It’s a wet day in Florida—email from 06-11-12

It's a little wet around these here parts...It has rained every day since Tuesday so far...and pouring rain. My poor new companion thinks that is all Florida does! :) But she is happy to not have had to deal with the ridiculous Florida heat though yet. And believe me, your wind there is just as legit as the wind here. The only difference is that we get rain with it, which makes it a tropical storm I guess.

The week has been a crazy one. I keep forgetting that dear Sister Heckel is a brand new missionary, so I keep just waiting for her to take the lead in situations and then would suddenly remember it was her first time ever doing that and I had given her no warning. So she is having a good ol' time. Hopefully I don't scar her too bad. But luckily she is dishing it back pretty well when we exercise in the morning. Her MTC district got selected to be part of a pilot program for a new morning workout thing for missionaries. It is essentially p90x for missionaries. I am sore and tired...and sore...

We have been having a great time working with all of our investigators. Everybody here is loving Sister Heckel and she is just jumping in head first. And yes, I've already made a few jokes with her name.

It sounds like Alan's kids are totally becoming city kids! Oh no!!! Time to country up those kids.

Sorry it's a shorty today! Got a lot to do! Being the change is busy work! :D

love,

Sister McCracken

Sorry there's no pics or voice recordings. I let the batteries die on the recorder and forgot to change them before leaving. Then my comp wanted to use my sd card reader to send home pics and she has a lot from the last three weeks...

I am over the hump and on the downhill slide?!?!?!--- email from 06-04-12

Dear fans,

Kidding, I think my only fans are in the 4 and under category and that's because they don't know enough words yet to tell me that is not true. haha

Anyway, we have had a great week. It's been a pretty wet one until the weekend and then it dried out. Yesterday was super hot and super dry. It made me realize that I think I actually do like this humid heat a little more. The dry heat feels just weird. Who knows, it was probably something like 70% humidity. haha

The new senior couple got here on Friday and boy are we happy to have them here. They are so wonderful! They are serving a two year mission here. He is a 42 year retired Army Colonel in the Special Forces. The stories he tells are CRAZY!!!! I feel like I know government secrets sometimes. She is the only female Mormon Cave Diver you will ever meet. They are the most unique combination. And so much fun! And they have such strong testimonies and deep knowledge of the gospel. But they tease me that I will be training 3 missionaries this transfer....ugh. I am barely up to par to train one, let alone three! But woohoo! It's gonna be a fun summer in the beach! I am so happy to know that I am staying here at least another 3 months. That puts my stay here at 9 months, which is a little unheard of. But I love this place like home. So I don't mind staying a minute longer.

Transfers are tomorrow and I am excited and nervous! It is going to be wonderful! I can't believe that I am getting a baby missionary at my 9 month mark. It's almost a little funny! :D I am so excited for her to come and show me how it's done. I am sure that she is going to just show me up and light this place on fire. (not literally)

I was talking to President Barry on Sunday and we were both freaked out by the idea that I hit my halfway mark this week. Where has the time gone? I can honestly say that I have kept to my motto of being the change. But there is still more work to be done and more change to effect! So I better get out and go do it!

love y'all,

Sister McCracken

Pictures....I have some silly moments....My favorite is the one of me and the long shot down the beach though. Love Florida!!!!