Riley Reception

Tonight I went to Cooper Riley and Mandy Reynolds Riley wedding reception.
They both served on the mission with me but Sister Reynolds left and I came and took her spot in Independence 5th branch. Elder Riley was my Zone Leader during his last transfer and that was the only time I served around him. I think these two make a really great couple and they'll do a lot of good together.
For me it was really great to see (and meet) some mission people. For example, the former Elder Lamprecht and his girlfriend, Elder Swapp, Elder Koch, Sister Walters, Sister Brusch, and Sister Cosby- who was a member who housed missionaries. Etc etc.
I think my favorite moment of all was when I saw/was re-introduced to an elder that I didn't really know but I had served around for a little bit. I recognized him easier than he recognized me. Which I noticed when he started the conversation off like this, "wait- are you from the mission?"
"yeah. I was Sister Maddox."
"WOAH. You look different"
awkward pause
"that's all I'm going to say."

Hopefully that was a compliment.

Stuff in Short

There are a few lessons I learned on my mission in many different ways, but they are summed up into these short phrases.

• Be where your feet are.
• You Be You.
• We just get to have hard times.
• You can chose one of these three responses to your trials in life: Victim, Survivor, or Thriver.
• Experiences are the fibers of relationships.
• It's not an event, it's a process.
• You can never go back. Only forward.
• Everyone is a Child of God.  

There is so much more to each of these than just the small phrase posted up here. I just had them floating around in my head these last few days and I thought I would share them here.

Rain and Wichita

On this rainy day it feels like Wichita. It feels like Kansas, and because there's rain, I pulled out my rainjacket. Yes, the one from my mission. The one I sent home with Skylar and his dad- two completely random people that were working on the Visitors Center.
Clarification: Skylar's dad was working. Skylar is 9 and was there... just hanging out... and then we became best buds when I found out he was from AF. And he tried to trap the little bunny outside because he knew where it's "barrel" (burrow) was. But this post isn't supposed to be about Skylar. It's about
Anyway. This day reminded me of Wichita. One of the days that I actually wore this jacket it was SO COLD. So cold, and I didn't wear any makeup. And when we went to teach Carlos, and we taught him on his porch, he was so worried that I was freezing cold. I assured him I wasn't. He told me I matched my purple sweater. (That was underneath my jacket. Remember that day was COLD.)

So he asked if I wanted gloves and I promised I would go buy some. I would buy some, but on a different day.
But pretty soon after that I got transferred. And I didn't buy gloves. I didn't have to. My next companion gave me some.

well, I'm back

Welcome back, self.
too bad my little sister wasn't as diligent in updating this post as I had hoped... maybe I'll go copy/paste from my old emails and set them up on here so you can kind of follow some of my mission, although it would all be ex-post-facto. Whatev.
I'm just back, and probably further from being Bethany than ever before. I'll upload one of the last pictures I took while I was a missionary. I didn't get any closer to the city Bethany, MO than I had before my mission. And I spent the whole 18 months becoming and being, "Sister Maddox." I really loved that. I loved being Sister Maddox. I loved where I was. But now it is time to be here, and we will see what I can do with the things I've learned from my mission.
Love, BethanyAnna

It's My Birthday! 7/25

Well, I'm sorry for not keeping up with this blog for Bethany. So in honor of her birthday today I am posting this.

About a week ago Bethany was able to give a tour at the Visitor Center for a Heritage tour group. She saw Matt Roundy, Ryan Zabriske, Alondra Wirtz, Mr./Brother Paulsen and Brother Toone. She was so excited to see them all!
The 22nd was the BIG Transfer day. Her new companion is Sister Ika (ee-ka). She is from Provo, Utah and her family is from Tonga. . Her last area was the MTC. So she is just brand new into the field. Sister Ika's catchphrase for it doesnt' matter or it's oka or whatever, ect is "It's just a hairflip" Bethany is a little anxious and nervous because this is her first time training and she has only been out for 3 months. But she says that they will just move forward with faith. I will update later and I hope you will all write her letters to her address -

Missouri Independence Mission
517 W. Walnut Street
Independence Missouri
64050-3632

Love, Her favoritest littlest Sister!

It hasn't started yet, but...

I know I don't leave until Wednesday, but I needed to write about today before I leave!
First off: Brother and Sister Whitlock have Home and Visit taught my family for quite a few years. One month he would give a Home Teaching lesson and the next month she would give the visiting teaching lesson. It was a brilliant system. And my family grew very close to them. They are so very very sweet and dear to us.
When I received my mission call they were very excited for me because they served in the Liberty Jail when they served their first Senior mission. Tonight they came over for Family Home Evening and shared stories with us of the time they served there, and brought along a scrapbook with odds and ends that they had saved!
I have known for a very long time that they met on their mission, but until tonight I did not realize that they served in the central states, which is inclusive of the mission that I am going to! They met in Missouri!
NOT only that, but tonight we heard her first impression of him. Which happened a little bit like this:
He needed to get some work done and something important set up, so he planned on using the other elders to help him out when they got to the building. And when they got there they were helpful, until the sisters came. He heard them in the other room, having the time of their lives! BUT he needed the work done, so he went in and kindly asked the sisters to go some other designated area. The sisters (his future wife, little did he know) stared at him like he was the meanest man in the world! She did think he was rather mean. Fortunately her opinion of him improved enough for her to marry him when she returned from her mission. We got to hear of some wonderful pranks to play- so watch out Missouri Independence Mission Elders: Here I Come!