What a week

December 12, 2011 (email)

Well, I'm amazed I'm still breathing from all the excitement and commotion that happened this week!

Monday after emailing you we went on a hike to some ruins. It was so cool! There was a river bed that had had lots of water flowing within the past week, but had all gone downstream. All that was left was mud...that froze over...sort of. We started to sink whenever we walked on it, and it was all kinds of funky colors from the minerals and chemicals in the ground here. I would send you photos, but I can't...I'll explain later...

Then on Tuesday we had to take the truck into Farmington to get something fixed. I woke up at 5 am so sick to my stomach, but I got ready to exercise at 6:30 anyways. Right before we walked out the door I puked, but I felt instantly better and thought I would be fine the rest of the day. No such luck. I was such a mess I had Sister Kesler drive. Good thing, because right as we got into town I said, "Wow, I'm feeling much better!" but I threw up 2 minutes later. The best part was, we were driving, and I didn't want to be distracting, and I didn't want to make a ton of noise. I tried so hard....and TADA!! she hardly knew I was sick. I was so dainty!!!!! Mom, you would be so proud! (It was like when you where throwing up while pregnant with Della when we went camping and you did it in between sentences with the park ranger.) I was shocked at my skill! Let it be known I am growing up! Well, we continued in Farmington and I got worse and worse. We stopped at Walmart for some stuff, and we ran into a long lost cousin: Derryl R. Herring. He knew Sister Kesler when she served in Farmington. He's the sweetest old man ever! He grew up in Toadalina. He's a Bloomfield. His line goes through George and Lucy Bloomfield. I don't know who they are, but someone does. Well, we were talking to them, and I thought I would pass out. I started bracing myself against the display, but by the end of the conversation it was holding me up. When they FINALLY walked away, I just sat on the floor and put my head between my knees. I had to sit down once more while inside. Thank heavens we were able to get home and I had the Elders come give me a blessing. The rest of the day was kinda rough, but I woke up Wednesday morning feeling oodles better.

Wednesday was a normal Wednesday: we drove to Red Valley, we saw Jay (LOVE HIM!!!) and came back into town for activities at the Church. We were talking with some of my favorite members: the Nosker-Tanners. They are an Anglo family living here while he teaches at the high school. They have a tiny little baby who is the sweetheart of the ward. Everybody adores this little girl. Well, she started to walk last week, and I was determined to have her walk to me before she leaves for the Midwest for Christmas. She toddled over, and when she landed in my lap I threw my arms in the air and yelled/screamed for joy....but I scared the living daylight out of her!!!!! She started to WAIL!!!! and SCREAM!!! and she had the biggest tears I have ever seen. All the missionaries and her mother started to laugh at the situation, but I just started to cry with her. They tried to console her, but every time she would look at me her eyes would well up and she would SOB again. I was totally heart broken!!! She and I just cried and cried while everyone else nearly wet themselves laughing.

While we were sitting there, 2 teenage girls walked in who we had never seen before. They asked if they could walk around and see our church. The elders jumped up and showed them around. They spent so much time looking at photos and books in the library and asking really good questions. They pretty much got the restoration lesson and we were all stoked for these new golden investigators who wandered into the church. We decided to fellowship them a little and play some basketball with them. Eventually all the ward members cleared out of the building and went home. It got to be late and we said it was time to call it quits. We told them to have a good night and we'd see them around. I collapsed on the floor in the gym (as I was not fully recovered from being sick) as they grabbed their backpacks. Sister Kesler had set our keys on the table next to the Elder's keys and wallets. When they grabbed their stuff they must have taken our keys, because Sister Kesler came walking back into the gym and said she just watched our truck peal out of the parking lot and drive away. No one could believe it. We called the vehicle specialist and the police immediately. Then I realized my wallet was in there...so I called President and he said to call dad...I didn't want to call because I knew I would fall apart the moment I heard dad's voice. I did. I was proud I kept the call under 2 min.

With President's permission, the Elders gave us a ride home and we tried to remember what had been inside the truck. They drove off with both our wallets, all of our CDs, my camera, her jacket, a scarf, some gloves, my Book of Mormon DVDs that mom and dad had just sent me, the truck's GPS, and all of our tracting supplies like copies of the Book of Mormon, pass along cards, and our movies. We were so glad that we had our bags and other clothing inside (we had our scriptures and all that stuff, thank heavens, and we had brought in our jeans and sneakers to play basket ball.)

We were all saying prayers left and right. I didn't want to be too greedy, so I only prayed to get the truck back, and not my stuff (bad plan: be specific with Heavenly father, because he will give you what you ask for.)

We had to break into our trailer because our house key was with the truck keys. But we weren't worried about getting our stuff stolen because the girls said they were from another city and we didn't expect them to know where we lived. The police showed up at midnight after we were in bed to get our official written statements.

Thursday was kinda rough, because we had to walk everywhere and our appointments started falling through and we couldn't get anywhere very easily. I had a mini melt down (no tears, just serious frustration and feeling like I was being pulled in every direction. It was the first time on my mission that I wasn't a happy camper, and was downright grumpy. The other missionaries didn't like seeing me down, because I am always so positive and cheerful.) But eventually it wore off and I was back to myself.

Friday was the same deal. I wasn't upset with the girls. I just felt bad for them. Their lives are so messed up that they thought it was okay to steal from "Jesus People" who had just been really kind to them. I thought how miserable their lives must have been to not have the good family upbringing I did. Sister Kesler thought I was nuts and that I should be upset, but Elder Buynak agreed with me. It was a long day, but we got it done. I resigned to the fact that it had now been almost 48hours and we would probably never see our stuff again.

Then around 6 the mission vehicle coordinator called and said he felt bad that we were stuck out here without any food or money, and that he wanted to bring us some supplies and have dinner with his wife and us at our trailer. He said he would be there at 8 pm. We did our thing that night, and came back at 7:30 to spruce up the place. At 8 they weren't there. Five after, ten after. Fifteen after...still nothing. Then I realized there was a message from President Jones on the phone, and we started to hyperventilate while listening. We didn't totally understand, but it sounded like they had found the truck!!! We called the Elders to tell them the news and while on the phone we hear honking outside. We ran outside and screamed into the phone! There was our truck with the mission vehicle guy driving it. The elders dropped everything and came immediately over. Then the coordinator's wife drove up. We all started to cry and celebrate as they told us what happened.

Elder Helquest was going to take his wife out to dinner on Friday night, but felt miserable that we were without food or money while he was sitting pretty. He decided to bring out food and dinner. He thought he would watch one more TV show before coming, but 5 minutes in something told him, "You need to leave NOW." They drove into Shiprock and were getting close to us, when a Colorado truck drove next to them. He thought, "Wouldn't it be nice if that were the sister's truck," but then he saw the plate and KNEW it was ours. He had a mini adrenaline attack and started to follow the truck while his wife called the police. The police came immediately and were able to pull over the truck. Inside were at least 5 people: the 2 girls who stole the truck, 2 guys, and a young teen passed out drunk in the backseat. The car was thrashed, but instead of impounding the vehicle like we were told they would do, they let Elder Helquest take it right then and there and bring it to us.

We were to go through all the stuff, out what was ours and then take the rest of it back to the police station that night. The Elder's helped me clean out all of the junk while Sister Kesler and the Helquests got dinner all situated. The entire car was covered in alcohol and vodka. They had candy and food and wrappers and filth everywhere. All kinds of clothing and make up and stuff. Our things were strewn across the floor and stuffed into the pockets behind the seats. At one point I started pulling clothing out of the cup holder in the door and realized it was a pair of little black underwear. The elders got quite a kick when I threw it disgustingly at the truck bed.

We got inside and started sorting through things. Sister Kesler's coat was missing, but that was about it. We found her wallet, and ID, her temple recommend, and her CD case. My cd's were in a holder on the visor, and they were all gone. My new dvds were gone. My wallet was there, but not my license (thank heavens they didn't toss my social security card, which I had just left in there since traveling at the airport.) My camera was gone. Elder Helquest says he saw a camera when they took the car back, but he didn't know where it went. We checked with the police on Saturday, but they don't know anything about it. There is one last officer we have to ask, and we plan to do that today.

Elder Helquest took the car to Farmington to get it detailed, and we got a loner for the weekend. I'm working on getting a license from New Mexico. I should have prayed to get my possessions back....Sister Kesler prayed for the car and her stuff, and her's was all returned. I only prayed for the truck, and didn't really get my stuff back. But she and I and the Elders are still praying for my belongings now, so maybe there is a chance..... So that was the story of the truck. I am going to ask Sister Kost, Sister Tsosie, Elder Munns, and Elder Buynak to make CDs for me of pictures they have that relate to me so that I can have some sort of collection of photos.

Saturday was just any other Saturday....except it was transfer news night. I was sure I was gone. Totally sure. Well...........nothing is changing in Shiprock! It is still Kesler, Wilkins, Buynak, and Wise.

Sunday there was an amazing Child of Record Baptism.

Now, we have to drive into Farmington to get our truck before a huge storm hits.

Love you all!

If you were going to get a gift for Christmas, it will have to wait because I don't have any access to money. SO you will get New Years gifts. And as for letters...it may take a while to respond because I don't have money to buy stamps.

Love,

Sister Melinda Wilkins