In this week's episode of Sister Cale in Columbus-Sister Cale figured out that she's actually pretty allergic to cats, everything kept falling through, Dan agreed to be baptized, Sister Cale got super cute clothes from her Grandmother (and set the wrapped package aside for her upcoming Birthday), The Sister's took Donna on a Church Tour, and Mother's Day meant getting to call home.

In this week's episode of Sister Cale in Columbus-Sister Cale figured out that she's actually pretty allergic to cats, everything kept falling through, Dan agreed to be baptized, Sister Cale got super cute clothes from her Grandmother (and set the wrapped package aside for her upcoming Birthday), The Sister's took Donna on a Church Tour, and Mother's Day meant getting to call home.

Dear Wonder Peeps,

Hi Loves!

How are you all? Things here are pretty good. I can't believe how weird time is as a missionary. They aren't kidding when they say the days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days. Everything is all wibbly-wobbly wonky in the missionary life. But I really am growing to love it. And what a strange day this last week has been. I think things fell through in terms of our plans more in this past week than they have in my mission up to this point. I understand that I've been out for point four seconds (or four moths, but hey, who's keeping track?), but it was really strange to have to use the back up plans that we had made as frequently as we did this past week.

Fun story-people in Ohio REALLY love their cats. And I have nothing against cats. Some of them are actually even kind of cute and fun; however, it would appear that when a home is the living space for an army of felines, my usual irritation at cat hair can kind of go bonkers. It wasn't honestly that bad, my throat was just super itchy and my eye was itchy and it was good that because of the way our day was scheduled that we could pause for an hour and catch up on some District Videos so I could get over trying to die. It was really dramatic and stupid. So I guess I probably shouldn't pet the cats anymore. Most of them are incredibly nice and not at all The Archduke of Temperamental Attackness.

In other news this week, even though things seemed to go horribly awry last week with Dan, when we were finally able to get over to see Dan and Clarence this week, with the help of an awesome member, we were able to commit Dan to be baptized on June 13. Heidi is a returned missionary and she just flat out told Dan that we all have two choices that we make in life. Either we can choose to be baptized and follow Christ, at which point when we get to the judgment bar we can tell him that we did our best to follow him. Or we can choose not to follow him and then have to justify that choice. It was exactly what Dan needed to hear and I think it was good for him to hear it from someone who wasn't one of the missionaries.

On Monday night last week we got to have dinner with one of the many families that I adore in this ward (seriously, they're basically all incredible, so I really don't have favorites). After dinner we got to be part of their family home evening. Brother and Sister Morgan had prepared the most brilliant lesson on Alma 32 and the Parable of the Sower to teach their children (and Dan and Clarence who were supposed to come to dinner, but then didn't) about how we gain a testimony and how our faith grows. It was seriously brilliant and it was so fun to get to be with their family for that time.

On Saturday morning we were able to take one of our investigators on a Church Tour. Having never actually done a Church Tour, I was kind of nervous, but it was actually a remarkable experience. When we went into the chapel, we asked Donna how she felt and I thought her response showed such a connection with the spirit. She said that she sort of felt all of her past sins weighing down on her heart, and that they were really heavy, but this felt like the kind of space where she could leave them and then they wouldn't be able to weigh her down anymore. It was such a testimony to me in that moment that our true work as missionaries is to invite the spirit so the spirit can teach to the understanding of the individual. And was a beautiful thing it was to be there when the spirit taught her about the significance of repentance and how important the sacrament is when we are baptized.

Other highlights of this week include learning about charity and love with Sam and Jamie and then walking to Whits for frozen custard, winter green mints in my birthday package from Grandmother (because they taste like home), and of course getting to call home. Getting to call home was the best. It was sort of (to be read nearly impossible) to say goodbye, but it was so worth it in the end. I love you people. All of you, so much!

The Church is True, Life is Good, God's in Charge, and Satan Hates You!

Love,

Jessica