Wednesday, November 27, 2013

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




No comments:

Post a Comment