Snowmaggedon Part Two – March 9, 2015

Hello my awesome family!! 

It has been the longest week of my life. 

I LOVED the pictures you sent! Emilee and Josh looked so awesome! Was there an award for best costumes? Because I'm pretty sure they won. Hands down. Man, I haven't smiled that big in a while. Thanks guys! 

Also, that was a funny party story. I'm so glad y'all are having fun and making friends. 

Which reminds me, could you please thank Brother Steve Rummler for sending me letters? I love them and get so excited to see them in the mailbox. Also, apparently one of the couples who also wrote to me in our ward is the parents of a Sister in my branch. 

Which brings up another point. We got the new Harmony Branch! So we now cover all of Buckner, Goshen, and parts of Prospect. We are now called the Harmony sisters instead of the West Wind Sisters. We lost Crestwood which means Br and N. I'm happy that the Elders get N, but sad to lose Br. The Elders will take care of him though. We got a new Zone Leader. His name is Elder Langford and he has more energy and faith than I think is possible in a single person.

So, Transfer Meeting was basically the worst day of my mission so far. I felt so sad and awful and it didn't help to know that I embarrassed myself in front of the missionaries there by crying. I don't think that I will ever be as close to any companions that I will have as I was to Sister Ward. Plus, I was scared and worried about taking over a brand new area with a brand new branch. It was not a good day and I think I hugged Sister Ward goodbye about five times before we had to leave. She's such a sweetheart and asked the Elders in my district to be extra nice to me. 

Because I was sad, Sister Gosnell bought me flowers and a card and made tortellini for dinner. She was so nice to me I almost cried again. 

My new comp. is Sister Bush. She's from Stockton, California and is the fifth of seven children. She is the exact opposite of me in personality and looks. She has blonde hair, blue eyes, is happy, light, and cheerful. 

I think someone is praying for me to have patience because I am being tried. Sister Bush got her license three weeks before she came on a mission and has been in a bike area for the nine months that she's been out. But, since she's the senior companion she is the driver. At least I can say that I now have the skills necessary to teach my future children how to drive. 

We're getting along though and coming up with good ideas together. I can't say that we are friends yet, but it'll eventually happen. 

Man, I sound so mean right now. I like her. She's very nice.

It snowed again about a foot and people didn't go into mass panic, but there still was panic. We weren't allowed to drive anywhere which sucked because the only way to get to our area is to drive. There are no sidewalks to walk on and it didn't feel safe to bike with all those crazy Kentuckians who can't drive in the snow and ice. So, we weekly planned and shoveled driveways all day. 

I can definitely say that I am learning so much more by being in charge of this area and Branch. What you said makes absolutely perfect sense. I'm seeing how capable I am to do these things and even though our area is so huge that it is overwhelming I'm taking it one day at a time. Especially when I run into really rude people. Seriously, there's a lot of rude people. 

We went to Prospect to the first time and you wouldn't believe how big these houses are. I though Goshen was nice, but this place beats it. I'll have to bring my camera next time, because I saw a marble mansion. Like Downton Abbey mansion. It was gorgeous. Too gorgeous. How do people live in those? 

The problem that I think here is that everyone is so well off and 'happy' they shoo us off like we have nothing new to offer. I'm trying to come up with a new door approach to boldly declare who we are and what we have. Especially since no church here in Kentucky can claim with an unshakeable testimony to be the only true church of Jesus Christ with His authority. 

After they announced that we were going to be in the branch I decided to set up a meeting with President Stevens (who is the coolest man I've met here) to talk about how we can help with the branch. His son is so cute and told me I have the powers of Jesus. He also drew me a picture of all the things Jesus made. I will treasure it forever.

I don't think I'll get a branch as excited about missionary work as this one. I know that members are the key to everything we do. Tracting is not the best way to find people, but the members are and they do such a great job. Brother Hill, our new Branch Mission Leader, challenged all the members on Sunday to find one family per family this year. He is so awesome. Brother Hill came up to us after church and was telling us that he's going to try super hard to get us into less active homes and part member families. 

I am so excited to work here. Something awesome is going to happen, I can feel it. 

We tried to go see a less active member, but only her parents were home. They are active and let us right in and we chatted for a while. The less active's name is A and she is professional cat breeder and show person. She had a whole wall covered with the ribbons and awards she won from her cats. Also, there were about twelve cats walking around and the 'studs' were in large cages in the another room. They are Oriental Short Hairs and look like Siamese cats, but cuter and very quiet and friendly. If I was to get a house cat I would want one of them.

I am so jealous that you get to go to Nationals! Send loads of pictures and give everyone my love. :) Also, give Ethan a Book of Mormon and tell him that Raye wants him to read it once. Don't know why. The thought just came to me. 

Sister Wayland, the Relief Society President, came up to me and told me that I am not the same person I was when I came and that I have grown so much. That made me feel really good because I would have considered myself a failure if I returned home the same person and hadn't changed into what Heavenly Father wants me to become. I have a log ways to go, but I'm making progress. 

Tell Grandma France I said thank you for the hat and scarf! They are so cute! I love them. :) I forgot to take a picture of me wearing it, but I will send one next week. 

When you told me about Dottie and the 'shocking moment' I imagined that scene from Fun with Dick and Jane when he gives Spot a bark collar. ;) 

Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMILEE!!! I know it's on Saturday, but I had to say it. :) LOVE YOU! 

I LOVE YOU ALL and MISS YOU SO MUCH! 

Take care and keep being awesome! 

Sam, I still expect a missionary comic strip. Don't let me down. 

And guess what family? I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOOOOVE YOU! 

-Raye :)