The Week Where it was Fall Break‏

On this week's episode of Sister Cale in Columbus-the Sisters went on
exchanges (which is basically just changing the person you walk around
with all day on campus and then having a very mellow sleepover at
their apartment), all the students went home for Fall Break (rude),
district meeting included our district leader asked how we all felt
about referring to the Young Single Adults in the wards as brothers
and sisters (we were unanimously in opposition...which is not what he
obviously wanted), we threw an epic "See You Soon" breakfast as a
district for Elder Orton who has to go home early to have knee surgery
on his torn ACL, the pre-game partying began early in the morning on
Saturday (and was accompanied by such party songs as "I Want to Dance
with Somebody" and "Life is a Highway"...Sister Cale clearly knows
nothing about what makes for good party music as she would not have
put either of these songs on the playlist), and the Sisters had weekly
planning in the safety and warmth of their apartment after forgetting
to bring coats with them on a 35 degree weather day.

Hey Friends!

I am traditionally in full support of Fall Break. It typically
provides me with a chance to catch up with my friends, catch up on
homework, sleep, and Netflix, and all sorts of other things in my
life. As a missionary however, I do not support breaks that take the
majority of the student population away from the area in which it is
easy (easier) for me to talk to them. It was seriously so weird to
walk around a nearly empty campus. We would spot someone from one side
of the Oval and then very carefully plan which scattered paths we
would take to coincidentally bump into them so we could talk. While it
did make contacting a little bit more like a game, it was also not
ideal. Conveniently we had an area book full of potential
investigators that we could contact, so it all worked out in the end.

One of the most important lessons that I learned this week was how
the spirit can work with us to have us do what is necessary without us
realizing it. On Wednesday night we were talking to the students after
Institute and just because she happened to be standing there I asked
Megan if she would want to come to our lesson with Victor the next
day. My primary motivation in doing so was just that we could meet in
one of the bishop's offices rather than having to meet in the gym.
Megan said that she was able to come and we were super happy about
that. What I had no way of knowing at the time was that Victor would
ask us questions in our lesson that would be best answered by a
convert to the church. I have been so blessed to have the gospel my
whole life, and while I've had to come to a knowledge of its
truthfulness for myself, I haven't had the experience that is
converting from another religion. Megan got baptized about five weeks
ago, so not only has she had the experience, but it has been fresh in
her mind. She was able to say exactly the things that Victor needed to
hear so the spirit could testify to him and calm his concerns about
baptism. I never realized how crucial it was to have members in
lessons and involved in missionary work until I was a missionary. Now
I see that it is so much more about the spirit, then about the
members, then about us as the missionaries when it comes to helping
our brothers and sisters come closer to Christ.

One of the most fun things that happened this week was our "See You
Soon" Breakfast for Elder Orton. We got together as a district during
lunch one day and made assignments and hatched the plan that Elder
Hildebrandt (the district leader) would text Elders Orton and Yeh and
tell them that we were having a rules meeting Saturday morning. We all
came to the institute early and cooked quite the impressive breakfast
including pancakes, bacon, eggs, hash browns, and smoothies. It was
awesome.

Other than that, Fall here is gorgeous, if sometimes incredibly
unpredictable in terms of temperature in such a way that you end up
freezing. I am trying to avoid layering and tights and my coat for as
long as I can...yeah. Needless to say there were some pretty dang
freezing days last week. It's okay though. Mostly.

Well, it's been real. The church is true, life is good, God's in
charge, and Satan hates you.

Love,

Jessica