That's No Potato!

My grandma Ruth passed away last week. Ask me who my favorite Canadian is and I'll say her without hesitation every time. If I ever tell the story about receiving my mission call, it's always accompanied with showing the picture of her when I first read "Canada." I grew up on my family's farm and my grandparent`s house was literally less than an eighth of a mile down the road. A road that`s only a quarter mile long in the first place and almost always had someone in my family living in the four houses attached to the farm. I would walk down there with my friends, with my cousins, with my siblings with my nieces and nephews and just myself all for Grandma Ruth. I love her a lot and it definitely sucks a little bit not being with the rest of my family right now, but I`m ok.

See you later, alligator!

My mission president invited me to the mission home and we talked mostly just about how wonderful my family is. He asked me how I was doing and I said I was ok and explained why. Last week my dad mentioned how ìf we could just see a little bit eternally, death would fade completely to a, "See you later, alligator." Whenever I`d leave my grandma`s house to start the walk home, I always left with an "I love you" and "See you later, alligator" from her. She seriously said it so much that my sister Cari made a sign for her that said "See you later, alligator" which she hung proudly at her backdoor. When my cousin Katie visited her this summer, she took a picture of my grandma waving at her back door with the sign just to her left.

I showed that picture to President Pattison, shared my dad's thoughts and said, "That`s why I`m ok." While studying about hope this morning for an investigator, I read a talk by Elder Maxwell that blew my mind it was so awesome, but he basically explains the "See you later, alligator" concept, just in fancy Elder Maxwell words:

​"​Though otherwise “lively,” hope stands quietly with us at funerals. Our tears are just as wet, but not because of despair. Rather, they are tears of appreciation evoked by poignant separation. They will change, erelong, to tears of glorious anticipation. Yet the emptiness is so real and so restless it initiates a retroactive inventory of what is now so painfully missing, doing so, however, while forecasting fulness and resplendent reunion!​"​​

I​t sucks. I won't pretend that it doesn't, but it`s ok.

Sorry, I would tell you about my week, but my mind is completely filled with my grandma and my family. I really appreciate all the love from my family and friends and Sister Van Vleet. I`m lucky I still get to have a ​"​mom​"​ with me to give me hugs through all of this (If you don`t remember from the last time we were companions, I call her Mom, not Sister Van Vleet). Jinny sent me her talk that she gave a couple weeks ago and I'm going to end with a paragraph from that:
​
​​​"​I want to tell you a little bit about my grandma. Since she’s been sick letters and cards, from all over the world have been pouring in. My grandma thinks that she doesn’t have any talents. Her older sister was musical and popular, and my grandma was shy and athletic in the 1920s when being athletic wasn’t something to brag about for a girl. And so she always tells us that she doesn’t have any talents. But the letters that come say things like, thank you for always calling me on my birthday, and thank you for asking me about my child who you know was suffering. She is always someone people called when they were in trouble and she would listen love no matter the mistakes. Everywhere my grandma goes she hugs people and she loves people and listens to people. She isn’t the person who is always cleaning someone else’s house and taking cookies to everyone. Service is a really important part of loving people. But in conference this quote really stuck out to me, “The greatest form of charity may be to withhold judgement.” And that’s what my grandma does. She just loves everybody, and they feel loved, and so she is everyone’s adopted grandma.​​​"

​Peace and Blessings
Sister Hepworth

P.S. The ward had it`s Christmas party this week and they asked us to do something for the program. We decided we`d read the Wright Family Story and show the new Christmas video (which is incredible if you haven't watched it and looked stuff up about LIGHTtheWORLD stop reading and go do that right now. It`ll blow your mind) and it was all good fun. While we were standing in line to get food, I had a bun (Canadian for roll) on my plate and the kid across the line from me asked ​"​Is that a potato​?"​ I said ​"​No, it`s a bun. It could be a potato dressed as a bun though.​"​ He agreed it was a very real possibility and the kid in front of me leaned over and asked ​"​Is that really a potato?​"​ I laughed and told him no to which he threw his head back and exclaimed ​"​I knew it!​"​ We laughed and kept scooping our salads. As I was walking back to my table, the kid in front of me walked past and yelled out while pointing at my plate ​"​That`s no potato!​"​

​

​Saw Sister Hill!

A member (Chantal Wood, she`s the best) offered to drive us to a meeting we had to go to on the other side of the city. We had so much fun showing everyone on the highway our Jesus Loves You sign

We had a pre-Christmas feast on the 25th since Sister Van Vleet won`t be here for Christmas (which is in 26 days)

Saw Santa at the Christmas party ;D

Maureen from Sister Van Vleet`s first area took us out for brunch on Monday

We had a makeup and nails party with our investigator`s daughters. I still have the polish on my nails and toes and it`s surprisingly well done for a 4 year old.

Pretend I`m holding up a 14. CANNOT believe it`s already been 14 months.

More proof that the world is ok. MY KELSEY RAE IS NOW SEALED FOR TIME AND ALL ETERNITY. Families are forever man.