The beach is not for the faint of heart

So S. Bishop and I went to the beach last week. We found a perfect spot with about 6 ft of delicious sand and wrote letters for about 4 hours. It was heaven. We wanted to go back today, but it just so happens that today was our Zone activity instead. We went to a different beach with about 14 Elders (Calvert Cliffs) where we buried someone in the sand, found shark teeth, and flew a kite. It was about a 2 mile hike to the beach from some "camp site" where we parked so when we hiked back we had a BBQ and played capture the flag. I played bare foot because my feet were full of sand and my shoes hurt. That probably wasn't wise, but "I'll survive. There's no blood" =] (Does that phrase sound familiar anyone?? anyone????? =] hehehe). I definitely don't have calluses on my feet anymore, but after today I might have sores.This week has been good. My body is dying on me. I used to be such a morning person, and now it's so hard to get up and exercise. Ugh. If Satan can't get sisters through other means he'll go through the body and make it fall apart.It's crazy how much alike S. Bishop and i are. We think the same things in the same way. It's really crazy. It's nice though because lessons are always unified cuz we both feel the same things and it usually goes smoothly. Yesterday we taught a woman in a really ghetto area of Waldorf who has 4 kids and a husband who could be good if he'd stop drinking and smoking crack. Oh, he told us he wanted to stop by the way...except he's been saying that for the last 10 years. We're gonna work with them and hopefully it'll end up well. She accepted conditional baptism date, and will set a real one hopefully next week. We'll see. Many people get to this point then we lose track of them and can't get a hold of them, but I have faith. Now she just needs to do her part and keep her commitments. She's the sweetest woman! It breaks my heart to see her in the conditions she's in. She and her husband are high school sweethearts and are actually married!!! I was shocked. You mean we don't have to talk you into getting married before you're baptized! WHAT!!! You're already married and have a family?!? A really family!?? WHAT! They're in a ghetto neighborhood. I'm proud of them. Now they just gotta prepare for baptism and then the temple =]. Easier said than done, but possible.Well, I hope you are feeling better than I am. Sun burnt and sore feet isn't the most admirable combination, but life trudges on right? =]. Hope you're doing swell. Stay outta trouble. Love ya!

~Sister Witbeck~

lml/
--Don't be lazy, be CRAZY!!!--
----Moroni 8:3----

The great cool off

Hey y'all! The heat has abased a little and I'm enjoying being outside. My comp and I are going to the beach to write letters and possibly fly a kite =]. "The beach" isn't really the incredibly beautiful place you dream about, but it's still awesome. Most of it is just peoples backyards, but there are some public areas.Last week we had another Less Active (LA) miracle. On Tuesday we went to visit some people we'd never met before. We talked to them and testified....to no avail. We left them with our phone number and an invitation to come to church kinda feeling like we couldn't do anything to help them. They are a CUTE family with a 17 month old baby, and weren't sure if God even exists and weren't even willing to let us help them understand. 2 days later (Thursday) we got a call from Bro. Hatcher (the husband) who said he is not willing to give up his views but he and his wife talked about it and they think the church would be good for their son, not to mention the family as a whole. We were so excited!!!! The spirit was working with them after we left, and caused him to call us voluntarily! That's amazing. It would've been so easy for him to say "well, we'll just wait for the next set of missionaries to knock on our door and tell them we think it'll be good." But no, he called! You never know what influence a simple testimony can have when it is sincere. I love seeing how God continues to watch over His children even when they don't obey His commandments. He wants us to turn to Him, but lets us have our agency and choose. He never steps away or turns His head even for one second.I played for the cellist last Saturday =]. Apparently my talents are needed in this ward, I just hope they don't get sick of me. Before Sat. another ward member called "because I heard you can play anything at a moments notice" I don't know who gave me THAT label but it certainly wasn't me! So I played for them, and have been asked to accompany the choir in a few weeks for their song as well. I don't mind at all because I haven't really used my piano skills too much yet (except at the VC) and I like playing for others and bringing the spirit through music. It's my greatest passion.The work continues on. Don't miss the boat on this one! Great blessings await you if you'll just ask, seek, and knock. Love you!!! Have a fabulous week =]

~Sister Witbeck~

"And it was as a lake of fire and brimstone"

Summer has officially hit. I've melted off about 500 lbs daily. You'd never believe someone could melt off more weight than they are till now. Yes, I'm turning inside out. The last week it's been in the upper 90's and lower 100's, PLUS humidity. I feel like the judgements of God are upon the people in this area...Last Saturday my comp and I went to a LA man in our ward and mowed his lawn, or what seemed to be closest to his house that we could call a lawn since he owns a farm of 40 acres. S. Bishop had an old lawn mower and I took the weed whacker and we went at it for about 3 hours. I've never sweat that much in my life. It just dripped off! GROSS! My back dripped for the first time and I looked at S. Bishop with the most horrified face she's ever seen, and of course she just laughed at me. That's one thing I'm not going to get used to =[. Although I do like getting into pants and working outside.Anywho, enough about the heat =], now about the amazing area! Last Sunday was Stake Conference and a part member family came. The wife (who's not a member) came up to us afterwards, gave us her info and said "I want you to come over this summer. I'll have time to actually sit down and study and I want to hopefully get baptized." the reply was something like "I think we can help you with that" wink wink. I'm excited for that one. She's awesome, and her son plays cello and is playing for a YM/YW talent show during a ward party this weekend and couldn't find anyone to play the piano part of some Hayden cello concerto. She called and asked if I can accompany him. Of course! I haven't done anything like that for a long time, so I hope I still have the skill, but it'll be fun.The thunder storms here are incredible! I love it!!!! And we ate dinner the other night on the beach =]. Our area goes from the petuxent river on the East side to the Potomac on the West. It's crazy fun.Well, I hope you all have a wonderful week! Stay cool =] I know it's hot there too...but at least it's not humid where you're just wet and sticky all day long. Love y'all!

~Sister Witbeck~

Healing waters

I've decided this area needs to be called healing waters because that's just what it does. I have never felt so free and productive on the mission till now. It's never been better. I'm probably going to be here for 2 transfers seeing as it's enough to be trained in the area, then train another missionary in the area before I leave it. Pres. hasn't let anyone stay longer than 3 months (2 transfers) and definitely won't let anyone end their mission here. All sisters will end at the VC, so I will be back there probably in Aug/Sept. Basically I'm on a summer spree. I love this area! It's in the country so everyone has a hick accent =] which I adore. The ward loves the missionaries and I just hope I can keep their trust and the momentum that's been established by previous sisters.Last week we had 3 individual investigators, a family and a couple less active people at church! Yesterday we had zone conference and Elder Hardy (sp?) area authority 70 spoke to us. He talked about this mission how it's the capitol of the world, and we have a wonderful opportunity to meet and associate with many different cultures and peoples...which is true. I've met someone from every country of Europe, most of Asia, Africa, and the Americas. I'm going to look back on this experience with gratitude and awe I'm sure.Everything here is great, I hope you are all doing well! I enjoy getting letters so THANKS! to those of you who send me letters. I'm trying to find time to write back, so don't give up hope. You'll get one eventually =]. Please take every opportunity to love those around you a little more. Pick one thing you know you should be doing and work on it this week. As you do so you will feel a more powerful spirit enter your life and you will find a greater feeling of love in your families. I can promise you that in the name of the Lord because I am His servant and have been blessed with His authority for this short period in my life. Love and miss ya! Have a fantastic week =]

~Sister Witbeck~
Moroni 8:3