Goal setting is an act of faith; We follow up simply to count the miracles

November 19, 2013

The only picture I can procure at the moment from Halloween. I was Jessie from Toy Story 2, Cassell was Esmerelda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. We're not allowed to tract on halloween, on account of this is Tacoma and so pretty much we're gonna get shot. So we were required to listen to the gunshots from the safety of the church building with all the missionaries in the Tacoma East zone from 3-9pm. 6 hours is a long time to entertain a bunch of 18 year old Elders, so my comp and I planned out a plethora of activities (one of which was carving oranges, see picture) and made about a bajillion snacks. We over estimated the hunger level of the Elders though so we had 2 pans of cupcakes, 1 pan of cookies, and a pan of rolls left over. We walked around the next day and gave them to the homeless. Having been in the same area for 4 transfers, I'm pretty much on first name basis with all the homeless people in the greater Tacoma area. Also all the Cambodians. I love love love talking to everyone but that means I'm talking to about 200 people a day everyday for 6 months so I'm running out of people I haven't already invited to learn more. I am legitimately making round 2 on all these people who are like, yeah you've already prayed with me and given me a book of mormon back in June, don't you remember? What I really need to start doing is asking the cambodian ones if my grammar and pronunciation has improved at all since the last time I contacted them. But then there's the awkward times where it's like, yeah you've already tried to teach me in Cambodian and I'm still Marshallese/Korean-black/Laos/PuertoRican-Chinese so I still don't understand you. This happens more than I would like to admit.

The latter picture is the most unattractive thing I've ever seen and therefore I plan to print out copies and distribute them among the investigators and fellow missionaries. If this doesn't shake their testimony, I think it's safe to say that nothing will. In the black is Cassell, my former comp who still is in my area and teaching the people we used to teach but with a new comp, sister Packard (in the blue). It is so weird for me. They're talking about investigators that used to be mine too and it's hard for me to hear about it later and not be a part of it. Also I feel like I'm being broken up with because I call like the day after transfers and the voicemail message is changed and the text signature doesn't have my name on it and I can't help but feel like HOW COULD YOU MOVE ON SO FAST. Except obviously this is how it works in missionary work, you get transferred and it's fine.. minus the unusual situation of I still see my old comp and old investigators everyday and they just have someone new now. Sniff. But I have plenty to do to stay busy so occupying my mind is the best way to move on! In the white and yellow is one of my posterity, Sister Walker. I think Sister Dunster is directly behind Cassell so that's unfortunate that you don't get to see her too but when I find my camera cord I'll send pictures that I took instead of ones other people sent me because they thought I looked funny. These two are from our Zone Leader Fish, who was in a car driving away and zoomed in super close to try to get a candid of our group but I spotted his sneaky behavior, hence the pointing and the face which translates to, "I see you, you fiend". Also besides that I just look like this on a fairly regular basis.

Well those were meant to be brief picture captions and as it turns out, each could be their own chapter book series for young adults.. so look for those published in a kindle bookstore near you.

In other news, our reunion was a great success. We had 70 people there, it was such an interesting mix because we had people come who had told us they wouldn't go, and people who drove 1.5 hours just for the event, when there were people who lived 5 mins away and said they'd come and make 100 egg rolls for it and then didn't show. Don't worry though, we went and visited those people and they gave us some of the egg rolls. I creepily took pictures of people the whole time on my storm trooper pentax, so we could know who was there and who came in what groups and was friends with whom. Last night we sat down with an elderly couple who used to work in the branch and went through the pictures with them so we could connect names to faces and find out the background stories of the people who were there, including how active they were initially, where they were living now and who they still keep in touch with from the branch. That was equal parts helpful and hilarious, because they sat and bickered over every person that was brought up (ie they disagreed on what their name was, how many kids they had, what callings they held, why they stopped coming to church etc). Considering the amount of eye-rolling that occurred between them in just those few minutes, it's a marvel that after 50 years of marriage, their eyes haven't rolled out of their skulls.

Lastly I gave you the wrong address. This is so uncomfortable.

7227 13th Ave Ct E apt #21

Tacoma, WA 98404

All the numbers are the same but the difference between Ave Ct. E and Ave is randomly significant because in Tacoma those addresses are completely across town from each other. I do not understand how this is possible. Also, there's a 13th St E, a 13th St Ct E, a E 13th St, and then on the other side of Tacoma there's a 13th Ave S, 13th Ave Ct S, a 13th St S, a 13th St Ct S, and a S 13th St. If anyone knows who created the Washington street system, please alert me immediately so that I can send them a strongly worded letter, along with an invitation to learn more about the gospel. Which, chances are, I've already extended to them at some point over the last 6 months anyway.

(Anyone notice how I just brought it back full circle?)

I've been in the WA-TAC 25 weeks, and the church is true here too!

-Sister McQuivey