Week 43: There are 87 slides--So Endure!

5 Questions--

1) Will you please measure your hips?  Take the measurement about 8-9" below your waist.  The sizing in garments has changed AGAIN.

2) Have you thought any more about anything you'd like for you birthday?

3) Have you had any luck finding new investigators this week?

4) Will the Hermanas in your last apartment forward you the paper/snail mail that went to your mailbox there?  (It will just be from me and Grandma Cheryl.)  Also, cna you at least tell me what city you are living in now?  It your apartment in Rochelle?

5) What has been your favorite service activity since being on the mission?  Any favorites from before the mission?

1. 40 inches

2. Uh.....I feel like I think of things during the week and then I don't write them down and now I have no idea.... I mean, I could always just use money in my account, but where's the fun in that? I'll keep thinking. Just so you know, the only meetings (where I could get a package) in July are on the 7th and the 21st. Plan accordingly.

Oh, idea: if you could find a mid-calf length white or cream skirt, that is the one thing I could think of....if you're able to contact Kate's mom, you could ask her where she got the blue skirt they gave me because I LOVE that skirt, but I don't know where it's from. Plus, now that I think about it, I don't know where you'd find long skirts now because it's summer and they're probably all Maxi skirts or mini skirts....neither of which I want. So....I still got nothing.

Actually, if you could send me a USB stick, that would be great! I'm running out of room on my 16 GB one (I didn't think it was possible but it is). But now, that is actually all I can think of. I'll try to pay attention this week and write something down if it comes to mind and let you know next week. Sorry and thanks.  Actually, I just thought of something! I'm interested in obtaining a tiny pocketknife... There were some options at Walmart, but I think it's a better idea for my birthday, haha. One of the sisters in the branch has a tiny one that's about the length of my thumb, maybe something like that...I don't know much about pocketknives though so, who knows. (Not me...) Anyway, there's an idea. I'll try to brainstorm this week, but no promises.

3. Yes! We found one new investigator and she is awesome! Her name is Gloria. She's the wife of the potential we were looking for and she is so prepared. We're teaching her again this evening so I'll have more to report next week.

4. I got the mail from the last apartment already. Thanks to transfers. And yes, we are living in Rochelle. haha and our branch president is our landlord so that's pretty cool. I think we live in the house that he grew up in or where they lived just after getting married. Or something like that. But it's such a cute house! I'll send a picture (if I remember).

5. To be honest, I haven't personally been able to do a lot of service projects. In Bloomingdale there was basically none, and we only had one in Bloomington, but we only did that once or twice (unloading trucks and then translating documents). Here we clean the church as service and help some of the sisters in the ward with cleaning their houses--we did get to help out when various  basements flooded, but that wasn't a ton. We're looking into volunteering at the nursing home, but no word yet on if they can use us or not (we need to ask first though). Favorite from before the mission? I don't know. For me, I just liked service projects where I had friends there too....sorry, not much help.

Alright, well this week was good. I already told you about our one new investigator so now we've got a whopping total of two investigators! haha but that's okay. We're seeing miracles on a regular basis which is fantastic. This coming week will be great too, I mean, of course.

On Saturday, one of the people I taught in Bloomingdale was baptized and we got to go! I also got to  take pictures with a bunch of the members (since I didn't get to before I left...) Man I love these people. I will definitely be back in a year and introduce them all to my family. They're so great.

Last Friday was our all mission conference--the last one with President Fenn. President and Sister Griffin get here tomorrow and then we'll officially have a new mission president. It's super scary but I know it's what needs to happen and it's also kind of exciting. I know I learned an exceeding amount from President Fenn and I will forever treasure that knowledge and that relationship. I love President and Sister Fenn. But I know I'll love President and Sister Griffin too. haha at the conference President told us that we have to forget about him as soon as President Griffin walks off the plane on Tuesday--at least until we get off the plan when we go home. Then he wants us to remember him.  haha as if there were any other option!

The whole conference lasted about five hours (and then an hour each for lunch and dinner) and President taught us in more detail about the organization of the Church, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, and the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. We truly are so blessed to have the Gospel in our lives; so much was sacrificed by the early Saints. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. And I know, if it weren't for Joseph Smith, it wouldn't be in my life. Nor would any of the associated  blessings (which are so many that I don't even know where to start). The Gospel is true and it is the  single greatest thing in my life--and I know it will bless the lives of all those who will open their  hearts and minds enough to ask God the Eternal Father if it is not true (Moroni 10:4). And I know  that He answers every one of our prayers, no matter who we are or who we were, or what we've done. Each of us is a child of a loving Heavenly Father. And He will never, ever give up on us.

I love the Book of Mormon and the Prophet Joseph Smith. If there's one thing I want to do on my  mission it is to be true to the Prophet Joseph so that when I meet him in the spirit world after death, I can look him in the eye and know that I did what I was called of God to do. If you haven't asked God in the last month if Joseph Smith is His chosen prophet to open this last dispensation, I invite you to do so. Because I know you'll get an answer, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

I think that's all for this week. We're going to go play nine holes of golf, so that's all I've got time for.  But I'll write more next week (maybe) and I'll send some pictures this week (definitely).

Con Todo Mi Amor,
Tu Hija y Amiga,
Hermana DeBuck

P.S.
I got a hug from President Fenn!! Changed my life.... (: (Even if he did hug all of the missionaries. Still life changing)

Fotos

1. Me and hna Fabiola. She went out with us a lot. She was baptized in
Colombia and is seriously a Gospel scholar! She knows SO much about
the Gospel.... She's basically a missionary.

2. Me with the corn. We're taking a picture every Monday to measure
the corn--I didn't send last week's, sorry. Isn't it so cute?

3. Me with Berenice, one of the youth in Bloomingdale. She's so sweet.

4. Hna Hunsaker, Hna Lunt, and me - best trio ever! I miss these two
so much...we were ALWAYS laughing. (Well, basically. haha)

 

 5. Me with Elder and Sister Hall - they're office missionaries. Sister
Hall is the sweetest lady ever and Elder Hall writes the greatest
sassy emails ever (I look forward to them every week) and provides
some comic relief--as well as beneficial instruction--at zone
meetings. Love them! They go home in August.

 

6. Me with President and Sister Fenn. They're basically my second set
of parents.

 

7. Four of the five hermanas that taught Carlos (the left of the two
men) and Hermano Avila (who baptized Carlos).

8. Me with Hermano Flores. He's in the branch presidency there. One
time, at an activity on a Saturday night, I said to him, "Hno, me
gusta su camisa" and he looked a little taken aback (surprised) but
then laughed. The next day, at church, he comes in and when he shakes
my hand, he says, "Hna, me gusta su blusa" haha we laughed about that
for a while...

9. Hna Alejandra and I. She's a convert of about a year and is
preparing to go through the temple soon! (She may have already been
actually....) She also co-owns a hair salon in town so we would get
our hair cut there for free. She's so stylish too! I'm gonna have to
call her up after the mission and have her help me out...

 

 10. Me and the Torres family. We had dinner with them every week and
they're so missionary-minded! Also, Hno Torres is one of the funniest
people I've ever met. Man, every time we were laughing so
hard...sometimes I even cried.

11. Me and Hna LaBonte--and the corn, of course. 

12. We live right by this historic train station something or other so
we get stuck behind trains more frequently than we'd like. Like this
morning for example.