Dancing Around on My Loud, Squeaky Carpet; Spending My Money at the Supermarket; Hot, Muggy Summers; Mosquito Biting - These Are a Few of My Favorite Things!

Monday, July 2, 2018

Burke & Fairfax, Virginia

I spent about 20 minutes writing that subject line, so hopefully someone actually appreciates it.  (It's better if you sing it.  Preferably to the tune of "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music. Thank you.)

There has been an official switcheroo in authority in this mission. President and Sister Huntsman are home and President and Sister Caplin are now calling northern Virginia home. Isn't that exciting?

 

President & Sister Caplin

Alrighty! To conclude the Tale of The Cranky Downstairs Neighbor, I would like to tell you all that we annoyed our little buddy downstairs so much that he moved out on Friday! It's been absolutely wondrous to be able to walk freely. To run! Skip! Dance! Exercise! Just kidding. I can't dance. But it's nice to know that I have the option if I so desire to. 

Sister Anderson and I spent 20 minutes today sitting on opposite sides of the room while I threw popcorn at her and she tried to catch it in her mouth. Now, popcorn is very light and and has many ridges, so the aerodynamics were not in my favor. But she managed to catch a few thanks to my and natural popcorn throwing abilities. 

Yesterday was our first day in the Fairfax Ward and I'm so excited to get to know every one better! It was Fast and Testimony meeting, so I got up to bear my testimony to help the ward get to know us faster. You're welcome, Fairfax Ward. It's been an adventure trying to figure out all the schedules and the two different areas, but we've only gotten lost once or twice and we have yet to get fired or make anyone cry. I call that a success! 

The Rolling Valley elders were pulled out of their area and replaced with sisters. They were having a missionary activity this last Wednesday for all the youth in their ward, and the day before, we were told that the activity was now ours and that we were in charge. My head kind of exploded a little bit, but everything seemed to turn out okay. We made the other missionaries help us out. At the end of the night, no one threw tomatoes at us or lit us on fire, and we didn't make anyone cry then, too! Another successful adventure! 

A little boy tripped on the leg of my chair a few minutes ago while he was running around.  He was running and then- BOOM.  Hit the ground.  I didn't even laugh. 

Virginia is trying to run us out of town, apparently. It's very hot and humid, and the mosquitoes are everywhere. I'm three mosquito bites away from beating the mission record of mosquito bites on one person. I will amount to something yet, family. Just you wait. 

A member ordered us some food for dinner, and we went to pick it up a few nights ago. We went inside and asked if they had our order ready. The look of panic on this poor lady's face was almost comical as she told us they had lost our order. I felt bad for her, so I told her not to worry about it, and they whipped up our meal right away. After leaving, we got a call from our member asking if we got the food and we told him that we had picked it up but that they had somehow lost his order. We eventually realized that I had taken us to the wrong place, freaked this nice lady out behind the counter, and stolen their food. We went back and paid for it and then went to pick up the food that had actually been ordered by the member. Now we have lots of Chinese food sitting in our refrigerator, and every time I look at it, I start to laugh. I think I'm hilarious. 

There were other things that happened this week that made me really turn to the scriptures. Normally, The Book of Mormon is the one that brings me a lot of comfort, but this week, I read a lot from Doctrine & Covenants. In section 122, verses 7 - 9, when Joseph Smith is praying in Liberty Jail and Heavenly Father answers his prayer, it says: ....if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he? ....Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever.

Love, 
Sister Kleven

PS:  Pics from Transfer Day

PPS:  Pics of Zone Kick-Off