Hard work has paid off/Overwhelmed is an understatement

Dear Family and Friends,

So many things have happened this week and my head is still spinning from the events. I've managed to categorize them to make this letter a little easier for you to understand. Also, as you read you'll find out the results from this week's transfer. Are you excited? I can guarantee that it's not what you expected. It's not what I expected either. Wait. First, let me tell you about why the hard work has paid off....

*Hard work has paid off:

For the past several weeks, much of the day has been spent tracting. We've tracted in nice weather with the lovely autumn leaves falling around us. We've tracted in heavy rain that has caused us and our bags to be soaked. We've tracted in lake rain, that horrid misty stuff that makes you miserable because you can't escape it. (The bright side to tracting in the rain is that we're told our future spouses get cuter. Mine is probably a super model by now.) Thankfully, we have yet to tract in the snow, but I know that it's inevitable. All of this tracting with no success and constantly wondering why people have such animosity towards us can make anyone discouraged, but we kept knocking on the doors knowing that Heavenly Father would make all of those hours worthwhile. Then one day the blessings came in the form of a member saying she'd just met someone who was asking her about the church. How did he know she was a member? A simple church phamplet lying in the backseat of her car. We met him and a friend on Sunday-at Starbucks no less-and an hour later we walked to our car happier than we have been in a long time because we had two new investigators. Both of the gentlemen struggle with alcoholism and drugs, but both realize that they need to change. I told them I don't believe in coincidences and that all of the things that took place, leading them to where they sat at Starbucks with two missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was a definite nudge in the right direction. Before the actual lesson started, one of them made the comment that he's not afraid to be bold. I responded with, "neither am I." I'm excited to see where these investigators will go, but I'm even more excited to be teaching again. Teaching beats tracting any day and it helps you to remember how much you love sharing more than just 5 seconds of what we believe with people. We're offering people something amazing. Some take a huge bite and savor it, others only take a nibble and decide that there's something better. It's the latter group that makes me work even harder to find those who are willing to take it all.

Okay, now I will end the suspense and tell you where I will be spending the next 6 weeks of my life. Drumroll please.......

*Overwhelmed is an understatement
On Sunday evening, Sister Kolb and I got a text message from President Doll asking us to call him as soon as we got to the apartment for the evening. I wonder if he knows that that kind of message can strike fear into the heart of any missionary. It does. For the next 30 minutes both of us were panicing and then when we finally made the call...he didn't answer! Eventually he called us back and after a friendly chat, he informed us that Sister Kolb and I will be staying together for another transfer! This is still my longest area at 6 transfers and Sister Kolb is officially my longest companion. Wow. However, this story continues....

Tuesday morning we got a call from our district leader who told us that one of the Navy Base elders told him that we would be taking over the Nave Base area. We thought this was a joke and laughed it off. A few minutes later we called one of President Doll's assistants to ask him a question relating to something opposite of transfers. He asked us if we knew what was going on. Of course we had no idea so we asked him to enlighten us with the details. Apparently, the Stake no longer thinks that missionaries are needed on the base so they've officially been pulled out of the area. That being said, Sister Kolb and I are now incharge of the entire Gurnee 2 ward-including North Chicago! The lease on our apartment ends in November so we'll soon be moving to the Elder's apartment in North Chicago because their lease doesn't end until March. (Please stop sending mail to 518 Lakehurst. I'll get you my new address when I know it.) All if this information hit us before 10:30 yesterday morning, and all of it came to us by way of the grapevine. What a way to find out you're taking over an area! I still haven't been able to wrap my mind around all that is taking place, but I know it will be easier with Sister Kolb. At least I don't have a new companion to work with as well. If that were the case, can we say panic attack? Fortunately, that is not the case.

Wow. This is a long letter. Are you feeling overwhelmed? To add to all of this, Bishop Bourgeois has given Sister Kolb and I permission to start planning a pre-Thanksgiving party for some of the ward members and investigators-kind of like what Sister Youngberg and I did in Woodstock last year. The party is scheduled for mid November so we have much to get done besides learning a new area. Oh well. As I've already learned, Heavenly Father will get us through anything as long as we do our part.

Well, my time is really short and I must get thee hence to give President Doll the 411 of this past week. Until next time....

Sister Waters

Small tastes of winter

Dear Family and Friends,

  I'm going to try my best to be speedy today as there are many things to get done.  My mighty district leader Elder Larsen is allowing the district to carve pumpkins at next week's meeting so several of us are driving out to Buffalo Grove for a corn maze and to select some amazing pumpkins.  Then there's the usual shopping, laundry, and this lovely email that you will shortly be receiving from your favorite sister missionary.  Here are the highlights of this week:

  *Last week was a day assigned by Sister Kolb and I as a "day of letters."  Several of you received letters from moi and more will be coming within the next few weeks for those who did not.  As a warning, I am gradually slowing down my letter writing to the point that it will probably cease just after Christmas.  At that point, you'll just have to wait anxiously for a phone call or come to my homecoming.

  *The Child's are amazing!  They purchased Sister Kolb and I genuine pea coats at a sale the Navy was having.  Now my upper half is toasty warm, but procedures to make my lower half warm will be implemented in the next few weeks.

  *The Gurnee church parking lot is currently being torn up for a much needed repaving.  Instead of just working on small sections, the entire thing is one giant swamp.  It is certainly interesting getting from point A to point B without getting stuck.

  *One of our members had an outbreak of bedbugs in her apartment on Saturday so Sister Kolb and I went over to assist placing all of her belongings in plastic trash bags to take to a laundrymat.  The "bug expert" told her to throw all of her clothes in the drier at the highest possible setting allowed.  Seeing her go through all of this made me really grateful that we just have ants in our apartment.

  *Funny story:  we met a man while tracting last week who said that he's been looking for a church.  He then asked if we could recommend a good one.  Well....

  *I've decided that I want to be like Sister Kolb when I grow up.

  *Transfers are next week!  It's hard to believe another transfer is coming to an end.  I'll keep you posted on the results, but I secretly-I guess it's not so secret anymore-have the hope to stay here with Sister Kolb.  However, Heavenly Father knows what I need better than I do do I'll go where he wants me to go just as I've been doing for the past 15 months.

  That's the news from my corner of the world.  I hope all is well with my faithful sister missionary letter readers.  The church is true!
            Sister Waters

Business is booming in South America!

Dear Family and Friends,

  I feel that the events of the past few weeks have been given to me as gentle nudges from Heavenly Father.  My time in the Illinois Chicago North Mission is quickly coming to an end and these nudges are probably due to the fact that there is still so much for me to learn.  This is no time to turn on the cruise control and He is making me very much aware of that fact.

   During our weekly planning session last week, I started going through past planners to see what I was doing different then as compared to now.  Our numbers have been dwindling and I finally got to the point that I had to figure out what I'm doing wrong.  Then again, if I'm not doing anything wrong, where can I improve?  After a long talk with Sister Kolb, we finally came to the conclusion that maybe we're not the missionaries who will harvest the planted seeds.  Maybe we're the missionaries who will do the planting.  So, with that and the goal to talk with everyone we meet in mind, we've gone to work not teaching lessons but giving people the opportunity to learn about the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

  Several months ago Sister Kolb and I were talking with Bishop Bourgeois who mentioned a letter he received from his son serving in France.  Without a doubt, the mission is more difficult than this one.  His son and his companion have a motto that keep them going when it seems that no one wants to listen to them:  for every door we knock on, someone in South America is getting baptized.  So, we've also adopted that motto.  Last week we talked to 70 people, but I'm guessing we knocked on about 200 doors.  Despite the work being harder than usual, I know Heavenly Father has something he wants me to learn.  I don't know what it is, but I think it has something to do with faith and leaning on him instead of myself.

  Another learning experience came in the form of Elder Spencer V. Jones from the Quorum of the Seventy.  He and his wife are doing mission tours and were assigned to come speak to the missionaries of the Illinois Chicago North Mission.  What a thrilling event!  My district was assigned to sit on the front row of the chapel so for three hours I sat two feet away from this amazing spiritual being.  At one point of his lecture, he was talking about our purpose as missionaries and asked us to shrink it down to two words.  Eventually we found out those words to be "baptize" and "retain."  To make his point, Elder Jones asked me if I brushed my hair that morning.  I said yes and he asked why.  Before I could stop myself, this came out of my mouth: "so I can retain it."  I've never seen a church authority laugh so hard.  I was shocked by what I said, but I have a feeling that Sister Kolb's sense of humor has rubbed off on me.  Anyway, it was a wonderful afternoon.

  One comment he made really stood out to me:  "I am not me.  This nametag, my mission, and my knowledge make me something greater."  The past few weeks have been a challenge, but while he was speaking, a very calm thought came to my mind, "you're going to be fine."   You can't even imagine how much comfort that brought to me.  Even more comforting is the fact that I have a wonderful companion who keeps me going.  Yesterday I came to the realization that Sister Kolb is my "Elder Calhoun."  (Watch the move "The Best Two Years" and you'll understand.)  This mission is hard, but that's what the best things are.  As long as I'm working hard and doing my duty, I'm content and so is Heavenly Father.  "I have not been called to be successful but faithful!"  (Mother Teresa)

   Well, I hope this letter gives you a little insight into the life of a tired but content Sister Missionary.  Life is good.  Have I not reason to rejoice?  Until next week....

       Sister Waters
  P.S.  Alma 8:10

Faster than a speeding bullet...

Dear Family and Friends,

   Once again my time seems to be short as I write my weekly letter to those of you who await anxiously news of a Sister Missionary.  If I can get down all of the thoughts in my head, I'm pretty sure that this will be the speediest letter I've ever written and probably one of the shortest.  It's 2:05 and there's still grocery shopping, laundry, lunch, and a few letters to write before 5:30.  (Pday is being cut short today because of a dinner appointment.  Oh well.  I'm not going to complain.  Dinners cooked by members allows Sister Kolb and I to aviod the time it takes to decide.)   So, here's the news:

  Life continues to be grand.  There are no baptisms in the near future, but we're spending quite a bit of time doing finding activities.  Each night we tell our District Leader how many people we talked to so it's really forcing us to open our mouths and tell people about this wonderful message.  No fear!

   General Conference...wasn't it amazing?!  Elder Holland's talk gave me chills!  This event is like a break for us because we're allowed to watch all four sessions.  I saw the outside shots of the Conference Center and I can't wait to get back to Salt Lake.

  Fall is here in full swing, with rumors that snow will be arriving very shortly; a frost is due for later this week.  Yesterday I broke out my winter coat for the first time in quite a while.  It's scary to think about and many members are saying that it's gonna be a doozey.  In your prayers, please pray that I'll get through another winter without freezing to death.  :)

      There you have it.  Another thrilling letter from the land of Lincoln.  Was it everything you hoped it would be and more?  Well, I have 20 minutes to write President all the happenings of Gurnee so I must get thee hence.  Until next week....

    Sister Waters