Monday, July 28, 2014: My New Catch Phrase is "Only One August"

 This week was me and Sister White's first week without a car in a Meridian. And let me tell you, it was quite the experience! I didn't realize how utterly spoiled I was in Picayune. It might have been a car share, but the town was as flat as it could possibly be and we were smack dab in the middle of our area! If I ever complained about not having a car there I was simply being a baby. 

Here in Meridian, these are the difficulties we're trying to overcome: 1) Our apartment is all the way out in China and it's off a freeway, so the possibilities of us biking to our area is a bit unlikely, and 2) Even if we could bike to our area, we would probably end up walking our bikes up all the staggering hills. So let this be a lesson to all of you. Don't complain about your situation! I complained about the baby hills that were in Clinton and so God said, "Okay, Sister Glenn. If you're going to be a Negative Nancy I'll let you experience what REAL hills are like!" 

Heavens. My mission has taught me so much. 

So this week, we pretty much walked! A lot. In fact I'm fairly certain I have never walked so much in my entirely life. We usually managed to catch rides to a certain point, such as the other sisters' apartment, and from there were would walk about four miles to our area. Then we would work are are for the time that we had, and then we would walk the four miles back and get a ride home. I got excited a couple of times at the end of the day because it looked like my feet and legs had actually gotten tan. Turns out it was just dirt. I think I'm doomed to be an albino forever. 

That's not to say that I did feel the wrath of the sun at least a little bit, though. I think for the first time in my life I sunburned my neck because my hair has been piled on top of my head (I can't do anything with it these days) so that's fun. 

Ever since I've come out on my mission I've had people talk about Mississippi summers and how deathly hot and humid and miserable they are. And...I'm starting to think they were right! It's not like Utah where you can find some shade and stay relatively cool. Our ward had a Pioneer Day Activity on Saturday and sitting under the pavilion it was still hot! You just can't escape it! I don't think I've ever been so sweaty. But I've always told myself if I can get through the summer of my mission, I can get through the whole thing. So seeing as we're quickly approaching the worst of it (August) I keep telling myself as we're trudging down the road and I can feel sweat dripping in places it shouldn't, "Only one August! If you can do this you'll never have to do it again!" 

It's just good that there are kind Christian people in the south who have kept me from melting thus far. For example, yesterday Sister White and I were tracting, and we knocked on a door that opened a minute later and the man inside handed us both a bottle of cold water. He said, "I know about your church already and I'm not interested, but I hope you have a good day and don't get too hot." Kindest rejection I've ever had! 

P.S., I apologize to those who are still keeping up with my blog for being a bit...soulless in my posts as of late! I've made it my goal to be better so this thing actually stays interesting. I'll be better! Promise!

One of the members brought a log and a two-man saw for the pioneer day activity. We missionaries had a go at it, but we didn't get very far. Legacy makes it look so much easier than it actually is! My job was to keep it still...but don't be deceived! That's a lot harder than it looks!