Happy 2010!

Can you believe it is 2010? I’m old!

This has been a great week. I feel really rejuvenated, it being a new year and all. I think everyone does, and our investigators are finally coming out of their holiday hibernation, I love it when that happens!

This week a scripture that I have come to love is Ephesians 4:29. It reads:

29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

I love that scripture and have been focusing on edifying and uplifting. Every time the elders say something I don’t enjoy, I refer them to Ephesians 4:29. It's working well. :)

[Lunes] it was a weird pday. We studied, emailed and then went to the mall… that was only my second time at a mall… EVER… on my mission… impressive wouldn’t you say… I almost went in to shock! I do love that place. You’ll never guess what we found at the Racine Mall…. A CHICK-FIL-A! I have been in Wisconsin for almost 15 months and we just now discovered a CHICK-FIL-A. Man, it was a good day. We had just eaten, but it was still a good find! Our Racine Spanish elders are also covering elkhorn so they were there that day and the kenosha elders were being lame... so we were on our own... it was a fun, girly pday.. we never get that! In the evening we went to an FHE at the Hansen's, Raygan and Zachary came too. The Hansen's are such a great family, so warm and welcoming to anyone and everyone... I love them, I want to be like them: so relaxed when 800 kids are running thru their home, I'm not sure that's possible for me, but a girls gotta have some goals. Madison, 8, taught the lesson and did a great job.

[Martes] we studied, then we taught Sister Holeton. She was baptized about 10 years ago and has just sorta lost touch with the church. She told us she has no real reason she's not there. She started smoking again and wants to quit. We promised her as she builds on a sure foundation and makes Christ her priority, all other things will fall in to place. I love her. I sincerely hope that if anyone I have taught on my mission just lost touch missionaries would track them down and teach them again. . . with that in mind my love for Sue grew ten fold! We saw vicki and then went to Raygon's again. Raygon also was taught by missionaries long ago and is now preparing herself for baptism again. She is so amazing. Truly, I have never felt such a difference in a home/ environment as I do when we go to Raygon's. She can be stressed, yelling and mad at her husband or just done with her kids and the dog ... but as soon as we sing and pray the spirit comes, she is quiet and she feels it. We are also teaching her son Zachary [well it's the elders investigator, but we're always there]. I love teaching children. I love it. They are so sweet and sincere. The gospel is so simple and I realize that so much more when I teach a child, I've been blessed to do that often on my mission. Raygon gleans a lot from watching Zach learn. The first time we taught him he said the prayer and thanked Heavenly Father for letting his mom feel the spirit to go back to church. Precious. Zach is so stressed about memorizing everything we teach him... but we keep telling him that's not necessary... however that doesn't penetrate his 10 yr old mind. He's adorable. He'll be baptized Jan 14. Last night he even prepared a talk and presented it to us. He loves primary but told us he just wants to talk about the gospel, he doesn't know why they have to SING so much. haha. We had CHICK-FIL-A for lunch, went to some unplanned appts and then had the Furner's for dinner. THey are another solid family. SUch great parents and AmAzing children. As I left sister furner hugged me and told me that they loved me and I am such a fun sister. It made me feel good.

[Miercoles] Sister Johnson had spanish class with sister calderwood. Then we did weekly planning. We taught Raygon and Zach and then spent the rest of the night trying to see people. President Barrett has promised us as we use the hours from 5-8 to visit people, even though it's dark and cold, that we will find many people to teach, specifically families. We have been doing that and it's true, we are being blessed.

[Jueves] We had district meeting. Elder Smith is a great district leader. I love him, we can really tell he plans and prepares for his district meetings. He really cares about our investigators and is always striving to remember and ask about those we are teaching. We ate lunch as a district afterwards at Buffalo Wild Wings, I am pretty sure it was just because it was New Year's Eve and some of our elders wanted to see what was going on with football... but the food was good. We spent the rest of the day in Kenosha visting all of our Spanish investigators and branch members. We saw Daysi, Lean, the Cabrales [Michelle too!], the Martinez's and ended our night at the Calderwood's. We played a fun game with them, tuttifruitti, had cookies and banana splits and laughed a lot. We were home around 10 and in bed at 10:30. I was tired and knew that I had a good excuse to not wait for the new year! haha I am normally lame at home too... but i get flack for that... sister johnson and I enjoy this time in our lives to act like old ladies and be in bed between 9:30 and 10:30 every night... that's never been a hard rule for me to follow!

[Viernes] HAPPY NEW YEAR! we studied, wrote 20 thank-you notes to all the people that did nice things for us over the holidays and then went to the branch party from 12-5. It was a lot of fun. There was food, a picture slide show and then we played Charades under the direction of elder campbell. It was a lot of fun. I love how tight the branch is with eachother. Many of them have known eachother for ever. The best part was the Flores made the slide show... they've only been in the branch a little over a year! THey collected photos and scanned them in, It was great to see pics of priesthood holders in the branch when they were only a year old! hilarious. Sister Johnson and I went to dinner at Panera Bread, I love that place and then went to the Aquino's and played UNO... i love the Aquino family. They are so fun. We played one game of UNO for two hours... the SAME hand. It was killing me. I had the best time there... they love the gospel and love eachother. I swear there are 12 people that live in that house, uncles, cousins, gma, parents, kids.... that's why it is SO fun!

[Sabado] We went to a baptism for the kenosha elders, kathy brown is going to be a great assett to the kenosha ward, she's amazing. we had a mcdonald's breakfast at sister birch's... that was nice of her and then played soccer at the church. we got in trouble for playing with a real soccer ball in the gym, it leaves marks on the walls... [oops!] ... so now we have to play with a nerf soccer ball.... it's not the same, but we are staying positive. You can just step on that thing and it squishes down... but i am learning to be more gentle???! a gentle soccer player. theres a concept. We saw sister oakley with sister schlitz, who is amazing, and sister holeton. I had an impression to stop and see jessica, we did, she was home, it was amazing. We ended our night teaching Jackie. She was a lady the elders tracted in to in July... we could never reach her. This night she was home, we taught her. She loved it. She had know missionaries before, but was still in her first marriage and her husband didn't like religion. Her husband now is great and lets her do as she pleases! She is very promising.

[Domingo] CHURCH church ChUrcH... Jessica came! Sister Johnson wasn't feeling well so we went home and took a nap/studied. We had dinner with the Brigg's, I love them... they're hilarious. A great family. Then we went and visited some people. I love fast sunday .... it really helps me focus.

ok... i must go. sorry i sent this email a day late... i didn't have time yesterday. we must go to district meeting now... but here is an email I sent to President Barrett... it will cover anything I missed and you might be curious as to what we tell him. I love that man. He is the best.

Here it Is:

Hello President,

Things are going quite well in Racine. This week we really focused on using the hours of 5-8 in the most effective ways. What a difference that made! We found 4 new investigators [really solid investigators too], all between the hours of 5-8.

SIster JOhnson and I really focused on following the spirit as well. We were able to see an investigator, Jessica, who we hadn't seen since Thanksgiving. She said she had been thinking about us. We weren't going to stop at her house because we were on our way elsewhere, but got an impression as we were driving by. We stopped, she was FINALLY home, and invited us in. We ended that appointment with her taking us to meet her grandma, now a new investigator, who used to meet with missionaries last year.

This past week in the Racine ward a lady who hasn't been to church in years, Sue Holeton, came to "start her year off right". We have been teaching her and rekindling the spirit she felt when the missionaries taught her, she is amazing. So many members are willing to come teach her with us, they love her and just want to see her active. She had 10 different offers of who to sit with during sacrament yesterday. Every time I turned around someone was hugging her! Her husband is not a member and has had some bad experiences with the church, we hope to meet him soon.

Also, a girl in the branch, Lupita, has started to come back. She was baptized a little over a year ago. She works a lot and said she couldn't to make it to church. We've always had a pretty good relationship with her, we visit her with Sister Calderwood. President Calderwood loves her too, but we could never seem to get her to meet with him and he was often too busy to come to our appointments. The last time we were there she wanted her home dedicated and wanted a blessing. We relayed the message to President Calderwood and he suggested to send the elders. We told him how much it meant to Lupita to know that he prayed for her and was concerned for her well-being. We told him it would mean more if he gave the blessing. He agreed and visited Lupita with his wife a few days later. What a difference that made. Suddenly Lupita is at church every sunday and even came to the branch party new year's day! It was sweet to see her feel the love of the branch, it made the difference.

happy new year.

love sister black

...................


I love all of you. Thanks for all you do for me! I am such a lucky girl to have all of you! I love my mission. Rocky I think about you every day... JUST RELAX... you will be a great missionary. don't stress. You can't learn it all at once.

Brittany I loved your email. MOm and Dad: yours too... you have letters coming soon.

Sister Roatch [she's a great penpal ps] mailed me the Scarbrough's information. I called and talked to sister scarbrough last night... i used to serve in the building they attend in milwaukee... just a different ward. They just moved here two weeks ago. I will get to see them later this month when I go up to the dentist. funny how things work out. she was shocked to hear rocky leaves so soon. i am excited to see them.

I love you all!

Happy New Year!

Love, SIster Pamella Jo Black