It was a grrrrrrrreat week

Dear Family!

It was a grrrrreat week! So we went on exchanges this week, that was an interesting time though. Our poor car. Sister Casas stayed in Racine while I went to Kenosha, so she was driving our car. She may or may not have backed into a parked trailer. So now the front and back of our car is banged up. Our poor poor car. Then a bird flew into our grill and died. That was so sad. Thankfully a very kind man took it out for us :) I am such a killer. Anyways moving on. 

Thursday I did a little family history and I found the link I sent you is not our family but! I found the real one! I will send it to you when I get it more solid! Thursday, the miracles just started pouring out! Kind of how I wish our rain would! We are set out to start giving out a Book of Mormon a day like last year. That is weird that I can even say that. We just have been led to all the right places! We gave one out and then had an appointment with Tessa, she was super distracted so we left earlier than anticipated and went out contacting. We couldn't find anyone in that area, so we walked to our car and saw a couple and talked to them. We got in our car, started driving and we saw this man who the sisters used to teach. Last week when we were driving we saw him and wished we would have stopped and talked to him. Earlier in the day we mentioned him and promised we would stop if we ever saw him again. So what does Heavenly Father do? Place us in his path at the perfect time so we would see him. We stopped and we may have chased him down unknowingly to him (missionaries are not creepy). It was meant to be, He was going through a hard time and Heavenly Father wanted someone to be there for him right at that moment. 

Friday we were booked and didn't have time to go tracting, so as we were walking to our appointment we felt prompted to knock one house. So we did, Wendy answered and she just so happened to be house sitting that house. She used to have really nice Mormon neighbors and had a BOM but lost it in her move and she asked if she could have one! Yes! So we have another meeting with her this week. We have also started teaching the members the missionary lessons at 8 if we have no other appointments during that time. It has helped us improve our teaching and teaching in unity. The Spirit has been so strong in those meetings.

Saturday we had lots of miracles again, I can't even write about all of them. We got invited to the Spanish Branch's Young Women's fundraiser. It was so fun and funny. The Branch President is a hoot! I wore one of the dresses you made me that day and another on Sunday. He is super impressed with your skills. He also likes to sew and their whole family is thoroughly impressed with your skill and fashion. They made sure to make sure I tell you. I would have told you anyways, it is rather funny how much they keep bringing up my awesome family. 

Sunday was a miracle day too! We had our typical Sunday dinner with the Brigg's and the grandkids wanted us to stay but we had to go give out another Book of Mormon. We had them say a prayer with us before we left that we would be able to give one away. We gave away 3 that night! I am just in awe how we keep getting placed in people's paths! And I will keep talking about that! 

Yesterday, Memorial Day was a blast. We helped the Briggs make 6 racks of great-grandma's famous ribs. Yes I wrote that right, 6 racks. I am going to have to get you the recipe dad. They might give you a run for your money. We went to a couple more BBQs a FHE and only had 30 minutes of the night left and still no BOM. So we went to contact a referral and the weren't home. We walked up and down the street trying to find someone out. No one. We didn't know what to do. We didn't know if we had time to go find somewhere else. A little sad we walked to our car and we both looked up and this woman who wasn't there before was sitting on her porch! We went and talked to her and were just praying in our hearts. She was receptive and accepted a copy! It was a miracles. I honestly don't know how He does it, but I know he has such and amazing plan for everyone. We are all placed in certain people's paths for a reason. We just have to look up to be guided. 

Basically I have just been loving my week. So good. I also was blessed to finish the Book of Mormon again and to start again. I am studying the Spirit and how it speaks and what we need to do to be open to the promptings. It has been a rich experience so far and I am blessed to see my studies come to life as I act. There is no doubt in my mind that Heavenly Father has a plan and is in charge. All things show it, it is just up to us to see it! I love this gospel and I love my Savior. And I love sharing it! And I love you!

I love you more than all the meat in the world!

Anne

Another Day, Another Blessing!

Dear Family!

I don't know where this week has gone! I can't believe I talked to you last Sunday! Because we have the whole ward to cover we have lots of area and I feel like we are just in the car all day! I also fell like I am always full here. I take back what I said about being fed pretty well. I feel like we are being stuffed right now. Lots of good food. I gotta start running..blech. 

Tuesday we went to Sam's club and that was fun. I found a cute dress for only $10 and a shirt for $7 I say great deal. My companion got sent a skirt that didn't fit and she gave that to me too. So I did get a few good summer clothes :) 

We do have an investigator that we were finally able to teach the Restoration to. It just kept falling through but we finally got to. You could feel the Spirit very strongly. It's up to her to act. I really enjoy teaching with Sister Casas though. We mesh pretty well with our teaching I think. We both have the same desires and intents which I feel helps so much. We also got to teach Tessa, the woman with a baptismal date. Her problem last time she almost got baptized was the law of chastity. So we hit that early on and taught it this week and I feel it went really well! Which is a big benefit when it comes to teaching that lesson! So that was a nice tender mercy. 

We didn't have as much luck as I would have hoped finding this week. That is why there is a new week this week! It has been a really hot weekend. We were sweating a lot. Super humid. I keep waiting for my Wisconsin rain storms! I am going to be sad if we don't get a rainy season like last year. Sister Casas and I have been playing Phase 10 at lunch and after nightly planning. It has been pretty fun. I think I am still ahead ;) 

The Briggs are just super awesome. We always eat with them Sunday after church. Their son and his family come too. It's always a nice big family dinner. We had true Wisconsin style with brats and sauerkraut grill out. Everything minus the beer. We had a delicious pineapple too. I think I ate half of it. That is what happens when you have Sister Trent cut it! 

Crazy story! Racine prom is crazy! First off I can't believe it's the time of year. We were driving around and you could see all these super dressed up teenagers. First off this were not normal prom dressed it was like Emmy style. Limos and party buses were driving around all day. We went home and found out more. Racine goes all out. The high schools have the dance at their school and then they all go to this big hall by the lake, all of the schools. It is put on by the city. They have this read carpet, people cheering on the side and photos and it is all broadcast on TV! It is crazy! Then there is another dance and games and laser tag and food and everything until 3 in the morning! Then they all go to the dells in the morning which is a huge resort town thing. It's crazy. Outrageous. The cars pull up to the red carpet then men with white gloves open the door and each couples walks down the carpet and that is what is on tv with the interviews. That's why they go all out with the dresses. Weird.

Anyways that was the bulk of my week! I don't know why I can't think of more. I am still adjusting but I am loving it here more and more. I know the Lord put me here for a reason. I am excited to make this coming week a good week and to serve the Lord in this glorious work!

I love you more than I love last years rain!

Anne

Happy Mother's Day!

Dear Family,

It was a crazy week! A long one! I think the longest one in a while. Let me just tell you, it was crazy packing. All my stuff was in West Allis but we lived in Muskego which made it pretty difficult. But I did it! I don't know how my suit cases were so heavy, it's probably all the books. It was unreal. Everything fit just fine it was just crazy heavy. It was fun though. Thankful Racine is in our stake so I didn't have to travel far and worry about riding the mission bus. So some of these you heard yesterday but I am going to tell you again, you might need it as a reminder ;) So we live with a member. They have housed the Sisters for the past 5 years. So very long term. I was kind of nervous to live in a member's home but it is actually the best. You have a home and a family you live with. A dishwasher and a laundry machine. Lots of dishes. Toliet paper. I am living the life. I will send pics as soon as I get organized! My comp is Sister Casas. She has been out 3 months so it is weird being so much "older". Granted she is older than me. She is 23 I believe. She was baptized 3 years ago. She is super awesome. I wish I was that fearless at 3 months. She has had a crazy life, but she has come out on top. 

We have one investigator named Tessa, she has been investigating for the past 10 months. We set a baptismal date with her this week, I hope that goes well. She has potential she just needs to act. I also told you about Tim who thinks the tree of life represents cannabis... That was great. And a first. Racine can have interesting people. It really is a good place though. We are going to spend a lot of time knocking doors this week! That always brings good stories! 

I do have a funny story. One of our investigators has a son (15?) and he came in to shake our hands and introduce himself. He left and came back and asked if he could ask us something. Of course we say yes. He then proceeds to ask, " Why are Mormons so pretty?" It was quite funny and awkward. We get to work with quite a few people from Spanish branch too so I spent a lot of time in Spanish home where I don't know what is going on. 

Great, I feel like I am all out of stories. Besides me killing a cat...I am not looking forward to getting our car fixed from that. We probably won't have it for several weeks. Lots of walking ahead of us. I was super excited to skype you! I can't believe that is the last time. I think that was the hardest part about saying goodbye. It's my last one. It was so good to talk to you though! I was just crying so hard because I am emotional, not that anything is up. It was just the timing of it being right next to transfers, its an emotional time. 

It is great being a missionary, again thank you so much for all you have done to get me out here. I couldn't have done it without you! I really love this work and love where it is taking my life. A whole different direction than anything I could have done on my own! I never would trade it! I am sorry this letter is short. My brain is short. I can't think of anything else that happened that is notable. I just love you a ton!

I love you more than I love technology!

Anne

I'm going on an adventure

Dear Family!

Wow! This week has been crazy! As you are aware I got a surprise transfer. I was going to stay in West Allis longer but we have a shortage of sisters in our mission and it got surprised shut down for a while. They should have more sisters to cover it in the summer but we will have another dip in the fall. Anyways it was a shock. The hard part was telling everyone that there wouldn't be sisters. Sister Caramia just left 3 weeks ago so everyone was trying to adjust. I think it about broke Tina's heart to hear that. That was the hardest part. I was able to tell her just fine but as soon as I started talking about the people who were going to come visit I just started bawling. It was hard, really hard. I feel like crying just talking about it. We will be having our last supper with her on Tuesday night. Needless to say, I will need some tissues. I have been fine leaving all my other areas, I think it is because it was so unexpected and shocking. I could feel all the other ones. It was hard telling Fred too. He is a returning member and the sisters have just helped him so much. I sure hope the Elders here take good care. We both had full loads of people we were working with and they ride buses. I made a lot of good friends in this ward. I have loved my time in West Allis.

It didn't help that is was fast and testimony meeting. I decided to just not get up. Then, you know the burning started and I had to go up. I barely made it through, but I did it. Actually your words mom rung through my head. Right before we moved from Fox Hollow you said, "Anne, you better bear your testimony, this is your last time here. You'll regret it if you don't!" So I did it here. Granted I did not do it in Fox Hollow and honestly don't regret it :) but maybe you said those words for now ;) We closed with "I am a child of God" I may have cried then too. After people noticed I was crying and came up and asked if I was leaving and I had to explain and cry harder. I have made it clear to this point without crying in church. No shame! Sister Stewart too, I am going to miss her. She is the sister's best friend. I love her. She was like our 4th companion (3rd is the spirit) So many people. I hope you know I am dragging you back here for a road trip next summer. It is also pretty hard to pack considering I don't actually live at the apartment my stuff is at. I have never had this difficulty.

However I do know that the Lord has a plan for me and for the people I am leaving here and the people I am going to. I will work hard to fulfill my purpose in my new area. By the way did I tell you where I am going? I am going to Racine. My mission appears it will stay on the south side of Wisconsin! Which is good because in June I can go to the temple again! I am super happy for that! We can go only every 6 months and if we live within 2 hours driving distance. Racine is pretty close to the border.

I have a funny story for you mom. So Sister Green has been in shock with your sweet sewing skills. She saw my bag matching my pjs and freaked out. Then my gray dress. So the other day I came out in the orange and white polka dot button up dress. She sarcastically said, "I bet your mom made that too, right?" Thinking she got me this time. She admires you a lot mom.

I can't believe it is May. I also can't believe I had to remind you we are skyping Sunday. I hope you two get that worked out with how busy you are. I am in shock with how fast time is going. It is precious. I really love being a missionary. It is hard especially at times like this when you have to leave those you love, but I know I am needed else where. This is such an exciting work to carry forth His gospel. Nothing I would rather do at this time. I love this work and I love this gospel! I love you all so much and I get to talk to you soon! Get some questions ready for me if you want to know anything. I go pretty blank minded!

I love you more than I love technology! Talk to you soon!

Anne