Week 3 (4/22/13)

Hey everyone! Thanks for all the birthday wishes!! It was fun to be here for my birthday, but a lot different. 

We left in snow on Monday. It was heavy snow as I'm sure you all woke up to on the ground. I thought it was amazing and totally awesome, others did not. Hahaha optimistic attitude comes in handy a lot of the time. :) 

The plane ride was great. We had a lay over in Atlanta and I was tempted to go run the streets looking for Elder Miller.... that was our reality check though. We went to get some food and all people would do was stare at our name tags. It really scared us. One woman almost ran into the person in front of her she was staring so hard. We were treated differently. Not in a bad way, but just really really different. It was really hard for me. I almost just wanted to cover my name tag and lose the skirt. But I am a representative of Jesus Christ, and I do not take the lightly. I always said that I wanted to have a sign on me and said I'M A MORMON. Now I do, and it's not what you would expect. Or, it probably is because ya'll are much smarter than me (did you see that? I used that word again...). 

Ok... I'm going to fast again.
For Relief Society on Sunday we had a speaker. FMary Edmunds. Look her up. She is Carrie Neal EXACTLY! It was almost creepy. Slap 30 years on her and they are twins. Now you all know that is a really good thing because we love Sister Neal so much. You can imagine how spiritual and entertaining it was.

One of the things she said was- 

(while holding up her super large missionary journal with tears in her eyes) "Think of how many people and experiences you will miss." That hit me hard. If you are called to serve and you don't fufil that duty to the best of your ability, you may miss people. That is on your head. If they don't hear the gospel from you, who are they going to hear it from?

She also said- 

"If you've thought about going home do what President Uchtdorf said and STOP IT!"

"You will NEVER regret this mission if you put your heart into it."

I wish you could look it up somehow. It was just amazing. 

For music and the spoken word they played A Sound of Music song. I thought of you mom and Kathryn :)

On Sunday we left. We cried for a long time when we had to say goodbye to our Elders. A handshake is just not enough when you come to love these amazing Elders so much. They gave us beautiful blessings and we all just sat and talked. It really was heart breaking. Sister Lee and I cried for a while.

Oh Sister Lee. I miss her so much I cannot even explain it. :(

Also- doesn't Sister Lee look like Sister Kingman? You know she does.

This word is WAY too small I've decided. I don't even think I have time to go over all of the coincidences that I have found already here.

After our first night at the mission home we had a huge long meeting. At the end of those meetings we got to meet our companion. It's very dramatic and special. It's almost like a reaping. They call your soon to be companions name (but you have no idea) then everyone waits in anticipation and they call your name. Dramatic. I know. The Elders hug and I swear they get hand prints on their backs. The Sister Smile and Giggle. Hunger Games, but happy.

Everyone knows Jordan! I can't tell you how many good things I have heard. Someone needs to tell him, someone tell Danny to tell him. Then someone watch as Danny does it because he probably won't. They love Jordan here ;)

I rode a bike with a skirt on for the first time. That was interesting. I did it though! 

My 3rd day actually in Florida we went to a members house for dinner. She is one of the coolest people I have ever met. Her conversion story will blow your mind! I don't have time for it though! I started off meeting people in the right house!!

I am serving in Naples. I forgot to mention. It is as far South as you can get in our mission. My first day was different. We drove for 3 hours with the bishops wife to get to our area.

Everything is messed up right now. We aren't even living in our area and since they just split it all up we are opening a new area. It's been hard and messy work. I haven't even tracted yet because we have so much work to do.

I'm loving it here though! It's amazing the love that you can feel towards people you don't even know yet!

I don't like being 20. It's way too old. Hopefully I'll get over it by the time I turn 21.

My companion made me cupcakes and we had district meeting so everyone sang to me. It was pretty awesome :) 

I still feel like I have so much to say!

A few more things-
They had a speed limit that was 19... weird

EVERYONE HAS DOGS! You could even say everyone and their dog has a dog. That would work. 

We have gotten Lemonade with every meal! 

My milk in my cereal goes lukewarm before I'm done with it.
I saw my first cockroach. 

Got my first bug bite.
Got my first sunburn (I was outside for literally 5minutes) 

And it's HOT and BEAUTIFUL here!

I love you all!

Sister Calder