A day (or 2 or 3...) in THE LIFE!

Hello Everyone! Good Morning!

I really do live "the LIfe" Being a missionary is SO WONDERFUL.

This email is going to be smorgasbord of things! Every week I write in my planner things I want to write home... and without fail EVERY week I never have time to write them all! But today I am DOING IT! My e-mails home are an extension of the journal that I NEVER have time to keep as up to date as I'd like, so I need to be thorough here if I am not thorough there! capeesh? I made a long list and I am getting started on my email RIGHT AWAY...

Here are some things I missed in last weeks email...

*Frank and Karen Ginnie sent me the cutest card from Florida last week that played the Beach Boys song, "Kokomo". You know the one that goes, "Aruba, jamaica ooo I wanna take you Bermuda, bahama come on pretty mama. Key largo, montego baby why don't we go"... It was fun to hear from them and to get the update that they were sitting outside, soaking up the cold 82* weather and thinking of me! I think anyone that is EVER in a WARM climate thinks of me ... then WRITES ME ABOUT IT! haha I get so many letters that tell me the weather forecast in other states. I like it though, it makes me laugh because I CAN'T EVEN FATHOM warm weather! Thanks Frank and Karen, I'm in the process of writing you back!

*Corry was baptized 2 weeks ago today. I was reminded of my baptism and of the spirit of baptism. There is such a special spirit at a baptismal service. A spirit that makes you feel fresh and clean and gives each person in attendance a renewed spirit of hope and determination to do what is right. It made me think of the scripture in John 14: 26-27. It talks about how the spirit will bring all things to our remembrance. I believe that. I know that we are able to remember at times like that, when the spirit is so strong, a time when we felt the spirit that strong ALL the time. We are able to feel within ourselves a desire to return to our Heavenly Father and again feel that spirit ALL the time. Corry chose as her closing song, "When I am Baptized". (I remember singing that song at Brittany's baptism with Britt, Candice Fish and Brittany Rogers!) I love the lyrics. This is one of my favorite primary songs, even since I was in primary:

I like to look for rainbows whenever there is rain
and ponder on the beauty of an earth made clean again.

I want my life to be as clean as earth right after rain.
I want to be the best I can and live with God again.

I know when I am baptized my wrongs are washed away,
and I can be forgiven and improve myself each day.

I want my life to be as clean as earth right after rain.
I want to be the best I can and live with God again.

It was such a peaceful feeling to sing that song and to think of how my life CAN be as clean as earth right after rain as I renew my baptismal covenants each week by partaking of the sacrament. This gospel can bring us SO much happiness... but we have to do our part to access those blessings. The spirit I felt at Corry's baptism reminded me of that.

*Last week i broke a COMB in my hair!!! It's been AGES since I have done that! When I was little my hair was REALLY LONG and REALLY THICK... it was not unusual for me to break a comb or brush in my hair... but that hasn't happened in FOREVER... until last week! My hair has grown quite a bit since Cristina cut it in October (mom-remember when you and i went? that feels like forever ago, then at the same time like just the other day!!!) and it just feels thicker too. I kept telling S. warner that. But those thoughts were confirmed when I was teasing my hair a little bit and the comb just broke in half! HAHA I laughed so hard and i was all alone in my bathroom (our apartment has 2 bathrooms, it's glorious! I don't think I have ever NOT shared a bathroom, it's kinda nice!) I get so many compliments on my hair these days... when i tease it it just lays perfect. all the women we play volleyball with are jealous. (don't worry, it's NOT the utah tease!) it's funny, i tell people I tease my hair to cover up the horns Mormons have!!! haha I got my good hair from you Grandma Black! So I decided before my mission that I will grow my hair out, we'll see how it goes, it takes FOREVER to blow dry every morning! SO some days I don't wash it and I curl it, that works out nice, i used to do that at byu too... Cristina, will you fly to WI to cut my hair, I am scared for anyone else to do it, especially now since it has been doing so well. (wow that was a whole paragraph about my hair! haha sorry! but it's still important to me!)

*There is an elder in the mission named elder black! He is actually in my same district, so I see him every week at district meeting on tuesdays and at zone conferences. Well, we decided early on that we are going to tell people that we are brother and sister! Even President Barrett is on board, it's hilarious. SO many people believe us, we had our whole zone believing us at zone conference. I have to tell some people we're kidding because I feel too bad, they start asking ALL these questions and are just AmAzed! haha He gets A LOT of my mail too! so good thing I see him once a week! He is good about always bringing it. We'll take a picture and I will send it home next week!

*I know I briefly mentioned Zone Conference last week.. but it was AMAZING!!! It was all about Faith, which I had written down that I wanted to study prior to Zone Conference. It was definitely an answer to my prayer. Preach My Gospel Chapter 6 is all about Christlike Attributes and Faith is the first one. I decided I wanted to study Faith because it is the antithesis of fear, and sometimes when I hear the state of our economy or of all the wickedness in the world that I am naive too because I am a missionary I get fearful! Joseph Smith said that Faith is the moving course of action for all human beings in the Lectures on Faith. How true is that? Faith is a principle of action as it says in the Bible Dictionary. It also says that if we have faith we "enable the mind to place full confidence in him without reservation". Him being the Savior. I love that! That is SO hard to do sometimes, but why? I know for dang sure that I don't have all the answers! President Biolo, 1st Counselor in the Green Bay Stake Presidency, also a member of our ward, had us and the elders over for dinner last monday. He taught us that having Faith in Jesus Christ means that we recognize we can be PERFECT in HIM! I always thought that I will achieve perfection in the next life... but that is WHY we are baptized. When we are baptized we enter in to a covenant with Christ. By doing so we can be perfect in and through Him! P. Biolo taught us how so many people are so hard on themselves, because they don't recognize the blessing it is to be baptized and to be able to renew those covenants through the sacrament. And at the time of judgement we will be able to account for all we did, then Christ will make up all the difference and we will be "confident in Him" if we repent! That is why he sacrificed His life! Baptism is the way we access the atonement! Why not repent and enjoy those blessings NOW!? K... so that has been my latest thought process. I love the gospel. I love that we are always learning. I love the gospel scholars that I am surrounded by here in Green Bay and in this work like President Biolo & President Barrett!

*Speaking of news in the world- I heard about the Hudson River Miracle. It's nice to hear about good things!

*Last week we did our laundry at the Ribbens. We went over later Thursday night. I started it by putting all my darks in. I had a lot (i always have WAY more clothing to wash than s. warner, she doesn't wash her clothes!! just like Meesh and Layne last year at the Y!) SO, it's a front loader washer, so i figured I could put A lot... so i did. Then I transferred them to the dryer and started our whites. THen it was late so we left and said we'd come back and finish in the morning. When we came back Sister Joni Ribbens had done ALL our laundry. She commented that some of the clothes took a LONG time to dry and that some were overly wrinkled beyond repair because I put TOO many in the washer... and consequently in the DRYER! 1st off I can't believe she washed and dried and folded ALL our laundry! SO NICE! 2nd of all: HOW EMBARRASSING! My mom always tells me that I put too much in the washer ... now Joni did too!!!! haha I laughed really hard when she told me that... so did she when I told her it's a disorder I have had all my life because I have 0 patience!!!! I love that the Ribbens always let us do our laundry there, it's just so nice to not have to one PAY to do our laundry every week and TWO to do it in a home with clean machines and with good company! We always play games while we wait! I love the Ribbens! You guys are way too good to us!

*Last sunday i was Deathly SICK. We fasted all day, with the purpose of strengthening the investigators in our area. We have church at one now. Remember that that morning we went to the Catholic Mass. I felt great all day, we went to our ward coordination meeting before church and that was great. Then church started. Our chapel always gets REALLY hot. I started to get a headache and feel just sick, feverish, achey... The feeling continued in sunday school and in the YW lesson we taught. Then we had another meeting after chuch with the ward missionaries, I was going DOWN HILL... by 5p when we got to the Bartell's I was done for. I was SO sick. I definitely had a 'bout with the stomach flu. After i got sick once i felt better, I didn't think I had anything to give because I hadn't eaten since the day before.... So instead of eating the dinner s. bartell made, she gave me Campbell's chicken noodle soup and saltines. that was not a good choice. I wasted that in like 15 minutes... so S. bartell gave me a pillow and a blanket and i layed on their couch and listened to the dinner conversation with my eyes closed wanting to DIE! haha after a few more trips to the bathroom it was time to go! I went straight home and to bed. And I felt SO much better the next day. I had a new lease on LIFE! S. Bartell was so good to me! She was a great substitute for MY MOM, and that is one person that's hard to substitute! She kept checking on me and hurried s. warner and the elders out the door telling them i had to go home! It is SO nice to be surrounded by SO many good people.

*Last week sister warner and I almost didn't make it to our apartment without having an accident... We both REALLY had to go to the bathroom. We pulled in to our underground parking. Jumped out of our seats and opened the doors to the back seat to load ourselves up with our MANY bags of stuff. We seriously move in and out of our apartment daily. We have to take SO much stuff with us, like more clothing because it's COLD and food because we get HUNGRY and then supplies! and Camera! and that day we had LAUNDRY too! SO we finally get in the elevator and I press numbers 1 and 3. We go from the basement to the 1st floor to check the mail. Usually s. warner gets out of the elevator to check the mail and I stay in and make sure the door doesn't close or the elevator doesn't go to another floor before we need to get back on. this time i was too busy looking at pictures on my camera, trying to distract myself from the fact that i REALLY had to go to the BATHROOM that the door closed and by the time i realized it I let out an "Aaah..." as the elevator takes me to the third floor. the whole time I can hear S. warner saying, or yelling rather, "COOMMPPAANNIOONNN!!!" and laughing. so naturally... i am laughing too! when I finally get down to floor one again to get her we are really REALLY wondering if we are going to make it without a puddle somewhere... we press 3 again, the elevator goes, we start to read our mail, it stops. We start to run off and realize the elevator went DOWN to the basement again, man, by this point everything is WAY to funny and we are hysterical. We FINALLY Get to the 3rd floor. run with all of our bags and stuff and half-read mail in our hands to our apt door. S. warner unlocks the door, throws it open and runs, mind you, i am behind her, the door hits me, i stumble in, over the stuff she just dropped as she ran to her bathroom. I was laughing SO hard at that point. I ran to my bathroom. The rest is history, we changed our clothes.... and laughed a little more!

Now on to some highlights from THIS WEEK!!!!! (i told you this email would be long!)

I already told you how on Monday, MLK Jr Day, we went to Diane's Pentecostal Church. Great Fun. Good People.

Tuesday we went to Annie Robertson's basketball game. She is in 8th grade! She is so fun to watch. I established that there is only one thing more annoying than hormonal high school kids!... hormonal middle schoolers! Oh how happy I am to be DONE with that stage of life... the kids sitting below us we SO annoying. Some of the girls playing on the court could barely play because they were so busy talking to the boys on the front row of bleachers. They'd make a shot- then look at their admirers, this went on and on and on... It was hysterical. Not our little Annie though- she was focused on the game and could out run any girl on the court! It made me think of watching Tatum and Taylor play... I miss you girls! WRITE ME A LETTER!

Wednesday we played volleyball with the women- I am getting DANG good might i add! ... Then S. warner and I taught bible study at S. Robertson's home. Sister Ginger Cozzens and Sister Lisa Robertson do their visiting teaching each month with a luncheon and a lesson (that we teach) and they always invite non-members, they're so great. They help us with missionary work SO MUCH. They're such good examples to me! Then we had district meeting, we usually have it on Tuesday, but it was on WED so we could have interviews with President Barrett. He is such a great, inspiring man, and he LOVES us sisters! We always joke that we do NO WRONG in that man's eyes! After interviews he took sister warner and I to dinner at El Serape, our favorite mexican food place here. It was fun to have a little one-on-one with him, we never get that!!!! Later that night he came with us to an appointment at 8:30, we were there from 8:30-11:15 PM! He told us he was going to tell our mission president on us!! haha Basically he spent 2 hours and 45 minutes teaching a less active member of our ward why he never gained a testimony: because he never REPENTED! that's why he claims he "doesn't feel the spirit"! That's what he was missing BEFORE his baptism! He taught him to be sincere, and to forget his past and move on to the future and to ENDURE TO THE END!!!! Basically he told him to leave all his lame excuses behind and that he couldn't be TAUGHT repentance ... you have to DO repentance! President is SO inspired! He told Ron to humble himself as a child and to sincerely repent as Enos. I learned to much that night! And sweet Pat, his wife, The one who used to be a nun, taught Ron too! SHe is stalwart. Such a good example. It was a faith promoting night! It was fun to teach with President. He makes us feel so good about ourselves as missionaries, sometimes we just need that! I talked to Ron yesterday and he thanked us for all we're doing for him. It was good for Ron to meet with a man who thinks "scientifically" just like Ron says he does. Finally, when President Barret had had enough of Ron's run around, he said, "Ron, I have degree upon degree in science and in medicine. You could google my name and find thousands of places where I am documented for my knowledge in science, but I still repent the same way you have to". It was so good! SO bold, but so inspired. Needless to say, we were tired the next day.

Thursday, we woke up early and went with the elders to Bayport Highschool to go to Brandon Robertson's Multi-Cultural Lit Class. It was his Final Exam Presentation. (Wisconsin has finals after the new year, it's wierd) Him and his friend Christian chose to do their report on Mormon Culture. It was SO amazing. S. Warner and I started off teaching the WHOLE first lesson as the background and history of the church! Then Christian (who is not a member might i add) did a report on temples and interesting facts. He claimed, "All Mormon's are good at sports and take state wherever they live, and always do good in the Olympics, ok that's not a fact, but every Mormon I have known is good at sports!" It was funny, we all laughed. The elders taught about missionaries and where we're at all over the world and languages we learn and the MTC and things like that. Then we taught about the Word of Wisdom and the Law of Chastity. We were able to bear testimony and answer questions. Even the teacher asked questions. We left copies of the Book of Mormon and pamphlets, they all took them, it was SO amazing. Brandon is SUCH an AmAzing kid. He doesn't even recognize the blessings that will come to others lives because of him boldness. He's a senior and plans to serve a mission, he'll be an AmAzing missionary! He is a ward missionary now and is SO helpful. Kids his age really look up to him.

Saturday Morning we made button magnets and embroidered sweaters with Molly Summers, Jenni Ribbens, Jeannie Ribbens and her friend Taylor at the Ribbens' home. It was SO fun! I felt so crafty. haha molly is the one. she is so crafty. She is the queen shopper of Etsy. That night we had dinner at the Brudnicki's -one of my favorite families, my first dinner appointment- which happened to be Thanksgiving. They tease me relentlessly! haha it's like i am at home! haha little sam and I are EXPERT farm builders... we love to play with the farm he got for christmas. We went there christmas eve and sam was sleeping so i played by myself and sat the whole farm up while everyone was talking, they all still tease me about it! Then we had a game night at the Youngs, with Corry Schrap and Brandon Robertson and Yasmin and Mickey and Eric Torbenson and Heather Millett and Jeff and Elder Oldham and Elder Jolley. It was really fun and good for our investigators to be with members their own age.

Sunday we had ward conference and dinner at the Huzzey's. Bishop Huzzey LOVES chocolate. LOVES it! At the New Years Eve Breakfast I saw him put chocolate syrup on his eggs. CraZy! Good thing his wife is a diabetic! She keeps him in check! But there is always an eating contest. Sis Huzzey and I never participate (neither does their daughter in law Tabby). But Elder Jolley is the reigning champ. Oldham came in a close second, Bishop 3rd and Sister warner took last. This was the first time she ever lost to Bishop! haha it's fun to watch... kind of. Elder Pulley used to eat just like a TURTLE... it was hilarious. It kinda grosses me out... but it's tradition! I love the HUZZEY's!!!!

That was my week... fun filled and BUSY BUSY!

I am still dealing with the animals here in Wisconsin. At the Youngs Saturday night I was unaware of the cat in the bathtub while I was going to the bathroom until I was in a position where I couldn't jump up and run out of the bathroom too quickly! I was SO freaked out. I am learning to deal with cats, but the way they look at me, like RIGHT THRU ME, freaks me out! No wonder we dissected cats in biology and not DOGS! Midwest people have a sick adoration for felines that I DO NOT UNDERSTAND!

Did you know that peoples GAS FREEZE in their tanks here!!!??? They have to make sure that they have at LEAST a fourth of a tank so it won't freeze over night or while they're shopping in a store or something! crazy!!!

I have been really working on memorizing some scriptures... it's a good thing to do in the car and it keeps my mind sharp! also it really helps when I am teaching. SO far I have Mosiah 5:15, Mosiah 3:18-19, D&C 4, The Standard of Truth and the Missionary Purpose Memorized. It's such an accomplishment!

We went to a Piggly Wiggly on Thursday! Yes that store DOES EXIST... i thought the comedians made it up! haha People thought we were crazy for taking pictures in there!

Yesterday in ward conference president kreihbal, the stake president, said we're all going to wear shirts that say "I survived the winter of '08-'09!" If Wisconsinites are saying that, then it must be bad! We haven't had much snow in january- but NONE of it has melted! IT's piled SO high everywhere. In fact, big front loaders come and scoop of the snow, pile it in the back of dump trucks and haul the snow to empty lots to take it out of everyone's way. It's crazy HOW MUCH SNOW THERE IS!

Thanks to everyone who has written me letters! I am on top of it and will get those out by next monday! You guys are great!

I have been reminded of my mission scripture a LOT lately: Moroni 7:45-47

45 And ^acharity suffereth long, and is ^bkind, and ^cenvieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily ^dprovoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

47 But ^acharity is the pure ^blove of Christ, and it endureth ^cforever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

That is the kind of Missionary/ Person I want to be! I know it will be a lifelong task!

I love being a missionary and I love Wisconsin and I love all of you!!!

Love, Sister Pamella Jo Black'

photographs:

*outside the PIGGLY WIGGLY .. yes it really is one ! our BAY PORT guest stickers!

*me with some PIGGLY WIGGLY milk !

*again the PIGGLY WIGGLY !

*CRAFT DAY ! buttons and sweaters !

*I put a bow in my hair... s. warner made fun of me! i like it!

*thank you BRUDNICKI family for our W=WISCONSIN slippers ! they gave those to us at christmas! i love Wisconsin!

ps... i have NO time to write individual emails this week. But I read all of your emails and I love you guys and you are ALL-ALWAYS in my prayers.

Best Week EVER

Sister Black requested I post these:

our sweet corry and sister warner and sister black !


corry and HER FAMILY !


corry and A LOT of missionaries .. e.lamb[who is right behind s.black] is who very first tracted into her !


sister power @ Zone Conference !


jeni ribbens & friends = the missionaries !


sister warner and her first ever ZL's .. too bad they both left the GB !


us in the SB !


this is what the car told us .. take into account this is WITHOUT windchill !


Sister Warner just trying to warm up after being outside for maybe 5minutes !

I can't imagine NOT choosing to come on a mission.

oh how i love that little peninsula of Wisconsin.

one of us together @ the famous little red lighthouse in Algoma !

Hello Family,

1st off .... the cardinals are going to the SUPER BOWL? WHAT? that goes against all I have been taught my WHOLE life? Crazy!!!! They actually WIN? Dad has been giving me the full updates in dearelders and emails! Church is cancelled so he says? HAHA ....GO CARDINALS!!! -go to church dad, they'll win if you do!- :)

How are you all? Sorry I couldn't email yesterday! It was Martin Luther King Jr. Day and all libraries (which are the only places we're authorized to email from) were closed! I know you were probably expecting it, sorry! but today is the day!!!

This week there were record lows! Thursday and Friday it was in the negative forties! Scary story---Sister Warner and I CoUlDn't EVEN TELL! I was expecting to fall over dead?!! Ya no, same. I think I am so shocked by the cold everyday that it wasn't too different at all! School was cancelled for kids both those days, they can't go to school if the temperature approaches -30*, this was well beyond that. We were instructed as missionaries to stay inside unless we had scheduled appointments, our crazy zone leaders went tracting!!! dumb. dumb. dumb. BUT ... they had success- people thought they were crazy and of course invited them in!

on January 12, 2009 .. CORRINE GRACE SCHRAP entered the waters of baptism ! It was a beautiful program .. all of Corry's family that she invited came ! her mother, her brothers, even her grandparents and aunt from Wauwatosa [down by Milwaukee] .. they enjoyed and supported Corry with all their hearts .. her grandpa was even brought to tears during the program [we gave him the elders # down in Wauwatosa and he said he is gonna do some "investigating" about the church] ! the YW bore there testimonies on how the gospel of Jesus Christ has improved their life and how blessed they were to get to know and be friends with Corry ! it was an AMAZING night. She was confirmed and received the gift of the Holy Ghost on January 18, 2009 by Brother Paul Robertson [our WML] the blessing he gave her was so beautiful and inspired. RIGHT AFTER she was confirmed a member of the church she gave a talk in Sacrament Meeting about the Book of Mormon ! it was AMAZING ! She spoke with the WHOLE Bishopric of the Green Bay 1st Ward and every single person referred back to Corry's talk .. seriously it was SO good. Corry is so amazing .. i cant explain just right how great she is ! we have also had really good talks with her brother JOHN about the gospel and Corry's example to him ! Corry is such a blessing to her family and will be to so many because she knows the truth now and wants to share it!

on the 13th we had an amazing ZONE CONFERENCE .. all about faith in Jesus Christ .. it was just what i needed to start this transfer off right .. our spirits were fed by our wonderful President and Sister Barrett, President Jensen, The Assistants, and our Zone Leaders. i really love zone conference .. it is so fun getting to see other missionaries and exchange stories about areas but the training is def always needed and so helpful. this zone conference was with the Wausau Zone and us .. the Green Bay Zone .. we got to spend time with 3 other sisters in the mission, s.hamblin, s.bryner, & s.bishop .. they are all so great and its SO fun being SISTERS !

we had a wonderful dinner that night with the SPRY family .. RON SPRY is a convert and was active for 12years .. he hasn't been to church in over 20years and is now remarried to PAT SPRY who is an ex-nun and is very involved with the Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church. we talked to Ron a lot about faith and testimony .. that is what we are working on for him .. Pat is just so sweet and open and her faith in God is very strong. we invited both of them to come to Sacrament Meeting on 01.18.09 and Pat invited us to her Catholic Mass on that day as well .. SO we went to a Catholic Mass in the morning on 01.18.09 and it was very interesting .. the building was beautiful and it was different but a very good experience. Pat came WITHOUT Ron to Sacrament that afternoon and she said it was different but very good. it was SO good for Pat to be at Sacrament also b.c. ALL the talks were on THE BOOK OF MORMON ! it was really really good and the spirit was SO STRONG. She really wants to work with us to help Ron find faith in Jesus Christ. She told us it will just take baby steps, it's true, that's how everyone finds their faith. One little baby step at a time. Pat is great. Dad- I WENT TO A CATHOLIC MASS! I was so glad to go and to be able to see for myself how it is ran. The spirit was definitely there, but it strengthened my testimony of our religion and of the importance of the priesthood.

i LOVE so much CARALYNN and JENI RIBBENS who come out on exchanges with us .. their willingness to come and be missionaries with us is beyond appreciated .. i love them .. and we always have funny stories to tell afterward ! JRIB and i got SO lOST~ mind you she had lived in Green BAY her WHOLE LIFE... and it's really NOT THAT BIG OF A CITY! she has no idea where she is going, really. I called so many people for directions ..I even called e.pulley who is now in Appleton b.c. he knows GB like the back of his hand ! We only ended up seeing 2 PEOPLE THE WHOLE TIME BECAUSE WE WERE SO LOST! we laughed a lot, but I definitely think I need a GPS like sister warners... some day I am going to be the driver and I will need one for sure... it's all about the GARMIN! I like that model. At one point we had just left the west side and we were on the east side looking for DAY st. A very popular street. Jenni claimed to know where it was. after driving in circles for AT LEAST 20 minutes I saw us approaching a bridge and said "Jrib, is that the Fox river? are we going to the West side again?" HAHA she laughed and said yes, needless to say I called S. Andrus for directions. Jenni's dad had already given us directions on the west side from his work computer on the google live map thing. SO ridiculouS!

We were SO lost, but it was a really good time! I love Jennifer Ribbens and her family. S. warner and Caralynn ANdrus saw lots more people! NExt time we'll know. . . whoever goes with Jrib takes the GPS!!!!

i LOVE the YW .. they are so good about inviting their friends to come and participate in activities, it helps our missionary work SO MUCH!

we are getting everything organized and planned out for UWGB .. the semester and institute starts NEXT WEEK ! i am so excited for the activities and progress that will happen. It's SO fun to serve on a college campus!

STURGEON BAY ! STURGEON BAY ! STURGEON BAY ! oh how i love that little peninsula of Wisconsin. we have SO much to do there ! its so hard to split our time up between areas .. BUT we got to do it .. we had great visits with KIM STRUCK and TOM KRUCK and CAREY OTTO and the rest of the STRUCK family @ CULVERS .. oh how my love of CUSTARD grows more each day--- It's addicting!!!!

we had 4 non members come to church on Sunday 01.18.09 .. Corry's mom and brother, john .. pat spry and FARRAH ! FARRAH is 14 and was introduced to the church through a member in the GB 2nd ward .. her mom is IRIS, she is PERUVIAN and she is investigating the Spanish branch but Farrah her daughter feels more comfortable in the English ward so we are working together with the Spanish elders for both of their progression. the Spanish elders told us that she cooks amazing Peruvian food so we are definitely having dinner appointments there! Good thing the Spanish elders are nice and invite us!

YESTERDAY WAS THE BEST .. it was Martin Luther King Jr Day and here in Wisconsin the kids DO NOT get the day off- wierd, we always did .. DIANE's church was having a HUGE CELEBRATION and she invited us to come .. [so in 1week s.warner and i went to a Catholic Mass and a Pentecostal Church and YES we are still very much MORMONS !] it was the coolest thing ever .. they did have JAMES JONES .. wide receiver for the GB Packers come and speak .. they had tons of music and one man read MLK's "I have a Dream" speech .. it was pretty amazing. Diane is going to come to the Mormon Church this coming week ! she is doing better on the quitting smoking .. she just needs to quit ALL the way.

we spent some time at the RIBBENS yesterday playing some games and of course getting CUSTARD @ CULVERS ! later we had a wonderful FHE with Corry and the Carlsruh .. oh how i love being a missionary seeing and the gospel of Jesus Christ changing peoples lives.

Steph: Happy Birthday this past SUndAy ... I thought of you!

ANd Brady McEwan Weaver! I never told you happy Birthday December 26th!!! You're 9 now! stop growing! I can't believe you've been baptized for a year!!!!

i love my life. I am reaching my goal this year of "losing myself in the work" ... it's happening and it feels great! I can't imagine NOT choosing to come on a mission. It is the best decision i have ever made! I see miracles here everyday and see the way it blesses my family to to have a missionary out!

sORry ... I never have enough time to write! I have more to say! NEXT WEEK FOR SURE! I LOVE YOU GUYS! YOu're IN my PraYers!!!!

... so is our country! ... our new President was inaugurated today!

Love,

SIster Pamella Jo Black

Don't you wish you could be a missionary too?

"I have never seen Wisconsin without snow"

This picture was taken at EA in '07.
(Thanks mom for finding it.)

Hello All!!!

Happy Monday! I have SO much to tell all of you! It has been quite an exciting week- since the holidays are over, people are MUCH easier to contact and even though we were busy in November and December, we are REALLY busy NOW!

First I want to relay two stories that happened about two weeks ago (I finally have time to write them!)...

The Prayer Story

The elders are teaching a young girl, 18, named Yasmine. She is Hispanic and a Seventh Day Adventist, her mom speaks barely any english... SO naturally I LOVED visiting their home with the elders and talking to them. I love to be able to use my Spanish, I am so inadequate in speaking fluently, but when I am the only link between the two languages words seem to come to my mouth SO freely. The Spanish elders that we serve with here in Green Bay are going to give me some materials so I can learn more church related Spanish! I am excited! ANyways.... Yasmine! Yasmine and her mom were supposed to be at church one night for a fiesta so all four of us missionaries determined we would go and then afterwards Yasmine would come with us to a young single adult activity at the home of the Carlsruh family. We went to the church but Yasmines mom had told us the wrong time so she was still setting up and the party didn't start for an hour, at the same time as the YSA activity that we had to be at. AND yasmine flaked out and wasn't even at the church. So I talked to her for a while and with her mom we determined we'd just go "kidnap" Yasmine and take her with us. We can't drive non-members in mission cars so we called brother Carlsruh and told him to be at Yasmines home in an hour to get her. We left the church and drove to her house. We had been calling her the whole way there, but there was no answer on either phone. When we got to the apartment we stood outside and rang the buzzer for like 10 minutes (all apts in WI are indoors, so to get in the building you have to buzz in, that is a whole new concept to me! kind of annoying when it's cold and the buzzer is FROZEN and won't let you push it down!) So, we went and sat in our car and the elders went back to theirs and we didn't know what to do. The elders called brother Carlsruh and told him she wasn't home, he told us to keep trying and to call him if anything changed and he'd be right there. We were all a bit discouraged and had every intention of just driving to the activity. We knew that Corry would be at the activity and her and yasmine are the same age and have similar personalities and could be great friends. Also this would be a great way to introduce her to members of the church her same age (there was to be LOTS there because everyone was home from college) So I suggested we say a prayer, E. Jolley offered it. We sat there my passenger window rolled down, and E. Pulley's driver side window rolled down, snow blowing in like crazy and gathered our faith and prayed for help. After the prayer we rolled up our windows and sat quietly. Then I decided to call one more time... and SHE answered! It was so amazing and we all just wanted to cry. The Lord is so aware of even our simplest desires. She let us in and we told her she just had to come (mind you we still had to convince her to come with us!) to take her with us. She had a lot of excuses so we did her dishes, finished cleaning the kitchen, she got ready, bro carlsruh came, we all got in his van, she met corry, they actually KNEW eachother from school, she had a great time and we witnessed a miracle! The elders just told me yesterday that they committed Yasmine and her mom to incorporate the Book of Mormon in their morning bible study together each day! Good things are happening there.

Caroling

About a week after Christmas, all the missionaries in the area, had the opportunity to sing at the Green Bay Botanical Gardens Festival of the Lights. Sis Warner and I have been volunteering there since my first weekend taking tickets, we met so many quality people. SO this time we just got to stand and sing. We took Corry and the Andrus sisters and the Ribbens children with us too! It was a Sunday night, we sang some Christmas Carols, then some traditional hymns. It was SO amAzing to see how many people stayed for two or three songs and just sang with us. 'How Great Thou Art' was definitely a favorite. So many people thanked us for coming and we were able to talk to SO many people about what a group of a bunch of young people like us do all day! We even sang some songs that are familiar only to Latter Day Saints, people LOVED those as well. E. Chapman and Caralynn and Camille Andrus played piano solos and captivated people young and old. These two little girls (ages 3 & 4 wouldn't leave, they just stared at Camille and her fingers playing those keys. THeir parents said they were going to have to start lessons soon apparently!) And even though they didn't recognize it, I know people were so drawn to us because of the spirit they felt. I love being a missionary! It was such a testimony building, humbling experience for me.

Now for the Current update! ...

This week I was at the church building after going on exchanges with Tamara North, we were waiting for S. Warner and Caralynn to come back so we went inside to wait. There was a facilities manager for the church there and after talking to him for a while I asked him who he was (since I am still fairly new I have to ask everyone that!) he said his name was Randy Darnell. So of course I asked him if he was related to any Darnells in Phoenix, he said yes.... I said like Dave Darnell? DJ Dave? Flippin' Dave's Cakes (Dave's Flippin Cakes?) Dave Darnell? haha he laughed and said, "yes, david is my brother!" It made so much sense because he looked and talked just like Dave. SO we talked forever and he taught me a lot about the history of his family and of that of the church in wisconsin and history of the families in the ward I serve in (He knows everyone!). Seriously, when you're mormon your world is SO small!!! SO he called Dave and I talked to him for a bit! It was so nice to just have a few minutes where I KNEW SOMEONE! haha Randy is a branch president in Chilton and the missionaries that serve in his branch are in my district. I just love little connections and reminders of home like that. I love the Darnell family even MORE now!

Another exciting thing this week... I got a Hmong Name! That is pronounced "MONG". Yes there are lots and lots and lots of people here in Wisconsin that speak Hmong. They are from Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. The missionaries that learn Hmong are in the MTC for 12 weeks (spanish missionaries are only there for 9!) It is such a CraZy language! But the Green Bay 2nd ward has a set of Hmong missionaries that serve the Hmong population of Green Bay. The people can give you a Hmong name and then you become a part of their family in a sense, you have your first name they give you and you take their last name. So, I have been bugging Elder Chapman and Elder Boam That I want to go to a Hmong dinner appointment with them and get a Hmong name! They invited us this Tuesday to the home of a woman in their ward named Ying Muas! She lives in a tiny little upstairs apartment, where she fed 8 of us missionaries! Ying Muas is so great, she made us a FEAST! seriously, like we kept eating and she kept cooking and refilling! It was cool to hear the elders speak to her, I rarely ever hear them speaking Hmong for that long of a time. We had soup and egg rolls (they have rice noodles in them... yum!). I am generally not a fan of that genre of food ... but it was SO good (as promised by anyone who has ever sat at the table of Yang Muas!) Also I heard that it is not rare for a Hmong dinner to consist of rare animal organs or chicken feet soup, but the elders assured me church members don't cook for us like that. Whew! I was so nervous! So after dinner she named me... Paj Dawb ... meaning White Flower.. and I take her last name Muas. SO my full name with the title "sister" on the front is: NTXHAIS TXIB PAJ DAWB MUAS ... that is SO cool! My name Paj Dawb is pronounced "Pa -Der"!! I am getting Hmong tags made! I can't wait... I will send one home. I love experiencing new cultures, and for that hour and a half dinner appointment I felt like i was in a foreign country! so CooL!

We met a woman this week named Millie that we are teaching. She was a media referral from FOREVER ago that never got her video, she called in after watching a commercial. We called to follow-up with her, we just had her name on a piece of paper and found out that missionaries had tried to contact her before, but could never reach her. She stayed home from work that night and had us over. We taught her a brief first lesson, committed her to read the Book of Mormon and to find out for herself if it is true. That is my FAVORITE thing about this gospel. It is either true or it is NOT... and only one person can find out... YOU! We can teach people all day long, but until they pray and ask if the things we are teaching and they are reading out of the Book of Mormon are true, they will never know. She is 75 and works at the Nursing Home right across the street from her apartment as a CNA. She has crazy hours and loves it. She is so intersted in us and will be at church next Sunday. I know that she is ready to know more, she has a desire to grow closer to God- that's all it takes... a DeSiRe!! I am excited to get to teach her.

CORRY'S baptism is TODAY! yeah! I made her a bracelet last night, pink and blue her favorite colors, with a mustard seed charm. Steph- you'd be proud... It's pretty dang cute with what I had to work with... at least 15 times I said, "man, I wish I could just call steph, or go to her house so she could HELP me with this!" She invited all her family, all NON-MemBerS! and her friends. Corry is an AmAzing example to me and I am so happy I get to be here for her special day! The Gospel of Jesus Christ really does CHANGE people's lives! Even the life of a 17 year old girl who needed something MoRe in her life!

I love WisConSin! It is so down-to-earth HeRe! People still sit around the table with their families EVERY NIGHT and have "supper"! The people of Green Bay seem to really have priorities straight and religion is a driving force here- it is SO easy to have a Gospel Centered Conversation here because there is a church on every corner and people are very religious! I love that, sometimes it makes our job easier and sometimes it makes it harder! But all in all there are Good, Faithful People here who have strong values! I love Wisconsin!

I am going to address something now that my mom called to my attention last week in her email: ANIMALS! I currently have a LOVE/HATE relationship with the creatures. I have always liked animals (dogs, not cats), but people in the MID-WEST love their pets. Cats and dogs that SHED are the specialty! I wear their pets home everynight! I always heard as a missionary you become an animal hater- I now believe it! My mom said the missionaries in my home ward have all kinds of good stories! I have only been out only 6 weeks and I too have some good ones AlrEadY! I don't think I will ever have pets... EVER! I have grown to appreciate my old, faithful golden retriever at home... SImBa! I used to loathe her and her slobber, but she is a ROYAL PRINCESS in Comparison with some of these dogs, and... she smells GOOD!

It is supposed to make a record low since 1994 this week: -50* with windchill! In that kind of weather we stay inside and don't go ANYWHERE! I can't even imagine it! OF COURSE we'd set snow records in december and temperature records in January of my FIRST WINTER HERE! of course.

I have never seen Wisconsin without snow, that is hard for everyone to fathome. I came out just 2 days prior to Thanksgiving and Wisconsin got a pretty decent snow storm the Monday of that week. Thus, everything has been white since I got here, Even Milwaukee was snow covered. But... It is so Normal for me now! I can't imagine what it will look like WITHOUT SNOW! I have learned how to dress, layers, turtle necks, boots, lots of socks and gloves... with that combo and my AmAzing coat, i never have a problem! We'll see how i manage this coming week. It is the talk of the town, everyone we see says "Hold on for this week! ... it's going to be COLD!" I just can't even imagine, that's probably a good thing!

Jennifer: Congrats on being accepted to the Police Academy! I still think you are crazy!, but whatever makes you happy!

I LoVE You ALL AND I LovE BEING A MISSIONARY! ThanKS FOR BEinG SUcH GrEat SUppOrtERS OF ME AnD ThIS WorK THAT I AM DoInG... WItHoUT all of YOU- I COULDN'T and WouldN't BE HERE!

love, sister pamella jo black

ps I have officially been out one transfer now!!! That's 6 weeks! I am not NEW anymore! I just experienced my first transfer. It's wierd to see missionaries come in and out. Elder Pulley was transferred down to Appleton and we now have Elder Oldham(who came from serving as an Assistant to the President) serving with Elder Jolley (they're the Zone Leaders) with us in the GREEN BAY 1st WarD! Change is wierd, but good at the same time, it mixes things up and keeps the work fresh. I LOVE THE WISCONSIN MILWAUKEE MISSION!

pss: mom and dad, grandma & grandpa: Did i send that very first tape you sent to me back to you with my own recording on it? Let me know... i am going crazy looking for it.

ARTIC TUNDRA !

PICTURES!

Sturgeon Bay


New Year's Eve


Middle of no where


Hardee's=Carl's Jr.


Christmas Morning


Christmas Day


Algoma

ICE Princess

"Trees, streets, sidewalks, the snowpiles are frozen ICE!"

middle of nowhere, sturgeon bay !

I now refer to myself as the ICE Princess! I live here in Green Bay in my own little ICE Palace!!! Everything is COVERED in Ice! Trees, streets, sidewalks, the snowpiles are frozen ICE!

Life is good for S. Warner and I! We love being Missionaries! S. Warner and I and the Elders rang in the New Year with Bishop Huzzey and his family, whom I LOVE! Their son Ben and his wife Tabbi and their daughter Maddi were there along with their son Adam... We ate dinner, played games and just had a great time! I love all the people I get to meet as a missionary! It just seems so easy to connect with people. Adam is HiLariOUs! and Tabbi is what I like to refer to as the Yahtzee Nazi! She is so fun to play games with- the girl is intense!


CORRY's baptism is in ONE WEEK .. next monday eve she will enter the waters of baptism ! she is so excited .. nervous and excited .. she has the baptismal interview tonight . we had a lesson with her this week about this time on earth and now that she knows the gospel of Jesus Christ she gets to SHARE with others how it is true and will bless others lives. we committed her to pray for missionary opportunities and her baptism is already a HUGE one bc she invited ALL her family to come ! she is amazing !

joselyn robertson [she is the oldest daugther of our WML] turned 16 ! we gave her chapstick and a pack of gum! haha S. warner's idea! she loved it, her mom just laughed and rolled her eyes.

we spent the day in STURGEON BAY on saturday .. it was SO much fun and taught SO many wonderful people about the gospel .. we also went WAY out into the orchards and abandon barns of sturgeon bay for a media referral .. it was a BIT scary needless to say .. we called the ZL's to let them know what was up and that if we didnt call them back in 15mins to come and find us .. S warner and i are scared little girls and we know how to freak ourselves out ! we were fine but we definitely got ourselves worked up !

we had another amazing lesson with DIANE ANTHONY .. sister doucette had us and her over for dinner and they found out they had a lot in common ! we taught her a little about the Plan of Salvation.S warner asked her "where did you think you were before this life ?" and she said that is something she had been wondering for a long time ! i am so grateful for the knowledge and testimony i was able to share with her about us all living with our Heavenly Father before we came to this earth. we are meeting with Diane this week and we are so excited to continue to teach her !

church this year is now at 1p .. that is quite the adjustment but it was good .. a lot of people who havent come in a while came b.c. the time change and it was so good to see there faces ! i love being a missionary !

this is the other big news of the week ! its TRANSFERS ! i am staying here in GB with S warner BUT a set of sisters in the mission have to go to a trio b.c. one sister is going home and NO sisters are coming out .. where will the 3rd sister go .. WE DONT KNOW .. but she could come here to GB .. we will find out tuesday eve ! the saddest news is that e.pulley is LEAVING .. he has been my 1st ZL! we are sad that he is leaving this area but we are friends and will continue to be so ! haha


On a Random NOtE:

Mom:

*will you please find out what barry and moon-jungs current address is? I tried to send them a christmas card and it was sent back to me, they don't live in Lake Forrest anymore.

* you asked about dinners- it is a rare occasion that we don't have a dinner appointment with a member, The Ward is SOO AmAzing here! They're so good about feeding us. Our monthly calendar is AlWayS full. Always feed the Missionaries!!!!! It makes such a difference in our day!

*I am sending home that pink bag today, I LOVE it, but the handle is about to break. I know you ALWAYS keep receipts, so will you exchange it and send it back to me? (if they don't have the same one, will send something similar?) That style is PerFect!!! I can fit everything in it and is has structure, i like it!

*remember those restoration hardware slippers you got me last year? ya I LOVE those things, I wear them everyday! They are like duvets on my feet! Best purchase ever.

Britt:

*ward members here have found my blog and think it's the cutest thing ever, they showed it to me, good work. it's great. love the video you posted, if i only knew! one girl, diantha googled her name and my blog came up! haha so funny. will you please post some pics of my mission up that i send you? they're all in the emails i forward from s. warner!

Dad:

*You are SO great! Wow. i never would have guessed you'd be the best letter writer ever!!!! I am proud, mom claims you haven't won yet and that she's "in the game now", we shall see! I love your letters, they make me laugh!!!

Rocky:

*you're great, How's the gf? the job? being 18?

Sarah:

* I love the pics! send me your favorites printed! I would love that! i SHOWED THEM ALL TO S warner, adorable, loved their christmas dresses and the pic of sophie smiling at her b-day party! good work on her hair! I can't believe how much she has and how many teeth she haS! and I loved her little jeans! I miss you and the kids and bobby!

Grandma & Grandpa:

* I LOVED THE TAPE!! I loved that everyone talked! I loved the pictures too! You are the best! I am working on a tape to send home soon! aLso, you should research this juice called Xanga Juice, I heard about it in UT but this lady I met told me all about it and it has really helped her arthritis.... look it up... Xanga juice, supposed to be Amazing!

I have NO time... but I LOVE being a missionary and I am SOO happy here! We are going to meet the elders at culvers for our Pday lunch! then off to play volleyball!

LOVE YOU!

love sister pamella jo black

ps what is the name of that wisconsin restaurant that just went up by the dv airport?

talk to you soon!