Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Life in the sticks . . .

Let's see what happened this past week....

[jUnE '08]

Hello ALL...

I didn't write yesterday because it was Memorial Day and the Library was CLOSED... but we had a great day. I wrote letters, went to a picnic/BBQ at the church, visited B&S Caldwell at their home and then had FHE. IT was nothing short of a good day.

the LILACS are blooming and are EVERYWHERE... I have seen lots of deer and a couple porcupine and bunnies and I am still AmAzed every time ...

Someone somewhere started a rumor that I didn't want to come to Adams... well let it be known: I LOVE IT HERE. It really is the land of converts, come to think of it I don't know one person in the ward yet, minus the Fosters [whom we live with] that grew up with the gospel. EVERYONE is a convert. It's AmAzing. I love to hear their conversion stories.

I am loving my companions. They are so great. I get less sleep than I ever have on a mission because we stay up talking!!!!

Let's see what happened this past week....

[*] we did a lot of planning for this coming transfer. LOTS. We set goals... they are high... I KNOW we can achieve them.. we have to work hard. every time I would say a number the sisters would just laugh and say "OK!" haha I KNOW we can DO it!

[*] Wednesday was Zone Conference with just our zone.. the WAUSAU zone. only 2 districts in our zone. It was SO good though. WE learned how to teach lessons in the church building, how to make people feel comfortable at church and about coming and how to teach more interactively. I learned a lot. THere were lots of new faces and I got to meet a whole new crowd. Elders Oldham, Jolley and Tryon came and did training too. It was a relief to see their familiar faces.

... after zone conference I had my interview with president barrett. I was able to tell him a lot of my concerns with this area. I told him how I felt like the sisters here were just glorified visiting teachers... i don't do that. I LOVE missionary work. Being with people. Teaching LEssOns. He didn't know a lot of what was going on here. After he interviewed all 3 of us we had a little "huddle" as he called it and he just layed down the law. It was SO good. because he had to be the one to say it. I am just the new girl here. THese other two sisters know this area way better than i do. ALl i knew is I was sick of hearing "the work is just different here". NO! Missionary work doesn't have to be slow!!!! s. roth said she thought, [mind you she has only been out 6 weeks, she is a greeny, this is her 1st area] "I guys only boys get to do real missionary work." AHH! President told us to press the "restart" button here. He said that's why I am here. ugh- it's kinda stressful. There is SO much to do. We had to drop a lot of pointless services we were doing and break a lot of old habits. but we are already seeing the fruits of that. WE HAD 8 new investigators this past week AmAZINg. That didn't even happen to us in green bay. HARD WORK = BLESSINGS FROM THE LORD. I know the work can be just as fast here as it was in green bay... president calls it the "green bay fire"! haha WELL it's been LIT!

[*] we had dinner at the jacksons. They live in necedah. i love them. later we went to autumn jaquith's country music concert at the high school. good times. she has an AmAzing voice.

[*] We taught our investigators Debbie and Jody and Christian. We visited Ward members Sisters Snitchler and VanMater, Brother Schnonasky. WE met a new woman Deborah, who is now an investigator. We went to the High School Graduation [i thought of rocky the whole time].

[*] We had dinner at the Barrett's and sister barrett is just AmAzing. Makes me want to be the best missionary ever after the way she talked about the missionaries that baptized her husband. SHe loves them. THey helped her to be a part of an eternal family. That is WHY i am in wisconsin. She reminded me.

What a week... We are working SO hard here and definitely seeing the fruits of our labors. THe Lord is blessing this area tremendously as we do what he asks of us.

I thought of my family this week. I have been informed that this was the week of ROCKY. He FINALLY had his eagle court of honor (he's had his eagle for at least 2 years) He graduated from SEMINARY and from HIGH SCHOOL. my LITTLE brother is not so LITTLE anymore!!! Congrats Rocky! I love and miss you! [ps you look DANG good in your senior pics. I love them all]

I thought of my little chloe who on mother's day asked me, "Do you want to come over? Come to my house and give me hugs and kisses!" RIP my HEART out!!! I love that little girl! I love my little sophie too.

I also missed green bay a bit. I thought of how on my last sunday there the members had like 5 referrals for us. AmAzing. Such good people. Vanessa has a baptismal date!!! did i mention that! SO EXCITING.

I was thinking about the six months i spent in green bay. Sometimes in life you meet people that make you raise your standards, your expectations of life. Forever. They raise you to higher ground. You are never the same afterward. I met a few in green bay! Whether they were missionaries I served with or People I associated with green bay was good for me. It prepared me to love adams! I miss gb. I miss serving around other missionaries. but I know the lord has a plan for each of us and there is a reason I am here- I don't know what it is yet... but I am sure I will soon find out. And I know I will continue to meet people that will leave indellible marks on my heart. [wow i am so deep this week... wierd]

Thanks for My birthday Presents I got this week! I LOVED them!

I love you all!!!!! the church is true.

Love, sister pamella jo black

ps I have picked up what I call "missionary lingo" I frequently say...

...WAY... FOR DAYS... CAN IT... SWEET... AmAzing... and many others..

Monday, May 18, 2009

I am actually surprised at myself


[October '08]

Hello Hello Family! How are you? Well... the rumor was true. I am in Adams-Friendship. Shut the state down. I know. I NEVER thought I would come to this place... but I love it already. Also, I am in a three-some. Yes, three sisters, living in the upstairs bedroom of a members home. Oh, it gets better, tomorrow I will probably ride a bike. Yes, all things that I said I NEVER wanted to do or be a part of on my mission.
Never say NEVER.

I am actually surprised at myself though... I like it here. a lot. It reminds me of thatcher, only just a little more backwoods! I really made it a point that I would not compare and that I would not have an awkward transition to my next area. well... I think that was just the trick. I got to speak in sacrament yesterday and meet the ward. I am way excited to get to work here. AND I love my companions... they are SO great. We are already such good friends. It's so fun, like having roommates. I never knew I would love a three-some this much! It's great!!!!!

This has been a great week...

In green bay I got to spend one whole day on the UWGB campus teaching. We just sat in the corner of the coffee shop and the students came to us, THEY CAME TO US!!!! 5 appointments in a row. It was truly amazing. AmAzing! When I got to GB we didn't have any investigators on campus. I loved it, it was the best going away gift ever! They are all going home for the summer, but have already been in contact with the missionaries where they live. I can't wait to hear of their progress!!!

I also had the opportunity to visit many people and to say "goodbye". It was draining. I gave up towards the end. I know I will see all those people again- no need to say bye. Adam Kreihbl told me a few weeks ago that I was going to end up in Adams in a 3some because I said I don't want to... and I am.. I told him it is HIS fault!!! haha Bro Cozzens said Adams is the Houghton of the Wausau stake. [houghton is in the UP] man. sometimes i do feel like we are in exile... there is only the 3 of us for miles and miles ... our area is HUGE. But we have a lot of fun here... and the Fosters, whom we live with, take really good care of us.

[Monday] was my last Pday in GB and we spent it at Bay Beach Park playing games with the elders and trying not to kick the soccer ball gma sent me into the green bay. good times. GB is SO beautiful and green. I will miss those elders, I became such good friends with them, there are so many of them that I will be friends with well after the mission. They are such great examples to me and are SO knowledgable! Bishop Huzzey made me CRY that night... he offered the sweetest prayer and expressed his gratitude for the service oldham and I rendered in GB. I don't know anyone with more of a capacity to love than that man. He's amazing. We signed his journal, it was bittersweet. I never wanted to sign that thing, i knew it meant I was leaving!!! AND we had one last eating contest.

[Tuesday] we had district meeting and we sang "I'll go where you Want Me to Go" as the opening song. I remember singing that at my farewell as I left my PHX home it was almost HARDER singing it at district meeting knowing I was going to have to leave my GB home!!!! We had district lunch and then went to Sister Bartell's to do service in her garden for her. I ended up stacking a HUGE woodpile! it was AmAzing! Elder Oldham would bring me the wood and I would stack it. It wasn't too shabby of a pile for my first time! It got so big he suggested I do two rows, so i did. Then When it was all done sister bartell came out and said, "Aww I have to get back there, can you moved that pile up two feet?" She said it so SERIOUSLY... so I said "YA. Sure!" Ha she was JOKING!!!! hilarious. We went to the elkins that night with the elders. SO FUN! I played basketball with elder crane, sister bryner, spencer elkins and his sister Kaley while Oldham and Jacob ran around with toy guns playing Star Wars. It was a good time but spencer tackled me during the game and I definitely skinned my knee, blood everywhere. It's been a long time since I've done that. note to self: don't play bball in a skirt and flats. Later that night we had a nerf gun war... i won! Me vs spencer, jacob and oldham = no competition! Sister elkins was so sweet and told me that she has seen me change since I have been in green bay. so cute. I think i have changed too.... I love the elkins, what a great family.

[Wednesday] was my last full day here!!!!! I had lunch with Paul and Lisa Robertson and their girls at Paul's school. I LOVE the ROBERTSON'S. They feel like family. really. We had the Kreihbls for dinner that night and then went to mutual. I got to see avarice and jeff! Avarice has a BAPTISMAL DATE now!!!! yeah! I am so happy for him!!!

[Thursday] I packed up and headed to culvers for my last lunch there with elders oldham and crane. Julieanne, Amy, Jess and Dan came too. It's tradition. It used to just be us and JRIB... but since she is gone it took quite a few people to replace her! That was great but I couldn't really eat. I just had a knot in my stomach. then it was off to transfer point. I had a TON of stuff. 3 suitcases a tub and a few loose things. I didn't quite remember all the stuff my mom sent me once i got here. oh well. i need it all at least til i get thru next winter!!! :) luckily only one other kid was traveling with us on the "wausau shuttle" and his luggage got LEFT in MILWAUKEE. poor guy. BUT all my stuff took up all the room anyways, so i was ok with it! ha. he got his luggage the next day. no worries. I arrived in adams that afternoon. It reminds me a ton of Thatcher, just more, I don't know, SECLUDED from the real world? Stuck in time? or how 'bout D all of the above.

There is a ward here. and a building. a county market. a k mart. a library and a post office. that's about it. we live upstairs in the fosters house. three beds in a tiny room = SO MUCH FUN. also no sleep. we talk too much. Sister Bishop (out one transfer before me) attends Utah State... is from Brigham City Utah. Sister Roth (out only 6 weeks) is from Washington and attends BYU. We are all great friends already, it's wierd, I love it.

[Friday] I turned 22 and had a great BDAY! We volunteered at the nursing home and the humane society, saw Vivian [age 91] then an investigator Jim then came home and had a bday party! fun fun.

[Saturday] we were WAY busy teaching ALL our investigators. I decided to give up sugar to help Debbie as she gives up alcohol so she can be baptized. I am excited to stay strong right along with her... it's already been hard!!! It was an AmAzing day of teaching!!! The sisters here kept complimenting me on how powerful my teaching is. Honestly I can attribute that to serving around AmAzing ELDERS for 6 months that had been on their missions 3X as long as me and just being a sponge and picking up on how they use the scriptures and ask questions and be direct and bold.... it's so great to have had that training. I will miss it.

[Sunday] we went to church and a lot of meetings. I spoke. The bishop told me they have a goal of 21 baptisms this year. We have a lot of work to do. I am way excited. I have heard a lot, "the work is just different here". I don't believe that's true. Missionary Work can be just as fast paced here as it was in green bay. I am determined to make it that way!!!! These sisters are so great and ready to try anything. I am liking this fresh perspective. new investigators. new struggles! new directions to grow in. I can't wait!!

Amy told me right before I left, "sister black you have affected change in green bay, you can go now because you've made a difference". or something to that affect. I love her! I will forever miss families like the HUzzey's, Robertson's, Kreihbls, Ribbens, Bartells, Biolos, Whitings, Millers... My friends... Amy, Julieanne, JriB, Jess, Rachel, Bri Everette ... Those I taught ... Huntleys, Barbara, Corry, Vanessa, Jeff, Avarice! ....

So many good memories. I LOVE MY MISSION!!!!!!!!

I can't wait for Adams to become home! I will continue to "Lose myself in the Work". That was my new years resolution!!!

Thanks for all your love and support!!!! I love you all!!!!

Love, sister Pamella Jo Black

New mailing address:

117 N Grant St
Adams, WI 53910

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Mother's Day Call....

Hey, it's Brittany! I was going to write about Pamella's call on Mother's Day. BUT, I just wrote about it on my blog. So here is the link if you want to read about it.
the link is here: Mother's Day Mania
Sister Black is doing GREAT! She is getting transferred, and is looking forward to meeting her new Comp.'s and the people. She was in Greenbay for ONE THIRD of her mission! WOW!

Hope everyone had a great Mother's Day.
We did!

Monday, May 11, 2009

We got Transfer Calls AND...



I am outta here! Which is SO sad! I love Green Bay, I haven't known anything else, but this wonderful place on my mission. I am so happy that I got to spend six months here. It truly is the promised land!!!

I think about how six months ago I left home to go on a mission, now I am leaving home again. I have had so many AmAzing experiences here. I became "Sister Black" these past six months. What a blessing it is that the Lord allows us to be missionaries and have these experiences to put our trust in Him and see miracles take place.

Bishop asked Elder Oldham and I, because we are leaving, to share our testimonies yesterday in sacrament meeting. I told the ward how I remembered standing at the pulpit my first sunday in the mission and having to give a talk! I didn't know a lot of things then that I know now. I didn't know how much I would LOVE green bay. I didn't know how much i would LOVE the gb 1st ward. I didn't know how IMPORTANT my calling would be to me. I didn't KNOW the people I would teach and see make sacred covenants. I really didn't know I COULD love it this much.

Bishop said they send the cream of the crop to Green Bay. He just really loves the missionaries and is so good to us.

I am happy I survived the winter here to see that it is green in green bay now! The trees are budding and some have leaves. Tulips are EVERYWHERE! Squirrels, robins, bunnies and deer are always crossing our paths! I love it. It is SO nice. I take any excuse to go outside! I finally have color on my skin and my hair is lighter, finally.

Last week was a great week. We had FHE at the Carlsruh's, complete with fishing, snacks, a game of NURTZ and the lesson being BOM jeopardy. We had district meeting at Bay Beach on the picnic tables and then celebrated Cinco de Mayo at El Serape. We had dinner in Pulaski with the Brudnicki's. I love them, they are definitely a favorite. We had a BBQ with our friends at the Green Bay Botanical Gardens at Tonia's house. I learned to play horse shoes... let's just say people I play with need to wear steel toed boots. :) We did service with Jolleen Allard and then went out to lunch with her, we had a great conversation about the Plan of Salvation. We did our weekly planning at a park. We volunteered at the nursing home. We taught Bonnie at the library. We went to Jam 4 Justice at the Ecumenical Center and heard "Good News" a band of ward members play. It was a function to raise awareness for the FreedoM House here in GB. That was fun, we saw lots of students we knew there. Jessika was baptized Saturday. She is a beautiful girl, she makes me so happy. We had icecream and a lesson with rachel and amy afterwards... it was a defining moment for rachel- she knows what she needs to do to be happy. Amy is a great teacher. I love them both. We had dinner with the Ribbens family.... oh how i will miss them. We went to Preble High School's Play "Disco Fever". Heather and Whitney and Ben and Diantha, youth in the ward, were in it as well as Jeff our investigator. It was fun, they're all very talented. WE CALLED OUR FAMILIES... I love that I never skip a beat with any of them, we just pick up where we left off. [HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY] We made dinner for sister huzzey, because she is our mom in green bay. I said bye to everyone in the ward...

WHEW... what a week. This week is jam packed too. I find out where I am being transferred to Tuesday night. Thursday I leave and go to a new area of the mission. Friday I turn 22. gosh, that's old.

I love you all. I want you all to know how grateful I am to have such an amazing support system. What would I do without each one of you!?!

I am loving these scriptures lately, D&C 50: 40-46: "Behold, ye are little children and ye cannot bear all things now; ye must grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have covercome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me; And none of them that my Father hath given me shall be lost. And the Father and I are one. I am in the Father and the Father in me; and inasmuch as ye have received me, ye are in me and I in you.
Wherefore, I am in your midst, and I am the good shepherd, and the stone of Israel. He that buildeth upon this rock shall never fall. And the day cometh that you shall hear my voice andbsee me, and know that I am. Watch, therefore, that ye may be ready. Even so. Amen."

I Can't wait for that day! Let's be sure to WATCH so we can be READY!


Love, Sister Pamella Jo Black


ps for now send all mail to:

Sister Pamella Jo Black
5651 Broad Street Suite 1
Greendale, Wisconsin 53129

Monday, May 4, 2009

GREEN BAY IS GREEN!


(Pam and Payton. I love this picture)

Ok Everyone… I am trying something new… I am going to write my weekly email BEFORE I write everyone back. I think that might help me to get in everything that I want to say- I always seem to have to cut my emails short because I spend so much time reading your emails and laughing and organizing my emails or playing with my pictures that I forfeit time on this piece.. AND let’s face it this is SO important. It is your window to my life… HAHA

So briefly, before I address this week… I just want to fill in things I missed in last week’s email. These are some highlights I missed.

I GOT MY HAIR CUT. [don’t worry grandma… it’s not too short. But its WAY cute.] Gretta Krehbiel cut it in our ward and did a great job. It was needed. It had been about 6 months. It is a slight A line. I love it.

Last week we volunteered 2 days in a row at the Green Bay Botanical Gardens. [we’ve gotten to know them quite well since we did the festival of lights at Christmas with them and then the Soup with Substance dinners with them in FEB and MAR] We loaded soil into people’s cars, people are serious about their gardening here. It was a lot of fun. It was CoCoA soil so it smelled SO good. People even bought 5 or 25 pound bags of WORM CASTINGS. [ya that’s a really nice way for saying worm poop. GROSS] It was so nice on Friday when we helped, I dare say it was even hot… but on Saturday it RAINED all day. We were there from 7:30-12:30 … we got soaked. And the wind was blowing so it was cold- BUT it was fun. Between the zone leaders and us sisters we were able to teach so many people and even set up a BBQ for this week with the staff from GBBG. They are so great, I LOVE them!

Missy was baptized last Saturday. She is a YSA we worked with a little bit. Her baptism was great. She asked us, and 4 other sister missionaries she knew to sing “Come Follow Me”. It was awful. We never got to practice. I hope the spirit was there. I will never sign up for that again. Haha She was so happy though, great girl.

Last Sunday we went to Catholic mass with Barb and then she came to Church with us, we had lunch in-between at the Cozzen’s home. They are so great and good friends of Barb’s because their sons are in scouting together. Barb says we owe her 2 more hours… haha. SO I offered to come help her install her base boards and grout the tile in her kitchen… two things I have had a bit of practice with J She accepted. Great lady. I know she felt the spirit at church… change is hard though.

Later Sunday night we had dinner at the Huzzey’s. They are so amazing; just invite us over anytime they hear that we don’t have dinner. It feels like home there. That night, President Krehbiel, did a fireside for all our YSA’s at the HuZZey’s about making life’s important decisions. It was really good. I love that man; he has such a love for the gospel and missionary work. .. He is really good at teasing me too. He tells the elders that he naps during the time he listens to the messages I leave him because they are SO LONG… well hello, newsflash. I am wordy!!! Haha funny man. One time I left a thank-you not on his office door. It was a mini not e and he said he laughed and laughed because he thought, “thank- goodness they only gave her that much space, she could write a novel”. Those are my words but he said something to that effect.

I had to say goodbye to Jrib that night. . . she is going back to BYU-I to school. DEVASTATING. I LOVE HER SO MUCH. I will miss her, but we are going to be great friends after the mission.

ON TO THIS PAST WEEK… WHAT A WEEK…

[Tuesday]

WE WALKED… k my companion was not so down with that… but I LOVED IT. It was a PERFECT day and we only live 4.2 miles from the church building. We had an hour to get there. Yes, we had to walk thru Baird Creek and Yes there were lots of hills, but hey… it was fun. At least I enjoyed it… she was 2 blocks behind so I finally just called the Messick’s [the senior couple] to come get us so we wouldn’t be late. The elders laughed at me, they thought walking 4 miles uphill in an hour was a bit of a lofty goal… ha WE COULD have MADE IT! [lets just say we haven’t walked since L haha] We had a GREAT district meeting. Elder Petrie, our district leader (he’s from gilbert! Woo-hoo), had us each study and then teach the district one teaching skill out of PMG and then committed us to study one of them throughout the week and apply it in our teaching. I love district meeting because there is such a spirit of learning and understanding there and I am always able to learn SO MUCH from the elders in our district. Later that night we went to the last soup 4 soul for the semester at the ecumenical center at UWGB. We have met so many great people there, built friendships and now are teaching Dan, Jeremiah, Stephanie and Rachel. What a difference from when I got here late fall semester. The work we’re doing on campus is just really taking off. It will be even better next year. At institute we had 16 YSA’s there.. 16!!! When I got here there were 3. The Lord is really blessing this area. I love that in my six months here I have been able to see that growth.

[Wednesday]

We played volleyball with the women, it was my best game yet! I love to play now, and they have taught me well haha. We spent the day with sister bartell seeing people and then we had dinner with her. She reminds me so much of my mom, I love being around her. Julianne Klinger came to dinner with us too. I love her. She is a YSA that just started coming back to church, it was her New Year’s Resolution. She is one of my best friends here. I love her. I am going to miss her when she goes home for the summer to Milwaukee… hey maybe I will serve down there in her singles ward. That would be great.

[Thursday]

We planned. Yuck. Not my favorite 3 hours of the day- but they are very effective, just tedious. That night we had dinner at the Miller’s. I love them, they are young BYU graduates and have twin 3 year old boys. Great family. We also hit Culvers with Jilena and Joey Ribbens since they are home alone while the rest of the family takes Jennifer back to school.

[Friday]

We spent all day with Brianne Everett. I love her and her daughter Jaimie. They are so fun. We saw lots of people and determined that I am Jaimie’s favorite! J That night we went fishing and had a BBQ at the Carlsruh’s… I caught a 14 inch wide mouth bass. WRITE IT DOWN. I caught something!!! Haha I even stuck my fingers in it’s gills to hold it up for a picture. GROSS… fun though. I love the Carlsruh’s. [he calls me “Rocky’s daughter now since he met you dad!!! Haha]

[Saturday]

We volunteered at the special Olympics… IT WAS SO FUN. I loved it. We did the softball toss. Brookie Robertson and I were a great team at getting the participants to and from where they were supposed to go. I loved it. Afterwards, we went to lunch at Panera with sister huzzey. Yum yum. I love sister huzzey. She is the best. We taught Vanessa at the deans that night and extended the baptismal commitment. She is setting the date with her parents this week! YEAH! She knows all the interview questions and has such a testimony for an 11 year old. So cute.

[Sunday]

Fast Sunday was great. Vanessa AnD Jeff came to church!!!! After church we taught Jeff at the Millett’s and had dinner with them. It was so great. He too is ready for baptism. We committed him to ponder and pray what his next step should be. He has a testimony of the Book of Mormon and of Joseph Smith and of the reality that we have A Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ Lives. SO EXCITING. He knows he needs to be baptized. Then we went to a CES broadcast at the church. Elder Bednar spoke on the reality that Satan really wants what he can’t have so he manipulates the children of god to use their bodies in inappropriate ways; especially through cyberspace. I was shocked at some of the things he said that go on. Devastating how people live in these CYBER worlds and forfeit reality, computer gaming is out of control. It was a great talk. It is important to be aware that the adversary works in subtle ways.

TODAY we are leaving the UWGB library, going to Target [yeah] , then going to play at a park with the elders, Frisbee, soccer or personally I am thinking of a nap on a blanket! J I love that Wisconsin is SO GREEN!!!!!!!!! Tonight we have a YSA FHE at the Carlsruh’s!!!!

Jess is being baptized on SATURDAY! At church yesterday she asked me to give a talk on baptism. YEAH. I love her and feel so happy to participate in her big day. Britt… you want to send me your notes? Haha jk.

Tomorrow, MAY 5th, marks SIX months I have been a missionary. That’s 1/3 of my mission! Wow. So weird.

Saturday night I find out if I am being transferred or not… exciting! Kind of.

SUNDAY I call home! Yeah! HAPPY EARLY MOTHER’S DAY!

I love you all! I love my mission. I love this gospel.

Love, sister pamella jo black