Bethesda

Well, rich snobs and door slamming is what I'm surrounded by now. It's a BIG change from down south with "country folk" where people are nice and everyone waves at you whether they know you or not. I'm still in the habit of waving but instead of seeing it in return all I get is a sour face and squinted eyes. Quite the contrast. Doesn't get me down however, the first half of my mission was the exact same thing. Gotta love the innocent passersby =].In this area we tract a LOT! there's not many other people to check on and since the ward is not into missionary work we must do all the finding. People are snobby and mean, but I get a kick outta their attempts to reject. Some do it very rudely and some don't want to but end up being rude anyway. I can't help but laugh. They just haven't learned yet that they can say no and still be kind. We were let into a home of this man from India...I was a little skeptical when I walked in (after asking if his wife was home and him laughing at the question thinking he's not dangerous, but really it's just a rule and I am obedient), and very soon that skepticism was well granted when in the living room what do we find? a group of about 5 Indians (all Christian mind you, not Hindu which surprised me a bit) having a religious meeting. Bibles in the lap and all. The man who answered the door first began with the scripture in Revelations which says "thou shalt not add to or take away from these revelations..." blah blah blah. Of course I had to explain about the Bible and basically everything Elder Holland said 2 conferences ago. Then he brought out a bunch of religious books written by "inspired" men. He said if the Book of Mormon was like these books then he would read it, but because we claim it's scripture he refused. My poor companion is really shy and has a hard time with English as it is, and more especially so with their heavy Indian accent (I've got the African accent down like it was American, but the Indian one is gonna take a bit), so while she was just trying to figure out what they were saying I took the initiative most of the time, and her sometimes. He would not allow me to read any scriptures from the Book of Mormon, so I bore as powerful a testimony as I could about the book, and how God has called a prophet on the earth today, and he said I'm in a cult! Because I claim that God is among men...or something like that. It was really funny because everything I said he understood wrong and tried to contradict with "well you're saying that...." then of course I had to correct "no that is not what I said. I said....which means....". He never got anything, but about 10 minutes later after something else I said, he said "oh, well you're not in a cult.""Don't contradict yourself" I said, "I can't be in a cult 10 minutes ago and now not. Decide which it is you believe because I'm not confused, but it seems you are." He never figured that one out either.Towards the end I basically said (although not in these same words) see you at the judgement day. He said the same and we parted ways. Interesting how people can be so hard hearted and think they have the only truth when they don't even have a leader (they belong to no church but meet together sometimes to discuss the Bible). Anyways, we are teaching a part member family. The parents are not members but their son is. He's on a mission right now and will be back next month. Pray for them! Anne (the mom) knows the book of Mormon is true, but Chuck (the dad) is a staunch Methodist. It's a good thing our ward mission leader used to be a Methodist ordained minister =]. It's been kinda weird being back at the Visitors' Center. So much more stress. I like being full pros so much more, but you do what you gotta do I guess. I hope you are all doing well! I love and miss you.
~Sister Witbeck~ lml/

--Don't be lazy, be CRAZY!!!--

----Moroni 8:3----

Change....

Well, I got transferred. I am going to miss White Plains II ward sooooo much! I learned so much too about faith, prayer, diligence, obedience, it's all the small principles that are so important and change everything about you. I am changed from 3 months ago. It's kinda a cool feeling to be able to recognize the ways in which I've changed and improved. I've still got a long way to go, but I'm at least making progress =]. I loved those people more than I have ever loved anything. Yes I cried, and might be a little bitter for a few days...jk, I won't. I'll miss it but I'm excited for my new area. My new comp is another Brazilian! Her name is Sister Ferreira (sounds like Fa-hair-ah). She is new, in fact this is her 2nd transfer so hopefully I don't give her any bad habits she'll keep for the rest of her life =]. We are in Bethesda/Chevy Chase MD (right next to DC), which is a very rich area, and almost dead right now for missionary work, but we'll get it moving. I'm expecting miracles to happen, so it's going to be a rockin' joy ride. We live in a church. Yes, you read that right, a church building. Not next to it, but inside the church. It's really weird, but way cool. That means for exercize in the morning we have a basketball court, and many pianos =] I gotta exercize my fingers as well as my body. This also means that I'm back at the Visitors' Center. I don't think I'm ready for that mentally, but it's not like I can hold off on it. You just kinda get plunged into everything, so I'll have to get over it and learn to like it....again. Jean Taylor was baptized last Sunday =]. She is so cool!!!! Her baptism was the best thing I've been to in a while. Her husband has been waiting for this day for 10 years. They have a goal to go to the temple in a year, so I'm definitely coming back for that. Other than that I don't really know anything about my new area yet, I just met my comp an hour ago (she came while I was south so I never met her). She sounds exactly like Sister Cardoso though which makes me really excited =]. I love that girl. OH! AND Sister Cardoso is training!!!! Which makes me a grandma in mission time. I'm so excited for her trainee (daughter). She is the most humble sister I've ever met, and they will just love each other. Maybe I'll take a "family photo" and send it to you next week or so. I hope you are all doing well! I have no idea what's going on there, but I trust God is watching over you. I love you all.

~Sister Witbeck~

lml/

--Don't be lazy, be CRAZY!!!--

----Moroni 8:3----

Miracles and baptisms

Ok, so here's the didlio from this week. first off we did sing our song and both the Pres and the missionaries loved it. Hats off. Jean is still planning on getting baptized Sunday so that's good news. Had an interview with Pres Friday and he said he's thinking about keeping me here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've only told him not to move me every week since I got here. But things are never solid with transfers till after our call outs Monday night so I guess you'll know next week when I write again. He also mentioned that he might and I mean MIGHT move me to the ASL program for the end of my mission after next transfer which will be Oct 1st, so I'm not going to get all excited and then it doesn't happen, but I can tell you I've been praying for this for a long time and I know you all have as well. Again, nothing certain till after it happens, but it's a least a highly pleasing idea =].Here's the biggie mircle! Our investigator Gladys and her family (a fiance and 2 daughters--Deijha and Kayla) were being evicted Tuesday, which was a huge mess and lots of longs stories, but I won't bore you with all the details, just suffice it to say that she tried everything and we tried everything. She had a house ready to move into but then that even fell through, so Monday morning rolls around and she has movers over there taking all her stuff and putting it into a truck and she has no idea where these things are going to go when they are all done. Right in the middle of it all Monday morning, the landlady calls and tells her to go ahead and move her stuff in and her family and they'll worry about it later. It was a complete miracle and everything was done at the last minute, but it worked out according to her faith and our prayers. I've been studying and learning a lot lately about effective prayer so it was a perfect lesson for me, and a great testimony for her. She really wants to be baptized and right now is working on quiting smoking (she has a goal to quit by Sept 17th), and soft talking her fiance so they will get married and she and her daughters can get baptized (her fiance isn't interested yet, but he's softening). She wants to do what's right, and she's trying her darnedest. It's so cool to see how much she's changed since we met her just 3 weeks ago. She said she was thinking about suicide the day we knocked on her door and she knew we were sent by God to show her the way. Well, show her we are, and following she is. Amazing. She will also be baptized and her daughters as well. Deijha (just sounds like Deja, I dunno why people have to make weird spellings of names...) is 9 and really wants to be baptized =]. She's so cute. I love how the gospel is so simple that we can teach both Deijha and her mom together and both can understand and learn.The other wonderful happening this week was that a member gave us each a $10 gift card to cold stone creamery for helping her move so we went and found heaven hidden inside. Apparently they have a new thing where you can buy a quart that you pick the ice cream and 4 mixins. It's incredible! Of course I chose chocolate ice cream with butterfingers, Heath bars, Gieradhelli (or however it's spelled) squares, and cookie dough. My comp had cream cheese ice cream with bananas, gram crackers (like the crust on the cake) reeses, and something else. We are going to be 500 lbs heavier by next week =] but it's so worth it.I hope all is well in your neck of the woods. Keep prayin. I love you all!

~Sister Witbeck~

lml/

--Don't be lazy, be CRAZY!!!--

----Moroni 8:3----

Death masks and happiness

Well, this one is gonna be short cuz I don't have a lot of time. We had a zone activity today and played ultimate Frisbee =]! I was in heaven...until I almost got knocked out by running into an Elders' shoulder....whoops. Then we made death masks. Yup, just like Joseph Smith but with a bowl of flour and plaster of paris. It was mighty fun. Couldn't have done anything better for p-day except now we have almost no time to get everything done! Eek! Good thing we only have zone activity day once a transfer.S. Mourier and I made a song about how elders hate sisters and how sisters hate elders....it's a problem, but the song is really good! Kinda exaggerated, and really sarcastic, but I think it'll be awesome pants =]. We are going to sing it for a meeting with a bunch of other missionaries on Friday...as long as Pres. approves which I'm sure he will.Well, I hope everything is going well for you! Keep trudging. Love ya!

~Sister Witbeck~

lml/

--Don't be lazy, be CRAZY!!!--

----Moroni 8:3----