I'm a survivor (Week 3 & 4)

I'm alive!!!! haha Oh my goodness, what a crazy but awesome week!! I'm sorry if my thoughts are all over the place but I have so much to say right now! I hope I answer all the questions, but if not be patient with me please.

 

So we flew to chicago and I didn't really sleep much :/ Oh, I've finally met the mysterious Elder Kliman! I hadn't found him in the morning so on the plane I turned around and asked the two missionaries if they knew who he was. The one behind me just smiled real slowly and pointed to his nametag. It was a perfect match! ha I felt so stupid! He's awesome! We got to know each other better and we're pertty much best friends now! During the layover I've never been stared at so much in my life! It probably was due to the fact that we had 16 missionaries all in suits, skirts, and nametags invading the terminal! :p I was going to call Lindsey and Kellie because there were a few phones available, but my dumb card wouldn't work! Apparently it thinks that if we don't have enough on the card then it just won't make the call at all. All of us had the same problem so we could only make one call! It was so frustrating! Sorry guys!! We got on the tiny plane for Charleston and waited there for an hour!! Like everything had to go underneath and when you have 88 pieces of luggage from all the passengers to fit then it becomes a problem! The workers had to try and figure it all out and were working so hard! It was because of us because we all had 2 big ones and a little one. Oops ;) They stuffed some up with us in cupboards, but ended up having to leave 4 bags there. 1 of the bags was an elders, but thanks for a persistant Pres. Pitt he got it the next day! When we were flying over Charleston and it was just hills /trees and like 3 houses I honestly got the feeling of what am I doing here?? I want to go home right now! I don't need to go on a mission! (Satan is so sneaky) So I just sucked it up, put a smile on my face and walked off the plane. Pres/Sis Pitt and the AP's met us and are so awesome!! They are really nice, caring, and just so great! I was a little worried before I got there. We went to the mission office, got info thrown at us, then went to the mission home where we all talked then ate dinner. We each had an interview with the president and it took forever cause we had 16. Girls went first though! Then we went to bed and I sleep so great!! We ate breakfast there, had a devotional, took pictures, then headed to the church for transfers. Us greenies had to sit in the front and be looked over by everyone who came in. ha I was so nervous for everything and it didn't help because Sis. Kimber started freaking out about her new companion too, so we just panicked together :) We had to introduce ourselves, say where we're from, something about us and then we got our companion and area. And girls had to go last.

 

So....I'm with Sister Little in Covington, Virginia!!! It's about three hours south (?) of Charleston.(Mom's edit: SE) Welcome to the Heart of the Highlands and a massive paper making plant!! It's a beautiful little town, but is very old. We got half our area taken away because there are elders in Clifton Forge (not too far away) and they're in our branch. We have a lot of work to do apparently! There's enough members to be a ward, but only about 80-90 come every week I guess. We were going through the roster a few days ago, and I have never seen so many in-active/less-active people before!!! I would get excited when we came across an active member! The hard thing though is these people don't have the same phone #, don't live here anymore, we can't find their house, or they just don't want to be a member anymore. Yay!? Pretty much I have never felt so much hate and dislike towards me ever before than what I feel now!! At the store when you smile/say hi they purposely look over/around you and ignore you. Or they are nice, then find out who you are, and then they do a 180 flip. It's grand! I kind of got in one lady's way at the store, then said hi, so she had to look at me and say hi!! It's hard but definitely eye opening and a learning experience. These past few days have just been getting stuff figured out with the elders, conference, etc. This week we are going to go tracting a lot cause we don't really have any investigators! I have never been so excited to just get out and go even if I get ignored or the door shut on me!! Sister Little has been here in Covington since the end of May, so she's helping a lot. She's been out for 11 months, is from Morgan, UT, and her first name is Jessica. (Just in case you want to fb stalk her mom! :P Ha) I was a little worried at first, but we've opened up to each other a lot and now it's awesome! She is great and brings out my sillier side. She may think I'm weird, but she loves it! She's stuck with me til at least around Christmas! haha But really though, I think she's really happy that I'm her companion! I'll talk a little more about this later on. The members here absolutely love the missionaries though and want to help us so much! They feed us so much sometimes I just want to be like Stop feeding the missionaries for once! They're going to make me fat! There's too much love going on here! ;) Oh, the paper plant. Well that's just interesting. They have to use like 120,000 trees each day and make like either 30,000 or 3,000 lbs of paper each day! Something crazy like that! The worst part about this though is like it stinks so bad!! There are days (like today) that are just terrible!! Bleh! Oh well though! Our ward mission leader works there and was telling me the process of it and it was awesome!

 

Next, GENERAL CONFERENCE!!! Holy cow, that was amazing!! I absolutely looooved it!!! :D We watched it at the church with the elders! It was really different than home, but it was still so good. I think I gave myself tendonitis from taking so many notes! I don't know if I was just paying more attention, if there's was just so much said, or what but like each session I took like 6 pages of notes! I was so astonished with the mission call ages!!! What the heck!!!???? AHHHHHH!!! Why did they make me wait for like 3 more years!!! GAH!! That's so exciting though, but the boys will need to be more mature though! Someone wrote and said they may do 2 weeks for english speaking (too short I think), but it all makes sense now. When I was at the MTC studying with some of my district a worker came and talked to us and asked us about what we thought of the time length (too short/good/too long?) We said 3 weeks was perfect. He said they were just trying to figure things out because they wanted to get more missionaries through there faster. Crazy! Conference was absolutely amazing!!! Each talk and session was so powerful, thought out, and was exactly what we needed to hear. My favorite talks were Pres. Uchtdorf, Packer, Anderson, Holland, and Monson!! So amazing! Did you notice the theme? Keep/strengthen your faith, pray and know your prayers are answered, God is there watching over you, deciding now who you will follow, and fully converting yourself to the Lord and helping others become converted as well. We've been talking with all those themes and the new mission rules- the time is now to prepare! The 2nd Coming is not that far off, and we need to fully prepare ourselves and everyone that we come in contact with to stay or come to the Lord's side! So Cool! As a missionary I was just getting chills and feeling so excited and honored to be serving right now, but pressure at the same time. I have to do all I can do to find those who are ready for the Gospel now because time is getting shorter! I absolutely love missionary work!!!  God is in the DETAILS, and knows exactly what we need to take us through the refiners fire and shape us into who we need to be!! I know that to be true, so I'm not questioning anything anymore and am just looking forward and looking for how I can help those around me. Also, if you have not watched 17 Miracles watch it!!! It is amazing! Too often we take for granted what the pioneers sacrificed for us and how much they went through to give us what we have now. They went through so many trials and kept their focus and faith in the Lord. We need to be like that as well, especially in these times!

 

Mom, can you send me a copy of my setting apart blessing sometime? Also, I have a short sleeve black old navy shirt that I would like, and if you can maybe either my black long sleeve under armour shirt or my bluish exercise jacket from gap that is like under armour. Other than that I think that's it. Just sometime would be great. Thanks!

 

My address is 202 Rosedale Ave. #6 Covington, Virginia 24426.

 

That's crazy about Robin Ballard!! A month!? Hope all goes well though with it! Sorry about the deaths :( I remember both of those ladies. Way to help out mom. You should work at the MTC!! That'd be awesome!!!! I love it there!! I'll look at coats. It's getting cold and the leaves are changing! Also, I'm trying to figure out how to do the google chat thing. Will be next week though. I completely forgot my camera...Sorry!!! Next week I will have pictures for you though!! :) Thanks for all your pictures!

 

Um, I think that's it for right now! I love it here though and am doing well and learning so much!! I miss you all so much but am so happy to be here. When you truly try to only serve others it makes you so happy! The gospel is true and on the earth today! Our prophet and apostles are divinely inspired and know that what they say is true! I love this work and serving my Savior with all I have!! :) Much love!!

                   

Sister Higgins

 

P.S. I have more I didn't tell you but will tell you next time!