More Bathtism...

Well, you guessed it...another wonderful week here in Kirtland for me! I love it! My life is so amazing. Seriously. AND it is finally Spring. Which means...flowers EVERYWHERE at sites. This morning we spent five hours planting flowers all around the Visitors' Center. It will be beautiful...shoot, it already was beautiful. This place has my heart. For now. ;)

I am a five year old kid.  Playing in the dirt is fun to me.  (Check out them white legs....ohhh yeahhhh *in my best "oh yeah" voice, Dad!*)  Stephen...remember last Christmas when I was actually tanner than you for once?  I love you, Cancun.  Well, we are back to normal, now.  Thank you, Ohio.



 

One: Lake Erie!!!!!! SO PRETTY!!!!!!!
(note: see ice from winter on previous post)

 Katie update: June 4! That is when she will be getting baptized!!! I am so excited for her. She has had some personal and real experiences that have helped her know that this is what she needs to do. It amazes me how Heavenly Father really KNOWS us. He communicates with us differently, because we understand differently. One day we were "role-playing" with her how she could talk people about why she wants to be baptized.  She was so cute, though. At one point she said, "I know this is right. Not only will it be good for me, but for the family." Yeah...Katie really understands this. Like I said last week, she is amazing.

Perhaps you wonder why you do not hear too much about my family away from family. Well, turns out they are SUPER busy. Of course. Scott started a new job about a month and a half ago, Joey's graduation and graduation party are coming up, Jordan is a sport's star, Polly is amazing...librarian, mom, and basically runs the school that the kids go to (it is a boarding school.) They are still doing well. I see them at least every Sunday at church. But our visits throughout the week are dwindling. We did get to spend an hour or so over there helping Polly this week. That was nice. I love spending time with them...obviouslyyyyy.



Part of our area borders Lake Erie so Sister Carver and I took advantage of nice sunny evening. Picnic at the lake for our dinner break. (:

Next Monday is Memorial Day....which is a holiday...which is supposedly the most effective time to proselyte because people are home....pray for miracles!!!) You may be wondering why I am telling you this...well, my Preparation Day next week will be Tuesday instead of Monday.
"Talk" to you then.

I love you!!

Sister Spring

What the coldness?

Would you mind if I took a moment to complain a little bit? I think I have done rather well at restraining myself all winter. But now it is May. I am through with winter. Apparently it is not through with me. Since my arrival here in November, there have been approximately 13 sunny days (one of the senior couples has kept record). Spring gave me a tease. I almost made it through this whole week without wearing a coat...until yesterday. Yes, I broke out the winter jacket once again. It is not super cold...but I am not a fan. (Remind me of this when/if I complain of the heat)




Meet Sister Bernice Moberg.  She is an 89-year-old, happy, strong, widow in our congregation.  I realize this is a bit blurry, but she is just so cute.  And..proof that I really did wear my winter coat yesterday!  (I also fell asleep kneeling at the kitchen table AFTER our prayer last night......oops)


I know it is thrilling to hear about the weather here in Ohio...sorry. But I guess that was the first thing on my mind. Stupid cold. (:

Moving On....

 

Wednesday morning Sister Manwaring and I walked to the graveyard next to the Kirtland temple for our "exercise"......


 I have been reunited with a former companion. Sister Carver! Remember her? From the MTC? Sister Carver is from Farmington, Utah...she is a great missionary and I am excited to spend these next six weeks with her. I love Kirtland! I love that I get to be here AT LEAST six more weeks...hopefully I can stay longer. (:



 Sister Carver and I at the transfer lunch with all of the sites Sisters. One of those 13 sunny days. In fact, four, maybe five, of those thirteen were in the last week.

 Transfers occur on Wednesday so we have had the past four and a half days together at the Visitors' Center and in our area. It will be great to learn from her. In the car on our way home our first full day together she commented that she was glad we still teach well together. She feared that the six months we spent away from each other may create awkwardness in our teaching. We still work well together though. Thank goodness.




Sister Manwaring and I with Bonnie! 

 Have I talked about Katie McClendon before? Sometimes I can not keep track. Well she is a 15-year-old girl that we are teaching. Sister McAlister and I started teaching her back in December. This girl is amazing. Seriously. She understands who God is way more than I did at fifteen...and probably more than I do now, too. Point: Katie is amazing. And is planning on being baptized soon. Cool, huh?


Toni (Katie's friend that we teach sometimes), me, and Katie!  They baked us a cake.  Let's be honest, it was for Sister Manwaring since she was leaving.  I still ate it.  It was yummy. 

Well, life is still soooooooooo gooooooood. (: Hey, Congratulations to Tessa! Thanks for the pictures Daddy. It looked like a nice day...and lots of happiness! I like that. How is everyone doing? Anything to update me on?
I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! XOXOXOX

Sister Spring

Adios, Hermana Manwaring.

Hey, Guess what....


I was wrong.

Go figure.

Sister Manwaring is leaving me! ): I will be staying in Kirtland! (:

This week has been amazing. Yesterday I had my first experience with "exchanges." Basically it is when we switch companions for part of a day or a whole day. Sister Golightly (remember her? She lived in the Boynton with me my first transfer....red hair...cute as a button...I am obsessed with her....) came with me to a couple of lessons yesterday. I learned a lot from being with her. This Sister Golightly is SO sincere and real. At the MTC there was a phrase I learned..."Don't go Robo.." (Don't lose your personality...don't become a robot.) It can be easy to do that as a missionary. At least I think so. But Sister Golightly reminds me to be myself. We all bring variety to this world.... So that was a nice little reminder.

OH we started teaching a new family. We met them through a member in our ward, Sister Tanya Mozdzer. She and the dad were talking about us (the missionaries) one day. He was curious. She asked if he wanted to meet with us. He said, "Yes." We have talked with him a couple of times not but Saturday Sister Manwaring and I went over for our first "real" visit with him and his five little, angel children 9 and under:  They are seriously adorable. I am so excited to continue working with them. As we were asking questions to understand him, he said the reason he is looking for something is because he "wants his family back." Right now I do not know entirely what he means by that...but I do know that is a desire of a good man. He has a desire to learn of Christ because he thinks that will help. And I know that this message of Christ will help him.




Visitor from Peru



Rainy day



Brother and Sister Koshar love to feed us pizza...PEPPINOS.  It is delicious but they make us eat a lot.  Brother Koshar will be baptized June 17th...I WILL BE HERE FOR IT...YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday Sister Manwaring and I volunteered at Pioneer school...Do not fear...I have attached a photo or two of our attire for your comic relief. It was fun. We teach the students that come through on field trips a little bit about life as a child in the 1800's. Our specific duty...teach how to make candles and share information about candle making in their time period. Want more details? I will give you a lesson someday.



The old fashioned portable!




HOW CUTE IS SHE!

Hey family...just one more reminder that it was sooooo good to see you yesterday. (: I love love love love love you!!!!! Thanks for loving me, too. (note from Mom:  we got to Skype for Mother's Day.  Sister Spring is still just as precious and sweet.  She would love letters!)
Keep doing great things.

XOXO

Sister Spring

HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII



Silly string war!

 How goes it?

Life is good here. SO GOOD. I am doing my best to enjoy my time here in Kirtland because I am about 90% sure that I will be transferred next Wednesday. I don't want to leave! BUT...I also know that change is good. Whatever happens will be wonderful.

My e-mails tend to be a weekend summary because usually that is what is on my mind. Turns out, my memory still has not improved. See...it was not because I was not listening. (:

The Community of Christ, the church that owns the Kirtland Temple now, is creating a community garden for the purpose of providing food for the needy. I believe they said they would have 48 gardens beds total. Of those, 20 will be rented out to the community for those who live in apartments with no place for their own garden. Pretty neat, I'd say! They have been planning, preparing, and praying for this dream project to become reality. It is now! Saturday morning, about 45 missionaries combined with members from the community to start the process. We spent the next three hours clearing the field, filling wheel barrows with dirt/soil, building a shed, and assembling the beds. The weather was nice. The company is wonderful. Afterwards, I was a starvin' Marvin...I ate 2 sandwiches, a bagel, 2 bags of chips, and 4 (little) cookies in the span of approximately 10 minutes....oops.

Last night we went to a Relief Society event with a woman that we are teaching. If I remember correctly, I told you a little bit about her last week. She's ammmazing. Well, the theme of the night was "Reach in, Reach out, Reach up." She loved it..despite her hot flash that lasted the entire 90 minutes. I loved it, too. One speaker shared a story that was part of a General Conference address. A mom took her young piano student son to see a really accomplished pianist perform. Well, while waiting for the performance to begin, the mom got to chatting with her friends, like mom's do. The son took this as an opportunity to do what little boy's do best...wander. When the over lights went down and the spotlight on, the audience was surprised to see a young child sitting on the piano bench. He began to plink out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." The master pianist came up behind the boy, reached his arms around the boy to place his own hands on the keys, and whispered, "Don't quit...keep playing." Taking orders, the boy continued while the pianist began to elaborate on the nursery song. Together, the master pianist and the novice played a beautiful duet.

How often do I feel like the little boy in the story? Too often, probably. Barely making it through "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." But with the words of the Master in my mind, "Don't quit, Sister Spring...keep going...", enough strength comes to make it through the day. One day at a time. ;)

Hey, happy almost mother's day Grandma and Mama!! Talk to you SUNDAY!!! WOO. Hey, guess what...we can skype again (: I hope everyone is doing well. LOVE YOU

XOXOXO

Love,

Sister Spring
P.S.....I dyed my hair....