Wisconsin

Hey everyone! Here's my newsletter from last week- your some reason it didn't send to everyone so sorry if your getting this again! I'll send this week's newsletter in a different email. 

Yup. I'm in Wisconsin!                   5/8/17

Apparently it's a part of the Chicago West Mission, just a small nudge over the state line! I'm in a relatively small town called Beloit, that is only a side step away from being a land of cornfields, but not quite there.  On a daily basis me and my companion go back and forth over the state line that the locals call "The Cheese Curtain." 

As for the Schaumburg YSA, it's being white-washed! (Both missionaries being new the area) It will be Elders this time, one spanish speaking and one english speaking which will be great for the area. I'm going to miss Sister Vescovi so much! She was a great companion full of passion and humor. I'm going to miss our weird inside jokes that include exploding toilets and calling the cops. She is going to have Sister Bair,  (Sounds like "Bear") as a companion though, so I know she'll just be fine in Joliet.  I know and love Sister Bair from my MTC district, and she was actually my first companions (Sister Jardine) companion right after me too! ) I'm going to dearly miss my YSA, espeacially Hardik, but I'm excited. He is amazing and I'll never forget teaching him and watching him grow and be baptized,  now having a testimony of the gospel. He is so kind and had a heart of gold that shines.  Those Elders better take care of him!

I've been keeping a small sercret- my favortie YSA couple, "Kylie and John"  are actually named Lindsay and Phill! I just did an alias names for a bit because I wanted to be considerate of they're privacy just in case. But honestly there is nothing private about them. They are loud and hilarous.I love them so much. Phill even let me and Sister Vescovi tie him down in a chair (with yarn so eh) for an object lesson once. The yarn represented us being tied down with sin and how only with Christ and his Atonement can we break free. He was a good sport and stayed in the chair when we challegned him to get out even though he's in the army and could full well bust out if he wanted too. I'll miss Lindsay being a bit of a Mom insisting stuffing us with vitamins everytime we crossed the door.

I'm going to miss these kids and I fully plan to visit them in the future. I'll miss seeing their dinky "Phillindsey" Faith plant we gave them as a challenge to keep growing by only watering it when they read the scriptures... it's a type of catcus. NO lack of faith in them, it was just the only thing me and Sister Vescovi could find in the middle of the winter. But it is growing even though into a more awkward looking plant. I love it.  

I also said a lot of good-bye's to departing missionaries, Hermana Craner and Gowens who were stellar STL's for me, and Elder Fia, my district leader who is a complete riot. The whole time I knew him his main goal was not to rip one of his pants he outgrew. I don't think I'll ever forget his diffuclty and fear kneeling down once to give a blessing to Lindsay who was laying down on the ground. (Don't worry, she's completely fine now). He managed until two days before he left while lifting a box helping someone move! Anyways, he was a great leader and I appreciated his dedication to the work and tenderness whenever he shared his testimony.

My companion is Sister Winkelman. She hails from Kaysville Utah and has been out on her mission for about eight months now. She's super kind, beautiful, and has a steller testimony and even greater laugh.  She was previously companions with Sister Anderson! Me and Sister Anderson live a BLOCK away from each other back home, and we received the same call on the same day! (I didn't open mine until a few days later when I got mine and she got hers, but hey it counts.) I don't know her too well, but she is great. It's fun to freak out the Beloit members when they causally ask where I'm from and I answer that I live a block away from Sister Anderson.

That's all for now! Have an amazing week and enjoy the sun and show your love to your Mothers!

-Sister Petty

Here's some photos departing from the YSA and from a favorite local Hermana, Hermana Morrell.