Yes, I did get the letters you sent me this week, and even better, I got them on Valentine's Day! How perfect! I loved them so much, when we were trapped inside forever (will explain later) I wrote you one back! I hope you like it and that you get it before Saturday! I didn't put a priority sticker on it so we'll see.
Ahhhhhhhhh that is so cool that you got to go to the State Dance Team Tournament and that Blaine got to go as well! That was heartbreaking that they didn't make it last year... Our streak was just blown... But it comes and goes, they'll win state one year. That sounds so fun that you got to spend the entire day with Dad, and at a dance competition! You must have been in heaven! I hope to get to a competition next year but I don't know how that will work out with school! We'll see.
Hee hee I bought that crazy pink floral shirt at H&M today! I've just had yet another hard week and it just made me so happy! I was laughing in the dressing room taking pictures and laughing some more. I probably spent 20 minutes in there just trying on 3 shirts, but hey, what's new! :)
You didn't tell me about your Valentine's Day at all! You'll have to catch me up on that next week. Not too many details though please!!!! รถ Mine was funny, good, stressful, rough, super rough, embarrassing and then super good and dandy all over again. Haha.
I was just super excited for Valentine's Day and that we got to spend it at Interviews and with other fellow missionaries and the Mission President!! So we have a heart shaped waffle maker and I decided to bring that and the ingredients and make heart shaped waffles for everyone! It was yummy! I made a couple for us before we left, and we still had some batter while we were traveling so I thought it'd be super funny to make a waffle on the train! I did and it went fine for like 21 minute, everyone was laughing it was funny, then it started steaming like CRAZY! I mean, that's totally normal, but I didn't want anyone to think we were starting the train on fire or that we were messing around (which I guess I kinda was...) and so we were all fanning it like crazy and, oh, I laughed so hard it was funny. While I was there, I had a lot to do to prepare for my interview and keep busy. When I finally started cracking down on stuff, I realized how much I had to do and was like, woah, okay let's do this. There was literally nowhere I could go because my comp was making waffles in the kitchen but there wasn't room in there to put together my project thing, so I sat on the ground. Literally 2 seconds later, President walks out and frantically motions for me to get up. Haha it was super embarrassing and he comes over to me and he's like,"'I dont want you to get sick, the kitchen floor isn't clean enough"! It was totally with love I was just embarrassed and felt silly because duh I know better, we should be professional too. That was just kind of the tip on the iceberg of stresses that day. It wasn't even about that, I was just so overwhelmed with just trying to be perfect. Like 30 minutes later, I just kinda lost it and went around the corner to just pray and be alone. Again in that very moment hah, it was my turn for my intierview. PERFECKT TIMING. Yeah, President thought that he had made me cry and I was like nooo and it was super funny and really embarrassing because like literally everyone was there.
He gave me a minute to like, contain myself then I walked into his interview room. I close the door and he smiles and says, I think its really cold in here, what do you say I put our chairs by the heater by the window? He had a full suit on, I doubt he was even the least bit cold, but it was so sweet. I will never forget this interview with him. We sat down across from each other with a beautiful view out the window of Kiel. I said a prayer (through crying lol) and then we just had the sweetest talk. It's pretty easy to get me to talk most of the time, I'm a pretty open book and wear my emotions on my sleeve! I opened up and told him all of my faults and all of the hard things and I don't feel perfect at anything. I didn't understand why I felt this way either, because I was promised if I focused on other people, my companions, members and everyone I talk to, and loved them, I would in turn grow and love myself more. He just gave me the most beautiful advice, and truly listened to me, and I felt that what he was saying was coming from the heart, not some handbook. What stuck with me is that we are to love others, even as ourselves. Emphasis on ourselves. It's really hard to give love when you don't feel it yourself. I realized how badly I was struggling with feeling bad about myself and being really hard on myself. We talked about other things as well, and he said he is really proud of me! I do have to say that I feel my German has improved a ton. He gave me a beautiful blessing, and I made sure to write them all down but unfortunately they are at home in my journal, but I felt peace as deep at was my pain at the time. *cue Alma 34*
Yeah Mom, I'm going to be honest and I do struggle. I don't feel that it is a hopeless struggle, I don't feel that it's a dead end, but some days require a bit more "enduring" when enduring to the end. But I do good things! I do not feel like I've reached my full potential at all as a missionary, but I've done a lot of good!
Right when this ended, unfortunately Sister Decker got sick. Friday is when it started and she pushed through a lesson with Pkay (which went awesome by the way!) but Saturday and Sunday she had a fever and basically spent the entire time in bed. That was HARD. Hard on both of us. It's hard to feel like a good success, happy, hardworking missionary when you are stuck at home. I did eveything I could to stay busy, I called a bunch of people, I studied, studied, and studied some more, I even painted and baked brownies and wrote notes for members in our ward! Ahhh yeah that was still not fun. I felt like a blob at the end of that and it was really strange not going to church on Sunday! I don't even remember the last time I missed church, it had to be years ago! I sang songs and read conference talks though, so I had my own, but I missed the sacrament.
The ward was SO nice and compassionate with us, it was so sweet and they took care of us! They dropped off medicine and soup and pineapple (yum!) and our phone was going off like CRAZY during sacrament meeting cause everyone was worried where the sisters were! It's going around though, and a lot of people were sick! I think of all the things they did for us, and I appreciate all of them, was one member talking to me for over 30 minutes. We just talked about her mission kid and her family and stuff and I was just SO grateful to have someone else to talk to! Not that Sister Decker is no fun, its just 50+ hours stuck in the same walls with someone just dying of fever and a cold are not too pleasant :)
I didn't mean for this email to be negative at all... I hope it isn't. We had some really good moments this week! We taught Jacob and Lenard through a scavenger hunt that was awesome! Lenard is the funniest little kid. He was going all wild and hyper and ran around the church without even reading the first clue, flailing his arms in the air and ran STRAIGHT into the room with the treasure! We were all buckled over with laughter, it was the funniest thing hands down. We had a good time, and totally felt the spirit (after the scavenger hunt for sure!) and they both commented on that they want to go on missions! We were just like, then what do you need to do now to prepare for that?! One of their many reasons was to get baptized! So they are on a good track, I think they need a bit more prep until they will be there though.
We went to a members house with the Elders to prepare her for the musical night! She has a GORGEOUS voice! While Elder watts was accompanying her on the piano, Decker, Elder Myers and I played with the most adorable little kid! It was so funny and he was just the little entertainer once he found out we weren't scary bad guys. Little kids just seem to make my day happier :)
I had some really beautiful spiritual experiences as well this week, even if they were just small! I love that you shared yours with me, thank you! That lady really needed you, and I think you were an angel put in her way to help! I just love those little, natural ways that we can share the gospel and the Savior's love! I love when I get to bear my testimony on somebody's doorstep about Jesus Christ. I love when people smile when we testify of God's unending love for us. It is beautiful, and the gospel really seeps into every aspect of our lives if we allow it!
I love you a million heart shaped waffles with raspberry jelly! I also love you a million hot pink floral shirts that just make me light up and smile! :) The world is beautiful, God does not make mistakes, and I love Him! Love, Sister Macey Ingalls
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