Sister Waters' Homecoming

Facebook Event

Date:	Sunday, January 24, 2010
Time:	9:00am - 10:00am
Location:	LDS Church @ 347 South 200 West, Farmington, UT

I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane!

Dear Family and Friends,

When I received my itinerary this week, I was quite relieved to see that they'd gotten me a seat in the non-smoking section of the plane. Actually maybe it would have been a good thing to be sitting there. I could have taught a few Word of Wisdom lessons on my way home. :)

Yep, the big day is coming. For you who have not heard or for those of you who have been kept out of the loop, here is my flight information:

I will be flying on Delta from Chicago, O'Hare with a non-stop flight to Salt Lake City. My flight will be departing 7:17 Illinoise time and arriving at 9:59 Utah time. A few hours after that, Sister Waters will be no more. Does anyone have a tissue?

Until next week...

Sister Waters

P.S. Some people are opposed to public displays, but I'm not going to stop anyone if they feel inclined to bring flowers, balloons, or signs. Let's have a party at the airport!

A Whole Lot of Craziness

Dear Family and Friends,

  Last week you got a "Live from Chicago" email with a promise from me that I would update you on all of the events of Christmas and the adventures of being in the Windy City.  My brain is feeling very scattered at this time, with all of the things that need to be done in the coming week running like maniacs through my head.  I wish I could get them to calm down, but knowing me it's only going to get worse.  My fingers are crossed that Sister Kolb will not have disowned me by the end of next week.  Bless her days!

  Before  I get into the details of the past two weeks, I'm going to take a few lines to possibly vent and to just get out some of the anxiety I'm feeling right now.  So feel free to just scan down to the good stuff or allow yourself to read some of the insights of a sister missionary's twisted mind, but consider yourself warned.

   Sunday of last week was our monthly fast and testimony meeting.  Having thought about it for quite a while and thus feeling prompted to do so, I got up to bear my testimony.  It was almost heartbreaking to say goodbye to some of those wonderful members, but I felt much more calm afterwards.  A few minutes later when I was back sitting with the congregation, CJ ( a recent convert) got up to bear his testimony.  Sister Kolb leaned over to me and whispered, "our little boy is growing up!"  Next, it was Sister Figueroa who stood at the pulpit.  Sister Figueroa is a single mother of three children who has been in the Navy for the past seven years.  Upon my arrival in this area, she was still considered slightly less active, but has progressed in leaps and bounds the past several months.  In her testimony she mentioned that she hadn't given one in 12 years, but had decided that she would do so before I left.  Looking directly at Sister Kolb and I, she thanked us for bringing the spirit into her home and for teaching her family about the gospel.  At that point, the tears that I had managed to hold back started coming.  This work is definitely the hardest thing I've ever done, but it's people like CJ and Sister Figueroa who make every slammed door worth it.  The people I've met and the experiences I've had these past 17 months have helped my testimony to be stronger than ever before.  I love those I've met during my service and I love knowing that they have a stronger love for this gospel.  It's true, it's real, and it's perfect.

  After the meeting, I got hugs from many of the members, including Brother Freeman; I almost went into a panic when he gave me the hug!  (Warning!  Awkward missionary will soon be returning!)  I still have some time left, but just the thought of leaving the Gurnee 2 ward makes my heart hurt.  How can I leave these people behind?  I'm pretty sure that task is going to be the next hardest thing I'll ever have to do.

  Okay.  I'm done and feel slightly less stressed now that I've gotten some of the inner workings out of my head.  You're probably waiting anxiously to hear about the other news so here you go....

   *Christmas*
*Elder Balhorn got his visa for Greece and left the morning of December 21, despite his hopes that he would still be around for the holiday.  Elder Miller then got Elder Lima for 3 days who was then traded in for Elder Anson.  Elder Anson served in Portugual but was transfered here for medical reasons.  I've never had a little brother, but both of them have adopted the role.  It's been fun.

*Christmas Eve was spent with Sister Clark and the Graham family.  It felt wonderful to be in a family setting.

*Christmas day brought us rain instead of snow.

*We had breakfast with Sister Clark, breakfast with the Child's, lunch with the Van Noy's, and dinner with the Bourgeois'.  The ward contributed different gifts so we would have something to open on Christmas day.  Most were practical things, but others really went out of their way to make sure we got things along the lines of our different personalities.  I've never been in an area that takes such good care of its missionaries.

*Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

  *Chicago*
*We took the early metra into the city with the Elders Miller and Anson.

*Our first stop was the Willis (Sears)Tower.  Jeremy Campbell was able to get us discount tickets through the military.  The tower recently added a sky deck:  about 5 feet of glass sticks out from the building so you can look down the 103 stories to the street below.  It was realized that Elder Anson is quite scared of heights.  The hermana's met us later and we went to the Bean at Millenium park, Buckingham Fountain- which is the border between the north and south missions, Gino's East for some Chicago style pizza, and then the Hancock Building.

*Found a store called "Bye Bye Chicago."  Very appropriate.

*Sometime after lunch, my right foot started hurting horribly but I chose not to say anything because I didn't want to cut the day short.  By 6:00 it was hurting so badly I could hardly walk and was very relieved to get on the train.  We had an appointment with Rita that evening, but we had to cancel it as we realized that my foot was quite swollen.  (Don't worry, parents.  It's nothing serious.)  After a few ice packs and keeping it elevated for a day or so it went back to normal.

*In the words of Frank Sinatra, "Chicago!  Chicago!  It's my kind of town!"  (I felt like I was back in New York.)

  *Other Stuff*
*A few days after Christmas, Sister Campbell told us that a new family had moved into the ward and that the mom had been less active but has the desire to return to church.  We also found out that she'd recently has serious surgery on her back.  Deciding to be the friendly neighborhood missionaries that we are, we stopped by to introduce ourselves.  Her husband and 3 children are not members, but she requested that we give her family refresher lessons to prepare them for baptism.  Knowing full well that we were in the elder's area, we had a pow-wow with them and decided that we would teach the oldest daughter and they would teach the husband.  They are an awesome family and so ready for baptism it isn't funny.  It's just sad to know that I won't be here to see their big day.  I guess that isn't as important as the fact that they are getting baptized.  Yay for baptisms!

*A few weeks ago we tracted into a young mother on Martin Street who invited us to come back and talk with her.  At that meeting, she told us that her brother had died earlier last year and she wanted to know if there is any purpose to life.  That's a missionary's dream question!  Sadly, we didn't have time to teach her then, but another appointment was made for a week later.  On Sunday afternoon we were able to share the wonderful Plan of Happiness with her.  At the end of the lesson, she told us that we had answered all of the questions most people had not been able to.  We left her with a Book of Mormon and, I'm sure, a greater peace of mind.

I love you all!  Next week will be the last letter from the one and only Sister Waters.  It's like the final episode!
 

 Until then...
               Sister Waters