Letter Sydney sent us in the mail...

Alright,                                                                                                                      November 11, 2013                                        

Sorry about not having time to send an email today!  I had so many emails and I just ran out of time...and sorry if my handwriting gets crazy.  I'm probably gonna be writing most of this in a car...on our way to Mesa Verde!  I AM SO EXCITED!

So, I totally did not write on the way there...but, it was so AWESOME!  I can't wait to send you guys pictures!  The main section (the big one) was closed for the season, but I got pictures.  It was so cool!  And then we took a tour down to the smaller one.  We got to go down into one of the rooms!  It was amazing!  haha!  I really don't know how else to explain it.  I am sending pictures next week! :)  It really was a dream come true.  I was freaking out all day!  They kept having to calm me down.  haha   OH!  And the ride up there, it was horrible!  I thought driving through the Colorado Mountains was hard!  This was the worst.  And it went on forever.  I was pretty convinced we were going to go off a cliff and die in a fiery car wreck!  But, Lincoln did a great job...yep, Lincoln drove us there.  Well, not just him, obviously, he brought a friend.  It was a fun day!  :)  I'll send y'all pics next week, get excited!  But, now onto the big, BIG stuff!

 NOVEMBER 25TH!!  I don't even know what to say or think!  Seriously, I don't think it's completely set in yet, or maybe it's just the fact that I completely have no idea what to expect and so just don't feel, I don't know.  I do know that I am extremely sad to be leaving these people here in Kirtland.  I have met so many wonderful people here.  And I love them so much.  Like Fern Harris.  I love Fern.  She's 100 years old as of a couple months ago and is like everyone's grandma.  She's lived through so much, 100 years!  She has so many awesome stories and doesn't know what pretzels are!  Pretzels!  haha   And then Brother Bond, who was in Vietnam and has a story about everything and we always end up staying way too long.  But, it's just because his stories are way too good!  He washed a lepers feet in Vietnam!  How many people in this life can say that?  And then Bishop Hoffman, Brother Sherwood.  So many other people and of course the Benally's.  I love that family.  Their house is home.  They are all so strong and such wonderful women and I can't imagine my life without them.  I am so grateful for my time here in Kirtland.  I am already planning all my road trips back!  :)  But, I am excited to be in Brazil, kind of scared of course, but excited.

Lets see...what else happened this week?  I finished the Book of Mormon again!  That was fun and I'm already almost done with 1Nephi again.  Oh, and I've decided that I like tracting.  Shocking, I know.  It's just so awkward.  And it just gets to a point where you are just like "yes, this is awkward, just accept it, and let us talk to you."  There are so many funny things that come w/tracting.  Like this guy we tracted into the other night who when he realized we were missionaries was all like "oh, what up Jesus?!"  And I totally just wanted to turn around and be like "What?!  Where?!"  haha, but obviously i did not...sadly.  Or how when we're knocking on doors we always knock a standard two times and then a third for Jesus.  :)   Oh, and being tracted by Jehovah's Witness while on your mission is kind of the funniest thing ever.  That just happened! haha!  I don't know...it's just all fun.  You have to let go and accept the awkwardness!

Also!  The Carr's are moving?  I'm so sad!  Why the heck are they moving to Nebraska?  What on earth is in Nebraska??  Seriously.  Lame.

Have I ever talked to you guys about Hank Smith?  Hank Smith is a LDS motivational youth speaker and we listen to his CD's all the time.  He has a bunch and they are all fabulous and I highly recommend them to everyone!  But!  Funny story...So, it was week 3 or 4 of last transfer and we're driving around Kirtland listening to one of Hank's talks, enjoying myself, when a thought pops into my head.  So, I turn to one of my comps and ask "Hey, do you know if Hank Smith teaches at BYU?"  and she says "Yeah, in the Religion Dept"...and it hits me.  Hank Smith is Brother Smith, my 2nd semester Book of Mormon teacher my first year at BYU!!!  My mind is blown.  He is so awesome and knowledgeable.  We all love him out here, and he was my teacher!  Now, I feel so bad, cuz I totally squandered that wonderful, wonderful opportunity...his class may or may not have been super early in the mornings and I may or may not have taken full advantage of them...aka...wasn't fully awake for the majority of them.  I feel like such a loser!  I just want to beat myself up for it and then when I get off my mission go and apologize to him profusely for not appreciating him!  haha!  The last CD we just listened to he ended it with this quote  "God is anxiously waiting to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, but He can't if you don't pray and He can't if you don't dream...In short, He can't if you don't believe."  I love that.  Go and listen to them/buy them.  Seriously.  Do it.

Alright, I'm done.  haha   I love all of you so much!  Y'all are the greatest!  Thank you for all of the support.  I can feel it and I can feel your prayers!  Love you!

Sister Rice

(119) ONE MORE WEEK!!!!!

 Only one more week until I leave!! AHHH! I am freaking out! And there's no one else from my mission going with me so I am going alone... ALONE. I am flying into a foreign country ALONE. It's ok. I'm not freaking out. It's gonna be great. hahah =] Oh and I am working on getting my passport holder today... I was told walmart has them... if not I don't really know what to do... but I'm sure they do. Oh and when you send packages to Brazil put "Vai com Deus" on them. It means "Go with God" and is a little more effective than just the pictures of Mary or Jesus, since they've apparently started to catch onto that one...

      But yeah, this week has been pretty good! I went to Mesa Verde Monday! But I already told you about that... It was awesome! Hope you like the pics that I sent! =] Let's see what else happened... Oh we found out transfer news this past weekend. We're all staying in Kirtland! Well, I mean I'm leaving in like a week, but there was still a possibility of them doing something crazy and sending me somewhere else for a week.... I am so happy. It's an answer to my prayers. Last fast Sunday, after finding out that I had my visa, but I didn't know when I was leaving, I just sat in Sacrament Meeting praying the whole time. I was so full of love for these people here in Kirtland 1st I did not want to leave them at all. I wanted to stay. I love each and everyone of these people so badly and I wanted to stay longer.  I prayed that Heavenly Father would please let me stay just a little bit longer, I couldn't leave just yet... And then President called me that Tuesday and told me that I was leaving on the 25th, a week after transfers and when I expected to leave... Heavenly Father answered my prayer. I am so grateful for this time that I have spent here in Kirtland, and for this extra time that I have been given. I can't wait to come back and introduce all of you to everyone! hahah =]

     Ok, enough of that. What else has happened?? Oh! I am officially finished with the 12 week program and out of training! Thank goodness! I thought that would never end! Don't get me wrong, it's great. It's just so tedious. We also found two new investigators this week! Reno and Natasha! We tracted into them on Wednesday and they let us in and said that they've been looking for a church and we had a lesson and invited them to church on Sunday and they came! They actually came! I've always heard that there's nothing better than the feeling you get when new investigators come to church and I agree! It's awesome! We have another lesson set up with them this week! 

     Hahaha also! So I was totally going to email Shane and call him a pansy in portugues for not writing me, and so I look up pansy in portugues, and its "amor- perfeito"... which translates to "perfect love".... yeah... I totally decided to not do that... hahaha plus i can't find his email address... hahah

     But yeah I only have three mintues left! I love you all! Abby please log into my laptop and actual email address periodically... thanks! Also, I know i say this everytime but y'all need to write me. k thanks bye! =] hahah oh and i don;t know my flight plans i'm sorry just be by the phone all day on monday! sorry love you!! and yes please do not send abby to school that day!

-Sister Rice

its MESA VERDE!

 first off. look at these. i had to get them and make everyone try them! they were so gross. they tasted like pancakes...

 there it is!! all of my dreams coming true! this one, the big one, was closed for the winter but OHMYGOODNESS. it was amazing.

                                                  BOOM.  DREAMS COMING TRUE.

                               up close and personal... with uncle sy... hahahah seriously. it was him.

                                                          isn't it beautiful?!?!!!??!!

                                 we got to go down into one of the round rooms in the ground!!

                         all of us down inside it! Also can we please talk about how long my hair is! crazy!

                                                   Sister Paramore, Sister Jeffery and I

(112) Pictures first today, just in case I run out of time...

So yeah I had a BUNCH of emails today and am running out of time, so I am going to send all the pictures that I need to and then email after, if I have time, if not I'll write a fatty letter today, and I'll have the time to do it cuz WE'RE GOING TO MESA VERDE TODAY!!! Dreams are coming true in like 4 hours! hahaha I can't wait to tell you all about it! but first pictures!! Also before I forget, please tell the Landgraves thank you for emailing me and that I really appreciated it a lot. I just don't have the time to email them back now!!

 Ok so yeah I definitely do not have time to send an email today but I loved all of your guys emails and all the pictures that you sent!  They are the best! I love you guys so much and will be writing you a letter in a couple hours on my way to Mesa Verde!!! AHHHH!

(112) PICS!!!

           all my name tags in all the languages of my mission! Portugues, English, and Navajo!

                                                                Tracting on the Rez!!

                                       My "iLove being a missionary/tracting" picture! haha

                               We loved your package and had fun at the Trunk or Treat!! haha

November 6, 2013

                  A member in Sis. Rice's ward posted this picture with the following caption...
 
"Sister Rice's nametag, her mission calling is in Brazil, but she's here in the Farmington Mission til she goes to Brazil, because Heavenly Father knew I needed her in my life before she goes to Brazil  :)"

(105) hey y'all! :]

So I should have enough time for this, we're emailing in Farmington today at the Library, and apparently if there are too many people here wanting to use the computers they kick you off after half an hour no matter what, which uh needless to say is stressful. But I have 16 mins left so hopefully it will all be good. But I might not get pictures in today... We'll see.

     Anyways... I LOVED you package! I got it last Tuesday! It was super lame, but it was perfect and I loved it so much! The cardinals chap stick was perfect! I gave one to Tiarra cuz she was keeping me updated on the games and rooting for the red sox and I knew she would love it hahah I'm a little disappointed with our cards... hhaha and I totally knew that you had talked to Lincoln when I saw the subway giftcard! =] thank you so much! And I have a confession.... I totally told Lincoln what you said about him marrying Abby! Well, I mean I told everyone, not just Lincoln, but it's just so funny cuz almost every missionary here in Kirtland has told him he needs to marry one of their siblings or cousins and it was just hilarious.  He says he'll have to go tanning everyday to keep up with our darkness... hahaha But yeah, thank you so much for the package, it was wonderful! Oh and I love the pens that you sent! So cute!

     But yeah, Halloween was pretty fun. Or well, the day before Halloween was. They had their stake Trunk or Treat that day and we went and passed out candy and it was a lot of fun! I have pictures to send you guys! IT WAS SO COLD!  But we survived. And then Halloween we had to be in by 8 and we ended up going to this family history training for like two hours before that, which was super interesting but, a lame way to spend halloween, especially compared to what we usually do with the elders and stuff, but it was good. Oh and speaking of family history, I realized on Family Search I have some names that I reserved like 500 years ago, 2007, and never did anything with... I don't know if you want to get onto my account and try to see if you guys could go do their work or not, but I felt bad when I realized they had just been sitting there since 2007... Idunno... I guess if you could just get on and look at it that'd be cool. thanks! =]

     Oh and then on Sunday we had this really awesome lesson on Family History. Our Bishop, Bishop Huffman, was asked  to teach pretty much everybody in the ward this lesson about FamHist and it was recorded and apparently is being sent to Elder Tad McCalister! (I have no idea how to spell his name... whatever...) So that was pretty cool. Everybody from 12 and up was packed into the Relief Society room and there were cameras and microphones and guess who was on the front row... that's right. ME. hahaha That was a little intimidating but it was really cool. And they passed out these really neat new famhist pamphlets, I don't know if you've seen them, but I'm prob gonna send mine home and you can look at it then. I'm planning on probably sending a package home before I leave for Brasil, of all the stuff I don't want to take down there.... It's not much but it's added weight. 

     But um anyways, this week wasn't very eventful... nothing really happened... Oh! I realized that that little Taco Bell dog from those commercials all those years ago was always saying 'I want Taco Bell" in spanish in the commercials! "Yo quiero Taco Bell" !!! Who knew!?! Not me. hahahah Sister Toyn said it the other day and I finally realized what he was saying, cuz it's so similar to portugues. Who knew learning portugues would be so beneficial?? hahah

     Oh and we might be going to Mesa Verde next week!!!!! I AM BEYOND EXCITED. Lincoln might be taking us! So look out for pics of all my wildest 3rd grade dreams coming true soon! =] 

     But yeah that's pretty much it... Um one shout out... Rachy Rach I have no idea if you read these or not but if you do could you send me your address so I can write you?? =]  OH! and also! If I get any Thor 2 spoilers from any of you at anytime I am going to be very unhappy and it will not be good for that person in 14 and a half months when I get off and come and kill you.... =] hahah oh and speaking of Thor, Elder Sutherland is going home this week right???! Tell him I say hi when you talk to him and that I hope he enjoys the movie and that I am super jelly!  

     LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! Talk to y'all next week! Write me! Seriously, no one writes me! Get it together y'all! =]

-Sister Rice

    

PICS (Oct 28, 2013)

                                                        the first casualty of my mission....  :[

 annnnd my top notch sewing skills! I now call this my frankenstien skirt.... just in time for halloween. booyahh

                                                                                abby  :)

it's us down in gallup with our sister trainer leader sister issacson! and my frankenstien skirt! you can't even tell! my skills are phenominal! =]

(98) APPARENTLY I HAVE MY VISA!

Was not expecting that at all!! This is so crazy! But before I get into all that I'm gonna answer your questions momma so I wont forget. =]  Yes, I got the letter about ethan, I thought I had talked about it last week but apparently I forgot..., but all I really have to say is he would. that so totally would happen to him. seriously. hahah no but that's so crazy!! Also, yes I did buy a jacket, or more actually a coat... which is funny cuz i totally joked about how as soon as I bought it I was going to get my visa and be shipped off to a brazilian summer... let this be a lesson. don't ever joke about such things... hahaha And yes I do still have a bunch of cash for traveling. So we should be good on that. =]

      But on to the awesome stuff! This past week has kind of been super crazy... It started with me almost getting bit by a pitbull while tracking... that was pretty traumatic. haha We were just minding our own business and all of a sudden this crazy pitbull comes out of no where and Sister Toyn starts screaming and taking off for the next house (all the houses here have fences around their yards aka safety haha) and I'm just kind of like what on earth is even happening and the next thing I know this dog is all up on me, snapping and growling not even a foot away from my legs... I honestly thought I was a goner... or at least that my leg was going to be... but um after the longest 4 seconds of my life it just turned around and ran off  and I managed to get inside the gate and get my hands on some rocks... which are now nestled nicely inside my bag forever/until I need to bust some doggie caps with them. =] haha so yeah, that was pretty exciting.

     Let's see... what else... oh! Abby! So Monday night this family took us out to eat at one of the few eating establishments in Kirtland (there's like 4, two of those being Kentucky Fried Chicken and DQ... you can imagine my indigestion... hahaha) called Country Family Diner, and let me tell you something Abby, I fully 100% expected Sam and Dean to walk through the front door the whole time. Seriously. It was like we had walked into one of the sets. All I could think was that Dean would've  loved this place. hahah They had the best green chile bacon cheeseburger I have ever epxerienced in my life and they sold whole pies. Whole Pies! Apple, Cherry, and Pecan! hahahaha I just thought that you would appreciate that. =] so funny.

     Anyways and so then Wednesday was the weirdest day of the mission so far which ended in us spending the night in bloomfield and I don't really have time to get into it now, I'll probably write you about it later today, but it was weird and slightly terrifying but don't worry everything is a ok. =]

     And then Thursday morning is when Lincoln called me to tell me about my visa..!!! I can't even believe it! Sister Pielstick says that I am probably going to finish out this transfer here so that I can finish up 12week before going down, and cuz that's how President likes to do it, that is if the travel office doesn't get all excited and just send me sooner, which they have a tendency to do... I'm fine with either situation really, and of course y'all will know the second I know. =] I just can't even really believe that it's all done!! It's so crazy!! I'm gonna miss everyone here so much! I love them all so much! But I am so grateful that I was given the opportunity to get to know them all and have them in my life and we are so coming back here as soon as I get off, k?? =]

     We also went down to Gallup on Friday for the weekend for exchanges. That was fun. I love roadtrips! Even though it was only like 2 hours, but it reminded me of driving out to Utah and I love that so yeah it was fun. We met some really awesome people that the Sisters down there were teaching and we tracted into a bunch of awesome people. Gallup is so much bigger than Kirtland and it was cool to get to see a different part of the mission.  We tracted into this one girl named Becky who just let us in no problem and we ended up having the first lesson with her and she told us how we had perfect timing cuz she had been having a really hard day with missing her family and was feeling really down and she said we were exactly what she had needed and that was just a really cool experience. That doesn't happen very much up here in Kirtland.

     Hahahaha oh and guess who gave a talk in Sacrament Meeting yesterday?? Yeah, me. It was horrible. hahah That hasn't changed much. Still a nervous wreck. BUT I totally didn't even write everything out word for word like I always have to... I just kind of had it all outlined, so that was awesome. It was on Family Home Evening as a missionary tool. hahahah coincidence(I have no idea how to spell that word... don't judge me.), I don't think so. =]

     Well, I love you guys all so much. And yeah you can forward this to whoever you want momma,  . As long as it keeps getting up on the blog. =] I'm probably gonna write you guys a letter later today if I don't fall asleep. hahaha love you guys so much!

 

-Sister Rice