Stuck, Stuck, Stuuuuuuccckkkk!!

Hola!

This week was awesome, a little chillier, and pretty funny!

Thursday we had the baptism of Alex, an 8 year old in our ward. This  baptism was a party. There were balloons, party favors, a HUGE cake bigger than any I'd seen at any wedding, and party favors. It was insane! We had basically half the ward show up, which was awesome. Alex is an awesome kid, but he has more sass than any child I've ever met.  Yes, more sass than me and Emmy. Combined. Hard to imagine, I know. Haha. But it was amazing to see the change in him after his baptism. I talked to him on Sunday, and he was a new kid. He told me how excited he was to get the Holy Ghost, and was extremely calm and awesome. It was crazy. Baptism really can change people if they let it. It is an ordinance of a God--a new birth. The chance to start over new. And I was blessed to see that change take place even in an 8 year old.

A baby shower for a ward member

On Friday was the mission Christmas party! It was outstanding! I loved every minute of it! We had all 261 missionaries in the mission there. Everyone made sure to arrive at least 1 1/2 hours early so we could have time to talk to everybody... Haha. But guess who I saw!? Sister Syd Jensen!! She is so cute, and it was awesome to see such a good friend from home. She keeps telling me to get transferred up to her area. Haha. We had a very spiritual musical program (my mission is so talented-- I think half my mission wants to study theater and/or music when they get back, go figure.), and then talks from both President and Sister Morgan. The spirit was strong, and testified of the real reason for the season: our Savior Jesus Christ. I am so thrilled to be able to spend this holiday giving Him the best gift I can think of: devoted service. He has given the greatest of all the gifts of God--eternal life with my family, and I couldn't be more happy to be spending all my time paying Him back.

Sunday we had an awesome lesson in Sunday school about exaltation-our ultimate goal of living with God. I heard a quote earlier in the week from Elder Russell M. Nelson, who said that, "While salvation is an individual matter, exaltation is a FAMILY matter". It was awesome to testify to new converts and investigators that the only way we CAN live with God is by completing the ordinances that He has instigated: baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, receiving the Priesthood for men, receiving your endowment in the temple, and being sealed to your family in the temple for eternity. I know that these things are special, and they are truly the only way to return. I feel so blessed to have been able to feel of the importance and receive of these events in my life. Now all I have to do is keep on trudging and making sure that every day I am worthy enough to be comfortable with God. It's like I have received the keys to open the door to the house.  But, I need to make sure I can feel like I belong, or like it is MY house.  I will be able to be with the ones I love there.

On Monday, along with Dad's birthday, it was Elder Gamble's, my super awesome district leader's birthday! To celebrate we threw him a surprise party at a member's house (Susy). Even preparing for the surprise party was eventful, so the night was bound to be a little dramatic. Normally Elder Gamble, Elder Geisel, Sister Lancaster, and I head to Susy's house to eat on Mondays, so we decided we would invite all the elders  and our ward mission leader to her house early to surprise him when he showed up. Two problems arose with this plan: we run on Dominican time, and Elders Gamble and Geisel ended up going on a split with Elders Stephens and Duvall.  (Luckily for us, Elder Gamble was planning on staying in his area, so he was still planning on coming to dinner.) On Sunday Elder Duvall showed Elder Gamble his and Stephen's schedule to prove that they actually had things planned for the day. Included in that plan was an event on Monday at 7 pm, conveniently named "Gamble surprise".  Haha, gotta love those elders... So after that Elder Gamble had a few suspicions.

Elder Gamble's "surprise" birthday party

On Monday, Hermana Lancaster and I were heading to Susy's after an appointment in our area when we get a text from Elders Wilkins and Hurtado telling us that Gamble is now under the impression that we were not going to make it to Susy's tonight and instead they were going to go, and that we should just "play along". Apparently earlier in the afternoon Elders Hurtado, Wilkins, Gamble, and Geisel all found themselves together in their apartment. As is missionary tradition, they decided to pray before they headed out the door. When Elder Wilkins said the prayer, he blessed that they would get to Sister Susy's house safely. This of course confused Elder Gamble, since Elder Wilkins was not supposed to be going to Susy's that night.  So Elder Wilkins threw in a quick cover up, saying that the sisters had called and they were trading places. These boys do not know how to keep a secret.  It ended up that Hermana Lancaster and I were the last ones at Susy's house since Dominican time means we're always running late. So when we walked in the door we yelled a huge "surprise!!", and then watched as Elder Gamble gave us a really lame reaction. Either way, it was still a fun party and we had a delicious dinner.

After the party was over, we all left the apartment at the same time then waited for the elevator to show up--8 missionaries plus one ward mission leader.  Diosfer was the last one to step in the elevator when it arrived, and like the boys that they are, a couple elders hockey shoved him into the door. Next thing I know, we're stuck in a tiny stinky elevator with a trash bag, a fly the size of a ring, eight missionaries, and one ward mission leader.  This elevator was not moving anywhere.  The first thing we do, freak out a little. Do some jumping and yelling, and then quickly push all the buttons as if they were about to diffuse bombs or something. With no luck there, we had Diosfer call Susy.  He calls, but the Spanish he grew up speaking in the DR has left his brain, and instead of saying we're stuck in the elevator, he tells her that the elevator touched us. She must have thought it was a prank call, because she hung up immediately after that. After a few minutes of laughing at the fact that us gringos have to correct a Dominican's Spanish, we decide to take the next step and press the emergency call button. It rings a couple time, them says "Hello, this is the elevator service..." Diosfer yells out, "yeah we're stuck in an elevator!" The response, "we're sorry, please call back during normal business hours, 9-5..." With our few logical ideas busted, we decide to do the thing we should have done in the first place: PRAY.  I know prayers are answered on my own, so with a group of 7 other stellar missionaries and a ward mission leader, our prayer was bound to be pretty loud up in Heaven. Elder Duvall said a really sweet prayer, using the correct Spanish word for stuck. After the prayer, the giant fly came and attacked Sister lancaster and I and the elders pushed the emergency call button again. "Hello this is the elevator service." We were all silent. The voice spoke again. "Hello? This is the elevator device? Hello?" SOMEONE ANSWERED!!!  We told him our location, then he hung up. After that we tried Susy. Guess who answered her phone, and guess who spoke correct Spanish?! Susy told us she would get the super.  PRAYER half-way ANSWERED! BOOYA! So now it was a waiting game.  Usually it takes the fire department about 3 hours to respond to elevator calls, and while Susy is awesome, who knows what her super could actually do. In the process of all of this, we thought we felt the elevator move, but even then, the door never opened.  So after about 10 minutes of taking pictures, and telling Elder Gamble he had the best birthday story ever, someone thought to push the door open button. Next thing we know, the door swings open on the fifth floor! (We started at the basement... Hahaha). We all rushed out, more willing than ever to take the stairs! Sister lancaster passed out against the wall (from laughing too hard) for about 2 minutes, and then we headed home! But I know that prayers are answered! God hears every one and is just waiting for us.

GORGEOUS New York skyline

Love you all tons!! The Church is true, and I am blessed to be a part of this great work!

Love,

Hermana Dodson

For those of you that haven't seen the chalk art mural pictures at reachmygospel.blogspot.com, here are some Sadie took: