3 month mark!

You asked how I am doing. I think that I am completely healed from my concussion aside from the giant bruise on my knee. It is healing slowly but surely. Sister Stone and I both picked up colds over the weekend though, so we are doing a lot of sleeping and blowing our noses. Other than that, I am doing well! Thank you so much for your winter package. It has really come in handy!

This past week hasn't been too eventful. We had a special training on Wednesday, Nov. 21, which I think has helped a lot. Right after the training, we went out to work and picked up a couple of new investigators. It was a miracle day.

Thanksgiving was good. It was the mark of my 3 months as a missionary! We went to breakfast with a family from Sister Stone's other area. Then we went to lunch with a family from here, the Ivories. Then we went to a dinner at a member's house with the rest of the missionaries in our district. It was pretty fun.

On Friday, Nov. 23, we came across two women who had just gotten done doing their visiting teaching. They offered us a ride to our dinner appointment and it was very cold so we accepted. The driver asked where we were from and when I told her that I was from Pittsburgh, she asked if that was anywhere near Slippery Rock! I explained that I am in the Pittsburgh Stake but that I am actually from Slippery Rock, and she asked if I know Maryclare! The sister's name was Sister Eldridge and she said that Maryclare is like her adopted daughter. Pretty cool, huh!

On Saturday, Nov. 24, we had dinner with the Klundt family. The mom takes classes at BYU and is an art major. She's really cool and super nice. She showed me some of the books that she has made for a bookmaking class. Ahhh. I was so jealous. I wish we had classes like that at Slippery Rock. Abbey Klundt, her daughter, was also cool. She is planning on going on a mission so we talked a lot about that.

Well, I hope that everything is going well. I love you! Miss you! Have a great week :)

So, don't freak out- a trip to the ER!

Doin' missionary work!

Happy Almost Thanksgiving!

Today we are going shopping!! I really need sweaters and warmer winter clothes! I am excited to shop.

This morning when I was brushing my hair, I thought of when you used to say, "What do Ariel and her hair have in common?" haha <3

I have been buying those fruit Silk drinks when I go grocery shopping. They are so good! and they are supposed to have a lot of protein.

On Monday, November 12, we visited one of the former investigators. She said a quote when I was talking to her and said, "Buddy Wakefield said that." ..Buddy Wakefield is a SLAM poet and I recognized it right away! She and I clicked so much. She even said that she felt like she wasn't supposed to be born in this generation, which is something I have always felt. I am so excited to teach her again. Don't know if anything will come of it, but she's really cool and we have a lot in common :)

So, don't freak out--but if you've looked at the pictures, you can see that I went to the hospital this week. On Tuesday night, November 13, I got in a bike accident! We were riding our bikes to a dinner appointment with the Allens. It was about 6 pm. I don't remember what happened because the doctor said I have amnesia, but Sister Stone was behind me and has told the story of what happened so many times now. So I was going up the curb, (the curbs to get onto driveways here are like 3 ridiculous inches tall), and my bike tire turned at the wrong angle and I just fell off of my bike. I hit my head on the concrete and even though I had a helmet on, I got knocked out. I layed there for a minute, not moving, and then I held my head and said "Ow..Ow..Ow." really quitely. Sis. Stone told me not to get up, so I lay there for a minute and then sat up. I remember being very confused and not understanding what happened. When I finally stood up, Sis. Stone was like, "Ahh! I don't know what to do! What should we do??!" and I just said that we should go to the dinner appointment, because we had a lesson with an investigator during that dinner and I didn't want to miss it. 

Waiting at the doctors

Sister Stone and I at the ER

On Wednesday, we went to the regular doctor and they didn't have the right machines to check my head so they told me to go to the ER. We went to the ER and were there for like 4 hours. I thought about those episodes of House when they go into the machines and something goes wrong. haha. A guy came in and told me he was going to take me to get the CT scan and I asked if I could walk. He said they he would wheel me on the bed and I was like, "That's a bit dramatic!" He said that I needed the entire ER experience. hahah. So the whole way that he is pushing me, Sister Stone is dying laughing and I just keep making comments about how it is so unnecessary to be pushed. haha. It turned out that I have a concussion, but nothing else is wrong with my brain. They told me to take it easy and try not to get another concussion because it can cause brain damage. I have had a continual headache all week and I needed to sleep for like 2 days straight, but I think I am getting better. I am working through the pain. Other damage from the accident: I had a bruise on my eye, a scratch on my cheek, a bruise on my chin, a very very badly bruised knee, a bad headache, and pain in my jaw. 

Know that I am okay! Heavenly Father protected me from too bad of damage. I was wearing a lot of layers because of the cold, so luckily, I didn't get too many scratches! 

Elder Spencer and Elder Bertch brought me cookies and balloons!

I love you so much! Have a happy thanksgiving! I miss all of you <3

Sis Wall's adventures!

Sis Wall and Sis Jones

Utah snow!

  ..            I am keeping up on my Book of Mormon reading. How is it going for you? I love how the last couple of chapters have been like a Shakespeare play. The king and queen and entire town fainting. So funny.

I don't have any ideas for your missionary fireside, but it sounds like fun! Definitely play "Called to Serve" at some point! Maybe have the Primary kids sing, "I hope they call me on a mission." Something like that. I always get emotional when I think about little kids growing up and serving missions! haha.

That's really great that Ruby said I am having success. There have been a lot of baptisms that fall through, which really stinks. I try to not let it discourage me, but sometimes it makes me really sad. Satan is working so hard to prevent people from being happy! He tells them that working towards baptism and repentance and making a change is too hard. He makes them feel like faith should be proven first. He lies! Ah! It makes me so frustrated. I just want to shake people and tell them that this life is so short and their decisions here will make such a difference for them in the life after! I love this gospel and the plan that Heavenly Father has for each of us! It seems easier to give up or not follow the commandments, but Heavenly Father's plan is worth it! He sees our potential so much more than we can ever see it. The hardest times to be a missionary are when we have to drop investigators because they aren't keeping their commitments or because they say that they don't want to be baptized yet.

We were supposed to be planning a wedding and baptism for a couple, but they decided that it is financially impossible. They don't have enough faith right now, and it is really sad. They are postponing their wedding and baptism until after they have their baby. Please pray that they might be able to have the faith to some day make those covenants.

On Nov. 3, we had a baptism for a boy. His brother went and also came to church with him the next day. We are meeting with them tomorrow and hope to start teaching his brother the lessons, too!

On Nov. 10, we had a baptism for an 11-yr-old girl. She is so sweet and funny. Her whole family is really goofy. I sent some pictures. That evening, we attended a baptism for the sister missionaries in another stake. Sister Stone, my companion, gave a talk. It was amazing to see two souls come unto Christ in one day! What an amazing blessing. I am sure that the angels are rejoicing in Heaven.

Missionaries at the SLC Visitor Center

On Thursday, November 8, the missionaries who have been here for 2 transfers were able to go to Salt Lake City, temple square. We got to do a session in the temple, go to the history museum, and eat lunch in the Joseph Smith memorial building. We all took the Trax, which is like a train system. I showed up, so excited to spend the day with Sister Seo, only to find that she went home. It made me so sad. Sister Abarca showed up with another companion and told me that Sister Seo went home to Korea because her shoulders and back were in too much pain. Their area had the car taken away, which probably means that they were walking in the cold and riding bikes. I love Sister Seo and am so sad that I didn't get to say goodbye to her :( The new companion, Sister Thiboult, that went with us to temple square, is from Canada. She is only in SLCS mission until her visa comes and she can go to her mission in Paris, France! I spent the say with Sister Thiboult and Sister Jones, another sister who came out at the same time as me. We had a lot of fun. On the way back from Trax, an elder came up to me and told me to talk to a woman sitting on the bench. I went over and started talking to the woman. It went really well. I asked her, "If I give you this Book of Mormon, will you really read it?" and she said Yes. I gave her the BOM and the phone number for Sister Stone and I and asked her to call us after she prayed to know that the book is true. She said that she would. I don't know if she will actually call or not, but it was pretty exciting to talk to her and have her accept the book. It was also pretty fun to be the only missionary to give away a Book of Mormon at the Trax!

Well, that's all for now. I love you very much. Miss you. Hope all is well!

 

 

The wedding planner!

Oh my goodness there are so many things to write about and I have about 4 seconds!! I am in West Jordan now with a new companion, Sister Stone. She is soo great and really goofy and wild and I love her.

Monday, Tuesday, and part of Wednesday I was with Sister Piton in her area. President Miller called and said that her companion was leaving and so she needed a sister to be with her. It was actually REALLY amazing. We went to Temple Square on Monday night with her investigator!! I am so lucky.

Tuesday, the entire district went to lunch at the Kummer's! She made grilled cheese for all 8 of us. It was so cute.

Right afterwards, I got my transfer call! Sister Piton and I jumped for joy.

I went back to the Lovell's and packed my things and said goodbye.

Wednesday night, our entire mission got to go through a temple session at the Jordan River temple. We also heard Elder Hinckley speak.

Sister Stone and I are having lots of adventures!! We do not have a vehicle, so we were walking for a few days but then we decided to go on bikes.. It has been wild!! We keep having unfortunate tire situations.. haha. It is a lot of fun though. Sister Stone is so bubbly and goofy. I love her.

We are working with 2 investigators. They were scheduled to get married and baptized later in the month but when I was in a lesson with them, they decided to move the date to this Thursday!! And they decided to do both on the same day!! A marriage and double baptism!! YAY! They are a really great couple and I am so excited. Sister Stone and I get to plan the wedding! Ahh!

I have so much to write about but absolutely no time! And I have no stamps to send you a letter! Ahh! I love love love you and hope you know that all is well! Mwah!