Dear Sister Fanny, you are hereby called to serve......

Hi....my name is Fanny.

I was called to serve in the Steiner household over 21 years ago.

This is probably one of the earliest pictures of me on my mission, Yes, that little girl would put my hat in her mouth at any time - no warning! Sometimes, she would run with me in her mouth like that, chewing away, giggling through her teeth as we would play at the park, or at Jenny's house.

 I was her first real companion. Her trainer. Oh, there were other companions at times, but I was never transferred far, and when the time came I was the one she choose.

Our companionship chatting with Teacher Betty

You see, I went to preschool with her. I was even given my own place with my own name card. Teacher Val understood the importance of our companionship, I appreciate her for that. Teacher Betty and Teacher Jan and Teacher Mary all understood too, I was as much a part of preschool as any other student there. Because we were a pair, a team, best friends!

I was diligent in attending church as well, I was glad my companion was so eager to learn all she could in nursery. I loved going! We got to sing and have treats and color! Then we moved up to Primary! WOW! More singing and more coloring and we got to learn more wonderful things about Jesus and all he did for us. I loved her for taking me with her and letting me learn right along side her, she never left me.

We played. We learned to cook and clean and wash clothes and how to get dressed and pick up toys and make our bed and do our homework and how to drive and how to pray and how to read and how to make good decisions - and how to fix bad ones and what college we wanted to go to and what boys we wanted to date








We have some amazing family. This is a picture of us with our Grandpa Baumgart - he's pretty cool!  And the other picture is us with our Aunt Kelly at the Zoo. When we were little our family was sure that we were always together, they knew how important my mission was, they knew how important I was to her and that our companionship was vital to her happiness.

I'll never forget when it was time to go to first grade, she was so scared. I was so sad, because I knew I couldn't go. First grade teachers were not like preschool and kindergarten and primary and family, they thought it was time for her to be more grown up. But you know what? We figured it out -  and the first grade teacher never knew I was there! Neither did the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, middle school or high school teachers! I went to EVERY first day of school....EVERY ONE! Because I had to.

It was my mission!

Do you know why people on their everyday "missions" carry backpacks, or purses, or wallets?

I do.

It's to carry their companion in.

It's how I carried out my mission for her, I was in her backpack, every first day of school she had, right there, within touching distance, never out of sight.

And guess where I am now? That's right....in a suitcase, still her companion, still within touching distance, headed to Tennessee. Still on my mission.......

Here's to a great 18 months! 

Good luck Sister Steiner and Sister Fanny !