July 7, 2014
Dear family and friends,
Hi! We received transfer information on Friday and I learned that I am staying here in the Napa 4th YSA ward for at least another 6 weeks :) Woot woot! Okay, I'm calling I'm going to stay here 6 months. Well, now that I've said it out loud probably not, but that is my hope right now. I love it here! Vallejo is the best. And Benicia, and Napa (the other 2 cities we cover). The ward is small, but so much fun.
Also, I have been called to also be an STL (Sister Training Leader). That basically means I teach in zone meetings with the zone leaders and I also go on exchanges with other sisters in our zone and help them in their areas. I am excited for this new leadership responsibility and am ready to serve, learn, and grow.
My district leader, Elder Williams, is going to be training a new missionary this coming transfer! I'm excited for him :) Sister Harmer is especially excited because it means she isn't the youngest in the zone anymore haha. Another elder from my MTC generation (we came out the same time) is coming into my zone this transfer as well - Elder Rasch. I am so excited to see him! I haven't seen him since the first day I entered the field 10 months ago. Whew. Only 8 months left. Weird.
Anyway, I'm glad I get to stay, because we have loads of miracles happening here!
We set 3 baptismal dates this week with several investigators: RQ, Joseph, and Tracey. RQ is this hilarious, humble Filipino young man who just graduated from high school. Joseph and Tracey are a young couple (21 and 18) who referred themselves to the missionaries! Their baptisms are going to be in August. Pray that they will continue to desire to learn and know for themselves this Gospel is true!
This week we also dropped our investigator named Shane, and the same day picked up an investigator named Zayne. Haha. Rhymes 4 dayz. Zayne is so sweet! He is a 22-year-old man who just got out of the army and is now going to school for business.
Guess what?! Our investigator, RQ, attended church yesterday!! We asked him after church how he liked it, and he said, "I felt really peaceful. It was really nice." And gave us a thumb's up! He also said he wants to wear a white shirt and tie to church next week haha. He said he wasn't dressed fancy enough. Our ward members did a great job and assuring him he looked great and that there is always next week, as well. He also stayed for the "break the fast" and got to meet the majority of our members :) It was such a good Sunday!
The 4th of July was so fun, too! We talked to a lot of cool people, and the morning was especially fun. A member of our bishopric, Bro. McAffee, asked if we could come early to his and his wife's house and help them cook breakfast for their neighborhood breakfast. We agreed, and that morning Sister Harmer and I cooked a whole lot of eggs and bacon. We were able to meet so many nonmembers! The two we connected with the most were the McAffee's son Chad's friends - Mitchell and Maria. Mitchell had the coolest mustache I have ever seen! It really was cool. I wish I would've taken a picture with him so I can remember, but it's alright. His epic mustache will forever remain as a picture in my mind, I suppose. Mitchell and Maria had lots of good questions and we really got to know them and what they want in life.
We had to go inside early on the 4th of July - 7pm. We heard lots of fireworks, and also some gunshots...but it's alright! We were safe and sound inside our apartment.
AND! I also discovered I like something new! Deviled eggs. I tried them on Saturday when a member made them, and they were really good - I've never really liked them before, so that was cool! Also, we ate a less-active member's house (Kesa Nakatouga) yesterday and I ate the best watermelon EVER. And the best part: she gave us a huge bag to take home.
So, yes, life is good :)
We had a couple funny experiences this week I wanted to share with you:
1. The biker man. This man on a motorcycle who was probably in his 20's was driving alongside our car and then we made that awkward eye contact - you know, the contact where you're both driving and neither of you smile but you both know you saw each other? Yup. Then after that he must've thought we were cute or something because he got SUPER excited and started waving his hands at us and trying to get us to pull over. Sister Harmer says, "Write our number on a picture of the Savior and let's see if he's interested!" We reach a red light and I hand him the card with the Savior on it and say, "Hi, sir! We're servants of Jesus Christ, and wanted to leave you with a picture of Him. Please call us to learn more!" He looked semi-disappointed and confused haha. Then the light turned green so we didn't have time to say anything else to him...and he stopped driving alongside us and just drove behind us haha. That's what happens when you try to flirt with the sister missionaries. We talk to you about Jesus Christ. It's the best.
2. Me reading this sign on the side of the freeway while we're driving:
"Keep Napa County glass-winged sharpshooter free" (with a picture of bug repellent).
Me again: "What? What is that?"
Sister Harmer: "I don't know. But those glass-winged sharpshooters must be a huge problem if there's a sign that big for them."
Me: "How do we know what they look like?"
Sister Harmer: "We don't. Wait. That's dangerous! We don't even know what they look like! Oh well."
Haha...okay kinda lame. But it was funny in the moment...yeah. Sorry for that lame-o story.
3. Sister Harmer and I finished up our weekly planning on Friday outside on the grass, and there is this ice cream truck that is always cruising the neighborhoods. We hear the ice cream truck go by with its annoying "Do your ears hang low do they wobble to the floor?" song pass by. Then:
*an army of kids sprint out of their apartments and run after the truck
Kids: "Quick, catch the ice cream man!"
Haha. It was so cute and weird and funny.
To end with, please look up these scriptures in the Old Testament. They are so weird they are hilarious haha. Our investigator Joseph showed them to us this week after our lesson.
Psalms 22:21
Job 10:10
I love you all! Sorry my funny stories were really lame this week. I'll try to make them funnier in the future, I promise haha.
Choose the right this week and remember that God loves you! You are magnificent.
Love,
Sister Kolee Decker
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