SHEEP!!!!!!!

November 22, 2011 (email)

GUESS WHAT!!!! WE HELPED BUTCHER A SHEEP!!!! It was AMAZING and TERRIBLE at the same time!

We went to do service at a member's home, went around back to chop wood, and TADA!! All of their extended family was there butchering. But it gets better: all of their extended family are less-actives and investigator families that we are working with!!!! We didn't even know they were related! Sis. Kesler got all into holding the innards. Gross. I didn't want to, but by the end I had held everything, poked the bucket of blood, watched them squeeze the poop from the intestine, and got blood splattered on me!

I thought we could sneak off, but no. We got roped into making Achee'ee. Its a terrible thing! Strands of fat, wrapped in INTESTINE!!! HORRIBLE!!! Then they made us eat it! I had vowed when I got to Shiprock that I would never touch the stuff. That worked well, because I not only touched it, but I made it, and then ate it. But it gets worse. I ate it from the bloody fingertips of the sister who had cleaned out the sheep and squeezed the poop out! It's AMAZING that I didn't die from food poisoning. I didn't even burp up the nasty taste. It was bad. You chew and chew and chew and chew and chew and chew and nothing happens, so you have to "SWALLOW IT WHOLE!!" (That quote was for you Ashlee and Charli.) Then we had all the other parts of the sheep. Plus fry bread, which I made by myself!!! Perfect circles! And I made dumpling stew: ripped up dough tossed in the boiling water that is cooking chunks of meat.

But is that the end of the crazy things they fed us?!? NOOOOO!!!!! They cut off the head, burn the hair off on the grill, and then wrap it in tin foil and they cook it for a few hours. Then they split the head open and fed us the TONGUE! BRAINS! and EYEBALL!!!! I ate them allllllllll!!!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't believe myself. The tongue was the best part of the whole sheep. The eye was like a fried egg with an olive sliver. And the brains were like hot rice pudding (in texture) they start out solid in your mouth, but then disintegrates into nothing. UGH! But they all taste like a barnyard. Ugh ugh ugh. We just laughed and giggled through the whole thing. I didn't have my camera, but they did. They printed off the photos yesterday and I will send them in the mail next week.

I attached a photo of me and Sis. Kesler. I really like it. You can tell how large of a girl she is. She towers over me and all the people here. They ALWAYS comment on how tall she is.


I also put a picture of me and Jay. He is probably one of the reasons I was sent to Shiprock. He lives out in Red Valley, so we only see him once a week, and it kills me. He is a less-active and he is amazing. He's an artist and he is making a custom Navajo pot for me. I'm so excited.


Then there is a picture of one of the elder's creations. The ward set up all the tables and chairs for a thanksgiving dinner, but we needed to move them for our YSA basketball. The elders got creative and TADA and Rameumptom (or however you spell it.)

WE had a miracle on Sunday! THEY OPENED THE OVERFLOW FOR THE CHAPEL!!!! For the second week in a row we had over 170 people!! (Instead of only 110.) AMAZING!!! Let's keep it up.

I hope this was a slightly more interesting letter, my last few have been sad and short. I have a challenge for you all this Thanksgiving week. Get a big piece of paper, and fill it completely with all the blessings in your life. Be specific and think. For example, at the top of my list would be my family and the gospel and specific blessings from following commandments. But right beneath that is toilet paper, bag balm, and stretchy clothing. Please do it. One last request, please have family prayer kneeling down every night: with family members or roommates. Please.

I love you!!!
Love, Sis. Wilkins

Overwhelmed

November 15, 2011 (email)

I can't even think straight. I just heard about Dad's surgery, and I'm totally shocked and thrilled. I can't believe it happened! Can't believe it! We waited for this so long, and I can't believe it. I'm just sitting here, and I can't think straight I'm so excited and thankful.

Yesterday we had the miraculous blessing of going to the Monticello Temple as a mission. It was amazing!! I couldn't believe how strong the Spirit was, and how close I felt to Heavenly Father. I sobbed and sobbed in the Celestial room. IT was wonderful beyond words.

Things in Shiprock have really picked up. We are working with a lot of less active families and we had the highest sacrament attendance I have ever heard of. We had over 170 people in comparison to the average 110. WOAH! We couldn't believe our eyes. They blessed the sacrament 3 TIMES!!!!!

Its finally frozen here. It snows lightly, but melts before it hits the ground. We have to clean our windshield off with credit cards every morning.

We are still working with crummy computers, so I will send photos next week. Hopefully I will be able to send a better letter. This was a pretty sad letter.

Love, Sis. Melinda Wilkins

November

November 7, 2011 (email)

Hello Everyone! Happy November!!

Well, I sent 2 photos of my Halloween pumpkin. I couldn't figure out what to do, so Elder Buynak and I decided to go all missionary on it. We carved the Plan of Salvation. It was a 2 person job. We had a pre-mortal life, veil, earth life, paradise/prison, "judgement", and the 3 kingdoms. I'm actually pretty happy with it. Bummer though, we didn't have any candles. We had to turn off the lights in the kitchen at the church, and hold it up to one of the spot lights. It looked pretty cool. I think we did a good job, especially because Sis. Thomas broke all of our carving knifes in the first five minutes. We accomplished our feat with switch blades and crummy steak knifes.

There is another photo of me on a tractor. I think I'm pretty stinking cute on it! I was trying to imitate the one we have of Grandpa Wilkins when he was a boy, but wearing a skirt and nice coat looks really different from thermals and a hat.

This week I got Sis. Kesler as my new companion. She is a combination of Kristin Lang and Cameron Smithson. So...We are going to get along very well. She is 6 foot even, and built like a linebacker. She is a tough cookie, in the most endearing way. She is really creative and writes songs and stories. She thinks I'm the silliest thing around (and I might be.) She loves Manheim Steamroller and we might listen to it 3+ times a day. We do a lot of giggling, thank heavens...I've missed that.

We did have a miracle this week: we got back in the door with 2 investigators who had pretty much dropped us. I guess they didn't bond well with Sis. Thomas, but they loved Sis. Kesler within the first 2 minutes. HOORAY!!! Oh how I love these girls! They are amazing.

Here is the BIGGEST NEWS OF THE CENTURY!!!! For the first time ever, the New Mexico Farmington Mission is going to have a TEMPLE DAY!!!! All of the missionaries are going to travel to Monticello and participate in a session. There are a couple different session through the day, but it will be only us missionaries. They don't rent clothing there, so we have to borrow from members. Most areas wouldn't have a problem with that, but we don't have a ton of endowed people. Let alone someone who is Sis. Kesler's size. We did find a larger woman who is willing to sew fabric on the bottom of her dress, and we thought we had made it to cloud nine. One of my favorite sisters in the ward is exactly my size and said I could borrow her clothing. Everyone is so excited. We all start to glow as we talk about it. I hope everything works out so that we can go without any complications.

I love you all! so very much!

Sharla and Alex, Congratulations!!

Sis. Wilkins.

sorry this was so short, I had extremely limited time

Happy Halloween!!

Monday, October 31, 2011 (email)

Hallo, Happy Ween!

What a week: filled with stress, joy, giggles, tears, and sore muscles.

On Monday we drove out to Four Corners...not as big a deal as you think it might be. But I did buy a magnet (sarcastic woot.) And a turquoise ring. I wasn't going to do it, but Elder Buynak saw it and went nuts over it. (he rarely shows emotion, so I knew he must REALLY like it). It is stinking cute, and I've never seen one like it. We also drove out to a waterfall. When I say drove, I mean off-road in a truck. The road was really just a wash that had trees on either side. I have never seen a car do what we forced out truck to do. IT WAS AWESOME!!

We had rain on Tuesday and Wednesday. So much rain! Then we had to drive out to Red Valley and cove. WAY FAR. MUD MUD MUD MUD MUD MUD MUD MUD MUD MUD MUD MUD MUD MUD MUD MUD . Plus a couple rivers that weren't there the week before. We were fish tailing and sliding all over the place. Fun until Sister Thomas almost got us stuck. I was not excited to get out and push us out. Thank heavens for 4-wheel drive!!

Saturday night was the Ward Trunk or Treat. As you can see, "I'm a beautiful Butterfly!!!" (name that movie.) I have been so excited for this costume for a MONTH! and look at my make up!! ITS AWESOME!!! I've never done anything like it before, but I think I did a pretty good job.

Saturday night was really stressful. One, because of the activity: it wasn't our responsibility at all, but everyone left us missionaries to do the whole thing. Two, because it was transfer news night. NOT EXCITED!! I was freaking out. (Ask the elders, they were getting antsy because I was so jittery.) I did not want to leave, AT ALL. Well.......DRUM ROLL PLEASE.........I'm staying in Shiprock!!! YAY me! I love it here, and I hate the idea of going to the city. I often wish I was an elder so I could stay on the reservation as long as I can. The only other place kinda res is Gallup. And even then its a city that touches res. Oh, I hope I don't leave Shiprock until after Christmas!!

This week's letter isn't very interesting. Sorry. Life isn't tremendously interesting. Oh, but fun fact: my zone leader hates my guts!! And I'm loving every minute of it!!!! :) I'm totally serious! He thinks he's something really special, and acts all high and mighty. (I compare him to turd bucket from high school). Most people just ignore him, but I wasn't going to let him make fun of me and walk all over me and my companion, so I call him out on stuff. I'm quick witted enough that I can get him speechless. Its fun.

Well, I love you all. Stay safe! Have a wonderful week!

Love, Sis Melinda Wilkins