January 22, 2013

Hi all,

So I made it to New Jersey! I am on the very bottom point near the ocean(Cape May). This town hasn't had a missionaries for about 6 months and it also hasn't had any sisters for about 3 years. There is a lot of work to be done already but there wasn't a very good record kept so we are definately going to have to work hard. The ward is about 3/4 inactive with maybe five families that take over everything. Well..it is just a branch I guess.

The people here are definately hick. I know sometimes people say that those that live in the west, or even Idaho are hick but they are very wrong in this case. They all talk with an accent and then they make fun of it themselves. And they also love sharing everyone's business even if they don't know you. ha.

My companion is Sister Gunnell. She has been out here for about 16 months so I will kill her off. She has reddish hair as well but she is very quiet and shy. I can definately see it in her eyes. Especially when we go tracting she gets this look like she waants to run away. Sometimes I am afraid I might scare her. She says I don't act like one of the greenies that usually come out because I am not as nervous but excited to go knock on doors or ask people questions. I'll take it as a good thing, but it probably is just because I am a little bit older.

The place I live in is pretty cute. We live upstairs from our landlord in a house and it is very homy. But the first couple days we were here we didn't have time to  unpack so we had to use bobby pins to put up our shower curtain and stuff until we later had time to go buy rings. And then on P day when we finally had time to clean I washed all the walls down in the bathroom cuz it was pretty gross and it was making me sick.

Well we have met some great people here. Last night we had dinner at the branch mission leaders home and they were very interesting folk. It seemed as though they had about 4 adopted kids come through their house while we were there and i swear they were all high. And then when we went to share a brief message they didn't really pay attention. The spirit just wasn't there. I am just going to take it all in though and look for the positive. Ha, these people are crazy but I love them. But most definately you all are missing out on church meetings. Especially Relief Society. Mainly because these people are converts they talk about really weird stuff and they are all very loud. I'll have to write letters.

Take care everyone. Send me some sunshine. This morning there was snow on the ground and we tried to go running. It was a blast. It is usually around 30 degrees here though and when the wind blows and it feels like 15.

Write me if you feel so inclined:

15B Romney Pl.

Cape May Court House, NJ 08210

Love you all. Keep it real. Sister Beames