July 12, 2010 dad's birthday

Family-

Well, what is even going on in my life? I will just tell you. First of all, this is way crazy but we had transfers yesterday. This is officially the last transfer of my MISSION!?!?!?!??! Weird. I am staying in Nauvoo. My companion is Sister Pulleyn. She is the 18th and final companion I will have. Crazy huh? I'll have more companions than months on my mission:) I still have Monday Preparation Day which is nice. I switched rooms in the house and also bathrooms. I really don't know why I am telling you all of this because it's not that interesting. Maybe you think that I am sad about never going out to Carthage this summer, but I will tell you that I am perfectly okay with that. I had my turn last summer. They just need my sparkling personality here in Nauvoo I suppose:) Things have gotten pretty crazy around here let me just tell you. Pageant began last week. It rained and rained and rained some more. On Monday night they had a dress rehearsal. I was actually greeting for a show called Rendezvous and was standing outside when the down pour hit. It all happened so fast. I was sopping wet by the time someone offered me an umbrella. So, I came to terms with getting rained on. Then we had to walk up to Pageant. It really was as though someone had dumped a bucket on my head. I mean a bucket of water. Ha. Then it rained on Tuesday night a little bit. Then it really rained on Wednesday night. So, we got used to the rain. They still had Pageant though! Wow, I am writing really boring sentences I am sorry. What else happened? Oh I know! I was serving in the VC on Saturday and in walks the Woodbury's from Moscow! How crazy huh?! It was fun to be able to talk to them for a minute. I can't remember if it was last week or the week before but we had just arrived at the VC for our shift and a film had just gotten out and this man comes out of the theatre and looks at me and says, "Does the name Applonie mean anything to you?" And I kind of looked at him weird then he said, "Sara!" And came over and gave me a big hug. I guess my face was pretty classic. You have to remember, I have had a 3 foot personal bubble for the past year and a half and someone getting inside of that freaked me out. I really didn't know how to respond. It was Uncle Stan's BFF Matt Black. I thought you might think that was funny. Well here is a neat story for you. I was in the VC the other day and these people walked in and I offered to give them a tour. Turns out that they are non-members from... NEW JERSEY!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's riiiiiiight. Guess what else? They totally self-referred! So Heavenly Father answers my prayers. I told Him I would try to get as many NJ referrals as possible and He helps to make it happen. I also have given a lot of tours to Spanish speakers. It pretty much breaks my heart and then I go cry afterwards because I'm so sad that I can't speak Spanish. But I try to always bear my testimony in Spanish. So I'm doing what I can. It's so neat though that no matter what language you are doing it in, bearing testimony of Jesus Christ always brings the Spirit. I am so glad that I get to be a missionary. I am so glad that Heavenly Father loves me so much to let me be a missionary. I love knowing that I can never trust too much in the Lord. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want us to be happy. That really does mean that whatever does happen to us in this life is really honestly truthfully for our good. So, I don't have any reason to worry or get anxious, because I know that everything is going to be okay. I really like that feeling. Well! I love you all so much! Keep praying for me- I need to finish up you know- Picard style. Leave it all on the floor right?:) LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sister Picard