Urban Poly Princess

Its 9:30 and I just got up!!! I looove that!!! My friend is a morning person. I'm NOT. I wish I were. I NEVER slept in on my mission and ideally I like to read my scriptures first thing in the morning and then get on with the rest of my day. I like to workout early too then take my shower and be ready for the rest of the day by 7am. It's tough for me to get to sleep however. I noticed when I workout AND go skating I am dead-tired at the end of the day and definitely before midnight. Elder Kikuchi spoke at a fireside that the YSA in the Tongan stake arranged the Sunday of conference weekend. He made us a promise if we started our day with the scriptures and exercise first thing in the morning we would be blessed with revelation. I've gone through phases but I've never done it consistently.

When I worked for the Christmas Box House it was just on the weekends. During the week I'd get up whenever and read my scriptures, a conference talk, workout or not and do homework. I liked getting up at whatever time I wanted and sleeping for as long as I wanted. I worked graveyard on the weekends. My brother consistently told me my sleeping patterns would never improve unless and until I quit working those hours. I never had a problem getting up on my mission AND I would run AND dance to classical music to exercise each morning. I lost weight naturally then ALTHOUGH it also had something to do with just buying french bread, oranges and cereal. The members fed us each night. I wanted to shop with my money more.

When I served in the Tongan wards it was the worst. Random people would shake my hand and tell me they knew my grandfather or dad and slip me a $20 bill. Even then I frequented TJMaxx and Ross. I could fit EVERYTHING I wanted to fit then too. On Sundays my companion and I would split what we got each Sunday. Once we EACH got a little over $100. One Sunday this guy got up to share his testimony and said he only had $20 left and didn't have a job lined up. He gave us his last $20 and got a job the next day. If we saw him after that we tried to hide from him. It is a Tongan custom to give missionaries money when you see them. We rarely had actual dinner appointments. We went to a lot of celebrations with food but usually they gave us $20 to split for dinner. We went out to eat a lot when we served in the Tongan wards.

The rest of my mission was filled with lasagna. It didn't matter WHERE we served. I've had lasagna EVERY imaginable way possible. They ALWAYS served it with garlic bread, tossed salad and rocky road ice-cream. Funny I never got sick of the ice-cream. Once at zone conference they had lasagna for lunch. About 5 sister companionships hit up Burger King instead. My friend's lasagna is the ONLY time I've EVER considered having or making it again. He made some good Chinese dishes too although I wanted the chicken fried in cornstarch or some sort of coating first. His sauce was good as was his soup. I'm glad he can cook. He made this candy stuff too once that reminds me of what they put on saltine crackers to make "bark"-I think he likes Mexican food which I can do with or without. I like Cafe Sabor but I think it's a fake "Mexican" place.

My trainer was Mexican from Mexico. She made these flour tortillas that were incredible. This Mexican lady was in our first area and she cooked for us maybe 3 times. It was VERY tasty and it wasn't ANYTHING like Taco Bell. She was a semi-active member who kept trying to hook me up with one of her coworkers at some grocery store... the ONLY grocery store in town. He told her he liked me PROBABLY because I was the only girl who smiled at him and wore dresses ALL the time. It doesn't matter how many times you tell members you can't hook up with anyone and that you are NOT focused on that, they will STILL try to set you up with the world.

I got that A LOT on my mission. I don't get that anymore UNLESS I'm attending a family ward. That is nice.

2 Nephi 8