Best week ever

Best week ever! Cause it was Christmas! And I got to see you guys! Hurray!

As y'all already saw, I was driving past a salon, and said, "Sister S. I want a perm." 

Then BOOM four hours later my hair was curly AND I LOVE IT! I've gotten a lot of compliments on it too. Except from one lady who said, "WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR HAIR?!" 

"I permed it." 

"BUT WHY? YOU HAD SUCH PRETTY STRAIGHT HAIR." 

"Yeah I had to deal with said straight hair for twenty years. It was time for a change." 

But the popular girl in young women's complimented me on it. 

Does that mean I'm popular? 

I always wanted to be!

Speaking of church, we had a combined Relief Society / Priesthood meeting in which we talked about goal setting. Us and the Elders had to teach it. We broke it up into four different topics: what is a goal? why are they important? how do we set them? and how can we achieve them? 

So Sister S stand ups there and says, "So....what is a goal to you guys?" 

chirp.....chirp.....chirp......chirp......

SOMEONE RAISES THEIR HAND AND GIVES A SHORT COMMENT!

chirp.....chirp.....chirp.....chirp

Two minutes later she sat down. 

Then Elder Z got up there and asked a question. A man responds and Elder Z then says, "Wow.....you actually just quoted the talk I wanted to talk on. Um.....so now Sister Stimpson's going to talk about how to set goals." 

Great. Five minutes down, 40 minutes to go. 

Elder C leans over and says in a whisper-yell, "YOU BETTER TAKE UP A LOT OF TIME." 

"Oh don't worry. I got me some personal stories." 

Somehow I managed to get people rambling. And I rambled myself about personal stories, and then somehow I rambled some more.

New Yorkers, man. They're totally rubbing off on me. 

But then I managed to kill twenty minutes, and Elder C finished the rest of the time!

GO TEAM GO!

We has a wonderful Christmas in which I took away the Elders' agency by making them participate in acting out the Nativity. Elders B, W and Z were the wise men and Mama Cox had to teach them how to make a turban out of a towel. Elder C was the shepherd, and I was a sheep and I wore a hideous, long, old, bad smelling, black fur coat and baa'd a lot.  Mama and Papa Cox were Mary and Joseph, and their dialog consisted of this:

Sister K, the narrator: "And she was great with child..."

Mama Cox: "WHERE'S MY BABY?"

Elders: "WAIT WHY ISN'T SHE PREGNANT?"

*I throw pillow at her*

She held it in front of her stomach, and Papa Cox lovingly patted it. 

Sister K: "And she wrapped him in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger...." 

Elders: "Hold up! Where's the baby? Why don't we have a baby Jesus?" 

Me (I got assigned as the director) : Just use the pillow! 

Mama Cox cradles the pillow, and Papa Cox patted it lovingly. 

Then the Bishop's son, who was the Inn Keeper, had a southern accent. 

But that's a whole other story. 

Then the next day happened. Sister S got sick in the night, and I woke up SOOOOOOOO tired. When 6:30 came along, we rolled out of bed and Sister S got sick again, took some Tylenol and laid back down. It took me a half hour to do like......10 jumping jacks and 10 sit ups. I was SO. TIRED. 

So I studied until eleven, then curled up on the couch and slept until Sister S woke up. She was like, "Mmmmmmur I don't feel so good."

"Yeah you don't look so good either." 

"I threw up." 

"Yeah I heard. You up for going to teach a lesson?" 

"Yeah, I think I can." 

We went and taught a lesson, went and got a prescription, started weekly planning, then she stood up and said, "Ugh. I have to lie down. I feel really sick. I'll be back in five minutes." 

........my thoughts?

Yeah, she so isn't coming back in five minutes. 

That was at 5 o' clock. 

I read some scriptures until 6 o' clock, then I watched some cheesy church videos from the 80's. 

That lasted until 7 o' clock. Then I ate some yogurt and all my Christmas candy. Then I felt like a super fatty and did some real jumping jacks and sit ups and push ups, then ran around the apartment. 

That lasted until 8 o' clock. And I was getting REALLY stir crazy by now. So I called some members to see if they could come to our lessons tomorrow, then I cleaned the apartment, put away the Christmas decorations, studied Preach my Gospel, contemplated making cookies, realized we didn't have any eggs so I didn't make any cookies, then I sat down at 9 o' clock and planned for the next day and wrote in my journal. 

So then 10 o' clock comes and I crawl into bed, and Sister S sits up and says, "Oh my gosh what time is it?" 

"10 o' clock." 

"WHAT? I ONLY MEANT TO LIE DOWN FOR TEN MINUTES!" 

So she got up, went to the bathroom, ate some cereal, came back, and fell asleep AGAIN. 

Yeah, she was pretty sick. but the next day she was completely fine, aside from a small headache! 

Hahahaha. Yeah let's talk about the next day. We had FIVE lessons planned! FIVE! Three of them had a member present for them, and guess how many of them actually worked out!

..........none. 

Zip.

Zero. 

None. 

Sister B:  Oh hey! I forgot you girls were coming. Come in and sit down!

We didn't get to teach her, we just chatted with her about life, set up a return appointment, and went to our next appointment.

Investigator: Oh sorry ladies! I forgot you gals were coming. Um...can you come back next week?

We set up a return appointment, went and contacted some referrals, then went to our next appointment. 

Other investigator: MY MORMON FRIENDS! COME IN AND SIT DOWN!

We didn't get to teach her, she just chatted about her life to us, then we said a prayer with her and went to our next appointment. 

Next one: *knock knock knock*............................................"Knock again." *knock knock knock." ................................................ *Sister S opens the door and looks inside* "Oh my gosh. His TV's on, his hat is sitting there, and his cat is on the couch. He's dead. He's got to be dead." 

"Okay, then, let's leave because I don't want to be the one to find him."

We went and visited a less active, and went to our next appointment, which was dinner/a lesson. 

Less-Active Member: "Hey ladies! I can still do dinner, but I'm going to have to reschedule the lesson. I have to get my phone fixed." 

Awesome. So we walked to an investigator's house, knocked on her door, she wasn't home, and by then it was curfew. 

Now DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE ONE GUY! We went back yesterday, and HE IS ALIVE! He apologized for not reading the chapter we left him, and said he's really been thinking about church! YES! Hopefully he will come soon :) Then he continued to talk to us again about how much I look like his granddaughter.

Anyway. Also had an awesome dinner with some members in my ward. Never in my life have I laughed so much at a dinner appointment. I may or may not have spit up water at one point. 

May or may not have. 

Yes, that's Sister Stimpson. Keeping it classy. 

Unfortunately, Saturday is transfer calls :/ everyone is convinced I am leaving. EVERYONE. Except myself. 

Elder C: Yeah, you're not staying here another transfer. 

Me: YES I AM.

Elder Z: You've been here five transfers, and SEVEN months. You're so leaving. 

Me: NO I'M NOT I'M STAYING. 

Elder Z: You're just saying that cause you want to!

Sister S: I think you're leaving. 

Me: I HOPE NOT!

Sister S: Well I hope not either!

Sister Cox: Yes....I think you're leaving. 

Me: NO. I'M STAYING. 

Sister Cox: Well that's what I'm hoping for too!

So we'll see :/ I mean....it's no big deal.....cause I'm staying. 

Well I must bounce. Love you all!

Hurrah for Israel!

Elder C said that the other day. I yelled at him for stealing my punch line. Then he gave me a weird look and I remembered he doesn't read my blog. 

Sista' Stimpson

Fear Not Little Flock - D&C 6

A spiritual subject title? Since when? But that was a scripture I REALLY liked this week. 

This was a fantastic week! Unfortunatly I am super pressed for time....BUT I WILL SEE YOU WEDNESDAY SO I CAN TELL YOU AAAAAALL ABOUT IT! 

We went caroling as a district! The first three houses were super awkward. First, the people answered, left the screen door open, then walked away. We finished, then they poked their heads out and said thanks, and we scurried away. 

The next guy tried to give us money during the song. I think he wanted us to leave. We didn't take the money, though. Told him to donate it to Salvation Army. 

You're welcome, Salvation Army. 

The third guy was Jewish. He looked through the window, then next thing we know, we hear the door locking and all the lights are being turned off. And he's still looking at us through the window. 

Point taken. 

But the next houses went really well! One lady, a Christian woman from India, said that she used to go caroling all the time in India, but had never seen carolers since she came to the USA, so she joined us! 

Another old couple gave us cookies and said they hadn't seen carolers in years. And a Catholic lady gave us a bunch of HUGE candy canes, which we then regifted to a little seven year old at another house, because it was her birthday! So we sang Happy Birthday to her. Then an old guy sat on his porch and listened to us while trying to control his dog. 

Caroling was very humbling. I will never make fun of carolers again. One of the members who came with us was super excited about caroling. So much so, she made us surround a family getting out of their car and carol to them. 

I pretended to not know the words so I could look at the music and not make eye contact with them. 

I did the same thing when an attractive guy answered the door. 

ANYWAY. 

We had an incredibly awkward lesson with our young man investigator this week. Ever taught the law of chastity to a fifteen-year-old? 

Well I guess this is just getting me ready for parenthood. 

Actually I was pretty quiet throughout the whole thing and Sister S took over. 

But he came to church yesterday!

IT was just a fantastic week. Everyone is in a happy Christmas mood. Yesterday we went tracting and handed out candy canes with a Christmas message on them. Our number one conversation was this: 

Person: "Oh so they have girls now? It's usually the guys who come around. I'm really not interested." 

Me: "But we have Candy Canes and a picture of Jesus!" 

Sister S: "No commitment required!" 

Person: "......Okay then!" 

I consider it seed planting. 

I also fear I may actually be becoming friends with the new elder. I MADE HIM LAUGH ON WEDNESDAY! AND WE ACTUALLY HAD A CORDIAL CONVERSATION! AND WE FIST BUMPED YESTERDAY!

Either that or we're just getting used to each other. 

I'll take that, too.  

SO excited about my new nephew! I keep telling everyone about it. I think everyone's getting sick of it. 

I think they're just jealous. 

LOVE YOU ALL AND I AM SO SO SO EXCITED TO TALK TO YOU ON WEDNESDAY. 

I don't know what I'm gonna do after Christmas. This is like, all I've been looking forward to for the past month and a half. 

Look forward to Mother's Day I guess?
I did the math and I'll be talking to you guys every six months. 

First time was the airport, six months later it's Christmas, six months later it's Mothers Day, six months later I'm home. 

CRAZY. 

Loves!

Hurrah for Israel!

Sister Stimpson

You oughtta be in pictures -- wawa

Yeah so um, there are so many awkward moments as a missionary. Like so many moments that are just a big, dripping ball of awkward. And this week was full of them. 

We'll start with one of my favorite conversations this week.

So we're walking down the street and see this older gentleman. 

Us: "Good morning!" 

Him: "Good morning! How are you ladies?" 

Me: "Really well! How are you?" 

Him: "Great! I see your badges...what are those for?" 

My thoughts: Oh my gosh. This is it. This is the big Ensign moment EVERY missionary has, when they find their GOLDEN investigator who just approached them on the street and was looking for them!

Me: "I'm a Mormon Missionary!" 

Him: "Hmph. I'm Knights of Columbus." 

And he marched away. 

Me: ".....I STILL WANNA BE YOUR FRIEND!" 

He didn't turn around. 

Sister S: "Ah. Every day my heart gets broken....Hey look a cute dog! My heart's not broken anymore." 

Speaking of Sister S, we're getting along well! She's from Utah and went to hair school before her mission. She also wants to be a flight attendant! She's been out for a transfer longer than I have. And we're so different. She's also part Mexican and is like the darkest person in Owego. Okay that's a lie -- there's like three other black people. 

Awkward Moment #2 was Tuesday. First, we went to go pick up our laundry from a member who does it (she's so sweet!) because she didn't get it done Monday. Well I thought, "Ah, she only lives a half mile away. We can walk there!" 

It didn't occur to me that we'd then be walking down Main Street carrying a big bag of laundry. 

That was uncomfortable. 

Then it was district meeting. Sister S and I were in the parking lot, finishing our McDonald's ice cream, when this big, red van pulls up in the parking spot in front of us and who walks out? President Wirthlin. 

Our reaction: 

"AH." 

So we shovel the rest of our ice cream down and walk all calmly out of there and say hi to President and shake his hand. 

We then walk into the church, talking about how weird that was that President showed up to our district meeting, and we open the door to our meeting RIGHT in time to interrupt someone getting a priesthood blessing. We shuffled out of there, looked at each other, then said, "Maybe we should just hide in the bathroom." 

So we go in the bathroom, and come back for district meeting. 

Now, normally when you put at least two sets of missionaries together, let alone 4 sets of missionaries together, for district meeting, everyone's BIZARRE side comes out and all chaos happens. 

Then you put President in the room and it's just full of tension. 

Everyone was sitting reverently reading their scriptures, and the new elder (it was his first time teaching district meeting) stood tensely at the front of the room, looking at his watch. 

Meanwhile Sister S and I opened our scriptures and kept giggling to each other about the whole situation. 

Then I had to lead the music, and I got SUPER off while leading, then Sister S started laughing, which made President Wirthlin start laughing, which got me laughing. 

It was just bad. 

Then the meeting was SO tense and I'll just put it this way: New Elder got quite a taste of humble pie, and he is DEFINITELY learning how to teach. 

But that's all I'm gonna say. 

Awkward Moment #3: 

A member had us over for dinner. He answers the door and says, "Hey! My wife had to go, so I invited two of my friends to introduce you ladies to!" 

We sit down, and I look at his friends.......and one of them was a teenager we tracted into. And she very firmly rejected us. And it was kind of an awkward door approach.

Great. 

So I start thinking, "Please....that was like, two months ago....there's no way she remembers me." 

Then rational Sister Stimpson thought: "You're a missionary who knocks on peoples doors, who offers to teach them about Christ, who has FLAMING RED HAIR, and people who never even have spoken to you know who you are. She definitely remembers you." 

So then we kept making eye contact, then looking quickly away. Then making eye contact again, then looking quickly away. Finally I just said, "....Did I knock on your door a couple months back?" 

"Yeah you did." 

"I KNEW IT! Nice to see you again!" 

"Yeah.....you too."

Oh geez. 

Just embrace the awkward. This is what my whole awkward life has been preparing me for. My mission. 

Awkward Moment #4: 

We go and visit the lady with the donkeys. She feeds us cookies with gluten in them. Sister S hadn't had cookies in ages, so she ate four cookies. 

Then we go tracting. 

We get to like, house number 7. I knock on the door. We stand there a minute....

Then Sister S leans over and throws up in the bushes. 

We look at each other....then ran away. 

So that's been my awkward week. Unfortunately, three of our investigators have disappeared off the face of the earth, and we're gonna have to push back one of their baptism dates cause he's stopped coming to church :/ but it'll work out. 

However, two other investigators are doing great! The one guy showed me a picture of his granddaughter and I look FREAKISHLY like her. It's creepy. He says he wants to bring her to our next appointment so that we can meet. He and our other investigator have both committed to baptism!....just neither one of them want to come to church. 

Geez, guys. 

It's been incredible to see the difference that this gospel has made in my life, and in the lives of our investigators. I saw this guy go from hopeless and lost and depressed about his daughter's death, to filled with a small, but growing, sense of hope. 

I saw the lady go from being completely God-less, confused and angry, to humbled, soft hearted, sober and hopeful. 

This really is what our Gospel is filled with: hope. 

AND OUR OTHER LADY IS AMAZING! Today she said she's been praying every day and night, has seen Heavenly Father's hand in her life, and that she's been so much more open to the spirit! She went from saying, "IF I ever come back to church" to "WHEN I come back to church." It's incredible! 

I love this gospel. 

Well, hope all is well with you! I've been a wee bit homesick with all this Christmas stuff coming up. Wish I was at home to go to the DI with you guys and buy weird christmas presents for our extended family. 

Next year, man. 

Next year. 

Love you all, goodbye!

Hurrah for Israel! 

Sista' Stimpson. 

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.

transfer week of transfers!

ALOOOOOOOHA!

Ha! Joke - it's freezing here. 

You'll be glad to know that people here are looking out for me. The following people have scolded me for putting off wearing a proper winter coat for as long as possible: 

(In my defense I was ALWAYS wearing a sweater/jacket and gloves.)

Person 1: "WHERE'S YOUR COAT?!" "In my closet." "YOU'RE GONNA BE FREEZING!" "No I'm not!" 

I totally was. 

Person 2: "Miss Sister Stimpson! Where is your coat?!" "I'm wearing it!" "That is no proper coat! That is a sweater!" "I have a long sleeved shirt on underneath!" "Sister R you make sure she wears her coat!"

Person 3: "YOU LOOK FREEZING! WHY AREN'T YOU WEARING A COAT?!" "I'm not cold!" "You're shivering! What are you--stupid?!" "I'm seriously not cold!" 

Now in that case I really wasn't......THAT cold. 

Person 4: "You look so cold! Don't you have a coat?!" "Yes." "Why aren't you wearing it?" "I....don't know."

Person 5: "Do you not have a coat?" "No, I do." "Why aren't you wearing it?" "It's not too cold out!" "You're going to get sick!" "No I'm fine!"

Person 6: "Where's your coat?" "In the car." "Why?" "I.....I.....yeah." "Well there's always ONE careless one in the group. Looks like it's you and Elder Z." (he never wears a coat, either.)

Person 7: "WHY ARE YOU NOT WEARING A SCARF?" "Hey, I'm wearing a coat at least!" "If you're not wearing a scarf next time I see you, you're going to get the beating of a life time!"

Sister R: "I can't believe you're not wearing a coat." "IT'S NOT COLD."

It totally was. 

I'm not wearing a coat right now, either. 

We got our first snow of the season! It was pretty. And pretty dang cold. It's the wind that gets ya. 

Our lessons with our new investigator have been......somewhat awkward. I swear she's the one person in all of NY who just doesn't TALK. So it's mostly silent. And we ask a question and she'll give a simple answer and I'm like, "Great. Are you a New Yorker or what?" 

Well I guess she's not technically. She did grow up in the south, soooo....

Our lessons with our other investigator have gone well, too! She likes comparing Mormonism to Catholicism. Cause she's Catholic. AND SHE'S SO SWEET I LOVE HER! 

Saturday came, and we eagerly waited for transfer calls. I was about ready to wet my pants. Er...skirt. Finally we went to see the lady with the donkeys instead. Right away she asks, "Any news on transfer calls yet?" 

"No." 

Then we heard our phone ring. RIGHT AFTER WE SAID THAT.

"TRANSFER CALLS!" 

We put it on speaker and the three of us huddled around it. 

First of all, Zone Leader kept breaking up because the lady's trailer is in the middle of nowhere. So that made it stressful. 

Zone Leader: "So who do you want to know about?" 

Us: "US." 

"YOU'RE BOTH STAYING!" 

Haha just kidding. 

Zone Leader: "Sister R! You've had a good run. You're going to Oneonta! Sister Stimpson, you're staying here, and Sister S is going to be your new companion!" 

CHRISTMAS WITH THE COX'S, BABY!

Me: "Do you know Sister S?" 

ZL: "Not really. Do you?" 

Me: "No...but we'll be BFF's!" 

Basically, I'm super excited to get a new companion and be staying in Owego! And at the same time.... I'M ABSOLUTLY HORRIFIED TO BE GETTING A NEW COMPANION AND BE STAYING IN OWEGO!

Sister S also can't drive. 

Looks the Lord is making me face three of my fears: 

1. Driving. 

2. Leading out a new area and trying to make decisions KIND OF on my own at the first. Like....that's horrific. I have to come up with all the plans, cause she doesn't know the area. HOW ARE WE GOING TO STAY BUSY????? AAAH. 

3. The New Elder whom I've struggled a bit with....is our district leader. 

I keep telling myself that if the Lord has trust in me to do this, then I should have trust in myself. But that's much easier said than done. 

oh also our new Zone Leader is Elder C. He made fun of me in middle school. I don't think he remembers me. But It'll be fun! I love him now, don't worry. 

Anyway. That's all from me! Love you all so much!

Sista Stimpson of Owego, NY. 

Wow, transfer five. That's a long time. That's okay though! I like it here.

I really hate comping up with subject titles.

Happy Happy Preparation Day!

And guess what!

Transfers are coming up. This Saturday we get our calls, and Wednesday, the DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING, is the day everyone's moving. 

So Sister R and I basically have no clue what's gonna happen. Basically we've been warning people for the past three transfers that one of us might be moving and now we're like, "......meh maybe we'll break the mission record and stay together a fifth transfer." 

So who knows. 

I would remind y'all to send mail to me at the PO box address and not the Owego address, but hey, seeing's as I may never leave Owego, I don't think it's that big of a deal. 

I want to spend Christmas at the Cox's. 

Anyway. Let's get down to business. 

I have nothing of vast significance to report. Kinda. 

We have a new investigator!  She's so great. We talked to her when she was moving in, and she told us that one of her good friends is Mormon and that she wanted us to come by! So we did, and we sit down and she starts talking to us and said, "I've never met a Mormon I didn't like. I LOVE your guys's values system! I think if everyone was Mormon the world would be a MUCH better place!" 

SWEET. 

She's going through a divorce right now, and is pretty heartbroken. She agreed to take the lessons, though she told us she's a strict Catholic, but open to hearing us. Sadly she'll only be here until Christmas, then she'll be gone for a month, and then she's leaving after six months. BUT STILL. I'm excited to teach her!

ALSO ALSO ALSO ALSO: GO TO www.facebook.com/HolidayShowcaseOwego and find my picture. 

Oh what picture, you might ask? Well Sister R and I are walkin down the street and this photographer comes up and is like, "Oh you ladies HAVE to get framed!" 

Me: "OKAY!" ....what did I just agree to exactly?

Don't worry, it wasn't bad. They just had us hold a frame up to our faces that was advertising Owego, and said it'd be on facebook. 

I can't see it :( Find it for me? 

So we had an ...interesting... experience this week. Our landlord was redoing the tile in our bathroom and we came home to eat lunch while he was doing this. So he starts talking to us and told us about how he borrowed an audio version of the Book of Mormon from the Elders a while ago, and listened to, "The whole first book of Nehi!" but that he "didn't get to the Joseph Smith part of the book." 

The following is his retelling of the book of Nephi. all while standing there in his gray sweats, a black belly shirt, and uncombed, black hair that's shaved on the side: 

"So....who was the really, really bad dude in the beginning who was like....killing all of them?" 

"....Laban?" 

"Yeah, Laban! And oh my gosh! Did Nehi's and his dad have to leave because this city was........."

"It was going to be destroyed."

"Yeah! And but they had to go BACK to the city to get their stuff! I remember how Nehi and like....other people went to go get their stuff from Laban, and Nehi's friends went back to buy their stuff back, and Laban just tried to kill them! Then they were chicken, but Nehi was like, "No I'm gonna go buy our stuff back," and he did! And then didn't they travel around in a desert and find like, an oasis?" 

"Um....they traveled to America?" 

"okay, yeah!" 

Our landlord's listened to more of the Book of Mormon than some of our investigators. 

We tried to explain where Joseph Smith came into all this....but I don't think he really got it. He went back to tiling. 

Hmmmm well I'll end with one more cool missionary story. NO WAIT TWO MORE!

Okay so first, we brought a member with us to a less active member's lesson. Now I was super nervous about this, because I know some people in the ward have really bugged this woman, but she and the member TOTALLY hit it off! And they exchanged numbers, too! and I was like WOAH! 

Best. Day. Ever. 

We also went and tried a girl we met before. We found her while tracting, and her house was the ONLY house that answered. She lived on this really winding, dirt road in the middle of nowhere. The first couple times we tried her, she was super busy, but this time, she let us in. We talked to her for a bit, and asked if she'd be interested in taking the lessons. She said, "Yes, but it's more a matter of WHEN! I don't really have time....but I've been looking at religions lately. I want my son to get baptized. But again, it's a matter of me having time first!" 

We gave her a Book of Mormon, a mormon.org card, and our number. She was SO sweet! It was one of those instances where we recognized she probably isn't ready to accept the gospel quite yet, but she's getting there! And we left on good terms so maybe in a few months....who knows!

Well my familia and friendsey, the church is true! I love being a missionary and am SO grateful to have this wonderful, true gospel in my life!

Hurrah for Israel, 

Sista Stimpson. 

5 months since I landed in NY!

Good news everyone!

I am slowly learning to feel better about the new Elder!

But I refuse to waste my weekly email on this subject. So we'll talk about the successes. 

So, you're probably wondering why I'm emailing late in the afternoon. So let me tell you. It's because we were teaching the BEST. LESSON. EVER this morning!

So here's the scoop: We were planning for our day on Thursday, and we had kind of a sketchy plan. And I KNEW we were gonna have to go tracting. I didn't want to go tracting. I mean, no missionary LIKES tracting, but I KNEW we were going to have to do that Thursday. 

So the next day Sister R and I prayed to know where we should go tracting, and we both felt downtown Owego.

Lemme tell ya. Tracting downtown Owego is so awkward. Everyone has already seen us, and everyone already knows who we are. Most the time when we go tracting they say, "Hey we've seen you around town!"

Of course you have. Cause how many people walk around Owego dressed up all nice? 

Oh, about two people.

A lot of people are also either on drugs or have other issues, so we run into a sketchy crowd sometimes. But both of us felt SO strongly we had to tract a certain area of downtown Owego. So I was thinking, "Great. Here comes a big ball of awkwardness." 

We picked out two streets off of the main road here in Owego, and start tracting them. I was seriously ready for them to open the doors and I'd declare, "YES. IT'S US. IT'S THE MORMONS. I KNOW YOU KNOW WHO WE ARE. YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD AVOID US FOREVER, BUT YOU CAN'T."

And you know what happened? 

Nobody. Answered. 

Actually that's a lie. Two people answered. One lady was super old, and she lived right by the train tracks, and the train came by RIGHT in the middle of my spiel, and it was too loud to hear me. So the three of us just stood there reeeeeally awkwardly until it passed. Then she wasn't interested. The other guy wasn't interested either. OH NO WAIT THREE PEOPLE ANSWERED! The other lady was nice. But wasn't interested.

So we finish tracting those streets and I was kind of sad. Sister R and I felt we needed to tract this area. We start walking back to our car, when Sister R says, "Hey, let's hit that house on the street that connects the two roads." 

Okay. So we walk up, and there's a huge dog gate blocking the door. We just stared at it, then I said, "Um....let's just go to the next house." 

So we knock, and a mom and her five-year-old little girl come out. We introduce ourselves and she says, "Oh yeah, I know who you are!" 

Of course you do. 

"Have you seen us around town?" I asked. 

"Yeah, one time you girls were at the library and I pointed out to you where the restroom was!"

I know exactly what day that was. It was the day we got locked out of our apartment and I REALLY had to go to the bathroom, so we went to the library. 

But I didn't tell her that.

Maybe one day. 

SO ANYWAY. Sister R starts her spiel, and she interrupts us and says, "I know who you are! My sister's LDS." 

".....Really?" 

"Yeah! I investigated with her when she joined, but....I never joined. I don't know, why, really. There wasn't a specific reason. Maybe I just wasn't ready." 

Then the little girl turns to her mom and says, "Mommy I don't like this idea." 

And I was like, GREAT. THE LITTLE CHILD HATES US. 

But anyway, we continued talking to her. She was a little hesitant to let us in, then she said, "I prayed a few weeks ago and I REALLY felt like I had to start going back to church. I've been going to the Methodist church, though..."

I said something along the lines of that our message adds to the truths she already knows. We asked if we could come in and share our message with her. 

The little girl looked at her mom and said, "I think they're okay." 

So we go in, and the mom starts organizing things. We start talking to the little girl about how old she is, and how she likes school and stuff. After she told us what her favorite color was, she said to her mom, "Mommy! They LOVE me!" 

Her mom: "They're missionaries, honey. They love everyone!"

Yes. That's true. 

We had a really good first lesson with her, and she said we could come back. This morning, we went and had another lesson with her and it went REALLY well. She brought up some concerns from when she was investigating the church before, and we were able to address them. At the end, we asked if she wanted to be baptized. She said, ".......I want to be able to say yes, but I really don't know. I want to know that these things are true." 

I'll take it! 

She said she'd read and pray about the Book of Mormon to know if it was true, and she said she really felt like she needed to do that. We're going back on Tuesday!

As we were walking out the door, she said, "How did you girls even decide to knock on my door, anyway?" 

We told her about tracting the other roads next to her, and she said, "Like, nobody even LIVES on those roads! That's too funny! Well...I don't think it was a coincidence you found me."

But wait! the week gets better!

Sunday came, and I was talking to a guy in our ward. As he was talking to me, I see this little figure at the door of the chapel. I look at it and thought, "Hmm....looks like our first convert lady." 

Then I keep talking to the guy. Then the little figure walked inside the chapel. And I hear Sister R call her by name.

So I whip around, and it WAS her!!!!!!!!!!!!

I KNOW RIGHT?! BEST. SURPRISE. EVER!

The poor guy I was talking to was cut off as I ran and hugged her. We go into the chapel and sit down with her, and who walks in but our second convert lady! So she sits behind us and we introduce her to the first one and she says, "I know you! You came to my baptism!"

Second convert: "Yes I did! I got baptized a few weeks ago!" 

First convert: "Oh how fun!!" 

First convert lady told us after church that she really wants to be able to go regularly again. She hates when she gets in ruts and can't come to church. 

BEST. DAY. EVER. 

We also had a phenomenal lesson with our current investigator. She is making a lot of big life decisions right now, and told us that, if things go according to plan, she could see herself committing herself fully to church again. 

UM. WHAT? 

But we're talking with her about her biggest concern. 

So pray that goes well. 

I love being a missionary. 

Anyway, I love you all soooo much!

Almost as much as I love New York. 

Whoop whoop.

Hurrah for Israel! 

Sista' Stimpson.