February 17, 2014
Holy cow where to start! This has probably been my most exciting and the most boring week in Augusta. Well Monday started out, we had a really great lesson with Anthony, we talked a lot about baptismal covenants and the symbolism of baptism.. We also ended up talking more about the plan of salvation with him and he is doing so awesome! If we could just change his work schedule we could get him baptized no problem. He also told us about his "lady friend" who lives in Florida who has been trying to anti him but it’s not working. He said that she always calls to try and interrupt when she knows he has appointments with us so last time he said that if she called he was going to put her on speaker phone so she could hear the whole lesson. I thought that was hilarious and of course...she didn't call this time! Oh and then he couldn't find his book of mormon because he said his sister had been over babysitting for him and she had moved things around and it was hilarious because the first pile of stuff I looked under I found it! It was really funny. We were supposed to teach him tonight but he went out of town because of the ice storm. ( I will get to that later). Then Tuesday it was really cold and rainy all day! We had district meeting where we played missionary jeopardy and that was really fun. I got second, Elder Eklof just barely beat me! Then we went out and tracted and froze for a while...then we went to the gas station and got some hot chocolate to warm up! Then we didn't want to go out and tract anymore so we went and visited some of our less actives. Then we froze our way through the rest of the night. Then it was on to Wednesday! All day long Wednesday we had freezing rain! It was so crazy! I took a bunch of pictures but I didn't think I would get to email today so I didn't bring my camera so I will send them next week. Anyway by the end of the day everything was coated in this really thick layer of ice! It was crazy! We weren't allowed out Wednesday or Thursday because of the storm. Pretty much all of Augusta was out of power at one time or another! We were really lucky because our power was only out from Thursday at 6 to Friday at 10. We were fine though, we just got out our flashlights and books. That flashlight dad sent with me was really handy. It's super bright so it was really nice! All night Wednesday night we could hear trees breaking and cracking and popping. Then we finally went out on Friday and it seriously looked like a tornado had hit Augusta! There were power lines down everywhere and poles and transformer things and trees EVERYWHERE! It was a total disaster area. Roads were blocked, almost no one had power and it was just insane. We just drove around our area for a while to look at it all. It kind of reminded me of when we had the wind storm except no one knew what to do to clean up! Then we went out and checked on our less actives and members in our area to see how they were. All of the ward members didn't have too much damage. Everyone lost power for a few days but other than that everyone did ok. The poor North Augusta(actually So. Carolina) sisters got trashed though! I guess trees fell on their car and just totally demolished it! They do live in a trailer sort of out in the forest. Our car and apartment were fine though so that was good. Then Friday afternoon we were leaving one of our less actives house and we saw this lady out trying to clean up her yard all by herself so we went and helped her! We had brought clothes to change into in our car in case we came across someone who needed help. I mean everyone needed help but here was someone we could help right now. She tried to tell us no but we didn't listen! We changed our clothes and cleaned up pretty much her whole yard! It was awesome! She just kept telling us how nice we are. I guess she is going through a divorce and her only daughter went to live with her ex husband so she is kind of having a rough time ( no coincidences right!). We are hoping maybe something will come of it! If not at least she will remember how nice we are! We went over last night to see how she was doing and she took us over to her neighbor who is elderly and told her all about how we helped her so we are going to finish cleaning up her neighbors’ yard tomorrow. Oh and after our visit she took us to get some food to thank us for helping her! She is really cute. Then Friday night we got a text that a bunch of people were going to meet at the stake center to help clean up and we would get “Mormon helping hands” shirts so we were super excited about that! So we talked about that for a while and then as we were going to sleep all of a sudden our apartment started shaking!! At first we thought it was the neighbor slamming the door but it kept shaking! It was so crazy! Then we texted Sister Meacham to see if they felt it too and they did! I guess the center was about 30 miles away from us and it was like a 4.4 magnitude. I was more freaked out by the earthquake than the ice storm! Then on Saturday we went and helped clean up trees for a long time! All I can say is that I tried to lift and work like I could 5 months ago and that was a bad idea! I am so dreadfully out of shape it’s pathetic! I am still a pretty good lifter but I don't have nearly the stamina I used to have. I think I pulled a muscle in my back because by the end of the day I couldn't even bend over. I felt like an old person and it was terrible! I am going to work out more because how I am now is just sad!! Then we went and visited some more less actives on Saturday after we cleaned up and then we had transfer calls! I am staying in Augusta for another six weeks! Myself and Sister Wood are being made “Sister Training Leaders”. What is that you say? Well we will be over quite a few New Sister companionships, we will go on exchanges with them, we will help them set goals, we will do training meetings, sort of like “Girl Zone Leaders”. We will also travel to Macon next week and randomly to attend training meetings and to also Teach some of those Training meetings! I THINK IT SOUNDS AWESOME! We have a lot of new sisters coming in today from the MTC and right now in my surrounding areas we have some super great Sisters waiting to be Trainers for them!! After this next transfer I will have been out for 6 months! That is so crazy! I will also have been in Augusta for 6 months. That is a long time! Then yesterday I woke up and I was super grumpy. I had a terrible morning but church was really good! Then after church we went and visited the lady who we helped clean up and she talked to us for a long time. She is a talker. Then we went to dinner with this less active that we found while we were knocking. She is super nice and I think we might be able to help her come back to church. She just needs some fellowship. She made homemade chicken noodle soup with homemade noodles and it was really good! Then today I didn't think I would get to email so we took ingredients so I could make drinks (Mormon Margarita Monday, ha, ha) at the Meachams for those that got transferred. Elder Hatch is going he was made a trainer. Elder Webb from Syracuse is going (he looked very sad) Elder Spencer one of our Zone Leaders was going home. So our one Zone leader stayed Elder Eklof (I will probably be reprimanded again for making drinks, since I am the “Disobedient One”, I do laundry on Sunday and I used the Meachams computer, and I was reprimanded for my disobedience to the rules). We will be getting a new Zone Leader and maybe this one will not let Elder Eklof be so power hungry, I think Elder Spencer knew he was going home and just sort of gave up. So anyway as we passed the Library we saw that it was OPEN!! So we made drinks and then I came over here! Well that was my week but the best part was that I FINALLY REALLY GOT TO DO SERVICE!! Not just a kind word at the door, but real Service and it paid off!! I don’t think that lady would have responded to just our knocking but being able to physically help her made such a difference, then to be introduced to her neighbor also!! I have been trying to say in District Meetings and in our Activity Fireside we had that doing service and getting to know the people on a less formal basis might be what really helps dispel the fear of “Mormons” because we really are a cool people!! So that I think is all of my super exciting week. Hopefully I haven't left anything out! I am safe and well and thanks for all of the prayers and support! I love all of you!
Love,
Sister Price
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