Oh my goodness so so so much to talk about, but not at the same time because I think I told it all on "google hangout" :) So sorry family if I repeat some things. Can I just say, I'm still the happiest girl on earth from yesterday.
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| Sister Smith and I singing in the rain while tracting :) |
Lets start with my student teaching choice! I decided to go back to Rexburg and take part in their new student teaching program. I'll have my own classroom at Madison Middle School and will not only teach those students but also mentor Education student from BYU-I. They will have a chance from time to time to teach my class and then I will help them by giving them feedback, working with their lesson plans, etc. I'm so excited! So many good things ahead!
Next, transfer news.. Drum roll please! I am going to serve in my first "Branch!" A Branch is a smaller congregation, and I'm super stoked because its in Buford GA which is in the Sugar Hill Stake (where Coal Mountain is). Its the Lanier Branch.. Its also a Spanish Branch. Yes, you read that right. No, this is not a late April Fools joke (although it would be a good one). Yup! I'm going to be attempting to speak Spanish for my last 3 months. How crazy and exciting!! :) Oh.. And.. We're the first sisters, so once again I'll be starting fresh and building up. Fun stuff! :)
So, really I have had the best week imaginable. We have been so blessed, its amazing! Yesterday we were talking with the Elders after church and Elder Blair and I just knew we were both being transferred and we decided that this was the Sunday to leave on.. We really went out with a bang! It was perfect! Sister Smith and I had 5 of the people we are teaching come to church and had a few other part-member families that we are seeing from time to time come. Sister Spencer stood up in our Relief Society (the womens class) and asked everyone to pray for her so that she can have extra strength so she can be baptized. :) Lacey told her Sunday School class that she was learning from us to be baptized. And McKinley told our Gospel Principles class that she was being baptized June 7th (news to us, haha) And you can't forget Brother Moore yelling at me "Hey I know you! Get over here and give me a hug!" :) It was just a wonderful day!
Let me tell you one of the reasons I love the South so much. It was a fairly hot and real humid day yesterday and we were tracting.. At one door the woman was clearly not interested so I just talked to her about mothers and then thanked her for letting us be in the shade on her porch to talk with her. She then said "How rude of me! Darlin's you just sit right there on the steps and I'll go get you some water." Sister Smith looked at me like we were in some other world.. We sat down and enjoyed glasses of ice cold water, she simply asked that we leave the glasses on the porch. I love the South because there really aren't a lot of places around like that where hospitality not only exists, but is the norm.
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| The Spencers at Jimmy's baptism! :) |
We were able to attend the baptism of Jimmy this weekend, he's been being taught by the elders since Feb. I always love seeing him on Sundays! I'm amazed that it doesn't matter who is being baptized but at every baptism I attend tears fill my eyes when the actual baptism is performed. Its such a simple and beautiful act, its truly perfect. Brother Williams told Jimmy that he was the most clean person in the room and Jimmy just smiled and said "I feel that way!" It was so special I feel very blessed to have seen him grow these past months, and it was a miracle to have Sister Spencer and her daughter there as well. Who both LOVED it :)
We saw a woman in the congregation this week who hasn't been to church in many years and used to be quite hostile (so we were told). Turns out she's our new best friend! haha That's my favorite thing, when people tell me that someone is going to be feisty and then we go and its great. She's from Germany and said about a week ago she started reading a church book given to her years ago and said that as she read a strange thing happened.. she felt good.. then we showed up! It was sweet to get to know her and to hear her tell us that she still knows the Book of Mormon is true and that she wants us to start coming to study with her. I also loved that she was so amused with me being from CA because of the earthquakes.. She kept saying "If I lived there I'd sleep in a hammock.. because they sway anyways so I wouldn't panic if there was an earthquake.. because I'd never know!" Haha Okay Claudia!
The Everitts are doing absolutely fantastic! Coming to church each week, reading the scriptures, and praying. :) I love that family and I love going over to see them!
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| Here's Brother Wood :) Going to miss that man! |
The Dixons also are doing amazing. Really, they mean so much to me! We sat behind them in Sacrament meeting and I let out a little hiccup. Okay, lets be honest, it was loud.. haha But anyways immediately Sister Dixon turned around and said with tears "Oh I'm gunna miss you!" I know I say this a lot.. but I really do love that family like my own. I'm going to miss my "abby hugs" each Sunday. I'm going to miss Brother Dixon teasing me. I'm going to miss Emma telling me all about her life.. I'm just flat out going to miss them. Watching the Dixon's learn about and accept the gospel will always be one of my most cherished memories. Always. And, I will come back to see them get sealed. Which means I'll need to start making some money asap.. Jordanne, if you're reading this, get ready to go back to GA with me! :)
I'm sure there is more that I could tell you, but its time I get going. Moral of the story, I'm really excited and nervous for the adventure up ahead and am going to miss this place. Once again the people here have become family, and this has become home. I know that is only possible because of my Savior, the Gospel, and this small black name tag that I love so much.
Please keep me in your prayers! And please continue to pray for the Spencers, I really hope I'll be able to come back for their baptism, but its unlikely.. But its okay! Because I read 1 Corinthians 1:17"For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel." And I wrote "Amen Paul, I feel the same way" in my scriptures. :) Its okay that I don't get to see the people I teach be baptized. I'm always transfered.. What matters is I get to see the light come into their eyes and their faith grow. I'm here to teach, because teaching is what I love!
I love you!!
Love,
Hermana Hamilton <-- Now that's weird!!
P.S. The title of this email came from a father who kept saying that to us at dinner.. it was wild.. like a child pooping on the floor kind of wild.. uh.. ya. HAHA
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