HOPPY Thanksgiving.....get it? Hoppy? [an old family joke]

Oh my dear goodness guys. This week has been CRAZY.

P-day last week consisted of us bowling as a district, and then me wandering around the grocery store saying, "I don't know what my new companion likes to eat! I hope she doesn't have food allergies!" 

So I got a bunch of bagels, frozen pizzas and frozen stir fry and chicken nuggets and what not. Stuff I don't even really like (except bagels) but I figured she would like. 

Tuesday was pretty much us saying our goodbyes to people, and walking around in SO. MUCH. SNOW. There was also AAAAAAAAAAAAAAALL this talk about a HUGE blizzard that was supposed to hit our area, and Sister R and I were kind of freaking out cause neither of us wanted to drive in the snow. After saying goodbye to several people, we called up the zone leaders and were like, "Can we PLEASE spend the night at the Greene sisters' apartment so that we don't have to drive there in the snow tomorrow morning and we're already halfway to Oneonta?" 

They were hesitant...but Sister R kind of kept insisting that this happened, so finally Elder N said, "Okay, fine.  Just do it and text President!" 

So we did. We speed on up to Greene, and spent the night there. The next day, Sister R was off to Oneonta, and Sister L, one of the Greene Sisters, was off to Utica. I spent the day in Greene with Sister J, and you know what happened? 

It didn't snow. At all. 

DUMB. 

Well kind of. 

The whole day I kept stressing though. I was thinking, "I just KNOW it's gonna snow! I just KNOW we're gonna slip off the road and I'm going to get in ANOTHER car accident!" 

But the fact that it didn't snow was such a blessing!

So the evening comes, and Sister S pulls up to the Greene sisters' apartment with the new sister who's coming to Greene.....and we just kind of stared at each other. 

I'm pretty sure the whole first scene from Wicked, when Elphaba and Galinda first met ran through both of our heads. 

We. Are total. Opposites. And I was SOOOO certain she was going to hate me. 

We'll fast forward a bit to the conversations we had in the car: 

Me: "So....what do you like to do?" 

Sister S: "Well I did cheer in high school. And I really like to run. And I was into drill team and ballroom. What about you?" 

Me: "Erm..........I was in the band.......oh and the yearbook and journalism staff! And....I like.....had friends and stuff." 

Later....

Me: "So what's your favorite food?" 

Sister S: "Well I just found out I'm allergic to wheat." 

Me: "CRAP." 

There went my bagels, frozen pizza, stir fry and chicken nuggets plan! 

Poor Sister S has been eating rice, rice chex, and left over chinese food this whole week! 

So basically, we're driving, and the whole time I'm thinking, "Man. This girl is gonna hate me. We're nothing alike. She's super, super, super pretty and I'm some stick, pale redhead who is lucky if she straightens her hair in the morning, AND she's had like a billion boyfriends! All I've had is a cardboard cutout of Snape!" 

And you know what?
WE GET ALONG SO WELL!

Seriously. These past few days we've gotten along great. And she has been SO patient with me. This whole leading out the area thing has been super uncomfortable. It's not bad....but it's not good either. Bascially I like to pretend like I know what I'm doing, but in reality I totally don't. And Sister S has been so patient with me as I kind of stare at our area book/map and am like, "OOH! Let's visit this person!....no....wait.....let's visit this person instead!" 

Basically I'm just a mess right now. Again! It's not bad! But it hasn't been good either! It'll get better once I'm in the routine of things, but man these past few days have been a rollercoaster for my stress. Basically every morning I've woken up and have been like, "Nope.....nope can't do this. I have no idea how I'm going to plan this day. Nope. Nope. I'm the worst missionary ever. I'm going back to sleep."  Then I get up (ON TIME, I might add.) and I'm fine. Just gotta take it a step at a time.

So I am SO grateful that Sister S and I are getting along and that she's been so patient with me. And I know she's my companion for a reason!

Driving hasn't been bad at ALL either! A nice sixth month break is just what I needed. 

That and I'm in upstate New York. There are more cows than drivers anyway. 

Thanksgiving was good. We had breakfast with a member, dinner with another family, and dessert with the ward mission leader's family. Planning for Friday, Saturday and Sunday has been pretty bad, and our plans were kind of sketchy. But again! I hope they'll get better once it's in the routine of things. 

Wellp. That's all for me. 22 days until Christmas! Love you all! AND SERIOUSLY WISH ME LUCK. 

Hurrah for Israel!

-Sista' Stimpson.