Magnets, Top Hats and Fireants!

Ni hao, Bonjour, Hola!

Apparently as a TMSQ Sister I'll eventually learn how to say hello in 50 languages! I'm excited :)

It's been another fantastic week here in the sunny Salt Lake City, where the construction is actually making progress, tourists come from all over & the acoustic demonstration never ceases to amaze :)

Meg leaves the MTC on Oct 5!!! How exciting!!! I can't wait to hear about Taiwan! She sent me a letter with a few pictures of us in the MTC & I put one up on my wall & another up in my locker :) I LOVE that we get to do this whole "mission thing" together!

I just found out this week that Personal Progress is online!!!! How cool is that!? Elena - did you know that?

Brit: I need your new address...the letter I sent you got returned & it said you had moved!

Laurel: I can't wait to see you! I'll be wearing my ridiculously cute bright pink jacket :) Just bring yourself & that's good enough for me! If you want... you can draw me a really pretty picture I can put up on my wall!!!

Friday- "Good Morning Sisters! It's going to be a beautiful day! Why don't we start with a flu shot?" No problemo - go ahead, shoot me - I can take it:)

I saw Grandma & Pop!!! We hung around the NVC for the morning hoping to run into them. As we came up the escalator we noticed an amazingly familiar couple who, might I add, looked fantastic! I thought "Wow, if only I could be related to two such healthy-looking people!" Guess what - I am :) Grandma made some Carrot Pineapple cookies that were delicious! Sis Garbett liked them too. We got to catch up for 3-5 min, allowing enough time for Grandma to snap a few photos!

There was indeed a package dance performed. Right there in the unknown of the SVC - by your very own Sister Despain. PACKAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so amazed at the contents because I loved everything in it! And then I remembered how smart Mom was to get me to type up a list of my favorite things, before I left :) Genius.

I saw Elder Nzojibami!!! He was in Meg's (Sis Gandolph) district & we became friends. We got to catch up a bit. He left this week for Canada (pretty sure it was Canada) Mandarin speaking. Crazy, right? He took a picture for proof.

Saturday - The highlight/lowlight all-in-one of Saturday was wrapped up in one simple phone call. We had an appointment with this 81 year old lady who, it turned out - just wanted to tell us we had been deceived & she was sorry for us. Now, I'm not sure how one would go about yelling at a sweet lady like that...so we didn't :) We thanked her for her opinion & wished her a nice day. Thankfully, we had the General Relief Society Meeting that night! I sat about 5 feet from Susan W. Tanner!!! How cool is that!?!?!?! She was right there & we couldn't help but stare!

I loved the story that President Monson shared. "Are we looking through a window that needs cleaning?" Really makes you think about how much we have become a world that focuses on judging everyone. Let's work a little harder to love everyone & condemn fewer simply because of their outward appearances.

Sunday - Testimony meeting was great. It's a new experience for sure - kinda like "dress-up" Girls Camp! We have sisters from all around the world! But guess what? The Church is true in Utah, Japan, the Philippines, Tonga, Chile, England & Nigeria! We contacted on the Square without much success. People simply don't refer & it gets a little discouraging. But we know that we accomplish our job when we Teach Testify & Invite --- it's up to them to accept! And one day, they will :)

I taught Sister Garbett how to whistle! To parents who lived through teaching their kids how to whistle: It's rough. But totally worth it when they're so pleased with themselves after getting a solid clear sound!

I stepped on a particularly crunchy leaf. I smiled & felt way too proud for a 21 year old. It was great.

Monday - I had an interview with President Holmes. He's very friendly & has a great sense of humor. He asked what my parents do & thought it was sweet that they both teach Spanish at NCSU. Props Mom & Dad for getting *cute points* from across the country! We talked Journalism for a bit and he even connected the importance of Brevity & Clarity in Journalism to their use in our work here on TMSQ! Brilliant! Everything is going great & I'm learning a lot! Sis Garbett & I have a lot of fun together and she pushes me to do my best. So it was a short & very pleasant interview.

Sis Garbett is doing a great job at pushing me to just open my mouth & talk. She's really helpful & will whisper "Tell them about the benches..." or "Tell them about the ceiling..." -- stuff that she knows I know about. Then I do it and connect it to the faith of the Pioneers and then to my own faith! It's awesome!

I SAW ELDER DANIEL WIDENHOUSE!!!! He's serving in the SLC Mission, Spanish speaking. I ran into him on his way to do service. I was so surprised to see him but turns out he was even more surprised to see me, "WHOA!!! Sister Despain??? I didn't even know you were putting your papers in! Are you here?!?!?!" It was hilarious. He's doing great, been out 16 months & loving it. Another Elder in his group, Elder Arnell - is serving in SLC until he gets his visa for Mexico. He lived in Cary until he was 11 -- small world! He was in the Cary 1st Ward. He knew the Maxwells, the Plautz family, the Farnsworths & the Barnhills --- how crazy is that? So - to all those families - if you remember an 11 yr old Arnell boy - he's doing great!

We've started teaching a couple who live in Ohio. They have 5 children & are really interested in making sure their kids grow up with solid morals. We're really excited to see how they progress!

Tuesday - Speaking of pushing me to do my best, Sis Garbett made me do the Acoustic Demonstration for the Tabernacle!!!! Hahaha I was SO scared! We were up on stage, taking pictures of the Organ for a guest when she says "Sister - they want us to do the demonstration. You can do it! They need you!" "No way!!! YOU just did it perfectly - you do it!" Needless to say -- I felt 5 yrs old as I stood up there during the intro music thinking "My Mom made me do this." It wasn't too terrible...I just started turning 3 words too soon! So I turned around again - faced forward - started 3 words back & then finished up!!! It was terrifying - but the worst is over with. I did the Pin Drop Demonstration!!!! Wahoooo!!!!

I was talking to Sister Gilbert (who I knew at BYU-I in 2007) I mentioned I wanted to grow my hair out, "Me too! I want Miley Cyrus hair." "No way!!! ME TOO!!!" Hahaha yes we really are this ridiculous...just because we have tags - we haven't stopped being girls :)

Wednesday- We got two return appointments from finding people on Chat! We're hoping they are actually legit. You might be wondering where my subject line comes from? Chat. There are trolling websites that hire people to come onto our site & just waste our time. But they're really original & all use the same thing. So it really doesn't waste too much of our time! If they ask "How do magnets work?" "If I join, do I get a top hat?" or "Are Fireants from Hell?" --- then we say "Have a nice day." The End.

We made cookies!!! Only get this, we put in a box of vanilla pudding in the recipe -- to anyone who reads this & hasn't tried it - you have to try it! It's so good! We baked about a dozen & a half but FROZE the rest in Ziploc bags. That's right Mom - we froze them so we wouldn't eat them all at once. I know - I'm proud too :) We figured that since the mind is so powerful - if we keep telling each other "Wow! You look so skinny!" "Ya? Must be all those cookies I've been eating!" That it'll actually start to happen! Think we can trick our bodies into thinking cookies make us skinny??? Me either - but it's worth a shot!

I finally got some removable adhesive tacky stuff...whatever it's called... & put pictures up on my wall! It's so exciting!!! I've got about 50 pics! Postcards, family, friends, MTC buddies, MesaLandSquare, Temples etc. I love love love it!

I know I'm particular about organization...but I never thought I was OCD until people started mentioning it. Pop - a need to have things organized isn't a problem until it starts interfering with your daily routine, right? I need a professional backing me up here!

Wed morning I decided to focus on Charity - as my Christlike Attribute for this week. Conveniently enough, that night we had the most difficult tour Sis Garbett said she had had her entire mission!!! "Charity Never Faileth." Too true.

Alma 36:17 Talks about when Alma the Younger was harrowed up in his sins. A harrow is a farming tool used to rip up the ground in order to prepare it for planting seeds. Are you seeing the connection? It was necessary for Alma to go through this suffering & pain so that he could become the best missionary possible! It occurred to me during Personal Study this morning that all the Anti experiences we have here on TMSQ are to prepare us for the rest of our lives! Once you shake yourself off from those really unpleasant conversations -- you're just that much stronger in your testimony. At least that's what I've discovered. I know this church is true. I know it with all my heart. I have seen it bless so many lives & I know that it is Christ's church - restored to the earth again. It's true. And no amount of Anti can change that fact.

Thank you SO much for writing! I love getting your postcards, letters & emails! Sounds like everyone is doing great!
Love you all!

Sister Ainsley Marie