Adventures in Richmond and Beyond‏ E-mail - February 20, 2012

Dear Family,
 
So I have pictures that I'm going to send on my email probably later
today because my camera doesn't want to cooperate right now. Okay so I
don't know why, but the library here is open so we get to email today.
Even if it wasn't open we'd just go to the office and email from
there. So we have snow here! We got about 4 inches last night, and it
will probably all be melted by tomorrow.
 
You may be wondering about the title of my email. Yesterday, I went on
an adventure, but not in Richmond, in Eastern Shore, VA about 3 1/2
hours away. When we finally get ready to go to Ukraine I'll have
bragging rights, because I got the closest to it! I saw the Atlantic
Ocean! So I'll give you the back story, Sister Reindeau, one of our
senior office sisters goes to Eastern Shore almost every Sunday to
help teach this Haitian family. They speak Creole and French and
Sister Reindeau is the only one in the mission who also speaks French,
so she translates. Well, her companion Sister Langford had her
daughter and grandson in town for the weekend and she couldn't go with
her. President Perry wanted her to have someone and since we're in a
trio, I was volunteered. So we drove across Virginia, through Hampton,
and Norfolk. We saw signs for West Point, Langley (CIA), and the
Jamestown/Williamburg/Yorktown settlements.
Then we hit the ocean. In that part of Virginia they have floating
bridges, then tunnels under the ocean! It's so the ships can pass
over. When we were near Norfolk we saw huge battleships! Then you get
to the Chesapeake Bridge/Tunnel for 17 miles you cross on a bridge and
in tunnels. It was so cool! We stopped to eat our lunch on the bridge
in the middle of the Bay. We fed seagulls and took pictures, it was
really fun. So we went and taught these men and then came back.
It started to rain really hard, and then we got messages from our
district leader saying that we needed to get home as soon as possible.
Right around Busch Gardens it started to snow. Now, if you're from
Utah or lived in Idaho...the roads were not bad. The problem is
however we are in Virginia, and no one knows how to drive in the snow
here! So literally in our last hour on the road we saw at least 30
cars that had ended up on the side of the road. It was ridiculous.
Despite the fact that Sister Reindeau is a senior sister, she drives
really well, there wasn't really a point where we got into any
trouble. She's a sweet lady with a heavy French accent.
So it was a fun adventure, and fun to get away from everyday work here
in Bon Air. Then we found out that we get to go on exchanges not this
week but next. Sister Jones and I will be going to Farmville, which
I've been told is exactly as it sounds, you actually get to see cows!
And Sisters Stromberg and Webb will come here with Sister Friden. The
only thing that is a little disappointing is that Sister Webb and I
won't be able to be together and talk in Ukrainian all the time.
Speaking of Ukrainian, it's difficult to keep up with sometimes, but
other times, when we're teaching a lesson, because I taught so much
in the MTC I'll just say something randomly in Ukrainian. It's really
funny.
So this week was a little difficult because we had a hard time getting
a hold of our investigators but if there is one thing I've learned
it's that the Lord responds to missionary fasts. We fasted and
everything worked out.
Zach- I love my DL! Don't be afraid to have fun with the sisters.
There is a boundary, but we're missionaries too. and we need our
leaders! I'm proud of you keep up the hard work. The best way to deal
with a difficult companion is love them even more. Sister Yamashita,
talked to us at the MTC, she's Elder Yamashita's wife and she said by
the time you're done with a companion you should be able to write 100
things you love about your companion. Try it I know it helps me!
 
Well, that's pretty much all the time I have. I love you all.
 
Sister Meaghan Daniel