Fall in Pilot Mountain, North Carolina

Hey Everyone -

How are you this week?  We have had a pretty slow week this week.  We were only able to get about 5 lessons this week.  On the bright side, we were able to get in with an investigator named C. that we haven't been able to contact for 3 weeks because she has been working 65-70 hours a week, going to school, and she has a 1-year old.  So she has been a little stressed out.  But on top of all of this other stuff happening, SHE HAS BEEN CONSTANTLY READING HER BOOK OF MORMON!  YAY! 

Life in Pilot Mountain is wonderful with the exception of the bugs.  LIKE, DOES ANYONE UNDERSTAND HOW DEATHLY AFRAID OF BUGS I AM???  AND THEY ARE THREE TIMES THE SIZE HERE!  UGH!  Okay I'm done.  Sufficient to say Sister Burrows has the patience of JOB with me when I encounter bugs.   Same old me in that sense.  HAHAHAHA

On Monday, we had P-Day.  We went to King to have a Zone Activity with a lot of the companionships that wanted to come down and that was really fun.  We did that for most of the afternoon, but I couldn’t play Frisbee or anything because President Craven asked me to be careful with my ankle.  But there were lots of other sisters who were hurt that I could talk to, plus Sister B didn’t want to play.  So we sat and talked for a few hours.  After that, we had a few hours of unsuccessful street contacting, and we went to see Brother M and then we checked Facebook and went home.

On Tuesday, we had lots more unsuccessful street contacting and we went to the ward activity that night.  We were supposed to go to help out with the service project.  But instead, the members had us help the Senior ( More Seasoned and Mature ) ladies with the craft they were doing because they were all making wreathes.  We weren't allowed to make them as missionaries, but we caught on to the concept really quickly so we helped all the ladies.  And now I know how to make them when I get home.  The activity wasn't quite done yet and I looked at Sister B and said, "We need to go see C our investigator.  Like, now !"  We went over and caught her 5 minutes before she went to sleep.  But that enabled us to see her one more time this week and we have another appointment with her tomorrow!  YAY FOR LISTENING TO THE SPIRIT!

On Wednesday, we had district meeting.  That was interesting because the Zone Leaders decided that they wanted to do exchanges that day, so they were sitting in on it.  I will try to send a video home of a role play that Elder Richardson put together about wrestling that made us laugh a lot.  We went street contacting and tried to go see a couple of less actives that day again... unsuccessfully.  Sister B is starting to call the Sister's work here in Pilot the refiner's fire.  haha  She has actually been here about 3 months before I got here.  So she is expecting to be here until about December 20, but the rest of the district thinks she is going to "die" here.  That means that we think this is going to be her last area before she goes home in February.  But we will see. 

On Thursday, we went to see a less active Sister named Sister H.  We have been able to see how much the gospel is helping in her life.  She has come such a long way and is a funny, positive, self-assured women who meets life head on.  We are going to start teaching her the lessons again because it has been about 14 years since she has been to church.  But she comes to at least sacrament every Sunday and she is doing a lot better.  We also went out with Sister H that day.  She is such a sweetheart.  We have come to know that coming out with us every week really helps.  She has just a few stresses and working with us brings in the spirit and calms the stress.  Of course you would stress also if you were … the Choir Director of a concert that we are doing on the fifth that includes our choir, the Presbyterian, and Methodist choirs, a live nativity, and tons of people from the community coming. ( More to come on that later because the details are falling into place and I'm really excited! ) Plus she is extending her living room and she wants it done by Thanksgiving.  Plus she is having us over for Thanksgiving (NOTE THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.  THEY H'S WILL BE FEEDING US THAT NIGHT AND I'M THRILLED!)  And she is having a ton of family coming in, along with having her calling, and having to teach an addiction recovery program at the church every Sunday.  The women in this wards superwomen, I swear!

On Friday, we had street contacting all day.. again unsuccessfully.  But oh well.  We got blessings that morning because the sister training leaders decided they wanted to do a surprise exchange, so they are coming to be with us this Saturday and it threw us both into stressed hysterics.  It was bad!  This is why I DON'T WANT ANYONE SENDING A PACKAGE UNTIL AT LEAST NEXT MONDAY WHEN I TELL YOU WHAT'S GOING ON!  Okay?  That would be great!  Because we get the call from President Craven this Saturday telling us if we need to be at transfer meeting or not, so I will let you know on Monday.  That night, we had dinner with one of my favorite families in the ward.  The Js'.  They are amazing.  They are so funny.  They just ordered Little Ceasers, we sat in the living room and just talked, had pizza, and chips.  They are so funny and down to earth! 

On Saturday, we did a service project with Sister L - She is amazing!  She is the only southerner that I have met so far that acts like a Utah mom.  She eats healthy, cute clothes, lots of kids, etc.  In fact, she is taking us shopping today for more winter clothes in Winston because we are freezing.  I am going to end up having to get a few more than planned because the shirts you bought me from Christopher and Banks decide to shrink a little more every time I wash them.  So if you want to send me a couple of shirts in the package, I wouldn't complain. Then we tried to go see some people in Holly Springs and were a little successful.  We went to see a less active that had been planning to go to church for about 3 weeks and she actually showed up!  She is the cutest lady who is physically unable to come most of the time.  Then after that, we went to see brother M again.  (We are having to teach him all of the new member lessons, that's why we go over so much.  Plus Sister M has been getting our help finishing some puzzles for the children's hospital that are due next week!  YAY SERVICE!)  Then we went home and went to bed.

Sunday was same old same old.  We went to church, choir, some lessons, and dinner, then Facebook, and home.  Although, at choir yesterday, we had told Sister H that we were going to try to practice some of the songs last week because we need to be two of the five people that lead the rest of the choir and when we walked in she said, "Everyone listen to the sisters!  They have been practicing really hard all week."  Her son started laughing because he saw my face and knew that we hadn't been able to practice this week and that his mom had just thrown us under the bus.  haha  But oh well. 

In response to your question, when we go to zone conference/meetings in Winston and Charlotte, I don't get to see anything but the outskirts of the cities.  BOO!  God knows I am a city girl and he put me in the boonies!  haha  It's all good though.  President says that I hope I enjoy getting fed every night here because if I ever get transferred to Charlotte, I'll get 1 or 2 meals weekly if I'm lucky.  haha

The weather has been bone-chilling cold because of the humidity.  It's really only been in about the 40's, but at night it is getting to about 18, plus humidity!  BURRRRR!  

I will be having a Christmas tree in the apartment.  It's about 4 feet tall I think.  I love you to Kolob and Back, to the Galaxy and Back, to Infinity and Beyond, no takesies backsies!  I WIN!

I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU!

Ash