My Plan is dumb

My Plan: My Plan, a new online course designed to strengthen returning full-time missionaries, set and achieve
 goals and consider how a mission can become a spiritual foundation for a righteous, successful life. 

Sounds great, but really, it's just a continual reminder that "You're almost a returned missionary!" Literally,
it says that just about every 5 minutes. It's rude. 

So I decided I wasn't going to do it. They can't make me, right? 

Wrong. 

I told my companion that it wasn't showing up in my portal, and she emailed President and asked him
why it wasn't showing up. The next day, I got a call from the mission office asking me if I had been able
 to log into My Plan. I glared at Sister Brignone and said, "You emailed President, didn't you..." 

I've since started My Plan, and I'm a few weeks behind, which means instead of being reminded once a
week that I'm almost a returned missionary, I get to be reminded just about every other day, aside from
people asking me all the time how long I've been out...

I don't even know if any of this has made sense, but there's my rant for the week. 

My Plan is dumb.

Monday: Was pretty chill. We got groceries and emailed and stuff, and then I got ma hurr cut. 

We had a member lesson with the Hills in the 3rd ward. Her husband passed away suddenly in June in a car
 accident, and we were just sharing a message about how Christ knows what we need, and she's got us all
crying right there. Now, I'm an emotional person, but I don't cry very easily. In fact, I'm pretty sure I've only
 cried once during a lesson my whole mission. So that was sad. 

We had supper with the Nalders in 1st ward, and they invited all 6 of the Raymond missionaries and a set of
 elders from Magrath, as well as the Bennett family from down the street. We had Nalderburgers. 

Now, Nalderburgers are a Raymond delicacy. Way long time ago when Brother Nalder's dad was growing up
, his family didn't have a lot of money, but they had lots of boys. So to make food go further, they added certain
 things to it. Like peanut butter. And bananas. So these Nalderburgers have peanut butter on the bottom bun,
 and then bananas. And then the patty and whatever other toppings you like. And then you wrap it in a giant
 lettuce leaf because everything will fall out if you don't. And it's divine. I loved it. I would've eaten three if there
 was room in my tummy. None of the other missionaries were fans, but it reminded me of Pad Thai. Don't ask why. 

Tuesday: We had Zone Training Meeting in Cardston, and one of the sisters made cookies for everyone.
 Mmm. We talked about asking the Lord to see miracles, and having the faith to recognize them. Which was
pretty cool because on Wednesday, we had some miracles, but I'll get to that. 

That night, we went to mutual for 4th ward, and they played giant Jenga. We got super duper close to winning,
 but the kid on the other team was some sort of Master Ninja Jenga Warrior. It's all good, because everyone,
 even the losers got root beer floats. 

We visited the Nickles in 10th ward, and talked about how we can help our investigator, Tracy, progress. The
Nickles are some of her main fellowshippers, and we've been struggling to have another lesson with her, so we
 brainstormed on how we could move forward with her. We had a pretty sweet spiritual discussion with them,
and I felt as if I was sitting with my own parents, counseling with them. It's amazing what the Lord can do to
 comfort you. 

Wednesday:  Was the day of miracles. Although, we didn't see it as that at first. 

Within the first two hours of our day, everything we'd had planned, including our supper appointment,
 cancelled. I thought to myself, "What the heck, Heavenly Father? Where are we supposed to go?" Well, ask
 and ye shall receive, my friends. 

We were able to visit with Sister Scoville, whom we hadn't been able to visit for a few weeks, and she'd had a
 conversation with a friend just that morning that had really bothered her about this friend's activity in the
 church and she'd really needed to talk to someone about it. 

We then were able to visit with Sister Paxman. She'd just gotten home from work, and we'd previously struggled
with finding a time to catch her at home. 

THEN, our supper appointment had planned to invite Tracy and her family over for supper, but had cancelled.
 However, Tracy had offered to feed us anyway. Now, we haven't been able to have a lesson with her for like...
a few weeks, and it's been frustrating trying to set something up with coordinating schedules and stuff, so this
 was really awesome. The song that we sang in sacrament meeting was about the Atonement, and the lesson
we'd planned for her that night was on repentance. We sang for her and her kids and the Spirit was SO STRONG
 in that room. It totally set the tone for the whole lesson and helped them feel the Spirit and the importance of
repentance in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Thursday: We did some yard work for a potential investigator whose husband is really ill and getting near
the end. She's got kind of a course exterior, so we weren't really sure how well it would go, but after about an
 hour and a half of helping her dig and move dirt and lay material and rock, she began to cry. She was so
 grateful because there was no way she could've done it without help. Blessings. The Lord loves all of His
 children, members or not. 

Friday: We had a few lessons in the morning, and helped Sister Andrews make cupcakes for her grandkids'
 birthday party on Saturday. We were also participating in a mission fast, so that was pretty difficult to refrain
 from, especially her cupcakes. 

At Good Sam's it was Pirate Day, so we got to dress up as pirates and play pirate games and activities with the
 residents. 

We'd received a referral from Brother Bridge, our stake mission leader, of a guy who is living with one of our
  less actives in 1st ward. We went over to contact him, but they were on their way out the door to have a
 celebratory supper because THEY'RE ENGAGED!!!! Which is awesome, because if it ever goes anywhere with
 us teaching him, that'll be one obstacle out of the way! :D 

Saturday: We helped our ward mission leader in 1st ward and his family out on the farm where they keep
 their horses. Lots of hay and horse poop and wind. So fun. We did have fun, though, don't get me wrong.
There was an old antique car that we took photos on haha it was awesome. 

We had lunch with a less active in 3rd ward and the other sisters came as well. He fed us stake and creamed corn
. So yum. 

That night, we had a lesson with Brother Geddes on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We drew a diagram for it, and he
 put it on his fridge! I made it to the fridge :D

Sunday: So, Sister Brignone is allergic to oats and soy. Like, she'll throw up and die, sick. We're sitting in
 sacrament meeting in our first ward, and she goes, "Man, it's already the first sacrament and I'm already
 falling asleep." So I handed her one of those cheese and cracker things for school lunch and she ate it.
About 10 minutes later, the sacrament comes around and she doesn't take it. I'm going, "uh.... what's
 happening here?" But I don't say anything. Our second sacrament comes around and she passes it up again.
At this point I'm thinking, WHAT THE HECK. She hands me a note that says, "I feel really sick, I think I'm gonna
throw up, we need to go home." So as soon as the meeting was over, we left and headed home for our lunch
 break. She looks at the ingredients for the crackers and cheese I gave her, and they have soy in them. Oops
. I tried to kill my companion. She rested during lunch and then felt better, so we went back for our last two
 sacraments and all was well in Zion. Phew. 

In the chaos of that, we missed 10th ward's ward council, though. Oops. 

And then we had supper with 10th ward's bishop and his family. So he teased us about that throughout supper. 

And we finally got a ward mission leader in 3rd ward! Yay!

This week, we've been trying to pray for miracles and being able to work them and see them. Wednesday was
 evident of that. We had no idea what we were supposed to do, but so many things fell into places. We were
 where we needed to be for those people, and it was so amazing to be led by the Lord in His work. 

And now we're off to Waterton! Woo hoo! Love you all! 

<3 Sister Pipkin 

1) The leaves are starting to change and it's pretty. My camera is lame, otherwise you'd be able to see how REALLY
 pretty it is. 

2) The massive Jenga game. 

3) "We are the pirates who don't do anything, we just stay at home and lie around!" (jokes, we're missionaries,
  of course we do things)

4&5) Lololol 

6) Brother Geddes and I with our diagram 

7) Sister Brignone and I had to return some bikes we'd borrowed, but they didn't fit in our car. So I drove slowly
 with the hatch open and she held onto them.