Week 19 I love to see the temple....4-14-14

This week has been...long.  But we had some great things happen! We always do!  That's what I tell myself every night at least.

Monday: We were told it was NOT a full pday so we did things super fast, then halfway through the day we were told it WAS a full pday! So, we kind of just chilled at a member’s home and got our hair cut and took a nap at our house. We didn't get to do our laundry because we have communal laundry at our complex and some guy was using the two washers aaaaallllll day. Dang. But I took a quick nap so that was nice!

Tuesday: TEMPLE! We went to the Oklahoma city temple!   So now I have been in a  total of four states on my mission!  Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and Oklahoma.  Too bad I had already been to all of them before. Lol   But it was super great!  It was smaller than the Sacramento temple, so that was weird.  We barely all fit in! But really.  It was like a 3 hour bus ride, they gave us the punyest lunch ever, and then after the temple we all rushed on the bus and had no dinner. Needless to say I was STARVING. But it was worth it. J

     

All of us sisters from the temple trip.

Wednesday: INSANE!  We had district meeting, had to plan for the week, and then had an appointment with our investigator who tends to take things the wrong way so we were SO worried about it. BUT IT WENT SO WELL!  Tons of potential. She had questions about things even she realized are misconceptions (skin color being considered evil? which is of course not true, polygamy..the usual) and so we explained. And then invited her to be baptized. Not yet, but maybe one day she will accept!  We had another apt but we got there late because the last one took too long so she wasn't home. L our fault.

Thursday: Our little old lady investigator who is a sweetie took us out for lunch at Pizza Hut. We then did service for her and tried to teach her a little. She says she thinks it's true, but I am not sure how much of it she understands... 

We were able to get a hold of a less active couple that we never could before! So that was great! And then we taught another less active couple and they came to church on Sunday! (and make the nastiest banana bread.)

Friday: We had NOTHING to do!  So we knocked on doors. And we knocked. And we knocked. The only people who were home were old people who couldn't hear us and Baptists. One of whom was a polite, but not interested Baptist preacher.  It was a long day. But then we had a lesson with someone so that was grand!  At dinner with the bishop he showed us a video which was funny, the bishop of all people would do that? But he is nice.

Saturday: We felt really strongly we needed to go see our neighbor Karen, so we did. And she had SO MANY QUESTIONS. it was my dream come true. And she always complements me so that makes my day!  We taught her the plan of salvation and she was into it! So that was grand!

We had the WEIRDEST LESSON EVER THAT NIGHT. Members had a nonmember over for dinner but wouldn't let us teach him but then wanted us to teach him? It was weird. On the bright side he was nice and talked a lot about smart things. idk. ha-ha

Sunday: Church. The less active couple we are working with came! We tried people but no one let us in, no one let us make a return appointment and it was just a let down. And then I had to eat fried food for dinner because their stove broke! I WAS SO SCARED I WAS GOING TO DIE! But I haven't yet. No promises :-) 

This week has been...good. Sister Taylor and I have taken to talking in accents. She is good at Mexican and I am good at Ukrainian and valley girl. 

Shocker at that one :-) hopefully this week will be better and more eventful! LOVE YOU ALL!

              Sister Taylor and I in front of the OK Temple

Life here is not that exciting.  Now that I  have amore normal comp. life isn't as crazy. Apparently Sister Payton got her ear ring STUCK in her ear! hahaha. And James was telling them how much God has changed his life and why people need to believe in him!    AHH IT makes me so happy!  I MISS LAWRENCE! SO MUCH!  But I am settling in here and will learn to love it here too.

Sister Robyn Cramer

Week 18 I'm adjusting to life in Goddard! 4-7-14

This week was...crazy. Although I guess I always say that! hahahaha!

Monday:

So we played volley ball in a sand pit and I got sand in my eye. Fun. Said no one ever. And then we had a hard time finding people to see because no one was home.   We have a fancy 2014 Toyota corolla!   But we are trying to drive less and have been told to get bikes.

                                     Sister Taylor and I

Tuesday:  

We drove out to the boonies towns in our ward boundaries to see less actives.  We went to a house that exists, but that member has never lived there.  Then we couldn't find the other house and no members were home.  And people shut doors in our faces.  That was a long and discouraging day. Especially since no one fed us.

                     near my apartment.  Yep it's Kansas

Wednesday: Weekly planning. Sister Taylor likes to do it super in depth. Then we tried a less active and a potential who told us to come back Wednesday. Her husband said no and the less active wasn't home and there was a big storm that was coming so we went home.  Except it wasn't that big of a storm at all.

Thursday:

There is a less active in our ward, her basement flooded and no one could come help her because they were at work but she couldn't clean it due to health issues, so we went and scooped all the soaked clothes out of the water for about an hour or so. BUT THEN, the only Laundromat around is out of our ward boundaries and for some reason our District Leader wouldn't give us permission!  Yet, she can't lift all the clothes. So, we got permission from the Zone Leaders.

 We had an apt with one of our few and far between investigators but she cancelled the service we were going to do for her, but we showed up anyways and taught her.  She actually read the pamphlet we left with her! So that was great.  Plus we actually had a dinner that night, first time since Sunday, so that was splendid.

Friday:
We had Zone Training.  I liked this one much better than the one they had in Topeka two weeks ago before I was emergency transferred here.  Then we had exchanges with the STL's and I went to Maize first ward while Sister Taylor stayed in Auburn hills. 

 Exchanges were great!  We went to someone who was listed as a potential investigator and she let us in! The spirit was strong and she had great questions, but then she would talk herself out of it :( bummer. Maybe one day.  We taught a girl in the singles ward,- made me miss the university ward. Oh well. But she was awesome! 

 That night we went to swing by my uncle's house since he lives in their ward boundaries and we checked up on a commitment they left with them. It was so FUNNY when my cousin answered the door... His face was priceless!  hahahah he was so excited!  And then he pulled out some pic they have of me from like sophomore year of high school! Don’t know how he recognized me from that! That was 7 years ago! Oh wow, now I feel old.  Exchanges were good though because I actually got to teach people, we rarely do in my ward because we have no one to teach.

Saturday:

GENERAL CONF! SO GREAT SO GREAT SO GREAT! I just loved it.  Especially Elder Holland. He is so bold and I needed that kick! To be bold and don't give up because Jesus didn't so we shouldn't either! Because, let's be honest, I have been having a hard week in this area. It is just hard. And I needed that. So never forget, to be bold with others about what you believe and your faith in Jesus Christ.  After we got recharge from general conference,  since we didn't have a dinner, we just worked until we went home for dinner at 8. and in that time we were able to find a new investigator (who is interesting, but that's okay) and get a hold of a less active couple we have been trying to see all week! And they said at the next apt with them they will bring a friend!

Sunday:

GENERAL CONF! We watched it at a member’s house and they made waffles. Super good!  I loved president Uchtdorf talk and the talk by...oh who was the elder who talked about missionary work? I can't remember.  But it was great! 

 We had a dinner so that was delightful and those members are great!   They talked about how they know missionary work isn't about teaching people, it's about inviting them!  So they invite all their friends to do things. So far, no success, but it is the effort that counts! We then went and met with two less active families who were actually home and one let us make an apt with them for next week! YES!

Tomorrow we are going to the temple, so that's great.  This week has been HARD, and I have been ready to just give up. But you know what; I know that Heavenly Father is there for us.  I know that we need to just keep on going even when no one will talk to us or listen to us and no one is ever home.  Why? Because Heavenly father is out there, and he just wants people to know he IS and that he loves them. I know Heavenly Father loves all of us and wants us to come unto him.

                          how they roll in Goddard.

Have a great week!

Love,

Sister Robyn Cramer

Goodbye Lawrence! Hello Wichita! Week 17 3-31-14

So, in case you couldn't guess, I am now in Wichita!  There was a sister who went home for surgery, so I was emergency transferred to take her place. CRAZINESS!  But, on with what happened last week!

Monday:

We played a card game and I won one of the rounds!  But, pday got cut short because the less active who didn't come to church (sister Meuffle) was getting kicked out of her house and we were called and asked to come and help!  So Sister Missionaries to the rescue!  But, then we were not needed and were sent back home.  When Sister Mortensen proceeded to die on our couch because she was coming down with a bout of the stomach flu. It's the curse of the trio's!

Tuesday

We had no car and were stranded at Taco Bell after district lunch, So we called Khammy to have her come pick us up and take her back to her house so we could teach her! She came, we went, and Sister Mortensen suddenly started feeling super sick and died on HER couch.  So we just kind of stayed at her house until we had to leave for dinner.  Which is when we went out with Kate Lindsay, she is  probably my favorite member of the university ward (don't tell others that though). Dinner was SO good! And then she gave me some of her old skirts she was getting rid of! So sweet of her!

Wednesday

EARLY MORNING SEMINARY!  I don't know how they do it, it's at 5:45 the crazies! I thought 6:20 was bad!  One of the Elders who went with us said it was his first time ever at early morning seminary because his was release time. Craziness!  We then had a team up all day with Andrea because she is a recent convert who is thinking of going on a  mission and wanted to spend a whole day with us to see what it was like.  And then some how I was the one who was with her all day because Sister Mortensen was not feeling well and went home to take a nap.  So Andrea and I had a good time though.  No success, no one was home or would listen to us, but hey, she wanted to know what missionary life is like, and that is it right there. Where all of our appointments for the day cancelled and we were stuck having doors shut in our face.

Thursday.

We were almost all the way through with personal study when we got a phone call from president bell.  His words "it's not you sisters, you are great. But Sister Cramer and Sister Mortensen need to pack up their bags because tomorrow you need to be at the mission office by 9 am.  Sister Stewart in Auburn Hills in going home so sister Cramer is going there and sister Mortensen is going to Pratt"  Sister Payton is still in Lawrence even though she has been there since November and was given a new comp! CRAZY!  So, all day was spent packing, making sure Sister Mortenson wasn't puking and more packing.  We were out of there by 6:40 am!  

                                             Saying goodbye is never easy

Friday: the stereo in our car was broken in our 3 hour road trip down to Wichita! Insane! Rather awful. And SUPER hard to say goodbye to sister Payton and Mortenson!  Khammy was doing great on Thursday when I said goodbye to her! She said she still wants to get baptized. Now they just need to teach her the word of wisdom because she has given up everything except smoking dang it!  Sister Payton's approach isn't the best I fear, she tries to steal her cigarettes. Which I don't think is going to do it.  But I am not there anymore, so...yeah. 

                               Saying Goodbye to Khammy.  Not an easy thing to do.

My new companion's name is Sister Taylor.  She is from Sandy Utah, likes to read and is very quiet, shy and tidy.  Which is very different from Sister Payton who is a LOT like me in the sense she is a loud walking tornado that leaves laughter and messes in her wake.  But Sister Taylor is awesome!  She has been on her mission for 13 months and you can tell by the way that she has a lack of enthusiasm for the work.  BUT SHE CAN DO IT!  I am working on helping her be bolder!  ! When I got here, NO investigators because there was award boundary change and they lost all of their investigators to the other ward.  And now?   We have two!  One was Francis and one was Karen. I am so hopeful.  I feel like sister Taylor is good because she is so shy that I feel like I have to speak and be bold,  but she has all the knowledge of how to be a great missionary that I need!  So we just will balance each other out. When I got there we got a new investigator and then had dinner at a spaghetti thing in Wichita.

                                        Me and Sister Taylor

Where we live: So our ward covers a bit of west Wichita, a kind of small town named Goddard and a bunch of little hodunk towns west.  We live in Goddard and I love it!  It is still a decent sized town and small and quaint like a Kansas town, but still nice, no accent and most people seem to have their teeth unlike most Kansas towns. So it has the best of both worlds! The best part? There are some livestock right down the street from the library. I just looked at them.  hahaha Kansas

Saturday: We knocked on LOTS of doors.  Most people said no, everyone is catholic and only one person said we can come back. But you never know!  We went to Women's conference at the Stake center, and the most awkward part? I saw my Aunt. Which is cool, but I can't focus on family on my mission! Just seeing her made me think about  home the whole conference instead of what was going on in front of me on the screen.  And then afterwards my Uncle who was in charge of making the broadcast stream in the building came and talked to me. Super weird.  The downfalls of having family who live in the mission.  On our ride home, with a member  was this sweet old lady, who never realized when a lane was ending and we almost drove on the sidewalk about 4 times! Sister Taylor thought we were gunna die!

Sunday: ONLY THREE HOURS OF CHURCH?! I couldn't believe it! it was so short.   Our ward is super great. They love missionaries, but, they don't give many referrals is what I hear.  But they announced I was new in church, they have our names in the program and what days we were not being fed so people would know to sign up. That was new.  So, we need to work on going "you love the missionaries, and that's great. Now go find people for us to teach, because that's what the prophets say members should be doing"  here's to hoping. 

Sunday night, a past investigator who is our neighbor knocked on our door after having told us earlier to never come back, and she came over to apologize! Apparently she was putting on a show for her sister and wants us to come back because she has tons of questions. Sister Taylor couldn't stop smiling!

I really love it here.  I think we were put in a trio for a week because they knew the sister was going home soon and needed to put us somewhere. Because I had felt for a while that I was going down to Wichita and probably this ward. Craziness, right? And president Bell said they had been planning to put Sister Mortensen with her current companion (because she was also her trainer). So that's super interesting. 

MY NEW ADDRESS:421 Craig St apt 7 Goddard Kansas 67052

I kinda, might of, looked over sister Taylors shoulder while she was typing, But I saw that Sister Taylor told her family I am a great teacher and I teach like I have been out longer than 3 months!   Made me happy!

I know that the church is true and that president Monson is the true prophet and I am so grateful for modern revelation.  It's there and heavenly father wants us to know what's up in this modern world!  Never forget that!

LOVE YOU!

Sister Robyn Cramer