A week of firsts for this AZ girl

I had my first snow day this past week!!! I know that sounds exciting....but really it's not. Especially as a missionary. Thursday was snowing way too hard and way too much and so we couldn't get our car out. We prayed about if it would be safe for us to go out or not and we both felt wrong about it. So we were stuck indoors all day. Oh man. Lots of personal study, companion study, making calls, changing appointments, and trying to figure out what to do. By the end of the day we had definitely gone a wee bit crazy from being shut up inside all day. So we wrote a song!!! Haha Brother Buchanan (who we live with) was playing a song he wrote for us on his guitar, and for some reason that got us in the mood to write a song as well. However we quickly realized that we are no song writers, so we just changed the lyrics to a song already written:

 

I'll Make a Mormon Out of You
By Sister Olds & Sister Stringham

(Rewritten lyrics to "I'll  Make a Man Out of You" from Mulan)

 

Let's get down to business to find the one

He has sent us sisters to preach of His Son

We're the youngest bunch he's ever sent,

but you can bet before we're through

Someday we'll make a Mormon out of you!

 

We'll teach about the prophets and the truth they've brought

Once you feel the spirit you'll know it in your heart

You may think that this is difficult, like you'll never get a clue

But somehow you will find this is true.

 

[Next part is supposed to be the investigators speaking]

I'll never get through this book

Does the Lord really know me?

Boy was I a fool for letting these girls in

These girls got me scared to death

Hope they don't give up on me

Now I really wish that I knew how to read

 

Be a Mormon!

You must build Faith in the Lord our Savior (Be a Mormon!)

Repent of all your sins and be clean (Be a Mormon!)

Be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost

Continue to endure unto the end

 

Time is racing towards us til He comes again

If you heed His teachings, you won't fear the end

You'll have more joy than you've ever known

Don't give up you're almost home

Now you know for yourself what is true

 

Be a Mormon!

You must build Faith in the Lord our Savior (Be a Mormon!)

Repent of all your sins and be clean (Be a Mormon!)

Be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost

Continue to endure unto the end

 

 

We are so proud of our ridiculous song. We even sang it for Brother Buchanan afterwards. It made him laugh. I think he thinks that we are kind of ridiculous [which we are]. Oh yeah! This past week during personal study we hear him yell up the stairs at us "Sisters! Come to the door!" And we both thought that we were in trouble for something. We open the door and he is at the bottom of the stairs wearing this loooooong black wig that is all poofed up in the back and he goes, "You vwant to go to ze woods?!" We both just died laughing!!!!! He cracks us up!! He is too funny. Last night we went downstairs to make some food and he comes out and starts making us popcorn and giving us cans of pop to drink. We asked him about this question we had during companion study that day and he pulls out this Doctrine and Covenants Commentary book and totally clears it up for us! He is so wonderful and he KNOWS his scriptures. Then we sat there for about 45 minutes just listening to all of his amazing stories he has about his life and his family. I loved it so much!! It made me miss sitting around with our family and all exchanging crazy stories. I think sitting around in Bunkerville with all of the family that weekend of Gran's funeral listening to crazy stories about Roger and our family will always be one of my favorite Bunker memories. I have the greatest family ever! I love living with the Buchanans so much. We feel like they are our grandparents. They're so wonderful.

 

Another first this week: shoveling snow!!!! The day after our snow day we went and did some service tracting and shoveled peoples driveways for them!! I actually really liked! A little sore the next day, but well worth it. People were so confused why we were shoveling their walk, yet didn't want any money. It was pretty funny. They were all so appreciative though and were so happy for the help. God definitely sent us to the right street that day.

 

Friday night we went to go visit a less active (only because of her health) and we just sat there knitting with her and visiting for a while, then shared a message with her before we left. It was so cute!! I feel like a precious little old lady. She is so wonderful and I just love her to pieces! (Oh yeah...Sister Stringham is teaching me to knit! I can't remember if I already told you guys that or not. I'm not too good at it yet though...)

 

So one day this week I definitely did not get enough sleep the night before and, as Mom would say, I got pretty punchy. I was just busting up at everything!!! Sister Stringham was like, "Who are you Sister Olds?!?!" haha We had a good time laughing together though. I honestly can't even remember what we were laughing at, but we were both really slap happy and thought we were so hilarious. I'm happy to know that even though I am a missionary, I am still the same old goofy Amber.

 

I finished the Book of Mormon today!! Reading the scriptures on my mission has been SO DIFFERENT than before. I get so much more out of it and am understanding way more than I did before. We are so blessed to have The Book of Mormon in our lives. I think we often take it for granted because we have always had it and don't realize how blessed we are to be so fortunate to be able to read it every day. Brother  Buchanan showed us this movie called "How Rare a Possession" about the importance of the Book of Mormon. Watch it for Family Home Evening tonight!! It is an incredible story!! I am so grateful that I was born into a family that lived the gospel and loved it. This gospel is the most important thing in our lives and is why  we are all here!

 

I love and miss you all so much! (Especially while singing songs about family in Primary yesterday) It is so weird that I have already been out a month. It feels like I just got here and also that I have always been here. Mission time is super weird.

 

Love,

Sister Olds the II

Sister Stringham with the Buchanan's dog LuLu. She LOVES attention.

My first snow day!!

I was a little too excited to shovel snow...