ONE MONTH!

...this is what the pile of shoes looks like in a 4 sister flat.

ONE MONTH MONDAY!

1 Month!


Hey, 'Bout That? One Month! Ridiculous. I actually feel like it's been my whole life (in a good way) but I still feel very much like a new missionary. Probably I will for about another 12 months or so. Every once and awhile I think about things I want to see happen or what to teach a member/part member family and think, "I have NO fetchin' idea what I'm doing." It's great.

Here are the random, transition less thoughts I have for today.  Blessings to Mum Carol if she spell checks any of this before it's posted because really,  I don't have time to correct typing errors.  Trivial menial work.  (no reflection on you, mum)

Knocked on a row of houses in search of an Austrian woman on a tip.  (My companion is from Austria.) We think we found her but she was uninterested.  However we continued down the row and the name of the last house was Perth - a Bon Iver song - so i had a feeling about knocking on it.  We were indeed let in and had a conversation with a nice gentleman, who was honestly mostly interested from a curiosity aspect.  He was more interested intellectually than spiritually searching but it was a good visit anyway he invited us to come visit any time we're in the area.  Worth developing the friendship I think. 

Also he offered to set me up with his son that lives in America.  (the son is apparently wealthy and a mere 30 years older than I am so really, i think the possibility is quite good.)

One of the big things we're concentrating on are the people that haven't been to church for awhile.  Sis N. and I go out in search of them quite often.  The ward boundaries are so big and cover a lot of tiny random villages so, sadly, people fall through the cracks often.  It's always an adventure to knock on those doors because all we have info wise on background are their names.  Sometimes it turns out to be a part member family that welcomes us with open arms. 

Sometimes we get friendly people who've just turned to another religion.

Sometimes we get spouses or children who stare at us like we're conservatively dressed mafia members and tell us they have no idea what we're talking about.
  And sometimes the person has plain moved.

Always an adventure. 

Sometimes I talk to people who seem legitimately interested during our conversation (I had someone approach me on the bus once to straight up ask for a mormon.org card and watched him start reading the Book of Mormon as soon as he stepped off the bus) but never appear again - despite various and a vaguely stalkerish amount of phone calls. 

 Haha I mean we don't follow up so much if the person straight up says no thanks, but the fade away can be hard to judge, you never want to feel like "Maybe if I'd just tried one more time."

I figured I could read people pretty well, the level of interest and whatnot, but occasionally I feel like missionary in "The Best Two Years" - naive.  But if that's the case, so be it!  I'd rather believe in people than not.  I'd rather try every route than not.  I will push up my thick oversized glasses and try again.

And you know I actually do wear those thick oversized glasses.  With style. 

 the first time i ironed...

 

Speaking of style (Hey... I actually am getting some transitions in!) the following is a conversation between the sister missionaries while thrift shopping last week. 

Sis C: " I don't know how I feel about this skirt. I think I kind of like it but it's kind of grandma."

Sis N: "it's completely grandma. go show Sister Gish. she'll want it."

(After looking up and seeing the skirt.)

Sis G: "Done and done."

This happened twice actually. I'll send pictures next week, they're beautiful.

On a more serious note:

Here is a change I've noticed these last few weeks. When I put on my name badge, I actually feel a difference. Not like it weighs a seven or eight pounds (or even one) but there's a weight there that I'm suddenly very aware of. A responsibility if you will. It's wonderful.  I've been wondering when that would happen; I hear a lot of returned missionaries talking about it, and here the moment is.

I love you all so much.  Time's up yet again, Happy 4th of July by the way!  Here's an open invite from me to go to Papa Jim's and Mama Carol's for root beer floats on the 4th to celebrate.  I'll be toasting you with my very own across the pond.  A nice family is having us over for tea that day and we're going to celebrate

Happy Monday!