CRAZIEST WEEK OF MY MISSION

OH. MY. GOODNESS.

HI.

Literally so much has happened. I really don't even know where to begin. I can't even explain to you how crazy this week has been.

Wow.

Okay here we go.

FIRST OF ALL:
TRANSFERS ARE THIS WEEK! Can you even believe six weeks has passed since I got to the desert???? Also sister Blalock goes home tomorrow!!! We have had a lot of fun together and I will miss her! She said she will email me a lot so it's all good. Transfer news: I am going to be TRAINING a new missionary again!!! Exciting! I feel humbled and I am looking forward to bringing a new missionary into this area. The desert really is blossoming as the rose, right before our eyes!

Also, quick shout out to my sister Kailee who's BIRTHDAY is this Wednesday!!!!!! I love you sooo much Yakel, you inspire me. ❤️❤️❤️

TUESDAY (WHAT A DAY, LET ME TELL YOU): So Tuesday started out normal. We went to district meeting, we had some lessons, we went out walking and talked to a lot of people. It was a good day. We also found two new investigators! Yay (we found four this week and it was awesome!!!)!

So! We came home at 8 pm to do companion study (we do companion study at night now because it's too dark in the desert to do anything else) and we have this little tiny backyard thing with a fence. So we walk in through the fence and I am opening the back door when sister Blalock goes "what is that white paint on the fence?" And I go "idk never seen it before.." and then at the same time we both realize what it is: a spray painted outline of a LARGE KNIFE/MACHETE. CREEPY. So we then were able to infer that someone (or someones) came INSIDE OUR FENCE and propped this large knife up and spray painted around it in the middle of the night while we were sleeping or something. I will send a picture so you can see. So naturally we got scared. Not to mention that odd/suspicious things had been happening in the past couple weeks (trash on top of our car, being followed, hearing that we live in sketchy area).

So we go inside and I just had a really scared feeling like we were now some sort of target and that we were being watched. So we called the elders, and things escalated so we ended up calling the Dixons and they were like "yeah that's really creepy and weird" and Sister Dixon said that she didn't want us staying there that night because we didn't want to take any chances. So the bishop and the ward mission leader ended up coming over to make sure we were safe while we packed an overnight bag and drove to stay with the sisters in 29 Palms (30 minutes away from our area). By the time we left Yucca Valley it was like 10:40 pm, so we didn't get to 29 Palms until past 11 pm. That's the first time I've stayed up past 10:30 pm on my mission so that was weird! We went to bed late that night.

WEDNESDAY:
Sister Blalock went on her departing temple trip in Redlands so I proselyted with the 29 Palms sisters. That was fun! I love those sisters. We also talked to the Dixons and they said for us to just stay with the 29 Palms sisters until further notice because they didn't want us living in that apt anymore. So basically our living situation is currently pending.

THURSDAY:
The Andersons (senior missionary couple, AMAZING) left 😢😢😢😢😢 so we helped them pack up and leave and then didn't get going with our day until after that.

Basically after the Tuesday night incident, everything became crazy and we lived 30 minutes away from our area and the apt was really messy and then later in the week we got ants and the Andersons left so that was sad and when we were in Yucca Valley we were basically homeless because we were not about to go back to 29 Palms for a 30 minute lunch so that was wild and then also it was Sister Blalock's last week in the mission so she was stressed and then Sister Angelovich and I found out that we are both training new missionaries and we are bringing them into this situation and we are also being STLs still and it's hard to explain it all for you to understand but just know IT WAS CRAZY. Also it was kinda funny, I mean sometimes you need to just laugh. Even though it's been the craziest week ever, it also been reeeeeally fun and spiritual because CONFERENCE.

So yes, General Conference was a breath of fresh air. If you didn't get the chance to watch it, I invite you to do so!

And since this email hasn't already been a NOVEL (sorry), let me just add on some exciting things that are happening in our mission this week:
- WE ARE GETTING SMART PHONES THIS THURSDAY AT MLC
- THE DISTRICT 3 VIDEOS ARE NOW AVAILABLE TO US AND ITS AWESOME
- We are getting a new "Area Book 2.0" app so that's cool
- Our mission is becoming a full online proselyting mission, so yup Facebook here I come

Also something sad that happened this week: do you all remember Stacy Halloway that I was teaching the whoooole time I was in the Smiley Ward? Well sad news, she passed away yesterday. 😢😢😢 it made me soooo sad to hear that. I loved her so much. She was going to get baptized but she wasn't physically able to at the time. My heart goes out to all the people in the Smiley Ward who knew and loved her! You are all in my prayers!

Even though this week has been crazy, it's amazing how much I have still been able to feel at peace with everything going on. I know that God has a plan, and because of my Savior Jesus Christ, I can feel peace no. matter. what. General Conference was a great reminder of that. I am so excited to apply what I have learned. Remember what President Dixon has said: "you have 72 hours to apply training before it falls by the wayside." So i invite you all to APPLY the things that you have learned from conference this weekend, within 72 hours! Set goals and make plans to be better and to come closer to Jesus Christ. I will try to do the same. I know that as we incorporate into our lives the things we have learned and act now, we will receive heavens help in all that we do and our joy will increase.

Okay this email is seriously so long.

Well congratulations for making it to the end of it! We are dropping off Sister Blalock in Palm Springs today so that the assistants can take her to the mission office, so we are going to have part of our pday in Palm Springs! 🌴🌴🌴 I am spending the next two days in a trio with the 29 Palms sisters until Wednesday when I get my new companion! Exciting things are happening!

I love you all!!!!! Have an amazing week!!!! 👋

Sister Carina Brown
California Redlands Mission
Discover.mormon.org