1/27/2014

Sorry I haven't had a whole lot of time to write. Weather + holidays do not a good combo make for emailing. :/ But things have been going so great here! We got a new investigator around Jan 10 or so. I think I told you guys about her. Her name is***, and she is only in my area for a little bit. She is from Cromwell CT. and she is staying at the VA Hospital currently so she can go through rehab. She was an alcoholic and did chewing tobacco. But we started teaching her about 2 weeks ago, and this Wednesday she proposed her own baptismal date! We had only taught her the first lesson and the Word of Wisdom and brought her to church that Sunday. But at the end of our lesson (W.o.W.) on Wednesday we were planning on extending a date, but we both forgot. And as the closing prayer was said we both remembered, but it was no longer the right time because everyone was mingling, and the Spirit wasn't there. And I was silently praying that we would somehow be able to extend baptism to her. So we are standing there talking with***, and she asks us how someone becomes a Mormon. And I told her that you get baptized. And she asks if there is a process of some sort behind it. Like if she has to pass some classes or wait a certain period of time. And we told her no. And she was kind of shocked, and then asked when she could get baptized. If it was alright if she did it on Sunday. And my companion and I looked at each other and looked back at *** and said yes! So then it was crazy because we had to teach her the rest of the lessons in 3 days!!! But we talked with our Mission President and decided that it would be best for her to get baptized in her home ward in CT. She was already planning on moving back the 1st of Feb., so we thought that it would be good for her and her future ward. So she is going to be interviewed on Friday, along with all the other missionaries. :) President Packard is coming to our area to do missionary interviews so her will interview her then. :) It has just been so crazy lately.

AND THEN... We just got another investigator who lives in the same apt complex as two of our members. And we went and taught the Plan of Salvation instead of the Restoration. She is going through a really hard time right now. Her husband committed suicide in their apt, and she is struggling to cope. She is also really lonely. She loves having us come over just so she can see people. The members came with us to our appointment, and they are excited to befriend her on their own. We extended baptism and she accepted. We haven't set a date yet, but we will. We think that the ward family will be something that will help her loneliness.

1/21/2014 Fun Pday

We are supposed to get a really bad storm today, so I dont know how long we will be able to stay here before we have to run and hide for protection against the awful winter elements... but seriously.

Yesterday was the best P-day ever! Only comparable to the Red Sox game. There is a family in the ward that has 3 little boys, and the middle one just turned 5. So he had his birthday in the gym at the church. So Sister Scott and I go over there to say hi, because we were the second ones he thought of to invite. So when we get there, there is a huge nerf gun fight going on. So, of course, as missionaries, we grab a gun a join in. It was so much fun! Bishop and his son and his friend were there, which made it more interesting for us, because we got to shoot 2 teenage boys and the Bishop. Now when does that happen? It was soooo much fun! They had a whole bunch of cardboard boxes that we got to use. I am super sore now because of the great work out. :)

I love you mom :) 

1/13/2014

I am doing really great! We went and cleaned the Temple this morning! It was soooo cool! Mom, we were down by the Oxen! 

1/6/2014 Happy New Year!

Yeah we are allowed to go out today, which is good because it is P-DAY!! woohoo! :) hahaha. Yeah the weather has been totally crazy out here. Jan 2 it got to -6! I took a picture when it reached 0. Today we just have freezing rain though, nothing too bad. hahaha. Yeah the roads are pretty icy. I almost fell walking to the car this morning, most likely due to my uncoordinated-self, but whatever. New Years was good! We had to be in by 7pm because of all the crazy people, so we watched 17 Miracles, which I would love a copy for my birthday by the way :), and we played phase 10, and we just hung out in our apartment. Nothing too exciting.

I don't think I will ever be ready for the cold weather, but instead of looking at it with disdain and my grumpy face, I have decided to treat it like an adventure. My old Sister Training Leader would always say "Adventure Mormons" if we missed a wrong turn, or were not quite sure where we were going, or something crazy, or adventurous, happened. So I will think of it like that, and change my perspective. We have been pretty safe on the roads. I have learned how to drive in snow and am still practicing with the ice. I am driving today, so I will be getting more practice. :) It's kind of like a roller coaster ride. All of a sudden there will be a turn or slide that you were not expecting and it surprises you. Although, you should be very proud, I have now stopped screaming every time this happens :) hahaha College has not started up quite yet. But it will soon, hopefully. I have heard like the middle to late January. So, yeah.

I love you! 

Um what about Rook card? and Uno? No, I have not. However, I am not sure if we could watch that one. The only reason I know that we can watch 17 Miracles is because they show it at the MTC, otherwise it all has to be church produced. :/

hahaha, yeah the Yeti is pretty funny. Especially when we are on the phone with someone and they hear him and they think that it is one of us. We are constantly explaining our GPS. It is quite funny. :D Yes I still love my comp. :) We get along pretty well. This are has been pretty slow though, so its been a little rough. But in my personal study today I was reading Alma 7, and in verse 23-24 it says : "And now I would that ye should be ^ahumble, and be ^bsubmissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive. 24: "And see that ye have ^afaith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works."

It was kind of a slap in the face. I realized that I was starting to give up on this area because nothing was happening, yet I had to spend another 6 weeks here, so I was getting really discouraged. And when I read this I just sat back and thought that it is because I have not been trusting in the Lord like I should have been and that is a big part of why nothing is happening. Just yesterday I read Joshua chapter 1 which says four different times " be strong and of a good courage". And I realized that I have not been doing that. So this morning I went through the qualities or attributes,whatever you want to call them, and I thought about how I have been doing with each one, and how I need to improve. I realized that one of the major things is that I am not being patient with myself or the Lord. Unlike my last area, I get along with my comp much better, and I have not had to call on the Lord multiple times a day and ask for patience and strength. And looking back I can see the differences. Right before I left everything was falling into place, and now here, we are stuck. Nothing is happening. And I can now understand why. The Lord doesn't trust those who do not trust Him enough to call upon Him. Even if they don't feel the need to. It has been a very humbling morning for me. I will be putting this scripture up on my wall so that I can look at it everyday, and make sure that I am constantly seeking the Lord in all that I do. I cannot do this without Him. And unfortunately, I have had to learn this the hard way.  

12/16/2013 almost Christmas!

We will be skypeing about 3 o'clock my time. Sooo like 1pm your time?? And YES we get to skype!!! :)

...Yes it is dumping snow. There is definitely snow outside. Funny story. Saturday was the ward Christmas party and it was snowing really bad. It ended about 7:30pm. Now our church is at the foot of a hill. So after the party was over we stay to help clean up. When we go to leave the Bishop offers us a ride home because it was so slick... Well me being me, and thinking well I don't need a ride home, I can get up the hill, it cant be that hard, not paying any attention at all to the other brother and sister who CANT get up the hill and are getting a ride. So I try to get up the hill. I didn't even make it from one end of the parking lot to the other... the ice was so bad the car was sliding. THE WHOLE car was moving to the side. So I pull back into a spot and cry to the Bishop "I want a ride home! Please!" So we left our car there. And Bishop was almost pulling doughnuts in the parking lot!!! On purpose!!! Super scary. Earlier, before we knew about being car-less, and family in the ward offered us a ride to church the next day. :) Super funny :)

I read this this morning and I thought that it would be good for you and the family:

PMG pg 120

Christlike attribute of Patience:

Patience is the capacity to endure delay, trouble, opposition, or suffering without becoming angry, frustrated, or anxious. It is the ability to do God's will and accept His timing. when you are patient, you hold up under pressure and are able to face adversity calmly and hopefully. Patience is related to hope and faith - you must wait for the Lord's promised blessings to be fulfilled. You need patience in your everyday experiences and relationships, especially with your companion. You must be patient with all people, yourself included, as you work to overcome faults and weaknesses. "Life is full of difficulties, some minor and others of a more serious nature. There seems to be an unending supply of challenges for one and all. our problem is that we often expect instantaneous solutions to such  challenges, forgetting that frequently the heavenly virtue of patience is required." President Thomas S. Monson

I love that because I was not a very patience kid growing up. And as I look at the world I see that not a lot of people are. I think that we can all develop a little more patience and trust in the Lord. :)

12/02/2013

We have a new investigator!! We are so excited! We have met with him twice. The second time the STL's were with us and it made it that much better.  But we found him while we were looking for a less active woman. We gave him a Book of Mormon and he is reading it. He even asked for recommended chapters! How awesome is that! He is like the definition of a golden investigator. We invited him to come to church and he said that he wanted to. Something held him up though so he couldn't come. But he asked if there were any other meeting this week and we told him about institute on Tuesday and he wants to come! He is very spiritual, and connects with nature. We have a member that we want to take with us that could use strengthening as well. We also plan to take a members less active son to institute so they can meet. He really wants to come out with us, and we are hoping that this is a good way to re-activate him. Do you have any suggestions or advice? We also have two potentials. One is a girl that was there the first time we taught Carl. She wanted to come to the next lesson, but she was going to be in New York. But she was really interested, and they were both asking questions of the soul. The other potential is the aforementioned active woman's "friend". We believe that they like each other. He brings her food and they go for walks. We took her out with us to go visit some of her friends, and she wanted us to meet him. He goes there every Sunday at 4:30. So we sat down and talked with him. And we have an appointment to meet with him again on Sunday. we are not counting him as an investigator yet because we are not too sure how interested he is, or if he just wants to talk. But we have been using the ward mission plan to inspire the members to do more missionary work!

11/25/13

I am doing good. Yes I got a new companion, the funny thing is that we came out together! :) She is super sweet, and really nice. She is also like 5'10" so when I send pictures home I will look really short but I promise that I am the same height. I live in the middle of nowhere... we live in Sunderland and have to drive 20 min to get to church, 45 min to get to the bishops, and I dont know about others. But it is sooooo cold here. Saturday night there was like a blizzard! it was snowing, and super icy, and the wind is horrible!!! When I go outside I can only feel my face for about 5 min before it goes numb... For some reason I am driving again, dont know how that happened... But I was driving and the car started to go sideways!!!!! SIDEWAYS! It wouldnt let me brake, and I didnt know what was going on. But Sister Scott is from UT so she was able to help me through it. There is snow outside!!! Blah.

My address is:

253 Amherst rd. apt D6

Sunderland, Ma

i think that the zip is like 01006... not sure about the last number though.

I like "hue" and "angel" But if she sees any other colors that are good, we can go with those. I need a nude color ("hue") and I like a soft pink color("angel").

We are going to a members house for Thanksgiving. it doesnt feel the same though. :( But this ward is really great. They are super ready for missionary work, and I am excited to work with them. 

Zone Conference

11/20/13 Zone Conference

I just thought that I would share something from Zone Conference, cause it was pretty fantastic! Elder Nielsen of the 70 was there (exclamation point). He is so tall. I got to shake his hand and say hi after our lunch. And he held my hand for a second, and said that it was really good to see me, and asked me how I was. During this he was starring into my soul. Starring into my soul. It was like he could see everything that I have ever done and will do. Just to shake his hand was a spiritual experience. I took some pictures, but we have to go now. 

11/20/2013 Transfer Week

11/20/13 Transfer Week!

Mom! I am getting transferred!! To Amherst! I am going to freeze! It is a little town in north Ma. I will be in a YSA ward considered the whole population is college students... funsies! 

I got your package!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!! I am wearing my boots right now, and I have already looked through a lot of my quote journal. I loved the funny things too. Where do you get those things? 

11/11/2013

It is supposed to snow tomorrow! Eeekk!!! The week was good. We got a new investigator! Yay! :) We are going on splitz tomorrow so I will be in Belmont on the hunt for Mitt Romney!! hahaha lol. Transfer text is this Saturday! So I will find out where I am going, if I am going anywhere. I have a feeling that I am staying though. So next week I will be emailing on Wednesday!! Just a heads up! The work is going really well here. The ward is finally catching the missionary spirit!