Caterpillars for Days & Happy Birthday Sariah! :)

Yay for life! I just love the mission, but if I said the mission is
changing me I'd be a dang liar. The gospel of Jesus Christ is changing
my life little by little and then sometimes it's big things, but I am
loving the growth that I am able to experience in myself and see in
our investigators. I can't really call them by name or give details
but I just have to say we have had such amazing experiences teaching
this week and their growth is truly amazing to me. Sometimes I wonder
if I would have been open to the gospel if I hadn't been born into it,
so I watch in awe is these people accept it so freely and take
everything I say as fact. Their faith is incredible and they are such
examples to me.

Our investigators have this really skewed view of sister missionaries
haha. They think we're perfect..always happy, never have a bad day,
and know the gospel like we know our nail polish collection. Hah I
hope they just keep thinking that. This lady asked if we got our nails
done each week cause they always look so good. I'm just like *cough*
weekly planning *cough* glad people think we're put together cause
it's been 2 months and I already don't care what I wear anymore and my
hair is turning gray. Okay I'm kidding guys.

So let's see last Monday we went to a Brooklyn Cyclones baseball game
on Coney Island for P-day cause a guy in the branch gave us tickets.
It was so fun but it was a million degrees and we were in proselyting
clothes so that was fun. We left after the 6th inning and beach bummed
the rest of the P-day...sorry not sorry. We had a really good lesson
with a less-active lady and her non-member husband, they have the most
adorable family of my life, twins 7 months old. Can I just babysit for
my mission? We shared the Mormon message "Choose This Day" ...super
powerful, watch if ya get a chance.

Wednesday, our blessed service day was just so great. I didn't know
there was such a thing as mold poisoning before the mish but that is a
very real thing people. Folks die from that filth so watch out for it.
We helped this lady...her mom is a hoarder but we didn't have to worry
about that this week cause we were outside. With the spiders. And in
the basement, with the mold. It wasn't as bad as the secret garden
incident but it was getting up there on the sketchiness scale. Oh and
I was the ref for volleyball this week! Dude nobody here knows I'm
homeschooled it's like I have a double life they think I'm so normal
it's just awesome. I'M KIDDING GUYS LAUGH.

They held a special Sisters Conference on Thursday, it was so great
but there were just so many females there I could barely handle it. My
favorite workshop was by President, he talked about how the gospel
isn't horizontal where we go from one step to the next, checking off
ordinances and such. It's a circle of faith, repentance, renewing our
covenants, and enduring to the end....the doctrine of Christ. A
thought I had was that enduring to the end isn't a "section" of that,
but a combination of the first 3 of the cycle that helps us progress.
Can I just say I love the Calderwoods. Okay I'm done.

As far as foodsies we had some fried caterpillars and ants from
Guayana. So delish the crunch just slays me. My stomach is like a
battleground 34/7 forget about it. It was like pork n beans. And
caterpillars. I don't think I can ever eat beans again. Oh wait I did
the next day it's fine. Good thing I love creepy crawly things in my
mouth. I can still feel them in my stomach and the thought literally
slays me everytime. I just said slay twice in one paragraph I should
prolly calm down.

I had a great run-in with some JWs, they came to the door and were
trying to tell me about the bible and that I should study it. I was
like sista, I read for 2 hours a day forget about it. Then Cosmo and
Fox came and sat at the top of the stairs cause they missed me. The
ladies looked up and saw them and asked "oh, are those your kids?"
Strike two, the next person that takes me as a mother is gonna be very
sorry. It's hard looking like you're 30 guys. Then they showed this
depressing video about how Satan controls the world so I just bore my
testimony that the gospel of Jesus Christ can make our lives better
and then they figured something was up so they asked what I did and I
told them I was a missionary for the "Latta-day Saints" and the one
got super defensive and started asking me all these questions. Good
thing it was right after studies cause I was just armed with testimony
and fire and straight craze that the church is true so I bore my
testimony of the atonement and they kinda slunk back and then left. It
was a good thing though cause I was able to experience what others
might feel when I come into their house with a message, so I tried to
pick out things NOT to do when I proslyte. Bless their hearts.

Okay we had a great baptism on the beach! 3 girls we have been
teaching. It was beautiful..they are beautiful. I love kids and they
are so pure and sweet. We were the whole program too so that was
awesome lol go Belle Harbor Sisterssss! On the way home that night we
saw this MASSIVE street fight. A bunch of Africans and right when we
drove past this chick got straight decked in the face. That might be
just another day for normal people but I was staring hard core. Like
dude what the heck. We called the cops and they showed up and people
were goin bananas. There were like 50 teenagers there haha I was a tad
sketched out. We see the weirdest things here let me tell ya.

I was thinking a lot about prayer and I think that one of the greatest
uses of Facebook and Twitter will be to prove at the last day that
prayerlessness was not from lack of time. We can all pray..we all have
enough time, and we are all able to do that...but do we? What do we
use our time on instead of talking to God? I've been working on this
and I know that as we pray we will come closer to God.

Love ya all!
Sis Wadsworth

Pictures: 2 of our district, beach baptism with my girls,
caterpillars, and district meeting with my two favorite comps!

This Week Though

Yay I have experienced my first flash flood! (Illiteration?) probably
nothing in comparison to BYUI hah I was driving in this rainstorm and
we drove down a street (one way of course) and there is like 5-6
inches of water. I'm seriously surprised we didn't start floating the
Subaru down the street..I ain't no wada walka I was seriously so
freaked out but Calvin pulled through and we made it home that night.
I need to find an umbrella cause this ain't no Nevada rain where it's
like sprinkles on a cake. It's like the cake got shoved into the
ocean...I feel like a wet dog all day eryday. It's either rain or
sweat so it's pretty classy and I look like a sweet spirit on a
regular basis. We were in a senior care home the other day when we
stepped into the elevator with one of the nurses. She looks at me "are
they yours?" ...gesturing to my baby bear companions. If I look like
I'm old enough to have two 19-year-old girls there is something wrong
in this world. Oh I just smiled and said yes, yes they're mine. So
proud of them! My babies...

We have had some interesting food..and other things...this week. We
had some plantain porridge one night, it's like plantains, ox tail on
the bone, spinach, and some other "stuff" made into this mush stuff.
Oh my heck you could eat that once a week and it's last ya that stuff
was crazy! Straight slays me. So we ate that at the branch president's
house (they're from Nigeria) and then we go to teach this ADORABLE
lady who just got baptized. She's just whipping up some fofo so she
like, oh seester you come try it seester! So I go to stir it, and
apparently I was doing it totally wrong but I didn't spill it so I
dunno why her cat was getting so chapped. Anyways I'm at the stove and
Cosmo and foxy coxy are looking on as I master the art of fofo
stirring. Wish they would have told me there was a cockroach crawling
up my leg but it's fine. Dude the
5-dinner-appointments-one-night-and-none-the-next schedule is throwing
off my Val flow of actually eating right. Miss that girl.

So trio life is like hanging with your bffs all day and then having a
giant slumber party in the mega bed. We can't be apart. EVER. So we
moved our mattresses right next to each other and there we are! Us and
the humongous spiders that keep biting us while we sleep. If they bite
me I can't tell but Sis Cox is allergic to whatever is grazing on us
cause she has these huge welts all over. Anyway we are all such good
friends. We finish each other's sentences in lessons and even when we
are planning stuff out or "oh we should text this person!" It's weird
how similar we think, but it's super convenient for our situation. We
can't go to the gym cause there are only 2 passes so the three of us
run the beach in the mornings. Oh actually correction, THEY run the
beach, I am always like 50 yards behind, who knew someone 4'11 could
run so fast??? Holy cow Sista Cox is a beast. Sometimes we plan
volleyball with the elders too so that's fun. We are super lucky to
live on the beach.

For service this week we finished up a house in Breezy Point so a
family can move in the next day. I painted the trim so you could
basically call me Bob Ross by now. We also helped Steve and Terry with
some yard work. So uh good thing I'm dating George Strait hah all the
members go stalk poor Travis when they add me on the Facebook and
they're like "your boyfriend is a movie star!...he looks like a
country album cover!" Yes. Yes he is. It ain't no big thang. Pretty
sure they don't even know what a country album cover is but I just go
with it?...oh my heck so one of the elder's investigators is kinda a
tough customer but he is so sweet and he comes to church every week.
He comes walking up to church yesterday moving his hand like it hurt.
Elder Izatt asked him if he hit a wall? "No, I hit a face." Oh okay
then. He kills me.

The spirit is channeling my lack of coordination into great things. We
were at volleyball and I hit the ball wayyyy out of the path I was
supposed to...it landed smack dab on this guy's beer in hand. Spilled
the whole dang thing. Oops! Then yesterday we were walking into a
house and there was a beer on the railing...spilled that clean into a
garbage sack. Oops! That word of wisdom flow is just following Sister
Wadsworth everywhere she goes.

Something cool I learned this week is that our faith in Jesus Christ
is equal to our faith in ourselves. If we truly trust Him we have to
trust ourselves, because He has put that trust in us. He knows our
potential and has made it possible for us to become what we are meant
to be. I am so grateful for this gospel and the power it gives people
to change...this is a gospel of a million "second chances." I love
this quote from Elder Bednar: "Devoted discipleship is the best and
only answer to every question and challenge."

Love ya!
Sis Wads

Dat Trio Life Doe

As is our tradition, Cosmo and I spent our last P-day as a
companionship at the beach getting burned. The tan lines are getting
outrageous, I'm super proud of them. Tuesday was TRANSFER
MEETINGGGGG!!!! We were so nervous, and I saw a side of Sis Myers that
I didn't know existed. She is a total nervous eater! A Wendy's trip
later we continued to the office in Rego Park to pick up our other
third. Ma you would be so proud, I led the music for the meeting. Too
bad I didn't realize that we sang the mission hymn and then called to
serve one after the other, so I just headed back to my seat after the
first one. Someone whispered really loudly "there's another song!" So
I turned around and went and led it too...uh awks homeschooled moment
of the day. Everyone got a good laugh out of it. The worst part was
that we have to sing Called to Serve in English and then Spanish, so
I'm like totes not prepared for the Spanish one and my iPad like
freaked out so I'm standing there mouthing the words, except I don't
know the words, so I was laughing in front of like a hundred
missionaries. Good thing I'm so good looking or I would have been
screwed. Hah why am I so funny.

BUT, we got our new companion! Her name is Sister Caroline Cox from
Harriman, UT! Oh my heck they should have not put us in a trio cause
it's way too fun. We all get along super well, she is chill and mature
so it's great. We got super lucky that's for sure. She's a tough girl
too, I dunno what all she's been through but she has a strong
testimony and we are so glad to have all 4 feet 11 inches of her. I'm
like a foot taller than both of them so I feel like mama bear with her
two little cubs. We are already killing it together, I thought it
couldn't get better than me and Cosmo, but IT JUST DID. #cug

So I got the Facebook this week. Please shoot me? If anyone asks you,
please tell them to try and not contact me on there. First cause it's
against the rules, second cause I was slightly freaked out when I got
on for the first time and people were blowing up the chat with is this
what missionaries do? Are you supposed to be on here? How are you?
What color are your nails? Like dude, please leave me alone!!! It's a
great tool though, some sisters in the mission actually helped a guy
get baptized in Saudi Arabia so that's cool. If we're ever on there
it's for an hour a day and we just try and testify and share the
gospel as much as we can. It's just another way that The Lord is
hastening His work which is thuper awesome. We are so busy here I
don't think I'lll be on it too much. But I'd totally encourage y'all
to use it to bring people to Christ.

There were the usual events this week, getting hit on, going in
sketchy places, going in cush places, getting attacked by dogs, yacht
parties...oh yeah about that. The elders got a call that some yacht
club in Broad Channel wanted to recognize the Mormons for their help
with Sandy. Well obviously we did nothing but we got to stand up in
front of everyone and be recognized for it, plus free food (holy fat
kid). Does anyone know what people in yacht clubs do cause the one in
Belle Harbor doesn't have any yachts at it so I just don't understand
why yacht clubs are a thing. We met some new people and saved the
elders from being hit on by some drunk girls, so it was successful. We
also got to help with the Wounded Warrior festivities so that was
cool. They've been going on all week and we know the people who are in
charge so that was fun. We get asked if we are nuns soooo much. I
guess I look like one? Sister Cox does, cause lets get real nuns are
short. Hah.

Definite highlight was teaching a lesson (an actual lesson!) to a lady
who we have been helping for a couple weeks now. We've been trying to
see her since I got here and in the last couple weeks everything has
fallen into place. She's been to church for the last two weeks and has
been reading her Book of Mormon. We went to teach her the restoration
on Saturday. She just soaked it in and accepted everything as fact. We
didn't even say anything to her about it, but she said "I need to stop
smoking, don't I?" Yes. Yes you do. I dunno why this happened but I
was telling her the first vision and I almost made it through it but I
straight up started crying. One of us always cries when we talk, it's
usually her. But this time all four of us were. I have such a love for
her and we have spent so much time with her and then finally getting
to share the gospel message was really amazing. And being able to
testify strengthens me so much. The lesson went so great, and I know
that no matter what we said wrong Heavenly Father made up for it. I
absolutely love this part of missionary work. I love everything about
it here. You'd think there'd be something negative, but I really don't
have anything. Except there's always sand in our tub from the beach.
And I can't decide which picture to put on the background of my iPad.
Rough mission eh. There are different struggles than people would
think, but The Lord helps with each and every one of them, so that
makes it great.

Another adorbs thing, so obviously I'm obsessed with kids, even more
so with little Hatian boys...I melt like butter on pancakes. There's a
little boy in the ward, we call him Mr President cause he is like the
smartest 4-year-old alive. He was sitting by me in church and he
points to me and says "beautiful!" And then does it to Sis Myers and
Sis Cox. Then he was sitting on the floor a couple minutes later when
all the sudden he just slaps my leg, like HARD and loud and yells "YOU
HAVE PRETTY LEGS!" Cosmo lost it and of course so did I, it was worse
than sitting across the table from Jesse at dinner. Like if I would
have had water in my mouth it would have been on the other side of the
room. He is just the cutest and oh. My. Gosh. His hair slays me it's
so perfect. Sorry I just realized I wrote a whole paragraph about my
man crush, I'll stop #sorrytravis.

This letter is sooooo long but I just have to say one more thing that
I learned this week. Heavenly Father has given us absolutely
everything we have. To use myself as an example I could say that I
gave up everything to go on a mission, a career, family, friends, my
cowboy, but that's dumb, because He gave me all of those things. The
only thing He doesn't have is our will and our heart. The greatest
thing we can do with our agency is to give it back to the God who gave
it to us. As soon as we align our will with Heavenly Father's our
lives become so much easier because we are doing what is right. I love
this gospel, this is God's true church on the earth!

Love ya all!
Sis Wads

Miracle Week

 

This week was something else, let me tell ya. This letter covers like
one millionth of the things that happened.

So um. First off, I love sleepovers. The Hermanas from Far Rock have
stayed at our pad the last week because their's got broken into. The
rock is part of our area and it's like the Harlem of our
mission...sooooo sketch. They've been followed home and getting creepy
texts a ton this week so I feel super bad for them. Cosmo and I are so
lucky that we have a cush pad in a nice neighborhood. I think Heavenly
Father knew I couldn't handle no ghetto area on my first transfer. I
was slightly creeped out when one of them made my bed for me though.
It kinda chapped my cat because if you make it it's like not the same
ever again. And then one of them tried to hug me, while I was in my
bed. That filth don't fly back in Nevada and I shot out of my bed like
a rocket. She was prolly offended but seriously, I don't hug other
girls while I'm in bed. So the next little while should be fun till
they get their living sich figured out.

We went to see this adorable Hatian lady on Wednesday. She comes to
church and believes everything but she doesn't "need" to be baptized
twice which is awk cause you really do. But she makes us these omlets
with this Jamaican sauce...Oh. My. Hot. Every fiery sensation that has
ever happened in my mouth combined together into what this sauce felt
like. It was like liquid fire with hot pepper seeds mixed in. I'm just
like wolfing this stuff down thinking that I'll make my death quick
and painless. For the record, that doesn't work.

We have 6 baptisms this week, all in the ocean. There was a hurricane
watch so our little new member peeps were freaking out about it. 3 of
them rain checked (hah) for two weeks later so that was sad :( the
other two week through with it yesterday and it was such a great
baptism. I dunno what it is about doing it on the beach but the spirit
is sooo strong at those baptisms.

Speaking of hurricanes, weekly planning was absolutely crazy! I felt
like I had 20 kids to schedule their lives for the week. When we
finally finished that on Thursday we went to see a lady in the Rock.
There were these horrifying death clouds covering the entire city and
we could only see the light at the horizon. So were kinda having a bad
night, our 3 baptisms got cancelled, we are like in a hurricane, and
we didn't have a blender to make our crepes for district breakfast the
next morning. And then we get pulled over by the cop that has been
following us for the last 10 min. Ok pause. I know half my letters are
stories about getting hit on by random strangers, and that's because I
could never write down all the lessons we teach and all the people I
meet and all that stuff, plus we aren't supposed to, so you get the
creepy stories. Sorry. These two just stacked cops walk up on either
side and the one says "whoa!" (Haha made me think of Pa) so we are
each getting talked to by these officers cause we were driving without
headlights. But that lasted for like 1 sentence and then they started
asking where we were from and what we were doing in a neighborhood
like that. The one guy was like, "we were NOT expecting YOU to be in
this car." Anyway they talked to us way longer than necessary and then
told us we were very pretty and they would let us go. Thanks for the
genes Ma. The whole thing was just hilarious, these poor officers were
just stuttering and we're trying not to laugh. Anyway back to not
having a blender. So we go to Wavecrest where the Hermanas live to
borrow theirs. We walk into the building and there's this HUGE
rat...of course Cosmo just about dies. Well I would be making fun of
her but on the way out this enormous dog just about attacks me and I'm
like whiter than the baptismal suits in the trunk of Calvin (the
Subaru). I honestly think it was a miracle we made it home that night,
it was dropping buckets of rain on us, the lightening was non-stop,
and stuff was getting real.

Oh and Independence Day really took away my independence this year
cause we got a call from President, we are staying in Belle Harbor
which is beyond ideal, but the reason that kinda took away the freedom
is that I'M GETTING A TWIN. We are gonna be all about that trio life
in The Harbor come Tuesday at noon! I feel bad for her, it's gonna be
hard coming into the perfect companionship (hah), but we are gonna
make this the best experience of her life and are stoked for it! We
did service till 4 and then got all gussied up for party time aka
Steve and Terry's. We stayed there for a bit and then went to a block
party on beach 127th street. We know every person on that street and
they like the Mormon missionaries...and we met some new people too so
it was great! They had AMAZING food, ribs, shark (eeeh?), and every
other BBQ food ever invented. As we drove home all of NYC was
completely lit up with fireworks. Wherever we looked there were some
going off, Manhattan, Long Island, the ocean, Queens, Staten Island.
It was seriously unforgettable. One of the greatest 4ths ever!

Saturday we took a sister to the temple for the first time. It was
like trying to get a camel through the eye of a needle. Or trying to
get a New Yorker to spend time with their kids. Or turn on their
blinker. Satan was prolly having a fit cause we just beat the filth
outta him on that one. We finally got there 2 hours late and she had a
wonderful time! We drove into Manhattan this time instead of taking
the train or the ferry. I actually liked the city this time which was
kinda weird. Prolly cause we drove past all the clothes stores.

Even though it was crazy this has been the greatest week of the mish.
I say that every week but don't let it chap your cat, I totally mean
it. A mission is the greatest thing anyone could do, it blesses you
and you can bless others, which blesses you more and it just keeps
blessing everyone and it just slays me seeing people get blessed and
be so happy because of the gospel. I love it. It's a blessing. Did I
mention the mission is a blessing? Thanks everyone for your support
and letters and emails!

Love ya all,
Sister Wadsworth