hi -- it's another week

Hi, my name is Sister Stimpson, and my nail is about to fall off. 

Yes, it's that time. 

It's all attached on one little side, and when my nail moves at all, it sends a shooting pain that makes me yelp. 

So I've attached a ginormous bandaid over my finger. 

Stupid Saratoga Door.

My name is Sister Stimpson and I also have a pineapple allergy. 

I know. 

About a month or so ago in Elmira, I was eating fresh pineapple at a dinner appointment when my mouth began to itch terribly. I thought, "Oh, no. I think I have a pineapple allergy. WHERE DID THIS COME FROM?"

So I stopped eating the slice of pineapple. 

Fast forward to our Tuesday dinner appointment. 

The lady brings out a nice, pineapple cake. She gives me a slice, and the aforementioned dinner appointment flashes into my head. 

Elder Bednar once said that the Holy Ghost works by bringing things to your remembrance......

and I foolishly thought, "Maybe it's a one-time thing....? One bite won’t hurt....."

So I eat a bite. 

"Okay that wasn't a one-time thing. MAN my mouth itches........how on earth does one spontaneously develop a pineapple allergy?........Oh, no, now my mouth, throat AND nose itch...........why am I acting as if this is a bad thing? I don't even like pineapple!...........oh no. I hope I can still have dole pineapple whip from Disneyland. That IS one kind of pineapple I like..........yeah I shouldn't eat this...........okay one more bite just to make sure I'm not making this up...........nope. This is real. Man my TONGUE is STINGING!"

I looked at my companion and opened my mouth. 

"....are your cheeks USUALLY that swollen?" she asked. 

"Ah crap." 

Don't worry guys. No deaths happened. I just went home and took some allergy meds and it all turned out okay. 

Stupid pineapple.

Anyway, this week we also visited the sweet, sweet lady with the donkeys. 

Yes, she still has her donkeys. 

I pet them again, but they were behind the fence this time. Just where I like them to be. Not pressing me up against a trailer. 

We also had back-to-back lessons that day from 10:15-2:30. Which means.....no lunch. As we drove to this lady’s house, I said a little prayer that she would feed us something to carry us over, because a lot of times in the past she's made random goodies and fed them to us. (Although they always seemed to have gluten in them, which Sister S conveniently couldn't eat.)

When we got there, she said, "Oh, you're just in time. I just made us some nice, chicken vegetable soup."

"AH! YOU SAVED US!" I said. 

That was like a serious little tender mercy of the Lord.

The family we’re teaching is also doing AMAZING! I have wanted to teach a family my whole mission, and now I finally get the chance to! They are on date for baptism in November, and yes we have had a few panicky moments because that's so close, but they are so prepared and are doing SO well!!!  We just hope we can fit everything in before then!

Stake conference was this weekend! It was a sweet little reunion for me, seeing as I didn't really get to say goodbye to anyone before I left Elmira :) The speakers were a future missionary who goes out with us all the time, a recent convert in Elmira who I didn't really work with, but who I talked to quite a few times, and a recently reactivated member in Owego who just got called to the high council. All were so powerful, and so personal to me especially since I knew each of them!

Transfer calls were this Saturday.

My last transfer calls. 

We were all surprised with the outcome: Sister R is going home (which we knew), Sister C and I are staying the same....and being joined by a third sister, Sister H. She is currently in Ithaca and has been out about 4 months. 

Sister C is still pretty sick, and it's been good for her working in a trio. 

But I can't help but say I was a little........okay, a lot, sad. Elmira is reopening for sisters, but I'm not the one reopening it. I was secretly hoping I'd be able to train again, but I guess the Lord has other plans for me. 

I feel like I should feel a lot more weirded out that I'm finishing my mission where I started (I mean.....HOW OFTEN DOES THIS HAPPEN?!) but I'm not surprised at all by it. I do love it here in little Owego :)

Well familia. I must be off. I love you all so much!

Hurrah for Israel

Sister Stimpson