March 23, 2009

Yes, that is my name. Sister Monster. Some adorable kids called me that.:)People
also confuse my name with Munson chocolates- apparently they're really big around here?

Fun fact about Windsor!!! The movie "Arsenic and Old Lace" was based on a play,which was written based on a true story of a lady who actually did kill a lot of people with arsenic when they came to her house. That lady lived in Windsor. And her house is still standing. Next month when we're not so low on miles I'm going to get Sis. Haueter to take me out there. :) Cool huh?

Besides the Arsenic and Old Lace house, there is also a historic district out here
on Palisado Drive with amazingly old houses. 1700's and Civil War-era houses. We've
driven through it a couple of times.

Funny story. Very funny story. Oh, the Church is great out here members are awesome.
Yesterday in church a lady was giving a talk on was it faith? Something like that.
Anyway, she was talking about how grateful she was that the ward members understand her and that they're patient with her when she says crazy things. Then she proceeded to tell a story of a time when she was saying the closing prayer at some activity- I think it was a Relief Society gathering- and she asked Heavenly Father to bless us as ladies of the night. Then she proceeded to explain, in great detail, what she means by that-about how she feels that mothers are ladies of the evening because they have to stay up late doing laundry, etc. after their kids have gone to bed, and how they are always doing the least favorite tasks. Then she said something like, Don't get me wrong. I'm not implying that I walk the streets of Hartford at midnight! But I feel like I am the one who always does the things no one else wants to do.


Highlight of the week- we had a double baptism on Saturday, a mom and her daughter. These baptisms were already planned when I transferred into the area, so I didn't do much other than sit there and watch my trainer finish prepping them for baptism. The event itself was absolutely crazy. I can't even tell you how many things went wrong! They were both sick. The mom was puffed up with allergies and vomiting and feverish. The mom's best friend's mother passed away about an hour before the actual baptism
occurred. She and this friend had made a pact in college that they would be there for
each other if their moms died, so she had to tell her friend, I'll be there for you
later tonight, but right now I have to go get baptized. So they got to the church late and no one brought towels, and she had to get a blessing from the elders because she was so sick, and they had to leave right after the baptism to go to New York for this friend whose mom had just died. So many other things went wrong, I haven't even told you the half of it, but they are baptized! That's the miracle of it all.

Did anyone else feel like they knew everything when they got out of the MTC? I thought I was so prepared. Lately I am realizing what a moron I am. I don't know anything. I have such a hard time teaching anything coherently, because I am still trying to break out of my shy shell. I just don't fit in here. I don't fit in with Connecticut people or with missionaries either. I'm just too new to fit in with either crowd. I know it'll come with time. I'll get more confident and be able to really teach and explain things. Just have to be patient. Do me a favor and pray that I'll be able to be confident, and NOT shy.

Okay, so pictures take about a thousand years to upload on this super-slow library
computer so I was only able to upload a few of them. More to come next week. (Aren't you excited?)

Love,
Sister Monson