Long Week

It's been a good week, although it seemed to drag on for forever. I'm not really sure why that was, maybe because we had to spend the first couple days inside so Sister Winsor could finish recovering. But by Wednesday we were back in the swing of things, which was good, because I was starting to feel like I wasn't going to ever be able to figure out this area before Sister Winsor leaves.  Somehow I think we're only going to be together for this transfer, but she really wants us to stay companions till the end of her mission in September, just because she thinks it would be funny if I "killed" her. We'll see. We had interviews with President Holm on Thursday, and it was interesting to talk to him about Sister Winsor and I being companions again. He said he just felt we needed to be together, he's not really sure why, but that's the way it needed to be.

It's sad to think that President and Sister Holm will be leaving us so soon, I don't think any of us really know what to expect with getting a new mission president. I kind of assume that most things will stay the same while they figure out what's going on and get the hang of things but once they settle down then things may change. I'm really going to miss President and Sister Holm, though. They're absolutely amazing, and I've learned so much from them.

Camden is a great little place. As I've been able to get out as see more of it, I've really liked it, and we have a great ward. Our area, the sister's area, covers most of Kershaw county, and the top of our area is actually the mission border, because the North Carolina mission scoops down and takes some of South Carolina. The area is pretty big, and mostly country, although we have a good part of the town of Lugoff, which is pretty concentrated, a lot like Easley. 

We have a car, but we spend a lot of time walking around, because it is a big area, and we have to conserve miles. But I don't mind walking at all, I love it. Although it is humid here. I knew; I just knew that I was going to end up in the Columbia area during the summer, because it's the hottest part of the state. We're at least a little ways out, so we get a slight ocean breeze every once in a while. The ward is very friendly, and we get fed a few times a week; members mostly like to take us out to eat rather than having us over to their homes.

We have quite a few people to teach, and a lot of potential investigators. The most solid family is a family with two teenage boys who have been meeting with missionaries on and off for 15 years. 

It's crazy to me to think that it's almost been a year since I left on my mission. I can't believe how fast time has gone by. And everyone keeps telling me the last six months go by the fastest, which is not good news. I've finally gotten to the point where I'm happy to do missionary work all day long. I can't even remember what it's like to be a normal person, to not think about the gospel all day long. The thought of sitting down long enough to watch a half hour tv show, let alone a movie, just seems ridiculous. I honestly don't think I'd be able to sit still for that long, or go that long without talking.

I've gotten used to the South as well, the humidity doesn't really bother me anymore and the things people do that I found shocking at the beginning of my mission I now find endearing. But now, or at least soon, I'm going to have to start facing the reality that missions don't last forever. Watching Sister Winsor, as she starts to head into her last few months, I'm realizing how hard it's going to be to stay focused and to not start worrying about or dwelling on the future. I think I'm going to need some help with that from y'all. Because I really don't want to get trunkie and waste part of my mission thinking about being home.

I rescued a turtle that had crawled out in the middle of the road :)