“So apparently, the Beatles are actually the 3 Nephites.” (week 9)

Things are looking up friends and family! We got our car and phone back! That was a crazy time. Monday after all the P-day activities (bowling and frosties:), we just kind of had to go home when it got dark because we can’t really be wandering around at night with no phone and no car. So as we were at home trying to figure out how we were going to get through the week, who shows up but President and Sister Varner with a phone! They have such busy lives but they saw my SOS email and came to the rescue.

Tuesday we didn’t get too much done. We biked to district meeting, then went to Chipotle as a district, then we visited a less active, then it was dark so we had to bike home and so studies. Pretty exciting.

Wednesday was a good day. I felt motivated, so we biked up to the Old State Capital and did service there. Some women from an African American group came through, and we, along with Miss Caroline who like helps run the place, were able to give them a tour of the building, focusing more on the slave point of view of the civil war, because it is in that building that Louisiana decided to leave the Union. It was very cool and we talked about acceptance and love. One of the women is doing her doctorate project or something on women in religion, and she asked us some questions and I was able to defend the church and testify of the great role of women in our church, and the love that God has for his daughters. It was a very cool moment. Then we ate lunch and did some street contacting in the city, then biked home. Then Ashley picked us up and we went to C’s house, and we were able to put her back on date to be baptized!! November 25^th!!!! I am so excited for her! She was on date for last month, but she just wasn’t quite ready then, but she is ready now and will have had all the lessons by the 25^th! She already totally identifies as a member and it is so sweet.

Thursday was exchanges with the STL’s and it was LIT. I went with Sister Brown who is hilarious. We did free speech alley again. Then lunch and comp study. Then we had a dinner appointment with a cute 23-year-old couple, then we went to a meeting about how to help the homeless. Then we went to a non-denominational church service with a LSU investigator, and it was cool. They sang songs and prayed a lot, but the talk was about serving missions so HEYYYY:)

Friday was when we got our car!! I missed that thing. After we got it we visited M J, and got to hear some pretty fun stories from her. Turns out, the 3 Nephites were members of the Beatles. Then we had a dinner appointment at Sister Guidroz House. She really likes my voice, so she made me sing for her. It was kind of awkward.

Saturday went in no way according to plan, but it was okay. Instead of serving at the African American History Museum, we went to Cat Haven. Then we decided to visit some former investigators. We said a prayer, and I looked through the list and picked out a few to visit. None of them were home, but we tracted around their house and found a new person to teach at each location! Then that night we did girls night out with the LSU sisters and went to dinner at 5 guys. It was nice.

Somehow, Sister Guidroz figured out how to get me scheduled to sing in church last minute, so I sang Be Still My Soul in sacrament meeting. I actually was asked on Saturday, but still that isn’t a lot of warning. Thanks Chris Harmon for sending me off prepared! It went really well. But my goodness, after church was a weird time. Those that have a weak stomach might want to skip to Monday. 

Michelle’s cat died, so she asked us to help her bury it. The problem is; the ground down here is filled with roots and vines, and we are too weak to cut through them with the shovel. So we called the Elders and they digged the holes for us. Those troopers! Another problem; The box that the cat was in was way too big to ever get in a hole, so we had to pick up the dead stiff cat, with blood coming out of its nose, and put it in a garbage bag. It was gross. True missionary work right there. After we got him all buried, the Elders left, and we had a funeral. Michelle sang a very spirited southern gospel song in its entirety, then we prayed for her, then we left because it still smelled pretty bad.

Monday was proselyting Monday because this week is transfers, and pros Mondays are always the longest I hear. I agree so far. We did have an awesome time volunteering at this old war ship, the USS KIDD, that has been turned into a museum. Then we taught an investigator, then we visited a woman in a rest home. She had a dream that Baton Rouge was going to be hit by a 50-foot wave because of iniquity, so I better get to preaching repentance. She talked about the voodoo witch that she used to live with, that was spooky. Then we tried to track down some people, for hours, no luck. Then at home we were waiting for transfer calls. We didn’t get one, which means we are staying. But Sister Beck from our apt is leaving, and we are all pretty sad about that. I am going to miss her. We had a good little heart to heart, and I am still just a little bit teary about it.

That’s my week!! Things are getting both better and harder, but I am getting stronger. I love you all and I pray for so many of you by name every night! If you want to talk about anything, please don’t hesitate to email me. I love you!!!

Out of context quotes;

“So apparently, the Beatles are actually the 3 Nephites.”

“Have you ever wanted to get away from the missionaries so much that you turned into a mosquito?”

“Oh we love burying your cat. NO THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEAN! DEATH IS SAD!”

--
~Sister Danielle Reid