Penelope's sorting, busy weekend and pain

 Last night, Penelope was quite the sorter.  First she distributes, then she gathers.  Clothes, cards, books,...it kept her entertained for hours last night.  Loved it!

We had the missionaries over for dinner because it was one of the elders last nights, potentially, because transfers are coming up.  We had chicken enchiladas, salad, watermelon and corn with a WHOLE bunch of ice cream for dessert. (We bought 14 containers of FUN.)  Toppings–marshmallows, oreos, York peppermint patties, fudge, caramel and even cake batter…we had a lot.  Oh, and we cooked up a cake because you can’t make cake batter without making cake, right?

It was Elder Lind and he asks great questions and loves discussing things so I had a great time.  Elder Robertson (Solomon, his name is…love it!) had a great time doing the Rubik’s cube with Hyrum.  Quinn was prompt in reminding us all that the Rubik’s cube originated from a Hungarian scientist.  Love that man!

We had a busy weekend.  Piper had a track meet Saturday morning.  She felt like she was flying around the first two miles but then her blood sugar dropped or something and she started getting woozy.  She paused in her running at times, started “talking” to the crowd out loud, and stumbled across the finish line. She worried her coaches and we’re going to try and help her stay stocked up with nutrients for next time.  She is really loving it!  She is one of two on her team.

While she was gone, we spent the mornings saying goodbye to some old friends who stopped by, the Georgias. Xai insists that we must be cousins because we get along so well.  We hope they will come back and visit us again, because our families fit together so well.  It was great to see Elijah and Xai just rough and tumble with boys all weekend and even Liesl and Penelope had little girl friends!  After they left, we started super cleaning the house and Quinn finished selecting a car to purchase, after Hyrum accidentally totalled our other car.

We drove up to Columbus, picking Piper up along the way.  Once there, we dropped Quinn off at the dealership while we visited the zoo.  One of the animals was out and we got to watch it walk right by us…the largest rodent, from South America (can’t remember the name).   Anyway, the kids loved watching the seals and petting the sting rays,  Well, Xai didn’t do the latter because he was very nervous about getting stung, but even Penelope had fun feeling the soft surface of the rays.  

We headed back to see the car on the way home, leaving a couple kids there, and raced back to Athens to try and catch the pool for a little while to cool down before it closed.  The kids were super sad (and I was a little sad) that we missed most of the pool time but I want to go back next weekend for the last day and really make a day of it!  We are going to work it in between cutting wood for our winter supply, which will occupy much of our available time this weekend.  

We picked up some groceries on the way home, did the animals, got the kids to bed and did scriptures and then watched a movie until probably too late, while Quinn worked up a quick appraisal to get ahead for Monday.  We got up around 6 am Sunday morning to get ready to head to the youth session of Stake Conference, which is about an hour and a half away.  We threw in a bunch of food just in case and managed to survive, lol.  Conference was cool, with the highlight for me being when the youth of the stake sang the “Armies of Helaman/Sisters in Zion” medley. It was cool.  We did our usual crazy in the side rooms where they have the event being broadcast, but I think we will stay in the main room next time. We had kids lounging all over the floor and even one of the older kids wanted to lay down across the chairs before I suggested they probably shouldn’t.  We were all super tired.

Anyway, in the midst of last weekend, I had a good therapy session, meaning super deep and intense and hard.  I’m trying to learn to trust my heart, trust that Christ’s atonement truly is sufficient, and to accept the pain and ugly of this existence that I must without demanding it be different.  Pain is a part of life, but we suffer when we don’t acknowledge that pain…again, demanding it be different by dwelling on all the things we wish we could do to change it or fix it.  “Life is pain, Highness.  Anyone who tells you differently is selling you something.”

Christ is there to bear our burdens. I just don’t really know how to let Him help me bear the pain: the pain of disappointing others, the pain of things not being orderly, the pain of loss, the pain of betrayal, the pain of disappointing myself, the pain I feel when I know I have caused pain in others by action or inaction. I know He joyously yearns to help us. I just don’t know how to let Him in to help my aching heart.

My therapist says it’s part of experiencing trauma…that it’s like being a veteran from a war coming back without a leg.  I have to adapt to what I can do and what the “new” normal is, without losing myself in the managing/coping behaviors I imposed on myself to survive.  Accept the pain without demanding it be different.  Accept that this broken and fallen world is indeed the best place for me to live and learn and grow to understand God’s plan and become more like Him.

Sweet Pea sorting

Zoo

Havala and Piper helping last weekend with the Helping Hands down in Kentucky

Yes, sometimes we actually do schooling around here...

Precious moment....

Lily arrived in Australia!

 Hello from Melbourne Australia Quinn & Mary!

Just letting you know that Sister Biesinger has arrived in the mission safely.  We have spent two wonderful days helping our Missionaries feel welcomed, loved and excited to be part of gathering Israel in Melbourne!   If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Sister Thomas

Letter To/From Lily August 11, 2022

 On Thu, Aug 11, 2022 at 11:05 AM Lily Biesinger <lily.biesinger@missionary.org> wrote:

Hello, Hello, Hello!

Howdy, Howdy, Howdy! 

This week has been going great and it has only gotten better because I found out yesterday that I will be leaving for Australia on Monday! It's going to be a 20+ flight, so my comp and I decided we were going to try to read the whole Book of Mormon on that flight :).

EPIC! 

My mom got me four two pound bags of Jelly Belly's and the sister's in my district and I already almost finished 2 of them off in the one week we have been here, so thanks mom for the Jellybeans! 

No prob, love-kins :D! 

Just so you know my emails are going to be all over the place, so just a heads up!

Love it so much!

 

So far, every time I've been to the gym I've got hit in the face with a ball of some sort, but it's been really fun playing volleyball with my comp and I feel like I've been getting better at actually setting the ball for some people.

I hope you get some chances to play in the mission field!  We want to set up a volleyball tournament for our Stake and just have people show up, be put on teams, and play.  Could be fun! 

 

After a Helping Others lesson that went really well, my comp and I talked about it and felt so happy and just so immersed in God's love for us and for the joy that comes from living the gospel. We also were able to connect "The Lorax'' to the Restoration and it's all laid out in some pictures down there.

I would love to hear how you did that, ;)

 

Fast Sundays at the MTC probably have the best testimony meetings ever, it was really beautiful hearing people that have decided to serve God, bear testimony about the beauty and peace that has come into their life.

That is so cool that you had that kind of spiritual experience!  What do you think made it so different for you?  Xai has born testimony about the Big Bang theory for two fast Sundays in a row.  What a cutie!  He is sure a deep thinker, though.

 

My comp and I went to choir (for anyone going to the MTC, choir is so much fun and would 100% recommend go even if you can't sing) and the director likened the Urak-hai that was lighting the bomb in Helm's Deep to Joseph Smith and how the people that were trying to shot him down were like Satan trying to stop the work. So like I said, choir is the best :).

Choir directors are the BEST kind of people. Super cool! What songs did you sing?  I remember Dad singing in the MTC, and he sang, "Here I Am."  He told me how cool it was so I went out and bought a copy and learned it, lol. (I was a little in love, wouldn't you say?

 

For the devotional on Tuesday, Gerrit W. Gong came and talked to us about perfectionism and afterwards he came and shook a lot of people's hands. 

Was it like a long line of people wanting to shake his hand?  Did you or anyone in your district do it? 

Yesterday, 620+ new missionaries came to the MTC and I was a part of the welcoming crew and it was lots of fun getting them hyped up about it and telling them all about the awesome things. It was also interesting the different ways families said goodbye to their missionaries.

Oh yeah?  Like what kind of ways did they say goodbye?  Like weepy people, hi-five people, congo line kind of people?

 

There was an elder from another district that pretended that he didn't know english or know how to tie a tie, so he asked the elders in our district to help him and after a couple days after one of our elders finished tying the elder's tie he was like "Thanks man" and proceeded to exit the room :).

Weird. 

How was your flight?  Did you get through the Book of Mormon?  Did it go uneventfully?  I need to get my passport so I can go to Australia, Montreal, Hungary and any other cool places all over the world I might be going.  You never know when you might need a passport, right? ;)

Penelope is running around in circles right now because it is crazy late, but I miss you and writing to you feels like you are right there on the other side of the computer.  How was the food? The people?  Were all you missionaries in one big group on the plane or were you spread out? I loved the picture you sent from the airport. It looked like y'all were having a fun time. 

Here y'all go! Next time you hear from me, I'll be in the Land Down Under :).

Sister Biesinger :)

Letter to/from Elder Drew: August 19, 2022

 Yo, Elder~

Yay for cooler weather!!! We are really appreciating Ohio's weather and beautiful green terrain here in Texas!  Tova's a/c in her apartment is not working, so we also really appreciate our hotel room 5 minutes away where the air conditioning DOES work as well as the pool at her complex.  Fortunately she said that the maintenance people at her apartment complex are quick to fix those.  Penelope especially loves the pool and apparently doesn't know the difference between swimming with a floatation device and not.  She catapults herself off the sides just like she does with the floatie on...and doesn't float.  Fortunately, we are all hyper-aware of her, so she was safe!

The grasshopper was not so lucky.  He forgot his floatation device and had no one to look out for him, poor chap.

On Mon, Aug 15, 2022 at 3:13 PM Drew Biesinger <drew.biesinger@missionary.org> wrote:

Howdy Y'all!

It finally cooled down for a half a day this week, which was pretty gnarly! I was able to do street contacting, and studies, and meetings, and everything else in a missionary's day without dropping in sweat. It was pretty nice :).

Street contacting, study, meeting, repeat...does that about sum it up? :P I bet you're just soaking it all it!  This is sooooo like an intense Olympic training schedule!  Sure, you might get to invite a person or two to really feel the Spirit, really convert to Christ, but think of the training you are going through!  I can't remember which kid it was--Piper, I think--who noticed what a difference they are seeing in you.  So much more relaxed and happy.  (Probably main because you are out from under my hyper-jurisdiction, ROFL.)

    This week went by really fast, but it started with a groovy exchange with the Zone Leaders. I had a baguette and some meat paste (It had a cool name, and tasted really good) that made my breath absolutely lethal! I swear, I could exhale and you could hear sizzling as everything died!!!  After that we did a lot of contacting, and the elder I went with was already fluent in French because his dad was French. It was really cool to hear the French from the MTC for the first time since I got here... 

Yay for new foods!  Love it.  And I love the intense language training program you are immersed in!  What a fun experience to be living there and learning so much! I am sure your brain is on overload.

     ...But the Quebecois is becoming my favorite language!!  There was this awesome talk from a member on Sunday, and they were dropping so many québécois words like the "le" and the "fekah (It sounds like it looks. I don't know the proper spelling, but they fill every single pause with one of these). But the best part was hearing them say "Ronald Rasband" with two hard R's, which isn't something that seems to exist in the french language. It sounding like (T.W ) she was about to spit a fat one at the audience (My apologies for the graphic story, I did give a trigger warning). I love French!

I bet Xai would have had an absolute heifer sitting in that audience!!  Germ-a-phobe testing site, eh?  I would love to hear your version over the video chat in a couple days!

 

French of the Week

"Tu es une couverture mouillée"

Meaning: "You are a wet blanket".

 

 This is very applicable day to day.

So applicable. Thanks! 

It was a good week. We meet with this awesome family, and somehow, somehow? (you were in a trance and wandered into one of their rooms, grabbing the cards, and then you got back and woke up from the trance....problem solved!!!)  we obtained a few gnarly Pokémon cards. And I even got an extra french one, because I might find someone who really, really, really, really wants one... I'll have to keep an eye out. Who knows.

Way to dangle the bait... 

But that's everything for this week. Y'all get some pictures today. 

EPIC! (lol, had to...) Huzzah!

Visiting Tova, Bribes and Hyrum's "horrible, no-good, very bad" week

 A few nights ago, Piper was relaxing in bed, doing what all good 15 year old girls do...checking out all the latest knives in the BudK magazine.  Liesl was snuggled up next to her, quietly watching until one particularly ferocious-looking knife stood out to her.

"I want that one," she insisted to Piper.

"Oh, yah?" Piper curiously replied.

"I need it to cut brownies."  Innocent enough?

**********

I am in Texas now, visiting my darling daughter and her husband, Ben.  I am also getting to bond with their black lab/retriever puppy Zoe, who I am highly allergic to, but we're trying to figure out how to manage that with allergy meds :D.  Tova recently finished getting her Bachelor's degree in Psychology and is currently on the lookout for Master's Programs so that she can get into "play therapy." Who knew that was a thing!  Just imagine how much more fun it would be for moms and dads all over the planet to realize that playing with their kids is actually theraputic!  

I know that I have a hard time just getting down on my knees and playing with them.  The other day, Elijah was fixated on having a nerf gun war in the house. It was a pretty bad emotional health week for me, so I just couldn't get myself to do it. He took matters into his own hands and soon we were playing a nerf gun war whether we liked it or not--weapon or not.  

In the course of one hour, he managed to accidentally hit Xai in the face with nerf bullets. He lost the privilege to use Nerf guns, despite his protest that it was just an accident. "Well, if you're not able to control your shots enough to NOT hit someone in the face when you don't want to,--three times in one hour--you don't have enough control to be able to use them."

Everything lately has been a matter of debate and discussion with him, Maia and Liesl...I am sooooo debated out!

Shortly after the guns were removed, Elijah started sword fighting with Liesl. I am not sure if it was voluntary on her part, but what I do know is that it didn't last long.  Elijah managed to poke her in the eyeball with a hard play sword.  No lasting damage (a little red in the eye) but then that weapon was also confiscated.

Later that night, Quinn and the other older kids came home from a temple trip they had just taken to Kentucky for the day. They also stopped by the Louisville Slugger Museum, which apparently has some pretty cool free take-home toys. I walked into the living room after hearing that they were home only to see little 2 feet long wooden bats in the hands of all my little darlings.  Elijah was armed and dangerous again!

*********

Back to Texas, we got here without too much difficulty.  There was only one leg where we had to deplane and reboard an hour later on the way there due to faulty systems.  Penelope was super fun and adorable to travel with.  She loved running back and forth on chairs, smiling and waving at everyone, and snuggling for the airplane rides.  During the leg where we had to board and then deplane and then reboard, there was a child (I'm guessing 3-ish?) who was mad.  And the whole plane knew it.  As I listened to the grumbling of fellow passengers, I looked at Quinn and smiled ruefully.  We both knew what it felt like to have "that" child on the airplane.

Several people around us were super complementary of Penelope, who had really been calm and sweet (or sleeping) most of the rides.  We assured them that this was not always the case with her (and our other children) and that we had also been in the shoes of that poor family with the screamer.  While no one likes to hear it on a plane, I think it is infinitely worse to be the one with the child causing the ruckus.  I guarantee that there is not a parent I can think of who is deliberately upsetting their child just to torture everyone else on the plane!

This girl LOVES to dance!

We have played games, eaten delicious food, chatted and laughed, went to a BOOKSTORE (yes, I got some books) and just enjoyed each other.  Ben is coming home today from a trip, so soon he will be here too!

***********

Before we left, I tried to spend the day bonding a bit.  The two little boys and two little girls went on a bike ride with me, while the older three girls went out for a $20 on the town shopping adventure in another part of Athens.  The library has free bikes, so we checked those out for the boys to use and I tugged the girls in a bike trailer.  They were super awesome at being responsible with sharing the road space with others, although it did get a little feisty any time one of them wanted to pass up the other one.  Xai was able to stay in the lead for the most part and I let them have their good-natured competition.  Xai doesn't beat Elijah in many physical contests (Elijah is so strong and coordinated!) so it was good for them both. Elijah took it good-naturedly and ended up hanging back with me. I really tried to keep up, but I did have to ask them to slow down a few times.

Meanwhile, the girls had some fun!

Then they shared that fun with the baby as they kept her busy while I checked out a couple of carts of bribery to keep the kids in a food/media coma while I'm gone.

**********

While I am gone, Hyrum will still take on some lifeguarding shifts, Piper and Havala will travel south to help one of the current "Helping Hands" projects--flood disaster relief in Kentucky.  Babysitting is a crazy combo of Auntie Loni (our fabulous ward neighbor who is staying in my parents' house while on their mission in Nauvoo), the older kids and a fantastic homeschool friend--Miss Penny--for the last day.  

Things got a little tricky because Hyrum accidentally totalled our car in a stop and go accident last Tuesday. Poor guy. First he finds out he doesn't get to play football this season and then totals the car.  To rub salt in the wound, we made sure he got "dirty Nora" every hand of Hearts we played that night.  He's having a rough time of it, but seems to be taking it in stride, amazing young man that he is.

*********

We had a few miracles, though, that show how near God is to us.  We received a random reminder of a doctor's appointment three weeks away exactly 50 minutes before the appointment I had scheduled that day...and forgotten about. It was the perfect amount of time for Hyrum and I to get our things together and jet.  I was so grateful! It is his physical for his mission so that he can finish submitting his papers. I am so happy for him and we were both SO grateful that we didn't miss this appointment!

Also, last night, when the kids checked on the animals, someone had left the guinea fowl gate askew and all 24+ birds were nowhere to be seen.  They are not old enough to be out on their own yet, so this was not a good thing.  We all prayed (several times) and this morning the kids found them near the coop and herded them in!  Yay!  Guineas are great for eating ticks, and BOY do we have ticks for them to eat!

*********

Piper is one of two girls on her cross-country team at Fed Hock. Hyrum was only able to recruit 5 boys (including himself ) to commit to the football program.

We explored options with nearby schools and were treated respectfully with one district and abominably with the other.  The first helped us explore OSHAA rules to see if we could make it work, but it didn't look promising.

The second, even before really being fully aware of the details of the situation, proudly declared that he never allowed homeschoolers to change districts...nor did they ever have homeschoolers participate in high school sports until the state of Ohio made them.  I was okay with the verdict--which was the same as the other district.  What I was not okay with was the flagrant prejudice exhibited by someone in that kind of position of authority.

I took a little too much time to write him a few emails.  But it felt right.  Captain Moroni kind of "right."

Missionary Letter, Sports and Death Threats

 Howdy missionaries!

I came across a scripture and thought of you:

Alma 30:39-41

39 Now Alma said unto him: Will ye deny again that there is a God, and also deny the Christ? For behold, I say unto you, I know there is a God, and also that Christ shall come.

40 And now what evidence have ye that there is no ^aGod, or that Christ cometh not? I say unto you that ye have none, save it be your word only.

41 But, behold, I have all things as a ^atestimony that these things are true; and ye also have all things as a testimony unto you that they are true;

I was reading the Come Follow Me stuff for this week in Job and the prompt question was: What are my reasons for remaining faithful?  It made me think: what are Job's reasons?  He testifies about how the people around him--and even he, himself--can easily turn on their testimonies.  However, Nature and things around us are constant in their testifying of Christ. 

JOB 12:10 In whose hand is the soul of every ^aliving thing, and the ^bbreath of all mankind.

I paused in my study and looked out at the trees, saw evidence of the breeze, the light speckling through the canopy...and felt more steady.  Somehow, they do. Just in their existence.

I loved that you closed your email with a scripture, Drew. It was a powerful one. I could feel your light.  It reminded me of the music video that Maia picked for the devotional the morning before Lily left:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2022-01-0002-trust-in-the-lord-music-video?lang=eng&alang=eng

Lily and I both thought this video really showed how missionary work is shining your light--like their dancing, living the Gospel joyfully--and others have agency to choose to come, choose to reject, choose to listen for a moment then turn away,...choose.  And we can keep on dancing.

I love you both so much and miss you. I know you will be happier moving forward with this stage of life than staying here at home, so it is a bittersweet missing. I am happy for you.  Happy for Canada and Australia and the light that you will shine there as your draw closer to God, shine your love of Him, shine your love of those around you.t

Penelope is currently trying out different markers on the calculator (not -er) across from me (had to try spelling that a couple times before I got it right, lol!). Eli is rocking the spiky hair still...and spiky personality.  Yikes.  I really hope we all survive until he transitions out of this phase!  I think I've listened to more death threats and exclamations of hatred towards me in the past week than I have for a few years put together :S.

Xai and Liesl built fairy houses in the yard.

We discovered this morning that the mini-kitten is still alive and present and currently living underneath the air conditioning unit.  We also found a rogue chicken who has been trying to live outside the coop...for over two weeks!  Apparently it has a favorite tree it roost in right next to the house. It's super skittish but brings our count up to 21, which we thought was down to 20 for quite some time now. Crazy.

The count for high schoolers at the Federal Hocking football team practice was down to three last night. Hyrum is hanging in there.  Piper was one of three girls on the high school cross track team.  He sent home a form of his policy...that there are minimum acceptable excuses and that he will kick people off the team if they don't abide by all the rules.  Hmmmm...with as heavily as he's been recruiting, we're not sure that's going to be the case.  Maia showed up for one practice but he pushed her a little hard and she decided not to do it anymore.

Dad is still working on fixing up his motorcycle using ingenious ways.  I think he could use some prayers.

God bless you both,

Mom

Swimming and Showers

We love our pool summer membership and espectially love to torture the staff regularly with our presence...and the local patrons. It's been even more fun since Hyrum got a job lifeguarding there.

1st story: The other day, shortly after Hyrum started working there, Quinn did his dead-man's float in front of his station...for a LONG time. (Quinn is a champion breath-holder.) Hyrum told him to knock it off (since he's a lifeguard and can tell his dad to do so) and Quinn stopped with a smile.
Five minutes later, Quinn did it again and Hyrum exasperatedly explained that if Quinn didn't knock it off, then the whole pool would go into lockdown to make sure he wasn't really drowning and Quinn would be kicked out. Ahhhh, no fun. Every party has a pooper. And speaking of poop...

2nd story: We went swimming at the pool again yesterday because we had to pick up Hyrum anyway from his lifeguarding job.  One of the pools was closed because someone had POO-d in the big pool and it had to rest for 24 hours.  Dad generously offered to do a similar service in the leisure pool we were swimming in but after a close vote, he took his bowel movement into the bathroom.  And speaking of bathrooms...

3rd story: Apparently the women's locker room shower head is broken.   I was trying to figure out how to use it, since it jet-streams out and I have two little girls that I didn't want to pulverize with water pressure.  I thought, "Maybe if I turn it up into the air and make it like rain, then it will be gentler on them?"  So, following my usual modus operandi of acting without thinking, I turned the spout upward and called out, "It's raining!"

Yells, shrieks and curses from the changing stall immediately next to the shower confirmed that I probably should have thought that action through a little more first.   I apologized profusely, but somehow I don't think that a genuine apology helps dry soaked clothing. :S I felt dreadful.

Liesl "speaks" Hungarian and Goodbye to Sister Lily Biesinger

 Today Piper and Havala were quizzing each other on Latin declensions for their upcoming scholastic group this fall.  Liesl watched them for a while and then asked what they were doing.  

After they explained that they were learning how to say "land" in Latin, Liesl said, "I know how to say that in Hungarian."

"Oh, really," replied Piper supportively.

"Yep, like this!" Liesl rubbed her tummy in the ASL sign for "please."

****

More significantly, perhaps, we took Lily to the airport this morning so she could fly to the Provo MTC.  Wow, I'm going to miss that girl. We all are.  Anyone who knows Lily knows of her ability to love without judgment.  To care. To persist. To persevere in behaving compassionately in the face of pretty crazy opposition.

She is strong.  She is determined.  She is love.  

Australia is super lucky to have her.

Last night we had a mini "farewell" for Lily to share a talk/testimony before she left since she didn't for church.  It ended up being a blessing in disguise because then we got to invite grandparents and out of town siblings to video chat in and hear it as well.  She picked "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" verses 1 and 3 for the opening song; shared her thoughts about missionary work, testimony, the role of members and the Holy Ghost in conversion and retention and quoted a bunch from Alma 26.  It was great: at the beginning she couldn't stop giggling. I just love that girl!

She chose "Have I Done Any Good" for the closing song.  Then after we said goodbye to the online group after chatting for a few minutes, Quinn gave Lily a super sweet blessing--about loving the people, trusting God, capturing the essence of missionary work, peace in her travels, that she would be able to get along with her companions and the Australian people and, of course, a reminder that her Father in Heaven loves her and that we love her.  He also asked Heavenly Father to bless her that her sense of homesickness would be alleviated.

By the end of the prayer and especially after the hugs, both hers and her daddy's eyes were moist,  a rare instance for these two sillies.

Quinn is sure going to miss her.  Every night she would rub his feet and after we finished our section of reading for the night he would ask, "Does anyone have any thoughts....Lily?" before even finishing the question, a mark of privilege :D.  Every night, she would have some thought drawn from our scripture section, even the harder to connect with ones.  

Beyond that, she works hard, teased gently, never took offense that I can remember, and just enjoyed her dad.  And he could feel it.  They have a sweet relationship and I am glad for both of them.

Letter from Elder Drew: Week 1 (in the field)

 Howdy, Y'all!

    Today is officially Day 7/seven/sept, it is is gnarly! 

    We started in the airport at 4am, because wicked early times are the best times. And because everyone is either a husk of a being, or is absolutely wired!  But it was pretty gnarly.  The whole flight was chill and we got to the Canadian Airport on time.  Then we went through customs... 

...Alright, so it wasn't that bad. It only took a few hours of sitting in the same room, but it was still faster than waiting in line at Krispy Kreme during "Talk Like a Pirate" Day.  After that, we were welcomed by the two Assistants to the President (AP), who were absolute fire, and were the epitome of the scripture, Alma 38:12 "Use BOLDNESS, but not overbearance". It was a pretty gnarly experience. 

     So we got to Canada, and spent a day and a half at the Mission Home.  During the first day, we went contacting on The Metro, and it was hyper cool (French Accent) because we just got right to it! I met a lit of really cool people (even one who was reading Wind Breaker, a lit Webtoon/Comic about bike riding), but I think the absolute best was this one lady we met within a few minutes of getting on The Metro.

    So, we get on the car right before the death trap, supposedly called Doors, closes. We move to the center handhold, and situate ourselves.  We look over to the left and start talking with this nice gentleman who, we discover, is a strong Muslim and he isn't so interested in our message or us.  We politely say goodbye and wave as he leaves the car at his stop. We resettle ourselves and notice this excited lady to our right, looking at us. As I am trying to formulate the Franglish sentence, before I can even start, she makes eye contact. She doesn't blink. And she opens her mouth...

... "That was definitely not what she said," I think to myself, "My mind is just putting random sounds together"

    So I ask her to repeat herself "S'il vous plaît" 

   "Je suis Prophète! Je suis un prophète musulman!"...

Outside that, I understood very little, but my temporary missionary companion told me she wanted us to join her fold. It was an amazing way to start this mission!!!!

    So now I'm in my area, and I'm a part of a trio, with one of my trainers as District Leader (DL) . We got to Québec City, Québec few days ago, and it is so cool to see so many people and buildings!!! We have done a lot of street contacting and I've enjoyed it so much!  Granted, a vast majority of people will make eye contact, and then kinda block us out. but there are so many people! So we just try to leave a good impression on everyone, and talk with the people who are open to it!

    Also, I'm so stoked, because the majority of people in Québec only speak French! And so many of them have this heavy Quebecois accent! I really want this when I get back! It's literally a southern drawl, but while you're speaking French!! We met this super cute elderly couple, and they told me that I looked like Tin-Tin.  First, I looked like a mix of Jack-Jack and Mr. Incredible, and now I'm resembling Tin-Tin. I could nail a career as a Look-Alike Celebrity!

  As far as my mad skills go, my French is really coming along. Even though the French in this area barely sounds like what I heard from the MTC, it is really cool to see what I can hear/understand. My first Sunday was lit, and I understood 4% of the meetings, and the overall message of most of the talks/lessons. I was even able to give a short shpeel for Sacrament! It didn't sound great, but that will come with time and beaucoup/a lot of practice!!  

"French" of the day:

    Ciao-le

  So it's pronounced almost just like it looks. With the Italian "Ciao" and the French "Le". 

  This word essentially means "Goodbye", just very informally. (Also, it is super disorienting here, because everyone speaks French, but will randomly through in an English word. Just makes life a tad bit more interesting).

Alright, c'est tout pour le moment.  Just after I say goodbye, I will share a cool scripture.  So be excellent to each other, and party on, dudes!!!

 Ciao Ciao-le

Elder Biesinger.

  Mosiah 4:19-20 

     19 For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?

20 And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a remission of your sins. And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; he has poured out his Spirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with joy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy.