The Unknown Name of a Letter

I cry tears as I read through the email and letters sent to me this week. Thank you to everyone.

Good news is that we survived our first week of riding bikes. The Petal area was split last transfer with the Petal elders so now we have car share. This week was our week for bikes. I haven't ridden my bike in a long time so it was really hard at first and on my cruise hybrid, I use only my legs because of how you sit on the bike. You wouldn't think that means much but it does. Luckily my legs adjusted and I quickly figured out ways to get up inclines and around the messy sidewalks around here. Plus I found a penny!

This has been a strange week for weather. It was nearly freezing earlier on Tuesday and Wednesday. A kind member bought us leggings to keep us warm. Then throughout the week we kept ourselves bundled to stay warm and discovered we didn't need to. By Sunday it was hot and humid and we did not want to wear cardigans outside even though we still needed them in church and in members homes. So confusing.

Unfortunately we have repeated comments about how ridiculous we look... Good thing there aren't any mirrors on our bikes.

Good news we had a baptism this week! Our good friend Alexis finally was able to have all of her important family and friends watch her enter the waters of baptism. There was a big turn out from the ward and great treats from the Relief Society and Young Women's (she's 17).

I've been working on a few select watercolors. I've determined that I just can't be without doing art, its who I am. However, I've put restrictions on this talent to keep my focus on the real work I'm here to do: number one-- I can only paint for other people, if its for myself then it will have to wait. It has to be something to bring the receiver joy. I can only paint on my off hours when I have a moment between activities, studies, or at the close of the night. I had a member who was so kind to give me a couple sheets of her water color paper, and I've divided it to have lots of small pieces, after all small ones are easier to finish. So don't be surprised if you find a little something in the mail this holiday season.

On another side note, I was invited to come back and eat at a member's home, but my companions were not. I can eat and though that is usually bad, Sister Barton in the ward makes a lot of food and so she expects you to eat a lot. This week she made seafood chowder, it was really good, even my companions who don't like seafood as much thought it was good. But both of them are small in stomach and can't eat much, it was funny watching as they struggled with a big ladle of soup, tomato cups, and pumpkin pie to finish it off. So good!

Funny things:
1. Obsession with swans: in the South lots of people have lion statues. But in Petal and Hattiesburg, lots of people have swans.
2. Sister White has the ability to make very strange noise, noises that I expect from exotic animals and birds.
3. I'm turning kinda Southern. My "thank you's" have turned into "thank ya's" and I say "y'all" like a Southerner (almost every 5th word).

Not sure exactly what else to say today. Mormon Message: "Dare to Stand Alone"
http://www.mormonchannel.org/mormon-messages-for-youth?v=1634378330001

Love y'all!

-Sister Stewart

 First day on our bikes!

 Wednesday was into the 30s-low 40s as we rode through the day. I got really bundled by the time it was time to ride home.

 LADY BUGS! They came out with the change of temperatures, they are everywhere!

Silly companions dancing on the couch.