Sister Lawson's Adventures in Virginia: Do you want to build a snowman?

Hey Everyone!

What a crazy week! Many of you probably heard, but it snowed here! Hahaha - A LOT!!!!!!! We got about a foot and a half of snow. If that doesn't make missionary work interesting, I don't know what does. Haha so we were supposed to have a baptism this weekend. Belinda was so ready and was excited for Saturday, but the snow cancelled it. :( She is now scheduled for Feb. 6th because thats the next time all her family will be able to go. Bummer that she has to wait two weeks to be baptized. The snow came at the wrong time.

But anyway here is the story of the snow. On Friday it was clear until about 10:00 a.m. then it started snowing. We kept doing our studies and it wasn't bad. By the time our studies were done and we ate lunch and stuff the snow was coming down, but we decided to still go out. We hadn't received a text saying otherwise and it really wasn't that bad. We went to an appointment, but they told us that we were crazy and to go home and so we rescheduled with them. We then went and visited my favorite family the Harrells (Lauren and Sheridan just got baptized). We were there for a bit and had a lesson with the youngest sister Charis who is preparing for baptism now too! Then we went up the street to visit a family from the ward (the Suarez family) to return the plates that they had given us. We had a bit of a snowball fight with them and then went in and since our dinner cancelled on us they feed us dinner. By then the snow was coming down hard and we got a text saying that is was time for all missionaries to go home. So we decided to leave....but our car was stuck. Luckily the Suarezes had a truck and a chain and after about an hour they got us out. During that time the freezing rain came. hahaha I have now lived through freezing rain! Haha that's saying something. If you have never experienced it... it's just how it sounds. It's rain that freezes as it falls so its basically like rain hail. So fun. But we drove home (Brother Suarez drove right behind us to make sure we didn't get stuck again) and we then spent the rest of the night inside doing area book. We still have to convert all our paper records to our iPads.

The next day (Saturday) it was still snowing the whole day. We were told that driving was off limits, but to try and give service where you see it. We went around shoveling and knocking doors in our apartment complex. Everyone just told us to go home. We did make a mini snow missionary during lunch though :) haha but that night was again spent inside doing area book. That brings us to yesterday! (Sunday) Church was cancelled, but the sun was out and it was hot. We spent all day yesterday going around shoveling pathways and helping people dig out their cars. We literally just had shovels on our shoulders and went around saving people :) haha it was fun and we met lots of people and were given hot chocolate, but I am SOOOOOO sore!!!! I have never been in this kind of pain. Haha shoveling for a whole day and pushing cars hurts. But the sun is out today and the main roads are completely dry and I hear that the neighborhoods are all being plowed today, so missionary work is back to normal!!

Well you now have heard about my adventure in the snow. This email was very long. Sorry. I will now sum up everything else from this week. On Wednesday we were apart of the first ever all missionary conference. It was basically like general conference for missionaries. All missionaries all over the world got to hear from general authorities. It was cool. We received trainings on how to be better missionaries.

In other news the streak continues! Sister Garrigues is being transferred tomorrow. 6 transfers, 6 companions. One day I will keep a companion. haha Well, I love you all! have a good week! Stay warm! I hope that I will! haha

Love,

Sister Lawson

P.S. thanks to Dad, Sister Zhenya Plumb, Sister McKenna Weech, Elyse, Myles, and Kaiya for the letters this week!!