On The Beachy

Welcome to this weeks production of

Missionaries and what they have gained and lost during the first few months of their missions

lost: my sanity.

no I'm not joking

I can literally and honestly say that going two and a half months without Netflix 

has NOT caused me to have withdrawals or any panic attacks.

 Nor (much to my fathers surprise) has going without my iPhone caused me to have nervous twitching from my thumbs.  I haven't even had a complex about not being able to snap chat the homies every time I see something half way interesting in public.

BUT

My perspective of entertainment has had a major change.

My perspective of what is humorous has drastically been revised.

My overall sanity is straight up out the window: 

because of these issues-

my actions and words have taken a serious hit in the "socially normal" department of life.

Sister C is a well seasoned veteran at this because she has been out so long.. 

she hasn't heard Taylor Swifts 1989 album. 

She doesn't even know what the movie Tangled is. 

(that one was a joke;) 

So she doesn't judge me when she catches me talking to myself in several different accents 

or

 giving a weather report in our living room 

or

 doing an Irish jig in the street 

or

 running around in the rain 

or

 not being able to talk to humans my age of the opposite gender. 

(not because I am not allowed but because I don't know how)

The point is, even though I literally have not missed my phone once, 

and I don't miss social media at all or snap chat (okay I kind of miss snap chat) 

The lack of Captain America and hanging out with people my age talking about the newest Star Wars movie... 

Does have effects.  

Both positive and negative.

Found:  An insanely increased measure of the spirit that is a direct result of not having said things above that makes it more than worth it, even though I'm "awkward as a jelly bean."

Found:  My purpose not only as a missionary but my purpose as a human. 

Lost:  my opal ring in the ocean last summer, but that's not really relevant right now.

Found (out) SISTER LINDSEY JEAN IS GOING TO FRESNO (yeah I know it's been mentioned) 

She is going to meet my trainer/companion/bestieforrestie 

#chumsforlife

I am so excited for you Lindsey, mission life is the best.  

Lost:  All sense of direction.  Why?  Because there's a lack of mountains to tell me which way is East.. that's why.

Found:  Hundreds of Alexis' ancestors that are ready to be baptized!!!!! 

Lost:  Definitely not weight.

Found:  TENNIS

OH MY GOODNESS

Tennis is so flippin fun a brother in our ward by the name of brother Flood is a well experienced tennis coach and my district played tennis for two hours on preparation day. 

Funnest sport I have tried in a long time.  So fun in fact, that Sister C and I roped him into playing tennis at 6:30 am a few times a week for our morning exercise. YEESSS thank goodness the Floods live so close, God definitely had a hand in this, He knew I would love tennis. 

Lost: It. 

I lost it when I found Scooby Doo fruit snacks in a package from my mom.

Found: Two chapters of scripture that everyone should read one right after the other about faith. 

One is in the bible: Hebrews 11   https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/heb/11?lang=eng

and One in the Book of Mormon: Ether 12  https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/ether/12?lang=eng

and that's a list of things I have been losing and finding

but I do need to make a major clarification... 

I was not very clear when I talked about the bunny last week.  When I said it was still moving so I wanted to run over it again that is most definitely not what it sounded like... oops... What really happened was that it was twitching, the rest of it was most definitely NOT moving and most likely dead. The only reason I wanted to hit it again was to make sure it was dead so it didn't have to suffer. 

#notaheartlessbunnykiller

my bad.. 

:)

okay something super fun that happened this week was the beach.

I LOVE BEACHES

(especially the ones where I'm allowed to jump in the water...;(...that will have to wait...

 anyway, I see the ocean almost everyday but not the beach.  Just the water, so when we were visiting a somewhat less active couple that live practically on the beach

 I GOT TO SEA THE BEACH

"sea" what I did there? /\/\/\

the sand is the prettiest sand I've ever seen.  Even prettier than St. Thomas... like.. that's some pretty sand.

took some baesick pictures with my name tag in the sand of course

and some goober pictures at the dock at night after a lesson.

I LOVE WATER

and you 

I had some really great experiences this week with new people we are teaching. 

But I will only share one. 

I watched a woman literally go from "sure you can keep coming by but I don't want you to feel like failures down the road" 

to an hour later-

"Yes I will come to church with my kids.  I really feel like this is what we need in our lives." 

Wasn't me, wasn't even Sister C, it was the Spirit of Truth. 

https://www.lds.org/topics/holy-ghost?lang=eng

And guess what.  This woman was at church with her two kids yesterday.

MISSIONARY PAYDAY

love it.  love you.  love everything. 

xoxoxoxo MAKE it a greaaat day. <3

Sista Saunders

Animals Gone Wild

So I mentioned the lizard that bit the four year olds face..

literally two days later Sister C and I are in the car

we felt a bump

back left tire

"What was that?"

"Sister C, you just ran something over."

"Oh my gosh I hope it wasn't someones pet."

We turn around and drive back to find the biggest jack rabbit I have ever seen 

STILL MOVING 

Sister C assured me it was dead, but I was worried that it might somehow be alive because it was twitching. 

"Turn around and go run it over again."

"Okay."

*drives back to little bunny foo foo

"What if I miss it?"

"You didn't miss it the first time and it was moving."

She missed it.

but we had places to be so we left.

I am no doctor, nor am I a veteranarian

but I am confident that jack rabbit is dead.

unfortunate little critter

(that thing was huge)

The next day at Paul and Paulas we noticed Sweetie was acting kind of strange

Paula gave her a valium because there was a thunderstorm 

and Paula didn't want Sweetie to have a heart attack

LOL

"Sweetie was so stoned, like she checked out medusa"

okay I'm joking

Paula didn't give sweetie a valium, but she did give her some sleeping pills

and Sweetie was a little stoned

but she is doing okay now. 

Seriously though I love Paul and Paula like I love my own grandparents.  And sweetie is pretty great too;)

Paul story of the week: "One time I put a huge lion head mask on my head and scared a drunk old lady with it.  I was in the bushes by her pool and I grabbed her leg.  She screamed and kicked me in the face about three times before I was able to climb out of the bush and get the lion head off."

Then. 

I was initiated into the South

by walking into our apartment the next day to find a huge roach

They crawl up the drains

and they're fast

ew. 

the roaches here are huge and FAST

so that's fun

lots of animal shenanigans

HAPPY MOMENT TIME

I went on exchanges with sister Holmes and she is absolutely amazing in every way. 

I thank my Father in heaven for letting Sister Holmes come to this neck of the woods so that I could serve with her for her last transfer.

She taught me so much on exchanges!  

Her powerful testimony and ability to teach with faith to move mountains is incredible. 

Crazy thing I found out later--she is adorable and wrote me a note.

The reason why this is so crazy is because when I was in seminary in high school with Caden Holmes (my friend) his little brother was also in that class.  In seminary we wrote notes to everyone in the class and I brought those notes on my mission to motivate me to kill it in Florida.

So pretty much... I have motivational inspiring words from three of the Holmes household in my possession.  There is only one other sibling I have yet to acquire advice from, but I will be contacting her shortly ;) 

Summary: I love the Holmes family. 

A woman we have been working with and love to the moon and back lost her son a couple of days ago.  He lived with her because he had muscular dystrophy.  Sister C and I were able to meet with her and her husband the day after he passed away and had a very spiritual, tender experience.  It was wonderful.  I truly felt the Saviors love for them and their son, and I felt the sadness as well.  It was a further testimony to me of the realness of the gospel, and a Father in Heaven that lost His Son. 

They were sorrowful, but happy that their son is out of the pain of his mortal physical prison.  Heavenly Father must have hurt to see HIs other children mocking the Savior and causing Him pain to the point of death, but it was a joyful occasion as well that Jesus was out of pain and that HE accomplished the greatest most central part of the plan of God for us.  The atonement. 

We testified this (Sister C and I) that because of the atonement, these two awesome people can feel peace and comfort and someday see their son again. 

This brought back a lot of memories for me and my childhood friend Kennedy who passed away from a terminal illness called Juvenile Batten Disease..  

I love that girl.  I will see her again, and she won't be in a wheelchair.  She won't be blind, and she will be just as kind as she always was.  She has been looking out for me I can say that with full confidence. 

Her journey can be found here...http://www.kennedyshugs.com/

Angels whether they be people in our lives, or people that were in our lives, or people that will be in our lives or people that aren't even living... Angels are for real.  They are answers to prayer. 

"I will send my angels round about you to bear you up"

LINDSEY is one of these angels in my life.

SHE IS GOING TO THE FRESNO CALIFORNIA MISSION

 FUN FACT

FRESNO IS WHERE SISTER C IS FROM AND IS HEADED TO IN JUST A MONTH

coincidence? I THINK NOT

Before Sister C leaves I am going to squeeze her to death for two reasons

1. So she can remember me forever and it will hold her over until I am finally home to go stalk her in California or Utah or wherever she may be. (Maybe I'll accidentally run into Lindsey;)

2. So that when she tracks down Lindsey (Sister Rendon) she can give some of that hug to her for me. 

Linds & me after driving 5 hours from SUU to open my call...

I LOVE THE GOSPEL

there is nothing that God has not worked out for us

all we have to do is trust in Him and do His will

LOVE YA'LL

xoxo

Make it a good day:)

-SistaSaunders