8/5/2013

Helllooo everyone.

This week was crazy, as usual. I'll just go through it chronologically.

FRIDAY

We went to a ward party in La Verkin. While socializing with people (one of my favorite activities...not), we ran into this older couple. They look at me and say "Hey, how do you pronounce your name?" I tell them and they're like "We had some really good friends named Peart back in North Carolina. Ed and Jeanie."

For those of you who are unaware, those are my grandparents. So I, obviously, am super excited and explain which of the billions of children is my parent and so on and so forth. We talk about how I need to talk to their son when I get back so he can give me a job, and other fabulous things like that.

It was crazy! I guess I've been keeping that in the back of my mind, because, when I got to talk to my dad for a couple minutes in the airport on the way here, he mentioned that there were family friends in St. George. I knew I wouldn't remember the name, but he said it was ok because they'd recognize my name. I just never thought I'd run into them in La Verkin, of all places. Turns out they live literally right across the street from us. Crazy.

SATURDAY

Transfer calls day. We were going to a sealing for a recently reactivated family, so we were praying that we'd get the call before we went into the temple. Right before we went in it finally came and guess what! Sister Gregory and I are both staying in La Verkin! But it gets even better! Sister Keenan is going to join us and we're going to be a trio!

I just about died. I was so excited I didn't even know what to do with myself. The whole time in the temple I looked like one of those annoying small dogs that pees itself when it gets to excited. Don't worry, I didn't pee. But I was pretty excited.

Sister Keenan's companion got her visa to Brasil a few days ago and she flies out in the morning. I was slightly jealous, but now I get Sister Keenan, so really I have the winning situation here.

Let's see. Later, when we got back from the temple, I dragged Sister Gregory over to the Entwistles (the family friends) to make a dinner appointment. I also wanted to test a theory I had. Since Sister Keenan's mom grew up with my aunt I figured there was a good chance that he Entwistles would know her family as well. I asked, and they do. Dinner on Wednesday is going to be fabulous. 

THEN we had Michael's baptism! Unfortunately we got there and they were having another baptism at 6, so we had to push his back from 7 to 7:30. But it all worked out ok. It would have been fine, but they took forEVER and also it was the baptism of a child so there was only about 2 feet of water in the font. That wasn't going to work, so we started a bit late and just made all the speakers scream over the waterfall that was filling up the font. Afterwards we couldn't get the drain open, so Shelly (Michael's kind-of mom) just jumped right in the font and unplugged it. In her church clothes. I love her. She went through all the trouble of taking off her shoes, but then put them on while she was still dripping wet, so that was pointless. :)

STORIES THAT ARE NO LONGER DAY SPECIFIC

Oh yeah, so apparently all of the cops have gone and had several chats each with Mr. Creeper. Our cop assures us that he won't be messing with us. I guess you don't mess around with the missionaries around here. Apparently one of them is a convert that takes his missionary protection duties very seriously. Good to know.

During our self-defense lesson today, the cop's wife pointed out how well I was doing with my defensive stance. Apparently every time he comes near me I automatically take my stance and put my hands up. I didn't realize I was doing that, but it doesn't surprise me. He's assured us that he knows he can't touch us because we're missionaries, but I still wouldn't put it past him to randomly shove us over or try and attack us. Apparently he always does that to his wife to make sure she's keeping up on her reflexes. One time in the parking lot he tried to hug her from behind and she throw her elbow in his gut and went to fight him before she realized it was him. I think he learned to be a little more careful once he could breathe again. :)

Let's seeeeeeee, what ellsssee. Oh yeah! I sent my mom some pictures of Logan's baptism. Logan was an 8 year old that we taught before he got baptized. We don't usually do that, but his parents are pretty new in the gospel, so we went ahead and did it anyway. Logan was the very first lesson I ever taught on my mission, and he was also the very first baptism I ever went to on my mission. He's so cute. When I first met him he had a mohawk and a pirate earring, but he lost that look for his baptism. He's precious though. :)

I think that's about all I have for y'all today. Definitely just got my foot caught in the wires under this table and almost destroyed the Family History Center's new computer. Whoops. Better go...

Have a good week!

Sister Peart