2015 1.5.15

Happy 2015 everyone!!

It's sure crazy how time has flown. I don't know how it has happened, but I have loved every day of it. Maybe not every minute, but definitely every day. Being a missionary is really, really hard, but oh boy, it is really, really worth it.

I wouldn't trade these last 14 months for anything. I LOVE being a missionary. It makes me happy. Truly happy. :)

This week I had the longest day EVER. I have never done so much physical activity in one day before in my whole entire life. I got up today and ran, y'all. Ran. Then we rode our bikes all over hill and dale riding like crazy pants.... It's real hard to see in the dark. Luckily we had a dinner appointment that an investigator was taking us to. We almost died like 12,000 times but God's protection is real. 

This YSA is nice! It's quite different than the Gainesville YSA, but I think that I'm going to like it here. Everyone is very nice. 

We snuck out of the last hour and went to mandarin 2nd ward to recruit some little YSAs who have strayed to the family ward. IT WAS LIKE COMING HOME. Oh my goodness. You can take me out of mandarin 2nd, but you can't take mandarin 2nd out of me!! We sat next to the Chytrauses and had the most grand of times. Sister Chytraus is now our inside lady who is scoping out the YSA for us. Oh, how my soul just loves her. She's too great. 

Did I mention I have my own bathroom and closet? Life is nice. 

Hope you have a good week and you set lots of good resolutions! I actually set them this year, and I'm going to keep them....so far I've only had to catch up on one...yay! 

Love,

Sister Perkes 

Happy Birthday to me - 21!

The birthday cake Sarahjane made for me.

Sister Yeakley left the keys in the car all during district meeting.
Luckily it was unlocked.

Us and the infamous sister Hutchinson

                                Sometimes cards magically stick to doors. It's great.

Merry Birthday 12.29.14

So yall I got transferred this very day. I'm now back in YSA, but in Mandarin this time! It's crazy. Hopefully I will just stay here for the rest of my mission. I'm getting tired of packing up all my junk. It's awful hard when you're a hoarder and you just had Christmas and a birthday. My new companion is Sister Yeakley and she is from Idaho, too! She's great :) 

Best Christmas Eve ever! So much better that four dinners last year! It was a magical day! So we got up and went on a walk for exercise. It. Was. Hot. What the heck, Florida? We went caroling and then we went to the Krups. We went caroling with all the missionaries all around their big fancy pants neighborhood and softened lots of hearts. We just love that lovely family. The Krupczynskis even gave us our present. IT WAS A CROCKPOT. how STINKIN funny!! They are too much. How I love them. 

On Christmas Day we went to breakfast at president Craig's house. It was magical!! We sang songs and ate food and just had a delightful time. Except for sour puss. She was quite the sour puss and scuzzied everyone the whole time. Then the Winters dropped us off at home and we went to the Krups to get the stuff that I left there. Somehow we got roped into watching some of their home videos. We watched Zoyas baby shower and big Felix play softball. It was quite the spectacle. 

Then we went to a less actives Stokes house. She is so interesting. She believes in all these restored truths, but doesn't believe in Joseph smith. She said "He had one too many wacky tabacky  leaves in the woods." 

The we had dinner at the Canos and Skyped home! It was so wonderful! So great to see everyone! 

This week there was a wedding reception that we helped out with. It was actually Megan Fowler's best friend marrying my branch mission leader in Gainesville, who is also Megan's cousin. WHAT. I steamed 11 stinkin table cloths. If I ever see a steam again I will cry. But it did create some wonderful experiences. I set off the fire alarm. I was steaming in the hall right under the smoke detector and it went off. No one knew how to shut it off except for Brother Bisel. He finally helped and we got it all fixed. It was embarrassing, but no one died. 

I had a wonderful birthday! The Canos took me out for lunch and got me the cutest little present. They somehow found a magnet that says my favorite color is glitter. Magic! Thanks for all the thoughts, prayers, and love! Sarahjane made me a cake and people were singing to me left and right. It was a beautiful day :)

Have a great week! Love yall! 

Love,

Sister Perkes 

Merry Chrismahaunakwanzaka 12.22.14

The weather was so nice this week. It was disgusting. Every day we would walk out someone would say, "Welcome to Florida." It's out of control. December could at least have a cloud. Just one. That's all I'm asking for. Is it really too much? 

We had a great week though! It was full of lots of fun things. On Monday we went to Hannah/the commanders house and had family home evening with Sarahjane. We were running late and by the time we got there Sarahjane was already in there having a good time. We split up into groups and each talked about a commandment. Sarahjane and Sophia did word of wisdom, we did chastity, and Hannah and John did keep the Sabbath day holy. It was really fun and lots of laughs. We sang a song about chastity and it was a beautiful performance, if I do say so myself. 

This week we had THE MISSION CHRISTMAS PARTY. It deserves all capitals. It was so nice to see all of the people that I love so much. A.k.a Sister Blatter. The skits were pretty funny. Ours went pretty well, expect for when elder Perez forgot his line. It's okay though. I forgive him. We did a parody of Elf the movie and somehow I ended up writing the script. Well, I know how. But the skit was really funny and turned out very nicely.  We had the musical program and it was amazing. So many talented people in our mission! The spirit was so strong in the room. It was a beautiful feeling. There is no other way to describe it. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are so very real. 

This week sister Elliott gave a training in district meeting on our purpose as missionaries and she challenged us to each think about our own personal purpose. I think I'm starting to understand love more. I think that Heavenly Father had me come on a mission so that I could understand love. I could know what it looks like, what it feels like, and how to truly love other people. Its a lesson I couldn't learn anywhere else.

The very best part of this week was on Friday. Hannah came and got us and we went with Sarahjane and went to the hospital to see Hannah's friend Levi Gold. He's got Down's syndrome and they just found out he has cancer. He is, literally the sweetest person ever. The spirit is so strong in his room and so many people were there to love him and sit with him. 

Well merry Christmas everyone! I hope that y'all have a wonderful Christmas and remember the reason for the season! Christ truly is our Savior, Redeemer, and older brother. Heavenly Father sent a little baby to save us all and how marvelous it is to know that. I love every day of my mission and the fact that I get to share it with the people here in Florida! 

Love,

Sister Perkes 

What a Ward 12.15.14

This week was weird. Just plain weird. My creative juices are at an all time low. I had to make up two skits within the last two days and my brain is on overload. But I'll make it. I've got God on my side. 

Not much has happened since last Tuesday. We have been going to the hospital a lot. Not for us, but for ward members. Job hazards for those serving in a "newly wed or nearly dead" Ward. We went to see one lady and when we walked in and she was talking to the doctor about how she hasn't had any....um,movement... in a week. They initially lost her and couldn't find her. Turns out she was in the bathroom for 2 HOURS. Hendricks gets weirder every day. 

We also went to the ER to see a different lady. She apparently fainted whilst getting a perm. Who wouldn't? They are so smelly. So we got there and it was really nice...until she had an x ray and had to take off her bra. So there was this old lady getting naked while we were in there. It was less traumatizing than I anticipated. Hhhaaaahahhaha what is my life? 

We had the ward Christmas party this weekend. It was beautiful. We did a skit called the Shaun plump fairies and rocked it. Basically you stuff yourself full of things and dance around to the sugar plum fairy. Luckily there are quite a few ballerinas in the ward. We went to one house and there was a fountain of toole erupting from their living room. The worst part was that they had more. The skit went really well considering we had never heard the music we danced to or had a practice that lasted longer than 5 minutes. 

Caden also got baptized yesterday! He's a little boy that we've been teaching. His mom is a member and we were able to work with him and help him learn more. He's such a sweet soul! 

What a good week! Hope you have a great one too!

Love,

Sister Perkes 

Shocker of a Lifetime 12.10.14

Hello all. 

GUESS WHAT. I'm still in Hendricks! How crazy is that! They failed to mention that the moving boxes and tape were for the mini transfer....surprise! So we said all our goodbyes and all our boohooing for naught. But this is good. This is real good. I think it gave everyone we are working with a good wake up call so they will kick their bums into gear and get with the program. We did the bestest happy dance in the world we heard that we were staying. A lot of screaming and jumping was involved. Lots. 

This week was wonderful! We did quite a bit of family history and found 28 names for the youth to take to the temple at the end of this month. We have been helping Sister Hutchinson do her family work. Her great grandfather introduced Mother's Day into congress. What a claim to fame! 

This week we also went to the Ronald McDonald house and played minute to win it games with the families staying there. We had such a good time laughing and playing games. It makes me so thankful for being healthy and fine. The atmosphere is so happy and cheery in there, which I love! 

Here is our weekly southern moment:

We went to a less actives house and she had this lovely Christmas display on her from door. Complete with an ethnically diverse Holy family. It was priceless. Then we knocked on the door and it started singing. It continued to sing the whole first verse of silent night....and it did that every time the door opened, shut, or if someone even looked at it. Oh yes, I forgot. It light up, too. So it twinkled while the choir sang its little electronic heart out. 

Well I think that's all for right now. Talk to you in 6 days! Have a good week!

Love,

Sister Perkes 

Us visiting Felix (a ward member) at work. Hahahahaha. We are so mean to him

Me cleaning the pool at the Zielinskis

Putting the angel on top of the tree at a member’s house

This poem I found at Sister Hutchinsons

Us with the Zielinskis

                                              Sister Elliott let me fro her hair. It was beautiful.

...Too Short 12.01.14

This week was very short. I have no clue how it ended so quickly! We
have roughly 9 days left in Hendricks and they are going so fast.
On Wednesday the Zone Leaders sauntered into mutual with boxes and
tape with our names on it.  That is apparently how they planned on
telling us we were being shut down. It was great.

Us with our boxes

This week I went to Mandarin 2nd Ward while Sister Elliott went to the
temple. It was great to be back in my homeland. Sister Thayne, the
sister I worked with, didn't even have to give me any directions. We
got to see Theresa and Shelly and it was so wonderful to see them. How
I do love them! They are still expecting me to come back and watch A
Walk To Remember and all the Harry Potter movies. They are such sweet
souls.

We had Thanksgiving this week and we had 2 dinners! They were so yummy
and some real good southern food. Yes, please!

We also got to open up a vintage trunk this week. It was from World
War II and it was full of gads and gads of love letters tied together
with velvet ribbons. It was so cute and precious. :)

We played volleyball this week and it was quite the success! I didn't
get to use my skills since the Spanish Elders are kind of court hogs.

I can't think of anything else, so I'll just tell you about the people
we are so very privileged to teach.

Annie and Al. They are Joseph's grandparents and they alway have such
great questions. They are such a funny couple and so fun to teach.

Sarah Jane. Sarah Jane is 16 and is amazing! She just finished high
school and will be starting college soon. She is such a kind soul.

Jessica. The neatest soul ever. She has tattoos, gauges, and red hair.
She is so sweet and a wonderful cook. She is working on quitting
smoking and then she is going to get baptized.

Really we are so blessed to work with all of these wonderful people. I
love Hendricks Ave!

Hope you have a good week!

Love,
Sister Perkes

The time I tried to make divinity....ha.....ha

Crazy Days 11.24.14

I think yesterday was Monday... I have no clue what happened to this week.

Today we went ice skating as a zone. I did not fall once and I even
let go of the wall a couple of times. These little girls were teaching
me how to skate. I think the main problem was that I had NO
circulation in my legs since my jeans have become more of compression
jeans rather than actual skinny jeans. I really gotta start exercising
more effectively... We also went to the zoo!! It was wonderful! Mostly
because Sister Elliott's favorite animal is a tiger and she had never
seen one in real life. It was a good zoo, but a lot, A LOT, of
walking.

Things are going great here in Lake Butler...wow. I mean Hendricks...
but on Tuesday we babysat the office and saw on some papers that we
are being shut down. It probably looks like I'm cursed since I've shut
down my last 2 areas. Huzzah.

We had a baptism this week of a cute little boy named Joseph. He's 10
and his mom just passed away. No one else in his family is a member.
Half of them don't even speak English! He's half Jordanian. It was
such a great program. Sister Elliott bore her testimony in Arabic,
because of course she knows that language. The spirit was so strong
for the whole meeting. You could tell his mom was just so happy for
him. We also had 4 of our other investigators there! There is nothing
more wonderful than a baptism to remind you of your own or to inspire
you to be baptized. It was delightful. Joseph is too cute. He was so
excited for Saturday. He had a count down and was squealing like a
little girl all day long.

I also got to have lunch with one of my favorite souls ever! Megan
fowler from mandarin 2nd Ward came into town and we went to lunch with
her! It was so wonderful to see her lovely face again!

We went to the grand opening of Krispy Kreme this week and got everyone
in our district hats and donuts. It was a beautiful sight to behold.
That hot light gleams like a beacon in the night. Hello, 20 more
pounds. Just kidding. We haven't been back since. Self control is hard
though.

Now time for Kathy's quotes:
"...It's as fragile as a moonbeam.

It's like my heart is 200 years old going bum....bum bum... Saying I'm
too old to take care of your body!!"

Thanks for all of the love, letters, and things I've received in the
mail recently. Who knew that all I had to do was whine? Maybe I'll do
that more often :)

I hope that y'all have a good week!

Love,
Sister Perkes

Some things that Sister Elliott's aunt sent us.