Dearest family and friends,
I'm so sorry I didn't get to email you on Tuesday! I thought for sure I'd be able to. So I sent you a letter and I think you got it. Yay!
SO WEIRD you knew who my companion was before I told you.... And weird we knew of each other before we were put together...
Anyway, Sister Rosa is from Chicago. She's an angel. She reminds me of Kate Middleton. Very proper and classy and beautiful in every way. She's so kind and genuine and not shy at all and willing to help people and the list just goes on! She went to BYU for a year before she came out. SHE KNOWS WHO MIDDLE BROTHER IS!!!!! Cool, right? We have the same taste in music. But of course all we listen to is church-y stuff... I was able to introduce her to the Lower Lights and she loves them. :) She and I get along very well and I'm having a better time communicating and being honest. I'm defnintely more confident in my training, but I am still seeing that there's room for improvement, and a few things I don't know still. But we're having a great time together. I'm working on finding my voice and talking to people. That's the hardest thing so far. I'm glad Heavenly Father has given me all these super outgoing companions to help me out. :)
Our area is called Nob Hill South. University of New Mexico YSA branch. The area was split for us to come and our area book is EMPTY. Well not anymore, but the work "south of Central..." well there wasn't any work done. So that's why we're here! This is what President Miller said in his email to me this week:
"I could not be happier to see what you and Sister Rosa will do together. I felt such a strong impressions that you should be in Nob Hill and that Sister Rosa should be your companion. I know the branch is excited to have you there.
Have a great transfer.
Love, President Miller"
Cool, right?! Everyone is really excited to have us here. All my areas have welcomed us so much cause they haven't had sisters in such a long time or ever. It's fun to be a novelty!
Let me tell you of the cool experiences I've had this week. We were riding our BIKES and we were on our way to campus. The institute was close by and we didn't have plans to stop but I felt like we should. So we did... and it was locked... and no one was there.... and then I got a phone call... but as I was talking on the phone, a guy walks past us and Sister Rosa stops him and has a great conversation with him. Long story short, his eyes lit up when we told him we knew that Heavenly Father knows him and loves him and we invited him to pray about that and to read the BOM. We also told him how we were prompted to stop by the institute and how we know it lead us to him. We have an appointment to teach him tomorrow. :)
Next cool thing... Sister Rosa and I went to a park to go contacting. We came across this large group of teenager/young adults all sitting together on a huge tarp and blanket. A few of them had guitars and banjos so we said "hey, play us a song!" As they were looking for a song to play, we asked why there was such a large group of young people all gathered together. They said "we're Christian missionaries!" We said "No way! Us too!" So we sat with them for a while and talked about what we believe, what they believe, and we gave them a BOM and challenged them to read Alma 32 all together. Not sure if they did, but it was so wonderful to find a group of young people with that light in their eyes, they were united in the same great cause (kind of...) that we are and it was such a wonderful, edifying experience. As we left, we all prayed together and they found a song to sing us. It was called "Purify my Heart" and they all sang and played together, and the spirit was there so strong. They had a few awesome singers in the group, it sounded sooooo good! It was a very powerful experience I will never forget! I'm glad that Heavenly Father lead us to that park that day and that we could meet so many young people with such great hope, doing good things in their lives.
Saturday there was a baptism for an investigator the elders had been teaching. And guess what... we sang "I am a Child of God"... again.... JUST KIDDING! DODGED THAT BULLET! HAHAHA. But it was way cool. Their investigator was the sweetest. In her interview with the district leader the day before she got baptized, she said that the spirit feels like "angels tickling me." WHAT?! How adorable is that. It was a great experience, I love going to baptisms even though none of them have been for my own investigators. YET!
We've been doing A LOT of contacting and finding... cause we basically have no other option. We need to find more people to teach and to get our area going! I'm glad we finally made it to church yesterday, the first week of a transfer is always the longest. Well, in my limited experience it has been. But it was probably the oddest experience I've ever had in church before. I wish I had time to tell you all the weird things they do but I don't... lol. Leave it to young people to make church interesting like that! Plus it started 20 minutes late. haha. BUT food was involved. And the Relief Society had been collecting ties from Goodwill, the D.I. and whatever for a few weeks and gave them out to the men for "Priesthood Appreciation" day since none of them were fathers. Such a great collection of interesting ties. So funny. Dad, I got one for ya. ;) Promise me to wear it to church when you get it and send me a picture!
Well... family... friends... I love all of you soooooo much! Thanks for all your prayers and love and support. I wouldn't be anywhere without you! You have helped me so much as I've struggle the last little while. I'm doing a lot better and my hope is renewed daily as I reflect on how blessed I am and the knowledge that I'm here for a reason.
Keep calm and carry on!
Much love,
Sister Hannah Schievinglater email:
I forgot to include a small thing in my last email. I have been having awful nightmares about.... HOT AIR BALLOONS!!!!!!!! It's driving me nuts! They always end in destruction too. Like they'll catch on fire or crash into the ocean... so lame. Almost every night.
Thanks. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
Love, Sister Schieving
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