Howl at the Moon Wolvpanionship!

Hey!

We had kind of an interesting week. We had SIX lessons on Tuesday and were crazy busy all day long and were exhausted by the time we got home at 9:15. That then led into a slower Wednesday and Thursday. We used a lot of our time those days to contact less active members and to talk to people. We had things scheduled both of those days, but things fell through or people stood us up.  On Friday we did our normal weekly planning for the upcoming week and then that evening we were crazy busy again, just like on Tuesday. We had a lesson with our ward mission leader's neighbor (I can't remember what I've called her previously, but she is the lady that is from Michigan who just wants to learn more about the church for historical and secular interest). It went well, but it was our last lesson. She is still having a stupor of thought about the trinity, but she isn't very open to learning by the Spirit. She is polite in lessons and absorbs information, but it doesn't touch her heart. She has good neighbors though and isn't afraid to ask questions, so I'm sure over time she will continue to learn more. After that we went out with a girl who is waiting to go on her mission. We had a few short doorstep lessons and then we had a miracle contact! We saw a few guys carrying in groceries so we offered to help. They didn't accept, but we kind of pressured them and then they let us serve them. We started talking to the younger guy and then the older guy joined in. Two people drove up at that point and talked with us. One was the dad, the other was the son, then the son's girlfriend and the son's friend who is living with them. The friend said he actually talked to elders a few days previously and they gave him a Book of Mormon. The dad started getting kind of defensive and said his pastor told him years ago to never let a Book of Mormon in his home. The friend then said, "Why? It's a book. They just ask us to read it. I read the introduction like I was asked to and it isn't a bad book." That opened up a discussion about reading and praying. The dad then said, "What do you believe about the apostles and Christ? I believe once Christ died and the apostles left, the church died." We were like, "WOW WE BELIEVE THAT TOO!" in our heads. Out loud we were like, "Oh yes. We actually believe that too." Then we taught a short 5 minute Restoration lesson. It was really cool! We invited them to church and they didn't come, but we will just go back and talk to them some more this week.

Sister Smith and I make up random little songs when we're driving around or walking through neighborhoods. They're usually quite catchy actually. After President Jenkins wrote us about locking our hearts a few weeks ago we wrote a song called Lock Your Heart. It's pretty good. Well, like all things in this mission, it spread like wildfire. One night our roommates were the only people who knew it and then within a few days word had already traveled to KJ. We saw him a few days later and he asked us about it. We were kind of embarrassed but he loved it. He said he should get that out to the whole mission. We kindly objected and left before he pressured us. A senior sister in the office did capture a video of us singing it though. We have an album though. It is called Soppe's Greatest/Only Hits. Here are the hits:

Vaha Koloamatangi

Lock Your Heart

Panting Bird

Swaggy

Bye Bye Sister Mitchell

Sharks on My Body (that was a hit I wrote before becoming her companion)

Sister Teddy

(I feel like I'm missing one or two more)

On Saturday we went to the endowment and sealing of Hermione and her husband. It was a tender moment for me. I haven't seen many baptisms on my mission, but at least those I have worked with are still progressing in the gospel. I was so proud of them. The sealer said EXACTLY what they needed to hear. It was so powerful and guided by the Spirit. Having worked with her and her family for 10 months I definitely know their struggles and he touched on all of them. It was a testimony building experience for me. She cried during the sealing which made me cry as well. It was a sweet day.

All the sisters that are still in the mission that taught Hermione 

during and after her baptism with their companions.

 All the sisters that taught Hermione with her after her sealing.

Hooray! 

THEY'RE SEALED FOR TIME AND ALL ETERNITY!

The reception that night was nice as well. It was great to see so many people I love from my first area. It was even more wonderful to see that they still love me. I'm excited to visit them when I'm not a missionary. I was even more honored that the Cheesecake Factory kids not only remembered me, but remembered me by name. They're young and I left those wards almost 7 months ago. I just love them all so much!

I entered the cultural hall to see two very excited Cheesecake Factory kids. 

This picture is horrible quality, but it demonstrates Noah's excitement. 

He wouldn't stop jumping up and down even for the picture. Their mom 

said that you would have thought I was a celebrity when she told the kids

that I was coming that night. She said they jumped up and down and fist 

bumped the air in the kitchen when they heard the news. I gave Noah the 

                             last of my mints (aka Shark Bites) to have forever.

Slightly better, but still bad quality. There I am posing with the 

SHARK SOCKS they gave me. They're my favorite people. 

When I got there the husband said, "So we're two weeks away 

from a hug now, right?" I told him I go home in 6 weeks, 

not 2, but when I'm back he can definitely have a hug.
 

Here is the sad part of my week though. We got transfer news and Sister Smith is leaving. We knew it was going to happen, but it doesn't make it any easier. It will be sad to see the death of Soppe. Except it won't ever die. We have a celestial friendship. I said that having her leave is like having a husband die that I am sealed to. Obviously she is my favorite, but I'm just getting married to someone else to pass the rest of my time here on Earth. I do love the sister that will be my new companion though. She was in my district when I was district leader. She was the sister who got her ears pierced on P-day! Her name is Sister Childs and she is a rock star. I knew that I would likely get another good companion because she will have to learn the area quickly and be ready to take over when I go home at the end of the transfer. It's weird to say that. Go home at the end of the transfer. I had a sister from my last area call this morning because she thought I was leaving today and she was panicked that she hadn't told me goodbye. It's weird.

Sister Mitchell goes home tomorrow and this was a legitimate conversation she and her companion had. It wasn't even a joke. How touching:

"Which family will you miss the most when you go home?"-Sister B
"Sister Poppe, Sister Smith, and Dahl Phynne. They're my favorite family."-Sister Mitchell

Also, Happy Birthday to America! I'm dressing in red, white, and blue every day this week to celebrate. Pictures to follow next week :)

Love,

Sister Poppe

Beautiful Sunset with Jesus clouds

HABOOOOOOOB!

 

 The work doesn't stop even when there is a dust storm warning and travel 

isn't advised. Because let's be honest, dust storms are not even that hard to 

drive in compared to blizzards. But we kind of looked like 

hot messes for an hour or so.

Howl at the moon wolvpanionship!

Sister Smith and I in our matching wolf shirts. She's the only 

companion that loved me enough to want to have the same 

wolf shirt as me.  Long live Soppe.

 So, fun story. The Cheesecake Factory mom was at Hermione's sealing

 on Saturday and she pulled me aside and asked if I was going to the

 reception that night for Hermione and her husband. She said that her kids 

had been asking her all day if Sister Poppe was going so she wanted to 

make sure they were there the same time I was, and then she said that she 

had a gift for me.  IT WAS THOSE AWESOME SHARK SOCKS THAT 

ARE ON MY FEET.  She saw them and her first thought was of me.

He Kissed Me with His Oreo Mouth

Hey!

Wow! With these busy weeks it’s making it hard to email home because I have so much to write and so little time. I'll try my best!

There is a musical FHE once a month put on by a talented pianist in the fancy rich stake here in Mesa. His name is Clyde Bawden. We took our ward mission leader's neighbor to it and she loved it! At the end she said, "I feel so warm right here (in her chest) and peaceful! Do you feel that?" We told her that we did and that it was the Spirit testifying of the truth of the message she heard that night. Her neighbor is going to invite her to learn more.

At the assisted living home we visit one of our friends was expressing her sorrow with being old and lonely. She talked about her husband and how much she misses and loves him. We gave her a Plan of Salvation pamphlet and she was so grateful and happy. She said it is a truly beautiful book. If we don't get her here, we'll get her on the other side.

When we returned our bikes Sister Smith biked into a bush. And it was sooooo funny.

We stopped by the TLC Family's home this week and had an amazing conversation with the husband on the porch. We taught him the Restoration outside and he wants us to come back and teach his entire family when his wife gets back in town next week. THIS IS A MIRACLE IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT.

We met a less active this week who is so sweet. She didn't have a good experience at the temple the first time she went so she kind of fell off the radar. She opened up to us though and is going to allow us to keep visiting. We will help her and her cute little family! The son is adorable. He called me mom and kissed me with his Oreo mouth. I wanted to hold him so badly. OBEDIENCE. Ah. He sat next to me as we talked with his mom and played with my Batman and Hex-bug Nano-bug thing (which is potentially the most useful mission gift I've ever received! So many children have been distracted by that thing).

Lost is still doing well. He is getting more open with us as well. We asked if he had any questions at the end of our lesson on Friday and he said, "Sister Poppe, are you going back to BYU after your mission?" We meant questions about the Plan of Salvation, but it is cute that he is asking us human questions now. We went out with him and the priests who helped us teach and our ward mission leader for gelato after our lesson. It is made by a real Italian and is literally as good as the stuff I had in Europe. Oh man. I had some Nutella gelato and it made me want to just never eat anything again so that I could savor that sweet, creamy, delicacy for the rest of my life. This was the same day that we had the cheesecake feast...

So I received a phone call on Friday while we were weekly planning letting us know we had to come to the mission office because someone brought me something perishable. We went over and to our surprise there was the most welcome of rainbow bags on the package table in the mission office; a Cheesecake Factory take out sack. President Jenkins stopped us in the doorway and asked if that was the bribe we promised him if we stayed together. We were going to offer him a piece, but he left before we could. Which reminds me, we do owe him a piece, because Sister Smith and I are staying together for 6 more weeks! Miracles of all miracles. Anyway, back to the dessert. We ate it with our roommates while we took a weekly planning break and we all almost puked because we should have stopped eating but didn't. IT WAS SO GOOD. Cheesecake is literally my favorite dessert.

We had ZTM this week and were having a potluck afterward. Sister Smith and I were assigned a watermelon but we forgot to buy one on Pday. When we got to dinner on Tuesday night, the day before we needed the watermelon, the lady we had dinner with asked if we wanted to take home the left over watermelon. We had enough for our potluck and we didn't have to go to the store on a day that wasn't Pday! MIRACLES.

President Jenkins decided that too many trainers aren't training their new missionaries correctly, so he took a poll of mission leaders and asked who the best trainers have been in the mission. My name was one of the most prevalent I guess because I've been asked to participate with a few other missionaries (including Sister Smith) in a train the new trainers meeting this Wednesday. I'm specifically supposed to role play an effective 12 week training (that's what the new missionary training is called). I am humbled, honored, and excited!

Our 8 year old convert was baptized! It was a wonderful day. I'll send pictures next week, we didn't get any on our iPad so we're waiting for them to be emailed to us. The service was wonderful and his nonmember parents came and enjoyed it. A few days before his baptism we had a lesson with him and his 6 year old nephew said the funniest thing in the closing prayers, "Please bless that 8 year old will not flip out. Because he will be fine. Because he is only under the water and then out of it really fast. Like....a race car." This is the same kid who a few weeks ago asked us, "Is it true that people from State Farm can just appear in other places?" when his mom told him that you can ask the missionaries any questions and they have answers. President and Sister Jenkins came to our baptism and we asked President at the end when we would receive transfer news. He said, "Tomorrow night. You'll find out in about 24 hours.......that the two of you are staying together." He told us a day early! We were so caught off-guard that we didn't really react very excitedly.

Bambi is doing really well and is interested in family history. I am excited to work with her more on that.

Today at Target a sweet lady approached us and gave us each a $20 gift card. People are so nice to us sometimes. I'm excited to do nice things for missionaries when I am home! You should all do something nice for some missionaries!

Last night we were contacting former investigators and we stopped by a woman's home and had a great talk with her. She has read the Book of Mormon twice and believes fully in it. She said she will be baptized someday, just in her timing. The lady is old. Super old. I think it's time. We set up a return appointment for Friday and are looking forward to the miracles that will happen with her.

Love,

Sister Poppe

What a surprise! Cheesecake Factory cheesecake delivered to the mission 

office for us. We were all thoroughly excited. In the words of Sister Mitchell, 

"I'm glad I made the decision to come down to Earth." Yes. It was that 

good.  Also, a great weekly planning break.

Post Crossfit/Sister Brady's Bday!

Sister Smith's baby hairs remind me of Dwight Shrute. 

They're called her Dwight Shrute hairs now. 

They make my heart happy.