In The Great Wide Somewhere: It's Hurrican not Hurrican't

Once Upon a Time I Survived a Hurricane

Let's Talk About That

but first

I just want to take just one moment to appreciate people.

Human beings, children of God. We do some pretty amazing things from day to day. Sometimes when more than one force is working against us, we overcome and learn so much. We learn from each other, we learn from our own experiences, we learn from the good and bad choices of our own making and others. Not just immediately in our own lives, but in history --the past and the present. Always learning.

But that’s not always an invigorating revelatory experience.

I have met more people in the last seven months of my life than I feel like I have my entire life. (I know that’s not accurate but It sure feels that way)

And each of these people I have met has changed me. I mean that very sincerely.

They each individually have a story to tell, and they have told it. I have felt it, and it has changed my story.

Deloris. Just met her a few weeks ago, and I love her very much.

When she was young, she moved from lower Alabama to Miami Florida. Her family came from a dirt poor farm in Alabama, and to the other kids at school in Miami, she dressed and talked really weird.

When they would have reading time, the other children would pick her to read to make fun of the way she said things. She would pick on someone else to read and that person would then pick on her again.

Every other time, she had to read. The teacher didn't do anything about it, and the rest of the kids snickered and pointed as she did. It became a game to always say her name after they had their turn.

In the halls they stepped on her feet and pulled the bow loose on her old country fashioned homemade dress.

This woman is now in her sixties, she lives alone with some major phobias but she is as kind and caring as you can possibly imagine.

The inside of her house looks like a safari, trees everywhere, a huge aquarium, and glass/plastic/stuffed animals. Giraffe’s, elephants, cheetahs, monkeys, and many others.

She raised six wonderful children and now has two dogs. She still struggles in public when people laugh, she knows they aren’t laughing at her logically, but she still has to talk herself out of thinking that they are.

Jesus Christ has felt all of the things she has, and as we study Him and as she applies the atonement in her life something is able to take place in her as it does in each of us: healing.

Sister Jones

The sweetest woman ever. I can already say Mary Jones has a very special place in my heart. Part of her story: when her parents had both passed away she went to the temple to have them be sealed together forever. Despite her best efforts with her sister staying up most of the night before trying to figure out all of the information, this was many years ago and the internet did not quite have the resources it now has, and they did not have everything needed when they got to the temple. Back then they had to drive to the Washington DC temple from here in FL. They drove all that way to show up to the temple and find out that wasn’t enough info. Well they left and came back in a matter of minutes for whatever reason and when they walked in the temple there was a man there at the front desk that hadn’t been there when they came earlier. No big deal.

He asked them if he could help them. Mary explained the situation, he asked if he could take her info to the back and explained he might be able to find the rest.

She gave it to him and he left.

Mary, and her husband went into the waiting room and a women came in

“Can I help you?”

We are already being helped they explained. This woman was confused.

As they explained the man who had talked to them, she told them there was no one there serving by that description.

Mary’s husband and this lady proceeded to go to the back to find this man, and after looking everywhere and heading back to Mary, Mary heard the man over her shoulder hand her back her info and say

“There you go”

When she turned he was gone and the information was complete and ready for her and her husband to complete the temple work by proxy for her parents.

Mary told us this story in a Wendy’s of all places, and the Spirit was very evident.

“The temple worker lady was a bit nervous about everything because they had looked in every room and there was no one there, but my husband and I were not. We knew what had happened, that man was an angel sent to help my parents by helping us with the missing information. Temple work is real, it is true, and it is vitally important.”

Also on Sunday, Mary walked up to me, smiled, gave me a hug and said

“You’re special.”

Made my heart so happy, she is such a sweet amazing lady.

We went on exchanges a couple of times.

First was with Sister Cook and Hilton, I went to Fort Walton for a day and it was awesome.

We did some service and put together a bunch of kits for the people in Louisiana. For those of you that live under a rock but have still managed to read my blog right now, they have 7 feet of water (flooding) in some places because of the 1 in 1000 year rain storm that dumped on them.

We’ve been quilting, putting supplies together, and all sorts of stuff for the members to take for the relief effort weekend.

There were so many Mormon Helping Hands (over 6000) that the governor of Louisiana made a holiday called "Mormon Helping Hand Day"

*high five to us

People are so amazing here, they dropped everything and went to clear peoples stuff out of their homes for a few days and give them supplies to stay comfortable because they have nothing left.

After this project we needed a ride home and the lady we were helping asked us if we could go pick her daughter up from school with her first. Sure!

Only she didn’t tell us where her daughter goes to school

Her daughter goes to school about 25 min away from Fort Walton

Fort Walton is about 45 minutes from Crestview

Add that together and that’s about the time it takes to get from Crestview to:

Gulf Breeze.

What.

A few thoughts tripped me and hit me in the face as I realized where we were headed when we passed the Navarre Bridge:

1. WHAT

2. Oops.. We are out of our area and zone. But we had no idea or we would have figured something else out. Most likely. So we will be okay right? #yikes

3. OH MY GOSH THERE’S THE CHURCH--THERE’S THE BAXTERS HOUSE--I THINK KENNA STUBBS GOES TO THIS SCHOOL--PAUL AND PAULA LIVE RIGHT DOWN THAT ROAD--WHERE IS VICKI? SHE COULD BE AT THIS GAS STATION GETTING BOILED PEANUTS--LEXI PICH LIVES RIGHT THERE, I NEED TO GO SEE HER--I WONDER IF PYPSI WYPSI IS DRIVNG ON THIS ROAD SOMEWHERE?!? IS THAT A BRUMBALOW RUNNING AROUND??

4. *tears

Needless to say there were about a milion and one different emotions and memories flooding my brain and it was overall a very happy moment and CLOSURE

They're still there, I will see them again, Gulf Breeze will still be there when I go back.

We also went on exchanges the day after the Huricane so I guess I better explain the Hurricane.

Everyone and their dog was having a panic attack and there we were in a Mexican restaurant eating queso and fried ice cream with a member.

Granted, I don't live on that tiny strip of land in the gulf anymore.

but sister White and I were watching the news on a tiny screen eating our food and noticing the tropical storm get changed to the level of Hurricane Hermine

and us being from Utah reading

"22 ft waves"

"Power outages to be expected"

"Tornado watch on the outskirts"

The wind was blowing, the sky got dark, and the member there said

"This is nothing. Barely even a reason to have a hurricane party."

We were still nervous.

hurricane party: when a huge storm is coming and a bunch of lunatics buy out every stores supply of alcohol instead of boarding up their homes and they basically drink and drink and drink to forget that their life might be in danger, or to add to the adrenaline of that fact.

But President Smith had those close to the coast evacuate and us get in before dark to be safe.

Then. It happened.

The Hurricane hit.

that night.

Hurricane Hermine.

*suspense

In Tallahassee

not Crestview

or anywhere near it...

it didn't even rain...

we were kind of bummed because it literally wasn't even bad here but the next day we found out tally got hit pretty hard

70,000 out of power

and that storm is still crawling up the east coast

#prayforthevineyard

but we are safe and sound

The next day on exchanges guess what I did..

cleaned up rat and mouse and dog poop and pee in an 86 year old ladies house.

What is it with Florida weather and animal poop situations that are inevitably connected in my life..

what fun. But hey... soap and hot water is a real thing. Esp. when you had to catch a few cockroaches in there as well.

Anyways.... things are great. Lots to learn and experiment here. Pray for us because we are teaching in our first Zone Conference on Wednesday.

SHOUT OUT TO MASS WHO IS NOW 20!!!! You old dear you.

shout out to Sister Etcitty who told me I have a Southern accent on our exchange. I'm low key happy about it. But I can honestly say I can't hear it in my own speaking.

Shout out to Ashley who I fetching love because she took us to the beach last prep day and we ate the most amazing greek food I've ever had in my life.

Kaid was there too. (Ashleys 1 year old)

he may or may not be my boyfriend someday. ;)

On Saturday it down-poured

we think it might have been the outskirts of the storm just hitting us a day later

We danced and played in the rain.
I love storms.
So much that I probably can't live in the dessert the rest of my life because I will miss this so much.

Miracle moment: We street contacted a Filipino who asked if he could take a picture with us because he knows a Mormon in Utah and wanted to send her a picture of some of her missionaries. LOL

He's totally getting baptized.

Please Pray for Robin, The Garcias, and the other Robin, and Sydney

LOVE YOU ALL BIGGER THAN LIFE