Greenie for the day

 

Yesterday I got to do something that I began to think I'd never be able to do on my mission! We got to have our first member meal!! So crazy and exciting, right?! Only took 13 months but better late than never :) 

On Saturday we had a last minute mission meeting where they announced new Covid rules such as not having to wear masks at our mission events and at peoples' houses, if they are okay with it. I was pretty sure the Second Coming would happen before Maryland/DC would lift their mask mandate but hey, here we are!!  It's been a longggg ride so it's good to start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

Earlier this week we had transfers so a new group of missionaries came in. They spend their first night at a hotel then go to their areas the next day, but there was an odd amount of sisters so they asked me to stay the night with them! I got hit with that nostalgia as I thought back to my first day in the mission and remembered my first 2 thoughts: 1. WOW it is sooooo greeen 2. It is HOT. Is it always this sticky? They were all saying the same thing so I know I'm not crazy for thinking that. I got to be temporary comps with Sister Winder from..... you're never gonna guess....... Utah!! She is super cute and did cheer growing up too so it was fun to bond about flips and how cheer completely wrecks your body. Also sleeping in a hotel bed = best sleep I've had since I can remember.   

One night we went over to Allyson's house and made Navajo fry bread with her and her husband!! Allyson is our cute recent convert and her husband, Frank is not a member, but is starting to really like the missionaries. They are so amazing and of course sent us home with enough food to last us for the week. 

We also talked with a really cool new friend named Richard! He's a truck driver so we'll be talking then all the sudden he'll lay on the horn and yell at someone then be like "sorry, what were you saying?" He's so funny.

Happy Memorial Day!!! Big shoutout to those that have fought to keep us safe. Today we got to go to the boy, Mikes family's cookout and it was an experience to say the least. I love what I do. Who gets to do this?? I do!! 😊

Love, Hermana Dangl

 

Nails with the Neilsons girls

Sister Winder and I!! 12th Comp from Utah?  Idk I've lost count. 

Fry bread with Allyson and Frank! 

Murica, am I right? 

A full course meal of cicada shells. 😍

If you can't beat em, eat em

 

Yes, the subject line is an actual phrase that actual people say here about the cicada invasion. That would make good content for the weekly so I might have to get behind that. If anyone has tips for cooking bugs, that would be very appreciated 👍 

Anyway, today we got transfer news that we are all staying here in G-burg!! 

Also, this week Elder Johnson of the 70, and his wife visited our mission for some trainings!! Years ago, they served presiding over the Bangkok, Thailand mission and shared some of their experiences there. One time, they had been traveling around the country to the different areas and were just completely exhausted. However, they just looked at each other with big smiles and said "who else gets to do this??!!" It truly is all about perspective. I have this same thought often and even when it gets hard, I realize that I'm so lucky I get to do this! 

This week we saw some really cool miracles with our new friends!! As we were talking, one of them quickly opened up about some challenges they were having. A specific scripture came to mind, so I followed that prompting to share and testify about it. She then told us that she really needed to hear that. Cool stuff. 

We also got to go to the Bishop's Storehouse! One of my past companions ended up being there too, so it was super fun to catch up. 

Ciao, 

Hermana Dangl 

Zone Conference at the Visitor's Center!

My hand works as a mask too, I guess.

Service at the Bishop's Storehouse.

My middle school missed out big time by not letting me on 

the volleyball team 🤧. If only they could see me now. 

Maryland Be Wildin

Week of May  11 - 17 

Hey hey!!!

This week we got to go on splits with the other sisters in our area! It was all pretty normal, until our lesson with this guy the other sisters were teaching named Robby. . . . was really off and asked for their address multiple times, so we dipped real fast. BUT THEN, we went on a walk and I was looking at the bushes on both sides of us and noticed TONSSS of bees so we RAN for our lives. Also, apparently 1 trillion cicadas are mobbing Maryland this month after 17 years of being underground, so we'll see how that goes. Maryland be WILDIN!

This week, our friend Will came to church. He has a really hard time waking up in the morning, so coming to 9 am church was a big deal! Afterwards we introduced him to some of the bois in the ward and they really hit it off. They did the bro hug handshake thing and exchanged numbers to talk more so we are super excited for Will to get to know the members more and makes some friends!! 

On Wednesday we got an urgent email to go immediately to fill up our cars because apparently the major gas line on the East Coast was hacked. We had to go to a couple different gas stations to find one that still had gas but by the end of the day, some places had lines that were a couple blocks long. Things seem to be more so back to normal, but apparently people were treating it like "bring your own cup" day at 7/11 and bringing any sort of container they could find to fill it up with gas. Marylanders really are something else. 

We also had a really awesome lesson with a new friend named Melinda. She brought up how there has been some unfair treatment in her workplace and how she was betrayed by someone she really trusted. I instantly thought back to Jesus Christ and how he also experienced betrayal. Someone who was close to him betrayed him as well. I don't know exactly what she's going through but Christ does. It helped me put into perspective my own problems and how Christ descended below all unfairness so that our pains and sorrows can be swallowed up in Christ. 

Have a greattttt week! 

Con amor, Hermana Dangl 

We love in-person lessons!  

The Wilburgs are legendary.

The almost sistrict.

We played volleyball as a district and invited some 

random guy to play so we'd have even numbers.  

He ended up being SO GOOD  and smoked us all.

Exchanges! 

Before the betrayal

After the betrayal.  

The bird popped on my hand.

 

Feliz cinco de mayo

 

Written for the week of May 3-10

I'm a little crunched on time today because we got to spend the day in Annapolis!! It was good to be home :) As we were leaving I ran into Pres McConkie, my Branch President from the Spa Creek Branch. It was good to hear that things haven't fallen apart too much since I left. 

- On Tuesday we got to facilitate interviews with President for our zone! 

- We had an in-person meeting with all the Mission Leadership for the first time in over a year!! 

- Cinco de Mayo pupusas

- We taught an early morning Bible study to the high school students in our congregation. 

- We got to have our District Council at the mission home! When new missionaries come, they usually stay there for the night, but because of Covid, I came and went straight to my area. Only a year later and I finally got to go!  They have 5 kids that were running all over the place, but it was the best ever. Their 5 year old is an absolute firecracker and almost broke their TV like 3 times. Also they brought their bird out and it pooped on my hand :) 

- Went to a flower garden and it started hailing 

-Our friend, Will is soooo cool and he came to our Bible study on Thursday!! One of the men there started talking about some random deep doctrine and we were mortified because we've only taught Will once. We ended up talking later and explaining everything, so it's chill now 😅 

Lastly, a shout out to my AMAZING MOM, SHERBABE!!! She's a queen. 

Later! 

- Hermana Dangl 

Having fun with the filters on messenger while

talking to the family for Mother's Day!

Turtle smashing and Bible bashing

 

Sorry for the depressing subject line but it be like that sometimes :/ we were driving and the car in front of us slowed down then swerved for something that was in the road. We then saw that it was a TURTLE so we straddled it with our car, but then the truck behind us just ran straight over it. RIP lil guy :( 

Also, this guy randomly called us up and I can't believe it has taken 14 months for me to have my first Bible bashing experience 🥰 I will never understand 50 year old men that spend their spare time debating religion with 20 year olds.  0/10 would not do again. I should've known it was gonna go downhill fast from the moment he introduced his friend as Fidel Castro... 

On Sunday we were able to have an amazing lesson at the park with our new friend, Will. The bugs were going HAM so we moved to another table just for the bugs to follow us there too. We ended up just talking and teaching as we walked around the lake. Satan works hard, but we work harder 😤 We love Will!! He is so elect and willing to let God prevail in his life. 

For those that care, my baller skills are still very much so intact. We were ending a meeting with some other missionaries and swished the most beautiful 3 pointer, in a dress might, I add. Nothing but net 💯

Every week we talk to our friend in the ward, Bro Joe. He is an absolute legend in the mission because he just loves the missionaries so much and really wants to be one. He has special needs and really missed seeing the missionaries and going to the Visitors Center.  He has been talking about his dream to meet the Petersons, the directors of the Visitor's Center, for a while now. Soooo, we decided to make that happen, and had them join our lesson with Joe.  He was SO shocked and said it was the best surprise ever.💛

This week was so amazing and filled with so many cool miracles. Not a miracle but something notable: we accidentally found ourselves in the middle of a funeral procession. Once we realized, we dipped FAST. 

Peace and blessings,

Hermana Dangl 

I STILL GOT WOOO!!!!

Exchanges with the Sister Training Leader Trainers 

More exchanges and a familiar face! 

My beautiful comps!!

We got lucky this week

 

Sooo we found a 4 leaf clover this week and that was probably the highlight of my life. 🤪🍀

A conversation that may or may not have happened this week 😅 

Us: "Hey Kevin, it's the sister missionaries! How have you been?" 

Apparently not Kevin: "My name is Michael, I do missionary work too" 

Cool. 👌

BIGGG blessings because Sister Butler, in our ward, called us up and told us to meet her at Sam's Club so she could buy us groceries!! Me and the $8 on my MSF card were very, very happy about that.  I think we have enough white cheddar Cheez-its to last me until I go home :)

We got to have our first exchange of the transfer with the sisters in MoVille!! One of them happened to be my STL in Annapolis, so that was super fun. 

This week we had a really awesome lesson at the home of one of our recent converts, Allyson. Her husband is super cool and isn't a member but he loves to hear what we have to say. Send up some prayers for our boy, Frank! 

A valuable lesson learned this week: enunciate very, very, VERY clearly during English classes to avoid miscommunication. We were having a lesson with our good friend, Yoon and we were explaining the story of the Tower of Babel. We were saying that the people were really wicked, but all of the sudden his eyes got really big and looked so shocked. He was like, "wait they were naked????" We were like "NOOOOOO sorry, we said that they were WICKED!!!" So yeah, glad we cleared that one up. Estoy muy embarazada 😪😓😤😤

Well I hope this made you smile and remember that God loves you!! 

Deuces, Hermana Dangl 😗✌

We love the Butlers! 

4 Leaf Clover

We got lucky this week.

Service makes us happy.

Exchanges with the MoVille Sisters.

Brother Joe is our #1 fan.

We love the Butlers round 60762

We out here in G-burg

Farewell Annapolis, Hellooooo Gaithersburg!!! 

Leaving Annapolis felt just like leaving home, but I am already loving it here in my new area!! We live downtown RIGHT by the train tracks, but our apartment is bougie so we're chilling. I almost cried when I saw we that didn't have a couch, but I'm recovering slowly and getting used to the peasant life. 

We got right to work and have some super awesome friends that we are teaching!! We are talking to this super sweet guy named Yoon, from Korea, who is taking English classes from us. My Korean is a little rusty so I'm grateful that we just have to help him with conversations and speaking. Our recently baptized members, Allison and Kevin, are AMAZING and have such amazing testimonies. It's been fun to help them assimilate and get to know all the other members. 

Seeing more than 30 people in the congregation on Sunday was a huge shock compared to the Spa Creek Branch, but the members were really amazing and welcoming. No tamales were handed to us on the way out by Hermana Otilia, but I guess I'll manage😤. When one of the members found out I was from CA and he was like "It's a long shot since there are a ton of people in California, but do you know the so and so family? They were in this ward years ago." I was expecting to be like "Hahaha California is a BIG state so probably not." But then he said the name and I was like "Oh actually yes I do know them!!" Super small world. 

My comps, Sister Simpson and Sister Farmer, are amazing but I'm mad because Sister Simpson ruined my 11 person streak of companions from Utah  :((( Other than having lots of potatoes, Idaho is pretty much Utah so I might just count her as a Utahn. Also, they like sunsets and the outside just as much as I do, so it's going to be good.    

Until next time,

Hermana Dangl 

The final game

Football season is forever 

First day in and already got drenched.

Gaithersburg just showing off! 

At least someone remembered my birthday.

(sign says Happy Birthday Rachel and Jordan)

Spiritually and physically swol