2.24.14

You heard from me 6 days ago. I don't really have a lot to say... 

Not much has been going on... I've just been being
a missionary. It's pretty exciting. 

This Friday it rained really hard. We were doing weekly planning so we went out on the porch and watched it rain. It was so beautiful!! It was strangely fun.

THE RAIN!!!

We also had a Relief Society activity this week where they made healthy smoothies. They used a blendtech and all I could think of was those dorky YouTube videos that we used to watch all the time. I kept thinking, "Healthy Food dust. Yuck. Don't breathe that!" But really. The whole thing was like a call to repentance to not be addicted to sugar. I felt half bad, but not really. I like my sugar and my sugar likes me. Plus I tried that whole no sugar thing. It was like something straight out of a horror movie. Sister Perkes with no sugar= evil rage monster who just wants a cookie. 

This Sunday Sister Stockett and Sister Donohue had a baptism. Joanna was baptized and it was so wonderful! We sang two songs and they were great! We sang Joseph Smith's First Prayer to the tune of Come Thou Fount and then we sang I Am a Child of God. It was so Spirit filled. 

After that we went to this wonderful family's house named the Christophers. They have seriously the cutest kids I've ever seen. We walked in and their daughter had on pink Minnie Mouse jammies with a peter pan collar. I knew we were going to have a great time. The food was divine and those kids are hams. Emma, their daughter, just wanted to play with us and for us to hold her. Let me tell you, we wanted nothing more than to hold her. There was this point where we were sitting at the table and she started to crawl into Sister Stockett's lap. Sister Stockett had no idea what to do and I was sitting next to Sister Stockett and I had NO idea what to do. So Sister Stockett is just sitting there squirming and freaking out a bit and I start to try to grab Emma, but that's against the rules too. So we are just sitting there going, "ahhh ahh ahhahhhhahhh ahh" and being all awkward. I've got my arms out and Sister Stockett looks like someone is about to chop her arm off. Then I just start screaming, "RED ALERT!! RED ALERT!!" and Sister Christopher comes over and gets her. It was so awkwardly sad and terrible all at the same time. 

That is the excitement for my week. 

That is it. Have a good week!

love,

Sister Perkes 

I Have Once Again Dodged the Bullet 2.17.14

Well. I'm not getting transferred and neither is Sister Jeromchek! We will continue to serve in the Mandarin 2nd ward! Huzzah! We DID get another set of missionaries in our ward though. That makes FOUR full time missionaries and one senior couple in our ward. Yes, just one ward. It's crazy and terrifying. What is life right now.

This week was really great! It seems like it went by really quickly, but at the same time it seems so long. How we fit this much stuff in, I don't know. 

On Tuesday we went to a family's house and had a family home evening/mini talent show. It was really fun! Everyone (well mostly just the missionaries) had to come prepared with a talent. Sister Jeromchek did her ballerina thing and I sang a duet with Sister Donohue. Then it got to some ward members who had come, but had not brought a talent. The next thing we know we are ALL playing Little Sally Walker. If you are unfamiliar with this game it includes standing in a circle with one person in the middle walking around, clapping to a beat and singing/speaking, "little Sally Walker, walking down the street. Didn't have a partner so she stopped in front of me and said, 'Hey girl do that thing do that thing. Swap! Hey girl do that thing do that thing swap!'" And whoever little Sally Walker stops in front of has to dance and... YOU KNOW WHAT. Just YouTube it!  I'm sure there is some epic rendition of Little Sally Walker on there. Well anyways. We ended up playing this game and it was the funniest thing you've ever seen. Grown men and young women alike. They were all playing and it was darn tootin hilarious. 

Valentine's Day was super special. We woke up and did our weekly planning. Sister Jeromchek also had her last conference call!! It's crazy that I'm done training and so is she! What will I have to whine about now???? I'm sure I'll find something, don't worry. I made Sister Jeromchek this lovely Valentine that we actually acquired from Albert Sluus (the man who gave us all the candy and the singing Christmas socks). 

Saturday was probably the funnest day of my life. We threw a "surprise" birthday party for Sister Hairel!!! It was unicorn and Star Wars themed, which are her two favorite things. It was so much fun and we are all pretty crazy... well crazy for Sister Missionaries. We played charades and Sister Stockett and Sister Jeromchek are the funniest charaders I've ever seen. We had such a great time. Lot's of pictures will be included. Don't fret.

Sunday we had a really great fireside called, "Why I Believe" which was where some recent converts in our ward spoke and bore their testimonies and told their stories. It was wonderful and very much full of the Spirit. One man said, "Just because we have consequences doesn't mean that God loves us any less." I really loved that and it made me think of all the people that I have met out here that think God is vengeful and angry. They don't really see him as a Heavenly Father, and that makes me sad. God is loving. In fact, God IS love. I know that and I love that. 

I hope everyone has a good week!

love,

Sister Perkes 

We made her hide in her room while we decorated, so it WAS a surprise

me and Sister Hairel

We gave Sister Hairel her own tupperware for her birthday. She kept giving us food and we kept forgetting to give back the containers, so the only solution was to wrap them up and give them as a present. We also gave her a unicorn necklace too. Don't worry. 

Me and Sister Hairel's cat Indi. We had a moment. She usually hates me, so this was a miracle. 

Birthday fun!

The pollen in the pond outside our window where all of the duck rivalries go down. 

I've been waiting for this. For a LONG TIME. 2.12.14

Well y'all read it.

Sent from my iPad

Yes. Read it. We finally got our iPads. I love it, but at the same
time I don't. I love it because I'm sitting here, in the mall, eating
chic fil a, and typing up this email. I don't love it because now we
have to put our area book in here and we never have wifi, which is
highly inconvenient.
This week we had a zone conference to get out iPads and it helped me
see what an incredible tool we have just been given. These iPads
aren't to just have fun on, they are meant to hasten the work of
salvation. We have been given them because of the obedience of this
mission, and it is our responsibility to maintain that standard and
use these tools wisely so that The Lord can trust us.
This week we also had trade offs! It was wonderful and I got to go
with Sister Heslington in her area. It was great! Especially since I
didn't have to drive. I still don't like to drive and I like it even
less here in Florida. No one uses signals and not a soul in this good
state of Florida knows where the crosswalk starts. If I was walking or
riding a bike I would constantly fear for my life. They are no
respecters of crosswalks.
This week felt like it went on for an eternity. I swear it's been at
least a month. This is my last regular p day before transfers. We
shall see how that goes down.
This week we went to see the lady who couldn't open her door. Did I
tell you about this? I would like to think so since the story is darn
tootin hilarious. But anyways we went to go see this lady, who never
ever remembers us, and she couldn't get out of here door, like
legitimately locked in. I tried to help her, but efforts were futile.
She eventually walked away and we did too. Last time we went and
knocked on her neighbors door and she told us that the lady has really
bad Alzheimer's. That makes sense. Apparently her son locks her in her
apartment because she used to go outside and wander around. This story
just got really sad...... But now when we go visit her we see her
through the window. There's a good mental image for you! You're
welcome.

That's pretty much all the exciting things this week. I'm loving being
on a mission. It's the best decision I've ever made. I. Love. It.

OH YES. I FINISHED JESUS THE CHRIST. Holy cow, it was good. I loved it
and I'm going to read it again, but most likely when my brain calms
down. It needs a break after that.

Have a dapper dandy week!

Love,

Sister Perkes

P.s. Happy valentines day! I still haven't decided who is going to be
my valentine. It's between Sister Jeromchek and the squirrel in my
tree. It's a pretty tight race, but I think I'll take Sister
Jeromchek. She says some funny things and the language barrier between
me and the squirrel is pretty rough.... Still up in the air. Or should
I say, tree. ;) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. I'm so funny.

Sister Jeromchek is thrilled beyond words at having an ipad AND eating at Chick-Fil-a

OR

She's worried Laura will choose the squirrel....

2.3.13

This week was really fun! I can't quite remember what we did, but it sure started off with some very interesting things. 

I have a funny, yet rather sad story to tell you. This week we went and saw the man who gave us the singing Christmas socks again. It was very interesting. This time he showed us around his 1.3 acre lot, which has about 12,000 buildings on it that he has either built or reconstructed. He has acquired quite a few of them from other places. There were lots.. and lots of bugs. 

So we rounded up some lawn chairs and sat down to have a chat. This fellow is 82 and he brought is walker out. Apparently he meant to sit on that, but when he went to sit down his wheel was in a hole. He. Went. Sideways. There was no stopping it. He just went down. In rather slow motion. I tried to help him, but I DIDN'T KNOW HOW!!! Any who. There he was. I expected him to stay down. Maybe do a quick check of all his vital parts. You know, make sure they were still working and all. NO. That is not how he works. He barrel rolled right back up! He wasn't even on the ground for two seconds! In the midst of his literal down fall he lost his slipper and had to go back and retrieve it. As I type this I am laughing. I cannot even begin to tell you how funny it was and how much self control was it took to NOT laugh. It was a lot. Sister Jeromchek and I reinacted it when we were at Sister Hairel's house and it was still really funny. I thought Sister Hairel was going to pass out from lack of air. It was great, which leads me to my next point!!! 

BIRTHDAYS!!!! It was Sister Jeromchek's birthday on Thursday. She turned 20. Wow she is old!!! (wait.. that's how old I am) Sister Hairel threw her a princess themed birthday party! It was wonderful and there was cake. So I was tickled about that. Sister Hairel is the master party thrower. We had crowns, wands, AND rings! Watch out world. I am sooooo grateful for Sister Hairel. I love her A LOT. 

That's all I got. Zone conference is this week, which will contain a very special present for a very technology deprived Sister. She will be happy. This zone conference even has it's own theme song. More next week!

love,

Sister Perkes 

CAKE!!!  I LOVE CAKE!!!

This is MiMing. He is the fattest cat I've ever seen. His name means "cat" in Taglog, or whatever language they speak in the Philippines. The owners of this cat fed me this very yummy stuff. It was green and apparently had tuna in it. Whatever it was it was DELISH. I've come to the great conclusion that I love Filipino food.  

My brother John sent me 600 (!) crackers and Nutella!  What to do? First a photo op, then enjoy.