My heart is with Connor

So we didn't have a super interesting week, but here's what did happen.

SISTER GASU TURNED 20! We celebrated by going to sleep at 10:01 pm. 

That's sad when you're literally so excited to go to sleep before 10:30.

We did service with the Elders this week and pulled up rose bushes. Sister Gasu and I did more work than the 3 of them combined. So I learned this week that Elders are no help.

We're getting a new mission president this Wednesday..so I'm interested to see how that goes. His name is President Wheeler. He was the vice President of Snow College. I'm kind of pumped because I heard he cracks down on a lot of stuff, and doesn't take disobedience. 

Sister Gasu and I think we're hilarious. We named my GPS "one". So now to turn my gps on we have to say "One Direction". 

The cute activity day girls in one of my wards wrote Sister Gasu and I letters! Also, I got a super yummy package from the Spiers' with some awesome letters from some of my favorite young women in it :) It definitely made my week! I always go back and read those whenever I'm having a hard day.

We went to Soda Rush to get a treat for the other sisters in our house and this man and lady RAN up to us screaming "Sister Missionaries!!" They were just a little excited. They wanted a picture with us because their daughter is serving in California. Missionary parents are crazy.

We were tracting around and needed some water, so we stopped at the Foliaki's house which was a good bad decision. They're Tongan. They made us sit down, and they gave us tons of food. He made me try lamb. It wasn't bad, but I definitely didn't think I'd be eating this kind of food on my mission.

Connor is a special needs boy that is in our ward. He is the greatest person that I've ever met, and he definitely has my heart. He made me sing to him last night after dinner. So we had a little jam shesh together :) 

1. Sister Gasu and I shoving our faces with cookies #notfatties

2. The crazy missionary parents from Soda Rush

3. CONNOR!!  

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2012-01-014-the-will-of-god?lang=eng

This is one of my favorite videos. If you have 3 minutes out of you day to spare..watch it. 

"Today's trial is tomorrow's testimony. God is the gardener of our lives."

Baptism by fire

So this week was packed with tons of fun and weird adventures. We had exchanges on Wednesday, and I got the opportunity to be companions with Sister Bolormaa for a day! She's from Mongolia, and she's just about one of the most funny people that I have met in my life. We laughed and laughed the whole day that she and I were together. 

I had a bad day on Tuesday and I got extremely homesick, but it's okay because my zone leaders came to the rescue with the most fattening ice cream they could find! It definitely didn't make me look better, but it did make me feel better. 

I saw my first scorpion on Wednesday night! So of course I had to get a picture of it with my name tag. Are you a real Arizona missionary if you don't?

We went to the temple on Friday and it was so spiritual. I love my new zone. I never thought I'd like it as much as Queen Creek, and I think I like it a little more than QC. Every time we get together we all just crack up and laugh over nothing. 

Sister Gasu is the greatest companion ever! I love her so much. We're always having fun, and always getting into the best kind of trouble - especially with Sisters Sprouse and Sabey.

Last night was President Nattress' last fireside. Sister Gasu and I wanted to go to bad, but we didn't have a less active or recent convert to invite and we had invited about 20 different people that all turned us down. We prayed and told Heavenly Father that no matter how much we wanted to go..we absolutely would not go unless we had someone with us. Right at that moment a less active in our ward called us and told us that she would LOVE to go with us! So that's definitely a testimony to me of miracles coming from obedience. 

The work is moving slowly but surely. I have to say it's definitely hot and uncomfortable out here, the elders are annoying as snot, the rejection is real, the people are sometimes crazy, and we cry a lot..but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I know I say that a lot. I'm so thankful for every single one of my hard heart aching trails because it has made me the strong woman that I am today. That's what I've learned this week. Learn to love your trails. No matter how hard or horrible they were...they've helped shape you into the wonderful person you are today. 

1. Sister Bolormaa and I :) 

2. Death in a carton

3. I was definitely freaking out while taking this picture

4. Sisters Sabey, Sprouse, and I

5. My precious zone.

6. Sister Gasu and I just being natural

7. Getting into the best kind of trouble

8&9. We're so disgusting. Please turn your ovens on 120 degrees, hop inside, and tell me how gross you feel. That's what I voluntarily do every day. Baptism by fire is a real thing yall! 

Tattoos in the font

AARON, ROBERT, AND HAYLIE GOT BAPTIZED THIS WEEK!

I had my first 2 baptisms. I'm not excited because I taught them..I'm excited that they chose to follow Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. I gave a baptism talk at both of the baptisms. I cried, but that's an obvious given. I'm such a baby, but it's okay. Looking back at these 2 baptisms, and these 3 people..if these are the only baptisms I have my whole 18 months I'm in Arizona..I'm completely okay with it. Those 2 souls were worth it all. It was worth the hundreds of slammed doors in my face, the rejections, the 100+ degree weather, all of the bike riding, and all of the tears and sweat. Those 2 baptisms were worth it all.

Thursday Sister Gasu and I did service around the house with old man Elder Carver. After we were done he took us to lunch. This is why I love the senior Missionaries. They treat us like their children, and they make me less homesick.

Sister Gasu and I were tracting and met this weird fellow. He told us to come inside to pray with him and his wife. He took my companion and I by the hands and "filled us with the holy spirit." Then he asked if either of us had neck pain. I did, so I told him. He told me that when his shadow rests on my neck I would be healed. So he put his hand on my neck and yelled "in the name of Jesus Christ I command you to be healed of your pain." I was a little creeped out, but we're going back to teach him and his wife this week. So miracles happened this week. #Blessed

We were tracting yesterday and I encountered my first naked man. He opened the door and informed us that he was in no condition to talk about Jesus right now, but to come back next week and he would be wearing clothes. Please...answer the door with clothes on. No one wants to see you naked. ESPECIALLY THE MISSIONARIES! That same day we met this lady in her driveway. When we told her who we were she teared up and told us that we were an answer to her prayers. We are meeting with her and her boys this Saturday, and I am super pumped about it!

Sister Gasu also for some reason took us to a bridal shower this week. I don't know why..I'm not trying to think of marriage. #dontsignmeup

The low this week was about 90 degrees. Who knew that I would literally be on my knees crying and thanking Heavenly Father for 90 degree weather?
ALSO I HIT 4 MONTHS THIS WEEK ON FRIDAY, and I just so happen to be going to the temple on Friday with my zone. What better way to spend your 4 month mark? Time is flying by so fast.

1. So I got the best new hat from my wonderful daddy this week.

2. Robert & Haylie's Fam

3. Haylie, Robert, and I :)

4. Sister Young, Aaron, and I #TattoosInTheFONT

5. If anyone ever comes to Arizona..you NEED to go to Bahama Bucks. It's heavenly

Stay Golden everyone!

Round 1 in D-Ridge

HELLO EAST MESA. I am now serving in Desert Ridge in the Stafford Estates, Mountain Ranch, and Meridian Pointe wards. I'm not going to lie I wasn't excited about getting transferred at all, but I'm so glad that I did! I love my old area and it was so hard to say goodbye to everyone, but I feel so much more at home here and it hasn't even been a week yet.

Let's start with my new companion Sister Gasu (Nah-Sue). She is Samoan, and she is probably the funniest person I have ever met in my whole entire life. I honestly didn't know you could get along with your companions like this. We're always laughing. ALWAYS. 

Sister Sprouse, my MTC companion, is in the same house as I am. I'm so excited. This transfer is going to be good. Also Sister Gasu was Sister Condie's last companion. I'm just meant to have all of Sister Condie's old companions I guess. There is this insane body builder in our ward. Her name is Marla Murry. PLEASE look her up. I had dinner with them my first night, and it took everything in me just not to stare at her huge muscles the whole dinner. It was crazy. Also a lady in our ward is the mom of the drummer of the band Lifehouse. I fan girled real hard. 

We were tracting and knocked on this one door. There was a cute little Indian man that talked to us for a good 45 minutes. We honestly got about 5 words in. He thanked us the whole time for coming to visit him. He kept telling us "It is 102 at 2 o clock in the morning. believe me. Trust me. It is so hot here. believe me." As we were standing there drenched in sweat. I believe you so much. He also gave us water bottles that he drank out of! I've never laughed so hard in my life. But hey, at least he was nice. It's the thought that counts..right?

I'm so sorry this email is super short, but all that happened was transfers and the fact that we literally tried not to melt to death. It got up to 120 degrees here. I don't know how people voluntarily come and live in Arizona. It feels like I stepped straight into an oven, and that my skin is going to crust off. 

1. Sister Holbrook and I

2. THE LYMANS!!

3. Tattooed Aaron

4. The Lamb's

5. The Hahn's

6. The Reed's 

7. Sister Roussel (s/o to her because she gave me a cheesecake mix to make me fat.)

8. The "cast" for Moroni's Quest

9. Proof of the HEAT. Literally melting away.

10. Sister Gasu and I

Transfer Week #StressedToDeath

So we were supposed to get transfer calls last night, but President decided that he would send them out today instead. So we're just sitting around and playing the waiting game to see if we're leaving the area or not. 

All of the senior missionaries are leaving and new ones are coming in. The mission president is leaving July 1st. Change is good, but not knowing what's going to happen is scary. It's all in Heavenly Father's hands though. I know it is.

My #1 advice for preparing missionaries is to break in your shoes before you leave for your mission. Sister Young and I have no miles left for the last 3 days, and we decided to walk all day yesterday - which was the worst idea I've had. My shoes rubbed knurly blisters on the back of my heels, but that's okay. It's a sign of hard work...or stupidity..or something like that. Just don't follow my example and wear new shoes when you walk all day. 

Somehow I got Sister Young and I into talking to all of the youth in each on one of our wards yesterday, and into our speaking in church next month AND into a musical number. How do I keep getting myself into these things?

Not a lot happened this week. Aaron didn't get baptized because he went on vacation with his family, but he did bring us little souvenirs so that makes up for it. He is going to get baptized though; He said he's definitely planning on it within the next 2 weeks. He's GOLDEN! 

Joy has been investigating the church for about a year now, and yesterday was the first time she came to church AND she asked for a priesthood blessing! Her heart has softened towards the gospel so much since I first met her 3 months ago. 

The Jackson's children, Haylie and Robert, are both on date for baptism on June 8th! 

It's so amazing to see the gospel change people's lives. I love being able to help people see that they are so loved by Heavenly Father and that they are literally His sons and daughters.

I definitely think that I needed this mission more than it needed me. 

I have seen a change in myself that is so great. I have never wanted to dig into the gospel so much or thrived off of reading the scriptures. I love being in Arizona. I love serving the Lord. It is so tough at times - really all the time, but it's so worth it. Every tear, every drop of sweat, every slammed door, every baptism, every blister - it's all worth it. If I had to die for this gospel I would. It's all worth it, and it's all true. I can never stress that enough. 

Ether 12:27 "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my graces sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

Have an amazing week and STAY GOLDEN! 

1. Caity and Maddie from the Creekside Ward

2. Grandma Patsy and I. She's the spunkiest old lady I've ever met!

3. My young Women from the Cloud Creek Ward

4. My rad foot tan

5. The hottest hot sauce you will ever eat in your life. Some old man we had dinner with tricked me into eating it, and my mouth was raw for days. 

Brownie for my brownie

So I just wanted to start off by saying I've been counting the days wrong this whole time..I'VE BEEN OUT FOR 3 MONTHS and NOT 2! This is a miracle!! #Hallelujah

Time sure flies when you're having fun, serving the Lord, and cooking like a pancake.

This has honestly been the longest week of my life. I've never had this many appointments and places to be since I got to Arizona. It's so amazing to see our areas and the work boom.

Some of our recent converts moved this week, so before they did we went to the temple with them. Even though Sister Young and I couldn't do baptisms, being in the room and the chapel watching the Cooks do baptisms was so spiritual and amazing.

On Wednesday we had interviews with President Nattress, and before interviews we washed our car at the wonderful time of 7 am. The Senior Missionaries forgot to check our car..so we got up to wash it for nothing. After interviews we had a lesson with a less active family. The children told us they wanted to get baptized so we're going to put them on date in tonight's lesson! After the lesson Sister Young and I were walking around in Riggs trying to find a house...and we found a church. The music was so loud we could hear it from 2 streets over, so obviously we had to check it out. Tons of Hispanics came out of the church, took us by the hands, and ran inside. They were jamming out with tambourines and were singing at the top of their lungs. It was the funniest thing that's happened on my mission so far.  

We surprise visited Joy this week, and it was so amazing. She's changed so much since I first met with her 3 months ago. We read 3 verses out of the Book of Mormon. When we were done, she had tears in her eyes and asked if we could read more.

Aaron's baptism date moved..again, but this time it's legit and staying. On Sunday he came to a new member Fireside with us to listen to recent convert's testimonies. It was so amazing, and we could all feel the spirit so strongly. Afterwards Aaron told us that he couldn't wait for his own baptism. It's so wonderful to see Heavenly Father help people, and to see the light of the gospel enter into their lives.

So every Friday we have a 3 hour planning time to plan for our upcoming week. About an hour 1/2 into it the Elders got...a little side tracked (that's what the video is of). This is what happens when you put 18 18-24 year olds together.

Also the goobs gazing at each other in the middle of our zone picture are in our district. #bless

Sister Young and I always have the best ideas ever (if by best you mean dumb). We decided to tape glow sticks to our fans. Friday after planning I was practicing the piano, and my pencil fell down behind the keys. My hand couldn't fit, so Sister Young and I got tongs and tried to get the pencil out..the tongs broke and fell down into the piano. So when someone goes to tune that piano one day..they will find tongs and a pencil. Help. 

I hope everyone has an amazing week and remember that everything happens for a reason, and remember the wonderful words from the Help: "You is smart, you is kind, and you is important."

Stay Golden!

FIRST WEEK IN QUEEN CREEK, ARIZONA!!

So my MTC companion Sister Sprouse and I had to get up at 3 am Tuesday morning to make it to the bus at 4. from the bus we went to the train and rode it for about an hour with 40 other missionaries and ALL of our luggage. From the train we had 3 minutes to get everyone AND the luggage off to get on the tracks to get to the airport. It was just about the most stressful thing I've done since I've been out here haha

I got to Arizona and instantly fell in love with it. It's extremely hot and flat, but it's so beautiful. There were 15 new missionaries that came here with me. We all climbed into vans and went to the Gilbert, Arizona Temple to walk on the grounds. It was so amazing and beautiful..and in my personal opinion it's more beautiful than the Salt Lake Temple. On Wednesday I found out who my trainer was. SISTER CONDIE!! She's been out for about 6 months, and Queen Creek was her first area as well. I cover 3 wards: Cloud Creek, Creek Side, and Terra Ranch. I absolutely love my mission president and his wife!! They are so amazing, loving, and welcoming. Our Stake president's wife picked us up to take us to our apartment and guess who it was? Sister Zemp's aunt! Saturday night Sister Condie and I went to the Armstrongs for dinner. They told us they lived in Corona, California their whole lives..and guess who they know? The Saunders family. This world is way too small.

We wake up at 6 or 6:30 am every morning to workout and twice a week we have zone sports, which is where the elders and Sisters play sports together, which is kind of dangerous because guys are super rough. We come back to the apartment at 7 (or 8 after zone sports) and get ready for an hour. After that I have an hour of personal study from 8-9, then an hour of companionship study from 9-10. We go out and tract for an hour after that. Then lunch, visit less active members, and we usually have 3 or 4 meetings a day since we cover 3 different wards. So it's never a boring day! Also we ALWAYS get fed because at least one of each of the members here have a son or daughter on a mission..which is good and bad. We'll see how much weight I gain in a month.

We have a car, but we can only drive about 30 miles each day. We bike a lot to save our miles for the hot days of the month which sounds like it makes sense, but when you bike on a 95 degree day, you start to wonder how hot it really gets if a 95 day it's considered hot. On Friday I biked 5 miles and didn't even break a sweat, fall off, or die. I got a such a sore bottom that it hurts to sit and a huge amount of dust in my shoes, but other than that it was fabulous! Who knew that I could ride a bike or love cardio? That's a miracle. A pair of my shoes already have a hole starting to break out. Which shows how much walking and stuff we do.  There are a lot of nice neighborhoods in my area, but they're spaced out by cotton and dust fields and stuff.

As much as I love my area, my trainer, and the mission it's hard not being in the MTC and seeing familiar faces every day. It's hard being in the field where not everyone knows I'm a missionary and not everyone is nice to me. We've had a door slammed in our face already, but we have also picked up a new investigator. I love being here. I love the power of the prayers that I feel, and the miracles that I have already seen. I love the people and ALL of the members that I have come to know.  There are a lot of less active members to visit here which I like a lot, but it's hard to talk to them because they usually don't want to talk about the church. I hope everyone has a fabulous week!  

The first picture is of Sister Condie and I in Arizona and the rest of them are from the MTC! One of them was from my second week zone and the picture completely explains how dysfunctional we were.