What Was That Again?: In Which We Find a Week Plagued With Headache, Heartache, and Nausea, But We're Still Okay and The Assistants Make Us Stare At the Phone Until We Turn Into Moldy Pumpkins

What a week. Holy cow. It feels like a lot has happened, but looking through my journal, it doesn't seem like all that much.

The first happening is the saddest, so we should get that over with. I don't like sad. We had an appointment with Raymundo on Tuesday. We knew something was up with him, but we didn't know what, so we were a little nervous. When he said the opening prayer, he said something to the effect of talking about the gospel one last time, and my heart stopped. He dropped us. He said that he didn't feel as good when he came to our church as he did when he went to the Catholic church, and that it felt more like going to school. He also said that he had been reading the Book of Mormon and praying to receive an answer, but he hadn't gotten one. He said that he'll still come to church with the Widdisons and he still wants to come and play Frisbee with us on Saturdays, but he doesn't want to take the discussions anymore.

Oh, man. That was so rough. When Margaret dropped us a few months ago, it was sad, but we'd also only taught her a few lessons. We've been meeting with Raymundo since I got here. I love that kid. I care about him so much, and we've had countless numbers of deeply spiritual experiences - I just don't understand how he can't see that. I guess it's not his time, and we'll just have to be patient.

A lot of the reason we didn't get much done was the illness that decided to afflict Sister Quist and I starting on Tuesday. We just woke up and were completely dead - nauseous, headachey, the whole nine yards. It was great. It stayed with us through most of the week. Sister Quist's just turned into crazy insomnia while mine turned into an ear infection. Really? Isn't that what 2 year olds get? Anyway, it made for a lot of crashing early and naps in the apartment. Not my favorite thing at all.

We worked with a lot of horses this week. We went with the Elders to a horse ranch in The Woodlands that uses horses and riding to help special needs kids, and that was a lot of fun. Elder Cornwall and I walked on either side of the horse while Damien rode to make sure that he didn't fall off during his lesson. We played games, practiced using our words, and all kinds of fun stuff. I love working with those kids - they have a spirit that you can't find anywhere else. We also went to the horse farm in Conroe where we usually give service, but Kaity totally forgot that we were coming, so we swept a few walkways and played with horses for a bit. I had fun.

We've been working a lot with the members recently. Sister Quist and I have gotten the feeling that our calling in this ward is to build up the members - to strengthen them so that they can strengthen others through the gospel. There have been a lot of crazy things going on in the ward - a lot of trials and struggles, but we feel like they are exactly what's needed to show these people the blessings that they do have and to help them see the need to be converted members - not just Sunday members. We've started teaching the missionary discussions and extending commitments with a few families, just like we do with investigators, and we think that it'll do a lot of good. We'll have to see how it goes.

We also got to meet with Ashlee this week. She's so funny - I think the Lord has quite the sense of humor, because she is just about as ADD as I ever was. We were reading the introduction to the Book of Mormon and she all of the sudden asks if she can clean the apartment while we're reading. Um... Okay? We made her sit down for the important parts, and she committed to read and pray to gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon, which we hope she'll do. We're a little concerned because she's promised us for two weeks that she'll come to church and we've done all we can to get here there, but she hasn't come, and we don't know what else we can do. Just be patient, I guess. Ugh. I'm not very good at that.

Then, as always seems to happen every six weeks or so, the day of terror arrived - a day when all missionaries in the Texas Houston Mission clutch their phones in fright and jump at every alert, just waiting for the call from the District Leader telling them of their fate. At least, that's what it feels like to me. Sister Quist says it gets better. We were almost positive that Sister Quist was getting transferred, but we weren't completely sure all the same. It got to the point where it was 10:50 (20 minutes past bedtime,) and we hadn't heard anything from anyone. Around 11, the Zone Leader finally texted us (totally bypassing the District Leaders because it was so late.) After nearly 8 months, Sister Quist (along with Elder Cornwall, who's been in his area for the same amount of time,) is being transferred. Weird. I don't know if we thought that it would actually happen. It's sad, but exciting all at the same time. A new adventure! I don't know if I'm training or not (I don't think so, because there aren't too many new missionaries coming in, but President Pingree will call sometime today if I am,) but I'll get a new companion sometime this week - either tomorrow at the transfer meeting or Thursday when the greenies come in. Then I have to be all knowledgable. And I have to drive. I do not want to drive. You cannot nap and drive at the same time.

I'm excited. This'll be good. I'm really sad to see Sister Quist leave, but we'll be friends forever, so I'm not too worried. Change. Ooh. How exciting.

I love y'all! Thank you for all that you do! I am so grateful for every one of you. Please let me know if there's anything I can do to help you, kay? Okay. Good.

Sincerely,

Me.

(Sister Liljenquist)

The camera timers weren't working like we wanted them to...