long letter mom's mailbox

Dear Mom, July 5, 2010

That’s so fun that Brady was able to get his Eagle! :) I love those pictures of him. So I think next week I well be sending home a CD of pictures… So you will also got to see the fireworks show we got to watch!

So guess what, I didn’t get to have a bbq for the 4th of July. 1st time in my life!!! We had broccoli quiche and green beans. Tell dad I ate both things. The green beans were fresh…. They actually weren’t that bad! (Oh my goodness, what is happening to me?!) So it was a REALLY weird 4th!

So I guess I can start @ the beginning of the week…SO Charlie Drapeau, the investigator w/bone cancer (Multiple myelomas?) is progressing well. He is already seeing great blessings come into his life since he started learning. He recognizes the spirit. He said he always feels so great after our lessons. He still hasn’t come to church yet though :( But he is coming along. Last week his wife said to him “You’re going to join that church! I know you are” :) We are hoping that we will be able to teach her too!

But at the end of July he is going to Boston for 6 weeks for intense Chemo and Bone marrow and stem cell surgeries. :P So we are trying to feed him spiritually as much as possible before he goes!

Thursday, I SAW THE ALANTIC Ocean! We spent the afternoon talking to people @ the beach… Well on the side walk around the beach. At one point we hear someone yelling, “SISTERS” we turn around and I didn’t recognize them, but we went over and talked to them. It was some members visiting from Alberta Canada & Chicago. It was cool to see some member. I took pictures at the beach. After, we at dinner, we walked in the sand & found sea shells. We didn’t find any good ones though. :(

So these past few weeks our zone has been working on new & creative finding ideas. Our Zone leaders gave us the idea of drawing the Plan of Salvation w/chalk on the sidewalks, and then teach the people that walk by. WELL the 1st 2 times we tried (planned) on doing it the area had NO people or NO sidewalks, or it ended up being right across from another church. But on Thursday night we were able to draw it out. Well Friday morning we get a call from a member who saw it and said that we were going to get in trouble by the cops because it is vandalism. Oh great, I was freaking out. Then like an hour later she called back and said she called the police & they said if it was w/chalk, then it’s allowed. Phewf!! So that day we went to the park & did it again. We talked to a few people, but not as many as we would of liked too.

Later that night while tracting, I met some RANKINS. WEIRD! First person w/the last name of Rankin that I have ever met other than us & Grandma Rankin. So that was cool. Too bad they weren’t interested.

On Saturday we were supposed to help a less active lady pick strawberries @ a farm… But when we got there, the farm was closed for strawberry picking for the seasonL We were so excited to go pick strawberries. Saturday night we got to watch the Sanford fireworks show from our apartment. We planned w/ our lights off & blinds open, in front of the door. They were okay,,, But I was super excited to see some. We had a perfect view from inside our apartment! J

Sunday we tracted pretty much all day, after church, other that our dinner appointment, that I already tol you about! We caught corn on the cob to make last week but forgot. Hopefully today or tomorrow we will have it! :)

Then last night we had our own fireworks show. I took video of it & I will send it home on the CD of pictures, next week You will enjoy it. I have been taking a lot of random videos lately…:)

our pass along cards

This morning was the Sanford 4th of July parade. We decided we would walk up and down the streets passing out pass along cards. So we did for almost an hour! (in 97* weather)

It has been SO hot these past few days in the 90’s w/ @ least 50% humidity. We are so gross all day. I HATE being sweaty and sticky and have to talk to people 2 their doors. I feel so gross. BUT, it could be worse. I feel so gross. But it could be worse, It could be 100+ w/ 100% humidity. (ah, I would melt to a blob of sweat..)

Yeah, when our apartment is 80-85 we think it’s “cool”. You know 2 things…It’s hot outside and our little AC doesn’t work.

We now only have 3 investigators. That’s it. No potentials either. And out 3 only have time for 1 lesson a week.. So to say we are trying to rebuild a DEAD area would be saying it nicely. For the past couple of weeks we have noticed that less and less people will even listen to us. It’s sad. They are missing out on true joy and happiness!

Well I get to meet my new mission president on Wednesday. I’m excited for that. Also, Will you remind dad that I asked him to write down and  send me him conversion story. I asked him like 6 weeks ago and he still hasn’t sent it to me! :(

Well I don’t really know what else to write about.

Oh you don’t’ need to send me out anymore pink stuff, ½ my wardrobe in pink out here. It’s weird, back home I only had like 2-3 pink things

THANK YOU for the package! We enjoyed the cookies and  will be making the brownies shortly. Tell Cameron my watch tan line is getting better each week and; it’s going to be better than his, ha ha !

Well love you lots!!

Love Sister Rankin

Ps. Thank for the email from Lori. That was fun to read.

PSS. My brown skirt got caught on something and got a hole in it. It’s not on the seam either. I‘m going to try to find a lady in the ward to fix it for me and make it look nice…