Oh, also! I've had my first profession of love. (I should go pick a sunflower, and pull off the petals...kidding!) At dinner last night, there was a little 6-year-old boy who was just infatuated with us three sister missionaries. He had a box of crayons, and was drawing little hearts all over! He was adorable, and multiple times he told me, "I'm in love in you," and "I'm in love in you three." So there you have it, my little mission man. And as we walked out to the car, he poked his head out the door and shouted, "Goodbye missionary girls!" Kids say the cutest things. They tell you to lock your heart on your mission, but sometimes you have to let a few little ones in :)

We have a truck, and Foresthill, and blankets,
so of course we had to do some stargazing in the
bed at some point before the time change!

NEW FRIENDS. Remember how I mentioned awhile ago how crazy amazing this ward is (and also 4 sentences ago)? Well, they did it again: we have a new investigator from a member referral! We went to her house yesterday, with the two members who found her, and just had a Bible discussion on the atonement, and evidence of the Godhead being 3 separate beings. It was just really cool!

Black Bear Diner for the 18-month
lunch celebration

Plus I've never done a discussion like that before, especially with someone who knows the Bible so well. She was just pulling scriptures out, from Romans and other sections like it was nothing. I was impressed. And next time we'll get to talk a little more about what we believe. She wanted to talk about what happens after death, so we're pretty excited. And the members found her because they were walking down the street, saw her squash growing on the sidewalk, and asked if they could take one!

more stargazing selfies

Don't ask me how they somehow related that to the Book of Mormon and a scripture study class...I'm not that advanced yet in my missionary-ing.

service in Grass Valley...some people had left,
but we got a good chunk of who was there

Have I told you about Bradon? He's a sophomore in high school, and we teach him via facebook messenger and call. We got to have our first lesson over a phone call this week, and it was so cool to hear how much he just absorbed, and he was even taking notes! You could hear him repeating things to himself, as he typed out what he was learning. Definitely more studious about religion than I was back then (over 4 years ago...I'd say "I feel old" but I know I'm still a child).

some of the cool views around here!
Have to say I'm pretty lucky

Anyway, he's very receptive and asks lots of questions. Now I can say I can 'check off' that 'first' -- of teaching a lesson over the phone. And it was a full 45 minutes, too, so it's a good thing we charge the phone every day! Something I failed to do in Chico, more often than I should admit.

LIFT WHERE YOU STAND. Final bit for this week. We went to a Religious Freedom Broadcast for (I think) northern California on Saturday. I'll be honest, a lot of the big fancy words and government aspects of it went over my head, as much as I tried to focus, but you know how hard that stuff is for me.

When members have phones, there's
a chance we might borrow them for
a bit of Snapchat. Not my fault!

Behind the scenes from a post you might have
seen on facebook. Obviously the dog's
the center of attention!

I was able to get a few key points out of it though, the most important being: do what you can from where you stand. There will always be crazy, and sometimes more exciting things in other places, but it's very important that we do what we can from where we are currently. This doesn't mean we all have to immediately become master scholars or work in the senate...we just need to hold down our own forts, and help those around us.

This goes not only for religious freedom, but just in our lives, too. We can't help everyone, just like we can't please everyone. So focus on those around you, and keeping your family stable amidst the chaos of the world.

I was showing them how with Samsungs,
you can take a selfie by holding your
hand up, palm facing the camera;
it was a pretty good picture!

Branching out to the community is good too, but don't try to cover too much with your small unbrella! You'll be left running around in a very wet circle. I know we all have a desire to serve others, so let's do that one family, one community at a time. No matter how insignificant you feel your impact is, you're always a hero to someone if you're trying.

It's A MINI SNAKE!! It was so cool!
The member just pointed it out as we
were walking to the car and I got to
hold it! They're a red something and
that's as big as they get :) Certainly
made Tuesday evening a lot better!

Good luck this week! I always love hearing from you, and thank you for the support you've given me.

Sister Whitesell
teresa.whitesell@myldsmail.net

765 Mikkelsen Dr.
Foothills Terrace Apt. 8
Auburn, CA 95603