Sept 23

Hello everyone! This week has been great. Sister Wright and I have been working hard to be diligent and find and teach this week! We are finding the balance between going on all of these exchanges (7 this transfer!) and keeping our own area up. But it's great. We are learning so much from all of the other Sisters and the other areas, getting to meet so many neat people, it is amazing. We had interviews on Wednesday with President Craven. It was amazing, but we had Zone Meeting, then lunch, then we all had to have interviews, so it took almost all day. But it was fantastic. He is such an inspired man and always knows what to say. Then we went on exchanges with the Hilliard (Young Single Adult Ward) sisters. They are on a college campus, UNCC! Google it. It's pretty sweet. And it was amazing. I got to go there, and I was with two Sisters, (they are in a trio and one went to Huntersville with Sister Wright and I got to stay with the other two for the day). They actually have a Temple Square Sister with them. They go on outbounds for about 3 months. So it was so fun to hear from her about all of the differences there are between Temple Square and here. It's so different. She's definitely learning a lot! But she is used to talking with people all the time. AND get this my RA from Freshman year is in the Temple Square mission, about to go home, and she is an ASSISTANT to the president. usually that is a priesthood calling, but obviously on Temple Square they don't have Elders so they have sisters who are Zone Leaders, Assistants, and District Leaders!!!

CAMPUS WAS AMAZING!!! It was so different. They are not allowed to knock on doors at all. They just stay on campus all day. They just talk to everyone they see. It's a way different experience but I loved it. It was so weird to have dinner at a young single adult's apartment. I have been eating with families my whole mission, and so it was weird to be "at college" again and it felt like I was just hanging out with people my age. WEIRD. But they are amazing Sisters and there's so much work to do with the young adults, it's so exciting. We committed a lot of people to come to church and to family home evenings. Young adults are so receptive it's crazy! So fun.. but weird. to be on a University Campus for the day.

Then we went with the Newton Conover Sisters, but I got to stay in Huntersville for this one. Sister Neilson came with me in Hville. Love her. She is a fantastic, hardworking, obedient missionary and it was so good to have her in our area! I learned a lot from her. I learn alot from all of these exchanges.

Saturday there was supposed to be a Stake Fall Festival but it got cancelled because of rain :(

The Primary Program was yesterday though! It was so cute. It was fantastic. The little old lady we have been teaching who lives in our complex, Jean, came with us. She loved it. It's so sweet to hear from the little kids.

We had a really neat experience last night.Sister Wright felt like we needed to go to this one street, and we knocked on her door, and she was hesitant to let us in at first but she did and we talked with her and she told us how her son goes to church and has a lot of Faith and she just wishes she had more and we were like WOW perfect. That is what we are here to do, help you strengthen your Faith! We shared the Restoration with her and she was crying, the spirit was so strong when we talked about the first vision. She loved it and when we stopped and asked her what she was feeling she said "Hope." It was so neat. We tried to leave when the spirit was the strongest. That is what we have found helps us KEEP these amazing people we find. We did set up a return appointment, but she has an apparently not very nice husband and we are hoping he doesn't get in the way of us seeing her again. But she's fantastic, and that was really neat! Her name is Susan.

I know the Gospel is true. I know by living the Gospel is the only way we can find true happiness in this life. I know the scriptures truly are the Word of God. I have missed my scriptures because I accidentally left them in the Hilliard Sisters apartment, and will have to wait a week to two to get them back. I just have my blue Book of Mormon and Sister Wright's scriptures to borrow.. oh and I have the New Testament book that Dad gave me last Christmas. Thanks, Dad :)

Transfer calls are this week! We'll see what happens! Sister Wright and I have been together in the same area two transfers now and that doesn't happen very often. So we'll see.. but since we are leaders maybe they'll keep us here a while.

Sept 16

Hello!!

Sorry about last week. The computer kicks me off randomly sometimes and my email last week didn't send. I think it's because I try to sent too many pictures and it can't handle it. So I am going to try to send pictures separate and hopefully that will help.

Anywhoo. This week was great! We have been working so hard to find people to teach. We have been teaching this lady named Jean. She is really old but she's a sweetheart and she loves reading the Book of Mormon with us. She was a schoolteacher for a lot of years. She reads the Book of Mormon like a kids story book. It's so fun to just listen to her read it. We love it. She came to church yesterday, and she loved it. We are hoping she'll commit to a Baptism Date soon. We are working on it.

George didn't come to church this week.. he hasn't been keeping his commitments and we might give him to the Elders.

We have been working through the members to find people to teach! Along with the Elders in our ward as well. We have really been focusing on having members invite their friends over when we are there, or to meet with us. We have a really good Ward Mission Leader who came up with a great ward mission plan. It's all about getting the Members involved and helping them do missionary work. We want to find through them.

Last week we had a zone conference where Sister Wright and I gave a training on planning, just the same training the Assistants had given at MLC (missionary leadership conference) a few days before. So we did but what we didn't know is that they were going to SHOW UP. They didn't tell us, but they just showed up and so we were a little nervous but they said we did great.

FUNNY MOMENT: Last week I went on exchanges with the North Wilksboro Sisters, and Sister Mena came here with me. She's from Columbia and we had dinner with a less active family from Mexico. So I was the only one who didn't speak Spanish in the house. Basically I ate and just smiled and nodded and pretended like I knew what was going on. but I had no idea. And we had a lesson after, so for an hour and 45 minutes I just sat there and listened for "Jesu Christo" or "Iglecia" because I know those words!

We went on exchange with Lincolnton this week! Sister Thacker (who I trained) came to Huntersville with me and we had a great time. it was car fast day, so we did a lot of walking. But we had so much fun! and also we went on exchange with Lake Norman this week, I got to go there with Sister teopa, who is from Hawaii. She is so much fun. She taught me some Hawaiian words. I LOVE going on exchanges. I get to learn so much and meet so many neat people! I LOVE getting to know all of these people and these areas and these Sisters. We are still figuring out how to keep our area going while going on all of these exchanges, but we'll figure it out! Also got to go to the Trainers/ Trainee meeting this week and evaluate role plays. Fun. And I saw Elder Dawson there! Crazy!!!!!!!!! he has been in a different Zone this whole time, so I haven't seen him yet. But I finally did!!! p.s Mom I got your letter :) Thanks!

I know this is the Lord's work. I know I am learning and growing in ways that will bless me the rest of my life. I am so grateful for the things I am learning on the mission, all of the days, good and bad. I realize now more than ever, I am laying the foundation for the rest of my life, and I am grateful for it. I am grateful to know that families can be together forever, and that the Book of Mormon is truly the Word of God.

It is Sister Wright's birthday today!! I still had the birthday stuff from my own birthday package in my suitcase so I put up some happy birthday signs :) :)

Sept 9

Hello family and friends! Thanks for all of your love and support. We have been working so hard this week. We have had some of our appointments cancel, but we are working hard to find more people to teach! We love the fact that every day is a new day to find new investigators. It's funny, all of the letters I have read this week from other missionaries all are about finding new people to teach. Sister Wright and I are trying to be creative and out of the box, seeking inspiration as to how the Lord would have us bring forth fruit in our area! We know as we are obedient and diligent we will see miracles. I loved Sister Tobias's letter about what her and her companion did, and I am going to try those ideas!

We have been reading in the Book of Mormon as a mission highlighting the Doctrine of Christ and highlighting the different aspects in different colors. It's amazing to see it in so many different ways than I have before!

One great experience we had this week, we were able to meet with that less active family whose son wants to be baptized, but we have to wait till December. We had a really powerful lesson with them about prayer and the son (he is 9) shared an experience where he read about David and Goliath and it helped him stand up to a bully who was "bigger" than him and he stood up to him like David. It was really sweet, and we were able to help the whole family realize the importance of prayer.

We had Missionary Leadership Conference this week, where all of the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders have a meeting. It was most of the day and I loved it. I love feeling the spirit, and finding ways I can do better! I always learn so much. There are so many incredible missionaries serving here. I love seeing old friends and old companions and people I have gotten close to. We had an amazing training on Finding from President Craven. What an inspired man. We also had Zone meeting on Friday (which is what the picture is of) and we were able as Zone Leaders and Sister Training leaders to duplicate the training at MLC to our Zone. Sister Wright and I did a training on Planning that the Assistants had given. And they showed up. So that made us nervous, because they are amazing, but they said we did good.

September!

Hello friends and family!

They switched Pday from Monday to Tuesday this week, the libraries were closed yesterday!

This week was great, we were able to have a new Sister with us. Two Sisters weren't getting along as a companionship, and us lucky Sister Training Leaders got the call from President to go separate them. We took one to York, and one came with us. Nice little drive. And York is in South Carolina. So that was fun to say I have been to South Carolina. For like 2 seconds. It has been neat to see her change this week though, because at first she was ready to go home and wanting to leave, and we have been working with her and helping her out this week and she now is staying :) She is always down on herself and has low self confidence so I tried really hard to point out everything she does RIGHT. Positive thinking. It has been great fun being in a 3-some again. She has been with us all week though and is going to her area tomorrow. We'll miss her.

We have Elders in Huntersville now. They opened this area and are having a hard time finding people to teach and have been knocking on doors ALOT. Which is not the most effective. We sat down with the Ward Mission Leader and all of us and he suggested, just like President Craven always says, we are to teach 20 lessons a week. If you can't teach investigators, you teach Less Actives, If you can't teach less actives, you teach members the discussions. Hopefully the members will find that it is really good, and like what they hear and invite their friends to be there the next time!! Then you turn it into a teaching opportunity.

We have met with that Part Member family, and we found the real concern why they want to put of the baptism until December. It's not really because of the son in College, it's because the Dad is struggling with his testimony. The wife told us he is struggling and has run into some Anti material about Joseph Smith. So we are going to talk to the Bishop about it and have him work with him. But we had a great lesson last night, watched the Restoration and bore testimony of Joseph Smith and his divine role as a Prophet. It was powerful. I remembered when I was in New York and able to go to the Sacred Grove, and shared the spirit that I felt there. We are continuing to work with and love this family, and they were out of town for church this week, but they committed to come next week!

George is progressing! We taught him the Word of Wisdom this week. He says he has to pray about it. We took one of his coffee makers with us :) We had an awesome Returned Missionary with us who helped us teach. It was powerful. We had another lesson with George at the church. He drove us up there, because there was 3 of us we were allowed to ride with him. I was a little nervous to drive with him up to the church, a 79 year old man on the freeway. Scary. But he did a good job :) And the spirit at the Church building is so powerful and it really added to the lesson. He also was out of town this week and wasn't able to come to church.

Oh we had the neatest opportunity this week. President Craven did a fireside at the mission home for all Investigators, Less Actives, and Recent Converts. We just found out about it the day before and called around and one of our Recent Converts wanted to go! So exciting. It was fantastic. President Craven is an inspired, incredible man. I love hearing him speak. He is an expert on the Doctrine of Christ, which is what he spoke of. The recent converts loved it. They had more people than they have ever had at that fireside (they do it every month and usually 10 people come) and this time there were about 50! So they sat in the living room with President Craven, and all of the missionaries, (there were probably about 40 missionaries) sat on the staircase and crammed in the other little living room. It was so good to see people who have been in my district before, and just be with other missionaries and feel the spirit so strongly as President Craven talked about the Doctrine of Christ. It was amazing. It's strange how the mission home feels like a home away from home. The other missionaries really become like family and it's so good to see them :)

Yesterday, we decided to try something new to find people to teach. We went to a park and drew the Plan of Salvation on the sidewalk with the Elders! It was so fun. We had a blast, and got to talk to a few people. One of them is a Less Active that is NOT on our rolls, but lives in Huntersville. He came up to us shyly and told us he used to be LDS but hasn't gone in a long time. We were able to talk about "the Plan" and talk to him about why he needs the gospel back in his life! It's amazing how God puts those people in our paths. What are the odds he'd be at the park at the exact same moment we were. 

We were also contacting a referral from a member and had a cool experience. He opened the door and we were talking, when the Mom and the returned missionary son drove by and came on the porch and talked with us. They just talked for a little while, but then he said "You know, your family is incredible. I don't know how you do it, but your kids all turned out fantastic. I want my son to be like him. I want what you have, and I wish my family could be like yours" It was PERFECT>>>>>>>>>>>>> We were able to tell him it's because of the Gospel that they are like that and we set an appointment to go see him.

We have a lot of exchanges to go on this transfer! It'll be fantastic. I am so excited. I get to go back to Lincolnton! Woot woot! This week will go by fast though because we have Mission Leadership Conference all day tomorrow, and at least one exchange if not two. It's craziness. But it's so fun. I love change and I love always doing something different.

The members in Huntersville have changed my life. I know that I was supposed to be here to meet them. They are incredible. They are such examples to me of faith and what a family should be. I have learned so much from them. I love being in their homes and with their families, feeling of the spirit. I can definitely feel the difference in an investigators home, or someone else, vs. a home with a family that has the Gospel. I know the Gospel IS true and it IS the difference.