June 17, 2013

well hello family! how is everyone doing?

i sure am thankful for all that you do for me and all the love and support that i feel every day. thank you for that.

this week was, of course, grand. i got two wonderful hats from a sweet old woman in the ward i am serving. i am sending one home this week so that i dont have to cart it around. i want to send the other one home soon, too but i dont know how to yet. it is a sun hat so i need to figure out how to send it home. thank you so much bob for the envelope of pictures and the letter. it always makes me happy to hear from you. thank you so much. i love the pictures. they bring back some good memories for sure. and s cloward really likes them. i dont know why, she just thought it was the craziest thing when she found out i used to wear bandanas alla time. now that i am in missionary attire every day i feel like i look very... normal i spose you could say. so perhaps that is why. every morning i put on my "a skylit drive" t shirt for our work out time. it is black and it has some skulls on it. she always tells me how scary it is and what was i thinking bringing it on a mission. hahaha :) she is a treat.

we went to the doc again this week. again they found nothing, but they want her to come back this week for another proceedure. that poor sister. i am ready for her to not be sick any more. a few days ago sister wilkey texted us and told me some things i need to do when we go see the doctor for s cloward this week. we smiled and figured that meant we were staying together for the next transfer :)

due to circumstances, i went on two exchanges this week. it was rather fun, if i say so myself. it is so amazing to see these sisters grow so much and be so faithful and strong. i have loved being an stl. the one sister i went on exchange with, named sister sowards, has been out for 6 weeks now and she will be training as of tomorrow! wow! i am so proud of her. i have no doubt she will be a splendid trainer and she will love and be loved by her trainee. the senior companion from the other companionship i am over is named sister deters. she was in the mtc with me. we were in the same room and the same district. she is so amazing. i found out last night that she will be transferred (for the first time!!) and she will also be an stl, AND she will be training!! ahhh! crazy crazy! i am so proud of her. and get this get this. sister deters and sister sowards companions from this last transfer are going to be companions! ah! does this make sense? oh it is just great. while i was on the second exchange, i got a call from sister wilkey. she was asking me all these questions about the sisters i am over and transfers and all this stuff. man. i didnt even know they asked so many questions to the leadership within the mission. it was a surprise! also she let me know that we are also welcoming in 2 visa waiters from the mtc. that means this transfer, we are recieving 20 new sisters!!!! aaaaaaahhhh!!! and only 7 elders! hahahaha isnt that just a hoot? i love it.

ok ok i will tell you about how transfers effects me this time :) thankfully, it is not nearly as dramatic as last time. so i am getting tranferred out of this area into a new area to meet my companion. they told me that i will be senior, but not traning. also i am staying as an stl. whew. i was so relieved. with 20 new sisters and they are opening 8 new areas, i thought for sure i was doomed. but me and s cloward are sad to be leaving each other. and i am also quite sad that i will be leaving big guy. its a sad day, but a good day. i thought for sure no one would mind that i was leaving since i just got here. a lot of times people just view missionaries as missionaries, not as individuals. and from my point of view, that is ok and i dont expect too much outside of that from ward members. but oh my goodness. i couldnt believe the tears and the hugs and the kind words that were directed at me. it was very touching. i definitely have a different view on members where i serve now. they even announced it in sacrament meeting. i was just very surprised i spose

 we have been working with a less acitive woman named shelby johnson. she got baptized a couple years ago. her husband left her when she made the choice to be baptized. since the first time i met her i have just felt so much love and admiration for her. her 9 year old daughter mo quickly became an investigator and i have loved her just as much as i love her mother. they both came to church yesterday. they stayed for the first two hours (rs, primary and sunday school) and then sweetly sat down in sacrament meeting. when they made the announcement about me leaving, mo told her mom that she was sick and her mom said she also needed to leave. we visited them later that day. they cried on my shoulder and told me how sad they were to see me leave. they asked me to write in their scriptures and mark some of my favorite verses. it was such a touching and humbling experience. i love those two so much and i am so thankful i was able to be a small part of their beautiful lives.

well family this is all for this week, but we will talk again soon! thank you so much again! i love you! i really do!!

love, your big stinky sister buxton!!