Monday, March 16, 2015

Stornoway :)

Sister Hurskainen, from Finland, is my new companion. She is almost 26. She has been a convert for 4 years. She is REALLY tall. The two cameras I have are both dead and I can't find the chargers for them, so getting pictures to yous will be SLOW... but it will be funny when you see us next to one another. Everyone calls us little and big. Things are so good. I love Stornoway. It will be hard to leave this place. This Sunday we had 19 members at sacrament meeting. That is the most we have had in about a year. My first Sunday we had about 6 members there... This is apparently the worst winter in like 20 years or something! BUT we have had 3 days of sunshine which has been a miracle! This week we are flying to Glasgow on Tuesday and won't be back until Friday for missionary meetings and exchanges. I love flying. Sister H says she HATES flying. Sister Brozzu hated it too, she would cry if the turbulence was bad whereas I would just laugh :) Haha. All is well over here though :) Love you! Have a good week!! It will be weird going to the mainland so soon... Just this Tuesday(March 10th) Sister Brozzu and I took the ferry to Ullapool, then the bus to Inverness, then the train to Edinburgh, then got picked up by the Zone Leaders and dumped on a random street to find them people to teach for 4 hours. It was pretty crazy. Then we spent the night in a sisters flat! Guess who was there!! My old companion, Sister Pitcher, from Limerick! It was cool seeing her again! AND isn't this funny! Sister Pitcher and Sister Montoya are now serving together! So when my mum comes to pick me up from the mission home she can meet two of my companions! :) There were about 8 of us sisters in the flat that night. We slept on the ground for about 5 hours. Then in the morning the zone leaders picked us up and took us to the train station. Sister Brozzu and I hugged goodbye and then I hugged hello to Sister Hurskainen. It was weird to just switch that fast. Then Sister H and I ran to get our train. Then we got a bus to Ullapool. When we were at Ullapool waiting for the ferry they told us the wind was SO STRONG the ferry hasn't left Stornoway yet!! We called the APs and told them what was going on and they told us to just wait there until we know what will happen with the ferry. Luckily for me, Kerri and Marwenna have both been trying to teach me to knit, so I had my knitting stuff with me and Sister H and I took turns knitting while we talked. When I first met her she told me "I don't like to talk very much. I am quiet and keep to myself." I told her "I don't know how to stop talking and I am pretty good and talking to myself to keep me entertained." Well, let me tell you, I guess I have a gift for talking because we haven't stopped talking to one another since we met. Hahah! We had to wait for the ferry for about 4 hours. Then it came and they weren't sure if it would want to do the trip back. If it did travel back we would get home around midnight. I called the APs and told them and they said we just need to try to get home. The ferry decided to sail back to Stornoway, so we boarded and got home around midnight. The Maddock's were kind enough to come and pick us up. The are so wonderful and do so much for us. I just love them. <3 Then when I was getting ready for bed I was suddenly VERY hyper! I think my sleep habits were wonky. I called the APs to ask if there was anyway we could have permission to sleep in, and they (half asleep I'm sure) said we could sleep until 10am. Then I sang them the "Good Morning Song" that my mother used to sing to me in the mornings. I thought it was appropriate since it was technically morning... :) I think they liked it. Hahaha! ...Sorry friends and family from home, I think the mission has made me MORE crazy then before! I know, I didn't think that was possible either... ;) The week was a weird one because we just felt not on the missionary schedule ever since sleeping in... We were so stoked for a REAL missionary week in Stornoway, but now we are flying away on Tuesday... Good thing we will be back on Fridaythough. Friday is our day of service. I don't know if I have decribed our Friday schedule before... but it is exciting! :)
We wake up at 6:30 and work out (like every morning, except Sunday's)
We get ready for the day from 7-8am
We study personally with the scriptures from 8-9
We read from the white hand book (which contains the missionary's rules) and sing a hymn
Then we walk to Action Aid Charity Shop. We do work there from 10-12.
After Action Aid we walk home and eat lunch :)
Then we walk to Save the Children Charity Shop and are there from 2-4:30.
When we finish at Save the Children we go to the Retirement Center and take Gaelic Lessons from our friend Maggie. It starts at 4:30-6. We are usually late because we can't be at two places at once, but Maggie understands. We hope to be able to teach her soon! :) 
From 6-9pm we are at the Retirement Center for the music night. It is really fun. We have so many friends there who are so talented and play songs all night. Sister H might sing in Finnish next week. She is really shy though. We'll see if she does it or not. :) I would love to play the violin there. It makes me bummed I didn't keep that up and didn't bring it on the mission. Awe well. Can't do it over now. 
But that is about everything that we do on a Friday. It is so cool because we get to meet so many new people and share with them the light of Christ that we carry and bear testimony of how this Gospel can change their lives and bring them so much happiness.
I love the mission. I love that I am able to spend 18 months out here to help people know how they can be with their families for eternity. I am grateful for the scriptures and for all that they teach us. We really can learn so much from the scriptures and apply them to our lives. I am grateful for temples, and that they are the closest we can get to Heaven on Earth. I love to see the temple. I am going back someday.
I hope that you all have a good week.
Man, this was a long and random email. Hope it isn't too boring.
Know that I love you lots and I am so grateful for you love and prayers and support! <3
xoxox
-Sister Kelsey Michelle Griffin 

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