I just saw a camel..Monday, July 25, 2011 6:12 PM AllSAM_2809.JPGSAM_2805.JPGSAM_2806.JPGLiterally, I did. There is a camel at the library. So nuts. They were putting him away when we pulled up so I didn't get a picture.
HELLO! I just love you guys so much. I am doing so much better than before. It still an uphill battle, but I am feeling better about it. I think it will always feel like this, but that's okay because "this" feels really good sometimes.
Last Monday we had ZONE P-DAY and watched "The Best Two Years" . Holy. That is SO much funnier now. And also, it is much more real. There are actually people like that and I can imagine how all of them feel at different points of the movie. Zone P-Day was fun.
Tuesday and Wednesday were "Leadership Training" days, so since Sister Lundgren is training me (and Sister Higley is training Sister Cochran) me and Sister Cochran were companeros for a few hours while our trainers were trained. SO FUN! I will put the pictures up that we took. We rode bikes. And I love to take ugly helmet pictures. Becuase I sure do hate helmets. BUT, since we have a car, we had to cart the Elders around to their Doctors appointments, which just happened to be both Tuesday and Wednesday. I was tired of driving them around by the end of Wednesday. Me and Sister Cochran had such a good time and we laughed so hard, like usual.
Also, I have now recieved TWO letters from MTC-District-Elders!! It is so cool to hear from them, I just love them. I'm finally (finally, and the transfer is over next week) starting to warm up in the same way to the Elders here.
This week was kind of strange. All of the sudden, on Thursday morning, I am in tears. Because I miss my family and I miss my friends. I am seriously regretting my suck-tastic missionary writing in the past. Because it I love it so much when you guys write me and I miss the people that don't write me! I agree with Charlie Brown, we should get all the people we like together in a room and keep them there. Haha that sounds creepy. The quote is cute, not creepy I promise.
We are working more and more with Karen. And it has been stressing me out so bad. She wanted to be baptized this coming Saturday and originally we thought that would be fine - no problemo, and go without a hitch. But, as it's getting closer we are realizing she cannot be baptized. For one thing, she has two cigarettes left and she says things like "God will understand and forgive me for one cigarette" "one can't hurt" and it's like "ummm... no. acutally you have to stop now." But she just wants to get baptized so bad, and I was talking about it non-stop, helping her to get so excited to be baptized... and now I feel like I have to tell her she can't be. At least, not as soon as she wants. But me and Sister Lundgren have talked about it and planned out a schedule for teaching her and etc. So I feel much better.
Yikes, church is so interesting. It is so stressy. For one thing, I am always looking for investigators or less active members that we have invited to come and then I feel like there are people that are SO easily offended in the ward. It's just a little different than at home because I feel more responsible for people. It's not just me going to church for me. Yesterday in Relief Society there was nearly a smack down. The lady who was sitting next to me (who is kind of less active) got all up in arms that the service project the Relief Society is doing is enabling people to abuse their children. Yeah. Don't ask me how she got there, its way to complex to explain. But it was like SO intense in there. Luckily we take the meal calendar around to primary and nursery and all the other classes, so we got to leave. Yikes though, people. I feel like wearing a war helmet when I go to church sometimes. haha.
Things are so good here, though. A lot of people we are working with are coming to church and our main focus this week is Karen. Since she wants to be baptized so bad, we are going to spend a lot of time teaching her and making sure she is ready. We took her to baptism on Saturday. It was so cool. The spirit was... I guess the best way to describe is palpable, I mean you could FEEL it. And she said she wanted to be baptized right then. Haha somebody was like "Hey, the font is still full, why don't we just do yours now?" Karen is great. She is like, the definition of "Golden".
Another person we have been working with is Larry. He is a recent convert and he is less active. I love talking to Larry. For some reason I can connect with him and I feel like I can be bold and still loving. I can teach by the spirit so easily with him. Why is that? How come with Larry, I feel like I'm teaching better? Who knows. Anyway, Larry came to church yesterday!! I was SO excited.
There are so many people we are working with, I don't know who to tell you about haha. We definitely have some full days. I still can't get enough of tracting, and I don't know why. It's my favorite thing, especially if it's after dinner. Because then it's like only 85 degrees and that is legitimate heaven. It's so funny becuase we will be outside and I'll be like "Oh, my GOSH it feel so good out here right now." and we'll look at the temperature and it is 80-85 degrees. At home, I would have been like "IT IS SO HOT" at 85 degrees. Nope. It is nice and balmy when it gets that low. We're about half way done with the summer so I'm looking forward to the nice temperate autumn.
Mom, thanks for you letter and your package! We will play the game soon and I'll send you pictures. You are the very best. I miss you so much, I wish I could have gone to the softball games with you. Hows work? Any other field trips? I still need to send you guys a picture of Elder Hunt and Elder Shelton so you understand how my district is. It's a riot. And kind of bizarre. This picture will explain it perfectly.
Padre, how is work and church? Keeping you so busy I bet!! Trek sounds like it was a resounding success. I can't wait to see the video of it when I get home - or did you guys do a video of it again? If you have President Weaver's address, I would love it.
Jaaaames. I have a favor to ask of you. Can you send me a list of the best P90X exercises. We want to do some of them. So send me a list of your favorites from the different work outs, if you will. That would be so nice. You will be blessed for it. And I will not gain 7000 pounds. Gracias.
Jonny. Holy freak. YOU ARE GOING TO BE 18 A WEEK FROM TODAY!!! That is so crazy bizarre. I am sending you a card in the mail. Do not open it until your birthday. Or else. How is everything going? Are you gonna have a partay for your birthday? Oh my gosh, I really can't believe that you will be 18. That's too weird. I feel like I'm still 18. If you want to rob a bank, you better do it this week while youre still a minor. Just keep that in mind.
Yall are so great! (Haha I am slowly saying it more and more! Mas y mas! I think I said it once this last week.) I really appreciate all you do for me. I love your letters, I pray for you and I am so grateful for you. If there's ever any thing I can do for you from here, please let me know. If there's ever something specific you need that I can pray for. Prayer is so nutso powerful. Sister Lundgren says missionary prayers are that way. So if you want a missionary prayer for something in your life, I can arrange that. I love you, and I can't seem to say that enough, huh? LOVE YOU and am so grateful for you.
Jillian
OH, P.S. - very important P.S. I have attached a picture of Elder Morgan. I don't know if you can tell in this picture, but his face looks (and talks) exactly like Tyler Wixom. It blows my MIND. Seriously, the first time I talked to him I was just staring, trying to figure out where I had met him before. No where, he is just the lost Wixom triplet. If you can find a picture of Tyler and Tanner (haha even though I do not know where you would have one of those. Jonny, did you ever do a photo shoot with the twins? I'm so funny) send it to me!! I want to show elder morgan.
AMIGOS!!!!!! i DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE READS THIS BLOGGY THAT MY MADRE DOES, BUT I WOULD LOOOOOOVE YOU HEAR FROM YOU. AND I MEAN YOU. I GUARANTEE IT'S BEEN TOO LONG. UNLESS YOU HAPPEN TO BE A SHAMAN AND WRITE ME ALL THE TIME :] LOVE Y'ALL. WRITE ME AHORA.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Serenity Now!
Monday, July 18, 2011 4:49 PMFrom: "Jillian Hicken"
Download AllSAM_2801.JPGSAM_2802.JPGI write little notes in my planner when something happens that I want to write you about. And I can't remember why I wrote "Serenity now!" in my planner, but I did. I'm pretty sure we were talking about serenity in church or a lesson, but I just really do not remember. It made me laugh though, so "Serenity now!"
This last week was a good week, but a very interesting week. Sis L had a sort of anxiety attack. She has had one before, but this was not a total shocker. It was a little scary, but it also meant I really had to step up to the plate, which was good for me. I had to take charge and to comfort her and be the one in control, you know? And so far I've been letting her do a majority of things because I don't feel like I know how and it freaks me out and things. But this week I had to be in charge, and call people that I wasn't comfortable calling and do things that I wasn't comfortable doing. So, in a way, it was a really good thing that happened. And we talked to Sister Crawford for a long time about it. Sister Crawford just finished her masters degree in Psychology. It was so helpful and she talked to us about literally changing negative thoughts into positive ones. For example, "What if I go here and feel bad?" Recognize that thought, and then say "What if I go here and feel good?" That's the basic concept. She said writing things out really helps, and I was like "Um, yes. I agree 100%." Because you know me, I love writing. It's so healthy for me.
However, we had a baptism kind of drop into our laps! I believe I told you about the Crosby's. Well Sister Crosby's sister is named Karen, and she just moved into the neighborhood. I met her my second full day in Texas, and I just really liked her. She has come to church for the past 3 weeks with her sister (bada-bing, right??) and this week she said "How soon can I get baptized?" HAAAAAA! We are so excited. We have tried to meet with her before, but she has been moving so it's been difficult. We are seeing her on Tuesday for a Church Tour and we will talk to her about being baptized July 30. KAREN! We love her and we are so excited. She has to quit smoking, but we will tackle that. She can do it.
Also, this week I have discovered a profound love for Gatorade. It is SOO good when we are tracting. Oh my gooooosh. This week we had lemon lime, and I highly recommend it. A little sweet, a little tangy. I'm going to see about being a Gatorade spokesperson, because I seriously love it so much. We tract every day, and I love it. We meet the most wonderful people and the craziest people.
This week is leadership training for Sister Lundgren, so I will be "on my own" as in without a trainer. And I'm a little nervous. But I also think this will be good for me. I need to stop leaning so much on her. I'm getting more used to being a missionary. It is such a blessing. I'm grateful that it didn't just snap on, and become immediately a breeze. Because I've had to work for it, and learn from it and I appreciate it so much more. Bueno.
So, I call Sister Lundgren "sister miyagi" sometimes, because she is training me. haha I don't actually call her it, but we talk about calling her that. This week we found out the name of the Kid, so she can call me "Daniel-son". we are so funny.
We have had a lot of contact with the missionaries around us this week because we did a Zone fast, did I already tell you about this? We fasted for 9 days. (That's how they announced it in Zone meeting. I was like "Um, what? Like Ramadan style where we eat after sundown? Because I'm pretty sure we will die if we don't eat for 9 days...") But what we did was each companionship fasted for a day, for the whole Zone. It was so cool. Our day was Tuesday. It was great and we just finished yesterday so now today is ZONE P-DAY! We got permission from whoever to watch BEST TWO YEARS! I'm so excited.
We also had "New Missionary Training" this week. I came away from it with the best attitude I've had since being here in Texas. I just felt good and happy and motivated to be "The Fourth Missionary" (That is an incredible talk, you should try and find it and read it. By Laurence Corbridge. I'm obsessed and I know the SON of the man who wrote it. Nuts.) It was everyone from the MTC that is in THE mission. It was so good to hear from the Crawfords and from the Assistants. I really like the Assistants. We had dinner with them this week and they are also non-believers in Jimmer-in-the-NBA. Whatever. None of y'all have SEEN him play. in the flesh. I believe in him.
Speaking of movies, now HARRY POTTAH has come out. I have heard excellent things about it from members here. Did you guys go?? Please go. I wish I could go haha. Go, and tell me how it is. And then James and Jonny, read the books, mmkay?
So, we've been on this endless hunt for post cards. Post cards that say "Houston!" so we can send them to friends and family, you know? Nada. Nothing. No one has post cards. We checked at a couple gas stations, and we walked into one of them and guess what I saw??? A stand up poster of the Dos Equis man!!!!!!!!!! I took a picture with him. I will send it to you. It was so funny, Sister L had never seen the commercials so I tried to explain them. I just can't do him justice. It's way too funny. "Stay thirsty, my friends."
James, THANK YOU!!!!!! for your letter. I am not kidding, I just beamed the whole time I read it. Thanks always for the advice, I take it all and use it often. I'm glad you are sticking with Tony. I think 7 weeks is as far as I've ever gone, so keep it up. You will be as cool as he is when you are finished, so that is a good goal, right? :] haha. Mike is coming for so long that will be so fun! And how's the Elders Quorum? Have you given Chris Hodgson a calling yet? And did Chase Haslam ever decide where to go to school? Also, the pictures from the trip are on my laptop and they also should be on my external hard drive.. if you can find that. I have no memory of where it is. So let me know if you can't find them and I can send them back on an SD card or something because I have them still on my camera.
JONY. ha. Just kidding. JONNY. (But, grandma's name is Joan. not Jon. So It is not like putting a Y on grandma's name. But I will spell your name right from now on.) Thanks for your e-mail! I'm SOOOO glad you liked Trek. I LOVED Trek because I loved my family and my Ma and Pa. Did you love them all? Good job with the women's pull. That one chica who wouldn't get on the handcart was just having a feminist moment. I used to have those, remember? Thanks for writing me. I love hearing from you. YOUR BIRTHDAY is SOON! What do you want? I'm searching so hard to find a post card for you. I will find something good.
Mom, you are just the best. I am writing you a little letter today. I seriously brag about how my mom is the best missionary mom in the world, and you are!! Thanks for your letters and for sending me the talk and quote. I think that the mail was just messed up around the 4th of July, because the letters are coming more regularly now. But I got all those cards you sent on the same day haha because of the weird mail stuff going on. How's work? How's my doggy? I hope you and Dad are still walking him at night. Thanks for always believing in me and telling me that I can do it. I appreciate it.
Padre! Thank YOU for your letter. Your advice is just so appropriate and I'm so blessed to have had you as a Bishop and as a Stake President and especially as a Dad. How is the Stake?? It sounds like Trek was a success, and that you ate very well on it. LUCKY! How is work going? How is everything? I had this one day a few weeks ago, when I was feeling stressed out about being a missionary and for some reason I thought, "I need my Dad to pray for me." and I know that you were praying for me. It was like nobody elses prayers would do but my Dad's in that moment. It is so interesting to see the church from the angle of a missionary. I bet that the missionaries just love you, Dad. We love our leaders here so much. We couldn't do this without them.
I spoke in church yesterday! hahaha. I asked the ward to do one thing this week to improve their relationships with their neighbors. If they hadn't met their neighbors, to go meet them. If they hadn't formed a relationship with them, to go do so. I know that as they do this, missionary opportunities will fall into their laps. Not necessarily baptsims immediately, but people will ask them about their beliefs and they can plant those seeds. Because missionaries in a few years need to harvest the seeds. We need to harvest, not plant. So I thought it was a good idea, to have them reach out in love as the Savior did to all their neighbors. Matthew 5:46-48.
I don't think I have more to say. I really love you all so much! I was thinking last night about how much I just ADORE my family and my friends. I'm so blessed. There are so many missionaries who do not have the support that I am SO blessed by. Thank you. I am trying to be a good missionary. But, like you said Mom, it will take time to become the missionary that I can be. I want you to know that I'm working on it. Thank you for writing me - I still need that so much! Sister Lundgren feels like she knows you all because I'm constantly talking about you or something you wrote in your letters. I just LOVE y'all. (You better believe it. Y'all is becoming super normal. I don't use it that much, but when I do it feels incredibly normal).
Have a good week! Let me know what you are doing in your life!! I want to hear about your lives SO BAD!! But don't worry, I'm focused haha.
Love,
Jillian
P.S. Could you get the Weavers address? Sister Crawford said she called sister Weaver this week. It just thrilled me to hear that. I want to write them and see how it's going. I don't think the Crawfords even sleep at all, ahah, so I just think the Weavers are crazy busy.
P.P.S. I am going to send you a picture of the Elders in our district. The picture just explains them so incredibly well, way better than I ever could haha. So look for that!
Download AllSAM_2801.JPGSAM_2802.JPGI write little notes in my planner when something happens that I want to write you about. And I can't remember why I wrote "Serenity now!" in my planner, but I did. I'm pretty sure we were talking about serenity in church or a lesson, but I just really do not remember. It made me laugh though, so "Serenity now!"
This last week was a good week, but a very interesting week. Sis L had a sort of anxiety attack. She has had one before, but this was not a total shocker. It was a little scary, but it also meant I really had to step up to the plate, which was good for me. I had to take charge and to comfort her and be the one in control, you know? And so far I've been letting her do a majority of things because I don't feel like I know how and it freaks me out and things. But this week I had to be in charge, and call people that I wasn't comfortable calling and do things that I wasn't comfortable doing. So, in a way, it was a really good thing that happened. And we talked to Sister Crawford for a long time about it. Sister Crawford just finished her masters degree in Psychology. It was so helpful and she talked to us about literally changing negative thoughts into positive ones. For example, "What if I go here and feel bad?" Recognize that thought, and then say "What if I go here and feel good?" That's the basic concept. She said writing things out really helps, and I was like "Um, yes. I agree 100%." Because you know me, I love writing. It's so healthy for me.
However, we had a baptism kind of drop into our laps! I believe I told you about the Crosby's. Well Sister Crosby's sister is named Karen, and she just moved into the neighborhood. I met her my second full day in Texas, and I just really liked her. She has come to church for the past 3 weeks with her sister (bada-bing, right??) and this week she said "How soon can I get baptized?" HAAAAAA! We are so excited. We have tried to meet with her before, but she has been moving so it's been difficult. We are seeing her on Tuesday for a Church Tour and we will talk to her about being baptized July 30. KAREN! We love her and we are so excited. She has to quit smoking, but we will tackle that. She can do it.
Also, this week I have discovered a profound love for Gatorade. It is SOO good when we are tracting. Oh my gooooosh. This week we had lemon lime, and I highly recommend it. A little sweet, a little tangy. I'm going to see about being a Gatorade spokesperson, because I seriously love it so much. We tract every day, and I love it. We meet the most wonderful people and the craziest people.
This week is leadership training for Sister Lundgren, so I will be "on my own" as in without a trainer. And I'm a little nervous. But I also think this will be good for me. I need to stop leaning so much on her. I'm getting more used to being a missionary. It is such a blessing. I'm grateful that it didn't just snap on, and become immediately a breeze. Because I've had to work for it, and learn from it and I appreciate it so much more. Bueno.
So, I call Sister Lundgren "sister miyagi" sometimes, because she is training me. haha I don't actually call her it, but we talk about calling her that. This week we found out the name of the Kid, so she can call me "Daniel-son". we are so funny.
We have had a lot of contact with the missionaries around us this week because we did a Zone fast, did I already tell you about this? We fasted for 9 days. (That's how they announced it in Zone meeting. I was like "Um, what? Like Ramadan style where we eat after sundown? Because I'm pretty sure we will die if we don't eat for 9 days...") But what we did was each companionship fasted for a day, for the whole Zone. It was so cool. Our day was Tuesday. It was great and we just finished yesterday so now today is ZONE P-DAY! We got permission from whoever to watch BEST TWO YEARS! I'm so excited.
We also had "New Missionary Training" this week. I came away from it with the best attitude I've had since being here in Texas. I just felt good and happy and motivated to be "The Fourth Missionary" (That is an incredible talk, you should try and find it and read it. By Laurence Corbridge. I'm obsessed and I know the SON of the man who wrote it. Nuts.) It was everyone from the MTC that is in THE mission. It was so good to hear from the Crawfords and from the Assistants. I really like the Assistants. We had dinner with them this week and they are also non-believers in Jimmer-in-the-NBA. Whatever. None of y'all have SEEN him play. in the flesh. I believe in him.
Speaking of movies, now HARRY POTTAH has come out. I have heard excellent things about it from members here. Did you guys go?? Please go. I wish I could go haha. Go, and tell me how it is. And then James and Jonny, read the books, mmkay?
So, we've been on this endless hunt for post cards. Post cards that say "Houston!" so we can send them to friends and family, you know? Nada. Nothing. No one has post cards. We checked at a couple gas stations, and we walked into one of them and guess what I saw??? A stand up poster of the Dos Equis man!!!!!!!!!! I took a picture with him. I will send it to you. It was so funny, Sister L had never seen the commercials so I tried to explain them. I just can't do him justice. It's way too funny. "Stay thirsty, my friends."
James, THANK YOU!!!!!! for your letter. I am not kidding, I just beamed the whole time I read it. Thanks always for the advice, I take it all and use it often. I'm glad you are sticking with Tony. I think 7 weeks is as far as I've ever gone, so keep it up. You will be as cool as he is when you are finished, so that is a good goal, right? :] haha. Mike is coming for so long that will be so fun! And how's the Elders Quorum? Have you given Chris Hodgson a calling yet? And did Chase Haslam ever decide where to go to school? Also, the pictures from the trip are on my laptop and they also should be on my external hard drive.. if you can find that. I have no memory of where it is. So let me know if you can't find them and I can send them back on an SD card or something because I have them still on my camera.
JONY. ha. Just kidding. JONNY. (But, grandma's name is Joan. not Jon. So It is not like putting a Y on grandma's name. But I will spell your name right from now on.) Thanks for your e-mail! I'm SOOOO glad you liked Trek. I LOVED Trek because I loved my family and my Ma and Pa. Did you love them all? Good job with the women's pull. That one chica who wouldn't get on the handcart was just having a feminist moment. I used to have those, remember? Thanks for writing me. I love hearing from you. YOUR BIRTHDAY is SOON! What do you want? I'm searching so hard to find a post card for you. I will find something good.
Mom, you are just the best. I am writing you a little letter today. I seriously brag about how my mom is the best missionary mom in the world, and you are!! Thanks for your letters and for sending me the talk and quote. I think that the mail was just messed up around the 4th of July, because the letters are coming more regularly now. But I got all those cards you sent on the same day haha because of the weird mail stuff going on. How's work? How's my doggy? I hope you and Dad are still walking him at night. Thanks for always believing in me and telling me that I can do it. I appreciate it.
Padre! Thank YOU for your letter. Your advice is just so appropriate and I'm so blessed to have had you as a Bishop and as a Stake President and especially as a Dad. How is the Stake?? It sounds like Trek was a success, and that you ate very well on it. LUCKY! How is work going? How is everything? I had this one day a few weeks ago, when I was feeling stressed out about being a missionary and for some reason I thought, "I need my Dad to pray for me." and I know that you were praying for me. It was like nobody elses prayers would do but my Dad's in that moment. It is so interesting to see the church from the angle of a missionary. I bet that the missionaries just love you, Dad. We love our leaders here so much. We couldn't do this without them.
I spoke in church yesterday! hahaha. I asked the ward to do one thing this week to improve their relationships with their neighbors. If they hadn't met their neighbors, to go meet them. If they hadn't formed a relationship with them, to go do so. I know that as they do this, missionary opportunities will fall into their laps. Not necessarily baptsims immediately, but people will ask them about their beliefs and they can plant those seeds. Because missionaries in a few years need to harvest the seeds. We need to harvest, not plant. So I thought it was a good idea, to have them reach out in love as the Savior did to all their neighbors. Matthew 5:46-48.
I don't think I have more to say. I really love you all so much! I was thinking last night about how much I just ADORE my family and my friends. I'm so blessed. There are so many missionaries who do not have the support that I am SO blessed by. Thank you. I am trying to be a good missionary. But, like you said Mom, it will take time to become the missionary that I can be. I want you to know that I'm working on it. Thank you for writing me - I still need that so much! Sister Lundgren feels like she knows you all because I'm constantly talking about you or something you wrote in your letters. I just LOVE y'all. (You better believe it. Y'all is becoming super normal. I don't use it that much, but when I do it feels incredibly normal).
Have a good week! Let me know what you are doing in your life!! I want to hear about your lives SO BAD!! But don't worry, I'm focused haha.
Love,
Jillian
P.S. Could you get the Weavers address? Sister Crawford said she called sister Weaver this week. It just thrilled me to hear that. I want to write them and see how it's going. I don't think the Crawfords even sleep at all, ahah, so I just think the Weavers are crazy busy.
P.P.S. I am going to send you a picture of the Elders in our district. The picture just explains them so incredibly well, way better than I ever could haha. So look for that!
Monday, July 11, 2011
Subject...
subject....Monday, July 11, 2011 5:41 PMFrom: "Jillian Hicken"
Download AllSAM_2799.JPGSAM_2792.JPGSAM_2794.JPGSAM_2796.JPG
Hello! Another week down in Texas! It has gone by a little faster, but let me tell you, this is the most strenuous thing I've ever done. Ever. It's good, but it is difficult beause you have to continually be switched on. Maybe you don't have to be, but I feel like I have to be. Church especially is weird because I feel like I need to be upbeat and talk to everyone, but I'm still just so tired that I do not want to. I'm getting better though. I just want to be the kind of missionary that I should be. So I'm working on it. But it's intense. The end of every day still feels like a huge accomplishment haha.
How was Trek!? Mom and Dad you both said you're going to write me and tell me so I'm VERY excited about that, but I also want to hear if Jony liked it?? I bet you - a million dollars - that you did. Fuuun. Mom, I got your package!! Thank you so so so much. Me and Sister L. both LOVE the prescriptions, plus we did our pedicure today! We took pictures, and I'll attach them. It was so fun. Thank you all for always praying for me and for sending me letters. They help SO much when I'm overwhelmed.
Okay, highlights of the week:
Friday morning we had Zone Conference for my very first time. That was so cool, I like all of the missionaries in our Zone a lot. I still am kind of reserved around them, but I think it's just because they all know each other and how to be missionaries and I feel like I've got a million things to learn. Plus I like REALLY don't want to flirt with any of the Elders haha. But they're so nice, all of them are really nice to me. And I get to see Sister Cochran and Elder Curtis at Zone things and I LOVE IT. We found out that we'll go to the temple this month (AHHHHH!!!) and that me and Sister Cochran get to have a little "companion exchange" for a few hours when our companions go to Leadership Training. So we are excited. It's going to be weird to be companions NOT in the MTC. Zone Conference was just uplifting and motiviating, too. There are so many great people serving here.
Also, we had interviews with President and Sister Crawford this week. Oh. My. Gosh. I love them SO much already, it's crazy. President Crawford told me to continue to adjust well and to remember that every minute focused on myself is a minute not helping others to come unto Christ - which is our whole purpose. I love him!! and Sister Crawford talked to me and just checked on how I was doing, she wrote down my favorite scripture in President Crawford's scriptures and her own. They are so loving, so perfect for my mission presidents. How are the Weavers? Can you send me their address?
So. We do have investigators haha even though I haven't told you about them. S. + R. are a married couple about 40 years old with 3 kids. Sister Lundgren was teaching them before I got here. S. is SO chatty haha it's hard sometimes to get a lesson in. I was right in the middle of asking her to commit to read the Book of Mormon and she goes "You look exactly like my sister, it's crazy!" haha I was like "... oohh, really?" and she says "Yeah, I'll do your prayer, but you really look just like her!" So that's kind of the way things are going. But she feels like she is getting answers that the Book of Mormon is true, maybe. So we are going to go back and try to nail down a baptismal date with her so she can have that goal.
I completely thought that talking baptismal dates in the first few lessons was bizzare before my mission. I was positive that I would not do it. But I have learned it is SO GOOD.I'm so grateful for it. People need to be baptized, they need to progress, and they need goals and to make covenants to do that. Rad rad rad.
Another investigator is G. We were tracting the other half of a street we'd had good contacts on earlier, and we knocked on G's door. No body answered, so we started to walk away and she opened the door and told us to come back. Come to find out, it's her BIRTHDAY and she just loved talking to us. We taught the 1st lesson and then asked her to be baptized. She said she would. But she is going out of town to visit her mother this weekend and I'm just really hoping she remembers how she felt with us etc. She seems great though I'm so excited to work more with her.
Another person we tracted into is D. and his son who is like 5. D's wife is actually looking for a place for them to live in Oklahoma, but we talked to him and his son and I invited him to be baptized!! Huzzah. It was only a little difficult for me to be that bold. It's getting easier. He said he would have to talk to his wife about it, but that they had been talking about being baptized for a while now. So we are going to talk to him again this week.
I still love tracting. One of the Elders in our Zone Conference was like "Basically, all tracting is is positive PR for the church." but I still like it. I still feel the best doing it and especially when we find someone to teach from it.
What else happened this week.... Our numbers have been kind of low (as in lower than our goals) and I feel bad about that. I feel like I'm not used to being a missionary yet and maybe that I should be by now. I feel sometimes like I'm not pulling my weight. But, like I said, this is kind of exhausting. It's like everything you're weak on just stares you in the face all the time. But I'm also grateful for that because then I am zeroed in on what I need to fix and change in my life. I am a little concerned about how I don't feel totally settled yet. It's better than before, but I just feel like I should have quickly settled in to missionary life when it wasn't suprising or overwhelming any more. Kind of like when I got used to the schedule it would be better. And I guess it's not suprising anymore, but it keeps being stressful. Which, as I write this, I guess it's to be expected and normal, but I do feel like I should be better than I am at this point Sister L. says it's okay and I'm doing fine. So I'll try to believe her :]
Speaking of grateful, I've started to write 5 things down every night that I am grateful for. And it is so great. I am so grateful for even just doing it because my mood shifts a little every day that I do that. Evenutally I know I will be so happy and full of gratitude all the time, even when we're tracting at 4 pm and it's 110 degrees outside. haha.
Mom, I have 2 requests from you :]. Or I guess anyone could do this. If you could find Elder Holland's talk from 2005 about Young Women or Women or whoever - you remember the one? And also, there is a quote that starts out "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.." or something, (the initials of the person it is by is M.A. I believe). So if someone could find those and send them to me? Thanks!
Well, I love you all so much. I miss you and I pray for you. I hope everything is good and that it is a reasonable temperature in the 84121.
Alsooo.... how was Harry Pottah?? Somebody told me it already came out. I bet it was so good. PLEASE tell me somebody went at midnight for me.
LOVE YOU LOVE YOU.
Download AllSAM_2799.JPGSAM_2792.JPGSAM_2794.JPGSAM_2796.JPG
Hello! Another week down in Texas! It has gone by a little faster, but let me tell you, this is the most strenuous thing I've ever done. Ever. It's good, but it is difficult beause you have to continually be switched on. Maybe you don't have to be, but I feel like I have to be. Church especially is weird because I feel like I need to be upbeat and talk to everyone, but I'm still just so tired that I do not want to. I'm getting better though. I just want to be the kind of missionary that I should be. So I'm working on it. But it's intense. The end of every day still feels like a huge accomplishment haha.
How was Trek!? Mom and Dad you both said you're going to write me and tell me so I'm VERY excited about that, but I also want to hear if Jony liked it?? I bet you - a million dollars - that you did. Fuuun. Mom, I got your package!! Thank you so so so much. Me and Sister L. both LOVE the prescriptions, plus we did our pedicure today! We took pictures, and I'll attach them. It was so fun. Thank you all for always praying for me and for sending me letters. They help SO much when I'm overwhelmed.
Okay, highlights of the week:
Friday morning we had Zone Conference for my very first time. That was so cool, I like all of the missionaries in our Zone a lot. I still am kind of reserved around them, but I think it's just because they all know each other and how to be missionaries and I feel like I've got a million things to learn. Plus I like REALLY don't want to flirt with any of the Elders haha. But they're so nice, all of them are really nice to me. And I get to see Sister Cochran and Elder Curtis at Zone things and I LOVE IT. We found out that we'll go to the temple this month (AHHHHH!!!) and that me and Sister Cochran get to have a little "companion exchange" for a few hours when our companions go to Leadership Training. So we are excited. It's going to be weird to be companions NOT in the MTC. Zone Conference was just uplifting and motiviating, too. There are so many great people serving here.
Also, we had interviews with President and Sister Crawford this week. Oh. My. Gosh. I love them SO much already, it's crazy. President Crawford told me to continue to adjust well and to remember that every minute focused on myself is a minute not helping others to come unto Christ - which is our whole purpose. I love him!! and Sister Crawford talked to me and just checked on how I was doing, she wrote down my favorite scripture in President Crawford's scriptures and her own. They are so loving, so perfect for my mission presidents. How are the Weavers? Can you send me their address?
So. We do have investigators haha even though I haven't told you about them. S. + R. are a married couple about 40 years old with 3 kids. Sister Lundgren was teaching them before I got here. S. is SO chatty haha it's hard sometimes to get a lesson in. I was right in the middle of asking her to commit to read the Book of Mormon and she goes "You look exactly like my sister, it's crazy!" haha I was like "... oohh, really?" and she says "Yeah, I'll do your prayer, but you really look just like her!" So that's kind of the way things are going. But she feels like she is getting answers that the Book of Mormon is true, maybe. So we are going to go back and try to nail down a baptismal date with her so she can have that goal.
I completely thought that talking baptismal dates in the first few lessons was bizzare before my mission. I was positive that I would not do it. But I have learned it is SO GOOD.I'm so grateful for it. People need to be baptized, they need to progress, and they need goals and to make covenants to do that. Rad rad rad.
Another investigator is G. We were tracting the other half of a street we'd had good contacts on earlier, and we knocked on G's door. No body answered, so we started to walk away and she opened the door and told us to come back. Come to find out, it's her BIRTHDAY and she just loved talking to us. We taught the 1st lesson and then asked her to be baptized. She said she would. But she is going out of town to visit her mother this weekend and I'm just really hoping she remembers how she felt with us etc. She seems great though I'm so excited to work more with her.
Another person we tracted into is D. and his son who is like 5. D's wife is actually looking for a place for them to live in Oklahoma, but we talked to him and his son and I invited him to be baptized!! Huzzah. It was only a little difficult for me to be that bold. It's getting easier. He said he would have to talk to his wife about it, but that they had been talking about being baptized for a while now. So we are going to talk to him again this week.
I still love tracting. One of the Elders in our Zone Conference was like "Basically, all tracting is is positive PR for the church." but I still like it. I still feel the best doing it and especially when we find someone to teach from it.
What else happened this week.... Our numbers have been kind of low (as in lower than our goals) and I feel bad about that. I feel like I'm not used to being a missionary yet and maybe that I should be by now. I feel sometimes like I'm not pulling my weight. But, like I said, this is kind of exhausting. It's like everything you're weak on just stares you in the face all the time. But I'm also grateful for that because then I am zeroed in on what I need to fix and change in my life. I am a little concerned about how I don't feel totally settled yet. It's better than before, but I just feel like I should have quickly settled in to missionary life when it wasn't suprising or overwhelming any more. Kind of like when I got used to the schedule it would be better. And I guess it's not suprising anymore, but it keeps being stressful. Which, as I write this, I guess it's to be expected and normal, but I do feel like I should be better than I am at this point Sister L. says it's okay and I'm doing fine. So I'll try to believe her :]
Speaking of grateful, I've started to write 5 things down every night that I am grateful for. And it is so great. I am so grateful for even just doing it because my mood shifts a little every day that I do that. Evenutally I know I will be so happy and full of gratitude all the time, even when we're tracting at 4 pm and it's 110 degrees outside. haha.
Mom, I have 2 requests from you :]. Or I guess anyone could do this. If you could find Elder Holland's talk from 2005 about Young Women or Women or whoever - you remember the one? And also, there is a quote that starts out "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.." or something, (the initials of the person it is by is M.A. I believe). So if someone could find those and send them to me? Thanks!
Well, I love you all so much. I miss you and I pray for you. I hope everything is good and that it is a reasonable temperature in the 84121.
Alsooo.... how was Harry Pottah?? Somebody told me it already came out. I bet it was so good. PLEASE tell me somebody went at midnight for me.
LOVE YOU LOVE YOU.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
and another one down and another one down...
My family! I miss you guys still so much. It is so brutal sometimes to think "One year ago, I was in Hawaii with my family." Texas is sure not Hawaii haha. It is so HOT. You would not believe it. The humidity is intense also, I hate going running in the morning because you walk outside and it's just like "Sick. It is already moist out here." It has been the hottest year ever, apparently. Awesome. However, my skin is so healthy and soft. Silver lining, right? Speaking of weather, I had my first Texas rainstorm on Saturday. Or Friday. I can't remember. But it was crazy! We really need rain down here so it was wonderful, but oh my gosh, I have never experienced rain like that! We rain outside of an appointment to get into our car and I was legitimately soaked within 5 seconds. Crazy. People tell me that the hurricane-storms are supposed to pass us by this year? That's good, I guess.
I'm going to send pictures this week! I will send some of my MTC district and then some of me and Sister L. Sister L is so great. She has been so nice to let me ease into this whole "being a missionary" deal. I'll send a picture so you can visualize her. She has been in Porter/New Caney already for 3 months so she has solid relationships with everyone. That has been a little weird for me, because I feel like an outsider. But we talk about it a lot and I need to open up with the members more and then everything will be great. There are a couple of members I want to tell you about. The Crosby family. I LOVE them. We have had dinner with them twice since my arrival and they are so funny and crazy in a good way. The laugh all the time and are loud all the time. It's great. Also, they have introduced me to BlueBell (it's true - everything they say about BlueBell ice cream being better. It is like 9000X better. I will have to find some way for you guys to try it. I am going to gain 90 pounds on BlueBell alone. Beautiful.) and then last week for dinner they fed us Brisket. So delish. The other family in the ward I really have connected with is an extremely old lady named Sister Temple and her son. Sister Temple is so sweet, and she believes so much in prayer. She has been a member of the church for 10 years I think. We saw her the second day I was here and she gave me the tightest hug and said, in all her southern lady charm, "Ohh, you're good aren't you?" I might have already told you that. But she was just so little and sweet and southern. I love her.
We have pretty much only one investigator. That's been interesting for me. Investigators just appear at the MTC haha and they always tell you to come back. So it's interesting to have it be the real thing. It's much more difficult. I have definitely had my downs this week. It feels like I am never coming home. Ever. But time has slowly started to pick up it's pace. And It will just get better from here on out. I really believe that.
James, I am always trying to remember what you said about "Don't be hard on your trainer. She will be the perfect trainer for you." She really is an awesome trainer. And we communicate very well, so that makes it so I'm not hard on her.
Y'all are so busy!! (Do you like that, my little "Y'all"? Yes. You will hear it forever when I get home. Lucky you!) Your fourth of July sounded so so fun! I loved hearing about the weddings and the baby blessing and I'm SO excited for you all to go on TREK!!! Jony- you are going to love it.Feel free to write me a letter. My mailbox is a pretty sad sight most days :]. But Laurie and Julie/Craig/Katie and my friend KATE (from London) all wrote me this week. I'm so blessed. Dad you had asked me to about e-mailing vs. printed. I prefer printed letter mailed, because I can't really print them here, or I haven't figured out how to, but EITHER WAY. Mail is mail, ya know what I'm sayin? I love it in all forms.
So, you know how I love riding my bike? (Kimmy, if you read this, I call my bike "Daphne". haha Sweet.) Well, there is this monster of an animal that loves to chase us down the street. It is enormous and brown and so vicsious it scares me to DEATH. And this week, I was in front and so he decided to chase me and bark at me and terrify me. So. I'm riding as fast as I possibly can, yelling at him to "go home!" and then he like lurches in front of my bike! Like right in front of it. I almost KILLED him. Apparently, as I share this story with other missionaries, this is a very common occurance. Dogs like to run directly in front of the bike. I'm told to just kick them. Ha. Right. This thing would take hold of my leg and drag me away. It is a monster. I shouldn't freak out about it, though, because then I'll be freaked every time I ride down the street. I still love my bike though. SO much. I can't wait for it not to be 1000 degrees outside because then I'll be able to ride it more often.
The CRAWFORDS are HERE! We got to see the mission home the day before they arrived and holy smokes. It is gorgeous. We had a meeting with them and I told them that I knew the Weavers and they said how much they loved them in the MTC. I really like President Crawford, he is like you in that he cries when things get "tender" haha. So we'll get along great. And Sister Crawford is just such a nice and classy lady. She is sweet to me and gave me like, 4 hugs haha. I'm apparently really missing hugging people cause whenever they do it I just appreciate it so much. I'm so excited to get to work with them! So cool. President Crawford kept saying "I will never tell you to do anything I haven't done or am not willing to do myself. I bus my own tables." He said that like two times. I'm thinking it will be somewhat of a theme for him. :] They are awesome examples of service and faith and hard work. It's going to be such a party with them here!
My fourth of July was P-DAY! How perfect. I love P-DAY. In the morning, we went to the parade in Kingwood. The Kingwood Ward had a float in the parade and so we cheered them on. It was crazy hot though. I wore (this is for you Mom. I'm pretty sure you're the only one who cares what I wore for the holiday :] ) my blue pocket skirt and my white down east shirt and had my red hair down. Bada-bing we have ourselves a flag. Then we went to Pei Wei for lunch - ALL the missionaries in my area. It was so fun. I love seeing Sister Cochran and I am starting to love the Elders in our area. Which is good. After Pei Wei we all went to the church. I was... persuaded to play basketball with everyone. And I didn't even try because I'm afraid of sucking too much and making all the competitive elders mad. But Sis L says not to worry about that. So I'll try to loosen up. They told me I have a good shot. I have two awesome brothas to thank for that right?
At night we had dinner at a family in our Ward's house. It was good barbeque chicken drumsticks. Baby Baby Baby, oh. (Jony that is Bieber. Cause I know you miss me singing Bieber around the house). They were legitimate BBQ. Then we went to visit a single lady in our Ward and do a FHE with her and her nine-year-old-son. We are having trouble getting out of appointments on time. We always stay to late. But we have talked about it and we're going to be better.
All in all, it was a good week. It has been kind of hard for me. I don't know how to do this very well yet. But I am going to keep trying. Days will pass and with practice I'll be better. I want to be a good missionary. I really do. But this is much different than practice and MTC style teaching. So I feel like I'm slow in getting started. But I know if I pray I will recieve help. Prayer is so incredible. I love prayer and I am so grateful for it. Like I said last week, if you pray with faith it is basically magic. If it's the right thing, the Lord WILL always come through. You have to believe He will, though.
Good luck with your big things, plans and decisions this week family! I love you all so much. I would LOVE to hear from my BROTHERS........ :] Thank you for your prayers and support. I still miss you a lot and it's good to know that someday we'll all be together again. We're blessed to know what we know about families. I'm not sure what else there is to tell you about. Let me know if I'm not answering your questions, okay? I adore your letters and just eat them up. I hope mine are even a little as good in return. I love you! Please tell me about Trek and life and etc and everything.(Dad did you get my letter?) Love you. Here are some pictures.
I'm going to send pictures this week! I will send some of my MTC district and then some of me and Sister L. Sister L is so great. She has been so nice to let me ease into this whole "being a missionary" deal. I'll send a picture so you can visualize her. She has been in Porter/New Caney already for 3 months so she has solid relationships with everyone. That has been a little weird for me, because I feel like an outsider. But we talk about it a lot and I need to open up with the members more and then everything will be great. There are a couple of members I want to tell you about. The Crosby family. I LOVE them. We have had dinner with them twice since my arrival and they are so funny and crazy in a good way. The laugh all the time and are loud all the time. It's great. Also, they have introduced me to BlueBell (it's true - everything they say about BlueBell ice cream being better. It is like 9000X better. I will have to find some way for you guys to try it. I am going to gain 90 pounds on BlueBell alone. Beautiful.) and then last week for dinner they fed us Brisket. So delish. The other family in the ward I really have connected with is an extremely old lady named Sister Temple and her son. Sister Temple is so sweet, and she believes so much in prayer. She has been a member of the church for 10 years I think. We saw her the second day I was here and she gave me the tightest hug and said, in all her southern lady charm, "Ohh, you're good aren't you?" I might have already told you that. But she was just so little and sweet and southern. I love her.
We have pretty much only one investigator. That's been interesting for me. Investigators just appear at the MTC haha and they always tell you to come back. So it's interesting to have it be the real thing. It's much more difficult. I have definitely had my downs this week. It feels like I am never coming home. Ever. But time has slowly started to pick up it's pace. And It will just get better from here on out. I really believe that.
James, I am always trying to remember what you said about "Don't be hard on your trainer. She will be the perfect trainer for you." She really is an awesome trainer. And we communicate very well, so that makes it so I'm not hard on her.
Y'all are so busy!! (Do you like that, my little "Y'all"? Yes. You will hear it forever when I get home. Lucky you!) Your fourth of July sounded so so fun! I loved hearing about the weddings and the baby blessing and I'm SO excited for you all to go on TREK!!! Jony- you are going to love it.Feel free to write me a letter. My mailbox is a pretty sad sight most days :]. But Laurie and Julie/Craig/Katie and my friend KATE (from London) all wrote me this week. I'm so blessed. Dad you had asked me to about e-mailing vs. printed. I prefer printed letter mailed, because I can't really print them here, or I haven't figured out how to, but EITHER WAY. Mail is mail, ya know what I'm sayin? I love it in all forms.
So, you know how I love riding my bike? (Kimmy, if you read this, I call my bike "Daphne". haha Sweet.) Well, there is this monster of an animal that loves to chase us down the street. It is enormous and brown and so vicsious it scares me to DEATH. And this week, I was in front and so he decided to chase me and bark at me and terrify me. So. I'm riding as fast as I possibly can, yelling at him to "go home!" and then he like lurches in front of my bike! Like right in front of it. I almost KILLED him. Apparently, as I share this story with other missionaries, this is a very common occurance. Dogs like to run directly in front of the bike. I'm told to just kick them. Ha. Right. This thing would take hold of my leg and drag me away. It is a monster. I shouldn't freak out about it, though, because then I'll be freaked every time I ride down the street. I still love my bike though. SO much. I can't wait for it not to be 1000 degrees outside because then I'll be able to ride it more often.
The CRAWFORDS are HERE! We got to see the mission home the day before they arrived and holy smokes. It is gorgeous. We had a meeting with them and I told them that I knew the Weavers and they said how much they loved them in the MTC. I really like President Crawford, he is like you in that he cries when things get "tender" haha. So we'll get along great. And Sister Crawford is just such a nice and classy lady. She is sweet to me and gave me like, 4 hugs haha. I'm apparently really missing hugging people cause whenever they do it I just appreciate it so much. I'm so excited to get to work with them! So cool. President Crawford kept saying "I will never tell you to do anything I haven't done or am not willing to do myself. I bus my own tables." He said that like two times. I'm thinking it will be somewhat of a theme for him. :] They are awesome examples of service and faith and hard work. It's going to be such a party with them here!
My fourth of July was P-DAY! How perfect. I love P-DAY. In the morning, we went to the parade in Kingwood. The Kingwood Ward had a float in the parade and so we cheered them on. It was crazy hot though. I wore (this is for you Mom. I'm pretty sure you're the only one who cares what I wore for the holiday :] ) my blue pocket skirt and my white down east shirt and had my red hair down. Bada-bing we have ourselves a flag. Then we went to Pei Wei for lunch - ALL the missionaries in my area. It was so fun. I love seeing Sister Cochran and I am starting to love the Elders in our area. Which is good. After Pei Wei we all went to the church. I was... persuaded to play basketball with everyone. And I didn't even try because I'm afraid of sucking too much and making all the competitive elders mad. But Sis L says not to worry about that. So I'll try to loosen up. They told me I have a good shot. I have two awesome brothas to thank for that right?
At night we had dinner at a family in our Ward's house. It was good barbeque chicken drumsticks. Baby Baby Baby, oh. (Jony that is Bieber. Cause I know you miss me singing Bieber around the house). They were legitimate BBQ. Then we went to visit a single lady in our Ward and do a FHE with her and her nine-year-old-son. We are having trouble getting out of appointments on time. We always stay to late. But we have talked about it and we're going to be better.
All in all, it was a good week. It has been kind of hard for me. I don't know how to do this very well yet. But I am going to keep trying. Days will pass and with practice I'll be better. I want to be a good missionary. I really do. But this is much different than practice and MTC style teaching. So I feel like I'm slow in getting started. But I know if I pray I will recieve help. Prayer is so incredible. I love prayer and I am so grateful for it. Like I said last week, if you pray with faith it is basically magic. If it's the right thing, the Lord WILL always come through. You have to believe He will, though.
Good luck with your big things, plans and decisions this week family! I love you all so much. I would LOVE to hear from my BROTHERS........ :] Thank you for your prayers and support. I still miss you a lot and it's good to know that someday we'll all be together again. We're blessed to know what we know about families. I'm not sure what else there is to tell you about. Let me know if I'm not answering your questions, okay? I adore your letters and just eat them up. I hope mine are even a little as good in return. I love you! Please tell me about Trek and life and etc and everything.(Dad did you get my letter?) Love you. Here are some pictures.
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