Recipe for a Good Mission

This last week has been one of exquisite happiness, though I'm not exactly positive why. In my speculating as to why this week was so enjoyable, I think my conclusion is that if the beginning of the week goes well, the rest of the days follow in suit. Without further ado, here is my recipe for a good week and perhaps a good mission. (Keeping in mind that I'm more of a Rachel Ray guestimator type than an exact follower of amounts)

Missionary work in Park Slope

Hermana Ally Voss' recipe for having a ridiculously good week:

7 cups of reading the scriptures daily. To make this basic ingredient more interesting, add a dash of scripture markers to turn your scriptures into a veritable coloring book. For example: instead of marking God's promise in Noah with a boring yellow highlighter, draw a rainbow.

7 cups of teaching lessons to less actives and meeting with new investigators. A curiosity for the gospel and no preconceived notions of Mormonism may make this ingredient a bit sweeter.

3 cups of seeing the same person from Utah three times. This ingredient tastes far better if the person gives you donuts from Darn Donuts where he works, if said person is a nonmember, and if the donuts are flavored Apple Cobbler, Caramel Pretzel, PB&J, and creme filled. (The donuts, as the store name implies, were pretty darn good.) Just remember: donut accept candy from strangers. But if it's donuts you're probably good.

These donuts really were darn good

2 cups of chopping down trees at service in Prospect Park. Including holding a machete, axe, yelling "timber!", and learning how to tie an Alpine Butterfly Knot. This ingredient may begin to smell a bit nasty near the end, but it contributes to the character of one's week.

1 cup of zone training. This ingredient is a bit sour when one of the Zone Leaders is going home, but the sour flavor can be covered up in constructive and edifying workshops and comments.

1 cup of District Meetings. This ingredient tastes both bitter and sweet when the District Leader is leaving to Flushing to go train a newbie like myself, and when a new Chinese Sister is coming into the district to be trained.

Hermana Gourley and I glamorously ride the subway

5 tablespoons of daily morning jogs to work off all the food we eat.

5 more tablespoons of Miles Walking to Busses and Trains. Should be equivalent to about 10 teaspoons of Miles Walked Per Day as a substitute.

1 teaspoon of random men saying, "you two look like sunshineeeeee." (Light of Christ for the win!)

1 tablespoon of ridiculously cute videos of missionaries' siblings. ("If you could just send Abby in a package, that'd be great."-Elder Creager {pron. cray-ger} )

Weekly Planning Fun!

I Love Hermana Gourley!

1 sprinkle of asking an old lady what she is knitting. This ingredient may take one aback a bit if the response is, "um, well I guess it's none of your business."

A dash of not having hardly any dinner appointments (food anxiety: eliminated). This ingredient is even better when the one dinner appointment is Chinese food.

1 McDonalds McFlurry

2 McDonalds Strawberry Banana smoothies

1 single packaged Mexican Cinnamon Brownie gifted by a member who bakes very (very very very very very) well. (Shoutout to Dead Poets' Society, who would infer by using the word 'very' that I am lazy. And yet, I'm not trying to woo any women, so I believe I am doing just fine!)

A couple drops of Patriotic Pride.

1 teaspoon of A Moment of Silence for our beloved American people.

The Chapel

Subways are my life...

2 slices of beams that go into the sky to commemorate the twin towers.

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly, shake a bit, bake at 350 degrees for 7 days, and enjoy! If so desired, add a thin layer of icing and cover in sprinkles of spirituality.

Icing on the cake:
Ward Choir Director. You have never, nor will ever, see such ingeniously creative conducting techniques. I was stunned, surprised, gleeful, and overwhelmed in a glorious way while the priesthood sang on Sunday and He conducted. I don't anticipate ever feeling such extreme joy again in my life. I was taking diligent notes through the duration of the song. I cannot emphasize this enough: I. Love. The. Members. (Specifically the choir director, though.)

Sprinkles of Spirituality:
"The thought 'someday I will' can be a thief of the opportunities of time and the blessings of eternity." -Eyring

Carpe Diem! "Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary." The way I see it, time won't wait for us, and we shouldn't wait for time. There are places to be, people to see, things to do, service to administer, prayers to be said, answers to be acted upon, music to be played, songs to be sung, smiles to be shared, and so many other marvelous things to be done! I don't want to wait for my life to be beautiful - I want all the blessings I can possibly have right now! I want every door and window of opportunity open to me. We don't need to wait to have the blessings of eternity, there are actions we can take right now that will lead us to our heavenly home. Say your prayers, read your scriptures, go to church, smile! :) Life is as beautiful as we make it.

All my amor,
Hermana Ally Voss

My room and our laundry