A tough week

I was gonna try to sugar coat the week, then I was like, "Meh, forget it.” Looking back now it's kind of hilarious how bad everything went. 

And it wasn't just a big ball of stress for us, but it was for every missionary in our ward. 

It all started with District Meeting. We were in a trio with our sister training leader this week. Sister N was feeling a bit overwhelmed with missionary life and feeling less than successful, despite mine and the sister training leader's reassurance that she was, indeed, a good missionary. 

We go to District Meeting. 

The south side elders, the trio, stand up in the front. Elder F clears his throat and says, "Well. I'm being emergency transferred.....tomorrow." 

"WHAT?" 

"Yeah." 

"When did you find that out?" 

He looked at his watch. 

"Oh...about two hours ago." 

We looked at the other two elders in the companionship. 

The other two elders are both here while waiting for their visa to Brazil, where they're originally called. 

As a visa-waiter, you're not able to have a debit card from the mission. All your money gets put on your companion's debit card, along with their own money. 

They're both visa waiters. 

Neither one has a debit card. 

"How are you getting your money?" we asked. 

"We have NO idea. We don't even have a GPS!"

They sat down, and the district leader asked if we had any concerns about our area we would like to bring up as a district to help solve. 

"How do you plan for zone training meeting in between exchanges, meetings in Utica, general conference, and teaching people?" asked the zone leaders. 

"Um....do it in the car?" we suggested. 

"We'll probably have to do that. Cause we'll be gone all week, zone training meeting is on Tuesday, and I am NOT planning that on my preparation day! Those are precious hours!" said Elder B.

"How do you have FUN as a missionary?" asked Sister N, close to tears. 

They gave a few suggestions, to no avail. 

The next twenty-four hours consisted of Sister N struggling a bit and us trying to comfort her. 

I began feeling really stressed out. I had NO idea what to do. How could I help her? I was having fun – but how could I help HER have fun as a missionary? 

She was feeling worse and worse through the next day. Finally, I set it up where I went to a teaching appointment with a member, while Sister N could stay at home and talk things out with our sister training leader. 

I went to the appointment, and my stress just increased as I proceeded to have one of the worst teaching appointments on my mission. 

Why was it so bad, you may be asking yourself?
Well, the member said a few things that weren’t really relevant. 

By now, my head is resting in the palms of my hand, as I try to cut in 6 or 7 times, trying to take control of the situation. 

You're probably wondering what the lesson was on. 

We were trying to read Helaman 5 from the Book of Mormon with her. 

It ended up being an hour and fifteen minute long lesson. 

Lessons are only supposed to be 15-30 minutes long. 

So by the time I get to the apartment, I'm an anxious mess, because we're already 30 minutes late to another appointment because this one went over. 

Sister N and Sister S are sitting outside, enjoying life. The member drops me off and drives away, and I proceed to march up to Sisters N and S, throw down my purse and shout, "THAT. IS. IT. I AM DONE BEING A MISSIONARY! I AM FINISHED! I JUST WANT TO GO HOME, I WANT TO SIT AND STARE AT THE WALL FOR 2 HOURS, WITH ABSOLUTELY NO RESPONSIBILITIES! COME ON! We're thirty minutes late to our lesson!" 

The other sisters get in the car, a little wide-eyed because they've never seen me act this way. 

Heck, I've never seen myself act this way. 

As we're driving I'm shouting, "I AM SO TIRED OF BEING LATE, TO EVERY SINGLE BLASTED APPOINTMENT WE EVER HAVE! AND YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M SO SICK OF EATING FOOD I DON'T EVEN WANT WHEN I'M NOT EVEN HUNGRY, AND JUST PUTTING ON WEIGHT! AND I'M SO TIRED OF BEING SO TIRED ALL THE TIME! I JUST WANT TO TAKE A 16-HOUR NAP! AND NOW, MY GLASSES ARE SO FULL OF TEARS I CAN'T EVEN SEE OUT OF THEM! AND ON TOP OF ALL THIS, I HAVE A SUN ALLERGY! UGH! I JUST WANT TO GO HOME AND DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!"

And then, to top things off.....

I run over a squirrel. 

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" 

After that little meltdown, and an actually spiritual, decent lesson that was only 15 minutes long, I felt much, much better. 

The three of us then went to the church to have a lesson online, when we see the visa waiter/Brazil elders at the computer, messing with a GPS that we had found in our glove compartment of our car and gave it to them. 

We go to the other computers, and sign onto Facebook and begin our lesson with our investigator when we hear them say, "Ah man, are you kidding me?" 

"What?" 

"The GPS died AGAIN! Did you guys find a charger with it?" 

"No, sorry." 

"It's okay. I think this charger works. Oh thank goodness, it does." 

We turn back to the computer, to see that our investigator had just messaged me. 

"Um...Sister N....is she saying what I think she's saying?" 

Sister N reads over my shoulder. 

"....Is she seriously telling us she doesn't want to meet with us anymore?" asked sister N.

"I think so." I replied. 

"COME ON."

"Hey! We wanted a facebook lesson! NOT for you to drop us! Dang IT!" 

"Dang it!" said the Elders. 

"What?" we asked. 

"The GPS thinks we're in KANSAS!" says Elder K. 

"Shoot. It just died again." said Elder S. 

After a few more minutes of Facebook, the three of us began to drive home, when the Elders call us again. 

"Hey.... do you know our address?" they asked. 

"No, why?" 

".....cause we don't know how to get home...." 

........"Are you kidding?" 

"No.....and our GPS still thinks we're in Kansas. We were hoping you'd be able to pull it up on your GPS and give us directions but....we don't know our address....." 

"Oh my gosh....I think the Corning Elders might have it?" 

"Okay....we'll give them a call, cause the zone leaders aren't answering...."

Ward coordination proceeded to be, instead of all of the missionaries discussing their investigators, a therapy session as we all talked about how horrible or week had been. 

"All our investigators keep dropping us," Sister N said, "and we can't stop having emotional melt downs!" 

"Did you guys get the money situation worked out?" I asked the elders. 

"Not yet. And we still don't have a GPS.'
"AT LEAST YOU GUYS HAVE TIME TO TEACH!" yelled Elder F. 

The next morning, we get a call from the zone leaders, asking various questions about the furniture in our apartment and if we needed any replaced. Finally, we said, "Elder F. We don't want to stress you out. Our apartment is fine." 

"I'M NOT STRESSED OUT!" 

".....whatever you say, Elder F." 

Thursday came. Along with a serious migraine for my companion. 

Friday night came. Day two of Sister N's migraine, and we called and asked the zone leaders when a meeting was. 

"......I.....I really don't know. This week we just keep telling ourselves, 'Just make it to conference.'" 

"Ugh. Us too."

General Conference came, it was like sweet, sweet peace. 

The visa waiters finally had the money situation figured out. They also had received a GPS from home. 

The zone leaders meetings were all done, and now they could finally plan zone training meeting. 

Unfortunately, my companion is still on day four of her migraine. BUT. We have been taking it easy, and she has begun to notice how she really IS a good missionary. 

And then General Conference was the spiritual candy we all needed!

All I can say, is this week more than ever, I am so grateful for prophets and apostles, and Jesus Christ. 

Cause seriously, how can anyone get through a stressful week without praying, and without Christ? 

I love you all so much :) 

Hurrah for Israel 

Sista' Stimpson