Beginning, Middle, End ...

So last week I was freaking out about when I decided to go home... WHY did I choose to go home in April? Was that too earlier? Should I have chosen May? You see, sisters, unlike elders don't get a set time to go home. They get to choose at either 17.5 months or 18.5 months. Well, last year April sounded like a great time to go home. . . it was so far away, I'd get to go to Mexico, visit Brittany at college, etc. . . THAT WAS LAST YEAR. as the time got closer and closer I didn't even let my mind wander as to if May should be an option. Then when I was helping sister bishop PACK to GO HOME from her mission I began to FREAK OUT! All these things ran through my mind. I sent my mom an email with the dialogue. She probably thought I was crazy. She told me to do what I felt was right and they'd support me either way [of course, no help! haha such a mom answer!] Then, the last email she sent me said, "As with all things I suppose... There is a BEGINNING, a MIDDLE and an END!" hilarious... that was the best. so blunt.

I SUPPOSE she put that just perfectly! I feel good about April now. I finally prayed about it and just got a peaceful feeling... so I am just going to EMBRACE this last transfer of my mission! I can't believe I only have 6 weeks left. This is the life. I picked up my new little missionary girl on Wednesday... SISTER COUSIN. She is wonderful. I love her. She is so READY to GO! - Just loving being a missionary. I never told her I was going home in 6 weeks the whole day... even though President Barrett and the Assistants kept alluding to it with phrases like, "Since many of your trainers will be going home very soon, you must learn from them all you can before they leave." She didn't ever get it and in the parking lot she asked me if I had been out 9 months? SO CUTE! all the other sister missionaries just looked at me, but knew that I didn't want my greeny to know I was OLD and going home. None of this TRUNKY nonsense!!! [definition: TRUNKY: prematurely packing ones bags, literally and figuratively] I just kept saying I had been out a little over a year, all the sisters would laugh. That's what all the elders say that are a few transfers away from going home. It WORKS! anyways, I had to tell her in the car, because I couldn't lie when she asked me straight out... "when do you go home?" HAHA she couldn't believe I hadn't told her... I just didn't want her to think I was DONE... ya know:? BUT she is excited to work and so am I ... we have SO much to do in the next six weeks... we have got to get on it RIGHT NOW!

Sister Bishop went home Friday. Oh how I am going to miss her ... She was such a great companion. I love her! Her and I got along so well... She understood I needed to EAT regularly. Skipping meals is just not in the cards for sister pamella jo black. She always said I was like a boy! just like her brothers, she said she could see it on my face... that is was TIME TO EAT ... haha I admit, I do get cranky if it's been too long since meals. I don't do well on an empty stomach!

full time missionary + skipping meals = bad combinatiion! write that down rocky!

She made fun of me for calling quesadillas "cheese crisps" ... i just grew up calling them that! I don't know how or why... i just did! She made me meals! She was the BEST... just give her the music she likes and she's a happy girl! i will miss her! It's wierd being here 6 weeks and having to take over... AND TRAIN... sometimes I get a bit overwhelmed about what to do and where to go since I am soo new here... but life is good. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY.

As I was helping sister cousin unpack, I was thinking of what I came with on my mission... much of that stuff I don't have anymore... I LOVE MY MISSION CLOTHES NOW... [when i came out i looked amish, that's what the packet makes you think you have to look like!!!] I LOVE MY MISSION BAG... This is what you would find in my super CUTE HURLEY BAG my family sent me in the summer, I haven't used a different bag since...

1 green folder. it's plastic and it's the best. I can keep EVERYTHING in there... ward rosters, important papers, pictures of my family, transfer packet and calendar, ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING.

Preach My Gospel. Don't leave home without it. I take that thing EVERYWHERE.

Gospel Art Book. The church published those in the summer... it is spiral bound and has every pic you'll ever need in it. It's AmAzing. So great for teaching lessons.

Book of Mormon. Bible. I always have those with me. They're our FaVoRITe BoOkS!

Plaid journal for note taking!

Lint Roller. Sewing Kit. Triple Card Reader [for my camera chips]. zip drive. White Handbook [in eng & spa]. Mini Hymnals [in eng & spa]. Pen Box [FULL of Pilot G-2 colored pens] (i am famous for my colored pen box... its a must as a sister missionary! a girl needs variety!) Striped Bag with the essentials.

GPS. wallet. gloves. gum.

sharpies in the front pocket [best for writing on passalong cards]. planner. post-its. small ntbk to write down words i need to look up in spanish!

water bottle. car keys.

...

That is one full bag! it's like mary poppins bag. i love it. i always have everything i need! and EVERYTHING everybody else needs too! its AmAzing.

ok ok... on to the week...

.monday.

we started out siter bishop's last pday with Breaksfast with Sam.. YUMMY . she made us homemade banana pancakes... my goodness those things were HEAVENLY. sam is a great cook! then we emailed. went to wal mart. sister bishop packed, i took a nap! :) or tried to. our neighbors were home and having world war III. i am convinced. I got my haircut fixed by sister lindner... it was a little long in the back [japenese animae character anyone?] and she fed us dinner. I love the lindners. he is the bishop. they're a great family.

we taught martha, Genny and Dan the Plan of Salvation. i got so excited as we were praying in the car before we went in to the house. I thought about how much I LOVE the GOSPEL i get to teach about! What am I going to do when 24/7 I don't get to do this anymore? Ok... lets not think about it! I love that excited, butterflies in my stomach feeling. I got that when I first came and I still get it. It's the best! i love this gospel! I love the excitement of feeling the spirit and restoring to our Heavenly Father's spirit sons and daughters the truth they once knew and loved!

then we taught brian. brianne and aj came with us and we talked about the temple. i love them! they are the best YSA [young single adults ever!]

.tuesday.

sister bishop packed all her things. i cleaned the apt like it's never been cleaned before [you'd be amazed, i cleaned it the way my mom cleans before we go on vacation... in about 2 hours. bleach city! so great.] then we drove to wausau for district meeting. many of our elders are being transferred. i love serving around the missionaries i do. they are such great examples to me. Elder Ferris, my district leader brought me a family size box of strawberry pop tarts! my favorite! everytime he'd call to check up on us he'd ask what we need and I would say pop-tarts! he'd laugh. since he was being transferred he came through! so nice. i love missionaries! We went out to eat at culvers with the district and afterwards we headed to MADISON, WISCONSIN! sister bishop served six months in Mad-town so on our way to milwaukee [to pick up my greeny] we stopped to have dinner and visit some of her old peeps there. I got to go to the institute and the Madison capitol and see SISTER WARNER. she goes home with sister bishop! so WIERD! i can't imagine my mission without her being here! she is a great missionary and a great example to me! We did our thing in Madison and then headed to milwaukee. We also got permission to stay at the KOZLOSKY'S even though sister missionaries don't live there anymore [the ward is on a rotation and fights for who gets the missionaries!] I love the K's! I miss them! Everytime I stay there it's like going home! It's the best. I miss them!

.wednesday.

TRAINOR'S TRAINING! We got there at 8am and it was so fun to be around so many missionaries! I miss that being up here in the northwoods. we were trained for about 2 hours and then we got to meet our NEW FRESH MISSIONARIES. We all stood on the stand as the new missionaries walked in to the chapel behind the assistants and we sang them "Called to Serve" [yes it was super cheesy]... but i almost cried! we are CALLED to SERVE... we gotta live this up! so I met SISTER COUSIN! [sister bloechl, who we live with when we go to antigo wanted to know if she was from arkansas with a name like "sister cousin!"! haha i love her] We did training and orientation with our new missionaries. i love them! I remembered my first day meeting sister warner. it was very similar. I remember she told me, "we have a baptism this transfer!" that made my day! I was able to tell sister cousin, "we have two baptisms planned this transfer, and many more we're going to plan!" I love being a missionary! i love sister warner even more know. I remember her telling me that there is no such thing as a junior and a senior companion... its just one has the phone and the other the keys! That also helped me to feel so comfortable as a newby. I did the same for sister cousin! After training we had lunch and sister barrett told me that as soon as sister cousin came off the plane she told president barrett, "that is sister black's companion." and he said, "i think so!" haha I love that they know me so well. I love the barrett's. I was able to talk to some of the elders serving/ training in my old areas, specifically elder vialpando in Racine. He said, "people sure like you there!" he has no idea what a difference that made to me! I also got to tell each of the sisters how much they'll love the areas they're going to be trained in... because I have served in them already. so wierd! i feel so old!

We ran to the k's after training to pick up my perfume that brittany insisted on using! i love her then we got gas on our way back up to Rhinelander. as we were gassing up a school bus window flew down and a girl was yelling, "SISTER BLACK SISTER BLACK!" it was becky kozlosky! i love her! i love milwaukee. we drove to rhinelander. 4 hours later we got here, just in time for the ROAD KILL CAFE or the WILD GAME FEED. aka the ward party! it was a great place for sister cousin to meet the ward. so many people came that we had invited! I love sister cousin! have i said that yet?

.thursday.

study. lunch. sister cousin emailed her family to tell them she is here. lunch. we taught ABRAM [armor of god, using our homemade armor]. we taught ALYSSA and CINDY. and had dinner with them. then visited with the Jones family. SIster CouSin Is a great teacher. i love her. she doesn't seem new at all.

.friday.

study. teach andra about miracles... moroni 7. transfer planning. weekly planning. 6 hours of PLANNING! i was going stirr crazy. so was sister cousin. but it was good. needed. then we went to CULVERS for her first time and then taught AJ with Brianne about nephi and the boat [my trademark]. It was good. i missed sister bishop today. i have only been here six weeks! i need her knowledge about this area!!! i don't know everything, but i know enough, so all is well!

These are the transfer goals we made:

6 baptized and confirmed

2 with a baptismal date

25 investigators at sacrament meeting

72 lessons with a member

60 other lessons

10 investigators progressing

12 referrals received and contacted

18 new investigators

60 lessons with less actives and recent converts

840 new invites [thats 140 a week, 20 a day! that's our mission standard] i thought 100 a week was going to kill me last trasfer!!1

these are high goals, but we have FAITH they're possible and we have names behind the numbers. like P.Barrett says, better to shoot for the moon and miss than to shoot for the dung heap and make it!! :) sister cousin and are a great pair. a match made in companionship heaven! she's the best.

.saturday.

we met the ward at the temple at 6:30am. we headed to the St.PAUL MINNESOTA temple. It was amazing. we were expecting brian and martha to come, but they couldn't make it. BUT sam and AJ were there. It was AJ's first time. It was so wonderful. We drove down with Bishop and his wife and got to talk with them about a lot of things. Then we helped out in the Baptistry in the girls locker room, hurrying them along through the showers and getting their wet suits to the washer and stuff. FUN! those temple workers can get a little uptight sometimes! She was yelling at the girls a lot! so we calmed them down and assured them all is well. so funny. We all laughed. Then we did a session. I love the temple. THe temple president spoke to the youth during baptisms and told them that the salt lake temple is 26 times the size of the ST. Paul Temple. He also said that the SLC temple still only has 1 baptistry. We do the same work they do. ST. PAul is the 3rd smallest temple in the world, tied 15 times over! haha It's cool to be serving in the Wausau stake because they're in the ST. PAul temple district. only stake in wisconsin that is. I had never been to minnesota... it was fun!

THEN on the way home it happened. all at once. like a flash of lightning. I GOT THE FLU. i thought i just had a migraine from the lack of eating... but that was not so. Bishop was convinced i just needed to eat, he knows how i get! :), and i would be fine. . . but we stopped at A&W, a cool one too where it was all decked out and they wait on you... and i threw up... i never even ate... and that process happened about 5 or 6 times in the car, on the side of the road ALL THE WAY HOME on our 4 hour drive. those poor people. they were so good to me. when we got to the church bishop asked if he could give me a blessing. OF COURSE! he did and in the blessing told me to stay DOWN for 24-48 hours. I love him. i think i scared bishop, he always says i am "High Energy and Quite a Character"... i was so opposite today. he knew i was sick when i had "no fight in me"! bad! He gave my companion instructions to cancel our trip to antigo and to stay home on sunday. love him. as soon as we stumbled in the door to our apt i went to bed. i gave up on even sipping water because i knew i'd just see it again in 5 minutes. rough day i tell you. i loved the temple though!

.sunday.

sick day. i got up 4 times. i was so out of it. i drank some water... and i was able to keep it down. then i drank some gatorade. i finally ended my night with mac & cheese and went to bed. i slept all day. sister cousin called and made appts for us and was a trooper. poor girl, her first sunday in the mission and she was on lock down! i felt kinda bad, but i was too sick to care. I haven't been that sick in YEARS!

i am sore because of it! goodness. it's good to be alive and healthy! our district leaders and our zone leaders called last night. They complimented us on our service here and say we're just dominating the zone. ha. i told them we just do our job, no secrets. They think we're amazing. i enjoy that. it feels good to hear that every now and then, ya know!? especially from your peers.

I love you all! you're the best!!!!

Love, sister pamella jo black

ps... it's spring here... But everyone says "march: in like a lamb, out like a lion". so i am holding my breath. i'd kinda like one last wisconsin snow! it's all melting. our walkway is clear!

pss...remember WWPD, PBS.... i have SIX whole weeks left to check my mailbox EVERY SINGLE DAY! don't forget about me!!! WRITE ME PEOPLE! i love you all!

"I hear the retirement benefits are AmAzing!"

We took some young girls out tracting with us on splits [more on that to come] and they thought is was just SO awful that people were so rude and it was so cold and they said they could never be missionaries... etc and all sister bishop said was, "I hear the retirement benefits are AmAzing!" hilarious.

ON TO the more MeAtiEr MatTeRs...

I love the counsel Alma gives to his son Helaman in Alma chapter 37. He says:

44 For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land.

45 And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise.

46 O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would look they might live; even so it is with us. The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever.

As members of the Church I think sometimes we forget that! The scriptures are our LIAHONA! They will LEAD us and GUIDE us in the wilderness of life, just like the Liahona did for Lehi and his family. Let us not be slothful because of the easiness of the way! We can be pointed straight to the promised land, even the Celestial Kingdom! Is that not our goal! I love that I get to teach people this each and EVERY day! The gospel is SO incredibly simple.

This has been such a great week. Honestly, I'd say one of the best on my mission.

monday the 22nd

pday. email. walmart. walgreens. dinner. then... MARTHA. Martha hasn't been active for many years and was a heavy smoker. Just about 3 weeks ago she decided to quit smoking and prepare herself to go to the temple. She's been smoke free for almost 2 weeks now and will be going to the temple with us on March 6th! How exciting! We went to teach her the restoration. We got about half-way thru when her son came home and asked us if we could wait until his girlfriend came so we could teach all three of them. We said, "OF COURSE!" What a pleasant surprise! [that NEVER happens!] We started over with a prayer. We taught Dan and Genny and Martha the restoration. We watched the DVD. Martha cried. The spirit was OVERWHELMING in Martha's little apartment. We committed all of them to read from The Book of Mormon and pray to know of it's truth. It was AmAzing. I love Dan... he is a great boyfriend! We hear Genny's been reading, Dan apparently has not, we'll work on that. He's been taught before and said the missionaries were too pushy about baptism. We're really following the spirit! It was a great experience. We teach them again tonight.

tuesday the 23rd

today was an antigo day. We had lunch with Bonnie and Art Palmer. They're the best. Then we saw sister Bloechl. I love her. Then we visited Toby and then taught Joey and then visited the people we met tracting the week before. It was a long, good day and we topped it off by watching Scott Mehr's hockey game with Sister Mehr and Abram and his WHOLE FAMILY. it was AmAzing. Abram's mom accepted the invitation to have lessons in her home and said she has lots of questions for us! ExCiTinG! When we taught Joey today we taught him about he Armor of God from Ephesians 6:

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

I love LOVE lOVe the promises in those verses! We made armor and dressed him and his little brother, Mikey, up in it. It was a lot of fun. HIs older sister Theresa, who was just baptized a couple months ago helped and his mom taught with us! She is such a great teacher!

As for the HOckEy GaMe ... it was the championships, they lost... but they did so well and scott played AmAzing! He's a great goalie. It was a lot of fun to watch. SupEr INtEnSe!!!

wednesday the 24th

elder abe cut my hair. he did such a good job. it had been since August! well needed. i have lots of BODY lets just say that! It was an experience to let and ELDER cut my hair... not as bad as the time I let Jennifer cut my hair though!!! Remember that fiasco? haha good times. We had lunch at Hmong Style, a hmong restaurant, owned my members, in wausau with President Thompson. THEN... ELDER PERRY CAME TO VISIT OUR MISSION. HE WAS IN MILWAUKEE. [ive known he was coming for 6 weeks and for 6 weeks I worked on getting to milwaukee to see him in person. it just didn't happen. he requested all missionaries not travel, that sealed the deal! the assistants even called me tuesday to make sure i wasn't planning on driving down! so funny! like i'd REALLY do that! ok, maybe i would! :)] BUT they broadcasted it and it was AmAzing! I sat in the relief society room in the Wausau building with my little zone, all 18 of us, so tiny! It was wonderful to hear an apostle of the Lord speak to us! He spoke about the Restoration of the Priesthood! THAT MAKES US DIFFERENT was his main message! I loved it. Just like when elder Hafen came, he spoke on simple doctrince too! I learned so much. We went through the scriptures to see how the priesthood was given in the new testament times and then we talked about now. It was cool. He also told us our missions just keep going after we leave the field. He told us not to lose touch with our companions. I love ELDER PERRY! He reminded me again why i love being a missionary! The truth we know sets us free! We ended the night having dinner with our zone at Buffalo Wild Wings, a little ironic isn't it? Whatever! it worked. good food and i got to see elder love. he's the best! I see how he's grown so much since we were in the mtc. I hope people can say the same for me!

thursday the 25th

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHLOE! I love you! I thought about you ALL the DAY LONG! YOu are FOUR! that is NOT allowed!

we had to take our car in to be fixed from when sister behrends ran it into a ditch back in december. We felt carless and stranded in our apartment, but then sister kagie picked us up and we did some visits. We visited penny and mike who are both sick and won't accept meals being delivered. SO sister Kagie said, we'll use your food, make some meals and freeze them. I thought she was crazy. That was going to take FOREVER! In an hour we were out of there and we made spaghetti, a roast, porkchops, tuna noodle casserole, cherry chocolate cake, & sloppy joes. She's AMAZING. THey were very thankful.

WE had lunch with sister Kagie and I had a little taste of home: a taco salad! I miss mexican food! then we helped her clean moth balls out of her pantry and then we went home and sister bishop packed. I made dinner... jiffy blueberry muffins and some noodle stuff. such a typical missionary dinner. so funny. we took pictures.

THEN... PRESIDENT BARRETT CALLED AND ASKED IF I WOULD TRAIN A NEW MISSIONARY. of course i said YES! and he said, "I think you'll do a great job!" He is so great. I just love him. I am SO excited to get a greeny! How fun! i had the best trainor ever, i hope she'll be able to say the same! Elder Hallstrom of the 70 came and spoke with elder perry and said the position of a trainor is the MOST IMPORTANT position in the mission! NO PRESSURE! He read an amazing letter of a 65 year old man to his trainor 40 years after their missions... the jist of the letter was, "Dear Trainor, your dilligence and work ethic changed my whole life." no pressure, eh?

friday the 26th

Study. weekly planning. Sister Lowther picked us up, we picked our car up, they even washed it for us!!! and we taught Alyssa with her! WE had a great lesson.

We then taught Abram at the Mehrs. It was a wierd lesson. He wasn't in it. at all. We taught about the spirit. We've got to mix things up with him... a chapel lesson tour will work best i feel. He's not reading either. you can't gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon if you don't READ IT and PRAY ABOUT IT!!! Then we all went to "FRIDAY NIGHT FISH FRY" with the Mehr's. IT was the first week of Lent so it was SO BUSY. IT was so fun. SO expensive! I had fried Haddock! YUMMY! It was so good. I usually loathe fish... but that was good. i suppose i don't like the smell and I don't like the bones, this had neither! in wisconsin it's FISH FRY every friday. that's just what you do. Catholic or not. and it's not going to "a fish fry", its going to "fish fry". SO FUN, SO YUMMY! I love the Mehrs! It was fun to be with abram and scott too. They're hilarious. THey'll both be at BYU when I go back. I love them... they said they'll even be my friend there! haha I will need that.

saturday the 27th

study. tracting. we committed to get 100 invites again this week. so we embarked late in the week, again on saturday! We needed 70 more invites before sunday. . . We started in Three lakes, and then we nt to Eagle river and went on splits with brittany lindner and cassie nutter. We got double the invites and lessons WITH members that way! It was good. Cassie went to work and then we went with brittany to the ICE SCULPTURE.. a huge castle in eagle river. THey cut ice out of the lake and build it. so cool. Then we visited her friend morgan and her family. Brittany is a great missionary! We got quite a few invites ... then we went home, took a bunch of stuff to goodwill and made brownies. I went to bed at 9:30 ... I was SO tired! tracting drains you!

i don't want to hear...

I have my own church

I don't need another bible

We're already Christians

I'm already saved

... ANYMORE! oh, the things you learn while tracting!

Sunday the 28th

CHURCH. brian received the AARONIC PRIESTHOOD AND WAS ORDAINED TO THE OFFICE OF A PRIEST! so exciting! HE isn't thrilled about having to be up in front of people to prepare the sacrament... but he'll do it! He gets to come to the temple on saturday too! We spent FOREVER at the church so sister bishop could say goodbye and take pictures. We taught the sunday school lesson on TEMPLES. i showed a picture of the mesa temple and my family and talked about how we were sealed. IT was a great lesson! Martha, Brian and AJ were there!!! All three going to the temple for the first time on saturday! We finished tracting and found SO MANY good potentials! We have 4 return appointments! I know it is because we prayed with faith, knowing people are prepared... we had a better attitude this time!

I love my calling. i love this mission, the WMM! i love rhinelander. i love sister bishop. [i am very sad she's leaving. she's so fun]

I am excited to train. I am Sad this is my last transfer. I love seeing shanty's covering the BAJILLION lakes around here... I saw a WHALE shanty the other day! I love seeing bars and churches quite literally on every corner... this is a great place... so prepared for the message we share!!

I love you all!

Love, sister pamella jo black

Happy Pday Morning!

Good Monday Morning!!!! Is sprin here yet? I am so READY for GREEN GRASS... the kind I saw on Brittany's blog!!!!

Just a precursor... mom and dad... THANK YOU for my Vday Package. I loved it. That was a great little surprise!

Here's the RUN-DOWN!

[lunes] pday! President's day! BUT... the library was still open. Happy Day. The things you appreciate as a missionary... :) I made sure to give president barrett a shout out for the holiday... haha

[martes] district meeting. Elder Ferris, our disrict leader, put our transfer goals on the chalkboard and our actuals underneath... and it was apparent we were lacking in invites [def: anytime you invite someone to come closer to Christ usually by means of street contacting, talking to someone in line at the grocery store, tracting, etc.] We decided in order to meet our goal each companionship in our district needed to get 100 invites for the next two weeks left in the transfer. We all agreed. That's 14 a day. so doable! those elders better keep up... i know we will. We had lunch at subway with President Thomspon. I love him. We contacted a referral in Tomahawk and then taught Alyssa. We met Cindy. That went really well, we'll be teaching her after her trip to SLC. We then met Brianne and went to Minocqua for Scott Mehr's Hockey. IT was the Playoffs... they won! It was really fun. Abram and his dad were there... so was sister mehr's mom and brother. It was a good missionary opportunity and a LOT of FUN!

[miercoles] we volunteered at the food pantry, sorted food and I fixed Frank's phone. We taught Abram in Minocqua. He's scared to committ to baptism now. He says he's "selfish". Then again he keeps saying things like, "At my baptism..." We gave him a tour of the font tonight at mutual... he's not so scared of that now. I love Abram and Scott. We learned infant and adult CPR.

[jueves] we did weekly planning. We met Sam at the Belts and went and taught Alyssa... we taught her the Armor of God. We made Armor out of tinfoil. It worked quite nicely. She loved it... Ephesians 6:11-20. very cool. We had dinner with the Belts and then taught Brian. He's doing great.

[viernes] We went to Antigo and attended the funeral of Terry Woods, a member in the Antigo Branch. It was a wonderful service celebrating his life. We then helped at the luncheon at the church and then went TRACTING to get our 100 invites. We had dinner at Culver's and then visited with the Gatton family. That was a lot of fun. We stayed the night at the Bloechl's.

[sabado] Still in antigo. study. TRACTING. we had dinner at the Bloechl's and played Heroscape with them. I rock at that game. It's a good mix of Risk and some kind of Pokemon thing. wierd but fun.

[domingo] We spoke in church in Antigo. THe spirit was so strong. I spoke on being a missionary to members just as much as non-members. It went well. I told the story of my family... our journey to be sealed in the temple. I even cried... i hardly EVER cry on my mission. wierd. but SO good and powerful. If it wasn't for the WARD MEMBERS who helped our little family along, we wouldn't have made it... it was great to testify of that. I prayed I could be bold and direct. I was, Antigo has 100 less active members, it went well.

We taught seminary afterwards and Joey too, then we went with the Heinz' to visit the Connors. Two great families, i got to hear both their stories. very cool. then we came back to Rhinelander and went TRACTING. Then we taught aj and vicki and visited with tony.

We got 100 invites people. It was amAzing. we talked to the elders, they did not. I might hurt them. I will keep you posted! :) They better make up for it this week. I mean it! We didn't do all that tracting so they could slack, punks!

We recite this in every missionary meeting: [we call it the Standard of Truth, The Prophet Joseph Smith stated this...]

The standard of Truth has been erected, no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing. Persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble and calmuny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth Nobly, Boldly and Independently, til it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear. Til the purposes of God have been accomplished and the Great Jehova says, Amen.

I've felt this as I was tracting so much this week. I strived to be the kinds of missionary that left EVERY person with the agency to ACT in ONE way or the OTHER... it was good for my testimony. I love the Standard of Truth. There is SO much power when we recite it!!!

I love my calling!

I love each of you!

Love, Sister Pamella Jo Black

Da HODEG...

Yes my friends that would be how we say "THE HODAG" here in Rhinelander... we're so close to the UP that we talk a little different! i love it.

This week I have felt the spirit so strongly. The Lord is really blessing us here. You'll see why...

Monday february 8th

pday. the usual: email, post office, wal-mart and then...

THE DENTIST ... AGAIN! this time i went to brother demill in Merrill, wi. He serves on the high council here in the stake. he was SO GOOD to me... i hate teeth problems and I am seeming to have to many of them lately... well the only problem was that my teeth were too high in the back where i had fillings put in a month or so ago... so he just sanded them down and sent me on my merry little way and ever since I have been fine. I just can't believe that was the only problem... i thought for sure i was going to have to get a root canal. BUT when you've been biting down too hard for a month on teeth that are too tall... it's not a good situation! so i am all good now! don't worry about me!

we ended the night with dinner at bishop lindner's and then we taught brian! we planned his baptism! He's very excited.

it was a good day.

Tuesday february 9th

we had district meeting. it was my first real d.meeting in this district. they are crazy, a bunch of YOUNG missionaries... they helped me remember how much older I feel than them!... because I am OLD compared to them, it's so apparent too. President Thompson, the branch president in antigo met us for lunch at subway then we had to rush to antigo for an appt with joey and theresa. Theresa was baptized with s.behrends here about 2 months ago, and joey had a date in february. We reset Joey's date for March 20th and talked with his mom about the importance of coming to church and helping him stay on top of all his commitments. Joey is 10 so we need her help, she knows it, it's just hard when she juggles so much!

Today is also the day I found out that there is MSG in Campbells SOUP! NO WONDER I ALWAYS GET SICK WHEN I EAT THAT STUFF... I HAD NO IDEA. There is MSG in most canned soups. I can name at least 5 different experiences in the last 10 years where i was ill and ate that stuff and got REALLY sick... efy, on my mission, in college... goodness! It just took the shine right off that stuff for me! childhood favorite DESTROYED... i even used to have a campbells soup thermos, so cool...

Wednesday february 10th

We volunteered at the food pantry, sorting food. Then we taught Abram at Scotts. Abram is so AmAzing. SO is scott. I have so much fun with them. I love the age they're at, still in HS, but realizing that they're about to hit the real world. They both have plans to go to BYU... this fall when I do. SO WIERD. I told them i know i will be the OLD lady, but that they will just HAVE to be my friend. they consented. Abram is so cool. We have a date set with him for february 27th. But i don't think he really understands that too much. SO we will probably move it back a little. We taught him about the Plan of Salvation. He asked lots of questions and really loved it. He said it just made sense! We get that a lot... it should make sense... we knew this before this life.... we were advocates for THE PLAN!

We had lunch at culvers and then headed back to Rhinelander [the mehrs live in minocqua] in time for YW in Excellence. Alyssa gave a talk on Self-Worth. It was AmAzing. She talked about how she never knew she was worth anything until she started learning about the gospel. man, that kills me! The gospel really does change lives. She said in her talk, "I am living proof that people can change physically, spiritually and emotionally." The YW all sang "Walk Tall, You're a Daughter of God" a capella and sounded great. I love this ward.

DEER are everywhere here in the rural NOrtHwOoDs! We see them crossing the street ALL the time! or just laying in the woods, seriously. its amazing. i love it. i just don't want to hit one. we drive real careful thru any woodsy area. don't worry!

Today I FINALLY GOT A LETTER FROM ROCKY! IT WAS 2 PAGES. He is going to be a great missionary! But I can see I will get 1 letter from him for every 7 i send... ugh.

ALSO... I got what missionaries call my "TRUNKY CALL" in the mail today. It almost made me sick.... it was a wierd feeling of excitement and dread! It's like the opposite of your mission call... a big white envelope in the mailbox with your flight plans and instructions on what to do as you prepare to go home and a talk by President Monson called "Finishers Wanted", talking about finishing with GuStO! President Barrett also sends out a letter to all the missionaries, but at the bottom of mine he wrote in ink, "Baptize a couple of families if you expect to be released from Rhinelander" with a smiley face next to it. Have I mentioned enough how much i love that man? In my interview last week as I walked in to the high council room he pointed me to the 2nd coming picture of Christ descending from the clouds with all the angels and asked "Why is it that all angels appear to be female?" It was cute. I assured him i saw at least one more manlier angel in the back! :)

We also took a few pics in the snow in minocqua today! The snow was SO DEEP... I got a little panicked when I stepped off a log and sunk it to my thighs... i couldn't move. it was scary. i won't be doin' that again! I even saw an ice shanty shaped like a HUGE whale today. it was cool... it's all so new to me- this snow sport stuff!!!

Bro. Santa Cruz from the Adams-Friendship Ward sent me the picture he drew of me today too. It was nice. I will send that home soon. I didn't expect him to do one for me since i was only there 3 weeks, but he did. such a cool guy.

Thursday february 11th

We taught Andra at 10. She is so close, but doesn't have a whole-hearted desire to change... we can't get the blessings without making the sacrifice in this life!!!

We had lunch and did some planning and then met Alyssa at her house to teach her. We had a whole lesson planned, but when we got there other needs arose, so we changed our plans! I love teaching with sister bishop... she's a seasoned missionary and can just go with the flow and pay attention to needs and change plans on a whim, we both did it without ever talking about it, it just happened... that's teaching with the spirit i tell you! Alyssa had a whole table full of snacks out for us. It was nice. I just love her. I here stories about Alyssa a year or two ago and I just can't even believe them. SHe was in an institution at one point. She is AmAzing. We ended up going over all the baptismal interview questions and then setting a date with her for March 20th! She is so excited, ECSTATIC if you will.... i just love that little girl. We have some things to work on, repentance and forgiveness... but I know she will be ready. She knows the qualifications and is working hard, she never knew it could happen this soon.

To end the night we had a "Relief Society Meeting" as we have now been taught to call them. We just had dinner: soup and salad. It was good. I made the mistake of asking the women about the holes in the ice when someone gets done ice-fishing. It's so fascinating to me... i wanted to know HOW them cover them up so "ski- doos" don't fall in. [a ski-doo is a jet-ski, my first mistake! i meant to say snowmobile!] anyways they told me they make different size covers like 8", 10" and 12" like pizzas and then they said you just slide the ice you cut out right back over it ect ect... they LIED to me for like 15 minutes!!! haha then they told me the truth, it just freezes back by itself! They had a lot of fun with that, they couldn't believe I could be so naive... i told them... i am from PHOENIX..... the only things we have that look like ICE SHANTY'S there are port-a-potties! they laughed.

Friday february 12th

We studied. did weekly planning. then we taught abram about the Liahona. It was a great lesson. He really soaks in what we say. He's been doing his own reading too. After the lesson I got talking with sister mehr. I was telling her what a great son she has and then somehow we got on the subject of her dad who just passed away last week, we were both BAWLING! a good cry though, a "i'm soo grateful for the gospel" cry. I have met some high quality people on my mission. She is a great example to me.

AMY BROWN came to visit me today. Yes she drove 4 hours to Rhinelander from GB and got a hotel room and came teaching with us. We started our night having culvers with her... like old times! Then she came with us to teach Brian and to teach Samantha after that. I am AMAZED at how much Amy has learned since I left GB in May... she knows her scriptures SO well... She just gets it... she always has, but now more so than before. She was in the RS presidency and now she's a RS teacher. I love amy brown. She was so good for brian and sam too... a recent convert who is a ysa who lives the gospel... it doesn't get much better than that for a good example for them!

Teaching sam was so good. SAM is such an example of someone who truly has become a "new creature in Christ". SO is Brian and so is Alyssa. I know I came to Rhinelander to meet them! WE talked about how great blessings will come to sam because she introduced brian to the gospel and then stuck to her guns to live the standards. At first he didn't care about church after him and sam broke up [lets just say they didn't have the most righteous relationship] ... but then he noticed he wasn't as happy. So he began to investigate again. . . that was just a little before i came. the sisters taught him the first lesson, committed him to baptism and then i came and taught him his second lesson. it was great to be so much apart of his teaching, i love brian. i love sam and I am so grateful for the decisions each of them have made to respect themselves and each other and rise to higher ground!

PResident Barrett returned our call today ... we called him yesterday to tell him we set a date with alyssa. He was happy with March 20th, he said that gave her plenty of time "to prove herself". He told me I should be seeing all the reasons I needed to come to Rhinelander about now!!! He also said I have 3 words for you, " HI MINUS TWO!" Its so cold here! haha I told him We have WARM HEARTS and COLD HANDS! he laughed.

Saturday february 13th

BRIAN'S BAPTISM DAY!

we taught vicki at 11... she is amazing, president barrett told me from the very beginning to come here and "baptize tony!" well that's her husband and he's not even investigating yet... so we're working on it! she was just baptized a few months ago. She is strong, seems as though she's been a member forever!

We picked up the font keys from the Lowther's and then went to the church, filled the font and set up our church tour.

We took a break to get Taco Bell for lunch and take pictures at the big HODAG with AmY. That was fun, i love her like a sister!

THe baptism began at 3:30 and all went as planned. Brian invited his parents and his sister. He also brought his daughter, Skylar, she's is AdOrAble! AND he invited his best friend from high school. He came with his wife and daughter too! We had a full house! Bishop's welcome to the ward made me cry! He is such a good bishop and told brian he could see the change in his eyes... at this point skylar went running out to the hall with the ntbk i had given her to color in shouting "BYE!" We all laughed, I think Brian's parents were a little unnerved until bishop said, "Don't worry! We are all quite accustomed to Skylar!" we all laughed again and you could see his parents relax. THey couldn't come early so afterwards we went on a tour of the building and went to each and every room and explained what it was, who met in there and what was taught there... intertwining doctrines of the restoration like PROPHETS and TEMPLES and such. We asked questions and the spirit was strong. We plan to follow up on that this week. Bishop told us we did a great job, i love him. Amy was at the baptism, and during the time when Brian was changing out of his wet clothes we watched the mission testimony dvd. Amy was on there! it was so cool to sit next to her during that. I love amy! I felt the spirit very strong during brians baptism.

we ended the night going to a party at the Belt's that sam's sister was putting on. It was fun. Bro. Belt was in the basement reloading bullets... i told him my job used to be to pull the lever! he laughed.

Sunday february 14th

HApPy VaLenTiNe'S DaY!

We had church in Rhinelander! Brian was Confirmed and received a great blessing from bishop! He was blessed to find an eternal companion, to raise a righteous family and to be a leader in his circle of influence to bring others to the gospel... WONDERFUL! HIs mom came to the confirmation. Abram was at church too!!! He asked us to sit by him, so cute! Sister Mehr said that in Priesthood Abram said the closing prayer because Scott called on him! [SO GOOD! i love those two boys, they remind me of my brother... he'll always be a senior in HS to me, that's how i left him!] ...so he did and he felt like he did a good job too! AmAzing! Scott informed me we need to explain the sacrament to Abram... so we will this week, we'll do chapel lesson tour with him.

We came home from church, had lunch and went tracting! a good day of LOVE!

I love my calling. i love this work! I am excited to have a few more "brian-like" experiences here in the coming weeks! that is MY PURPOSE ...

at every missionary meeting we stand and recite

MY PURPOSE as a missionary is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them received the restored gospel thru FAITH in Jesus Christ and his atonement, REPENTANCE, BAPTISM, receiving the Gift of the HOLY GHOST and ENDURING to the END!

I love my purpose!

I love all of you!

Keep all the mail coming.. i got twelve pieces this past week... it was an all time record! :)

Love, Sister Pamella Jo Black

HOW COLD IS IT?

Hello! Life here in Rhinelander is going great as ever. just cold.
and we're getting a TON Of SNOW lately. a ton!

My dad asked me in an email today about the weather and if I was adjusting better this winter than last winter. I just laughed when I read that because I was thinking about that this morning as I took the trash out to the road at about 8:30a.My hair was wet from just taking a shower, I had my PJs on still, which included a short sleeve shirt and I threw on my boots. As I trudged outside thru the snow to the street with the trash can I could feel my hair freeze. Sure enough, as I touched it, it was super crunchy … and FROZEN … after only about 2 minutes outside, not even two minutes! It had been snowing all night and all this morning. It was at that moment I knew… I have adjusted! I can go outside and not DIE of the cold! So funny. Today I am sending Rocky a little package with hand and foot warmers in it… he’ll want those. I lived and died by those things last winter… this winter I haven’t touched them. Don’t think I’ve gotten all tough or anything, I am still a wimp, I just talk about it less. For me, that means something!

Monday feb 1

We emailed at the library. Then taught Abram. He is so amazing. He is 17 and a friend of Scott Mehr. I love those two kids. They’re hilarious. They are such good kids and scott is a great example of living the gospel, Abram looks to him as an example. They’re just cool, and they don’t even know it! We taught him the restoration. He had SO many questions, which we loved. As we taught him about prayer he said, “Even though I am not a member of your church, God will still answer my prayers?” OF COURSE! It was so AmAzing to teach him such simple truths and to feel the spirit testify so powerfully of their reality. It was amazing. We committed him to baptism February 27th. We can’t wait to meet his family. Scott said Abram’s mom is interested in the Book of Mormon too… I just have had the strongest feeling that we need to meet his whole family. Hopefully that will happen soon.

We visited some other less-active homes and then taught Brian. We did a chapel-lesson tour in the church building with Bishop Linder. It was amazing. Bishop testified so powerfully of the reality of a living prophet, of the power of the priesthood and of the strength the Book of Mormon brings when one reads it daily! I was so happy with our lesson. We went over all the baptismal interview questions, he’s good to go! We called President Barrett and he wanted to chat with Brian for a bit before the interview, he called us back and said their talk went well and that he is so happy for Brian and the changes he made in his life to be prepared for baptism. I feel the spirit so strong when we teach Brian. It’s amazing.

Today we went to the Post Office and I was amazed at how nice they all are. I love the Midwest! There are such nice, good people here. They held the doors for us, the workers were FRIENDLY! People say hello goodbye please and thank-you. It’s amazing.

Ps I use that word a lot. I know. I am just in an AmAzing time. Ok?

Tuesday feb 2

We taught Andra at 10. She is so close to being ready to commit to baptism. We try every appt, but she won’t yet. She told us today that she knows that this is the church she needs to be baptized into. She has searched for many years and has finally found it. She has the strongest testimony of Joseph Smith and of the Book of Mormon. The members love her. Even though her daughter was offended, she knows the gospel is true and people aren’t perfect. I am telling you, she is SO ready. She needs to obey the W.O.W. and we’re game. Someday ask me my opinion of cigarettes and coffee… I HATE THEM… they hold so many people back! One of satan’s biggest tools! A lady in antigo, Bonnie [she is so much like grandma black it’s not even funny. I love going to her house] loved coffee and it was hard to give it up. She found great replacements at the health food store that she likes, and the replacements have HEALTH BENEFITS! Here we go again… AMAZING. She likes Caffex. It smells so good, she gave me some to try.

Wednesday feb 3

Today we had district meeting and interviews with President and Sister Barrett. I love them. I had three questions for President Barrett, I told him I would ask him two and then the third I’d ask AFTER the prayer because it wasn’t important! He laughed and said if it’s important to me then it is important to him… sweet man. I asked him How we should split our time between Rhinelander and Antigo [he said go where the work is, could be 50/50, could be 70/30!] right now we just have lots more going on in Rhinelander, but that could change, and if it does, we’ll re-split our time. Then I asked him if he thought it was possible for me to see the promise in the new standard of excellence fulfilled. . . Could I really see a family baptized in 2010… even if I leave in the 4th month of the year? He said, OF COURSE! I was happy to hear that, we talked about how we needed to find and complete families as well… that I don’t need to look far. As we expand our circle we could find a family through the investigators we already have. He told me he was proud of me and the work I was doing in Rhinelander and that God trusted me with His children here. After we said a closing prayer, I asked him if we could go down to Milwaukee in a few weeks when elder Perry comes, he laughed and said he’s working on it and he would love to have us come… remember, everyone in the mission minus the Wausau zone [my zone] and the green bay zone were invited. Elder perry doesn’t want anyone to die on their way to see him speak because we all live so far out, that’s a legit concern, but I am willing to take a risk! Haha we shall see, I am staying on top of it!!!

I LOVE PRESIDENT BARRETT [he’s the man that told elder smith the way he stays awake in really boring meetings is to stab a pen in to his thumb… ha! Ouch. Must be boring! And once sister barrett told me how particular he is about his hair… he only likes LA LOOKS PARTY HARD GEL because it makes it all stay, she says he’s picky! Haha I love that!]…

here is the email he sent me today:

Makes me smile when I think of Sister Black in Rhinelander and the marvelous work and a wonder you are doing up there.

Best to Brian this week. Get his family there an hour before for a building lesson tour.

…

That was it! Two lines! I love him. I have a great mission president and his wife is equally as wonderful!

Anyways, I interviewed with Sister Barrett too, which is always just much more of girl talk… shoes, clothes, how’s your companion … etc!

Which, while I am at it: I LOVE SISTER BISHOP. She is a great companion. One of my favorites, all we do is laugh and have a good time together. It’s the best. It’s like we’re having a sleepover in the woods, camping if you will, every single night! 

We finished up with interviews, had lunch at fazolis, ran to target so I could get some sunglasses because they have a target here!!! And then headed back to Rhinelander. We taught Alyssa, I feel the spirit more strongly when we teach Alyssa than anyone I’ve ever taught. She is 18 and nothing short of amazing. She has had a really REALLY rough life, and she is just now learning to deal with all of it! She is absolutely amazing. She is on parol and so we didn’t think she was baptized, president barrett looked her up and said it is possible, as soon as we feel she’s fully repented we can set a date and she can be baptized! SO EXCITING! We talked about the tree of life in 1 Nephi chapter 8. She showed us the picture she drew of it and she interpreted to us what each thing meant. I am telling you, this girl is bright. We then went in and helped in Young Women’s. It was fun.

Thursday feb 4

Study. Plan. Take our Car [and by car I mean truck, chevy Colorado that is] to be fixed: brake lights and cruise control went out. They called us and said they’d be keeping it overnight, so we got a ride with the Lindner’s to Brians. Brian is so excited for his baptism. We re-taught him the Plan of Salvation. That is my most favorite thing to teach… God has a plan for each and every one of his children. It’s amazing to see investigators internalize all that is being taught, he got it! It made a lot of sense to him especially when we talked about his 2 year old daughter Skylar… of course she came from the Presence of God!

Friday feb 5

Sister Kagie took us to visit Andra… she was sick and watching the twins, so we tried to go over the gospel of Jesus Christ, but I am pretty sure it didn’t take… she was WAY too distracted. Her twin granddaughters woke up early from their naps, their 11 mos old. Cute, but a handful or two! We then drove FOREVER with sister lowther to Phillips… we saw sister houlebeck [invited her to come back to church and quit drinking coffee] and then had dinner with sister o’brien. It was fun. Sister o’brien drives an hour and a half in to church every Sunday and Wednesday for church and mutual. That’s commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We came back to Rhinelander for Brian to have his interview at the church building with elder ferris, our district leader. They had to drive up from Marshfield, 2 hours… long drive. They were in there a while, but all went well… THE BAPTISM IS A FOR SURE! E. Ferris said Brian is “SO COOL”. Ha… that is not something we weren’t aware of. He knows the doctrine and understands the commitment he is making so well! I love teaching people like Brian. Brianne picked us up at the church and we went and had “date night” with Sam. It was fun. We talked about how she will be getting her Patriarchal Blessing this Sunday! So exciting. Sam was just baptized last December. And Brianne is living with the Bishop, her family comes up every summer because they have a cabin here. She is my age and from PAYSON AZ!!!

Saturday feb 6

I was sick as a dog. SICK. Head ACHE! We took the shuttle and got our truck back. On the shuttle the radio was on and the guy said Baltimore Maryland got 28 inches of snow! Wow… I am sure they’ve gotten much more since then. Rocky is in for a surprise!!! We got our truck, I got some Excedrin Tension Headache at the Walgreens and I went home and slept… ALL DAY. That night we taught Alyssa at Dairy Queen! I say all these different groups there: a boyfriend and girlfriend, a group of high school girls, a family and then us with our LOUD investigator Alyssa. She walked in and from across the restaurant yelled, “SORRY I AM LATE I WAS ABDUCTED!” haha she meant she was walking to dq and her friends gave her a ride. We both just laughed though, everyone was STARING AT US! I thought, man I only have a few more months to be a missionary and be teaching at dq. Then I will slip back in to real life and be part of any one of those groups there… I AM LIVING THE LIFE RIGHT NOW! We taught Alyssa about repentance and told her that baptism doesn’t have to be a year away after her parol. She was so excited. I can’t wait til we set a date!

Sunday feb 7

We went to church in Antigo. Met with President Thompson [he’s the coolest]. Drove all over the country to visit referrals, members and less actives we never have time to see… and then ended with having dinner with Bonnie Palmer. I love her. She is so sweet, so willing to do anything for us, so warm. She is just like grandma! She made us chimichangas and cake. YUM! Her husband, Art, was watching the superbowl. GO COLTS! We stopped by the Bloechls [who we stay with in Antigo] and they were having a SB party. WE got there at half-time… cheered! GO COLTS! That’s who they were rooting for too, met all their non-member family and left.

Colts lost. Sad day. I only cheered for them bc dad said to!


I love my calling! I love being a missionary! I love you! Write Rocky. Write me.

Love, Sister Pamella Jo Black

It's GO time!!!

Hello there family! How are you all? Are you enjoying the AZ sun? Ya… the norm here is anything below 0*…. Fun! BUT… this year I have learned how to dress… it’s amazing what that will do for you! Elder Stevens lectured me a few months back about how wearing 4 pairs of socks does nothing, it just makes your feet sweat and then you go outside and it makes you COLDER… after being grossed and trying to convince him that MY FEET DON’T SWEAT I made a silent pledge to try the “less is more theory” this winter! Lo and behold… he was right! My feet are so warm and snuggly in my boots with just my tights, sometimes I do tights and wool socks on really cold days and my problems are SOLVED. AmAZing!

This week has been really prosperous! I feel like I am getting a little hold on this area. Here’s the scoop:

Monday January 25th

PDAY… it has been a LONG time since I have had such a chill pday! We just emailed, went to the grocery store and hung out at home … AMAZING! I wrote lots of letters and I even took a nap! It was glorious. We had FHE with Rebecca, her 3 daughter and her mom Andra and finished up our night with Tess Brunner. It was a good day. In the evening I got to call Tiffany Baumstark and Lupita to say bye… it was really nice. I love them. I will miss them greatly. Tiffany is so wonderful, I can’t wait until the sisters get in to teach her family. They are so prepared. Lupita wanted to move the day she went to the temple to do baptisms so I could be there! I told her NO WAY! It was cute though… we have a baptism here that day. I just can’t make it… it stinks!

Tuesday January 26th

We went to ANTIGO… we serve in that branch as well… We work all over this area. It is known to everyone as THE NORTHWOODS… it’s fun up here. It’s snowmobile country! I want to do that when I am not a missionary. It looks SO FUN! All you see around here are snowmobile trails and at night you can here the buzz of their motors all over the place, they have the cutest little stop signs!!!!… we taught TOBY [she is LA and has started to come back. She is a single mom with two young children. I admire her… she is a strong lady] and JOEY [he is 10 and has a baptismal date… cute SMART kid]. We then came back to Rhinelander and taught AJ… he was just baptized a few weeks ago. He’s 25 and has a burning testimony. His mom was baptized as well.

Sister Johnson called me tonight! Marka is PREGNANT… AND her and caleb are getting married in june after the baby is born… then she can be BAPTIZED! AND the elders set a date with NORMAN in RACINE and HEIDI was at church with AARON, so his baptism is still on! YIPPEE I love good news like that!

Wednesday January 27th

ZONE CONFERENCE with just the Wausau zone. All of 18 missionaries were here… the good thing was it was here in RHINELANDER so we didn’t have to drive far at all.
I saw elder peckham! He served in Sturgeon Bay [that was his only area!!!] for over 6 months [he was just a visa waiter, but his visa for India never came, so he’s here for good now!] and he was SO pumped to see me! He said he felt the same way when he saw sister warner the day before! He said he LOVED the way we kept up that area book! It felt good to hear that that was helpful! We didn’t do much in that area, green Bay was pretty demanding, but we did keep up the area book! They reactivated SO many people and had a baptism!

I was able to tell elder Villanueva all the good things I love about Rhinelander! It was a good long list. I love him! He’s one of my most favorite assistants, I love his comp elder carter too… they are so involved in our work and I can tell they love the missionaries they serve. He told me that that challenge helped him to think about WHY he loved his area too. We had a good talk. I love missionaries!

We got a new standard of excellence. It is one sentence long. Just like the LORDS STANDARD in MOSES 1:39. check it out. Ours is “10 in 2010: With enduring love for Jesus Christ, the power of the spirit and faith to follow the prophet and unite with local leaders my companion and I commit to find, teach and baptize one of God’s children every transfer and 1 family in 2010” That’s 10 people a week for every zone! It’s so exciting! I have faith that though my time is short… if I work hard I can accomplish that as well! That means two people baptized and a family baptized before I leave! This work is SO exciting! It’s GO TIME!

We talked about how our calling gives us AUTHORITY but keeping our covenants gives us POWER. . . this work thrives on those two things!

We talked about being bold… I reminded them “DON’T BE A SALLY!” and to have FAITH to go and do … FAITH to invite to be baptized … FAITH to plan … AND FAITH to plan!

We talked about expanding the circle of our investigators … Sister Barrett taught us about doing the work of the restoration… WE are RESTORING truth to those we teach and REMINDING them of who they were before this life! I love that! President taught us to be meek and lowly of heart and to PLEAD for help. He told us we have our companion, other missionaries, the spirit and the LORD to help us. WE ARE NOT ALONE. He talked about all the people who went on missions NOT of their choosing… abinidi… the savior… He said we are where we are because the LORD needs us HERE! I guess many missionaries are still struggling with transfers. That’s rough! I am so glad that was just a day or two spell! He laughed at me, that I was so happy. He must think I am SUCH a GIRL! Ha.

After zone conference We taught Alyssa at the church and then had dinner with Brian and President and Sister Barrett. Brian will be baptized Feb 13th. He is AMAZING! It was a good dinner!

Thursday January 28th
We studied. We planned. We taught Mike at DQ. We went to the SOUP THROW-DOWN in 3 lakes at the high school, it was good soup. Sister heidi lindner entered her soup. WE met a FAMILY there that the LInders daughter, Brittany, knows. They are so prepared! They just moved here, are looking for a church…  … They have been to SLC for a steven covey seminar… They’re going to Wausau on Saturday for a “Modest Prom DRESS fashion show” with the linders at the stake center. It should be good. They have 3 children. I am excited to teach them.

Sister warner called me tonight and said in the Madison Zone conference President Barrett gave me a shout out! He told the whole zone how I did not want to come to Rhinelander… but now I love it. Goodness, at least I can be a good example of a CHANGE OF HEART? I emailed him today and told him thanks for the shout out!

Friday January 29th

We taught Andra. We taught ABRAM. He is SWEET. He’s a friend of Scott Mehr’s and is SO prepared. He had lots of questions, we gave him a BOM, answered his questions and invited him to take the lessons. We meet with him next week. Scott is amazing .the only active young man his age.. he said here in Rhinelander they call it “YOUNG MAN’S” … it’s tough… but he has a good attitude. He’s a great example to Abram. We had Martha for Dinner and then taught Brian again. HE’s SO AMAZING. We taught the 10 commandments, the LAW of CHASTITY and Keeping the Sabbath day holy. He is going to live all of them!

Today I studied PMG page 156. There is a line that says, “Wherever you are called to serve, remember the Lord has “suffered you to come unto this place; for thus it was expedient in [Him] for the salvation of souls.” How AmAzing is that? If I still had a battitude about Rhinelander, that would have changed it. It helped me to be excited to FIND those who need the gospel here in RHINELANDER. Heidi Linder also helps me to remember that as missionaries we are Called of God by a PROPHET… We are literal REPRESENTATIVE of Jesus Christ to do HIS work. She says that all the time. It’s a good reminder. There is power in those statements! I love my CALLING! I love LOVE lOvE being SISTER BLACK a full time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. My life is good!

Saturday January 30th

We went to ANTIGO again. We visited Mike Barnes and Coleman. We went to the church and planned. We had BONNIE for dinner. She is AmAzing. I love her . Such a cool lady and she reminds me SO MUCH of Grandma Black, so that’s doubly good for her! We stayed the night at the Bloechls. I love their family. They have 2 young girls. It’s a fun place to stay. We helped sister Bloechl with her essay she had to turn in for online school! She is still learning all the ins and outs, I felt so computer savvy, I really am not though! That’s britts job!

The SNOW SPARKLES here it’s so cold! It’s like GLITTER! It’s AmAzing and BLINDING all at the same time! I left my facewash in the car accidentally over night… it FROZE solid… so did my “CHEWY” granola bar and my WATER BOTTLE and our LOAF of BREAD [I was starving on our way to church, remembered we had that really good loaf of cottage bread, I reached for it and it was like a BRICK… I was so mad!] CRAZY… this is all so NEW to me! THAT NEVER HAPPENS IN PHX.

Sunday January 31st

We had Church at 9:30… then a potluck afterwards. I love the Antigo Branch. There are black’s in the branch. Brother Black is in the branch presidency and he gave a talk. President Thompson calls HER OLD sister black… I told him she wouldn’t like that… she didn’t. he said it anyways! There was a 5th Sunday potluck afterwards. Then we met with the branch mission leader and president Thompson. I went to ask the ward clerk to print me some lists and he said, “I read a letter about you, they said you’re the ENERGIZER BUNNY!” Ha, I think that was the same letter President Thompson said he got from P. Barrett. Apparently they send all leadership a letter when they get new missionaries. He said, “You don’t want to see what he wrote in ink on the bottom!” He never did tell me, but I am sure It’s something about being feisty or spunky or something… goodness! I laughed though… ENERGIZER BUNNY? Ha, I just like to be busy!

We made some visits and had dinner at the Peters… she is a REKOW! I love the Gresham REKOWS! That is sister Bartell’s mom! Sister Rekow is the CHICKEN FEET queen and houses the elders there. I’ve heard so many good stories from Grandma Rekow herself, the elders and sister Bartell about life on the REKOW farm! Sister Bartell is the BEST and her and her neice, Lindsey rekow [sister peters sister] are in the GB 1st ward! SMALL WORLD! I love being a sister missionary!!!! They made us HOMEADE PIZZA! It was so yummy. They live in a cool house that looks like a barn! They have 5 kids… such a great family! They must be if they’re REKOW related!

The moon WAS SO CLOSE, SO ORANGE and SO BRIGHT TONIGHT! It reflected off the snow like the sunset does on the beach. It was beautiful. We drive about 2100 miles every month, so I get to see LOTS Of COUNTRY! It’s great here… did I mention we drive a four door 4x4 toyota truck. I feel like a country girl!

I love all of you! WRITE ME! Be good.

Love, Sister Pamella JO Black

The Church is True in Rhinelander Too!

The church is true in Rhinelander too!... my mom informed me of that!haha

GREETINGS FROM RHINELANDER!

I just wrote you all a novel email on Saturday… I am not sure if I am up for another… but I need to be. SO here it goes!

Brittany informed me these emails are too long. This is the last long email ... sister Bishop is applying to school so I have had some extra time. I have just had a lot to say/ catch up on!

This has been a week of adventures… Here and there and EVerYwHEre!

Here are the happenings of this CrAzY week:

Sunday the 17th:

I know I talked about this day in my last email, but I forgot to mention that after church we started the rounds of saying goodbye. I don’t really enjoy that, but the members would be so mad if we didn’t stop by, plus I really wanted to take a picture with them! We had dinner at the Costabiles and brother Costabile stuck around for the lesson afterward! It was AmAzing. She has been a member for 19 years and he’s just stubborn! Everyone is convinced that he’ll be the next bishop as soon as he’s baptized! He is Italian and made us the BEST lasagna ever. He invited all the Racine missionaries, so there were 7 of us: a small army and there were still leftovers! Elder Smith taught the lesson. He is such a good teacher. I learn a lot from him. We then went with elder stribling and elder zobell to say bye to the hancock’s and to the furners. I love both of those families SO much. It feels like elder stribling and I have always served here, did I have other areas of my mission? =) They didn’t like saying bye to us either. I love the Hancock’s, they’re young and from utah out here for his job. She just told us she is 6 mos pregnant… you can’t even tell! They’re kids Rowen and Ruby are adorable. And the Furner’s are AmAzing too. I am going to miss Mary Furner… she is about my age and I just love her! The sisters need to take her out on splits more. Good people.

Monday the 18th:

Preparation Day! It was Martin Luther King Jr Day so we couldn’t email… everything was CLOSED. Which, was kind of annoying, but kind of nice because it was my last pday in racine so it made it so I had a lot more time! At about noon we went to Denny’s with the elders. I should have been packing all that morning… but I had no desire, so I just did other random things that I had been needing to do! After lunch, I had breakfast!, we went to the Racine zoo. I had never been there all my time in Racine, except once at Halloween and it was so dang cold by the time we were done passing out candy I was so ready to be out of there. Today it was pretty warm, lots of snow on the ground, but not too unbearable! We were the only ones there, the elders volunteer there so we got in free… otherwise I think we would have had to pay a dollar. That zoo used to be the only free zoo in the country. ANYways, we saw the monkeys and the lion and the tiger and the BEAR! The tiger and Canadian lynx were totally playing with the elders! … Like they would run back and forth and so would the lynx or the tiger.. .they would come up to the fence and growl and stuff. Hiliarous. We were there forever! Then we went bowling. That was fun too. After bowling we got custard at culvers to end our pday. We visited the Farley’s and then went to the Davis’ for FHE at 7 with the elders. I love the old and the young davis’! [although they’d prefer I say SENIOR davis’, but whatever! Haha] We took pictures and said goodbye, I gave the lesson on charity. Then we all went to the Hansen’s to say goodbye and take pics. The Hansen’s are like my family. I sure will miss them.

TODAY, JANUARY 18th was STEPH’S BIRTHDAY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEPH! I THOUGHT OF YOU ALL DAY. I HAD IT WRITTEN IN MY PLANNER!

Tuesday the 19th:

MY LAST DAY IN RACINE! L we had district meeting, we were late, because we went to wal-mart so I could get a pic cd made of elder smiths pics. He’s the district leader so I called him and told him we’d be late and he was SO PATIENT! All he said was “drive safe!” I love people like that when I am frantic and running around like a chicken with my head cut off. He recommitted us to memorize the First Vision in Spanish, because none of us did it… it was a crazy week! So we all recommitted. . . sister Johnson made some comment about how I wouldn’t have to do it and he said, “No it’s still your commitment too!” I was already planning on doing it anyways, so now that’s just more motivation! After district meeting the elders did a tie trade, because that’s what elders do to get a little variety in the 2 years that they sport white shirts and ties. At the end elder stribling gave sister Johnson and I each a sweet wool tie with an argyle print on it… I am going to make mine into a headband I think … I am excited about that. It was fun to see them all trade and barter and stuff. We all went to McDonald’s for lunch and then sister Johnson and I visited Pam Umhoffer… her name before her divorce was Pamela Black… weird huh? She is from England, she converted there, and has been away from the church for quite some time. She knows sister gambles and they decided to come back to church together. We had a great visit. I taught her from Mosiah 18 about her baptismal covenants. She says she really misses church, the spirit, the people. She is excited to come back. We ended our visit with Hot cocoa and cookies, kinda like tea and crumpets! She collects English china, she even had some Royal Albert mom! She’s only lived in the states for a handful of years, her accent is to die for. I love her!

We then had a meeting with Bishop Crowther. He is such a great man. He thanked elder stribling and I for being such good missionaries. He thanked us for teaching to ward how to work with the missionaries and for working together so well ourselves. He saw that it made a great difference in the progression of our investigators and the less active families we worked with! I am so happy he saw that! That was one of our goals: to work well together and to teach the ward. IT HAPPENED! He told us the new missionaries had a lot to live up to, it was nice to hear. It’s been a really REALLY good 7.5 months. He picked our brains about a few other things just to be sure he had the right info. It kinda stunk, we would talk about things and I would start to write something down we needed to do, then I’d realize I AM LEAVING TOMORROW… so I just started making a to do sticky note for sister Johnson! She laughed at me. Elder stribling just put his notebook away, he said he was doing the same thing! We said goodbye to Heidi Higginbottom at 5, Aaron is SO cute and wants to be baptized SO badly! His mom was at church for the first time last Sunday in 7.5 months. I almost fell over! As she begins to come back, Aaron will be at church, and then he can be baptized. He’s 10 and he’s so ready. He is one of the first people I taught here in Racine. We then went to the Abbott’s, Raygan’s, Marka’s the Aquino’s [we said bye to Vicki, remember she is the one that thought I was a mute my first time EVER being in racine. She was my first Spanish investigator!] and to Fani’s work to say bye to her… it was exhausting, but good. I almost cried at every stop, but managed to hold it together! WE ended our night at the calderwoods. I love that family. They are so good to me. We had dinner and dessert and we talked and took pictures. We also got transfer calls. I still had one tiny ray of hope that maybe sister duhaceck was wrong and I wasn’t going to Rhinelander, but Smith got the call and he just looked at me and said “Banished.” HA he later told me that when elder hatch was about to tell him where I was going he took a big deep breath and then said it! AH! I am really going to Rhinelander. I wrote all the elders I was leaving a little note to say thanks, and to my surprise elder smith wrote all of us one too! It was nice of him, he’s a thoughtful kid. The calderwood’s got a crack up out of my new destination. At least president calderwood did, sister calderwood was worried about me. I assured her I would be ok and that Rhinelander couldn’t be SIBERIA! We had to stop at Kenosha’s apt to get some pics from sister birch, and then I was off. She gave me a little present, a hat too, it was nice of her.

I then got home about 10 and STARTED PACKING. I finally got to bed at one. Whew! It all fit, without vaccume bags! It was amazing. I gave a lot to goodwill. I figure, with only 12 weeks left, I can let some old, worn things go that I had been holding on to for those “just in case” times! Sister Johnson spent her time putting all the info from my gps into her gps… that took forever. But we laughed and talked the whole time. I sure am going to miss her. I love her like a sister!

Wednesday the 20th:

We woke up, showered and drove to Milwaukee. We got to the church and nobody was there so we hung outside and talked to the elders. Little j was pretty nervous, SHE’LL DO GREAT! President Barrett drove up and got out and said, “That looks like a perfect coat for up north!” I said, “You mean a perfect coat for the middle of nowhere? Why are you sending me to the middle of nowhere president? Why?” He said, “that’s not the middle of nowhere! That’s the FAR OUTSKIRTS OF NOWHERE!” ugh! Haha he would comfort me that way! Elder Villanueva and Elder Carter were giving me a hard time too… punks. I walked in to the church and later on I sat next to president barrett on the pew…He asked if I was excited and I told him I was TRYING to be.. he laughed and then started telling me all the good things about that place… so I was a bit more excited. I was still having a hard time though.

Sisters Warner, Pluim and I left little J and we went to the library to email and burn cds of pics and music. Then I went around visiting people with them. We had KOPP’S for lunch, my fav, and then they took me to the mission home to be sister barrett’s companion! It was so fun! I just love her! Elder Astle and Elder Valentine were there because they were going home Friday so I talked and cleaned the kitchen with them. Then we ordered pizza and sister barrett and I went and picked it up. We had to stop and get her favorite crab dip at sendick’s too! President always makes fun of the way her and I just talk and talk, but I love it. She’s as CLOSE as I can get to talking to my mom! We had dinner and during the middle of dinner she noticed elder valentine’s suit coat was ripped. She went to get sewing stuff [you can tell I am not a sewer!] to fix it so his mom wouldn’t worry about him when he got off the plane and then she just brought this whole tub out and plopped it on the coffee table and came back and kept eating. When I finished I was just sitting there and she pointed to the box and said, “That’s my sewing box, will you organize it? I was going to wait ‘til you came back right before you went home, but we’re not doing anything else right now!” I was so excited. I love stuff like that. She sat in the recliner and talked to me and I organized… I first had to make a huge mess, but then it got better! I got to see all the ties she’s cut off of elders they’re last day in the almost 3 years they’ve served here as mission president, she’s making a quilt out of them! Every time president saw me at the mission home he’d laugh and say “banishment” or “exile!” ha. Mean! Elder Perry is coming to the mission and the only two zones not invited are mine!, the Wausau zone, and the green bay zone because we’re too far away… I was whining about that and he looked at elder bratt and said, “I bet you’ll take good notes for her, won’t you?” HA I just said, “All you people in white shirts and ties are the SAME!” punks. At one point he was about to walk in the family room and sister barrett was telling him to come sit down and he said, “I don’t know if I can, is sister black going to mock me for sending her north?” haha we all laughed. It was so good to talk with all of them: especially elder astle, elder valentine and elder chapman. Elder astle has just been around my whole mission, he loves gb like I do. Elder Valentine has had so many problems on his mission, he has borderline autism, but is now medication free! Elder jolley trained him. He is so amazing for being able to do the work amidst his health issues. I admire him. Elder chapman was there my first 6months in greenbay. He plays the piano so AMAZING. I love to hear him play waterfall. He played it for me last zone conference. I used to make him play it everytime I saw him in gb. He told president and sister barrett how I was a nazi on cleaning day! … About how I threw away his “favorite chair” in their apt… mind you it only had 3 of it’s 4 legs and they had 2 other good chairs. It was propped up on phone books. I remember carrying it to the dumpter and him following behind me trying to talk me out of it. HILARIOUS. Boys. We were all laughing SO HARD! We then started talking about how earlier in that day elder mcclung picked up my tub and in the process of setting it down in the church RIPPED HIS PANTS [it had all my books in it, English and Spanish! It was HEAVY!] . Poor guy. I felt so bad. His finger was bleeding, he couldn’t go to the bathroom because we were all there and he had a big hole! Then president barrett started telling us a story of how he did the same thing in a home depot and had to staple his pants together and make sister barrett follow closely behind to cover him. Oh it was hilarious. I was crying. I couldn’t breathe. I love those two.

This night I stayed with sister warner and sister pluim at the Kozlosky’s. The sister are moving out on Thursday. Sad, but it’s time to let someone else in the ward have them. It’s fun that both sister warner and I have lived there… they love us. We made hand puppets on the wall with a flashlight like old times… and laughed A LOT! I am dang good at hand puppets… I have been my whole mission.

ALSO.. today rocky went to the MTC… he flew out this morning! HE is going to do great! I am so jealous he is just STARTING!!!! Woo-hoo! It goes so fast!

Thursday the 21st:

TRANSFER DAY. I was late to transfer point… every elder and their mom called to see where I was! J Then We went from Milwaukee to Oshkosh to Appleton to Green Bay to Wausau to Rhinelander… It was a LONG day. But fun. IT was my first time ever riding the transfer van… or “FUN BUS”. In Green Bay I had to get on the “special bus” that takes people to Wausau. It was fun, I sat by elder abe who is going to Wausau to be my zone leader. He wasn’t too pumped to come either… But elder carter, one of the assistants kept giving me the HARDEST time about how he served in the UP and how he’d love to come to RHINELANDER yadda yadda. I joked around but told him I was excited because the Lord must need me here! He didn’t believe me, told me I was mad [he knows this because I remind him of his cousin? Funny.] and that I would learn to like it! I love elder carter, he was very positive and upbeat, and it’s true. If elders like him and elder stribling can go to the up and love it… I can love it in Rhinelander. But… what can people expect… this is what I’ve heard about Rhinelander:

*It’s banishment or exile [from every elder… and one time P. Barrett!]

*I may or may not be eaten by wolves!

*It’s the home of the HODAGS… look it up! [it’s ugly!] Sister Barrett asked that I take a pic of one and send it to her…. I can’t wait to mail her that postcard!

Elder Perry is coming to speak to our mission and my zone and GB aren’t invited … I am still working on that one… I want to go!

Elder Villanueva, the other assistant told me that when he sees me Wednesday at zone conference I need to tell him 5 good things about this place… I agreed I’d do that. I kept telling him I am coming her to be a loner and he said, “I am pretty sure you’ll have a companion, I am pretty sure you’ll have the companionship of the Holy Ghost and I’m pretty sure there will be people for you to teach!” UGH. He is so right! He was good. He assured me I’d be fine and that I would live. Love that kid.

I got here to Rhinelander and met Sister Bishop! We served together in May in a trio in Adams. I love her! This is her last transfer! She is from Brigham City, a great missionary. Her dad is Rob Bishop, a Congressman for Utah… it’s fun to here her side of things. I think I am going to like Rhinelander… even if it’s just because of her!

I sent an email to president barrett telling him I know I was being dramatic, but that I am excited to be here and I know it was through revelation I was sent here.

HERE IS MY EMAIL…

I didn't get a chance to email this week, the libraries were all closed monday for MLK day so we stopped by the library on our way to some appts so I could let my family know I am alive...

However, I wanted to send you a short email too. After the past couple of days of me being dramatic I just want you to know that I am happy to be here in Rhinelander. I know that this mission, this work, is accomplished by means of revelation. While I love to tease and joke around, I don't mean to mock that fact in any way. Please know that!

I want you to know that I will work just as hard here as in any other area I have served in. I will find the reason the Lord has sent me to the "far outskirts of NOWHERE" for the last two transfers of my mission!

Also, I am grateful for the opportunity I had to serve in Racine/Kenosha. I vividly remember my first interview with you as I entered the mission. I told you if you ever had a need I would LOVE to speak spanish. . . I never dreamed it would happen. I am grateful my Heavenly Father knows me so well. I am grateful I was able to teach in spanish for 7.5 months that was a great blessing. I learned many lessons through that experience and truly learned to love that branch.

I had a very similar experience in the Racine ward. So much is happening there, I was so sad to leave. I suppose that's the best way to leave an area, but it was hard. It made all our work and struggle worth it when Bishop Crowther thanked elder stribling and I for helping the ward understand how to work with misisonaries and for working so well together ourselves as missionaries the past 7.5 months. He said that made a great difference in helping meet the needs in the ward and of investigators. That place will always be sacred to me.

I love being a missionary president! I know I say that a lot ... but it's true. I am so grateful to be here in this mission and to be able to learn from you, I am constantly learning something from you.

Love, hermana black

THIS WAS HIS REPLY:

Thanks for helping take care of the wonderful members in Rhinelander. I love them! And you will too. I have many sweet memories of that area, including late one night driving far north of Antigo through the woods to find my way to the YW Camp. I was glad I went even though it put me late into Stevens Point some time after midnight.

Terrific Bishop Lindner! Tremendous Stake President Pleshek.

Please take care of those wonderful Saints!

And baptize Tony!

………………………………………………………………………………

……………....

I love him! He’s the best.

Friday the 22nd:

Friday we unpacked, we live in an apartment! I love it! Then we went out to Crandon, about 45 minutes away with the relief society president and a ward missionary to do some visits, It was really good. The ward here is amazing. They are so involved.

Saturday the 23rd:

We emailed… finally! And then we did transfer planning ALL the day long. To end the night we had Chinese food with sister Kazmarski. . . no msg = no headache… I was so happy! I never eat it because I always get worried. But I was fine!

Amy called me tonight. I love amy brown. She is the reason I went to GB… perhaps for my whole mission. She told me lots of good news. First off that she was coming to visit me. It’s her fault I am in Rhinelander, you know! She called when I was still in Racine and said she had to come down to Milwaukee for something so while she was so close she would be coming to visit. I was ecstatic, but then remembered transfers were coming up. She assured me that if I went to Madison she’d come visit because she goes there a lot for events/ concerts etc. If I went to Appleton I’d constantly see her because that is the branch she attends now, and she said there was NO WAY they’d exile me to Rhinelander. Welp… there you go. Amy’s fault. However, she did amend that saying that if I so happened to come to Rhinelander she’d still come see me… she’s so diplomatic. Good thing!

She is coming to visit SOON! Yeah. Jeremiah James got the Melchezidek Priesthood, and is elders quorum President. She is getting her Patriarchal Blessing! The institute in Green Bay has 18 non-members attending now! She now goes to Osh Kosh institute because GB is more like the “beginners” institute. This year they’re studying the Book of Mormon. SO COOL! SO AMAZING… it all started just a year ago, at least this fire did! They won best booth at orgsmorg at UWGB and they anticipate to win BEST NEW ORG this year. AmAZing! I love hearing news like that!

Sunday the 24th:

We went to church… it was cancelled after sacrament mtg. The weather was bad and people have to travel really far to get home. Such devotion. They even cancelled the talks. However, sister bishop and I were asked to bear our testimonies. Bishop called us to the stand, met me then gave me the mic. Kinda cute. The spirit was really strong. I had just met brian before the meeting started. He is a YSA with a baptismal date for February 13th. He just glowed. I couldn’t help but talk right to him… I got the best feeling. I am so excited to teach him! I met many others in the ward. We then went to Bishop Lindners for dinner and stayed for some time. The roads were really bad and the snow fell heavily all morning. The night before we had freezing rain so it made for a day we needed to stay indoors. We finally went home after a great visit with bishop. President Barrett loves that man. I do too. He is such an excited Bishop, he loves the work. We finished transfer planning that night. We’ve set really good goals for this transfer! FAITH is our motto! Faith the size of a basketball! [e.hatch] to BAPTIZE THE WORLD [e.stribling] I think sister bishop thinks I am a bit crazy sometimes when I say we are going to invite 420 nonmembers to hear our message this next 6 weeks. But she loves me, so she goes with it. It will happen I tell her!

To end the night I got the BEST PHONE CALL EVER from sister Johnson. My little J! She is so cute and is doing such a great job training. She is learning a lot. She’s called me almost every day since we parted to ask me questions. I love it. I love her. She told me that on Sunday morning all the branch missionaries (all 6 of them) had a meeting with the branch president, president calderwood, and his counselors. He said during the middle of the meeting he looked at sister mazariegos, the new sister, and said, “You’ve got big shoes to fill. Everyone in this branch really loved sister black.” It was sweet to hear he said that… I felt bad for sister M though… goodness.. no pressure eh? Sister Johnson and I laughed about that. I love President Calderwood. I miss his leadership.

She also told me lots of good news… daysi got a calling! RS chorister… One day as we left an appt at Kathleen Oakley’s I had a VERY strong impression to stop at her neighbors…they were Spanish speaking… but we couldn’t because we HAD to go. I reminded little j to go back. They did! They are new investigators along with MANY OTHERS on that street. AMAZING. Heidi Higginbottom, miss “I don’t want to be a hypocrite” was at church AGAIN … aaron’s baptism in on! SO many good things happening there.

After I talked to her I thought about why I was sent to Racine. Little J reminded me when she got there we had about 20 active investigators we were teaching, she was so impressed by that… when I got there we only had 3. three people. It was SLOW. We changed a lot in the 3 months before little j came. But I didn’t baptize but two people while I was there… Cheryl Johnson and Zachary Cruz-Taylor. That’s not too many in seven and a half months.

So WHY did I go there? WELL.. baptisms aren’t everything as we know. Daysi and Lupita were both less-active in the branch. I got to teach them in SPANISH, they got it. They understood and applied the principles and lived them! They are BOTH prepared to go to the temple in 2 weeks because we worked with them. I was able to meet Tiffany Baumstark! She read NieNie’s blog too! That was not a coincidence. I know she will accept the gospel, I love teaching her and right before I left I asked if we could teach her whole family in her home.. she consented and was excited! I was able to teach Cheryl and Zachary. TWO AmAzing experiences. I saw their lives change. I met Raygan Taylor. I saw her physically [and spiritually] change from visit to visit. From moment to moment even as we read scriptures together. What a good mom she is. She was someone as well that I just know I was supposed to meet. I know someday VERY soon her husband will be baptized and they will be sealed in the temple. The list goes on and on! I know the Lord knows us and puts us where we can touch the hearts of those we serve, but also where they can touch ours. I learned and grew just as much if not MORE than all those whom I served. I love my calling!

The answer of WHY did I go there is simple… It is found in the many letters I sent while serving there. It is found in my well-worn scriptures and PMG. It is obvious as I wrote the paragraph above. It was inspired. That is why I went there...

And that is why I am here in Rhinelander. There is no coincidence about it! No irony. It is not a sick joke. It is inspired. Just like I wrote to President Barrett, this work runs on inspiration, so I will embrace Rhinelander! I am excited to do so.

I love you all! You're in my thoughts and prayers! WRITE ROCKY!

Love, Sister Pamella Jo Black

ps. there is one thing I will definitely miss up here in the "NORTHWOODS". That is the hustle and bustle of the racine area and all those missionaries I served around! Do you know what a hard time those elders gave me? [These elders remind me of rocky, that is why i love them so much.] I can't believe I am writing it... but I will miss it. I was serving in the heart of the mission around so many missionaries. I loved that; there is such a good spirit. I have to write down a few of my memories or I will forget them...

They called me the abominable snowman, or the snowmonster in my long white coat. I thought they were going to DIE laughing when they saw me wear my mini white coat. They called it the mini snowmonster! I remember when we were at the Aquinos with elder trauntvein and elder smith. Fani was giving Luis a hard time for not eating but he seemed so nervous to take a bite. Finally he just said, "I'm sorry trauntvein, I have to do it!" He looked so distressed and took a bite. Trauntvein just looked at him and said, "Just say your own prayer" so matter of factly. So he knelt down on the kitchen floor and said his own praying leaning against trauntvein's leg. It was so cute! what an example he was to that little boy. I loved being a fly on the wall for that little interaction.

I will miss going to the Cabrales. I loved going there. The last time we were there sister Cabrales answered the door and said [in spa of course], "I asked Anapaula who was at the door and she said 'PETRIE'". We all laughed, she could see us coming thru the window. Elder Petrie had been transferred, but she thought all missionaries were named petrie. she loved him. They would tell us the funniest stories about the elders constantly being at their home, they said they were going to adopt them! Woo hoo for daily contact!

I will miss elder smith always wanting to sing hymn number 210, "buscar con fe" or "search with faith". It doesn't exist... but he would switch around saying it in english or spanish and it would get sister johnson EVERY TIME!

One time Elder Bratt and Elder Johnson, who were then serving together in Oak Creek, we called it "Oak Creep", told me they named their car "PAM" in my honor because it whined a lot. They thought they were really clever.

I will miss teasing the elders with the phrase, "donde esta la sacerdocia" and finding post its all over our car at random parts of the day that said, "donde esta el sacerdocio". I will miss teasing them that they might have the keys to the priesthood and the church building... but i have the keys to the library! :) I will miss finding FREE signs all over our car. everytime they passed us and saw us at an appt they'd leave one [that stems from the time i left the car running, remember that?].

I will miss teaching english. I remember the time Jaime told me in English, "I am your father." I started laughing [made me think of star wars!]... his english wasn't the best. I then realized what he meant as he explained it this way, "When you married you have new father. He is your father" He even drew me a pic on the board. Ha you can imagine i was floored! I told him you work together, he couldn't wrap his little mind around that. he said that's not how it is in El Salvador. SO we sought elder petries opinion and of course to be funny, he sided with the "father" menality and laughed. punks. that became our joke with jaime. hilarious.

I will never forget elder smiths and elder trauntveins faith as we prayed and fasted for the nevarros. they are spiritual giants and were great examples to me. that was a sweet experience.

Elders still get a kick out of my cynicism: All sister do is CRY, ask for BLESSINGS, and TALK about their FEELINGS! ya right. Being a sister missionary is the best! I love it!