Goodbyes for Days

After 7 months here I will be leaving the great metropolis of Tullahoma.

 

How am I feeling? I don't really know. I have all sorts of emotions going through me.

 

I am excited for the new adventure, but I will greatly miss my (Tulla)hometown. I knew this day would eventually come and it feels right for me to be leaving. That didn't make it any less sad when I was bearing my testimony during sacrament meeting and 1/2 the Relief Society was crying. Seriously, no one prepared me for this part of the mission.

 

Anyways, tomorrow I will be going to Hartford. Not Hartford, Connecticut, but Hartford, Kentucky. That's right, I'm heading to Kentucky. And I will be training again. Ahhhh! I love training, but they sure know how to guilt trip you by saying how your training in not only going to affect your companion, but your companion's children and her children's children. Sister Allred says that threat is mostly for the Elders though. Sisters tend to guilt themselves. All I know is that it is a branch, at the border of the mission, and where Sister and Elder Peterson just recently served. The Petersons are from my home stake so I guess I'll get some brownie points from the members there. More on this adventure next week.

 

And this is just the beginning of what has happened this week. I think we'll have to do a play-by-play of the week:

 

1. Monday- First night of working the booth at the Coffee County fair. We were stuck in this tiny booth in between other churches. Did you know you could get saved at the county fair? Also, a lady in our ward who calls herself Spitfire was needle stitching the Nashville temple will her own hair. Me in 50 years? Maybe.

 

2. Tuesday- The usual missionary work in Tullahoma.

 

3. Wednesday- Morning at the fair. Meeting in the afternoon. Evening at the fair. We handed out CTR balloons on a stick and homemade cookies. After that we guilted the parents into filling out a survey and if they had at least one "yes," they count as a referral for us. Bingo.

 

4. Thursday- Another morning at the fair. Then we headed up to the temple with my Miracle Family. Kayla (recent convert) and Kathy (returning member) went to the temple for the first time to do baptisms for the dead. It was such a good experience and that family is still continuing to see miracles. It was like Disneyland for missionaries.

 

5. Friday- ALL DAY at the fair. It was quite the adventure. We received 169 referrals in that day alone which is a record high for the stake. Let's just say we know how to work that booth.

 

6. Saturday- Morning at the fair, but it was raining so we didn't have much success. We headed back to Tullahoma to fill up the font for a couple of baptisms. And they needed my piano playing skills (yes they are that desperate). We stayed in Tullahoma for the rest of the day and during nightly planning I received the call that I would be training and going to Hartford.

 

7. Sunday- Lots of eating, taking pictures, and saying goodbye.

 

8. Today- More goodbyes and packing.

 

It has been quite the week. All of the missionaries are seriously worn out. Since the fair was in a different area in the ward, we stayed about 3 nights with the Hermanas (Spanish-speaking sisters). It was such a fun week with lots of memories. We ended up with 444 referrals!!!! That is so stinkin' exciting.....for them. And I'll be going back to a blank area book. Of course.

 

I love the work! I love being a missionary! And you should too! WILL YOU sing, listen, and/or interpretive dance to the song "Called to Serve?"

 

Love y'all!

 

Love, Sister Neener (: