November 19, 2012

Hey Family and Friends!!! Oh my goodness! This week has been absolutely amazing!! Are you ready to hear all about it?! I sure hope so!! Well Tuesday we had our p-day because of transfers and we didn't do anything super exciting. We actually just went to the Mission Office to see our favorite Sisters there and then we made an appearance at our combined p-day with the South Zone, but all they were doing was playing basketball....so we didn't stay for long. We left so that Sister Batty could start packing. After we had packed for awhile, it was time for us to go to our dinner appt with the Christensen's. They are a cute young couple and they are ward missionaries! We had a good time with them. Bro Christensen actually served his mission in Ogden! So that is exciting. Then when we were done there, we went and said goodbye to some people that Sister Batty wanted to...of course that included the Ford's! They are great and she is really going to miss them. Then we were up all night packing...it was a really late night. It is amazing how much stuff you accumulate when you are in an area. Well Wed was transfers. I had to say goodbye to Sister Batty. She got transferred to Royal Oak which is where the Temple is. She will do great things! Well my new companion was coming from down south, so I was companionless for a few hours...but so was Sister Simpson so we worked together while we waited for our new companions! Sister Simpson started her mission in the area I am in right now so she was excited and we went and saw some of the people that she loves! So we went and saw Carmen and Tammy. By the time we were done there, we had to go back to the transfer station. And that is when IT HAPPENED!!! My new companion is Sister Rice!!! I love her so much!! We met for the first time when we were at the temple and we totally hit it off and prayed that we would be companions! We also told other people to pray we would be companions! And guess what it worked! Because now we are companions! We are basically the same person! We have everything in common...so here are some of the biggest things we have found out: I am the oldest of 7 kids and she is the youngest of 7 kids, We are both from blended families and both of our stepdads are named Brent, We both had a stepsister get married while we were on our mission and guess what they both honeymooned in the same place, We have the same ACT score, and My birthday is April 13 hers is 13 days later on April 26, and she is from Syracuse...which is really close to Ogden! We might have been separated at birth! We have so much common! I just love her. I haven't laughed so hard in a super long time! Well when we finally got through all the traffic and back to our area, it was time to go to supper with the Russell's. They are super nice and had crazy rambunctious children. But it was fun. Then we had to go grocery shopping and get Sister Rice all unpacked! I can already tell this is going to be the best transfer ever! Thursday was weekly planning, but we didn't get it all done because we had to go help Jennie. She asked us to come and help...well we organized all her DVD's and she is trusting us to screw things into her walls to hold them all...I am a little bit terrified to do that...I am not very handy. Then we had to go clean our car for car inspections...our car hadn't been cleaned since before the temple open house so it was in desprate need of it! We did as much as we could and then went to the Carter's home for supper. She asked us what we wanted the night before and we requested mexican food. When we got there, she told us that she had spent 6 months in Mexico learning how to cook! It was delicous...I don't even know what is was, but it was so yummy. Then we went to 4th Ward's Enrichment night. We made cute temple blocks with a picture of the Calgary Temple on them. They turned out really cute. Then we went to the Ford's so Sister Rice could meet them! When we were on our way home, we got a few phone calls. One from the Assistants asking Sister Rice and I to play the piano and lead the music at Zone Conference, and then one from the Zone Leaders telling us we were in charge of our zone's musical number for zone conference and then the District leader also called at like 10:15 and said President asked him to choose someone from the district to give a 4 min talk on obedience and he chose me. When we were saying goodbye he casually said that he was kidding, but I didn't believe him so I prepared a talk just in case. Friday was Zone Conference! It was a great conference and I learned so much as always. We did all the music and I didn't have to give a talk, but at least I was prepared. When we got home, Sister Wansgard called me with the news about Grandma Marchant. I know she is in a better place! I still called the Elders and asked them to give me a blessing just so that I could stay focused on the work! I am so grateful for the priesthood and for the blessings that is brings to my life! When we were done with that, we had a lesson with Christy. She is doing well, but she wasn't having a good day, so we had a lesson about gratitude and being thankful for the things that we have in life. Saturday we had some time to finish our weekly planning and then we had to go help Jennie again. This time we washed all her windows and light fixtures on the outside of her house. It was fun...we had some Elders there, so they kept us entertained! Then we went to the church so we could get our planners all put together. That always takes forever...But then we had supper with Sister Thomas! She is just so great! I love her! She is so missionary minded and she does great things! Her daughter Laura was there as well! She is so adorable-she is in the YSA ward. That night we had a lesson with Sister Kamenka. She had questions about the things I had studied in the Book of Mormon that morning. That was super neat! Well Sunday was a great day as always! We went to church and while we were there, we had all of our investigator lessons for the day cancel...so that was a bummer. Then we had supper with the Salleh family. Bro Salleh served his mission in Jamacia and he made yummy food. And then for probably the first time in history, we were on time to our lesson with the Fords!! They too were shocked...and since we were there on time, we were home on time! It was a great day! Sister Rice and I also love being on time for things! Well that was my week!! It was pretty great! I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving! I know our Heavenly Father loves us so much and He has a wonderful plan for us! Do what you know is right so you can gain all the blessings he has in store for you!! Thanks for all your love and support!! I sure do love and miss you all!! Love, Sister Kaitlyn Marchant