And When October Goes…

Great news, people!  We DID get email from Melissa today and it was even several hours earlier than usual!  You can bet that made MY day!  So, here it is - without further ado…

....The winds begIIIINNNN to flyyyyyyy. 

Yes, I have been saving that subject line for a couple months now. But this Hurricane is just so perfectly timed! So I couldn't help myself hahaha. 

So, I am a survivor (presumably) of the biggest hurricane in the history of the human race. Wow. I feel pretty special. One reason I KNOW I've grown up on my mission is because I am not even scared! So far the winds here have just been like a moderately windy day in Highland :) 

This week was great. I've been listening to the Book of Mormon while I do my hair and makeup (which just takes longer and longer the older I get! Shouldn't the reverse be the case?) and I've been extra loving it. I listen to the same set of chapters 2 or 3 days in a row so I can make sure that I get everything out of it (since i'm not actually reading it, you know?) and it has been the best. I am on my favorite part - the stories in the heart of Alma. I just love those stories. I think of my baby brother every time I read about Alma and the sons of Mosiah being excited at their reunion. So cute. 

We didn't get to meet with any of our investigators this week because they're only available on weekends and by the time this weekend came around everyone in New England was scrambling to buy supplies and get gas, etc. So that was disappointing but it was a GREAT week for meeting with members! I got to meet a bunch of new families and even met with a less active woman who loves us and wants weekly visits! I love meeting with families. I even love a little family of rowdy blond boys.  [Editor's note:  This is an amazing statement on many levels.  Let's see:  Melissa loving children (boys at that) and rowdy ones?  Even loving blond children is pretty huge!]  :-)  Man I'm very happy here in this ward! 

On Saturday we had our ward Halloween party - complete with a trunk-or-treat (my first!), a chili cook-off and a corn bread bake-off. It was a great time! I dressed up —

**Weather update!** Oh wow!  Just got news that everyone south of Route One along the coast is being evacuated - that means my house. Glad we're 6 miles inland and at about 500 feet! :) 

Anyways, I dressed up as Michael Jackson, like I told you. I think the jacket turned out great!! I was very pleased with it, and the hair was pretty darn authentic if you ask me. And I would know. No one could tell who I was, though. That was a bummer. Not ONE person guessed right! 

**Weather update!** It just started raining! It's swirling outside. Very exciting :) I guess the worst of it is supposed to be the next 24 hours.  

But it's okay - I got lots of pictures and I guess I'll give people a break since the jacket was 1984 but the hair was more 1992. That could have thrown people :D 

Yesterday after church we had a nice lunch appointment with a new family and then just prepared for the storm! We made peanut butter bars. How does this help us prepare for the storm, you might ask? Well, I'm not sure but I was sure happy. 

Well, I'd better get going - don't know how long we'll have power. The R*s have a generator, but obviously they'll run it only for essential things haha. 

I love you! I'm excited to see how this storm affects the shoreline communities. To tell you the truth, I haven't been praying that the storm doesn't hit, I've just been praying that if it DOES hit, people will be humbled and more receptive to our message :) 

Love you all! Thanks for your updates - it's exciting to see how many people from our ward are going on missions! I love it. This is such an historical time. I'm sad that my mission is nearing its end but I'm happy that I still have a few months left to work at it!  

Hopefully I'll have lots of time to write people back over the next couple days that we'll be cooped up inside - I've got quite the stack of letters to respond to and time's a tickin' (<--- ew. I can't believe I just typed that out). 

Have a fantastic week. I'll try to e-mail some pictures home next week - I know you're all dying to see how my costume turned out. Please, be patient. Sheesh. 

Love,
Sister "I think of my Ma every time someone calls this storm 'Sandy' :) " Broekhuijsen

[Editor's note:  Of course, Ma doesn't go by "Sandy' anymore and even when she did, she was cool enough to spell it "Sandi."  :-)  But I still like knowing that my daughter's thinking of me a lot right now!