"I cried more for that flu shot than I did when I got dropped off at the MTC."

Nov. 22, 2016

Holy guacamole

I love being a missionary

This was like pretty much the greatest week of my life.

I got to see EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY FRIENDS SERVING IN THE FLORIDA ORLANDO MISSION. every single one.

I also wore pants to proselyte. #Zika #Vika #ZikaVikaVirus #ThanksSisterHart

I also got a flu shot.

I also held a baby pig. 🐖

#oink

Okayyyyyyyy ok ok ok ok. Here's how it went down.

Monday Sister Jones was determined to find some "Florida-y souvenir things" we found the tackiest souvenir shop in all of the state of Florida. 👌🏻

This is how I'm going to decorate my house someday.

Then we went and bought some PANTS! Because PANTS ARE APPROVED FOR FLORIDA SISTAS! #Zika After P-day we went and taught Curt with Brother Westcott. Curt is so solid and I'm so pumped I can't even handle it. 😂 We said a kneeling closing prayer and he said it and he just.... ahhhh the Spirit was so strong.

THEN we did indeed drive to Deltona so I could go on exchanges with my best friend for lyfe Sister Hart. 

Let me just tell you for a hot minute how wonderful Sister Hart is....

She just gets me and loves me and makes me want to love others more. She's my favorite ever. That's all.

Also, she laughs at my jokes. 

TUESDAY was an odd day. Sister Hart and I had to run all the errands. We got up and studied. Then we went my old area, DeLand, and had the tire replaced on their car. 

Then we were stranded in DeLand because we had no car so OBVIOUSLY we found a nearby pet store and got yelled at by a parrot and held BABY PIGS. 

President Clark.... I have a confession to make.... 

I almost bought one.

We also got milkshakes at McDonalds and then picked up our car and then visited some less actives. Then we drove ALL THE WAY TO SANFORD for Sister Hart's physical therapy appointment. We had a blast with all the physical therapists. They thought we were pretty funny.

They we ran back to Deltona and taught a few more friends about the true church.

I live for exchanges with Sister Hart. 

Then We exchanged back and I headed back to NSB. 

WEDNESDAY Was the only normal day this week. EXCEPT IT WASN'T EVEN NORMAL BECAUSE WE WORE PANTS ALL DAY. Haha 

We taught a lady named Laura who has done mission trips all over the world. She has given out truck loads of bibles through her life and so I was all "since you give books out to everyone, I want to share my favorite book with you." 

HERE'S A BOOK OF MORMON FRIEND! 

After some more finding we went and had lunch with Sister Spears. We sang Joseph Smith's first Prayer for her and she told us we should go on the Voice.... 😂😂😂 Then we visited the Upfolds and then the Orbans. I love them. Then we had dinner with the Henderson Clan. I love them. Then we had a lesson with the Schreck's. Michael left for basic training on Saturday so we had a nice send off-good luck-God is with you type lesson. It was kinda sad, but the Spirit was really strong. 

THEN WE DROVE ALL THE WAY TO THE O-SOUTH ZONE SO WE COULD HAVE A SLEEPOVER WITH THE OLYMPIA SISTERS BECAUSE WE HAD MLC AT THE CRACK OF DAWN THE NEXT DAY.

I got to have a lil partayyy with Sister Skousen and Sister Rytting. I LOVE THEM.

THURSDAY we got up at the crack of dawn to wash the bird poo off of our car because you can't let a member of the seventy see that. 😂😂 THEN we trecked off to the Wetherbee building for MLC with Elder Schwitzer of the Seventy. 

IT WAS SO GOOD *cries* 

After MLC they let us stay for lunch with the missionaries that had ZONE Conference that day. I got to see Sister Glover and Sister Simpson and Hermana Stokey and Sister Larsen and Elder Skidmore and all the other homies in that half of the mission and oh man. It was just the greatest time. There were lots of selfies taken. Then we headed home for some weekly planning. My favorite. 👌🏻 Then we had dinner with the Wells and we visited Sister Chilkott and then Sister Spears and her husband that isn't a member. We sang Joseph Smith's first Prayer for him because Sister Spears told him about it. He doesn't really like Joseph Smith all that much and was sure to tell us about it, but he still agreed that we should be on the Voice. 😂😂😂

FRIDAY we woke up at the crack of dawn AGAIN and went down to Lake Mary for ZC. We had a special sisters meeting all about pants. Pants are important my friends. Then we had Zone Conference and it was so good I can't even handle it. Then we had lunch.

My friends...

President Clark took the funniest picture with us.

I HAVE THE COOLEST MISSION PRESIDENT AND ANY OPPOSING ARGUMENTS ARE INVALID.

He was all "you want me to squat?" 

I just die every time I look at this picture.

I got to see the other half of the mission squad and it was just splendid. S/O to Sister Glover, and Sister Simpson, and Sister Mohenoa, and Sister Hart, and Sister Prows, and Elder Dummer, and all of my other DeLand friends, anddddddd it's weird when you're suddenly an old missionary and all the friends you are used to seeing at meetings like this are now in Utah sitting in college classes. Weird. 

After lunch they lined us up and gave us flu shots. My home girl Sister Carter does NOT like needles one bit and when she came back from getting her flu shot she just said "I cried more for that flu shot than I did when I got dropped off at the MTC." 

Don't worry. After car checks and more than a few selfies in the parking lot we got her some Jeremiah's to make up for it.

Then we drove the Daytona Sisters home and went straight to the Freeze's house for dinner. Fun fact: on at least three different occasions people have asked me if I'm related to the Freeze Family. They are my favorite.

SATURDAY we had a lesson with Sister Shea at McDonalds and it was an experience. Then we went home and finished studies. Then we saw Sister Gruber who I LOVE! She adopted us as her grandchildren. 😊❤️ Then we visited Jo who is a non-member wife of a less active in the ward. She only had a few minutes to meet with us so we asked if we could sing her a song. We sang I am a Child of God to her and the whole time she looked a little confused, but we could tell she felt the Spirit. When we finished she asked us if we had recorded ourselves on our iPad and were singing along with it. We told her we hadn't and she said "that's weird, because it sounded like there were more than two people singing."

"And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." 

-D&C 84:88

I have felt the truthfulness of this scripture so much this week.

I also had another very spiritual experience in regards to this scripture that I feel impressed to share with y'all.

Earlier in the week I received a letter in the mail from the church history department. Several months ago Sister Jones had shown me how to request Patriarchal blessings for diseased ancestors. I thought "this is cool" and plugged in what I knew about my grandpa. My grandpa passed away before I was born so I never met him. It asked for things like "who gave him his patriarchal blessing" and "what stake he was in when he got it" and I didn't know any of that information so I hit summit and forgot about it because I figured they wouldn't be able to find it.

This week I got his blessing in the mail and tears filled my eyes as I read promises the Lord had made to the grandfather I have never met.

There was one particular paragraph that talked about my grandfather's missionary work. His blessing told him that he would be able to explain the gospel to many and some would accept. The Spirit witnessed to me that this is being fulfilled right now, and that my grandfather, Glenn Ross Child, was assisting in my missionary work from the other side. I have felt him with me this week and have become much more aware of the Angels that help us with this work from the other side. We don't do this work alone. 

Later on Saturday we went and visited Junior with the Bunnell Elders for his baptismal interview. HE PASSED HIS INTERVIEW AND IS SO PUMPED TO GET BAPTIZED NEXT SUNDAY! *whips and nay nays* 👊🏻👋🏼

Then we headed over to Melody, Brittany, Milady, and Jeffery's house for Jeffery's birthday party. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEFFERY! This family has adopted us into the family and they were so excited to introduce us to all of Melody's siblings and parents and it was just an all around good time. They introduced us to everyone by saying "these are the girls that come help us learn about Jesus!" 

SUNDAY we had church. Tammy came and it was a miracle! Josh, Junior, and Gavin also came. Junior paid his tithing for the first time and was so excited to tell us about it. It was so cute. We also had dinner with the Clements and a wonderful lesson with Melody, Milady, and Jeffery about charity.

TODAY we are partying in DeLand with all the peps in the zone. We just played a sick game of chair soccer.

What a splendid week. 

I love being a missionary and I'm going to stay here forever.

Sorry mom.

PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR A TRUCK LOAD OF PICTURES COMING YOUR WAY.

I love y'all more than missionaries hate flu shots 

Sister Whitney Reid

Feelmysunlight.blogspot.com

Citrusfruitsister.blogspot.com

🍍🍋🍍🍋🍍🍋🍍🍋