Monday, July 16, 2012 (email)
Good afternoon Everyone!!
There are so many things to tell you...and this time I wrote it all down before hand so I wouldn't forget anything.
1.
This week with transfers was kinda crazy, so we really didn't have very
good numbers....But I have been SO incredibly blessed. I told you my
apprehension about being with Sister Rowley, but things are already better
than I could have expected. I have felt the most wonderful feeling of
complete calm since Sunday. And then I was able to meet with President Batt
right before Sister Rowley got into town, and he gave me a blessing. It
wasn't anything particularly world changing, but it brought the feeling
of "I can do it." When we got together, things were already different
from the first time. She had a more calm air to her...but she still
talks incessantly (I know, i know, I talk a lot too...but imagine how
much she talks if I say its a ton.) She recognizes that there are lots
of things she needs to work on, and she is open to correction. She is so
excited to learn, and willing to try all sorts of new things. So far we
have had a pretty good time (but we are still in the honeymoon stage.)
There have only been a few times where I needed to help her out with
some member dinner etiquette.
She actually made me one proud momma the other night. We had
practiced giving someone the baptismal commitment in the morning, and I
gave her some pointers for improvement. Well that night in a lesson with
Blair, I felt prompted to extend the commitment again, but didn't have
the right way to put it in. Sister Rowley started testifying, and she
implemented EVERYTHING from that morning. She was INCREDIBLE!!! She was
so powerful and did fantastic! Blair had a very emotional encounter
because of it. Blair still didn't agree to baptism....but she WILL!! We
know it! Blair's grandma Dorothy is a recent convert and she was so
excited to realize that Blair get's the importance, and she wants to be
baptized...Blair just needs to realize that she CAN have the happiness
we are offering. that she IS worth it.
2. Dorothy is another exciting person to mention. She is a Navajo
woman who I totally adore. I may not have been a part of her conversion,
but I know I was meant to be a part of her life now. She is AWESOME.
She totally understands the importance of the gospel, and she won't let
anything stand in her way. In the Navajo language, the most personal and
tender form of the word Grandma is sha-ma. (the "sha" is quick and
short, but the "ma" sounds more like "muh".) You only refer to someone
that way when you have a very personal relationship. well, this week,
Dorothy and I decided that I was allowed to call her Shama now. YAY!! I
have wanted to have that kind of relationship with a "grandma" since Shiprock, and this is so exciting for me!
3. A couple weeks back I noticed mouse poop in our office, but I
didn't mention it to anyone because I didn't want to freak out Sister
Patrick, and I didn't want to throw a fit if it was old and not a
current problem.... WELLLLLLLLL.......Sister Patrick saw a mouse. So then we
made a fuss about it...Ronda (the woman we live with) freaked out, and
called her exterminator people (she actually has a really close
relationship with them. weird.) We had the traps set up for a couple
days...nothing. So the night I bring Sister Rowley home, I go to show her
where to be careful and NOT step...and TADA!!!!! 2 MICE!!! EWE
GROSSSS!!!! The only problem was no one was brave enough to touch the
things. DANG IT!!! That means ME!!!! Oye. So I squared my shoulders,
took some pictures, and picked up the stupid things. I was SOOOOOO proud
of myself. So the next day when we woke up to a 3rd caught mouse, it
was "go time" again. YAY ME!!!! I'm so proud of myself.
4. We had dinner with a member family last week, and there was
ANOTHER connection to my extended family. Grandpa Wilkins, do you know a
Richard Lines, and his wife Ona-Dell Ward? She was a field
mathematician for Hughes Aircraft and her husband was in the Satellite
business too. Richard is still around, but Ona Dell died a couple years
back.
5. This week will be my One Year Mark. holy crap.....'nough said.
6.
This morning I was shocked to wake up to a patch of dry skin by my eye,
exactly like dad's weird spot....does this mean I am turning into my
parents? Yup...I don't think that's a bad thing for the most part.
7. Last night at a lesson with the less active family, the
Landry's...I was given one of the sweetest compliments. Sister Landry and I
have hit it off really well, and I feel very privileged to have been
the sister around in her moments of need. She is so kind, and adores us
missionaries. Last night she asked if I was familiar with Anne of Green
Gables. YES MAM!! "Do you know who you remind me of?" " I hope its not
Diana!!!" "NOOOOO!!! Much better than that. You are the Bosom buddy;
the Kindred Spirit." She couldn't explain much more, because she was
crying so hard. I just had to run over and give her a hug! Oh, that just
made my heart melt. There are not many compliments better than that
one.
8. About a year ago, right before Sister Tsosie got transferred out of
Shiprock, we spent half an hour parked on the side of the road out in Red Valley, picking weeds to make "Navajo Tea". Its a really popular
herbal tea and its totally ok with the Word of Wisdom. I was so excited
to try it, because I had heard so many people talk about it. We cleaned
it, dried it, tied it....and then she got transferred and took it with
her. RATS!!! Well, a couple weeks ago I was talking with the sisters in
Gallup, and they said they had a package of weeds in their kitchen that
they didn't know what it was....I decided it was probably Navajo
Tea.....Then I forgot about it. Well, when sister Rowley came to town, she
brought me a little package...the weeds....AKA the exact same Navajo Tea
I picked and tied last summer!!! SOOO EXCITED!!!
Well, I love you all!!!!
Love,
Sister Melinda Wilkins
No comments:
Post a Comment