Hello family!!!
Well, I am incredibly homesick for Cambridge, but also quite excited about this new adventure in Providence, RI. My new address is 57 Petteys Ave, Providence, RI 02929 (WHY SO MANY ODD NUMBERS?!) and it is apparently on the shadier side of town. Every time we tell the members where we live, they tell us to be careful (don't stress, Mom!) :) I feel quite safe- we live with the Spanish sisters above some Spanish members who are so nice. There is also an incredibly crazy man who lives across the street. He has decorated his yard and house with every Christmas decoration possible, including every blow-up yard decoration from Walmart. He is often out in his yard in his skinny jeans yelling in Spanish. He was doing a rain dance/chant the other day and it gave me the worst fit of giggles. :)
It's a big change from Brattle Street, Harvard Square and the Longfellow Park Chapel, but it's fun! :) I actually feel a little more adequate to teach these members (did I mention that the phrase "homogeneous collection of constituents" was used in my last ward council in Cambridge?). The Providence 2nd Branch is fantastic. It is basically formed from the in-between space of two wards and is composed of a lot of less-actives. It's fantastic! It gives a lot of these less-active people the opportunity to serve in a leadership position and grow. The ward leadership is fantastic and the branch council we went to on Sunday blew my mind- it was so focused on the needs of individuals and on finding more people to bring into the ward through re-activations and finding new people to teach. SO AWESOME!! There are also a lot of Liberians in our ward and their stories are UNREAL. One woman fled the country with a child in her arms and another straped to her back when the civil war broke out, not knowing where her other children were. She has since gone back to get more of them. CRAZY! But she has brought so many members of her family and others to the gospel. AMAZING!
My companion, Sister Budvarson, is great! It's totally different to be in a non-training companionship, so I'm going to have to get used to it. I hate confrontation so much, so I'm probably not doing well communicating my concerns with her, but I'll work on it! She is pretty obedient, but I'm stressing about being exactly obedient so we earn the trust of these members! She's really nice though and very determined and much more experienced. :) She's from San Diego and went to BYU-I before she came out. Loves sports. Gets along well with guys, so she's buds with all the Elders. And she's pretty funny, too. :)
And did I mention that I'm in the highest baptizing Zone in the mission?! Numbers are definitely not what it's about, but this area has been experiencing some insane growth and it's exciting to be here helping with it. It's a change of pace from Cambridge where it was a little slower. But, I think Alma 32 is quite correct- people seem much more willing to listen when they have been humbled!
Our Heavenly Father loves us! And is so mindful of us. And wants us to be happy. That is why he gives us so much and has provided such a perfect plan for us to be happy here and for eternity. I am so grateful for that! And grateful for our Savior who makes it all possible. Have a beautiful Thanksgiving week remember all our blessings. You are one of my greatest blessings!
Love you all so very much!
Sister Wheeler Jr.
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