District Reassignments

My two missions!

Friends and Family, (and Mormon missionary mommy blog stalkers)
 
Gosh, I don't even know quite where to start with this email because SO MUCH has happened since the last time I wrote.
 
First, a set of thank-you’s:
-Mom, you are the best mom ever. Seriously. Thank you for being honest with me and explaining my depressing visa situation so clearly. I had a down day, and have definitely bounced back. Thank you for sending the MANY care packages while I have been here. Every time I got a package for my weird feet it was a reminder of how I have a personal cheerleader in Spokane, working her tail off in order to continue to take care of me. You are awesome. I loved the pie, and it definitely helped lessen the blow haha.

-Dad, thanks for your work on the visas as well! I signed my FULL NAME without even having to read your DearElder! (unfortunately her brother did not.)
-Levi and Sawyer, thanks for sharing your EFY experiences! I looooved reading them and hearing your different insights! I am planning on handwriting you back, because computer time is soooo short, and there are like 10,203 things to do in the next two days.

-Annie & Ken -- HOLY GOLDFISH! Your care package was AWESOME. I wrote you a thank-you today, but oh MAN. That massive package could not have come at a better time! It definitely helped raise our spirits, and my district devoured the gummy bears like nobody's business.

-Lee Ross -- your letter was so incredibly thoughtful, insightful, and inspirational. Thank you for your personal insight and advice! I smiled, laughed, and teared up a little bit as you shared so many of the difficulties that you experienced. (I'll have to try the thigh trick haha!) I also loved hearing Rachel's story--the church is true, and the power of the Holy Ghost is real!

-Jon & Debbie Rogers -- I can't even...you are the best. Seriously. There are not words to describe how helpful Jon's words were in aiding my shift in perspective. I definitely treasure that DearElder, and probably re-read it at least once a day as a reminder to have hope and faith in God's plan for my mission, and cookies make every problem easier to face.

-to all others who have written this week: thank you so much! It really does have an effect on the morale of a missionary. If you have a friend who is a missionary, WRITE THEM! It helps so much to be reminded that there are people rooting for you when times get hard.

Okay, let me give you the low-down of the week.
Tuesday:
After I sent a string of depressing emails and letters, I received two package slips from Elder S. What the what?! I don't ever get packages unless it's for pants or medicine to take care of my grandma feet! EXCITING! We then sprinted (as fast as you can when you have one companion in a boot, and the other with a progressively more painful ingrown toenail....) to the mail room before it closed, only to receive a MASSIVE 20lb package stuffed full of fruit snacks, goldfish, and gummy bears (thank you, Annie & Ken), and a pie from DearElder (thanks mom!). Though I was still working through a myriad of emotions regarding my impending 4-6 months in my reassignment, it definitely helped to raise spirits. That evening we had our devotional, and Elder Richard G. Scott spoke! (Hopefully you got my letter regarding my experience). That devotional, followed by Jon's sweet letter was a turning point in my perspective on the next few months of my life. It helped remind me to trust in God's will for me at this time. Elder Scott also focused on the importance of prayer, especially private, verbal prayer. It's really hard to get away from people in the MTC, but I found a custodial closet just down the hall from our room, and after everyone has gotten into bed, I sneak down (which is even more ineffective than usual because my feet are wrapped in plastic and it sounds like I'm stepping on 100 dry leaves every time I move) and close myself in the closet for a few minutes of private prayer....oh what a difference that has made! As a missionary, we pray about 100 times a day, but since being here, I have had very few opportunities to have personal prayer. Since making that time to have a private sanctuary, I've felt a lot more at peace, despite the troubles that have still continued

Wednesday: 

I woke up with a paradigm shift - though still a bit disappointed about the visa situation, I was actually at peace and really looking forward to getting my re-assignment!  After studying all morning, Sister W miraculously got all of us signed up to be hosts for new missionaries.  We got out of class (hurrah), were able to be separated from our companions (double hurrah), and we spent the next three hours OUTSIDE and welcoming the incoming missionaries, which was pretty much the most fun thing ever.  You guys would have been really proud of me...after 6 weeks I was able to help Sisters find their rooms without getting lost once! (okay...I did get turned around...but I pretended like I knew where I was. haha)

We practiced our duet together (I Know My Heavenly Father Loves Me),  and I also practices the musical number for our district to sing in sacrament meeting.  (I know That My Redeemer Lives). Actually, I practiced a lot last week, probably at least an hour a day.  It's such a blessing. Thanks for all the piano lessons!!!

Then to top it off, my bishop's wife - the lovely Debbie Rogers - sent me a box of cookies! Cookies can make any situation easier to handle. 

Irmao C went out of town this weekend, so he took pictures with everyone just in case we left on Monday. He and Irmao D unknowingly color coordinated! Precious. I love them. I'm going to miss them so much! 

Thursday:

Yesterday was in-field orientation............... Needless to say, it was a VERY long and boring day. Think of being in conference for 9 (yes actually NINE) hours, on hard chairs, hearing many things that you already know.  Our elders found a prop couch and camped out on it. It was lucky (I guess) that our trio had a myriad of odd things to get done on Thursday morning - between the travel office details, getting fingerprinted (whooohooo a field trip in a police car!!!), music practice, and Garrison and my audition, we got out of the first half of the day of in-field orientation.  Sister G was very appreciative that she didn't have to hear it all over again.  I felt badly about draggin my two companions around all day - it's a hard part of being in a trio. As a duo, you're only inconveniencing one person, and it's a lot easier to have a give-and-take relationship.  I struggle with feeling like a burden with all of my visa and foot problems this past week.  But, Sister T and Sister G are very patient and understanding. 

Our audition went well, but it was not the best we've played, and Sister N seemed to have a few quibbles with it. ( Picture the kindest quibbling ever, and you have this lady).  So, I thought that we would not be selected to play -- but the next day we got and envelope inviting us to play at the departure devotional - so cool!

Elder N had his birthday, which would have stunk if it was just in-field orientation, but we made him a birthday crown, decorated his desk, and then we got REASSIGNMENTS!!!! (We all thought they would for sure come on Friday--HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!) With the help of so many people, I am adjusting to my new call.  Garrison is happy with his assignment – he just wants to get out (of here) and into the mission field. 

Reassignment Day for District 220

Sis. M - Los Angeles, California
Sis T - Tacoma, Washington
Sis C - Rapid City, South Dakota
Sis W - Cleveland, Ohio
Elders P, N, M and S - Gilbert, Arizona
Elder E - Houston, TX
Elder F - Charlotte, North Carolina

Two of the original Twelve received their visa's in time to go to Brazil.  My favorite missionary, Elder Colvin, was reassigned to serve in the Missouri, Independence Mission.  

 Friday:

(Early Friday morning as I (Brenda) am ready to pull out of the driveway with my horse trailer loaded, I get a call from Provo MTC health clinic.  Immediately my heart sinks and I imagine all kinds of horrible things, like when my friend got the call that her missionary son had a mass in his chest. Anyway, it just turned out that Taylor was scheduled to get her ingrown toenail fixed and they needed our insurance information because she had forgotten it in her room. It was the first that I heard about the surgery.  I could hear Taylor’s voice talking in the background, but she wasn’t allowed to talk to me…something that I am thinking is just a cultural weirdness. So I tell the unknown caller to tell my daughter that I love her....more weirdness, and that is how my day started.)   

Before our foot problem, we got to do another TRC skype session.  We spoke with Marcos, who had the most beautiful voice i have ever hear.  His Portuguese sounded so soft and safe in his mouth.  I can't wait to get to Brazil!

THE FOOT SAGA: I figured that it would be best if I got surgery in the MTC especially because we were already going to the podiatrist for Sister G's foot later that day.  (Oh, another side note: ST & SG and I all fasted on Thursday for SG's foot and comfort, then Elder P gave her a blessing.  It was an incredible experience of fasting as it caused me to look outside of myself and imagine SG's pains every time I had a pang of hunger.  Also, EP is a really special young man.  He's only 18, but has been blessed with charity and wisdom far beyond his years.  I'd let any of my best friends marry him, haha!)  Anyway, we went to the foot doctor (yeah!!! another field trip).  I'll try to describe the scene...picture a small treatment room with two chairs and then a tall treatment chair.  The doctor kept going back and forth between SG and I.  When he asked me to take off my shoe he was just like, "oh yep," and that's ALL he said to me. The next thing I knew, he was jabbing a ginormous needle into my toe four times - Sister T is lucky that I didn't break her hand, it hurt so bad!  He then switched SG back into the chair, delivered her the bad news that sh had to stay another two weeks.  We switched back, and he proceeded to remove what seemed like half my toenail. Luckily my toe was delightfully numb, so I got to fully enjoy the looks of shock and disgust on ST's face as the doctor extracted what looked like the toe's equivalent of a molar from my foot. It bled so much!  He applied medicine to the nail bed to keep it from growing back, so he stuck a chopstick looking piece of wood into my toe. It stuck out like 18 inches! ST got a kick our of it (ie, she was way grossed out) SG and I laughed and laughed at poor ST's discomfort.  Minus the needles, it was a super fun experience.  SG was pretty bummed out, so we went back to our room and ate our feelings.   

My foot, post-surgery: There is no pain, and the toenail feels just fine, but I'm now suffering from dryness on the bottoms of my feet. Any suggestions for balancing hyperhidrosis and dryness? I'm down to using drysol 1x a day (at night, with my feet wrapped in plastic), and using Tinactin 2-3 times a day in between my toes. Should I only be applying Drysol to the balls of my feet, and not to the soles? (Fortunately she has learned that the "best" way to communicate in near real-time with us is to send an email message on p-day, then wait a few hours and go back to check the computer to see if we have replied.  She has enough time to do this 2-4 times in fits and spurts throughout the day.  So I was able to get an answer back to her on this problem. Reading missionary letters is really reading stream of conscious writing in that you never really know what time and place the setting is.)

Later that day Garrison and I got called out of class to renew an online application for my visa which had expired.  It was the very end of the normal world's workday/week so I know that Mom and Dad has something to do with that especially since I got a dearelder from Dad telling me how to do it shortly after I had just done it!  Thankfully, I did it correctly without Dad's instructions. 

Garrison and I were asked to perform a piano duet at the departing missionary devotional Sunday night--there will be around 800 missionaries there! Holy smokes! We're doing a duet of "I Know My Heavenly Father Loves Me." It's pretty, and it's definitely come together this past week.  We’re ready!

Saturday:

That brings me to today, the BONUS P-DAY!  We get to pack up and write emails! After gym, all of us hung around in a pack - no one wanting to say anything.  Then a miracle happened - it started pouring rain and we found a little place in the MTC to have a rain party and get completely soaking wet.  

After Rain Dance photos.

it was such a perfect stress relief and seriously one of the most fun memories I have of the MTC (though probably we weren't allowed to do that.) We were so soaked that we had to wash and dry those clothes, and my shoes still aren't dry. So great. A few music practices later, and we had class and a "Party" in our district.  Think popcorn, MoTab, and writing uplifting notes in each other's journals, and you have one pretty wild party in the MTC!

Sunday: 

Final district photos with Branch Presidency

A Natural Shot!

Man, yesterday was an emotionally difficult roller coaster of spiritual highs and emotional lows. Our entire district basically spent the whole day together (nothing new there...), and everyone was pretty solemn about the approaching farewells. I know that many MTC districts become very close, but I fervently believe that our district was extra special. Everyone went out of their way to make sure the members of our district were ok, and we all worked really hard to learn the language, and to teach with the Spirit. There were so many powerful experiences within our tiny classroom--too many to even begin to write about--like the time when Elder P gave a blessing of comfort, or when Elder S listened to my challenges, and expressed love during my off-week--or when we had district review meetings and everyone was moved to tears by bearing testimony to one another. We've spent every day together for the past 6 weeks. Every long, hard, emotionally draining, spiritually stretching, and humble moment together. To say goodbye to such a district is never easy. We held a testimony meeting last night in that tiny room...the spirit was once again incredibly strong, and once again those walls were sacred. What an awesome oppourtunity I have had to have such a strong, loving, and inspiring district as district 70-H. I love them all!

The departing district always sings a musical number in their branch--usually it's a simple piece out of the hymnbook, but being a music major (and not a boring person....), we did a special arrangement of "I Know That My Reedemer Lives." (in Portuguese) I wish I could have gotten a recording for all of you moms out there! It was beautiful! The sisters sang like angels (between choking down tears), and the elders sang beautiful harmonies as well. What an awesome departing gift they gave to me, as I accompanied them amidst struggling to choke down emotion as well...but you can't cry and play the piano as we all know.

After sacrament meeting, we took district pictures, ate our last supper together (so sad), and Garrison (er, Elder Colvin) and I had our sound check for the departing missionary devotional (why are there so many awkward parenthesis in this email? NAO SE. (also, I really wish I knew how to type accents right about now....) Anyways, I promised myself that I wouldn't cry in front of Elder Colvin before our musical number, because I knew that it would be very hard to play my part with tears in my eye. We held it together! It went so beautifully, and it was such an incredible experience to have one of our final moments together be so special.

Final Practce

Patient Sister G

 After that departure devotional, we had our Sunday night devotional with Vai Sikahema. (Tongan former American football player and television news reporter. The first Tongan ever to play in the National Football League, he played running back and kickoff returner in the league for eight seasons, from 1986 to 1993.) Anyways, he served his mission in RAPID CITY SOUTH DAKOTA. He shared mission stories, and it helped get me so pumped for my mission here! The church is true! I was the only missionary in the crowd of departing missionaries assigned to South Dakota.

Okay, so after the devotional, we had that powerful testimony meeting, then Elder Colvin and I had special permission to hug each other goodbye. That was sad. I cried. I'm going to miss my little squirrelly brother a lot. We've been through this whole process together, half marathon and all, and it's hard to picture my mission experience without him in it somehow.

Wow, they actually love each other (says the heart-warmed mother making this entry).

Ready to go!

 Sister Colvin