Dickinson, ND - week 4

Happy Halloween!  Oct 31, 2016

Hi, everyone!

Today is a rare treat for the missionaries of the North Dakota Bismarck mission. Halloween is not a safe night for missionaries sometimes, because there are a lot of people out in the streets, not all looking for Halloween candy, and also because sometimes people dress up like us and make mischief and get the mission in trouble. So today we get a FULL P-day--ending at 9pm instead of 6! It is going to be amazing. This morning we got up early and attended the early morning seminary Halloween party. We are going to carve pumpkins this afternoon and go to dinner at the Hollis and play games with members this evening. Sister Harrington and I are going to do missionary version of Halloween costumes--which means we will switch nametags and see if anyone notices. I am going to do bedtime stories with the sisters tonight after planning--we've decided to make it a slumber party. It is going to be a blast!

A few more fun facts about North Dakota:

- There are a TON of people up here of Scandinavian descent. The names Schuetzler and Kostelecky up here are as common as Giles and Bonner and Ritchie in Heber City. That is also where the awesome accent comes from (think of those two moose from Brother Bear--that's basically it).

- When you fill up with gas around here, you have to enter your vehicle's VIN number and the number of miles on your odometer. Sister Harrington and I have no idea why this is.

- There are roughly 1 million people in our mission. 

- Everyone said it was going to snow before Halloween. It hasn't. Sister Harrington is disappointed. I am absolutely thrilled.

We had exchanges this week. I don't think I ever told you about the other sisters in my apartment. Sister Severe is a darling redhead who will say or do almost anything with a smile on her face. Seriously, ANYTHING. She is absolutely adorable and has declared herself to be my godmother. Sister Pemberton is even shorter than I am and is whitty and good-natured and fun. She reminds me a lot of Amanda in her manner and dry sense of humor. They are our STLs, or Sister Training Leaders--basically the same thing as a zone leader, but for the sisters. They did a one-day exchange with us starting Tuesday night, and since we live in the same apartment, that means that Sister Severe and I switched rooms. I washed my sheets and cleaned the room and packed an overnight bag and everything--then found out that in this case, it is OK to go back and forth between rooms to get clothes and things. I was just really nervous and wanted to get it right. They thought I was adorable. Seriously, the whole "mom" jargon out here is appropriate--I feel like such a little kid sometimes. Anyway, Sister Pemberton and I were companions for a day. We did studies, including some great role play, and did some of my training. Then we got lunch at a Thai restaurant and ate outside, talking about her experience teaching English in Russia and my experiences in Israel. We then volunteered at the House of Manna, did some tracting, ate at a member's house, and had ward coordination in her ward before going home. It was an amazing experience, and I learned so much from her. Part way through the House of Manna, she looked at me and said, "I would like to be friends with you for a long time." I couldn't agree more. I was so tickled I walked around collecting hangers with a grin on my face like I'd just won the lottery. That day was also my 5 week mark, and that night all the sisters insisted on putting a candle in a cupcake for me and singing "Happy Birthday." I love them all so much--my mom and my aunt and my godmother. :)

The really funny thing is that we managed to meet more crazy, argumentative people in that one day than I've met my whole mission. Highlights include:

- A man who asked us if we were 7th Day adventist, then proceeded to tell us that the finding of the Book of Mormon is ridiculous and that there is no Godhead and telling us to "read our book" (the Bible) and see if he was right--and all this without us having said ANYTHING about religion.

- A woman who insisted adamantly that BYU had carbon dated some document (I assume the Doctrine and Covenants, but she wasn't sure) and had found that it was newer than everyone thought, which meant the Word of Wisdom wasn't really sent from God, and that Mormons everywhere were now flooding Starbucks locations to drink coffee for the first time.

- A man who leaned in way too close to me and started telling me what he thought of a girl in the other room--and it was NOT nice.

- A man who started scoffing and laughing at Sister Pemberton while she was in the middle of reciting the first vision. She just ploughed on through, which made me proud. This same man said that we could stop by his business to teach him, but insisted (when we told him that Sister Severe would be there because he was in the 1st ward area) that he wanted to hear the lessons from me. I thought he was impressed with my testimony. Sister Pemberton thought he was flirting with me.

People are crazy. I am going to have SO MANY stories when I get home. Every day brings something, whether the good, the bad, or the crazy.

We had a ward Halloween party on Friday night. Brother Farnsworth was dressed as Kermit the Frog--he is the biggest Muppet fan I ever met. Sister Hart, who is pregnant, had cut a hole in her shirt and put some black felt with eyes on it there, so that it looked like something was staring out from her stomach. We had a lot of people bring non-member and less active friends, which was amazing. The bishopric made funnel cakes and the YM/YW did games and trick or treat for the kids. Sister Harrington was in a lot of pain while we were there--she gets horrible neck pain and migraines because of whiplash from a car accident some years ago. When some of the members realized she was not OK, they went all out to make sure that she got a blessing and anything else that would help. They all told me to look after her, which I do try to do--whenever she lets me, anyway. I just love this ward so much. They are such good people and are so willing to reach out an help others in any way they can. I am so grateful I get to be here to serve alongside them.

I bore my testimony in church yesterday. I said that I know the church is true and that I am excited to serve the ward. I also invited anyone who didn't know me to introduce themselves to me so I could get to know them better, and several of them did! We helped out in Gospel Principles like we do every week. We are trying to get some less actives and new converts together to do an adult baptisms for the dead trip on Friday. We will be in Bismarck anyway for Zone training meeting, so Sister Harrington and I will get the spend the whole afternoon at the temple. I cannot wait. I haven't been this excited about a temple trip since I got endowed. It has been a reminder to me that the final goal for every member and investigator is the temple. It is the place where we receive the highest of all our Heavenly Father's blessings. I am so excited to be there again and renew my covenants, and remember what that goal is for everyone I teach.

That is about it this week. I am well. The Lord is providing. North Dakota The wind is blowing. The sky is gorgeous. The hay bales are cylinders. The oil is pumping. The people are friendly (usually). The churches are Lutheran (Catholic/Presbyterian/Pentecostal/7thDay/Baptist/You-Name-It). The fields are endless. The work rolls forward. All is well.

I love you all so much. Please keep writing. Also, a selfish request--nothing makes me happier than to get something in the mailbox, so if you ever have a minute, I would love a note by hand. Thank you all again for your love and support.

Love always,

Sister Pullan