The Dynamic Duo is Back

So I’ve been transferred and you’ll never guess who my new companion is…it’s Sister Kleisler again! Crazy! This is her last transfer on the mission and then she’ll go back home. The first time I saw Sister Kleisler was my first full day in Texas a year ago. A bunch of missionaries were on a bus driving to Austin and Sister Kleisler and her companion at the time sat in front of me. Sister Kleisler was talking and gabbing and talking like she normally does and then I remember her pointing to her companion who was about to go home and say, “And after I kill her off I’m going to— ”. ‘What in the world?’ I thought, ‘Who are these people? What is going on? Missionaries killing missionaries? What?’ I soon realized that she was using lingo to say that she, Sister Kleisler, would be her companion’s last companion before her companion, went home. Companion. I just wanted to see how many times I could use the word companion in one sentence, companion. Everyone says that a mission is like I mini life: you’re born leaving your old life behind, you fulfill your purpose, and then you die and go back home. So the first time I met sister Kleisler she was talking about how she was killing off her companion and now I will be the companion that kills her off. Haha. Yes, it’s a morbid analogy and I’m not sure why I perpetuate it. I guess I’ve just given up trying to fight missionary culture and instead embraced it.

So we’re up in North San Antonio in ward called Encino Park. On Thanksgiving we participated in the ward’s annual Turkey Trot to the Temple (the temple is real close to us…cool!). So we trotted to the temple and we were meeting a bunch of the ward members. Because we’re right by Fort Sam there’s a lot of military personnel in the area. Sister Kleisler mentioned that in our ward there were a lot of military doctors. Military doctors? I wonder if this is Gale and Theresa Skousen’s old ward. There are a ton of wards all over San Antonio so it was a slim chance, but I asked around and lo and behold this is the same ward that the Skousens were part of back however many years ago they lived here. Everyone that’s been here awhile remembers them and luckily for me the Skousens left a good impression so now they think I’m cool by nature of the fact that I know them. Blessings.

Here’s another cool connection. On Thanksgiving we were over at President and Sister Foote’s house for a Thanksgiving dinner (we actually had four Thanksgiving dinners which was awesome). So we were talking about how I knew the Skousens and then Sister Foote asked if I knew the family that was in a car accident on Thanksgiving years ago. Uh…yes, I replied, I’m the oldest daughter of that family. Come to find out she knew my mom in Fort Collins, Colorado. The Wiltbank and Peterson family were good friends in Fort Collins and two of the biggest families in the ward. Then they both moved to Texas. The Petersons moved to Bryan and the Wiltbanks to Beeville. What’s funny is that we realized that I had totally gone over and visited Sister Foote’s parents when I lived in Bryan 10 years ago. I didn’t remember the name Peterson, but I definitely remembered the names Lola and Delvar. So Jody Peterson Foote has a lot of connections with my family.

Here’s one more random connection. Brother and Sister Riding in this ward know Jill and Tracey Bellistan (I can’t spell it correctly but I can spell in phonetically). Jill was my young women’s president back in Lindon. Apparently they’re good friends.

It’s a small world, and the Mormon world is even smaller.

So the ‘Dynamic Duo’ is back! (That’s what the AP’s call us). It’s neat being Sister Kleisler’s companion again because we can just jump right in without having to go through the awkward first-week-as-companions thing. We teach really well together so it’s fun to be in lessons and just easily transition back and forth.

Oh, I forgot! I’m living with members again. Nancy and Jeff Smith are empty nesters for the time being so we’re living with them. They are awesome. Unfortunately for us their son is getting home from his mission soon which means we can no longer live here. So we’ll be moving out in January. Speaking of where I live, here’s my new address:

2210 Encino Cliff
San Antonio, TX 78259

Well, I love you all! Have a great day!
sj