Teaching the 19-yr-olds a Lesson

While on the mission, I filled two small journals. I wasn't great at writing daily (it kind of depended on my companion - I did it daily for a while b/c one comp heavily influenced me to do so. I also flossed twice daily for a few months due to another comp's good influence!) Well, now I cannot locate the first journal. It would have been from Oct 2000 through Jan 2002. The journal I do still have covers Jan 2002 through the end of my mission in May 2002.

PRIVACY POLICY: when quoting journal entries, I will change or mask the names when it seems to be something that requires privacy or whenever else I want. If it's something that would just be a fond memory to the person involved, I will leave the names in. I know this means we're relying on my judgment here. I guess you'll just have to trust me. ;)

Here is a funny entry from 8 April 2002. I actually don't remember this story, but it displays the playful nature that I carried throughout my mission. It's one of the milder pranks I participated in.

8 April 2002 - pday. We ate breakfast with the Banuelos (juevos rancheros), went shopping, wrote letters... not enough time. I only wrote a small page like this, front & back, for A---- & my parents. The time went way fast, and at 5:00 we had dinner w/ the Chavez - there are many Chavez families - this is the 1st counselor & his wife. Then, at 6:30, we taught a first to María Torres. Her mom, Sara, didn't stay out to listen, but we hope to give her a first on Wednesday. At 8:00, our appt said to come back in 1/2 hour. We went to the church to get Holbrook's new bike (her's stolen in Selma on bike rack @ church), and the bike was outside still on the bike rack. We couldn't believe they'd done that, so we gave them a lesson: we took it off & hid it in the bushes. We went in, called our appt @ 8:30 - they said he just left. :( Leader's meeting was still going on, so we asked the junior comps if they knew where the ZLs had put the bike. They thought it was on the car. It wasn't, so we assured them the ZL's probably brought it in so it wouldn't get stolen. When the ZL's came out, we asked about the bike, they saw it was gone... Daines kept saying, "Come on, don't do this to me..." Finally we pulled it out of the bushes and told them to be more careful! :)

As you can see, the life of a 21-yr-old sister missionary includes occasionally babysitting the 19-yr-old "Elders" (ironic title for those young lads, isn't it?) or teaching them valuable lessons via well-loved teaching methods like tricking them.