Our mint tower has been growing rapidly for the past few weeks. Many parents, eager to encourage their missionary, sent lots of mint packs to the MTC over Christmas. Our last count, we were at 35 mint containers in our tower--at least 2 feet tall. Our pride and joy, it rested on our windowsill as a symbol of the hard work we were putting into the Polish language.
But then, Saturday happened. We arrived at T4 (our study building) at the normal time. As Sister Berrett and I were walking to our usual study spot, a shriek of horror and dismay echoed through the hall. Sprinting to the source of this unearthly wail, I stared at the windowsill and gave an equally unearthly wail. Sister Berrett fainted with shock. For lo and behold, half of our mint stack. Was. MISSING.
Many thoughts raced through my mind. It could have been an accident. A janitor coming through could have thrown away half (?) of our mint stack. After counseling together as a Polish district, we put a message up on a mini whiteboard and leaned it against the window: "Thou shalt not steal."
After lunch, we returned to find the rest of our tower missing. And a message on our whiteboard: "Nay."
We were all distraught, and that is not an exaggeration at all. Who would want to take our mints? We're so nice to everybody! We decided to leave another message: "To the missionaries who have our mint stack: It's okay. No hard feelings. It may sound dumb, but our little mint stack really meant a lot to us. We would still really appreciate it if you returned them, though. Love, the Poles." Our mint stack was not only our pride an joy, but it also reminded us of a Polish elder in the previous district. He started the mint stack, and he ended up having to come home after a couple weeks in Poland for health reasons. We're hoping he will be able to come back soon, but we built our mint stack to honor him.
Halfheartedly, we started eating mints again. A couple days later, we had a little stack of four. And then they took them away again. And they dumped out a half eaten container onto our desks so they could take it too. At this point, it's pretty funny to me, but it wasn't then. I guess someone has the immaturity that he would steal our mint containers just to spite us. And we have the immaturity to be angry about it. Not anymore, though. I'm over it. We are 95% sure it's some Russians, though, because some of them have had something against us for a while.
Like the tower of Babel, our mint stack had to fall. Maybe I'll be able to learn more Polish now. But we are still trying to rebuild it.
On Monday, we got to host for senior missionaries again! That was so much fun. And this week, we had the biggest group they've had in a few years: 150 senior missionaries. Including, as I found out later, the Reimschussels! And also, including a Poland-bound senior couple, the Womacks, who are from Vancouver, WA. They are SO nice, and I'm really hoping to get to serve with them at some point. Also, the group included Sister Marriott from the former YW presidency. We all sat by her during choir and tried to pretend we weren't in the presence of a celebrity.
Basically, this week has been wonderful because I've been able to meet a lot of people from high school, YSA ward, back home, or in some other way I've had a connection with them in the past. I really see that as God helping me out a bit, and helping me not feel too hungry for Poland before it's my time to go.
Keep reading that Book of Mormon! It's a really good book. If you read it with a question in mind and really ponder what you're thinking about, God will help you find answers to it.
Next P-day is my last before Poland! I get travel plans tomorrow. But I'm being a little more patient than I was last week ;)
Kocham was!
Siostra Eberting
Pics:
-MTC with Emily and Kent Reimschussel and Sherie and Jeff Warner (Sherie texted it to mom)
-Map pic
