Monday, May 26, 2014

What a Week!

Hello family. 

This was quite the week. Let me start by talking about our incredible zone conference. It was so amazing. Sister Dobbins and I had to role play in front of everyone. Four zones... over 100 missionaries. It was so stressful and scary but all went well. That night we found out that we're serving six companionships. 12 sisters. Wow. It's a lot of responsibility but the Lord will bless me if I'm faithful. 

I don't have much time and I don't even know how to explain this week anyway. But because of some mistakes and bad decisions of other missionaries Sister Dobbins and I are split up for an indefinite exchange. It's supposed to be temporary. Life is in a bit of limbo right now. There's a lot of stuff and emotions and, yeah. I've never had to be so strong. But I know with all of my heart that Heavenly Father answers prayers. He loves us all so much and strengthens us. I've never had such meaningful, powerful prayers. I know that Heavenly Father answers prayers. I know with all of my heart that this gospel is true. Don't doubt it. Strengthen your testimonies everyday. I love you all! 

Love,
Sister Veronica White

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Another Transfer!

Dear family,

I am staying here in Burien with Sister Dobbins! I have had a grin on my face ever since last night when we found out. I can't take it off my face. I'm just so happy to be here in Burien for another transfer and to continue to work with these people. And to be with Sister Dobbins. We get along so well and I'm just so grateful for her. She's a huge blessing! 

So... this week was fun. Lots of really funny things happened. I'm not the best story teller so I don't know whether I'll be able to adequately get the humor of this week across but I shall attempt to. So the UVU dancers came to our stake and did a performance and we have an investigator who loves that type of thing so we invited her. They did all these different cultural dances. Basically though, it was all the same moves. Whether it was Tahitian, Native American, or Latino they all looked the same. Sister Dobbins and I decided that we could easily get a dance scholarship to UVU if our lives came to that. Family, remember that awful Miss UVU pageant thing. This was a very similar experience. It was one of the worst things of my life, but so funny and entertaining. And our investigator loved it, so I guess that's good. Too much immodesty, though. Shirtless dancer men trying to do the haka and look intimidating but completely failing... no thanks.
 
Also, this week we went to a BBQ for someone in our ward. This was the most awkward BBQ that has ever happened in the history of BBQs. For real. There were quite a few nonmembers that we were able to talk to, though. So our investigator that came to the BBQ. She showed up in a belly shirt with a turban around her head and then decided to smoke on the porch where the guy was BBQing. And then this realtor man came and he was not even a real person. The way he spoke. It kills me. Sister Dobbins and I have been imitating it all weekend long. It's just so funny. Just picture a horrible announcing voice that changes decibels with every syllable and then say the most cliche things you can think of and you're pretty much there. He was even wearing his realtor nametag and tried to sell Sister Dobbins and me a house in Burien. haha. No thanks. Basically this was the best BBQ I've ever been to. And it was made better by the fact that this week I had some sort of allergic reaction or something and my eyes got big and swollen and super itchy. It looked like someone had beat me up. I had little pig slit eyes. 

Also, we were out walking to this potential's house yesterday and the mailman pulls over next to us and was like: I'm sorry, I'm just curious to see who you guys are. I don't see people wear clothes like you're wearing. We gave him a mormon.org card. But it was super funny. Wearing clothes here in Burien is kind of an unusual thing. When girls are wearing dresses, they're not dresses. They're shirts.

Okay, one experience to share with you really fast that shows just how important it is to talk with everyone. Yesterday we were pulling up to the church to meet with our Relief Society president and there was this man walking on the street. I told Sister Dobbins to hurry and park so that I could go talk to this guy. I was frantically looking for a Finding Faith in Christ card from my bag but my bag had turned into a black hole. Finally I grab one but he's already past us. So I jump out of the car and kind of chase after him and just ask him if I could give him a card. He had head phones in and it scared him so bad. He jumped so high. It was hilarious. I apologized for scaring him and we had a great little lesson. He's from India and we're having a church tour tomorrow. Wahoo. Miracles. 


Keep praying for Hector to get Sundays off, please. He's wonderful and loving the Book of Mormon. But he needs to be able to come to church. 


I love you all. Hope this letter makes sense. I was writing it so fast. CTR, okay? Love you all tons!
Love,

Monday, May 12, 2014

Birthday Week!

 Boba on my birthday. So good. It was strawberry mango. Yum!

 Fuifui and Omi surprised me on my birthday with balloons and a card. The card is so cute with photos of us together and then on the back there's a "memory lane." I just love her so much! 

 And then later that night we had the Etes come to a lesson with us for Hector so they could be fellowship and they surprised me with gifts. They're so sweet! On her card she listed why each thing was there... nerf gun to relieve frustration (she bought Sister Nudd one too..) Chocolate, granola, balloon. It was so sweet! They really made my birthday. It was hard being away from you but my Samoans made up for it. They're so good to me. 

P.S. please forgive the largeness of my hair... that's what happens to it when it gets rained on and dries over and over throughout the day.

 And this is my favorite! This is the birthday card Seka sent me. It's Seka, me and Sister Dobbins in our single shelf sisterhood because our joke is that none of us are ever going to get married so we'll just be together sitting on a shelf. hahah. It probably doesn't even make sense but the card is so funny!
 Lots of photos. On the eighth Sister Smalley and Sister Nudd surprised me with a surprise birthday party in the church kitchen. They are so sweet! Here are the photos from that. 

 This is a legitimate candid shot. I was looking at Sister Nudd because she got me a mini hymnbook and even had it engraved. She's so sweet. I'm sorry my mouth is so large though.


 Isn't this card hilarious?!
 And then came the mustaches... 

We don't call ourselves the Icky Sisters for nothing.
 Serious Men
 Happy Men

 The hideousness got a little out of hand.
Well family.

It was so good to talk to you yesterday. You all look great. I can't believe what a little man Joe has become. That is not the same little brother that I left almost a year ago. Kind of makes me sad, but all is well. I feel like I pretty much caught you up on everything yesterday and I don't have much time right now.. my computer is about to kick me off. But I'll share with you just a few things.

Hector is amazing. Please keep him in your prayers that he'll be able to get Sundays off of work so he can come to church. Also that he'll be able to keep the word of wisdom. He said it was going to be hard but he has the faith tat Heavenly Father will be able to help him. He is so incredible. He just understands so much. Has such a hunger for knowledge and understanding. I've learned a lot from him. There's a YSA branch that'll be starting in June and he'd be going to that so we were able to use the Etes as fellowship for him. They are so wonderful. Any day that I get to see them is a good day. They are my family away from you guys. I love them so much.

That's one of my favorite things about being a missionary. The love! The love I have for the gospel. For my Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ. For ward members. For my companion. For investigators. For the gospel. I just love it all so much. And I even feel like I love you more even though I'm far away. I'm just so grateful for the examples that you are to me. Thank you for being such wonderful people and for being my best friend. 

Thank you for the birthday package. I loved it all! Thanks especially for the water bottle. In the last two days that I've had it I've been drinking more water which is really good. I'm 20 years old now. I've almost been away for a year. Wow. 

I love you all so much! Read your scriptures. Go to the temple. CTR!
Love,
Sister Veronica White

Monday, May 5, 2014

I Turn 20 This Week! WHAT?!?



These are scary brownies from elders. But the face they created cracks me up.

Hello family,

So at the end of this week I will turn twenty. This really freaks me out. Basically I'm having an early life crisis. I just can't believe that I'm that old. Plus when I came on my mission I was barely nineteen. And so the fact that I'm turning twenty means that I've almost been out for an entire year. And that makes me want to cry. But all is well. Sister Dobbins will help me get over this early life crisis. No need to worry. 

Thanks so much Dad for the birthday package. That was so sweet. Made my day! This week was another incredible week full of so many miracles. I feel like right now I'm the best I've ever been on my mission. Of course there's still a ton to improve on and so much more to learn but I feel like through the Atonement I'm slowly getting there and I'm becoming a better person. I'm so grateful for my mission. It has seriously changed my life. More than words can even express. I LOVE being a missionary. 

Anyway, on to some of the miracles. Blanca! She's a former investigator that we felt like we should go visit. We got there and she was so sweet. We watched the Because of Him video (probably my favorite thing of all time!) and she loved it. We started discussing the things that are possible in our lives Because of Him. The Spirit was really strong and then we found out that she's been reading the Book of Mormon on her own. She pulled up lds.org and showed us how she's in 2 Nephi. We're going to have a church tour later this week. She's so awesome. Keep her in your prayers, though. She has a lot of family opposition. 

Do you remember Hector? He's amazing. We had two lessons with him this week. He could not be more prepared for the gospel. At the beginning of the week we taught him the Restoration and he had already read the introduction, testimonies and four chapters of 1 Nephi. But he hadn't just read them. He had studied them and had amazing questions. He's so smart and he was teaching us about the angel Moroni visiting Joseph Smith. It was the coolest! Then later this week we watched the movie about Joseph Smith with him and he loved it. He thinks that Joseph Smith is a prophet and wants to learn more. I've never taught someone with so much real desire to learn. He's amazing. Pray for him, too, though. He works every Sunday so he wasn't able to come to church. He's praying to get Sundays off. Will you pray for him too? 

We had a wonderful Zone Conference. I really love President and Sister Choi so much. We talked a lot about obedience and love. Obedience is so important. All Heavenly Father wants us to do is be obedient so He can bless us. He loves us so much and wants us to be happy. When we are obedient we can be truly happy! It's just so simple but for some reason we always like to complicate things. 

Sister Dobbins is so great! I love her so much. I love being her companion. We have so much fun together and just work so well together. She is an answer to prayers. I LOVE her! She was sick throughout this week so we went on a few mini exchanges and I got to be with Sister Nudd too. I think I've mentioned a little about her. She is a convert of two years. She is also so amazing I just always feel like I learn so much when I'm around her. I love being a missionary. I love life! I love this gospel with all of my heart! I know that we have a Father in Heaven who loves us and a Savior who atoned for us and who redeemed us. This gospel is true. This gospel is happiness. I love you all so much! I can't wait to talk to you next week. Love you! CTR!

Love,
Sister Veronica White