The Lost River Valley and the Very Lost Sister 3/16

Last night in Burley

So Needless to say one of the craziest weeks of my mission ever! Started out pretty normal and in Burley, Idaho and ended in Mackay, Idaho about 300 miles from where it started! haha ya I'm just glad I'm back to laughing now. So in order to get the full spectrum of what happened, I will start from the beginning.

Monday: We had P-day it was awesome we all played a really intense game of volleyball which was a blast, and during the game we got a call from President Curtis that one of our investigators got approval to be baptized! he has been waiting for a while and so we were super excited. We had dinner at the Dowdles where we had pufferigists (totally don't think I spelled that right) I'm glad we did though so I could have them one more time! We went over to our investigators next and told him the good news so it was a happy day. 

Tuesday: I was getting ready that morning in my room and for some reason the thought came to me that I really didn't want to be transferred again because I have so much stuff! haha but then quickly following that thought was the impression that I was leaving soon. Well I finished getting ready and we were driving to district meeting and I started to hink about Mackay, Idaho. I had no clue why until now but I just felt weird I guess is the best way to explain that. Well we had an awesome District Meeting and went to lunch at Taco Bandido (ya... not my choice haha) but then we went on with our day well we got as call from president Curtis (who was at our district meeting) saying that he needed to help a sister and so I was being Emergency Transferred. It kinda of stunk but honestly at the time it didn't hit me and i was really ok. I got to say bye t some people and we were able to see some people that night that we had appointment with so it all worked out. But packing took FOREVER!! haha

Wednesday: we finished up something and I finished packing we went out and visited some people and it was good. President and Sister Curtis came with the other sister and SISTER BLY!!!!! to come and pick me up! Gah tender mercies of the Lord that I was actually going on exchanges with sister bly before i went to Mackay! Seriously best thing ever!  drove back to Twin. Which was weird because we both felt like should go right back to 11th ward haha. Well we didn't and we headed back to Jerome for the rest of the day. Heavenly father Knows just what we need in our lives ad he knew i would need that transition period to help me get through all of this. Well we had a good time in Jerome needless to say. I got a blessing that night from Elder Fleck and it really helped comfort me in knowing that all was going to be okay even though it was going to be hard. 

Thursday: Well since I hadn't gone to the temple that transfer President said we could go with sister bly and Sister Drapers District to the temple. So that morning we headed to Twin to lunch then to the temple. Which I can honestly say was another huge tender mercies that before all of this I got to go to the temple and collect my thoughts and be closer to the Lord. After that we went shopping because well there is nothing here in Mackay and so we needed to "stock up" and sister coats put it. So we did and then we made the journey (and I mean that) to Mackay and we made it back bu 8:30 so LONG day! haha Sister Sayer was the one who drove us up and she is amazing and bought us dinner too. it was so sweet of her! 

Friday: Well we had some appointments and service so we were out most the day and visiting people we got a new investigator and I was able to meet so many people which was awesome. We had dinner with the Haroldsens. They are an older couple and they were so sweet. Well we went home in an attempt to do weekly planning but I had to unpack because my brain was going crazy!! so I did that. Ya long day but a productive 1st day here! haha 

Satuday: then the BOMB hit! ya all my emotions caught up with me on Saturday Well I got hit hard with a cold so I was really sick on Saturday then I started missing Burley. So I was a mess. Sister Coats was awesome though and she really helped I slept most the day and was able to finally pull myself together enough to get up. Well we also have great members here that dropped off dinner and brought us ice cream so i was feeling better haha but still not feeling well and still sick. 

Sunday: I swear was a 180 for me spiritually and emotionally. I was still having a hard time physically being sick and all but it was good to get out. We had ward council in Mackay and then we went to the Lesile ward for a missionary homecoming. Oh my gosh the church building here are so small!!!! like a 1/4 the size of our chapel. haha CRAZY! Well i met a lot of people and it was good to just get names down. Were getting there. We correlated with our Ward Mission Leaders and went over to Bishop Summers who is over the Lesile ward. He is awesome and really funny. We were standing at the door and sister coats looks up and tells me to say right there and i look at her like ok your weird but then bishop summers opens the door and scares me so bad and they all just busted up laughing. it totally made me feel at home! haha 

over all this week was crazy but ive learned a lot in the last few days, and I have a felling I will continue to learn a lot here. It kind of is like a foreign country up here but I am excited to be here and to learn whatever it is that the Lord needs me to. I kind of feel like its my final testing point on my mission. I hat change and I REALLY hate spontaneous change so its kind of like my final here on mission and I am ready to do this. Dont get me wrong it still stinks but the Lord has truly carried me the last few days when I have felt like I couldn't do it anymore. I know that he loves me and is looking out for me! 

Congrats you made it to the end of this probably slightly boring sad letter... Well here are the funny thing and fun facts of this week:

1. Mackay, Idaho Population 517 ya........

     ya they have like 7 graduating seniors this year..........

2. The Largest mountain in Idaho mount Bora resides in here in this "valley"

3. Yes everyone here refers to this as the " blessed valley" in every prayer, testimony, or comment its was pretty funny

4. We were driving from this members house yesterday and sister Coats was driving haha and there dog kept running in front of the car so she would accelerate in fear of hitting the dog. ya that went on for about a mile down the road until she finally did and while doing so screamed " PLEASE I CANT KILL A DOG" ahah

5. There are deer her EVERYWHERE. so on our way home last night in the dark. we saw a deer in the middle of the road. so Sister Coats slammed the breaks on and honked her horn so the deer would move.. well im pretty sure the deer was under the influence because it couldn't decided which way it wanted to go for a good 30 seconds. Ya we busted up laughing.

6. there is one grocery store here and its the size of a gas station....... oddly no Target haha

7. sister Coats and I started a new hashtag #onlyinmackayidaho 

 this week it consisted of the ice cream the member brought us was call cow tracks not moose tracks, but the funniest part was that it had miniature chocolate cows in the ice cream... ya only in Mackay...

hahah well hope everyone has a good week! Love you all

#itsnotgoodbyeitsc-yalater

Love,

Sister Owsley