Hello.... Sioux City?

In her new area Sioux City, IA

So, the biggest news of the week was that it was transfer week. I thought I was staying put--I'd only been in Kearney for 5 and a half months, and President Weston has been adamant that people are staying in their areas for up to 8 months. Also, I've only been Sister Muasau's companion for 3 months, so I was sure we were staying together longer (plus there weren't any sisters coming out, so I knew I couldn't be called to train anyone new).

Imagine my surprise, then, when Thursday morning came and President called. I was being transferred to Sioux City, IA to serve with Sister Gomez and to be a Sister Training Leader. I think I was definitely shell-shocked. I was not thinking that I would be taking part in such a huge change. But I was. And it shifted all of our plans for Thursday: Suddenly I had to PACK. And clean up. And boy, I was not prepared for either of those, or I might have tried to sort through some things on PDay. So, Mom, you can expect a package to come home with some things I could no longer keep with me. 

I was so sad to leave Kearney and the YSA. I have grown to love them so much. But then, Thursday evening, after we taught the mission prep class, a bunch of them threw me a going away party and surprised us. I may or may not have cried later, but I will neither confirm nor deny. And you definitely shouldn't ask Sister Muasau. Anyway, we've struggled to find investigators, but one of the people we've been working with to come back to church thanked me for helping him to return to church and study his scriptures. And his girlfriend thanked me for answering her questions and giving her a Book of Mormon. And I realized that even though not all of my efforts resulted in a lot of people being baptized, I still fulfilled my purpose as a missionary and inviting people to come to Christ. I will miss them a lot.

On Friday, Sister Muasau and I said mostly dry goodbyes and I headed on a van to Omaha. I was met by Sister Gomez in Omaha, and then we headed up to Sioux City, Iowa! Sister Gomez and I were in the MTC together, though in different districts. We saw each other in Zone Trainings there, but that was pretty much it. It's cool and exciting, though, to be with an experienced missionary. I feel like she is training me. I am driving, so I get to know the area, but I still really have no idea where I am. I wish I had a map to look at. That might put the info in my head. 

Anyway, our area covers parts of Iowa, Nebraska, and (drumroll please) South Dakota! I get to go to South Dakota on Tuesday for some appointments, so I will let you know if it is all I've dreamed of and more. The YSA area covered parts of Kansas, but we never got to go there, which is a shame. I really wanted to see all the states in my mission, but I may have to save Kansas for another time. Also, we have a member taking us to the reservation sometime soon to meet some of the members there. We don't really have the miles to get there ourselves, so we need a lot of rides. 

I met the ward on Sunday, and they are really neat. I like them all a lot and I look forward to getting to know them. And one of the speakers ended up not being able to speak, so guess who got to speak? That's right, the two new missionaries! (The Elders had 1 switch out as well.) That was fun. It's one of the pitfalls of being a missionary: Any time the meeting goes short, you're on the short list for whom to ask to come up! 

I am living with a family again, which is nice! The Luebberts are really great and friendly. They also provide a lot of food for us, which is also nice. I love living with members and being able to come back to a home. It is so much nicer. I highly recommend it. ;) 

I feel like there is probably a million more things to say, but I can't think of any of them. Maybe next week? In the meantime, I love you all and I can't wait to let you know about the next big adventure!

Love,

Sister Loradona May

The Kearney Saga Continues

So I don't keep everyone on their toes, I did win the Stick Pull in our Zone Olympics, which just means I get to compete against the other zones at Zone Conference next week... Unless I get transferred when transfers come at the end of the week. Dun dun dun! So send mail this week to the mission office until I can let you know what happens. I don't know that I'm leaving--in my last interview, President told me to get comfortable in Kearney, because he intends for missionaries to stay in an area for 8 months. If that is the case, then I have the potential to be here for a while yet. I've only been here for 5 1/2 months, so there's time. But after I won the stick pull, one of my zone leaders said, "Please don't get transferred!" HA! Fun times.

 

We have continued to work with the membership of the branch and working on reactivating and strengthening the branch. It has been rewarding and great. One thing that was fun about this week is the whole YSA went to do laser tag for FHE, so we asked our Zone Leaders if we could join them, and we got permission! So we got to do laser tag, which was fun, and just a little bit wacky. I may or may not have bruised my trigger finger, but I refuse to confirm or deny that report.

 

We also just had a weird week in that everything that we tried to do got sidetracked, altered, or wiped out for other things. Sigh. I guess that's just part of life. But we got to participate in the MTC Experience activity with the Kearney Family Ward. They issued calls to the YM/YW, then sent them out to visit people from those areas (One family was Australia, which is where I went with a YW. Other families were Germany, New Mexico, and other places). The YM/YW had to learn how to teach in little workshops, then go teach the families they were to visit. It was truly a fun activity. When it was over, they returned to the church building for a testimony meeting, and they had a great time.

 

I also had a lesson this week that was just so powerful, spiritually speaking. I felt the Spirit really strongly and I knew that what I was saying was what God wanted for the person to hear. It was good to know that I was able to help and be the missionary I was supposed to be.

 

We also said goodbye to our friends from Alabama this week. Sob! It just makes me realize how much impact just a couple of people make. We can all make a difference in the spheres where we are, and that is all God asks of us. So I am here in Kearney to try and make a difference. If I get transferred, then I will try to make a difference there. Life is full of weirdness, but just improve where you are, and everyone around you receives blessings for that.

 

Yesterday was the most fun I've had on a P Day since I started my mission. We met one of the YSAs at the store yesterday, then went to lunch with her and 3 other girls, then just had a Girls' day and wandered around and window shopped and got to be girly. That never gets to happen while on my mission, so I enjoyed it a lot. It was simple, but just what I needed. Plus, if I get transferred and have to leave, at least I will have made a lovely P Day memory with them! I just love them here, and I love the people I work with, and I just know that I am making friendships and bonds that are going to last for a long time. I feel such love for the people here, and it overwhelms me sometimes.

 

Anyway, wish me luck in transfers, Mission Olympics, and anything else we can think of! I love you all immensely!

 

Love,

Sister Loradona May

Oh, the Weather Outside is Frightful...

So, winter finally arrived this week. By which I mean that on Tuesday it snowed and blowed, and Yesterday it snowed (less blowing, though), and our cars got grounded for the majority of the day! That was fun...

 

We got to do service at a museum in Grand Island for a fundraiser. They do a Pioneer Princess Party, where all of these little girls and their mommies (and sometimes a very dedicated daddy) come and get glitter face paint, pink cookies, pictures with Miss Nebraska, and all sorts of silliness. Sister Muasau and I were helping in the "Tea Party" room, pouring soda and putting tiny pink frosted cookies on plates for the servers to take to the "princesses." It was all unbearably cute and pink. I think Lilia would have loooooved it.

 

We also helped round up all the YSAs to go to the UNK talent show to see a couple of the members of the branch perform--and one of them won! He's one of my favorite people, and I couldn't have been happier that he won. We got to meet his parents and they were so pleased to see how the YSA branch had turned out to support their son. It was kind of neat. I just love the YSA branch members. They have such love and fellowship--they want to include everyone and they are always more than happy to welcome new people. The only thing that gets hard is then you want to be their friend... but you are really their missionary.

 

During our mini blizzard this week, we had kind of an interesting surprise meeting with a guy who met with us in a coffee shop and bought us cocoa. We talked about the restoration of the gospel and apostasy and Joseph Smith, and then he invited us to his church on Sunday night and said he'd come to our sacrament meeting! Sadly, our cars got grounded and we couldn't go, and he couldn't make it to the Branch meeting. Next week? We hope! Next week is Branch Conference, so it should be pretty good.

 

It is a chilly place to be out here, and our visitors from Alabama are still here because of the cold! Sister Muasau and I have stopped praying for cold weather, because we know that they need to get their work done eventually. But we've enjoyed having them. And any cold weather from here on out is not our fault! (Although, we accept full responsibility for the subzero temperatures last week. We apologize to anyone this may have inconvenienced.) Thank goodness for snow boots and fluffy winter coats! I have to say, I am still grateful for my warm weather gear and all that jazz. It keeps me from getting frostbite, so, you know, life is good.

 

Which reminds me: Life is good! Don't forget it, okay? I love you all. And watch the Olympics for me, because I am dreadfully sad to be missing it. Sob!

 

Love,

Sister Loradona May

Good morning, it's coooooold out there!

Another week and it's... still cold. We actually got some measurable snow this week, for the first time really. The last few times it has snowed it has been probably an inch. Maybe two. It still isn't a ton, and Nebraska needs a lot more rain and snow right now, but it's better than it has been. The snow also gave us a really good opportunity for service. We were driving on our way to the UNK campus to meet with Johnny, our Branch Mission Leader (he's a student there, naturally) when we saw this older woman shoveling her walk. Sister Muasau said, "Sister May, we have to help her!" So we drove around the block until we could park outside her house and offer to help. It turned out she was 86 and was just clearing a path from her door to the mailbox. So we shoveled her walkway, the sidewalk, and her driveway. Good times! And by the time we were done, I was sweating and wanted to take off my coat! Friday was a good day for the chance to do service because of snow. I loved it. Sometimes people don't want to accept our help, whether it's because we are wearing skirts, because we're girls, or because we're missionaries, I don't know. I just know that sometimes we offer and people turn us down. But. We have carried a couch up three flights of stairs in our skirts, I have now shoveled snow in my skirt, and (though I wasn't in a skirt at the time) I have bucked hay and fed horses. And I have helped with canning. So. When Sister missionaries offer help or service, take them up on it! They love it! Seriously, even if it is something small, service is what we looooove to do.

 

Did I tell you last week about our fun visitors from Alabama? They're still here, and the one who is a returned Sister missionary came out with us on Saturday, and she was amazing and just perfect to join us. I will be so sad when they all have to leave. However, they can't work in the warehouse if it gets below 10F. So Sister Muasau and I have been praying for cold weather. :) Is that evil of us? We just reaaaaaallly like them and the energy they bring to the YSA. So we've decided that if we can just find 4 people to either reactivate or to bring to the church, that energy can be there all the time. Imagine: if you could find 4 people to bring to your ward, how cool would that be? It's amazing the difference that 4 people can make. You wouldn't think it would be a big deal, but it is.

 

Also, the YSA had a temple trip on Saturday, and I was jealous I couldn't go, partially because the Branch President arranged for them to fly to Omaha on his jet. See why I'm jealous? One of these days accepting a ride on someone's jet won't be illegal for me, and I will jump on that opportunity! Sigh. It's okay. I'm a missionary right now, and that means I need to focus. Speaking of which, I love studying in Preach My Gospel, even when it smacks me on the head and calls me to repentance. Which totally happened today. I realized that I let myself get too distracted too easily, and that for us to make the progress we need to make, I need to focus more and just be more diligent. Not that I'm a bad missionary. I can just be better. I think we can all be better. Not that long ago I had a zone conference where the Assistants to the President talked about 100% responsibility. If I take 100% responsibility, then I will not make excuses for things that don't go right or when I miss an opportunity. It means that I will be responsible and trying to be better.

 

Anyway, my time is up. Pray for cold weather! Is that weird of me? It's probably weird of me. It's okay, though, because I was walking around on Saturday or Friday or maybe it was Thursday? I forget. Anyway. I was walking around with my coat unzipped. It was 8F. I'm getting used to it out here!

 

Love,

Sister Loradona May

Another Week!

We have our ups and our downs out here, but mostly it's ups! We have had a fun week with 4 visitors in the YSA from Alabama and Kansas travelling through as part of a work crew. They should be here for one more week, which is too bad. When you add four people to a Branch, that's huge! All four of them are recently returned missionaries, and one of them is a sister who served in Anchorage, AK (well, she was only in Anchorage for 6 weeks, but she also served in Fairbanks and Juneau). She and her brother are related to the Kiesters in Portland--you know, my friends Cecily and Laura... and Diane Chatfield Kiester! How cool is that? I love it when you can make connections with people like that. Aaaanyway, I wish they could stay forever because they add not only numbers but also enthusiasm to the Branch. I am sure that they add the same things to the wards they come from, but man! It's fun to have them here while they can. Maddie has said she will come out with us on Saturday and be our team up, which is awesome. We don't often have the chance to have a sister who has served a mission join us on a team up.

 

Speaking of which, Maddie was a huuuuge help yesterday. One of our members of the branch brought his non-member girlfriend to church, and we were able to teach her a little bit and give her a Book of Mormon. Maddie talked with her and shared her testimony and it was just really powerful. Sometimes being a missionary is tough, but when you get to work with people who are so excited about the gospel, it is really worth it.

 

Speaking of excited about the gospel, I was thrilled to open my email from Marianna and learn that she is getting baptized! It really made my day. That is truly the best thing to get while I'm out here. I love packages and letters, but learning that someone I love is getting baptized? That is the best.

 

It was the Sister May Show in church yesterday. I played the organ for the family ward (mostly okay. Only one instance of hymn-ocide to be witnessed, and it was brief), and then I spoke in the YSA branch. Is it weird that I was more nervous for the organ than for speaking? In fact, I don't really get nervous for speaking. I think that is probably weird, because isn't public speaking the number one fear? They should do that on Fear Factor: Assemble a huge group of people, then make contestants speak to them! Okay, it might be scary, but probably not scintillating television. Anyway, I spoke about feeling the Spirit. Here's a bit of what I talked about: Have you ever driven somewhere new, with directions that maybe don't make a lot of sense? And have you ever noticed that in order to see where you are going better, you turn down the radio? Yeah, the Spirit's like that. You turn down the distractions so you can see better where you are going, through the Spirit. So take a moment, turn off the TV, turn off the music (even good music), and pay attention.

 

I love you all and I don't have any time at all left to write. I wish I did. But just know that all is well, I am doing well, and I hope you all are well, also! I love you!

 

Love,

Sister Loradona May

Midway

So, did you know that this week is my midway point of my mission? It is. It seems a little weird. I was writing a friend in a letter that until I realized I was at the halfway point, it seemed like time was ticking up. Now, suddenly, it is ticking down, and it feels like time is running out. I only have 9 months to see the progress in my area that I want to see. I only have 9 months to do this work, and I only have 9 months to get where I want to be. It seems so painfully short.

 

On that note, let me share some things from this week. It was sunny and in the mid 60s on Sunday! It was beautiful, and I even ditched the tights. It was glorious. And then this morning it was about 6. So, you know, opposition in all things, I suppose. And yes, the tights are back. Yesterday it was ridiculously windy, and I am reminded how the dust bowl must have been. It kind of makes my allergies go nuts. Anyway, when it was lovely and sunny, we were about to have dinner when we got a call from a member to come to a nearby apartment complex, where people were playing sports. So we went and ended up using our dinner hour to play a little football in our skirts! Don't worry, we were decorous in our behavior. It was pretty funny, though. "Sister May! Catch!" I can't run that fast in a skirt, folks, so I did not catch. Sigh.

 

Speaking of sports, we had a great game night! We have a game night every Saturday to help the members fellowship one another and to give them a chance to invite their non-member friends. We had the best turnout we've ever had and there were several less active members who attended and a couple of non-members, so it did just what it was supposed to do. I love it when we have a lot of folks attending things, especially when they bring their friends. It is so much more fun that way!

 

We continue to try to find people to teach, and it continues to be difficult. It's hard when people don't even want to try it out. We have so much that others don't have. But they often feel like they already have it all. They feel comfortable. They feel like they don't need any more. Or that there can't be any more.

 

We've had a moderately working furnace for a couple of months. Then, this last week, it finally went kaput. So we had to call repair people and get them to fix it, so now we live in a balmy 70 degrees, instead of 62. I mean, technically, 62 is livable, and we weren't getting hypothermia. But it was kind of cool. And 70 is soooo much nicer. And what we were supposed to be having anyway. Maybe that's like people without the gospel: They think they are fine at 62. They don't feel the need to stretch for anything more. But when they finally reach 70, they realize what they have been missing. They just need to call the repair people to come in and make it what it should be!

 

We also had interviews with President Weston this week, which is always good. I like talking with him. It is always amusing, and it feels good to get his advice and suggestions, and to hear him tell me that I am doing okay most of the time.

 

I don't know if there is anything else of major importance at this time, but just know I love you all, and I love hearing from you! Have a great week and I will write again next week!

 

Love,

Sister Loradona May

Amazing Subject Line Here (My creativity has flown, folks)

Church yesterday was fantaaaastic! I work with the YSA Branch, right? And normally we have between 10-15 people at sacrament meeting. Well, the Stake President asked all the Bishops in the Stake to attend our branch and bring their YSA types with them. And we had close to 80 people there! It was cool! Seriously, it was awesome. We had a couple of investigators there, and that was awesome, too. We have one who is taking it slow, but I'd rather have a slow, lasting conversion rather than a quick one that maybe doesn't sustain itself. Even if I won't be here when he decides to be baptized, I'm okay with that. I don't want him to do it for me--I want him to do it because he has been converted and believes.

 

Our Branch President is pretty cool. He tells some of the coolest stories, and I want to relate the one he shared yesterday. He spoke of going with his brother-in-law to play basketball on an outdoor court in L.A. It was the kind of thing where if your team won, you stayed on the court and the losing team rotated off and you faced a new team. He said they watched for a while, and it was a rough game: no one called fouls, and you just played on. And he noticed that one team dominated and just stayed on the court. He watched them, and there was one guy who, while one team was leaving the court and the next was coming on, he would dribble around, and then make a shot and say, "Okay, the ball's yours. We're one up." If you tried to protest that the shot didn't count, that you hadn't started, he would say, "The game has started." President Crockett then said, "The game has started. And it's on." So what are we going to do about it? He went on to talk about how the time is now, not later, to get in the game, to repent, to change, to make a game plan. And that it is righteousness that is unique in the world, not wickedness. Wickedness looks the same, and ends up the same. The actual phrase he used (which I wrote down because I liked it so much) was "Wickedness always devolves into the banal." It's goodness that stands out. So be good, because that will make you a much more interesting individual! I have decided that I need my own Pocket Crockett (patent pending) so that when I am down, I can just pull him out and have him say pithy and uplifting things to me.

 

We had a good week--not as good as I could dream for, but it was good nonetheless, and I am excited, because the university is back in session this week, and so that means students are baaack! Yes! We may actually catch people at home now! Holidays are lovely, but they really put a cramp in my missionary work. Stop celebrating, people! Bah humbug! :)

 

I almost forgot! Transfers were this last week, and... nothing happened. I'm still in Kearney, and will be for the next 6 weeks. I love you all and I will write again next week!

 

Love,

Sister Loradona May