Basement Club 2.0

Family!

My last transfer in Nauvoo for the summer. Sister Kim is my new companion!! Wooooo! Just a reminder: She is from South Korea. She went to BYU for accounting and is almost finished. She learned English at BYU and largely on her mission. She is precious. 

Our schedules have now changed. This week we have a lot of call center time scheduled--read four straight hours. But that should change pretty soon since, with so many of us having so much call time, there aren't too many cards left to call on. It really is a good experience though. I LOVE Sister Kim. LOVE HER. You should hear/see her calling people. Unbearably adorable, and fairly heartbreaking. She just oozes sweetness with every ounce of her being (not taking for granted that she does have a personality, and opinions)--how could you not say yes to anything she would say to you on the phone?? Unfortunately, a lot of people don't understand her or get confused. So she just keeps calling like a machine, and trying, even though almost every call you hear her struggling (well, the other person struggling)--"Your friend wanted you to have free gift of CD. . .It's a bad connection. I will call back." SHE HAS SO MUCH FAITH!! And you know that the pure in heart will receive her.  I mean, she goes through phone call after phone call of people not understanding, hanging up or being rude, and she is calling for them. Because she loves them as a child of God. There is literally no benefit to her in any sort of tangible, worldly way. 

Oh yeah, and the basement club is back. It's me, Sister Kim, Sister Newell and Sister Searle all down there again. I think there are great, somewhat less obvious benefits to have four people in a teeny tiny room with bunk beds. It's a great area for bonding. And the closet space is adequate, so no complaints. 

Also, this article in the Ensign impacted me greatly. http://www.lds.org/ensign/2013/09/my-prayers-of-gratitude?lang=eng I'm not one to be condescended upon, which unfortunately means that I reject a lot of well-meaning, but highly condescending advice which would undoubtedly be for my greater good but is delivered in such a way that my pride and theoretical intelligence refuse to accept it. (Such is the problem with well-intentioned but too-smart-for-their-own-good, self-appointed religion doubters; atheists, as they sometimes identify themselves. I always try to convey to them: I am you! except I know God is real and this is His church!) This is why I often miss the boat on the concept of gratitude. It is usually suggested after one pours their heart out about one's miseries and feels very vulnerable. Don't tell me to be grateful--I want real advice/sympathy, lady! (I'm not referring specifically to you Mom, by the way, so don't worry. You are very good at not being like that.) Well, this article hit me in a different way because it was quite real seeming. So I'm trying anew on the gratitude thing. Not that I ever stopped being grateful, per se. My efforts are simply renewed.

Ok, I love you all! And important: my new preparation day is on Tuesday. Holly plan your email accordingly. Which also means I probably won't be sending letters this week because they won't even get to you by Tuesday. We'll see what happens. 

Love, Rachel