One Year Older & Wiser, Too!

Monday, April 23, 2018

Burke, Virginia

I'm one year older, but I'm not sure about how much wiser I am.  I think the mission starts to deplete your brain cells. 

Mimosa the cat.

Thing that should be addressed first: My birthday!  I had a lovely birthday this year. We got up, stayed in our sweat pants and opened my present. Thanks, Ma!  I got your cereal and banner which went through a few different channels to get to me.  You sent it to Sister Ac* who gave it to her husband who gave it to Sister So* to give to us who left it at the church for us to pick which was picked up by Brother Al* and left in the kitchen where we eventually found it on top of the fridge.  Sister Merritt wouldn't let me look at what was inside.  Anyway, it was a delightful surprise!  Sister Se* came by with brownies and ice cream and flowers in the morning.  We went out to the church to do some Area Book that morning and connect to WiFi, and when we came home, the Sister Training Leaders (STLs) were at our apartment, and they tried to duck and hide, and it was hilarious because they failed.  A lot.  Sister Bargeron asked us to leave for a while so that they could surprise me later.  So we did.  We brought a birthday card to Brother Ac* (who is my birthday twin here in VA), and it said something along the lines of "The only thing that is better than your birthday is my birthday."  I thought it was fitting.  Then we went home, and there was a surprise on the doorstep from the STLs!  Shocking!  Anyway, we went to M's house and did service for her because she knew that I wanted to wear pants on my birthday.  So, we helped her move everything around in her basement because they are moving to Indiana soon.  I am the Master Commander!  She got me Chick-Fil-A for my birthday lunch.  We had dinner that night at the home of the W* family, and the P* family was there, and they brought pizza and they made me a cake and got me some nail polish.  Man, I love our ward.  This is the best.  I had a really great birthday here.  Everyone kept telling me that I'm no longer and teenager and I just wanted to laugh in their faces. I am a child.  Of God.  And mentally.

Birthday banner from Sister Kleven's aunts, uncles, and cousins on the Whittaker side. And birthday cereal from Mom.

Birthday door surprise from the Sister Training Leaders.

Birthday cake with Sister Merritt!

I was suffering from a gnarly cold this last week so we did a lot of inside work, like service and planning. 

Suffering (AKA Dying) from a cold!

We did have Zone Conference, though.  It was awesome.  We learned a lot about teaching simply and how the most effective way to teach would be.  It was educational.  I was trying not to hack up a lung throughout the proceedings, and was successful.  We had to do a lot of role playing.  My favorite thing.  During the closing song, President and Sister Huntsman started to cry because it was one of their last Zone Conferences and I was just like: "Knife to my heart!" 

We had a bunch of really great lessons with A* this week over Facetime.  He went to Missouri for a job interview, and it didn't end up working out, so he was really sad.  We don't like a sad A*.  He said that he was glad that we talk to him because it makes him so much happier when he gets to talk to us.  He is still on date for baptism on the 28th, but he missed his flight to come home so we're not sure when he will be coming home.  Hopefully sometime soon!  Or else we will have to push his baptism date.  That would probably be the wisest thing to do.  (Get it?  Wise?  I'm funny!)  (Or really stupid.) 

With cute M*!

We walked five miles the other day.  Which doesn't sound like a lot, but I am grateful for my sister missionary shoes. 

We're going on exchanges tonight with the STLs, and that will be fun. 

Sitting in the library, I am next to two teenage boys.  They are having a conversation and using slang that I don't understand.  *sigh* Youth.  I'm an old fart now, I guess.  

There is not much else to report on.  Just missionary work! 

Much love,

Me

A note from Mom:  Another huge thanks to the incredibly kind and loving folks in Burke, Virginia, who helped with Sister Kleven's birthday cereal surprise... there are so many of them! They're an awesome group of people who take care of her, love her, feed her, check on her, and make sure she is safe and happy. She loves them. I love them. Heck, we all love them! They also send me pictures from time to time with notes about how she's doing. They ask for her favorite recipes. And I've even spoken with one sweet sister on the phone - she called to say how much she loves Sister Kleven. During a recent snowstorm, another sister there emailed to reassure me that she was safe and warm. It's incredible how small the world is and how very close my children feel when they're so far away for such a long time. It's Christlike love, that's what it is.