June 17, 2014

I started out last week by announcing at our Sunday-night sisters' family prayer (we have it every night- we sing a song, tell of miracles throughout the day, then we spin a hat to see who prays, then everyone compliments the person who prays) that we were entering my Birth Week and that everyone must participate :) It worked well because everyone was very aware of when my birthday was. 

That Tuesday (when I said I was going to a Mennonite town to shop), we went to Cantril, Iowa to the Dutchman. It's this great Mennonite store with everything your heart could desire. The senior couple who took us told us to get whatever and however much we wanted. So we are pretty set for the next little while. :) We then went to a Mennonite cheese factory- oh man they make good cheese.

Wednesday, we found a baby bird outside the Visitor's Center! Oh so cute. That morning, we went to the YPM's district meeting and did some fun roleplays with them- practicing how to change casual conversations to gospel ones in 45 second. We did questions like "What color is your toothbrush?" and "Do you say fireflies or lightning bugs?" and "How do you feel wearing a pioneer dress all day?". It was quite funny. 

AND THEN IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY. My companions from the MTC (I'm "real" companions with one of them, and I room with the other) made me french toast and eggs in the morning, then I got to take the sacrament (spiritually reborn on the birthday! yeah!), then they announced my birthday in Sunday School so I got to ham it up, we took a mission picture, I served in Carthage, some seniors brought over Hawaiian haystacks, then we went to district meeting where a couple made me a totes awesome cake and gave me balloons, and that evening, a some sisters and I learned some dance moves (which I will never be able to implement). Scatter some cards and "happy birthday"s and such throughout the day, plus being a missionary, it was PRIME.

I have a lot of pictures to send for next week's blog!