Here are snippets from the email we got from Rachie this week, on Monday. She is loving it and so funny. I love her.
Hello hello!
"White Christmas!" -- That is what Sister Dickson told me we were going to have on the day we met. I replied very enthusiastically that "I hoped so!! I love the snow!!"
She wasn't talking about snow... hahaha. She was talking about Baptisms!! (Get it? i hope so.)
Anyway, it was funny. We still laugh about it. haha
BUT!! Turns out, it's both! We got about three more inches this morning!!! And we had a baptism on Saturday. Kathy and her daughter Sarah were baptized!! They are SO wonderful. Sister Dickson and Sister Stoehr (pronounced Steer) taught them and set them for baptism before I got here. And so when I got here, I just had to help teach a few of the commandments and get them even more pumped for their baptisms! It was wonderful. I love them so much! They live in our apartment complex so they are super close and just great. The Spirit was SO strong on Saturday. It was a "blessed day." [Everyone says that out here. Like "Have a blessed day." It's wonderful]
The ward here is SO great! The YW room was packed for the baptism. They are so supportive and loving. Kathy and Sarah are going to be just fine.
We've been teaching Jeanie a few times since I've been here. She's actually been being taught for like a year and a half but just hasn't progressed very much. Then she had a major surgery over the summer because she had a tumor in her liver!! yikes. She has recovered miraculously and we raked her leaves last week for service. [That is a story of itself!! We thought we could just do it quickly no problem... wrong. We went on Thursday with a blower from a ward member and it took us two hours to blow the leaves in the back. We had the BIGGEST pile of leaves ever. So we jumped in it and then left because we didn't have time to bag them all. So we called the deacons and met them there on Saturday morning and did the front yard and bagged all of them. There is a BIG pile of garbage bags on her driveway! And I mean big. like 50 bags or something. It was really fun. And she and her husband really appreciated it. her husband, Diego, works all week in DC and comes home Sat-Mon. He was anti-ed but hopefully he'll come around to learning more soon.]
Anyway, Jeanie is now making lots of progress. She says she can't commit to a date but she wants to get baptized. She just wants to know EVERYTHING beforehand. So, Sis Dickson and I are picking our own date and teaching her accordingly so she'll be ready. Jan 27th. Pray for her, please.
Sister Dickson is still THE best. I love her. She has such a great heart. And she relies so much on the Spirit. I love working with her and learning from her. We've kind of planned trips to Cali, Hawaii and Arizona together after our missions. haha She goes home in February and I've already kind of started hoping that we can stay here together until then. I really don't want to leave this area. I just love this ward so much.
The Cahills (members) took us to Jeanie's last night to give her a blessing because she has to have another surgery sometime soon to put a stint or something in her arm for dialisis... I don't know... But I just LOVE the Cahills!! They are just the perfect couple. He is really funny and she is so cute and funny and they are just wonderful. They brought us back to their home afterwards for hot chocolate. It was great. They have a son who just came home from Peru and we all chatted about missions and stuff.
We went to Cici's pizza buffet the other day after our Zone Meeting. It was pretty good. Good deal, at least. And I tried the Mac and Cheese pizza. Totally weird. I didn't like it. haha
Ok, have a great day! Thanks for the support and prayers! I love the scriptures and the gospel and YOU!!
Love Sister Barney
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Welcome to VA
Hi Hi Hi! I love you all!!!
My new address is:
5310 Hunt Master Dr. Apt E
Midlothian, VA 23112
There you go. Thanks. Please spread it around, if you could.
Being in the real world again is strange. :) That's all. But really. Everyone DOES notice me and look at my tag and avoid me. It's crazy. haha
By area is called Manchester. It is wonderful! I love the houses and the trees and the leaves on the ground and the people! It is great. Did Brandon serve here?
Could you have Brandon write down a list of the areas he served in and then send it to me, please? Thanks.
Anyways,
Wednesday, Dec 1:
We landed in Richmond and there were so many trees!! Pres and sis Perry met us at the airport. I love them. Sis Perry is an artist. And she is good. And wonderful. I really like President. He is so nice and approachable and real. And very encouraging. It was really fun being in his home and talking with him. haha I hope you liked that picture!! haha I was SO tired by that time! haha Sis Perry had gone to the store or something and we were trying to wait for her so she could be in it too but we just couldn't wait any longer. We were all so tired. But, earlier, we had lasagna and green beans with bacon for dinner! So good. I forgot about real food in the MTC. haha
We were told breakfast was at 730 and that we would also be having our real pictures taken for the mission board at 730. So, we three sisters set the alarm for 630 and went to bed.
Thursday, Dec2:
We woke up at 721 to President knocking on our door!!! The clock was 12 hours off! So when it was really supposed to be 720 am, it was really 720 pm!! Does that make sense? The alarm wasn't going to go off until that night. Yeah. We freaked out. I knew I looked like a garbage can because that is how I felt so I had to take the fastest shower of my life while the other sisters jumped into clothes and started getting ready. It worked out ok. We just all felt bad because we wanted to make a good impression and look good for our pictures...
I think they turned out agreeably. haha We ate breakfast and took our pictures and then left for the Transfer meeting. We had a little orientation and then we were assigned out to our trainers!
My new companion is Sister Dickson. She is Wonderful! Very happy and nice and we are perfect together! [Sister Alyssa Dickson is from the Bay area of California. She has two sisters and one brother and one neice and one nephew. She went to school at BYU-I and Hawaii and will go back to Hawaii when she is done. Which will be in February. She can surf. (super cool) She loves eating healthy! And she loves the trees! And she has brown hair. And today, I gave her a shirt that is too big for me and she looks SO good in it! And she talks kind of like my friend, Hannah Denzer. haha It's Wonderful!!! haha And she wants to meet all of you. :) And she will.] any questions?
I was so nervous! But it's been wonderful! That day, we got back to our apartment and went to Walmart to get some essentials (bread, clothes detergent, milk) and then ate lunch and then went tracting! It was scary. But fun. Sister Dickson is really good at it. And really encouraging. We met a man named Lewis. He broke is arm in Feb and just had another surgery to take the plate out of his elbow and he was really interested in learning more about the prophet! So we are going to see him tomorrow. That will be great.
Since then, it's just been a blur. haha I've met a lot of people! Church yesterday was really good. The ward is really nice! But everyone I met, right before welcoming me, would say, "Oh, I'm so sad Sister Stoehr (pronounced Steer) is gone." or "Wow! Brand, brand new! Great." hahaha Oh well. They will learn to love me. haha
We have some really wonderful recent converts. One of them, Vera, is so great. She makes everyone feel like a million bucks! She is so funny. I love her a lot.
And we are having a baptism on Saturday. Kathy and her daughter, Sara are getting baptized! Kathy is just wonderful! She fed us pizza on Friday and she is so nice! I am so excited for her!
My apartment is really nice! I get my own bathroom! Crazy! I am so blessed.
OH! And it snowed!!!!!!!!!! It was wonderful! And magical! I love the snow. It snowed Sat night and lasted pretty far into the morning on Sunday. So wonderful. But it is reeeeeeaallllly cold. But that is ok.
I forgot my camera cord today so you'll have to wait another week before I can send you more pictures. I sincerely apologize.
Any questions for me? I hope so!
That is pretty much everything. We had dinner last night at a member's house (first one for my mission). The Mackay's. And she is a ward missionary and they have two children and one on the way. And she made us enchiladadas! They were so good! They met on their mission in Phoenix. haha And I shared the message (first time) and it was really good. I shared a scripture about the Holy Ghost (John 14:26-27) and turned out that it was totally inspired! We had a really great conversation about it and the Spirit was there. It was good.
And please pray for our investigators. They are so great. All of them will be great members some day. I love you all! So much! Thanks for everything that you do. Really. I am so grateful for your support and love and prayers. I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve and for everyone I am meeting. I love the gospel and I love Christmas and the Atonement and I love the hymns. They are so powerful.
Have a great week!
Love Sister Rachel Barney
My new address is:
5310 Hunt Master Dr. Apt E
Midlothian, VA 23112
There you go. Thanks. Please spread it around, if you could.
Being in the real world again is strange. :) That's all. But really. Everyone DOES notice me and look at my tag and avoid me. It's crazy. haha
By area is called Manchester. It is wonderful! I love the houses and the trees and the leaves on the ground and the people! It is great. Did Brandon serve here?
Could you have Brandon write down a list of the areas he served in and then send it to me, please? Thanks.
Anyways,
Wednesday, Dec 1:
We landed in Richmond and there were so many trees!! Pres and sis Perry met us at the airport. I love them. Sis Perry is an artist. And she is good. And wonderful. I really like President. He is so nice and approachable and real. And very encouraging. It was really fun being in his home and talking with him. haha I hope you liked that picture!! haha I was SO tired by that time! haha Sis Perry had gone to the store or something and we were trying to wait for her so she could be in it too but we just couldn't wait any longer. We were all so tired. But, earlier, we had lasagna and green beans with bacon for dinner! So good. I forgot about real food in the MTC. haha
We were told breakfast was at 730 and that we would also be having our real pictures taken for the mission board at 730. So, we three sisters set the alarm for 630 and went to bed.
Thursday, Dec2:
We woke up at 721 to President knocking on our door!!! The clock was 12 hours off! So when it was really supposed to be 720 am, it was really 720 pm!! Does that make sense? The alarm wasn't going to go off until that night. Yeah. We freaked out. I knew I looked like a garbage can because that is how I felt so I had to take the fastest shower of my life while the other sisters jumped into clothes and started getting ready. It worked out ok. We just all felt bad because we wanted to make a good impression and look good for our pictures...
I think they turned out agreeably. haha We ate breakfast and took our pictures and then left for the Transfer meeting. We had a little orientation and then we were assigned out to our trainers!
My new companion is Sister Dickson. She is Wonderful! Very happy and nice and we are perfect together! [Sister Alyssa Dickson is from the Bay area of California. She has two sisters and one brother and one neice and one nephew. She went to school at BYU-I and Hawaii and will go back to Hawaii when she is done. Which will be in February. She can surf. (super cool) She loves eating healthy! And she loves the trees! And she has brown hair. And today, I gave her a shirt that is too big for me and she looks SO good in it! And she talks kind of like my friend, Hannah Denzer. haha It's Wonderful!!! haha And she wants to meet all of you. :) And she will.] any questions?
I was so nervous! But it's been wonderful! That day, we got back to our apartment and went to Walmart to get some essentials (bread, clothes detergent, milk) and then ate lunch and then went tracting! It was scary. But fun. Sister Dickson is really good at it. And really encouraging. We met a man named Lewis. He broke is arm in Feb and just had another surgery to take the plate out of his elbow and he was really interested in learning more about the prophet! So we are going to see him tomorrow. That will be great.
Since then, it's just been a blur. haha I've met a lot of people! Church yesterday was really good. The ward is really nice! But everyone I met, right before welcoming me, would say, "Oh, I'm so sad Sister Stoehr (pronounced Steer) is gone." or "Wow! Brand, brand new! Great." hahaha Oh well. They will learn to love me. haha
We have some really wonderful recent converts. One of them, Vera, is so great. She makes everyone feel like a million bucks! She is so funny. I love her a lot.
And we are having a baptism on Saturday. Kathy and her daughter, Sara are getting baptized! Kathy is just wonderful! She fed us pizza on Friday and she is so nice! I am so excited for her!
My apartment is really nice! I get my own bathroom! Crazy! I am so blessed.
OH! And it snowed!!!!!!!!!! It was wonderful! And magical! I love the snow. It snowed Sat night and lasted pretty far into the morning on Sunday. So wonderful. But it is reeeeeeaallllly cold. But that is ok.
I forgot my camera cord today so you'll have to wait another week before I can send you more pictures. I sincerely apologize.
Any questions for me? I hope so!
That is pretty much everything. We had dinner last night at a member's house (first one for my mission). The Mackay's. And she is a ward missionary and they have two children and one on the way. And she made us enchiladadas! They were so good! They met on their mission in Phoenix. haha And I shared the message (first time) and it was really good. I shared a scripture about the Holy Ghost (John 14:26-27) and turned out that it was totally inspired! We had a really great conversation about it and the Spirit was there. It was good.
And please pray for our investigators. They are so great. All of them will be great members some day. I love you all! So much! Thanks for everything that you do. Really. I am so grateful for your support and love and prayers. I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve and for everyone I am meeting. I love the gospel and I love Christmas and the Atonement and I love the hymns. They are so powerful.
Have a great week!
Love Sister Rachel Barney
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