6-2-14
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| Lenis's new companion Sister Nomo |
Well it's been another long crazy week!
Last Monday and Tuesday we spent all day teaching and going around visiting people so Sis Balero could say goodbye to them. It was a surreal two days. It didn't feel real that Sis Balero was leaving. I felt like I had been serving with her for forever. I know that transfers are all part of the experience and I know that she lives in my home town, and out of all of my companions she will probably be the one I stay in contact with and hang out with for years to come...but what i didn't expect was how much I was going to miss her. She's like a sister to me now. When you spend every waking moment of every day for three month straight with someone, how do you not get close to them and love them! I never even spent every waking moment with one of my own siblings or parents...but you get to know someone really well as a companion on a mission. I miss our inside jokes, the looks we could give each other and just know what each other was thinking, singing together, going on adventures and teaching together. She could just look at me and know when something was bothering me and the same went with her. I'm sure we both had pet peeves and sometimes we would disagree but that's life. I miss her a lot and I hope to be able to serve around her again sometime soon!
So Wednesday rolled around and we headed out early to transfers. We stuffed the car full after packing whenever we got the chance the day before. The two hour drive is super nerve wracking when you know that at the end of it you'll be separated and put with a stranger and sent off. So we did our best to distract each other. We listened to music (even though it was the same CDs we've listened to over and over again...I really need new ones....) and Sis Balero told me the whole story of the movie Quest for Camelot, because it's been years since I've seen it and couldn't remember it at all. Once we finally got to the transfer chapel we lugged everything inside. I've been told I'm not allowed to lift heavy things for a while so I wasn't much help... But I got to see Sis Jones and give her a big hug! We sat next to her at transfers and she is still a bubbly ball of fire, as always. Because I'm serving in eastern Utah, they always call us first so we can leave first, eat lunch, and head back out to the east side of the state. So I was one of the first companionships called. So I stood up and President McCune called out my new companion’s name!
Drum roll!!!!!!!!! My new companion is Sister Nomo!!
Sis Nomo is great! She is originally from Cameroon and Togo Africa but moved to the states as a refugee with her mom when she was young. She lived in Washington D.C. For a while and Maine. She was devout catholic all growing up. When she was 16, she would watch the BYU channel and had no idea it was even an LDS channel. One day she came across the Round Table discussions that they have on early in the mornings and she listened as they discussed the doctrine and covenants....and she became curious because she had never heard of D&C, so she invited the missionaries to come teach her. At first she didn't like them, but her mom did. Her mom went to church by herself for a year, before Sis Nomo decided to look into it more and get baptized with her mom. Her home town is now Mesa Arizona and she misses the heat a lot. She's 24, so I feel like a youngin' serving with her. Oh yeah, and she's fluent in French....which is legit! I don't think she was too thrilled to be called out to Roosevelt, and she is still adjusting, but I think she will do great here. She is super funny and has all her own opinions on things that she openly shares...which makes me laugh. I'm excited to get to know her more and become better friends :)
But here's the thing. She doesn't sing...hahahaha! I feel bad because everybody here asks her if she can sing too and she is like "No! Not at all! I do not sing" I feel bad that she gets asked so often about it, but Sis Balero and I got asked to sing everywhere, and also had so many people talk to us about it, that now Sis Nomo is getting the after effects. But I'll keep singing. I'll try at least....
Thanks a million for the summer shirts you sent me!!! They were all perfect and really cute! The floral one from Walmart you sent, I tried on before and really liked but talked myself out of buying it because my debit card wasn't working at the time. Thanks so much! Super cute! And also the pics you sent were great too! I'm sad I'll be missing Sharee's baby shower and also Kelsy's graduation party, but maybe there is someone who will really need me those days, so have fun! Wish I could be there! I'm sad I'm missing our family reuniting this week! But just send me pictures and I'll be good. I love pictures. They are my favorite for reals. That and when I can feel your prayers working in my life. It's like they literally carry me sometimes.
This weekend was Stake Conference in the Roosevelt West Stake, and they got a new Stake President. Elder Walker and Elder Jensen of the 70 both came and it was awesome to hear them talk. President and Sis McCune also came for the Saturday night meeting and spoke. I had no idea they were even coming so when Sis McCune walked in and gave me a big hug, I was like "Oh! You're here?" haha President was like "Yep! And when we saw you talking to people it felt like seeing family so we came to say hi" I love them so much. I swear that man could be a general authority himself. He is so powerful and humble and full of the spirit. I always feel comfort when he is around. After the meeting he came up and talked to me about my back. He told me again that I need to be more honest about any pain I'm in and made me promise to tell him immediately if it got bad again. I explained to him that I was grateful that he had called off the epidural, and that honestly I had been scared and overwhelmed when everyone started blowing my back pain out of proportion. It made me think it was worse than it really was, when in reality it's usually just my leg being numb. Stupid ironic life decided to make me sleep on my back wrong a few days before my appointment and scared everyone into thinking it was worse than it was, even me. My back really doesn't hurt that much anymore at all. I wear my back brace and take my meds and I'm fine. President made me promise to get a blessing so I'll be getting one today from my district leader Elder Davis. The whole experience scared me more than anything and I've just been a little sore. Sleeping helps a lot. And I've been working out more regularly and eating right more. The doctor never gave me exercises but I stretch and do the palates that Kayla sent me. I don't know who Doctor Crane is by the way....He's never spoken to or met me...but apparently he's the one who helped veto the epidural...which I'm glad about. Thanks Doc, whoever you are! :)
I hope everything is going well and Kelsy enjoys her graduation!!!! Hope Sharee has a good trip and gets there safely! Kayla sent me a video of Elsy dancing and it was the cutest! Thank you for all the letters. They mean so much to me and always make my days a lot better. Thanks for the back help and everyone's concern. I didn't mean to scare everyone so much. I'm just so grateful the pain is mostly gone and I can get back to work. The worst feeling in the world is feeling like a useless missionary...
I love you and miss you all so much!!!
Love,
Sister Lenise Diane Volmer
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