Your bladder will be filled here, or there, or everywhere

Aug. 22, 2016

Well hey hey friends, family, acquaintances, old companions, fellow missionaries, parents of my friends, secret admirers, and people that get this email in their inbox that only open it so the notification goes away!

How are y'all doing?

First of all... S/O to my lil sis Danielle who turns 18 on Thursday! Everyone text her and leave her long voicemails of various happy birthday songs for me okay?

My second S/O goes to the James family for bringing a package to the mission home from my family. And to my family for sending it! That totally made my week!

My third S/O goes to Cedar in DeLand FOR GETTING BAPTIZED ON SATURDAY! Holy. I love you lots girl!

My week was pretty dang swell. I got to visit TWO of my past areas and it was oh so good!

Monday we had P-Day. We went to the beach. 🏝🏝🏝 Then we had breakfast with the district. THEN THAT NIGHT I GOT TO GO VISIT DELAND WITH MY BUDDIE SISTER LARSEN. We talked and talked forever and oh my it was a fun night.

Tuesday  I got to be on exchanges with Sister Larsen in DeLand. We gave a training together in their district meeting on how to pray with faith. We visited Sister Riancho and did some service with her. Then we went to go do some finding and the heavens opened up and dumped buckets on us. We were talking to this nice couple and had this pleasant conversation about God... Until the dude found out we were Mormons and then words came out that were so colorful you could paint with them. We were all like "have a nice day sir." And we're going to leave, but then we heard the loudest lightning strike ever and his girlfriend volunteered to take us to our dinner appointment so we didn't get electrocuted by the sky. She was so nice. Then we went to W and M's for dinner and they didn't tell them I was coming and they were all so excited to see me and it just made my heart so happy. THESE PEOPLE ARE MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE. Then we went to the Addiction Recovery Class and I got to see the Bucks and they just make me happy. Then we exchanged back and Sister Simpson told me they put our investigator L on date for baptism on September 24th! YOU GUYS I'M SO PUMPED ABOUT THIS I CAN'T HANDLE IT. We met L a couple weeks ago and he's already giving copies of the Book of Mormon to his friends. I want to be like him when I grow up.

Wednesday I went to another district meeting (ours this time). Then we went with the Doan's to a lesson with D and a lesson with N. Then they took us to get frozen yogurt. I wasn't even mad. Then we picked up a lady named C and a lady named B as new investigators. Then we had a Jehovah Witness try to convince us that Mormonism is a break off of 7th day Adventist which is a break of of JW...Haha... No sir... No it is not...

 Thursday  we weekly planned, then had an AWESOME lesson with Sister Chilkott, then we taught Brother Schmidt and Judy all about the temple.

FRIDAY WE GOT TO GO TO THE ONE AND ONLY ORLANDO TEMPLE. We woke up at the splendid time of THREE FIFTY IN THE MORNING.... 3:50 PEOPLE.... It was so worth it. Brother Westcott took us and the Daytona Sisters and Brother Westcott officiated the session and it just felt so good to be in the house of the Lord. IT WAS HEAVEN. I got to say hi to a bunch of people including my friend Elder Dummer for those of you who are friends with him. After the temple we went to Panera. Then after a long drive home we went to the Walker's house to help them move. Oh man I was so tired and sweatier than any human should ever be. Then we taught T and then took D to visit R (mother nature lady from last week) and B. Both were awesome lessons! Then we planted some pineapples for Brother Cintron and had a lesson with his family. THEN I GOT TO GO VISIT DAYTONA ON EXCHANGES.

Saturday I got to go on exchanges in Daytona where I served last Christmas. I was with Sister Carter who is in training and is just the sweetest! We visited Miss Mary who I love! Then I found out a guy I taught the restoration to named W got baptized sometime after I left! What!? Then we had lessons with Brother Zancher, Eileen, and Larry, and then I got to visit my friend Sister Tripp. She is my most favorite ever.

Sunday L RODE HIS WHEELCHAIR ALL THE WAY TO CHURCH. what even. Where did you even come from L? Oh man. Church was so good. After Church we did some family history with C who is a young women that just got baptized. We are going to go do baptisms with her soon! Then we taught a lady named C and Brother Steflic came with us. Then we taught D who is this cool old guy in a wheelchair we met a little while ago. He used to be a body surfer and he told me he'd teach me someday. He was pretty pumped to hear about the Book of Mormon. Then we had dinner with the Steflic's and they are so fun. Then we visited the Hewlets and... Oh man... I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.

It was just a really good week. I love this gospel SO MUCH and this is the best thing I've ever done. The Book of Mormon really does provide safety for our souls and is the best source when you need peace.

Here are my out of context quotes from this week:

I feel like triangles are good... Just draw a triangle

Do you have a galaxy or something I can borrow?

Those don't look like bunnies they look like hotdogs.

What is this? A country lane?

Your bladder will be filled here, or there, or everywhere

Sister young? Sister niña? My mom's maiden name is Child...

I love y'all more than I love grapefruit juice. Which is a lot so...

"Don't fish from the bridge"

Whoa. Hey there. Sorry this is coming to you so late in the day. I got to see the ocean today so that took a lot of time. 

This was perhaps the MOST INSANE week of my mission... I know I say that all the time, but I had no idea what insane felt like until this week.

Monday was fun. We went bowling with the district in DeLand. I'm not a very good bowler. But don't worry... I got a strike so it's fine.

Tuesday I was transferred to the New Smyrna Beach Ward with Sister Simpson! Holy. She is the greatest ever. Right now we are the only missionaries in the ward so we cover New Smyrna, Port Orange, Edge Water, Ponce Inlet, and a little bit of South Daytona. Plus we are STLs over the Daytona, Bunnell, DeLand, and Deltona sisters. We have the biggest teaching pool I've ever had on my mission and right now we are working on sifting through everyone to try to decide who is prepared. Tuesday we taught a WHOLE BUNCH of people. Like so many people I can't even remember all of them.

Wednesday we started off the AM with some good old district meeting. We drove a thousand miles to Daytona and then to Bunnell. I saw my homies Elder and Sister Corder. They always make me feel like I'm their favorite grand child. Then we taught another seven lessons. We were on this street in the hood and this guy in a wheelchair  yelled to us "I saw you give a card to my brother! Can I have one?" So we ran over and taught him. We also had dinner with the Hendersons. #GrilledPizza 

Thursday we took a road trip down to Orlando for monthly Missionary Leadership Counsel meeting (MLC) and it was probably the most powerful meeting I've ever been in. The entire meeting was on the Atonement and at any given moment you could look around the room and see someone in tears. It really changed the way I look at this work. The church was restored so that through the priesthood we can have access to the Atonement. I wish I could explain some of the feelings I felt during that meeting, but my feelings are overflowing and my writing is inadequate, so I'll simply say that to me the Atonement is everything, and I will forever be indebted to the one that gave me everything. And therefor, I will do my very best for Him.

I also found a fellow Lancer (Elder Dummer) and we took a Lancer LL picture. #GoLancers!

After MLC we taught a few people and had dinner with the Wells and they fed us black eyed peas #BoomBoomPow #TonightsGonnaBeAGoodNight and then we taught some more of our friends.

Friday we weekly planned. Then we went to Brother Cintron's and I learned how to transplant a pineapple. 🍍🍍🍍 Then we planted a tree and he told us it was going to be the "missionary tree." You guys. I have a tree. Then we taught Brian. He is my favorite. He loves the gospel but just has some things he needs to overcome before he can get baptized.

Saturday...are you ready to read about Saturday? Oh man. First of all, we had a meeting with the ZLs at McDonalds to plan ZTM. Haha good times. Then we were driving down the road and we see Lemar rolling on the sidewalk in his wheelchair so we pull over and he's like "HEY SISTERS! I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU TO CALL ME!" Then he told us he had read the pamphlet we left him and that he loved it. So we whipped our car around and taught him more about the Book of Mormon. Then his therapist showed up and we said a prayer with both of them. Word.

We taught some other people and then we were trying to visit someone in Area book, but she didn't want to talk to us so we decided to knock on her neighbor's doors so we knock on this door and this man with ONE LEG that looks like he walked straight out of a Pixar Movie answers the door and introduces himself as Jim. He tells us he lives in a "bear house" and asks us if we want to see... We both looked at each other and shrugged. So we go in and for the next half hour him and his wife proceed to talk to us about the HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF TEDDY BEARS they have. Like at first we think it's just some odd collection BUT it was INFACT NOT just some odd collection... After a few minutes we realized that they did indeed believe that these teddy bears were real. They all had names that are written in a book. They all also had stories, many of which we learned about. They all also have personalities and sometimes they get mad if they can't see the TV. Sister Simpson was telling the lady about how her mom is a first grade teacher and every year they have a "teddy bear picnic" and the lady goes "SHHHHHHHH!" And then whispers "don't let the teddy bears hear you! They've been wanting to have a picnic!" 

Oh man. Florida is fun my friends. #OldiesButGoodies

Later in the day after we were contacting this blind man when all of the sudden Lemar rolls up and is like "hey Sisters!" Then he tells us that "Pop" is his dad. Then he tells the other people there that we are "good Christian people." Haha what even?

Then we taught a few more people we were driving down the road and we see this lady gardening in a dress and so we pull over real fast to ask her if she needs help and we run up to her and she looked like she had rolled around in a flower bed for a hot minute. And had leaves and flowers dripping from her hair. She told us she didn't need help but invited us to come see her garden... Okay so from the front it looked like a nice trailer type house with some trees... Around back we quickly discovered she owned the Garden of Eden and I'm throughly convinced Rebecca was a Mother Nature's cousin or something. Haha so we taught her in her garden and it was grand. Then we taught Ryan and I decided I want to go skydiving someday.

Sunday we went to ward council and then church. Holy cow. This ward LOVES the missionaries. After church we contacted a lady on her birthday and said a prayer with her asking Heavenly Father to help her have a happy birthday. We also visited the Walkers and they are my number one. Then we visited the Hewlets. I watched Sister Simpson clean up a WHOLE BUNCH of cat pee... I tried to help but that didn't turn out too well. Sister Simpson is a trooper. She gets all the points for the week.

Today with sister Steflik and her three little kids to the board walk by the ocean. Oh my. It was so beautiful. Don't worry, we didn't go to the beach, but it was a blast and a half to be able to see it. Then we had lunch at her house, we went to Wally World for some groceries, went to the library for a hot minute so I could send some voice recordings and update the blog, and now were at home baking a cake. I'll send pictures. Please excuse my squinty eyes. #SunshineState

That's all I have.

Well, I love y'all more than Floridians love to protest to "SAVE BEACH DRIVING!" And they have posters so....

Sister Whitney Reid

Feelmysunlight.blogspot.com

Citrusfruitsister.blogspot.com

🍍🍋🍍🍋🍍🍋🍍🍋

"I swear this isn't a gang sign... It's just a shadow puppet... It's a dog...ruff

Well hey there friends! First things first... Transfer doctrine came this week and I am INFACT getting transferred AGAIN beeecccaaauuussseee President called me to be a Sister Training Leader (STL. Like a Zone Leader for sisters) on Saturday. So I'm getting transferred to the New Smyrna Beach Ward tomorrow which is neighboring this ward and also touching the Daytona Beach Ward boundaries. So I'll have served in three areas that are touching. Haha I'm going to be with Sister Simpson who is SO COOL! Holy cow. I'm pumped. But I'm also freaking out a lil but it's fine.

Second big news of the week: W GOT BAPTIZED! Holy. It was a good week.

So here's how my week went. It was pretty cray.

Monday was pretty normal. I emailed Y'all, we did the P-Day thangg and then had a lesson with W. For the summer there are SIX little girls living at their house (not to mention the six adults) all under the age of 10. Those kids are all obsessed with the missionaries and it's the cutest thing. When we knocked on the door one of the little ones ran to the door, but couldn't get it open. She yelled "IT'S THE SISTERS! I LOVE THEM. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH I LOVE THEM?! SOMEBODY OPEN THE DOOR AND LET THEM IN!" My heart melted and when we finally got in we were attacked by a thousand hugs. Holy cow. I love these kids. After our lesson with Will we went to FHE with the Glase family. We played Book of Mormon pictionary and had KFC. Can life get better? I submit that it cannot.

Tuesday we did some finding and taught our pal R. He is the cutest old man and when I first went to his house I thought I had left the country because it is in the jungle. Then we went to see one of our investigators whose mom was a little less than thrilled to see us. ☹️ Then we decided we needed to get ice cream to make us feel better. We went to this little hole in the wall called Three Sisters Ice Cream. It's where all the local old people go to gossip. We became friends with a few of the "sisters" that own it. Then we left with our ice cream. Sister Larsen was holding two GIANT ice cream cones and was trying to back me... THEN this random GARBAGE MAN showed up and jumped off the back of his truck and was like "I'LL DO IT!" So Sister Larsen hopped in the car and the garbage man backed me out of my parking spot. 

And that's how I got a garbage man to back me on my mission.

After we made a mess with our ice cream (it melts faster here in Florida) we taught an awesome lady in the ward named Sister Watson. Then we taught W and talked about the restoration and he has such a strong testimony of it it was so awesome. Then we had dinner with the Loughmillers who are INFACT the coolest family. Then we went to addiction recovery which is my favorite thing ever.

Wednesday we spent some time with our friends down at Trinity United Methodist Church working in the food pantry. We visited the S's who are my favorite. We had a good lesson with W and we went to Book of Mormon class.

Thursday we had district meeting. I had a Safe Guards thought. We had lunch with sister Riancho and we did lots of dishes with her. We taught W and then we taught M who is a recent convert. 

Friday we did some weekly planning. Then we were headed to a ward dinner and the heavens opened and there was a TORRENTIAL DOWN POUR. But don't worry. We made it to the church wet and safe. That was a fun time. We had a lesson with W after the party.

SATURDAY WAS THE BEST DAY. holy. We went to the DeLand 1 Elder's baptism for a guy named W, then we went to our baptism for W!!!!! It was SO GREAT! He had to get dunked twice and then he came up out of the water and was like "Amen!" Haha Sister Larsen spoke and did a swell job. W's sister that's not a member asked if she could say a few words and HOLY GUACAMOLE she had us all in tears. It was beautiful. Then we socialized with the peps that came and headed over to their house for a surprise party for W. Puerto Ricans know how to party and they treated us like we were just part of the family. It was one of the most fun moments I've had on my mission just knowing I had helped this family come a little closer to God and then to celebrate it with them. They made me feel so loved and my heart is full.

Saturday night we were waiting for transfer doctrine and we got a call from the Leesburg sisters telling us that one of them was going to come here with Sister Larsen. So I knew I was leaving, but I didn't know where or why I was leaving because I have only been here one transfer. BUT THEN we got a call from a random number and I was like "Hi this is Sister Reid and Sister Larsen!" And then the voice on the other end said "Hi Sister Reid! This is President Clark!" And I was like "Hi President" and then he asked me if I would be a Sister Training Leader and I told him yes and at about that time I went into shock and don't remember the rest of the conversation. Hahaha later the Zone Leaders called and told me I'm going to New Smyrna with Sister Simpson. I'm beyond excited and a little overwhelmed, but mostly excited. Holy cow.

Sunday was fun. W got the Holy Ghost. Whattttt?! Elder Gentry gave all of us missionaries selfie sticks in our favorite colors. I have a selfie stick now. We had dinner with the Ward's and they are my most favorite family. We also visited the L's.

Today we are going bowling with some other missionaries and we have FHE with Michelle's family tonight, and I move to Port Orange in the morning. Should be a partayy.

Well, I hope y'all have a splendid week!

Out of context quotes:

We don't have to be friends... That's the cool part of a mission.

I swear this isn't a gang sign... It's just a shadow puppet... It's a dog...ruff

I do my hair everyday... I don't just wake up and think "ehhh... Not today."

Part of me hopes the baby is ugly

I love y'all more than I love Lake Helen... And that's a lot.

Sister Whitney Reid

Feelmysunlight.blogspot.com

Citrusfruitsister.blogspot.com

🍍🍋🍍🍋🍍🍋🍍🍋

"You know that item that you was lookin' at last night? It's like $5 now..."

LET ME TELL YOU. 

we had a week this week.

First of all, like I mentioned last Monday we went to De Leon Springs for district P-Day and hiked around a rainforest swamp. Twas a fun time. I felt like I was in the Hunger Games hunting with my allies... But that's just me. Like, I'm pretty sure we would have been the carriers... Only, instead of hunting to kill people, we are hunting to baptize them. I think Suzanne Collin should jump on this... She can call it "THE CONVERT GAMES"

speaking of "the convert games..."

W PASSED HIS BAPTISMAL INTERVIEW ON TUESDAY!! Holy holy holy. What?!

But before I talk about that, I want to mention that after P-Day on Monday we went to dinner with the Ballard's and after dinner we went with Sister Ballard to see Blue Springs which was right by their house, and is INFACT the coolest lil spot in all of Florida. I felt like I was in Costa Rica or something (not that I have any idea what that's like, but I'd imagine it would be cool.) Family, we must come back and swim here someday. I also saw my first living armadillo (the only ones I've ever seen have been dead on the side of the road. #RoadKill) and I saw several wild Boars. Twas a swell time.

So... TUESDAY! Like I mentioned, W passed his interview. We got stranded at the church for a lil bit because #BikeWeek and #WeLiveSoFarAway. We ate granola bars on the cement like savages. Then we had Addiction Recovery Class. Goodness. That class is number one.

Wednesday we went to Trinity United Methodist church and helped in their food pantry. We also had interviews with President Clark who is INFACT the coolest ever. I thoroughly enjoyed this interview. 

Here are some other things from my interview:

1. When I walked in he was like "your the sister that emailed me that cool quote about faith! I liked it so much I even showed it to Sister Clark!" 

1. My favorite part of the interview was when he said "Sister Reid, how do you stay so positive?" And I was like "I don't know President, I just love being a missionary!" And he was like "you just can't help but smile when you walk into the room. You have such a great attitude! Try to keep that the rest of your mission. Don't let anyone get you down." 😊😊😊

1. President told me he wants me to continue writing my blog! (citrusfruitsister.blogspot.com) Since it was a trial run with President Berry I had to run it by President Clark so he could decide if he wanted me to continue doing it. He told me he'd like me to keep doing it so as long as y'all are reading it I'll keep it up!

1. He shared this analogy with me about missionary work and how "this is God's grocery store, and these are His products. All we are doing is stocking the shelves." Which I thought my dad and sister might appreciate... S/O to all my friends working at Bowmans.

(I'm not sure why all of these are #1, and I can't figure out how to change it... Haha whatever.)

After interviews we went to dinner with Sister Wilson and I got some lemon blueberry pancakes. 👌🏻 Then we went to Book of Mormon class and Sister Clark came because President Clark had a meeting. That was fun to get to know her better! 

On THURSDAY we prepped a house to be painted with Elder Olsen, Elder Gentry, Elder Reeves, and Elder Pyle. They have these houses for homeless people her in FL and a lot of times the homeless people trash them, so this guy goes in and fixes them up and he has the missionaries help sometimes. It was really fun! We also had a good lesson with W and dinner with the Butchers. 

➡️ FUN FACT ABOUT FLORIDA: when you go to a restaurant and you want water, you always ask for lemon in your water because if you don't, it tastes like it came from the swamp. 🙊🙊🙊

On FRIDAY we weekly planned and theN WE TOOK W ON A TEMPLE TOUR OF THE ORLANDO TEMPLE AND I GOT TO SEE BABY HART. HOLY HOLY HOLY. best day. It was SO GOOD to be back in my last area and to see the temple and my lil trainee who is just the light of my life and the apple of my eye (I'm not sure what that even means.) we took pictures and did our best friends handshake/footshake. S/O to Baby Hart. You are NÚMERO UNO. 

SATURDAY was my 10 month birthday. I CANNOT EVEN BELIEVE THAT I'VE BEEN A MISSIONARY FOR TEN WHOLE MONTHS. I feel like I just got here and that I don't know anything... I'm starting to think that feeling will never go away. #4YearOldWithANametag. I celebrated with a lot of finding.

SUNDAY we went to ward council. Then to church. We got to go to young women's again because C came. So... If you remember C, she is the one that didn't believe in God three weeks ago. She decided last week after reading about half of the Book of Mormon that she wanted to take the lessons from the missionaries. Since the elders are teaching her dad they started teaching her too. She's had like two discussions.... Well.... She TOTALLY VOLUNTEERED TO SAY THE CLOSING PRAYER IN YOUNG WOMEN'S ON SUNDAY. I about cried. You have no idea what that feels like as a missionary.

Well today is Monday July 25th 2016.... Today is P-Day.... This is the last week of the transfer and transfer doctrine comes out Saturday. W also gets baptized on Saturday so that's exciting. It should be a beautiful week!

Here are my "out of context quotes"

"I'm so happy it hurts"

"That item that you was lookin at... It's like $5 now"

"I got called Wanda too..."

I love y'all more than lizards love push-ups!

Sister Whitney Reid

Feelmysunlight.blogspot.com

Citrusfruitsister.blogspot.com

🍍🍋🍍🍋🍍🍋🍍🍋