Um.... Did you know I'm halfway through my mission?
WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN!???!!!????!
Freakishness aside, it's traditional in the mission to burn something at such a major landmarks. Elders traditionally burn:
- 6 months - a tie
- 1year - a shirt
- 18 months - a pair of pants
- 2 years - a jacket
I don't know why this is. All the elders acknowledge that this is rather silly, and that it also smells relay bad, and the last two are frequently replaced with other ties. But the tradition remains.
I don't think I'm going to burn anything.
So for the first time in a few weeks, I have enough time to really write you all. I'm sorry for lack of details about the Loop. Quite frankly, I was rather lost until that last week.
OK, New Companion: Hermana Mendoza is originally from Peru, but has spent the last 10 years or so in Utah. She is a competitive Salsa dancer (with her brother) and has friends from all over the world. She's been in Woodstock for about 8 months now, and she knows the branch really well.
Speaking of the branch, unlike Elgin, this branch is new. They've got new leadership in everything, and are trying to become a ward. Since the restrictions that this different stake has placed are looser, we should be able to do it in the next year or so. We've already in this past week spent some serious time helping with organizational issues in the branch. Today we hope to introduce the concept of the Meeting Agenda. The leaders are super cooperative, and Hermana and I are super-excited to see what we can do.
I was able to go back to the loop for the Baptism of Ofelia Montelongo - the investigator who asked if she could invite her children to her baptism before we had asked her to be baptized. It was a wonderfull experience, and I hope to send you all pictures soon. Her son, the one with Autism, offered a beautiful and heartfelt invocation. Her other children did not attend, regrettably, but she has hope that the missionaries can one day teach them as well.
President Doll did, eventually, contact me. However, it was the week of transfers, and the first transfer that we had with the missions combined - add to that, the fact that we got in the largest batch of new missionaries since he started, and he was very busy. He was startled by my mild, but sober amusement in reaction to his day-late call.
I would like to mention that I have, in fact, ridden through thunderstorms and 90 degree weather on a bike already. We even had one day where the sirens went off. Luckily, we were only 2 blocks away from our appointment. (I'm not sure how that slipped my mind. I should have mentioned that before.)
I did in fact get my temple bag. I am grateful for the additional clothing as well. All the clothes fit very well, and I am using them all except the green shirt... which, as you probably are now remembering with some chagrin, was of the exact shade of green that makes me look ready for my own funeral. Hermana Goodman found this hilarious, and asked me to demonstrate this repeatedly. Still, I'm thrilled that you tried to include my favorite color. It just so happens I can't actually wear my favorite color. I've since exchanged that shirt with Hermana Mendoza for a lovely tan-olive colored one that she couldn't wear for the same reason. It goes brilliantly with both of my red skirts, so all is well. I'm also glad to be able to use my own temple clothing (and I will. Woodstock is only a little farther north than Carpentersville, and we can car-poll with the zone-leaders or something) instead of the rental clothes. They only had 1 small/tall, so I usually got a medium, which fits my like a tent.
Your description of the new computer thrills me. I haven't heard the word terabyte in ages. I'm also glad to know windows 7 is good. I'm extremely surprised you got a liquid cooling system. are you planing on overclocking or something? and when did we hit USB 3.0? I'm going to be sooo outdated when I come back.
On a side note I need snail-mailing addresses for the following:
Pasco YSA
Uncle David
Jemille
Also, tell Myr that If he doesn't get me Josh & Joel's address soon, He will get another scathing letter. I understand that he has a lot of girlfriends, and that he simply must he hopelessly charming and debonair at all times, but that I deserve a note once in a while too.
Yes please put that comment in the blog.
I love you and miss you all, but I'm quite happy here. Hope everyone got their cards. Apologies go to Jemille, but I can't mail a card when I don't have an address.
Love
Hermana Maren Jones
