Dear Mom and Dad,
My goodness........I CANNOT believe that the boys start school today! That's crazy. I knew it was coming up soon......but I didn't know it was SO soon. I'm glad it was a slow week before, though. A crazy week would have been rough. How are Nathan and Catherine's mouths doing?? :) So fun that you got to have Watson over. That's really cool. Awesome for Rick!!
Answers:
1. Sister Angeloudis is AWESOME. We're TIGHT. The hardest thing is the German. She's SO good about trying—about working on trying to understand and speak. She's incredible, and I love her to pieces.
2. My interview with President Kohler was wonderful. I told him a lot about my mission (companions and things I learned and such), and we actually talked a lot about goals—about numbers and goals and things. It was really constructive and very good. He is full of love and also just trying to figure it out.
So..........the week was a roller coaster. I'll just mention the highlights and things I'm learning.
We were able to meet with E on Tuesday. We talked about Elder Bednar's talk from General Conference, which was so good for all of us---for E, for Sister Angeloudis, for me. Don't take on more than you can handle. I saw it a whole lot, especially in E, that a burden, well, more responsibility really is necessary to move forward. Happiness isn't the absence of a load---and that's what she thinks, I think.
Wednesday, we met with the Bs, which was good. :)
The best part of Thursday was probably English class. R and E came, so we sat outside. It had RAINED while we were coming up to the church. That was something I loved this week: the rain. I felt like richtig Herbst! (really autumn) Mmmmm. I love it. I hope it doesn't get hot again because the weather as it is right now is really lovely.
Friday, we had a really good appointment with Schwester E, the YW president. It was wonderful. She's incredible.
We ate Thai food on Saturday. Anuwat, a semi-less-active man in our ward, made Thai food for the big group of us. It was quite fun, and really delicious.
Sunday was long, but good. Sister Jencks came to the American ward!!! It was so fun to see her. :) We went to Sister L after the German ward. She's really, really wonderful.
Sunday night, my stress escalated into another "I need to be perfect" thing. (This hasn't happened in a while, actually. But I really hate it, because I sometimes don't know how to turn off the stress.) So we painted, and we talked about trees. Oak trees. Sister Angeloudis told me I am like an oak tree. It takes a whole lot of time for those roots to grow!! The tree---trunk and upward---is my characteristics and abilities, but the roots are God's love—that foundation, that grounding. And it takes a while to grow. And I was trying to be the already-grown oak tree without having the deep roots that the oak trees should have. So I'm learning to be an oak tree with really strong roots.
Again, interviews were awesome. I love President Kohler. He's wonderful. I got a blessing from Elder Yeoman, and it brought me a whole lot of comfort.
We had a weird experience with a man waiting for the U-bahn who wanted to bash......it was just rough. I felt hammered and hit so hard. Thank goodness for Roberto. I don't think he knows how much it helped us just to have him there. We came home and cried and sang hymns, which was really, really good.
Heavenly Father is taking care of us. I know that for a fact. I'm just learning to turn to Him and rely on Him. Heavenly Father is really watching out for me. I know He is, and I feel His love a whole lot.
One thing I've learned on a mission---change is good. It is! But it is SO HARD. I really don't like change. :) But the thing I love about it is it makes us vulnerable---it makes us more human---and we are empfindlicher--more sensitive for love, compassion, deep relationships, and deeper love. And it's absolutely difficult but wonderful.
I love you SO MUCH. You're wonderful, I hope you know. :)
Love,
Sister Winters, this little acorn who is going to grow. :)
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