Follow the Prophet; He Knows the Way!

Monday, October 8, 2018

Burke & Fairfax, Virginia

What a deliciously exciting week to report on!

To get the bad news out of the way, I was savagely stabbed by an evil man wielding a needle filled with poison. In other words, we had our flu shots at Zone Conference. I remember writing something about how horrible they were last year, but this was even worse. Sister Bloomfield (mission nurse) had to come in and hold my hand and try to take me to my happy place while they sterilized my upper arm. What happened next was awful: Bacteria was injected into my system. Not only that, but I had a strange reaction to the shot, so my arm swelled up and got all purple and puffy, and I got sick for a few days afterwards. *sigh* I tried to tell Sister Bloomfield that shots were bad, but she didn't listen. Anyway, today is the first day that my arm hasn't been sore and throbbing. I was told to ice it three times a day to help with the swelling, so I suppose it worked. But I'm a big girl. I'm simply never getting a shot again. That's all there is to it. 

#wondertwins

We went to the Bishop's house to wish his mother a happy birthday, and guess what was on their wall?? A shrine to me! It's the funniest thing I've ever seen. Now, I promise you that it's not creepy. They put up pictures of their daughters whenever one of them goes on a mission and call it a "shrine", and I've been joking that I've been here for so long that I need my own shrine. And they put it up! I guess this really is my new home. 

We met a very nice man who invited us over for a "discussion." Normally, I wouldn't agree to this (because this is the perfect time to pounce), but I felt like it would be alright. We went to his home and talked about our differing beliefs while his wife was cooking something in the kitchen. After we politely "discussed," I made our excuses and was heading for the door when I was stopped with two GIANT plates of food. Now, there were only two things wrong with this: 1) We had literally just come from eating a huge dinner elsewhere; and 2) It was a giant plate of chicken that still had the bones throughout. If you know me, you would know that I don't like to eat anything off of a bone because that's disgusting and it freaks me out. However, I sat down at their table, grabbed my fork, placed my napkin on my lap, and politely ate the chicken. It was actually really good. But I was dying because it was SO MUCH FOOD. And every time I put my fork down, the wife would say "Eat! Eat!" So, I did. Do you remember the children's book Strega Nona? I was Big Anthony that night. 

Guess what else happened this week? Brandon and Katie were baptized!! Isn't that the most amazing thing ever? I am so grateful for the opportunity I've had to teach them and support them and help them get to this point. They were baptized yesterday morning, and when they walked into the chapel to see all the people who were there to support them, Katie yelled, "Brandon! Look! We're famous!" It was awesome. The spirit was so strong as they were both baptized and confirmed. I may have teared up a little bit. We were allowed to go because we brought one of our buddies, L*, because he wanted to see what a baptism looked like. I was talking with him afterwards, and he said that it was very simple, but he could tell how important it was. Every time he introduced himself, he told people that the "Sisters were changing his life." He even made one of the members cry because he's just the cutest man ever. He watched General Conference and said he liked it because all of the speakers spoke very clearly. 

Brandon & Katie - baptized by their father! Yahoo!

Speaking of General Conference, it was awesome. We were able to go to a lot of different members' houses to watch it and feel the spirit in each individual home. We also got to partake of their individual family General Conference treats. And some of them made me cinnamon rolls because they knew it was my favorite.  So, needless to say, I gained about 60 pounds this weekend. Was it worth it? Yes. Yes, it was. Not only did my physical body get bigger, but my spiritual body grew as well. I loved all of the talks that were given and all of the insights that were shared by the Prophet and his Apostles. One of my favorite things that Elder Anderson said in his talk is, "Along with the bright colors of happiness and joy, the darker colored threads of trial and tragedy are woven deeply into the fabric of our Father's plan. These struggles, although difficult, often become our greatest teachers." 

Well, love you all! 

Sister Kleven