21 What What!

So this week started with district leader interviews. I walk into the classroom where I was going to be interviewed by Elder R.

So with the rules, we have to leave the door cracked when an Elder is interviewing a sister. So I walk in, and the door closes. Both of us go, "NO!" and frantically open it and attempt at making it stay open.

Finally we gave up trying to make it stay open on its own, and shoved a chalkboard eraser in it to make it stay open.

So I turn around and look. There's a circular table set up, with two chairs sitting across from each other. I pick the chair that is right up against the wall. I had to squeeze in, because the circular table was right up against the chair.

Elder R takes a seat across from me and goes, "Well, let's start with a prayer."

He kneels. I kind of stare at him, because between the wall and the table, I have no room to kneel.

Finally, he looks at me, I move out from the table and kneel down......right as he moved back to sitting in the chair because he saw that I wasn't kneeling.

We both look at each other and said, "Oh."

I go to move back to the chair.....right as he goes to move back to kneeling. So we're left doing this weird squatting-in-the-air thing, and finally just sit back in the chairs.

Then, we both say at the exact same time, "Who would you like to say the prayer? Oh. I will."

We look at each other, and bow our heads.

Silence.

A rather uncomfortably long silence.

Then we look at each other, and both say at the exact same time, "I'll say it--oh. You say it."

We both sighed, and Elder R goes, "Okay. YOU say the opening, I'll say the closing."

It was a great start to the week.

After district meeting, we went on exchanges with some nearby sisters! I went to their area with Sister C. It was a lot of fun! We had a few teaching apointments, and then a dinner appointment. As we sit down for dinner, the woman we're having dinner with asks where I'm from, and where I went to school, all that good stuff.

"I did a year at Weber State and at Utah Valley University."

"Oh! My son's fiancé is going to Weber State."

"Nice!"

"Where are you from?"

"The Sandy, Draper area of Utah."

".....My son's fiancé is from Draper."

".....I wonder if I know her."

She says her name.
"SHE'S ENGAGED?! OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH!"

She took that as a yes, and took a picture of Sister C and me to send to her.

It truly is a small, small world.

It was a lot of fun to go on exchanges! I really, really enjoy being a Sister Training Leader!

And what did Sister L and Sister G do in Saratoga?

THEY FOUND A FAMILY THAT WANTS TO START BEING TAUGHT BY US!

See, a few months ago, Sister H and I went tracting. I remembered the street, and that only ONE house answered, and it was a cute family whose daughter looked just like me. After walking away from that door, I remember thinking, "If I had been more diligent....I bet we could've start teaching them."

So, I have wanted to go back, but I felt a little ridiculous doing so. So I told Sister L where the house was, and told her to try it.

What did they do?
As soon as they knock, the family let them right in. The mom said, "Come on in! Sit down, sit down! You got a lesson ready for us?"

The parents and the three youngest little girls ran to the couch and sat down.

"You got a pamphlet or something you want to use?"
(See, while they were retelling this story to me, my jaw dropped, and I couldn't shut it.)

The sisters began teaching them, when the dog started yapping uncontrollably. They couldn't have a lesson -which was actually okay, because they were late to an appointment already- but the parents said that they've been looking and looking for a family-oriented church!

WELL WE'VE GOT THAT!

They said that if they didn't come to church this Sunday, then they'd come next week! (which they hopefully should).

MIRACLE!

This week  we had mission leadership council: a meeting with all the zone leaders and sister training leaders in Utica where we discuss the needs of missionaries and how we can help the mission.

Here are some moments from that:

That morning, President Wirthlin was making pancakes.

I foolishly offered to help.

He gave me some direction on how to flip pancakes.

The first one....I flipped OFF the griddle.

By now all the missionaries are huddled around me, giving me advice, and holding their breath as they watch me flip the pancakes.

The second one......I flipped on top of another pancake.

The third one.......I broke.

President finally took the spatula from me and said, "You're fired."

Later when he left the room, I ran back up to the griddle. I flipped a pancake.

It wasn't ready to be flipped.

Pancake mix went EVERYWHERE.

I threw the spatula and hid before he came back.

He walked in, saw the mess of a pancake and said, "Ah. That's a Sister Stimpson pancake."

"It's got personality!" I shouted from behind an Elder.

In my honor, he made me a giant "S" shaped pancake.

Which broke.

But still.

I was touched!

Later at the meeting....

*President Wirthlin looks at all of us in the room.*

"Well. You certainly have all been fed well."

.....awkward silence....

Me: "Are you calling us fat?!"

Me: "Are Elders and Sisters allowed to have meals on holidays?"

President Wirthlin: "Yes. Well, define holiday."

Me: "Easter, Christmas, New Years, Thanksgiving.......Flag day."

Random Missionaries: "April Fool's Day!"

"St. Patrick's day!"

"Pajama day at school!"

My birthday was SO great! I got cards from one of the families in the ward, and Brother A let me look at his collection of autographed pictures of Harry Potter actors.

He let me hold his Alan Rickman picture.

I can die happy now.

I couldn't keep it, but just touching it made my life complete.

Thank you SO much for all the notes, clothes, and presents! I LOVED it and LOVED the Adventures of Snape [featuring her cardboard cutout of Snape, put together by Bethany and Katrina].

Needless to say, he better be at the airport when I go home.

More adventures to tell you about when I Skype y'all.

Hoppy Mother's Day!

LOVE YOU!

Hurrah For Israel,

Sista' Stimpson