Week 8 Already?!?

This week went by so quickly! I totally understand what Charity meant when she said missions are a time warp. This Wednesday is my 8 week mark. WHAT. This is nuts. AH. I'm finally getting to know the area and the ward! It's awesome! Haha so the first day of  spring was last Friday, and it snowed. Hahaha. We had one night this week and it got up to like 73?? It was AMAZING. Except for the mosquitoes, I've already gotten but twice... It's not even summer yet. OH NO. The humidity is awesome though haha i love it (for now anyways, probably won't love it as much in the middle of summer lol). But the green is starting to come out, and the blossoms are starting to happen! WOOP WOOP! The cherry blossoms are supposed to come out next week! I think Sister Cooke is taking us all out for another sisters day to see them! WOOOOP WOOP. I love DC. Seriously Maryland is the prettiest place on the planet. 

Tuesday morning I got my cast on, and I absolutely hate it. I can't even stand wearing shoes for long periods of time. It's clunky and I can't move half my fingers and it smells and UGHGHGAHAGHAGAHA. I'm going CRAZY. I'll probably cut it off myself in a couple weeks... Haha we had a little scare at the doctor place, I handed them my copy of my insurance card, and they were like "ummm, sorry, we can't take this... We have to have the actual card..." Here I am over here, never having done all this insurance stuff before in my life (mom I miss you lol), trying to tell this lady that I don't have anything else and trying to explain that I have literally no way to get the real one because I'm not from here. Then I had to fill out a crazy amount of forms that i didn't understand and I'm pretty sure I signed away my first-born son. So that was stressful. Hahaha.  The lady that put my cast on was actually a member! Her daughter served a mission! Haha she's the only member in the whole hospital so that was awesome!!

Wednesday we had our first member meal!! Sister Hinds mom is here from Jamaica for her wedding, so she made us the BEST Jamaican food. Oh. my. Word. She made beans and rice, with the most AMAZING chicken, then made fried plantains. SO. GOOD. She gave us banana chips and sweet tea cookies (like a mix between animal and graham crackers), which were super yummy. Jamaican food is the BEST. AH. If for some crazy reason i don't live in Maryland, I'm moving to Jamaica so Grandma Hinds can cook for me. MMM. 

Thursday we had zone conference, which was pretty good haha. All us new people had to go up and introduce ourselves, and say what Disney character we were and why. AND I PANICKED. AND SAID BELLE. BECAUSE "WE BOTH LIKE BOOKS" OR SOMETHING. WHAT. NO. NOBODY IS EVEN GOING TO KNOW THAT I LIVE AND BREATHE EVERYTHING DISNEY. I was going to say Minnie, because she encompasses everything Disney, but I panicked. REGRET. SHAME. AHHHH. That night, we went to check on Betty but she wasn't home, but her neighbors were out! So we went and talked to them (Dawn and George), and they were awesome! They used to meet with elders, and they want us to come by more! We shared "Because He Lives" with them (if any of you haven't seen that yet, go watch it right now! Then share it with your friends! :)), and Dawn was like "O.M.G." Hahahaha. We also taught Miss Gene, and she loved it! She's getting baptized, but needs to think about a date. Haha but she was like "you're going to be here when I get saved, right??" LOVE HER SO MUCH.They were supposed to come to church yesterday, but her daughter is way pregnant and really sick, so they had to cancel... Next week though! 

Friday we gave our first scheduled tour at the VC! Finally! It was awesome! Saturday we were on shift, and we got to usher for Savior of the World (Easter play the VC hosts every year), so we saw about a third of it. Then we got to stay out late so all us sisters at the VC could watch the General Women's Broadcast, which was amazing! Family is such a huge blessing, and I love you all so dearly. :) Yesterday we had another member meal with the Barkers! They are the COOLEST family ever. She served her mission in Connecticut, and their house is adorable and I love their kids. They're amazing! They made us beef stew and croissants, which was super yummy. Haha it was fast Sunday, and we broke our fast at like 4:30, and made pancakes and bacon, then had dinner with the Barkers later, and we visited somebody in between and she made us eat cake. I just about threw up hahahaha. 

SOOO pumped for conference this week! We're on shift for the Saturday night session, but we get to watch the rest at the VC in the big theater! We're bringing investigators too, hooray! I LOOOVE CONFERENCE. SO PUMPED.

It's been such a good week. Seriously, those of you that haven't seen Because He Lives, watch it! I love playing it at the VC for people, and seeing how much it impacts them. Jesus Christ is central to everything. I can't tell you how much my love for Him has grown in the past 8 weeks. He didn't have to suffer and die for us-He still had his agency, which I think a lot of the times we forget. He didn't HAVE to do it. In fact, He didn't even WANT to do it. At any point during His atonement, He could've gotten up, walked away, and said "I'm done.". But He didn't. Because He thought of each and every one of us, and He thought of His dad. And He did it. Because He loves us SO much. At zone conference we did a visual, where we all had to close our eyes and listen. "Remember that time you made that huge mistake. Remember the guilt you felt. That will never go away. Remember that time you felt worthless. You are. Remember that time you lost that person you loved. You'll never see them again." And so on.. We talked about how, without Christ, that's exactly how it would be. We would have no hope, no purpose, no peace. But BECAUSE HE LIVES, we have hope, our purpose is clear, we can find peace through our trials, we can see our loved ones again. He makes ALL things possible. Everything is central to Christ and His atonement. I love my Savior, I am so humbled to represent Him, and I wish you all the happiest of Easters. :)

Emily

PS- DAD I LOVE YOU SO MUCH HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY YOU HANDSOME MAN. When i was giving them my insurance stuff I had to tell them your birthday and age, and they all wished you a happy birthday toooooo. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH.

PSS- HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY NOAH. YOU ROCK. ENJOY COSBY. DONT CRASH. LOL. MISS YOUUUU.

PSS- AMY- Your package was AMAZING, seriously, you're the cutest!! My comp and I are SO grateful, and we can't wait for conference!!! LOVE YOU GUYS.

  

signing away my soul and first born son

 One last pic before they casted it *sob*

 

PINK

passed out in the VC sisters lounge

  

Passed out in the car. Missionary work is exhausting. Lol

Our view everyday #praises

HAHAHA Idaho & Arizona (Sis K & Sis W)

 

JAMACIAN FOOD YUM #hailgrandmahinds

I spy with my little eye...

The roads here are bombbb. Hahaha.