Week # 4 Crazy Post Christmas 2013

FAMILY and friends!

First things first, Mom the package you sent was in our mail the 26th.  And it was all delightful! especially since Sister Payton and Sister Taposoua had both caught a cold that very day DAY and the tissues were a must need.  So we all thank you for that.  They both think your Rice Krispy treats and Peppermint Bark are the bees knees and I am a lucky sister to have that mailed to me. Muwahaha.  So thank you very much.  I don't know what my address is, we moved AGAIN on Saturday! CRAZINESS!(that makes 3 times in 10 days) I had just gotten finally settled in our last apt, when they took our assigned area off of the second ward, and we were living in the outskirts of the second ward.  Now we are covering the first ward and the university ward, so we moved closer to the first ward into a teeny apartment (the last one was nice a big, this one, not so much)  needless to say, I have no idea what my address is.  My tummy was no bueno for a while because you know it gets when I move sometimes. .  But I am better now so all is good, no need to worry about that anymore.

   Me with my Christmas Stocking  you sent

 Sister Payton and I with Antlers on  Christmas Eve

 

 The Oreo Challenge on Christmas eve.  I failed.

Time for my strange experience of the week. None of you may believe this but,  on Saturday we became besties with COPS! One of our investigators was getting arrested (i know right? welcome to sketch town, jk she is awesome) and she called us to come see her and pray before she went to jail.  So we did.  wikki wikki whhaaaat?! Actually the cops were super nice, I wish we had become besties.  cuz I liked them.

Now back to my regular life  

       I am doing well.  It's been interesting that we have moved so much, but it adds character.  working as a trio of sisters has been interesting as well.  We taught this one guy who is notorious for saying that he is done talking with us, and then asking for us to teach him again.  When we were with him he said it was the last time, and then he texted us later saying he wanted to meet again.  Apparently he has been an investigator for over a year and been on date to get baptized like twice.  They call him a eternigator. (eternally an investigator)  James (the guy who made sister Payton the scarf) gave us super hard hitting questions last time. I kind of liked it, because it was interesting to get tested, but Sister Payton said he was being a pill.  The sad part is that I could totally tell he couldn't feel the spirit.  What a bummer. We are also teaching (sort of) a guy who had removed his record from the church but now is struggling to come back because he realizes that his life is better when he lives the gospel.  Because of that his baptismal date isn't till 2015.  the reason he struggles with living the gospel is because he is gay.  I think he's awesome! I love that guy!  he's super funny and he has a really strong testimony and for him it's not if the church is true or not, because he knows it is and has a great knowledge of it, it's more about how hard I imagine it must be for him to be alone in life, or the other choice which is be happy on some level and not alone now but not be happy  on other levels now or later.  I give him points for trying.  Because that would be so hard.

         We got fed by this Italian family (as in they moved FROM Italy two years ago) so I can say I have had authentic Italian food! IT WAS SO GOOD!  Watch out Kansas I am moving to Italy! Jk, I am not.  I love Kansas!  Although It is SO FRIGID, it is great!  The people are awesome!  I love the buildings here!  The buildings look like we are on the east coast, and I love that kind of architecture.  So it's great.  

        Now for my don't be stupid story of the week.   So the Elders drove into a ditch on Christmas day, and we got to watch!  Well, sort of.  I didn't, but Sister Payton saw it happen in her rear view mirror.  Then we stood in the cold and tried to help them for an hour before some random nice stranger pulled them out.  Well I didn't help them, they told me not to try because clearly, we all know I am not really worth much of anything in the way of strength.  But it was funny.  Sister Payton likes making fun of the Elders for getting into that situation (because they were fishtailing on the ice on purpose before they fell in the ditch)  I just stood in the corner and giggled. Our Christmas Dinner we got fed by a family that makes more from scratch then we do! So that was interesting. (since we had that big discussion  at home about how we make almost everything from scratch for Thanksgiving dinner)

  Sad News,   EVERYONE is going home these days, or at least it feels like it.  Our district leader is going home for personal reasons (i know why, and it's super weird, so we will leave it to that) and his companion is going home due to family drama or something.  So I started out in Lawrence when there was 3 sets of Sisters and three sets of Elders, now there will be two sets of Elders, a trio of Sisters and a set of Sisters. WEIRD.  (there were two districts, so now there will be one, which was everyone i showed you the pic of anyways)  Sister Payton is great.  She is funny and sassy and has been opening up more, so that's good.  It's interesting because she is athletic and crazy (for some reason i have been real calm while out here, calm for me at least) and then there is me who has been pegged as the nice, optimistic, gentle one.  I will take it.  Whatever.  And the nerd, for obvious reasons.  She asked me if I would be offended that she has never read or watched Harry Potter, I told her it was cool, it's not like we will like all the same things anyway.  Sister Tap. is also awesome.  She is so sarcastic that I can never tell when she is serious, but she is fun.  The thing you would not guess, because she is such a tomboy (she is the youngest of 7 boys) is that she is her daddy's little princess who adores him.  I think it's cute, but interesting since she is the only one out of the three of us who has never not lived at home before.  

All 3 of us on Christmas day.

     Crazy Coincidence moment, Sister Payton and I found out that we were in the same BYU I ward Relief society (and ward clearly) my first semester. WHAAAT?! I even went in her apartment because her room mate was my Visiting Teaching companion.  If I think REALLY hard about it, I vaguely remember meeting her.  We talk about the same people we knew, but we didn't know each other. CRAZY OR WHAT?!

            I can't really think of much else to talk about.  Things are crazy, but we are planning on reaching out to less actives this week. OH and I get to speak in the university ward the second Sunday of January.  Excitement.  I taught the first lesson to members last night.  sister Payton siad I did great, but I think I did awful! Which leaves lots of room for improvement.  We are going to Topeka today for p-day to play volleyball with the rest of the zone. that should be fun. they deal with my lack of athleticism, which I appreciate.  I hope you all have a great week and a LOVELY new years!  (we don't know who is feeding us,t he signed up as mickey mouse so it is a surprise!)  I LOVE YOU ALL! I hope the police thing didn't scare you!

Love,

Sister Robyn Cramer