Dry Spell

Dear Family and Friends,

  Sadly, it is another one of those weeks where excitement has been kept to a minimum, something that seems to be happening quite frequently for some odd reason.  I'm not sure how I feel about it.  However, in my own amazing but humble sister missionary-ish way, I'll do my best to once again make this letter worth your while by giving you some little known facts/rumors.

   Fact/Rumor #1: Being a bold missionary sometimes leads to feeling like a mean missionary, despite what your companion says.

   Fact/Rumor #2: We have a member in the ward who looks a little bit like Alan Alda.

  Fact/Rumor #3: Taking a sick day as a missionary can really throw you off on all of your other days.

  Fact/Rumor #4: When your companion is sick, it's not boring but very productive.

  Fact/Rumor #5: I finished reading the Book of Mormon for the fourth time on my mission (Fact).  According to my count, the word "faith", "faithful", or "faithfulness" is mentioned 291 times.  Please let me know if you'd be willing to count and see how accurate I am.

  Fact/Rumor #6: Members/less actives/investigators will tell missionaries anything.  I'm comparing it to being a hair stylist; she knows more about me than I'd like to think about!

  Fact/Rumor #7: The Ensign is like candy to a missionary.

  Fact/Rumor #8: It's hard to say no when a member offers to prepare an unplaned meal for you.  They always say, "I'll be blessed for doing it" and I can't deprive them of their blessings.  Hence, missionary pounds.

  Fact/Rumor #9: There are some who actually say that cold coffee is not against the Word of Wisdom because it only says "hot drinks."  For the first time in quite a while, I had nothing to say.

  Fact/Fact #10: Missionaries love to find letters for them in the mail box.  You'll think it's funny, but it's a very true statement when I tell you that Sister Kolb and I literally hunt down the mail man.  That's almost sad.

  So, there you have it.  The 10 Fact/Rumor/Fact/Facts of the past week.  How convenient that they're in an email from a genuine Sister Missionary and not in this month's tabloid.  Next week, look forword to the tracting/finding adventures of two sister missionaries.  Sister Kolb and Sister Waters: Saving the world one soul at a time.  The gospel's true!  Hugs!

            Sister Waters

One Year Older and Wiser too...well, maybe not wiser....

Dear Family and Friends,
  One year down, 6 months to go.  What a crazy feeling it was to wake up on Thursday with the realization that I had managed to survive and entire year of my life away from home, friends, family, jeans, Facebook, education...and all that good stuff.  I think I deserve a gold star.  This has been a pretty good week, but one event took place that makes it stand out from all the others, including my one year mark.

  I'm sure all of you have heard the name Gladys Knight, know that she is an award winning singer, and that she sings an excellent version of "Midnight Train to Georgia."  Well, here are a few things that you might not have known:  she is director of the Saints Unified Voices choir, she is a proud member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and occasionally goes by the name of "Sister Knight;" she loves missionaries and the Gospel enough to come to the Illinois Chicago North Mission and do a performance for us, investigators, and members.  What a thrilling night it was!  I got the sense that this is what the military might have felt like in the presence of Bob Hope, Marilyn Monroe, or any of those other great stars who boosted the moral of our men in blue/green.

  The music was very non-traditional, but so spiritual I got chills several times throughout the performance.  She sang a wonderful rendition of "I am a Child of God," moving several people to tears, including myself.  The best part was that she was able to clarify several rumors that are running around the world about this religion: that we don't worship Joseph Smith, "Mormon" is a nickname, the men in our church don't have 10 wives....  Sister Knight was able to tell hundreds of people that in just a few minutes the same things it would take Sister Kolb and I months to tell.  To summarize: love her!

  Warning: new tangent!   I've mentioned several times how much members love feeding missionaries and how much I've come to love the spicey cuisine of Illinois.  It had to happen sooner or later, but these two loves caught up with me.  Sister Kolb and I were in Lake Villa for zone conference on Monday so we took that opportunity to stop at Lomeli's for lunch.  I indulged myself in their amazing salsa and two pork tacos-the kind that leave your hands smelling like tortillas for hours.  We also make sure to grab some palates on our way out.  Arriving back at the apartment, Sister Kolb discovered that a goodie package had arrived from her parents.  From the contents, they must think she's starving and she was more than happy to share with me.  Later, Sister Clark had us for dinner, making sure we left her house well fed.  So, all of those edible opportunities cleared the road for Tuesday morning:  my stomach rebelling against so much edible yummyness.  While I spent the day in bed, Sister Kolb took advantage of this sick day to get caught up on a few projects.  It is no fun to be sick when you're a missionary!  I plan on never letting it happen again, but that just means I'll have to restrain myself when it comes to members and other occasions where food is present.  Remember, if you feed them they will come.

   That's all the news for this week and I'm pretty sure next week will be another doozy, if not more so.  The gospel's true!  Have a lovely day!

            Sister Waters

Meditas medias

Dear Family and Friends,

  I'm sure you are quite befuddled by the subject heading.  Spending time with the Hermana's influenced me quite greatly; I am now fluent in Spanglish.  The translation of the subject is "wretched nylons."  Until you have to wear them every single day for a year, you have no idea how wonderful it feels to take them off every night.  If the smell weren't so horrid, I would have every intention of burning them at the end of my mission.  Also, try riding a bike in a skirt.  I've learned the art of tucking the hem into my nylons, but more often than not it'll come untucked.  Throughout the ride, I'm constantly trying to avoid pulling a Marilyn Monroe.  To summarize: wretched skirts, wretched nylons.  Sadly I don't know how to say "skirt" in Spanish.  Okay, I'm getting off my soapbox.  Here's the news....

  Sister Kolb and I have been taking advantage of our recently inherited bikes, despite the stress that they cause and the intense humidity that has of late hit our corner of the state.  We've riden to several member's homes and have found that it's great publicity.  How could you miss two girls wearing skirts, giant backpacks, and wearing helmets?  You can't.  While getting off the highway several days ago, a man in a truck saw us riding by and shouted "hello Sister Missionaries."  It almost makes the sweat and pain worth it.

  We've been working with a certain less active the past few weeks and found out from someone else that she is an excellent braider of hair.  Not the normal braids because I could do that myself, but the kind that have every inch attached to your scalp.  Having this information, we decided to take advantage of her talents and also use it as a fellowshipping activity.  It was a very interesting experience, one that took about 2 hours for both Sister Kolb and I.  The result was shocking-no other word for it-and the next day we kept the braids in for church.  Several members made comments, all saying how cool they looked.  I'll be sure to send pictures so you can see for yourself.  Several days later I took the braids out.  That night in my prayers, I expressed gratitude for clean hair.  (Honestly, I wasn't used to seeing quite so much of my scalp.  It weirded me out.)

  Those are the headlines from this week and I hope you got a good laugh over them.  I also wouldn't be surprised if you gave the computer a strange look or two in response to my stories.  I can live with that.

  Tomorrow I celebrate my one year mark of entering the MTC.  I can hardly believe that it's been a year since seeing family or friends.  It's also amazing to think that I only have 5ish months left to live.....Strike that, reverse it.  I've just decided to live in denial for the next few months and to ignore the fact that this is the beginning of the end.  I'll keep you posted on how well the denial goes.  I love being a missionary and am quite excited to see what the next months will bring, but a little part of me is excited at the thought of returning to jeans, socks, books, movies, and that horrid thing known as dating.....scary thought!

   The gospel's true!  Hugs to all!

                Sister Waters

Hot Off the Press

Dear Family and Friends,

Most of the time when I do a bulleted form letter it's because nothing too exciting is going on (ie last week.) However, this week many things have taken place and since my time is so short, I will be gracing your presence with that kind of letter in order to save a few minutes. So, drumroll please and here's the news..........!!!!

*I'm very excited to return home in a few months, but I almost wouldn't mind staying in Illinois if only for the edible yummyness the state has to offer. A few days ago Sister Kolb and I went to a Mexican place in Round Lake for lunch (Lomeli's) and the Hermana's introduced us to a little piece of heaven: Mexican popsicles. They are so good they make American ones look pathetic. I was brave and tried one consisting of rice and cinnamon, almost like a rice pudding. Divine! The best part about them is that you can choose if you want a water base or a milk base and the flavors are amazing! If you ever get the opportunity to partake, seize the chance!

*Depending on your area, missionaries are alloted a certain number of miles each month. Sister Kolb and I are given 1200 but somehow managed to use enough of them that last Thursday we only had 30 miles left for 2 days, with appointments on opposite ends of the area. In desperation, we called up our amazing RS president and asked if she had any bikes we could borrow. A few hours later, she showed up with our mode of transportation: a neon green boys bike and a 1980's white speed bike with the curved handles and no gear shifts. (I remember a picture of Angela on this kind of bike when she was in 4th or 5th grade.) Sticking on our helmets and saying a prayer, we started pedling. The seat was too high for me so the next several hours were spent with all of my weight on my hands, but I'd say the worse part was riding in a skirt. Every few minutes we'd have to pull over so I could pull it out of the back wheel. That day we rode down to Waukegan, over to Jackson, and then up to the Navy Base on Buckley Road. After our last appointment we were exhausted and it was getting dark so the Child's offered to give us a ride home and we could come back later for our bikes. On Friday we had 30 miles to use and it was like Christmas! The next several days were spent in pain, but at least Elder Malan was happy to know that our miles were not exceeded.

*There is a restaurant near our apartment called Buffalo Wild Wings and is pretty much a sport's bar. However, they have this challenge that if you're crazy enough you'll participate in. This is the challenge: 12 weeks dipped in their hottest sauce, eaten in 6 minutes. If you get it done under 6 minutes, you get a free t-shirt and your picture posted on the "Blazin'" board. If you get it done under 3 minutes, you get your wings for free, a t-shirt, and your picture on the board. 2 weeks ago CJ did this challenge in 4ish minutes with just one arm. (He had dislocated his thumb playing basketball.) Last week we comitted Hermana Pettit to the challenge and she accepted, along with our Zone Leader and another Elder. 5 minutes after the wings arrived, Hermana Pettit was wearing her t-shirt proudly, while the Elders were sitting there in pain. However, she felt the pain a few hours later and was still feeling it on Monday morning. She's my inspiration, but I am not crazy enough to do the challenge. One taste of the sauce made me want to cry.

*CJ's baptism was on Saturday and it was definitely the highlight of the week. The water was neither too hot nor too cold, but it was several inches too low and only came to his knees. We have yet to get it down to an exact science. It was wonderful to see his parents there supporting him and to think back on how Bro. Alonzo's simple decision to return to church led to this moment. CJ was confirmed on Sunday, with his dad confirming him a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Happy day!

*On Saturday afternoon, Sister Kolb and I attended the ward beach party. We're not allowed to go out on the water, but it was a wonderful excuse to wear a nice pair of pants. I felt quite scandelous stepping outside my front door, but enjoyed the hours spent being able to see both legs. Try wearing a skirt almost every day for a year and see if you don't love wearing a pair of jeans. Sigh!

*It's recently been reported that this summer has been the coldest in Illinois in 180 years! Going outside to play tennis each morning, I can already feel the chill of fall in the air. In reality, there's only a few weeks left of summer before the cold weather will take over for 6ish months. What a great state!

*After being very anxious on Monday evening, I am happy to annouce that my current location is still Gurnee and that my companion is still Sister Kolb. Yes, President has decided to keep us together for a little bit longer and to keep me here for my 4th transfer. Wow. I am glad, but hope to be elsewhere by the middle of next month. There Hermana's were pulled out of Round Lake due to missionary shortages so that means Sister Kolb, Sister Child, and myself are the only sisters in the entire zone! If we're not careful, we'll get lost in a sea of suits!

Well, that's the news from my corner of the world and I hope you found it fascinating! I'm excited to see what the next 6 weeks will bring and what kind of adventures Sister Kolb and I will have. There's never a dull moment as a missionary! Love you lots and I look forward to your letters! The gospel's true!
Sister Waters

P.S. Newsflash: I'll be seeing you in January!!!!!

Really hot off the press! (Continuation of "hot off the press" letter)

Dear Family and Friends,

I am returning very quickly to inform you of some changes that were just reported to us by our mighty district leader, that I thought you would find interesting:

*In my letter I mentioned that Sister Kolb, Sister Child and I are the only sisters in the Zone. Because of recent developments, our zone now extends all the way to Crystal Lake and there' s only 4 zones in the entire mission; they're divided according to the differnent stakes.

*The moral of the story is this: get ready to send your kids on missions so we won't be spread so thin!!!

Love you again!
Sister Waters

Summer Drought

Dear Family and Friends,

  I'm almost grateful to only be in Illinois for one summer because it seems that the summer season causes a drought in the work of a missionary.  Everyone but us seems to be on vacation or out and about doing things with their families so when we come by, we knock on the door of an empty house 75% of the time.  Last week we kocked on 70 doors (time goes by quicker counting doors than hours) and we only spoke to maybe 10 people for longer than, "hi, we're missionaries with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints...."  I'll admit it's easier to find people because they're playing outside whereas in a few months the hibernating will start with the cold weather.  Either way, our work is challenged by some kind of annoyance from Mother Nature whether it's 100% humidity, random rain storms, wind that's strong enough to knock you off your feet, snow high enough to cover half of your car, or just a season in general.  Life is never dull.

  Transfers are once again heading towards us.  Sister Clark is predicting that I'll be getting transfered, but my fingers are crossed that the prediction will not prove to be true.  Just in case I do, she baked me some applesauce cake yesterday.  This has been a challenging area, but I love the members here and have adopted several of them as parents and grandparents.  A new area would be exciting and it definitely does make the time go by quicker, but I prefer staying in an area and being able to leave my mark.  Whatever decision is made, I believe any mission president is inspired and that I'll go where I need to be.

  A few days ago, Sister Kolb and I stopped by to visit a less active member.  Let's just say it was a very aggrivating meeting and it's a good thing Sister Kolb was sitting between me and the less active. For future reference, missionaries do not appreciate being given every excuse in the book as to why they're not coming to church.  The covenants made with Heavenly Father at baptism are not the kind anyone wants to break.  I love being a missionary, but the work can get very aggravating at times.  Surprise, surprise.

  That's a crazy note to end on, but I just realized that I only have a few minutes left.  My fingers are crossed that I'll be receiving some much anticipated letters from some of you in the very near future and my toes are crossed that they won't all be arriving around Christmas time.  The gospel's true!  Love you!

        Sister Waters

Trading Places

Dear Family and Friends,

  It's been the usual kind of week for me so here's another one of those grand "nothing too exciting but let's see what I can come up with" letters.  Here's the news:

  *On Wednesday, the suggestion was made by Hermana Pettit that maybe we should go on companion exchanges, an activity that is mandatory for the Elders but not so much for the Sisters.  No one really took her seriously but later that evening we got a call from her saying that she'd talked to President and he was okay with the idea.  So on Saturday afternoon after President interviews, Hermana Pettit and I traded places.  For 24 hours, I resided in my old area of Round Lake/Lake Villa.

  I'm hoping you gather that from the term "hermana" I went into the Spanish program for a day.  Hermana Padillia had several appointments lined up, but the only thing I could really say was, "muy mallo, un pocito."  I'm not sure if I spelled that right, but the translation is "not very much and very badly" or something to that extent.  I also thought it was quite humerous that the translation of my name is Hermana Aquas.  On my part it was pretty much a day off and at the end of it, I have to admit that I missed teaching.  I felt like a greenie again because I didn't know enough to contribute to the lesson.  Returning to Gurnee on Sunday afternoon and teaching a lesson a few hours later, I said a silent prayer for being able to understand the things that were being said and also being able to respond.

  Honestly, that's the most exciting thing that's taken place this week and it makes me quite sad.  Today should be fun because Sister Kolb and I are having a Farewell Party for Hermana Pettit and also combining it as a "Day of 15's Party."  Hermana Pettit has 15 days left, Hermana Padillia and Sister Kolb have 15 days left, and apparently I've had 15 guys fall in love with me on my mission.  That's not true but I'll go along with it.

    Have a great week and I'm looking forward to all of the letters I'm sure you're getting ready to put in the mailbox.  The gospel's true!

          Sister Waters