Represent

Everyone wants to talk about women. So let's talk about women for a second.

The word "feminist" is accompanied by one torrent of a spectrum, but for the sake of this brief conversation, I'm going to call myself a feminist. 

I think I rock.

As do other women.

As do men.

As a general rule, I think human beings are pretty A+ creatures.

However, I've noticed something that I feel is being miscommunicated that I would love to clear up, if I can. It has to do with image, modesty, representation, and self respect.

If this is the first you're seeing this image, don't be too hard on yourself. This is Rihanna in her new video "Pour It Up." It emphasizes the allure of strippers and wealth. I'd like to hope that Rihanna has a whole truckload of redeeming qualities. I just...can't tell from that video.

I'm not seeing any strides for women here. I see power, yes. Perhaps a sense of freedom? To be honest this really isn't the kind of power I'm looking for. Maybe that's weird.

Now before you get all crazy on me and start thinking this:



I want to clarify that I don't think a body is anything to be ashamed of. I'm quite proud of mine, to be honest. This is not a "cover up- no one wants to see that" conversation. What an incredible phenomenon is the human body! I just mean to make the point, ridiculous as it may seem, that there is more to me as a being, a woman, a student, an activist, and whatever else I choose to be, than my physical appearance or sexual allure.

It's right about now that the big ugly word "modesty" comes into play. I know people hate that word. "Modesty" has come to have a nearly oppressive tint to it, and I lament that. So when I use it here, yes, I'm referring to clothing, but more than that- I'm referring to a sense of self imposed self-respect.
(Did anyone else notice how many S's that was? Just saying.)

Everyone likes talking about women in relation to men, so I'll indulge you for a second.

This image is featured at the Women's Rights Museum in Seneca Falls, New York. It's one of my personal favorites, and it's really what I'm talking about here. The message is, women are often seen for their quality outsides, and men for their quality insides. Under this rationale, I hope you're really proud of those master's degrees, ladies.

Do you wish to be respected for what goes on in your brain?

Do you consider yourself to have a strong character and a sound mind?

Does your will power or your cool intellect contribute and make the world a safer and more sane place?

Does your love for others give them hope or a greater reason to press on?

Then do yourself a favor. Focus on that, instead.

As a final example of what I mean by all of this, I'd like to give you just a few examples of women who I personally look up to, regardless of their sex appeal or nerve to walk outside in underwear. 

Jessica U. Meir-  Assistant Professor of Anesthesia at Harvard Medical School, and one of the eight new astronauts of NASA. (Ok...once the government shutdown shenanigans are over)

 Chimamanda Adichie- Inspirational speaker and author. She has received education from Yale, Johns Hopkins, University of Nigeria,  Drexel, and Eastern Connecticut State University.

Crystal Christensen- Elementary school teacher, talented blogger, good friend, and currently battling bone cancer like a champion.

These three beautiful women inspire me to further develop what makes me who I am. Every day should be spent questioning, learning, giving everything you've got to make this world a better place, and let's be honest- the best way to do those things is with your clothes on.

Enculturation. But what else can you do?

Hi everyone!

I've been asked to do one of those assignments you do when you tell people about what makes you you and all that and stuff.

You are now privy to it.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

1. Microphone- I am a recording artist, and will be releasing an album in the fall. These songs mean more than fame or recognition, but have always been a part of who I am. I am not trained, but play the piano, guitar, and I sing. In more aspects than just music, I think of myself as slightly rough around the edges but true.

Possibilities. Imagination. Creativity.

2. Cheerwine- I am from North Carolina and miss it. Being from the South has shaped much of how I see myself and others. It has molded my political views, the pace of life, my environmental preference, and my sense of home.

Accepting. Nostalgic. Heritage.

3. Engagement Ring- I am getting married in January! I come from a culture that values marriage, and it's not so strange to be getting married at 23.

Commitment. Sacrifice. Hope.

4. Tracting shoes- I served a mission in Upstate New York and returned in May of this year.

Hard work. Dedication. Religious conviction.

There are few things more paralyzing
Than that fear

Fairweather Friend

Well, hear we are.

Home is kind of a funny word. As it turns out, I attach that word to people. With that said, I am really happy to be home with my dad and brothers. I sure do love them.

Mostly, I think I was surprised at how normal it felt to walk back into life after being a missionary. Don't get me wrong- I loved and appreciated my time preaching the good word, but I knew this was coming. I knew it was time.

I think probably the strangest part about being hurled back into what is generally termed as reality is that you've missed the slow progression of all your loved ones. Sometimes people have started turning their lives around and then when you get back you're pleasantly surprised. On the other hand, those who've let themselves go are much more of a shock than they would have been otherwise. The difference between your interactions as a missionary and non-missionary is that as a missionary I primarily dealt with people searching for help. Now I seem to be swimming in a world full of my friends and family who are so sad and would prefer for me to watch them suffer rather than help in any way. That's comfortable.

Pros and cons exist in all situations. Happy to be home, but I need to build up some of those old callouses.

You are the torch and it all makes sense

The best word to describe this week is probably "unconventional."

We just had a lot of strange stuff go on, but considering it was my last week as a missionary, I probably shouldn't be that surprised.

First of all, last Sunday Sister Szuch and I were invited to go speak at the Wellsville Branch. There were 21 people there in total, and that's including 8 missionaries (us, a set of elders, and 2 senior couples). It took just over 2 hours to get there, and the way was beautiful. Spring came on super quick here in New York and it has been so wonderful this past week! The rolling hills and trees everywhere is pretty similar to North Carolina but not as hot. It was nice to have so much time to just sort some things out in my head. There is something so therapeutic about car trips.

Sister Szuch and I both anticipated the entire event being kind of sad because of how small the group is, but I was really surprised! There was such a happy and pleasant spirit about those people, and I feel so privileged that I had the opportunity to meet them and speak there! It made me so happy to think about how valiant and strong people are all over the world. Going to church is not about entertainment or talent- it's about truth. Every week they carry on with their various tasks, standing very alone in their groups of friends and family, but they know what's right, so what else matters? I spoke on receiving guidance and revelation through the Spirit, and Sister Szuch spoke on what we've recently termed "the big three." Those are:

1. Prayer

2. Scripture Study

3. Service

Everyone has those days where they just feel irritated or depressed. Sometimes it's seemingly for no reason, sometimes it's because of legitimate circumstances. Regardless, on those days I've started asking myself- how were my prayers this morning? Was I really trying to pray or was it routine? Then, how was my study this morning? Did I do it? Was I really there or was I unfocused? And then finally, who am I serving right now? If you are seeking to gratify yourself, your day is going to continue to be terrible. If you are looking for others who need help, you will feel lighter and more happy. If your day has been rotten, go back to the big 3. Generally, it is there that you will find your answer! I know God didn't put us here to be unhappy. He put us here to confront challenges for sure! But He is always looking to help us through.

So I guess this is my last email! There are a bunch of different ways I could end this...quite a bit has changed over the last year and a half. I'm about the same weight, (although I'm pretty sure I've lost some baby fat in my face) I'm the same height, I still don't like onions, bees are still of Satan, but so much of how I see myself, God, and the world has changed. I feel at peace, and I feel more whole. I will miss so much of Western New York and being a missionary, but I am looking forward to the next chapter of my life. I am so grateful for the opportunity I've had of being a full-time missionary. The church is true, my friends.

See you all soon!

Sister Raines signing out.

Full court press

This week we went on exchanges again, except since a lot of weird stuff has been going on with the site trainers, I went with Sister Aiello from Italy instead of Sister Madsen, and Sister Butters came to Waterloo with Sister Szuch. It was interesting! Sister Aiello goes home a transfer after me but she's really struggled with English. I'm proud of her for keepin on- language is not an easy thing. 

Other than that, there's really not much to update anyone on! I hope everyone has a good week

Sister Raines

Righteous Revolutionaries

To give you a bit of a glimpse of what it's like to live in my house right now...the 4 of us spent a good 10 minutes this morning discussing the label on my recently purchased body wash. It's called "sheer twilight." We were specifically discussing how it's impossible to say that name without whispering it. It has to be whispered! Anyways.

As for the rest of life, I have been getting more and more tired. You can see it in pictures taken of me, which is part of why I've been sending fewer and fewer pictures. I've been learning more on my mission to live in the moment because sometimes it's too much to think about anything besides the task at hand. Yesterday morning I woke up and thought to myself "I can do today." And I knew I could! And I did. Sometimes I have to tell myself "I can do this next hour" or something like that until I can get up the energy to focus on more. I can't think about anything at home really because it's too much to focus on and it's overwhelming because I can barely do what I need to do for the rest of the week! I used to be really good at seeing ahead even years ha. As much as I really love this work, it is very tiring. More tiring for your soul and emotions, it seems. Tiring nonetheless. I am grateful for every moment, and I am grateful for moments to catch your breath and dive back in. This is a lesson I'll need to understand for the rest of my life! Not everything is a cake walk, but I can do today.

I said goodbye to my dear Bre and Yesse from Rochester this week! I'm attaching a picture of them from when they were baptized in December. The Elders in the singles branch taught them, but somehow or other we got to be good friends. It was weird to say bye to them because it was one of the first goodbyes I've had to say. They are planning a trip to Utah in June though, so I hope to see them then.

A theme that Sister Szuch and I kind of stumbled into this week comes from Mormon 9:19-
"And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles."

Miracles don't always look like we expect they will look! But they are still there. I'm grateful for the many miracles in my life. It was a good pilot light of a scripture for this week for me. I hope it helps some of you, too.

That's all from me!

Sister Ray

"Hope on. Journey on. Honestly acknowledge your questions and your concerns, but first and forever, fan the flames of your faith." -Jeffrey R. Holland

 

 

Always be yourself. Unless you can be Batman, then always be Batman.

Good morning :)

Sorry I'm emailing so late this week- we had appointments all afternoon, and this morning we decided to hit up the Salvation army. I got a Catcher in the Rye tshirt! Life is good. Clearly.

Ok! This week! We're still teaching this one family, but we can never seem to get through all the lessons because every time we get there they've brought a friend over and they want us to start over! So that's been fun. I really love answering questions. There's a trend these days to lean towards anything that's known as "nondenominational," which is sweet in theory, but when what that really translates to is not having any doctrine. Nondenominational seems to work alright if all people want is good morals, but Christ established a church so that we could receive truth. Not talking about the issues doesn't exactly fix anything, and it doesn't teach anything. It's just running.

"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ." 
-Ephesians 4:11-15

When we went to teach that family on Tuesday, 3 teenagers were sitting on their couch. When we mentioned that we were going to have a lesson they asked if they could stay! I love kids who have questions. One of them asked question after question after question. I absolutely LOVED it! I loved it because questions are good! They are good if we are willing to be patient, to trust God, and to feel truth. He still had a ton of questions when we left but we had other appointments to get to that day. We will be meeting with that group again tomorrow afternoon. Everybody has questions! It doesn't seem to me that God intended us to go through this life confused without a way to find light and truth.

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

-James 1:5

Sometimes it takes awhile, but understanding comes. Truth exists, regardless of our acknowledgement of it or obedience to it. I am grateful for that.

General Conference was phenomenal! I've been having trouble narrowing down my favorites...but I think it's between one given by Elaine S. Dalton and one given by Dieter F. Uchtdorf. When I was listening to Sister Dalton I was reminded of how grateful I am to be a woman, and to know that I am a daughter of God. It's hard to describe how I felt as I listened to her. I felt whole and capable and happy. I hope you all take the chance to watch that if you haven't already. Elder Uchtdorf talked about light and darkness. He talked about a woman who lived in adverse circumstances for much of her early life. To demonstrate the point of his address, he said:
"She sought counseling and medical help and began to realize that, for her, the best path for healing was to understand and accept that darkness exists—but not to dwell there. For, as she now knew, light also exists—and that is where she chose to dwell."
He goes on to discuss how the source of this light is Jesus Christ. How grateful I am to know that!
Sister Dalton's talk:
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/we-are-daughters-of-our-heavenly-father?lang=eng
Elder Uchtdorf's talk:

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/the-hope-of-gods-light?lang=eng

Pay attention to how you feel as you read or watch or listen to their addresses. I know their words to be true.

Things are still good in all other realms of missionary life. It still hasn't sunk in that I'm leaving really...I've been told it won't sink in until I'm on a plane heading south, but I suppose we'll see. I am happy to be here, and I'll be happy to hug all of you again. Can't complain either way.

I hope everyone is well in the muggle world! Don't forget about me in the next few weeks, ok?

Love,
Sister Raines

Spice Cake

It's been a great week! Sister Szuch started it out (the week starts the day after I email in this case) by riding bikes everywhere we had to go on Saturday instead of using the car. Mostly this was because we were out of miles for the month. We wouldn't have been thrust into the dungeon or anything if we had gone over, but I kind of like a challenge, it seems. And it worked! But my bum ached for like 2 days afterwords. The problem with this plan is we had an appointment to do service with a member of the ward who lives on the other side of Seneca Falls, the other sisters' area. When we got to their house at the end of the 18 mile day, they refused to let us bike home, so we got a ride in their truck from their. I can't say I wasn't happy about that. Our bikes never did learn how to gear down from 6th gear. Yeah...

Most of our week was spent at the Visitors' Centers which continue to pick up in traffic. I really love giving tours when it's busy. Can I just say that? The VC has been a trial of my mission in many ways because switching focus back and forth from normal missionary work to VC work makes you a little crazy, and sitting around studying for hours when no one comes in also makes you a little crazy. When people come in though, I remember how much I really love people, and I get to talk about the sites here, which I love! It's great. I'm grateful I get to end my mission on a busy note instead of a Winter one.

This morning we got to go take a yoga class! Right before I got pink eye we went and helped this lady paint the studio because she was renovating it but was really busy. They are great! They live next to the Lindquists in the ward, which is how she found us. Before my mission I never really did yoga, and my only experience with it was like flailing and standing in funny positions. When yoga is done well, it is AWESOME. I'd like to continue to experiment with it in some capacity when I get home. I attribute most of this to Tony of P90X :) Thanks, Tony.

All the new Sisters seem to be doing well and everything is calming down from the craziness of this past transfer. I have not started packing yet, in case you were wondering...I don't plan on doing that for a few more weeks. Sister Szuch and I are livin it up for as long as is possible. I will really miss teaching about the Gospel of Jesus Christ here soon. I hope I get some crazy teaching calling in NC when I get back. If not I might start calling some of you randomly and asking to review a principle. Just when you thought I hadn't turned into a crazy, right? Ok I'll try not to do that.

Not too much other news for now I don't think- things are good. Britton had a relapse at smoking this week, but after a little bit of reassurance, he's back on track. Sometimes the worst part of quitting something or trying to improve is getting the motivation to try again once you relapse. He's a good kid. I'm grateful to know him, and I'm grateful for people who have the courage to press on!

Ok I'm out for this week. Have a cheery week!

Sister Raines

PS. Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I'll show you A-flat miner.

Welcome to the family

Welp the mission practically exploded this week, and I was relatively unharmed. We got 10 new sisters (plus a bunch of Elders but I am less than concerned about them), so most people are training. Fortunately, Sister Szuch and I stayed the same- we have a lot going on in Waterloo, plus we are working on revamping the referral system at the Visitors' Center and will be presenting a training in a few weeks. Staying together makes all of that quite a bit easier. None of those going home in 6 weeks are training, but everyone else is. I escaped! Haha. Ha. Ok. Did I mention all 10 are under the age of 21? It's fun.

So Sister Adams is still living with us in the vortex of insanity with her trainee, Sister Tipton from Payson, Utah. She is sweet. And 19. It hasn't even been a full 6 months since the announcement was made that 19 year olds could serve, and already these sisters have voluntarily put everything aside to come! It's astounding, really. There are all amazing. I'm sad by the time I leave they'll only be halfway through training. I had a rough moment where I realized I was leaving that soon and it was harder than I expected. There are days like that. I just can't think like that though- I've been given a certain amount of time to do this work, and I need to be satisfied with that. After my time is up, I need to go and do other things. I don't want to live in the past when I can't be a missionary anymore.

Not to be boring or anything, but I'm fairly uninspired as to any rants today....and those we're teaching are pretty much steadily moving along. Nothing crazy in my life, just working hard and being happy. Today I am tired of hearing my own voice. I would much rather read and hear things from other people. So I will try and write more next week.

Till then!
Sis Raines

Life's hard when you're a little drunkard

Warning: Missionary rant ahead. Proceed at your own risk!

Ok so the second photo didn't actually attach last week. So here it is now.
As I said before, we started losing our minds a bit.

Ok! So this past week was a little less eventful than the week before, but not much. We had a training with both of the Palmyra Zones, and we had someone special show up! This guy and his family happened to be touring the sites:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid853948122001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAwY-wg3E~,CCjDZJW7GXDxqyDe7k_mBp1YVeadu2DM&bctid=2219553524001
His name is Kuhau, and he is incredible. It was such a privilege to be able to meet him and hear him play! I have a video of him playing "Called to Serve" while the two zones sing with him, and then he also played at our site meeting that night. It was excellent. Music does things that nothing else can. The guy in the video with him was also there. It was strange because Sister Szuch and I watched that video literally 2 days before we met him. So cool.

Waterloo is kind of taking off! By next week I'll know if I get to stay here for my last 6 weeks and who I'll be with, but until then I'm assuming I'm staying here with Sister Szuch till the end. It's been wonderful to watch how much has happened, especially just in the past few weeks. It's also had me thinking a mile a minute because I have so many people I care about and want to help! I will spare you the details of all of the things I've thought about and learned, but there's one topic this morning that I'll share a bit about, and that's....the law of chastity! Maybe it's because we're teaching a 27 year old guy and a 23 year old guy. The 27 year old has never been married and has two kids. The 23 year old is engaged with one boy and one on the way. Chastity is really a topic you can't avoid in situations like that. This morning I was so impressed with gratitude for my understanding of this law. I've found that in society we really don't use the word "law" correctly. We should use the word "rule" or something of the like. Why? Well the law of gravity is a law. It's unchangeable. You can try and defy it, but really you'd end up with the short end. It would be foolish. There are laws on Earth and in Heaven that are set- they aren't going anywhere. We can test them or rebel against them all we like, but we will yield the same results. You can't win against God in a world He created. Sorry
So to explain what the law of chastity is- it is a law given that prohibits sexual relations outside the bonds of marriage between a man and a woman. There are definitely details, hard aspects, sticky points. Issues like political correctness, "freedom" and character traits attempt to make the entire subject more difficult than it needs to be. We don't believe that God gives us the law of chastity to make us miserable- on the contrary. The law was already in place, but we are given knowledge of it so that we can get the most out of life and love. Consider again the law of gravity. Whether you are aware of its existence or not, you feel it. Those who insist that following this law inhibits their freedom may fling themselves from cliffs but you bet they'll only be free to do it once. I've been thinking back over various experiences in my life, and although I've been fortunate enough not to end up with an early family of my own, I know what it feels like to feel used, worthless and ugly. The adversary and the world would convince us that sex is the way to conquer insecurities. To give in to what is natural is the only way to be free or to be healed. Anyone who has experienced this temptation knows that following these experiences comes the realization that nothing has actually changed. Instead, your worth feels cheapened and you're looking for the next escape. How long does that continue? Till you're 60? 70? Let me offer a piece of wisdom, and it's only a piece: you will never feel beautiful if you're looking for someone else to prove it to you. It's not going to happen. God loves us, so he has sent His prophets throughout time to give us things like the law of chastity to keep us happy and to help us to understand who we are. Don't get lost in the lie.

That was a lot. I would apologize, but I'm not really sure that I should. So...not sorry? :) I just love so many people who are hurting! Yeesh. Just go listen to General Conference, okay? Those guys really do know what they're talking about. I will never be able to deny that!

In case you were all wondering about the weather and if it's warming up, it is currently snowing outside. We've gotten an inch or two like every other day this week. There is no summer in New York?

Ok that's all I've got for the week. Till next week!
Cheerios,
Sister Raines

We go a little crazy sometimes.

Thou art a boat-rocker

A lot has happened...but I'm not sure how I'm gonna go about explaining all of it! I feel like so much of what happens in my life is one of those "you had to be there..." things. So why aren't you all here? Yeesh.

In so many ways this week could have been killer. I think I've mentioned Jenn and Van- people we've worked with online. I feel foolish even telling you all, but it turned out to be a joke? We think. They both just kind of disappeared off the face of the earth after a month of calling and asking questions and things. It's hard to elaborate on that because so much happened. I was a little worried about Sister Szuch at first because I was kind of skeptical the whole time (I'm really just a pessimistic person, though) and she never suspected that anything could be wrong. Plus, she's still kind of new, and dealing with bad intentions can be heart breaking when you've never really encountered it before. We've talked a lot about the balance between being wise and giving people a chance. That's not something you have to think about if you've never lived around a liar or you've never been betrayed. Once it happens, the challenge becomes to keep from hardening and trusting again somehow. A perfect example of this (as in everything) is the life of Christ. We know he was betrayed by Judas, but just as frustrating might have been finding his apostles back at their nets after His resurrection. Those who walked with Him and were called to serve alongside and in His place after His departure weren't getting it! If they didn't understand, who could Christ count on? Ultimately He couldn't count on anyone- all of us are unreliable and imperfect a majority of the time. And still He takes a chance on us. Consider the risk the Lord takes every time we are given a second chance. I can't count how many second chances I've given. In circumstances of various addictions, how many times does an addict say "Ok I'm really done this time"? How many times have we said something ugly or shirked responsibility or thought only of ourselves even when we said we would be better? Christ always expected the best, and each new time He trusts that this time will do it. It's that hope in others and hope in self that eventually leads to lasting change. I don't want to be an idiot, but I don't want to be the one who hardens and doesn't expect anyone to come through for me when I am relying on others to still hope in me when I fall. This may be one of the great lessons of my life- I expect to continue learning it on a deeper level. I'm grateful for this chance I've had to really consider where I stand. I'm grateful for chances to change.

David (the guys with the lost keys) also ended up cancelling on us because religion "just isn't important enough," but we were blessed to be able to get in at the right time to see a few families who have been struggling. Things are looking up! One of my favorite families in the ward set in more heavy with a smoking problem because at the beginning of last week the dad lost his job. It was such a beautiful thing to be able to go in and bring light and hope to that family! We read and prayed with them, but mostly listened to their fears and frustrations. Ultimately we all came to the conclusion that this was what they really needed. Larry wasn't even happy at that job, and although it will be a struggle for him to find another one, he is learning to let go and allow God to lead him to a better place and to be a better man. That's a scary thing to do! I don't think anyone can pretend that it isn't! In Provo there is a place where there's a decent size rock wall overshadowing a foam pit. You're not strapped in to anything because you're only falling on foam, but letting go of that wall is actually kind of terrifying if you think too much! You have to fight your instincts telling you you can't just free fall, and right before you hit the ground your stomach tells you you're going to die. EVERY TIME. I've thought about letting go of that rock wall a lot recently. In so many ways, trusting God- an unseen power- is like fighting your instincts.

"For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." Mosiah 3:19

Do you see how dangerous the thought process of hardening and fighting can be? God has a much bigger plan than we do. If we will search His will and then allow Him to carry it out, we will end up much happier than we would have been otherwise. Quit trying to force everything! Sister Szuch and I have had a few companionship mantras, one of which is "Thing big. Then think bigger." As we come to see the larger plan the Lord has in store, we can let go and trust in good things to come.

The sites have been pretty busy, which is nice! I really love having the privilege of giving tours at these sacred places. I really hope one day all of you will have the opportunity to come through for yourselves. It seems like I'm always gathering plans for Austin and I to visit before too long. Western New York has really come to mean so much to me.

Welp I think that's all I'm going to be able to adequately explain ha. So till next week! Stay warm, everyone.
Sister Raines

"How do you live to be 107?"

"That's easy! Go to church and look both ways when you cross the street!"


Hello! So surprise- our preparation day has now been changed to Friday. This happens in my mission with the Sisters because once Spring Break hits there need to be sister missionaries at the sites every day of the week, so we can't all be gone on Monday. So today I am serving at the Book of Mormon Publication site, and I will get a chance to do all the normal stuff on Friday. Since you would have assumed my death by then though, I am emailing you quickly today to let you know that I will send you news then! Not dead.

This week I:
-Successfully touched my toes
-Learned to make a mean omelet
-Gave a tour to the entire cast of the Book of Mormon Musical

YES YOU READ THAT RIGHT MY FRIENDS! Sister Szuch and I were serving at the Smith Family farm and got to take the touring cast of the Book of Mormon Musical on tour! All of the senior couples were bracing themselves (we knew a few days in advance) because they assumed they would be abrasive or rude considering the nature of the play, but they were all extremely nice. How many people would love to testify of the validity of the Book of Mormon to that cast? On the Smith Farm no less? Ah yes. Lucky lucky am I. Sometimes I'll remember that it happened and kind of flip out all over again. MY LIFE IS AWESOME.

Another beautiful moment this week! We were walking in Waterloo and found someone's keys in a pile of snow. Not a good sign, generally. Luckily, there was a library card on them, so we went and got the persons address and things (it really shouldn't have been that easy- what if I had bad intentions? Anyways...) and then we took the keys to his house. This man's name was David! He was shocked and offered a reward, but of course the best reward is a chance to share our message, so he said we could come back and share a message in the future. Success. So! We brought a really awesome lady from the area with us a few days later. David admitted he never would have let us in had we just knocked on the door, but he felt very distinctly that God was trying to tell him something. (You think??) He decided to be open minded and to give it a shot. I know I've said this before, but that is my favorite part of our message! I would have hated walking around New York for 18 months trying to convince people that I'm right. That's really not my style. I love giving people the Book of Mormon and inviting them to go to God and ask Him if it's true or not. He's certainly not going to lie to you! The connecting theme between the musical cast and David is really prayer. At least a few of the cast members explained to me that they have made a habit of flipping open and reading a page of the Book of Mormon (there are copies all around the set) in the down times. They have found greater peace, but can't remember the last time they've prayed. You have to ask! Perhaps you've read the entire book. If you haven't sincerely asked God if it is a true record, you are not going to know. I love telling people to go pray. I will never feel bad about it, and I will never get tired of it. If you haven't prayed today, you should know what my advice is to you. My email will still be here when you get back.

So with that....I might be out of news. I anticipate more things happening between now and Friday so I'll have more things to tell you all. I hope everything is well out in the world over there! Things are good here.
Till later,
Sister Raines

PS. The first 19 year old sister comes to the mission in 2 weeks. HERE WE GO!
PPS. Why couldn't the printer make an impression?

He wasn't her type.

Haaa site missionary jokes. Yeah.

I am no sidekick

So this week was a bit of a blur!

To sum up the sickness stuff: It turns out I had pink eye in both eyes, likely caused from the fever I spiked the week before. A few days into the antibiotics, this random thing formed in the back of my throat. It was kind of cool looking. To make a long story short, we were able to pull it out! No doctors necessary. Twas awesome. And now I am all better :) The interesting thing was, one night Sister Szuch and I were planning and I said to her, "Sister Szuch, tomorrow I will not be sick anymore." She looked at me funny because my eyes were red and I had trouble talking because of the thing in my throat. I must have appeared a tad crazy. After we were done planning the next day I went upstairs and decided to try and pull the bacteria thing out and after a try or two it worked! Then the next morning my eyes started healing, and by the end of the day I was good as new. The power of positive thinking, right? Ha.

In my altered mental state last week I failed to acknowledge one other birthday! J-BIEBS IS ONE YEAR OLDER, YA'LL! All day I walked around wishing everyone a Happy Bieber Birthday. Only people I knew, mind you. No worries. Such a good birthday week!

This week, Sister Earl (goes home a transfer after me) was telling someone that she had 2 transfers left and I felt an intense pain of....something? I'm still not really sure! My immediate response was to plug my ears or something but I resisted and said "Sister Earl! You have 3 transfers left. Don't do that to me." She reminded me that this transfer is half over. I lost that battle. It's not that I don't want go home, I just want to go home AND stay out here. At the same time. The thought of not being able to teach the same way or just jump into people lives is pretty painful, guys. I am trying to make the most of the time I have left so that when it's time to leave it I'll be ready. Right now I just know I still have things to do.

This week we watched a devotional from Elder Bednar- the same man who came and spoke to us about the character of Christ while I was in the MTC- and something he said really stuck out to me. Well, lots of things. Anyways! He had a friend, married 3 weeks before, who was diagnosed with bone cancer. As I may have mentioned a month or two ago, a good friend of mine, married a year before, was just diagnosed with bone cancer. Elder Bednar talked to us about "the faith not to be healed" which is a concept I had never considered before. So often when hard things happen we talk about the faith to be healed, meaning having trust that God will do whatever it is you want Him to do. But what if that doesn't happen? What if someone dies or hurts you or leaves and everything you prayed wouldn't happen happens anyway? What if you serve a mission for 18 months and it looks like you didn't help anyone along the way? Coming to "have the faith not to be healed" means faith that whatever God has planned for us is best, even if it's not easy, comfortable, or pretty. That takes a lot more than praying for everything to be perfect. That doesn't mean we don't hope for good things to happen, but if it's not part of the plan, we can't just up and ditch things we know to be true! Faith means things will be alright in the long run. It means He will never abandon or forsake us. He loves us more than we do, remember?

Ok well that's pretty much all I've got for this week. Three cheers for March! I miss the sunshine. I hope it comes back before too long.
Cheerio,
Hermana Raines

Read the freakin book!

This week was great! I have nearly attained a six pack because of my incessant laughing. It's a good way to live.

We're still working with some people to work on family history, which I love. I wish I had more time to work on my own! But it's something I'll probably spend some time on when I get home. The highlight of our week is hands down Jenn and Van. Remember how as Visitor Center Sisters we work on mormon.org chat? Most of the time we get punk kids with nothing better to do, but sometimes we have the privilege of talking to people who have real questions and either don't know who to ask or where to go, or who are embarrassed to voice real curiosities. I love that. Ok! So Van is now 21, he joined the church a year ago after meeting a set of missionaries. His sister, Jenn, thought he was crazy and ridiculous. Then a few weeks ago, her boyfriend starting meeting with the missionaries, and now he wants to join the church. Before someone is baptized, they are required to leave behind various destructive behaviors- smoking, drinking, sex before marriage....so if someone is living with someone, they can either get married, move out, or not get baptized. It's not a hateful thing, it's just that we believe that God has asked us not to do those things because they are harmful in the long run! Anyways. Her boyfriend wants to get baptized, so he kicked Jenn out. By this point, Jenn was starting to realize that if he cared enough about this church thing to do that, there was something to it. That's where we come in. She messaged us on mormon.org chat, and we've been able to meet up with her again and teach her and answer any of her questions. She's a smart girl. Her and Van have both been through a lot. It's fun to be a missionary pen pal in a lot of ways. They're both really funny people, too. I love that life's potholes can either create bitterness or humor. Humor is the way to go, my friends. Don't get bitter! I'll keep you posted about how she's doing. Jenn has been reading in the Book of Mormon (she's decided to give it a shot after all this time ha!) and just this weekend she decided she would pray to know if it's true. My favorite part of being a missionary is knowing that anyone who goes to God to know if what we teach is true will know that it is.

My second to last transfer has begun! And pretty much everyone I work around is staying the same. I will never be able to adequately describe how awesome it has been to work with Sister Szuch. She is INCREDIBLE! I have been so blessed on my mission to be able to work around such wonderful people! It's been a blessing to watch her grow as well. She came out firm and strong as it was, but it's been fun to watch her become more confident and comfortable with herself and with talking to strangers. As Austin mentioned a few weeks ago, adjusting to missionary work is hard! Everything you're taught your whole life is contradicted- you're asked to talk about something extremely personal and sacred to you and then have it trampled on and challenged by people you don't know! It's not a carnival most days, but it's worth it. She's been a champ through this adjustment, and I love her dearly.

Can you believe it's almost March?! January inched, but February always seems to fly. I hope everyone is doing well. I am happy. Sorry there isn't much to write this week! Possibly more next week. This week just went by in a blur.

Love,
Sister Ray

Szuch a good missionary!

I finished another song! This one has been in the works for a few weeks, so it was nice to finally finish it. Then the next day I started one and I'm almost done except I still need the last half of the second verse. Sometimes the little buggers don't want to come! Sometimes they come too fast for me to write.
Here ye go:

Strong enough to keep her head
Trusting what the future brings
Sitting in those words they said
Focusing on finer things

Sometimes solace can be hard to find
Pacing as you hasten passing time
Anxiously awaiting peace of mind

Looking for that greener field
Let go of your circumstance
History has taught you fear
Give your faith a fighting chance

Sometimes solace can be hard to find
Pacing as you hasten passing time
Anxiously awaiting peace of mind

Still, you have a place to turn
Calm your beating heart for now
There is so much yet to learn
Things will be okay somehow

Sometimes solace can be hard to find
Pacing as you hasten passing time
Anxiously awaiting peace of mind

Try reading the chorus out loud. It has a good ring to it, if I do say so myself.

Ok so this week! There wasn't as much that happened this week. We DID have zone conference, which turned out to be my last zone conference as a young full-time missionary. I wasn't expecting that. At one point someone said something like "before you know it, it's over" and it STUNG like it hasn't stung before. When you're in the middle, the end seems so far away you don't worry about it or think about it too much. You've got plenty of time to accomplish and become. Now I suppose I'm in the final stages, and it's hard not to feel a lot of emotions. Every day has become more of a battle of feeling like I haven't done enough, like I haven't become enough, to remember all the things I could have done better. I am trying to remember 2 Timothy 1:7 again:
"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
Could I have done things differently? Better? Oh, yeah. Absolutely. I am trying instead though to focus on what I can do better now and for the rest of my life. It's kind of crazy how humbling it can be to make changes when you've already been doing this for so long. At zone conference when I felt that I should be doing certain things better, I felt the pain of pride saying "you've been doing it wrong for this long." It would be easier to ignore it and say that I hadn't been doing anything wrong, or say that it's been fine for this long, it'll suffice for the rest of the time. I've learned though that suggestions and advice are there to help us fulfill our full potential. Every day I want to start out giving my full 100%, not coasting on whatever has worked okay in the past. I've come to have a lot more respect for people who make changes in their lives as they get older. It can't be easy to admit that there might be a better way when you've been doing something for a long time. It takes humility, and it takes vision. Kudos to everyone who makes changes, even when it's uncomfortable. Go fight win :)

Something else I've been thinking about this week is the difference between doing something out of duty, and doing something out of vision. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, no one is paid for their services. People are asked to teach a Sunday school class or to take attendance or go visit someone specific. EVERYONE is given a responsibility. I have truly come to appreciate that genius in a new way since being a missionary. Obviously sometimes there are people who choose not to fulfill what they were asked to do, so someone else is asked instead. Of those people who fulfill their responsibilities, they have the choice to do it out of duty, and out of vision and love. This applies to anything we do anywhere!
For example, a janitor in a high school could very easily get discouraged and bored with their duty. However, we really need what they do. The clock doesn't work without that piece. There is nothing keeping a janitor from looking for innovation and new ways to help the process- to help the entire deal function better. Imagine what astonishing difference it would make if everyone sought to be creative and work hard in whatever they were asked to do! Imagine if every plumber, librarian, tax collector, cashier, nanny and beauty consultant cared enough about the big picture and the human race to put 100% into what they were doing! As members of this church, we believe in revelation, and that is a beautiful thing. That means that if you have a responsibility as a math teacher, you have an obligation to carry out your duties. It also means that God knows how to be a better math teacher than you, and He can help you if you ask. Missionaries are in a prime position to seek revelation and carry out duties with vision, but it is possible to live without it. It isn't possible to be successful without it, but it's possible to go through the motions.
Don't go through the motions! Gain vision, and do it right. It's a beautiful feeling.

Alright that's all I have time for this week! Have a good one! Happy Valentine's Day :)
Love,
Hermana Ray

PS Happy Chinese New Year!

Nolan

I have the most awesome companion and roommates of anyone in the
world. Let me splain.

There is too much. Let me sum up.

This week, during a particularly long shift at the Peter Whitmer Farm
Visitors' Center, Sister Szuch and I got to talking about how if you
use certain words in a quote, people seem to think it's a good quote.
So then we decided to make our own. Enjoy the fruits of our labors!
Take your time:

“The authenticity of the infinite and eternal soul bewilders even the
most enlightened of creatures… Nevertheless, encapsulated within an
obscure bough of splendid scrupulosity, discomfiture prevails when in
the most ubiquitous of circumstances immured between the rocks of
depravity… we fall short. In reality, despite the incongruences of
climax and folly, a parabolic incursion of the vociferous forces of
good and evil attest to the cadence of a triumphant trajectory. There
is no incursion too subtle, no entity too obscure, no oblivion too
divine- to thwart the impotent astonishment of the filial multitude.
In the depths of our solemn
deference, the malignant forces draw nigh in abstract transcendent
regeneration. In the end, there is little left to fear but the
poignant promise of an existential destiny.”
-Oliver David Longfellow

No one makes me laugh like I do! Feel free to re-use. I haven't
decided if it's funnier to tell people we wrote it as a joke first, or
to tell them we found a really good quote and time how long it takes
before they give up and/or pretend as though it's a truly
awe-inspiring piece of work. Ah, my life.

Exhibit B: One night this week Sister Szuch and I came home and walked
in the door to find glow sticks taped up all around the living room
and Sisters Adams and Earl dancing (with more glow sticks) to "Hold
Your Light Up" by Conlon Bonner. Random much? But much appreciated.
They had been sitting in the dark for 45 minutes reading books with
flashlights waiting for us to get home. My life is full of A+ people.

Another good story! We've been working with a family in Waterloo that
has a pet raccoon. Whenever I think of raccoons I think of Maw-Maw and
Paw-Paw since they always seemed to be feeding raccoons in Louisiana.
This one lives in the Poormon's garage and is HUGE because they've
kind of raised it. To knock on the door at the Poormon's house you go
through the garage and then knock on the side door. For some reason
this week when we did that their raccoon (Hemmy) came RUSHING out at
us and screeching! They let us in and were kind of freaked out because
apparently the screeching means it's a threat. What? Was I just
threatened by a monster raccoon? Another guest came in about a half
hour later and wasn't as lucky as we were. It pounced! I couldn't stop
laughing but those things are really scary! On my mission I've
discovered that I laugh hysterically when I am scared or surprised or
in pain. Curious. No worries- we escaped unharmed....until next week.
DUN DUN DUNN.

Ok with that I have a very serious question to ask. Was I weird before
my mission??? Seriously though. Out here I am known for being strange
(Not in a bad way, just more quirky mostly) and this week I started
thinking back and realized I couldn't remember if I was crazy before
my mission. I know I was always this way with my family (Calvin- how
does sprite smell?) but I always seem to think I was put together and
composed....maybe I just have a really terrible memory of my life
before being a missionary. It has been quite a while. I would
appreciate outside input. Don't be surprised if the person you pick up
at the airport is a loony instead of the normal kid you sent off. I
don't mind, but whatever it is, it's probably Austin's fault.

So, with all of that, I hope you all know I am doing well. Missionary
work is full of a lot of hard times- lots of rejection, embarrassment
and long days. In the end though I am so grateful to be a missionary!
It's been interesting to have a new missionary with me and be able to
be with her as she comes to appreciate the work for how wonderful and
true it is despite working so much with flaky, hard headed people. And
that's the thing- we're all flaky and hard headed sometimes. Thank
goodness God keeps dealing with me! This week I had a few days in
particular when I felt like my head was going to explode because I had
waaay too much to think about. I took a break to do dishes and try and
clear my head and I was listening to one of Austin's favorite hymns,
Be Still My Soul. One line in particular stood out that hasn't stood
out before. "Leave to Thy God to order and provide." My mission has
been intent on teaching me that there is a lot more that goes on then
what I can control or even handle. I need to be much better at letting
Him do it and trusting that everything will work out. Not even that it
will work out okay, but that it will work out better.

That's all for this week- gotta go!
Love love love
Sister Ray