Week 64: Sometimes You Just Wish You Had a Microscope

5 Questions:

1) How soon are transfers?  Is it likely you'll be moved, since you've been in Rochelle this long?

2) Do you have plans already settled for Thanksgiving dinner?  With whom?

3) How does the holiday affect your missionary work? Schedule?

4) When your investigators get baptized, do they baptize in English or Spanish?

5) I can't find the Barbie movie you asked about.  Any idea where else to look?

1. Transfers are in two weeks (gag). The 8th of December. Holy schnikes batman, not cool. Is it likely I'll be moved? Unfortunately, yes. But we try not to think about it. However, we have a feeling about what's going to happen....we'll see.

2. Yes. Actually, a less-active family we've been visiting invited us over so we'll be spending Thanksgiving with them. I'm really excited. They have three little kids (10 yrs, 7 yrs, 2 yrs) and it's always such an interesting time when we visit them. haha should be fun! They're so great.

3. Well, it doesn't really. It's a Thursday so we do our weekly planning that day (which is actually normal) and we have up to two hours to spend celebrating the holiday with the family we eat with, and then from six o' clock on, we proselyte. Which should be interesting because the thing about small towns like Rochelle is that people generally don't take too kindly to people knocking on their door after dark--which just so happens to be around 5:30 or so in the evening. But hey, I know the Lord will bless us for our diligence so I'm excited.

4. They are baptized in whatever language they speak. Just depends on the person. However, if we found someone who spoke Mandarin, I don't know that they'd be baptized in Mandarin, unless we could find someone in the stake who speaks it and who'd be willing to come to do the baptism. But generally speaking, they are baptized in whatever language they are most comfortable with.

5. I have no idea. I was positive we still had it, but maybe we gave it to someone...it would've been with all the other DVDs if we still had it. Unless I hid it somewhere....ah well. I'll pray that you find it, or/and that I can remember where it is. If I think of anything I'll let you know. (For those reading this other than my mother, we have an 8 year old convert with a birthday coming up who loves Barbie. Therefore, Barbie movie.)

Well, I'm not sure what to say. It snowed!

No, I'm not particularly thrilled, but it was somewhat exciting as it was first coming down. Now it's just there, on the ground everywhere. But at least all the ice melted.

It was 1 degree Fahrenheit yesterday, including the windchill. I'm just grateful that winter doesn't last forever. But at the same time, if winter is coming to an end, that means so am I.....so I think I'd much rather it keep snowing and being cold.

Unfortunately, thanks to the cold, Jose and Ida weren't able to come to church. (When it's cold, Ida gets really sick. Poor thing.) But, they have decided to get married! We don't know when that'll happen but I know it will and I believe they can be baptized in the month of December. And regardless of if I stay in Rochelle or not, I will be there! I love these two so so so much. I can't even describe it. But, Ida told us this week that at some point, she and Joe were talking and he tells her, "I think we're going to have to adopt these two" (meaning us). I'm okay with that! I feel like one result of serving a mission is that you end up with about eight adoptive families (at least). But hey, no complaints from this hermana. (:

Gloria is also back on date, for the 19th of December. But she still hasn't come to church. I thought for sure that she'd come this week, but then she might've had to work, we're not sure. Hopefully she'll be able to get every Sunday off soon and not have to work so that she can come to church.

Satan really doesn't want anyone to be baptized here....but I know that God is much more powerful than the devil. Satan may win a battle every now and then, but I know who will win the war: we will.

The Gospel is true and it has been restored through God's prophet, Joseph Smith. Jesus Christ Himself leads and guides His church through His prophet Thomas S. Monson. The Book of Mormon is proof that all this is true, and any person anywhere, who has a sincere heart, real intent, and faith in Christ, may come to know the truth of these things by reading, pondering and praying about the Book of Mormon. God is our Father, and He loves us. He doesn't want us to be confused but He will not force knowledge upon us. We must first be willing to ask, to seek, to knock. Then and only then will we receive and find, then will it be opened unto us. Prayer works and it is powerful. I know that these things are true, and it my duty and privilege to make them known to all the world--at least all of Rochelle, IL for now.

Love, Hermana DeBuck

Fotos:

1. An older photo, but we were tracting once upon a time and this letter depicted which apartment it was. Hna LaBonte tells me, "Hermana, if you were an A, that's what you'd look like."

2. This is the museum that we do service at every Thursday (but not this one, since it's Thanksgiving.) It's so cute. And it has a cannon in front of it!

3. We live nearby the Rochelle Railroad Park. I've never actually been (shame on me) but this is it! If you have trouble sleeping, don't move to Rochelle. Especially not where we live...good thing I sleep like the dead.

4. Not sure if it's a beaver or a woodchuck. But either way, it was outside our house one day. And it may have taken up residence with us, as there is/was a large hole along the side of our house...

5. Maybe I sent this home already, but maybe not. One time, we made pigs in a blanket. And this picture demonstrates just how big my hands are...yum.

6. Somehow, I always seem to end up with the dirty jobs in the apartment. It's like, all the hermanas who ever lived in this place, those effects build up and then I have to deal with them. So today I scrubbed the caulking in the bathtub (we had cleaning checks last week and we advised to do so) and it was coming out like this--or worse....but we're pretty sure it's just dirt or something and not mold. But anyway. I think I'll make a good housekeeper, no? haha

7. dinner with one of the sisters, her daughter, and two grandkids. I love this family. (He can touch his nose with his tongue!)

8. Hna Henricksen had never been to Portillo's so we went after district meeting. So tasty!

9. Us and an investigator, Irma. She's the one we raked leaves for last week (and I ended up with a  little surprise on my boot...)

10. We knocked a door that had this giant wreath on the window and when no one answered, we took a picture. Also, the snow had just begun to fall. So thrilling.

11. The senior sisters who check our house for how well we're cleaning, Sister Bowser and Sister Wright. They go home this next transfer so we took a picture with them. I love them!