Monday, November 24, 2014

SOLO DOLO

okay okay
WHERE TO START?!
 
fiiiiirst off...
i'm so sorry emails have been few and far between.
every time i leave an area
i have new people to stay in touch with
and emails are the only thing people do anymore? lol
...that almost seems almost outdated, even.
 
regardless,
i'll try and be better
TRANSFERS are happening this week
so so so so sad texas walker is leaving me
we have been so busy
AND JUST SO HAPPY
she is going home to gilbert, arizona
sooooo i told her she has to go to Jordan's wedding reception in my place!
{ps BABE COUPLE.}
congrats Jordan! I am soooooo happy for you two!
I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE GETTING MUUUUURIED!
LOVED the announcement and can't wait to meet Madi!
 
Thing have been so good in Jerome.
remember how I said Walker was pushing me outside my comfort zone with music?
well this week, she volunteered us to SING A DUET IN SACRAMENT
it was the prettiest arrangement of "Did You Think To Pray?"
nooooooot gonna lie.....
our voices blend really well and we sounded good
but if singing in sacrament wasn't enough...
HOMEGIRL STRAIGHT UP STOPPED SINGING ON THE SECOND VERSE
& I SANG A FREAKING SOLO o_0
hahahahahahaha i could've killed her
but to try and keep me from getting mad she sang my praises
i love her.
she played two piano/cello pieces in the other sacrament meetings
it was beautiful. she is so talented.
 
JAKE GOT BAPTIZED THIS WEEK.
this is has been a looooooong time coming.
it was the most eventful baptism, ever.
LOTS of nonmembers came
his daughter ripped her toe off while her dad was changing
hahahaha that was fun.
blood EVERYWHERE.
aaand there was a wedding reception going on simultaneously
so there may or may not have been John Legend and Chris Brown playing in the background?
....not mad?
I'm so proud of him. It was a cool weekend for his family.
He got the priesthood yesterday and is going to be baptizing his daughter in Twin on Saturday!
seeing the Gospel bless and unite families is the sweetest blessing on the mission.
we are working with so many people right now
aaand we just picked up ANOTHER ward
so now we cover three and its INSANE.
plus exchanges with all of our sisters. ah!
sister draper is going to be joining me this week!
she is a sweetheart...
i'm excited for all that's going to happen this transfer!
its HOLIDAY TIME.
 
...speaking of.
there is a new video coming out
WATCH IT.
the church is doing this huge campaign called
"HE is the GIFT"
and i hope it floods the earth.
we got a preview in our leadership meeting this week
ahhhh its amazing!
you'll read all about it in the Ensign! #sharethegift
the church is true!
this is the best time of year.
i count my blessings every day
that i'm HERE.
sharing the Savior's message
at this time. to these people. in this place.
 
i'll be missing you all this week!
eat lots of fried turkey for me!
we'll be party hoppin' all day
 
LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!
one month till our skype sesh
xoxo,
sis ramsey

Monday, November 10, 2014

love you better

well i was super excited to come to the library and email all of you...
because jerome is seriously the best...
a little too excited, i guess, because
I JUST GOT A $160.00 TICKET FOR SPEEDING
....guess I haven't changed too much...
 
then we come into the library and the lady goes
i'm only giving you a little over an hour because you're late.
 
...so, hows your day going?
 
all that aside. these past couple of weeks in Jerome have been the best.
me and texas walker get along SO good.
and she is pushing me outside my comfort zone with music
i secretly love it...but i hate her for it, too
she's currently trying to convince me to sing with her in church before she goes
& she's got a rockin' voice.
we'll see.
every week we go to a Nursing home for an hour an play piano for them
which means... IM PRACTICING AGAIN!!
funny thing?
this week I was flyin solo 'cause we were on exchanges and the other sister didn't play the piano....
so i sat down to start playin a hymn...
& they start singing with me in the distance
but i was not warmed up and slightly butchered a few parts of the song...
threw them off big time...
so they all went to sleep
and it was pretty much practice after that
hahahahaha they are the funniest group of people
and they are so happy when we come to play
i love it! i love playing again!
this week was really good.
we set a lot of baptism dates
JAKE is getting baptized in two weeks!
and then he is baptizing his daughter the next weekend!
so cool.
we have a sister duo taking lessons and they are the best.
one of the girls' name is miracle and I JUST LOVE HER
she wants to be a member... like yesterday.
she is so excited about everything we teach
and is so happy she found the gospel.
all she wants is to be a member so that she can be a missionary
and share it with as many people as she can!
people like her continue to inspire me and
renew my faith in this whole process.
speaking of.
one of my FAVORITE PEOPLE IN JEROME
has been coming to church for like 50 years
super active, pays his tithing, believes in everything
just won't get baptized.
we go over every week and read the BOM with him
this week was 2 Nephi 9
hahahahahahaha.
it was a super powerful chapter
esp as we were reading verses like:
23 And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.
granny (his wife) read that verse and
cross referenced the word "repent"
for like two minutes she sat there reading
every reference to the word "repent" in the index of her BOM
hahahaha it was hilarious.
she got baptized 50 years ago and is endowed
and JUST AMAZING.
her faith, patience, and love inspires me.
 
he tried to skip the next verse (24) but i called him out and made him go back and read it. lawlz. #sorryimnotsorry
 
after that, i would ask him different questions about the chapter
and he is KING of avoidance
buuuuuut i still invited him to be baptized
he said "yep. let's have dessert."
hahaha i stopped and was like "SAY WHAT?!"
he looked at me, smiled, and said
"i'm thinkin about it"
we'll take it! we'll see what happens.
regardless. i love him SO MUCH.
 
every time we leave his house
i shake his hand and say "love you"
(papa): "love you better"
(me): "love you best"
 
this week we just kept being in the
right place, at the right time.
and those are the best moments.
i always walk away from those random visits to people
reassured that He needs me and is guiding me
I know The Lord is directing this work
and if we tune in... he'll put us right where he NEEDS us to be.
 
love you all.
xoxo,
sister ramz