Remember, Remember the 27th of February

No, I did NOT come up with that post title - it's all Melissa (of course!)  Thanks so much to the family and friends who write to her, send her packages, pray for her and just love her.  We know she feels your support.

^ That is quite possibly the lamest title yet in weekly e-mails home. And that's saying something.

This week was a good one. Our numbers were not spectacular, but we got some really good things done! And had nice meetings.

Dang it! I wrote out a whole list of things to e-mail you about, but now I can't find it. I'm sure the second I step out of the library it will be located. Boo. Also, I'm going to whine for a second and tell you that usually we check out Macbooks from the library to do our e-mailing, but their wifi is down so now I'm on a stupid dell using a stupid keyboard and stupid Internet Explorer and I want to punch everything that is not Steve Jobs in the face because I feel like I'm living in the dark ages. Don't mind me if this e-mail sounds disjointed... I'll have to take a break to crank a wheel on the side of this computer every 4 minutes or so to conjure up enough electricity to connect to ye olde interwebs.

Church was great. Clayton Christensen spoke in LP1. Do you know who that guy is? Well, he's amazing. He's basically a celebrity out here. You should do some research on him. He has come up with 7 principles on member missionary work, and that's what we share with members when we meet and have lessons with them. He is a brilliant, humble, and extraordinary man. He is a powerful speaker and told this really cool story of member missionary work. Please look up the story of George McLaughlin and the Farmingdale branch in 1962 (I think that's the year, anyway) near Augusta, Maine.  Super cool. So really, please look it up and tell it to me because I want more details, and I want YOU to know all about it.

Our roommates, Sister Carpenter and Sister Burr had a baptism last night! It was for a girl named S*. Her older sister Sh* is in LP1, and was baptized a year and a half ago. Sh* has been wanting S* to learn ever since then and said that nothing has ever brought her more joy than seeing someone she loves SO much get to learn and feel the things that mean so much to her. That was a sweet thing to get to see.

Alright the rest is going to be bullet list status because I can't focus (I feel like there's a theme here from week to week....)

-On Wednesday we had dinner with A*, a favorite of mine. She is in LP2 and lives in the graduate student dorms right near Harvard Square and the Church. She got us Chinese and when we were opening our fortune cookies, we got hands down the STUPIDEST fortune you've EVER heard of. It said, "Hugs are life's rainbows." HA! Isn't that ridiculous? A* is hilarious and agreed that it was stupid. She kept asking, "What does that even mean? Why can't rainbows be life's rainbows, and hugs be life's hugs?" hahahaa. Also we stuck our hair through our shirts and out the sleeves and took lots of pictures so it looked like we had long, luxurious armpit hair. Because we are mega mature human beings. My abs still hurt a teensy from laughing so hard that night.

-I saw a bumper sticker that said, "God danced the day you were born." and then I scraped out my eyeballs with a lemon zester.

-My bruises and scrapes from my oceanside incident are quite impressive. I don't know that I've ever seen a bruise go through quite so many color phases!

-I got a package from Gretchen that had a bunch of pictures from Amy's wedding - including one of my two very own real life PARENTS! It was so sweet of her to send that. Gretch, when you read this, know that I came home after a particularly disappointing day in which I was soaking wet, freezing cold, and had mascara literally running down my cheeks because of the rain and that letter and the pictures just made my day. So thank you.

-Someone got really mad at us on Saturday for saying "hello" as we walked past. Welcome to Boston.

-So... Wednesday is my 6 months mark! That is a very weird thing. Doesn't it kindof seem like I've been out on a mission forEVER? I mean, I'm enjoying it, but I feel like I've been away for so long already. I am looking forward to working hard and still want to be here, but in some ways a whole nother (<--- yes, I know that that is a dumb phrase, and that it's even worse written out than just verbally. Deal with it, naysayers!) year seems like a really really long time. I feel like I've already missed so much! Joshua looks like a man, and Garrett is (holycow) 14! Friends are getting married and preggo at the speed of light. Friends are graduating from COLLEGE. But it's good to miss those things. If I wasn't missing things, it wouldn't be as much of a sacrifice, and THAT's what I need to grow and transform into the person I have the potential to become.

-Sister Edwards has created a second verse to the song, "Huck, My Dog." Ready? "I like goin' to the moun'ans to breathe the cool, fresh air just like my fishes... in the crick." ahhahahaha. Once again this song has made me laugh outloud in the library.

-Right after I send this e-mail we are heading up to the North End/Haymarket. We are going to the world-famous Mike's Pastry shop to devour the most authentically Bostonian cannoli you've ever heard of (it'll be my first time! So excited!), and then checking out the Old North Church. Should be pretty cool!

Whelp - I just love you. Thank you for everything, and please have a nice week.

-Sister "How DARE you say, "Hello" to me??" Broekhuijsen