A busy, productive week!

Nightly call-ins!

Happy Presidents' Day!! This morning, Sister Zeiner and I sang the National Anthem for companion study! When we went upstairs, the Whites said that they heard us and during our song, they had their hands over their hearts! hahah.

I love you so much. I read the line out loud, " I look forward to hearing your homecoming speech!" and all of the sister missionaries laughed. You are so Trunky!! 

 

I am so excited for you to go to California! Send Adam my love!! I love him sooo much!! Give Zeke a big hug and kiss for me!! Tell Liz that I love her! I am jealous!

The poster from the Slippery Rock Missionary Firesi

Thank you for all of the pictures. I loved them so much! Your event looked like a huge success! I loveee the poster!

Last week, I got packages from both you and Ellie! Thank you soo much! I have been spoiled rotten this Valentine's Day more than ever! I got so many Valentine's cards! from the Novaks, Sister Gibson, Mrs. Smitherman, etc! I love my friends and family sooo much! Ya'll are the B-E-S-T!

We got some Valentine's caramel and chocolate covered apples from some members, and they were Dee-licious! We also got some Valentine's treats from the Jermans, the new directors of the Family Tree! So wonderful. 

We had a Zone conference this week, so we had to have our vehicle cleaned out for the car inspection. So on Tuesday, Sister Zeiner and I went to Sister Peters' and she helped us clean out the inside really well. It was freezing outside and we were cleaning off the salt with water! It was crazy!

On Wednesday, we had the Cottonwood Zone conference. It was really really good. The departing missionaries gave their testimonies and I was thinking how strange it is that I will have to do that some day. Noo!! haha. We also had the "Missionary Mall," which is just a collection of clothes and items that missionaries give to the mission office and other missionaries can take. I got a new red coat with a little red hood, so adorable!

Me and Elder Judd on Groundhog's day!! Sad to be away from PA!

The weather has been AMAZING this week. Very sunny and wonderful. Still cold, haha, but the sunshine makes it okay! 

For Valentine's Day, we did some tracting and then we had to work at the Family Tree. All of these lovey dovey couples came in. Weird! haha. I got to write and call some of the people that I've met in the Tree, to tell them Happy Valentine's Day. We worked with the Jermans; they are so fun. They bought a pizza for all of us. It was a good day. 

Last week, I had a wonderful experience at the gas station. Sister Zeiner and I were stopped for gas, and before I got out of the car, I made the goal to OYM ("Open Your Mouth") at least one person before we left. Well, as soon as I got out of the car, a car pulled in on the other side of the gas pump. Before I could even Open My Mouth, the woman was walking towards me! She told me that she was on empty and had just spent the last of her money; she asked if she could borrow just 2 dollars. I opened the door to find if I had cash and I grabbed a Book of Mormon. I held the few dollars and the Book and said to her, with a smile, "You can only have this (the cash) if you will accept this (the Book of Mormon)." I think that she was surprised at first, but she gladly accepted both the cash and the Book. I bore my testimony to her and asked if she had ever been visited by missionaries before. She accepted to have a visit from the missionaries in Heber, where she lives. I got her address and phone number and she gave me a hug. Even though this experience did not lead to a teaching opportunity in our area, I am glad that I was able to help her come one step closer to accepting the gospel of Jesus Christ! 

Sister Zeiner and I are teaching a woman who grew up Jewish, and she has had a hard time getting excited about the Book of Mormon. We have been calling, texting, and stopping by often, offering to read with her and get her started. Finally, on Friday night, the woman let us in and allowed us to read a chapter of the Book of Mormon with her and her daughters. Her husband (who is a member), came in after we had read a few verses and started to read with us. It was a great experience reading with her whole family. Well, on Saturday, the woman texted us and told us that she had been reading the Book of Mormon. Later that night, her husband called us and told us that she had been reading the Book of Mormon for an hour and a half straight. We are so excited and hopeful that she will feel the Holy Ghost as she reads! 

Yesterday, Sister Zeiner and I got to give talks in one of the wards. I talked about how trials of faith can strengthen us and bring about miracles. I think that it went well :) We got a lot of compliments!

Another successful week!

Sister Zeiner and I took Casey and Cortney to teach a lesson with us the other night. They were SOO GOOD! Casey made me cry because he was bearing his testimony to our investigator and telling him how it was the best decision he has ever made! I keep telling Casey and Cortney that they both need to go on missions because they are so wonderful!

We had a training with President Miller this week. It was so good! He gave us some really helpful ideas and told us to be bold! So we have been using his ideas throughout the week and it is going well.

Outside the Family Tree!

Sister Zeiner and I talked to 2 baptist preachers who came into the Tree the other night. It was friendly, but they kept asking questions and we kept having the answers! It was completely by the Spirit! They asked us if we went into special training after highschool because we are so "knowledgeable"... I laughed at that!! Go Zein-EE and Wall-EE!

I have indexed over 700 names this week! It's so fun!

We had the wonderful opportunity, this week, to teach a woman who has been inactive from the church for her entire life. She told us about a few of her life experiences, which were all negative and sad. We testified of the importance of CPR and strongly urged her to come to church the next day. She expressed that she would be embarrassed because she didn't have a dress or a skirt and was concerned that she wouldn't have friends. The fellowshipper who came with us was very helpful and offered to take her shopping for a skirt. We told her about the welcoming spirit of her ward and she said that she would come. 
The next day at church, the service had started and she was still not there. Sister Zeiner and I were hopeful. We found a woman who would let her sit with her and we continued to check the door to see if she had come. Finally, a few minutes late, Pam walked in, gleaming with confidence. She wore a colorful dress and a huge smile on her face. It made me so happy to see her there, looking completely different than the day before. I know that the gospel brings happiness. I know that as we continue to teach her about Jesus Christ, her faith will increase and she will come closer to Him than she has ever been before.

We did eat dinner with President Uchtdorf's friend the other day, Brother Schenk and his wife. Brother Schenk grew up with Uchtdorf and kept talking about him all casual like, "Dieter doesn't like mushrooms," or whatever. haha. He had a copy of each of Uchtdorf's books, too, and asked us which one we wanted and that he would get Uchtdorf to sign it for us with our names!

Yesterday was Sister Burtenshaw's birthday (I served with her in West Jordan). So I got to call her!! It was so good. 

I got an email from Sister Jara in Chile! She is doing sooo well! She wants to come back and go to BYU! Ahhh!!

Park City district! (Timer photo!)

Love you mucho mucho! Happy Valentines!

A close call with a murderer..lol

This past week, Sister Zeiner and I went to a dinner with members and one of the kid's friends came over after we had eaten. They said, "He has the same name as you!" So I asked what his first name was and he said that it is Adam! Adam Wall! haha. Then later in the week, Sister Zeiner and I tracted into 2 roommates, Michael and Adam.. Not significant, but kind of interesting, yeah?

The girl that we fasted for did not end up getting baptized last weekend :( Her mom didn't give her permission, but we are still hopeful for the future. She is continuing to read the BOM and go to church & YWs. Hopefully her mom will let her be baptized some day.

I love love love working in the Family Tree because I get to meet so many great people here! This woman came in the other day and was telling us about a Cold War Kids (a band) concert on Main Street the night before (Matt would know of them). We talked a little bit about that then she was telling us that she was just starting to get active in the church again. She and I went downstairs and I showed her a video, "God's Plan for Families." We ended up talking in the basement for like an hour and a half! We had so much in common and she was so great. She is about 26, and was telling me how she wants to go on a mission, so we talked about that. We talked about a lot of things and she just kept telling me, "You're cool." hahah. I got her information and hopefully I can keep in touch with her. 

This week, I have been following up on some of the people who have come into the Tree and accepted to have missionaries in their homes. I have called the bishops and the missionaries and even the people. It's so great to see the progress from all the way across the country! 

Another cool thing about this week... I saw a moose up close! I love those guys!

Not a very eventful week, sorry to report! But last night, Sister Zeiner and I were excited to get home a little bit early from the Family Tree. We pulled in the driveway and the entire house was dark, except for one room. The light was on in a room that no one ever goes in. We called the Whites, the couple that we live with, and they said that they wouldn't be home for another half hour. So we naturally were terrified to get out of the car and go inside. We called this really great family in the ward, the Peters. We were telling Sister Peters about it and right away she said, "Do you want us to come over?" So Sister and Brother Peters, their entire family, and a girl named Morgan all came over!! Sister Peters was carrying a baseball bat. hahaha. They went into the house with us and turned all of the lights on and Sister Peters kept saying things like, "Who wants to let the rottweilers out?" haha. I LOVE THEM! Obviously there wasn't a murderer in the house and we were completely fine :)

I love love love you! I miss you and hope that all is well! 

<333

Another transfer, an old companion!

I was laughing so much about the Farrell basketball game. That is such a crazy school. I can't believe someone got arrested! Wild.

Sledding sounds so fun! Some of the elders have been sledding here, but the sisters don't have warm clothes and so they never wanted to go. I would have gone, but obviously we have to stay with our companions! haha. Glad you had fun with the YM/YW.

That's so exciting about the missionary couple coming to Slippery Rock. We work with a couple of different senior couples in the Tree and I absolutely love them! 

What would I like to tell the Slippery Rock Youth?? Hm... Go on a mission! John Bytheway said, "True Christlike service is seldom convenient!" There will always be excuses to put off or deny going on a mission. But it is so important to remember that for 18 months-2 years, you will serve the same God who gave you everything you have! 

I don't know how to have a quote, but something to the effect that you need to give up your own time to serve the Lord. 

Oh my goodness, FORCE Rachel McCarl to write me!!

So this week.. Tuesday, 3 of the Park City sisters were in Salt Lake to go to the temple (you get to go through when you are in your last transfer). So their 3 companions (me, Sister Zeiner, and Sister Cutler) stayed to work at the Family Tree. We also got our transfer announcements on Tuesday... So.. I am in my fourth transfer, and now my FOURTH area, with my FIFTH companion. I am still in Park City, but I am serving in the Park City West area instead of Park City East. And my companion is... Sister Zeiner! My MTC companion! Wild. 

Sis Jara finishes her mission!

On Tuesday night, we were still with our companions, but Wednesday morning, they all left. I cried so much when Sister Jara left! I was feeling like I had a good handle on things and that I would be fine, but then when she started walking towards the car that would take her to Salt Lake, I started bawling out of nowhere! I love that girl!

Wednesday, I met the Whites, who Sister Zeiner and I are living with. It is so different from our other apartment! It is so big! We are living in the White's basement.. It is a beautiful and big house, but the only downfall is that it is sort of really really freezing! We also met the new Zone Leader, Elder Gomez. 

On Thursday, I saw 2 moose!! I've never seen one before! I was so excited! I only saw them from a distance, but I heard that they are all around this area, so I am looking forward to seeing more!

Yesterday, Sister Zeiner and I had a lesson with this AMAZING girl who is planning on being baptized this week! The only problem is that she is only 16 and needs her parents' permission to be baptized. Her father is a member and is OK with it, but her mother is Catholic and thinks that she should wait. We are all fasting for her on Tuesday so that her mother's heart will be softened and she will be allowed to be baptized! 

Everything is going great here. Sister Zeiner and I both felt kind of sick this past week, so it was a little bit rough. But I know that it will be a great transfer. I can already tell that we have really great members and people in this area! 

I love love love you! Hope that all is well! Mwah! <3

Sundance hits Park City! :) Sis Jaras going home :(

Sis Jara and I in Park City!

I have officially been out for 5 months, as of Saturday!

 

I got your letter the other day. I can't wait to get another letter from Adam. It's really special when I get to talk to him. I love my brothers! When I get older (and am not on a mission), we will have family reunions frequently!

 

I feel like Shane has been working on his Eagle Project for a long time now! That's awesome that he is sticking with it and that he is getting so much help from friends and family. Make him write thank you cards!

 

That sounds like a really fun fireside. Some ideas: Make sure that you have pass-along cards so that members can take them and give them to friends! Also, challenge everyone to give away a BOM and maybe have some copies available for them to take and give away. Maybe have a referral sheet-- If anyone can think of a friend/family worker/co-worker that would receive the missionaries, they can put their name, number, address down. It's great to get people to remember their missions and the missionaries, but put an emphasis that the members can be missionaries too! I don't know. Just some ideas! Wishing I could Skype! I think Rachel McCarl would be a great speaker! I remember when she got home from her mission and spoke. It's partly because of her that I wanted to go on a mission. She speaks with the Spirit and has a really strong testimony and knowledge of the scriptures. I love that girl!

 

I loved your little story about Charlie saying that I am on vacation. I am in a huge vacation city, so everyone always thinks that I can go skiing or snowboarding on weekends. The Sundance Film Festival is in Park City for the next couple of weeks. The Family Tree Visitors' Center is right on Main Street where a lot of the action takes place! The streets are closed down and there are so many people. It's wild. There are a lot of people who dress crazy and we just watch them from the windows. haha. It's really fun though because people come from all over the world. I love that part. And I love when they come into the Family Tree, especially!

 

Sis Jara with Casey's hat.

Sister Jara is leaving this Wednesday and I will get my new companion. I am so sad! I know that my new companion will be great and things will be fine, but Sister Jara has become one of my very best friends! She is going to do so much good in Chile and I know that she is ready to go, but it will be so hard to say goodbye!

 

The Judds working to get a splinter out of my hand!

There are so so many changes happening in the Family Tree. The directors when I got here were Elder and Sister Mulford. They just had their last day last week and now we have Elder and Sister Jerman. There are 2 new sets of Senior Couples and there are 3 sister missionaries leaving this week! Everything is going to take some adjusting!

Have you been reading the New Testament with the mission? I love love love the New Testament. Have you seen the Bible videos on LDS.org? They are so so good and they are helpful to watch, especially when reading the New Testament. (http://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos?lang=eng)

 

Bowling with the zone

Last P-day we went bowling with the district. Casey and Cortney came too! It was a lot of fun!

Book of Mormon Celebration

Last Thursday, one of the wards had a Relief Society Book of Mormon celebration. We took an investigator and her 5-year-old daughter. She really liked it! It was a great event. It was kind of like a Primary Program, but for adults. haha. There was a little dialogue and then there were a lot of songs.

 

I loved this week! Sundance is kind of crazy and wild, but it brings more people to the city and in turn, brings more people into the Family Tree. On Thursday, this man came in and spoke just a little bit of English. He said that he is from China, but is living in the U.S. for a short time as a film director and a part-time professor. He said that we probably couldn't find anything on his family, but we tried and he really liked the FamilySearch.org website and said that it helped a lot. He was super nice and we had a really good conversation and he accepted to have the missionaries visit him at his house in New York after the festival. So the next day, Friday, a girl came in, saying that her friend told her to come because we had some good information. I asked what her friend's name was & she said the name of the guy that I met the day before! Right away, she accepted to have missionaries come to her house and teach her. She is from China, too, and said that she has always wanted to know more about Jesus Christ. We watched a video and she felt the Spirit strongly. She accepted a Book of Mormon and was so so happy about it! She is sooo great. It was one of the coolest experiences just to see how the Lord prepares people. Anyway, I am hoping to keep in touch with her and I hope that she has a good experience with the missionaries!

 

The French at a glance book would be fine to send. It's small and light and I could keep up on basic phrases. I met a little boy the other night when we went to a member's house. The little boy is in a French immersion program at school. We were speaking French to each other and he's not even 8, I don't think! haha.

 

Well, I love love love you! I hope that everything is going well. You are the best! I miss you! Thank you for everything that you do! Mwaah!

 

<3

Park City's generosity!

I am so jealous of your HP pajama party!

I got different boots than Sister Jara. Mine are cuter! (As cute as winter boots can get!) They are from Bass and hers were from Columbia.

We do have a lot of snow. Sometimes our car gets "grounded" which means that we can't drive because it's too snowy on the roads.

Last Monday for Pday we went to eat at Cafe Rio (so good!) and a woman paid for our meals! She was so sweet. She said that she would pay if we would come talk to her and her daughter, who is preparing for a mission. 

Then I got my hair cut...in a real salon! A member cut it for free. It was nice. It felt so good to get rid of those split ends and straighten out my bangs. haha

Casey, Courtney and Sis Jara

Cortney and Casey surprised Sister Jara and I by picking us up at Walmart. They took me to get some new warm winter boots and then said they had a surprise for us! They took us to "Color Me Mine" which is a place with a bunch of white ceramics, like plates or objects in the shapes of dogs or whatever. You pick out whatever you want and you paint it and they put it in the kiln and you get it back in a couple of days. We had so much fun! and they paid! They are so great. 

I colored a Sunflower!

On Thursday, Jan 8, we had a farewell party. There are 3 Park City sisters going home at the end of this week!! Crazy! My companion, Sister Jara, and also Sisters Garibaldo and Penrod. There are so many changes around here! We are also getting a new Family Tree director. So a bunch of the past senior couples came up and we had a little reunion/farewell. I cried. I am going to miss Sister Jara so much! She is the best companion ever and all we ever do is laugh.

Last Friday, I got an email from a girl that came into the Family Tree a couple of weeks ago. She is a non-member from California. She said the sweetest things! She wrote about how she wants to surround herself with people like me and that she wants to come closer to God and get on the right path. Hopefully I can start teaching her through email. She said she wants to travel the world with me when I am done with my mission. haha. She's my kind of girl!!

On Saturday, Sister Jara woke up at 4 a.m. and said, "Sister Wall..." and miraculously, I woke up right away. She told me that she was scared because she had a really bad dream, so I sang her some songs. haha. That whole Saturday, we were outside tracting! We only stopped for lunch and for dinner! It was fuh-reeezing. We had a lot of success though so it was worth it!

On Sunday, we went to the Christensens for dinner and Family Home Evening. We spent an hour or so with Cortney and Casey and the family. When we had to leave, Sister Jara was so sad because they are one of our favorite families and she is sad to leave them.

It was a good week!

New Year's in my onsies! Brrrr

Midnight on New Year's Eve 2013 with Sister Jara!

This Monday was New Year's Eve. We went to the missionary conference, where we saw the apostle, Elder Christofferson speak. He was really wonderful and shook each missionary's hand. Something that he said really touched me and I've been trying to tell everyone about it!! He said that when we return to our Heavenly Father, we will recognize him and we will know him, just like He knows us! Isn't that great? I think it's like, you won't see me for 18 months, and I won't see you (with the exception of Skype), so we will vaguely forget about each other's details. I won't forget-forget, but I won't think about the way that you laugh or your habits or your voice. But as soon as I see you again, all of that knowledge will come back. Everything will be the same as it always was. It will feel familiar. And I definitely know that it will be that way with Heavenly Father, too.

Cheetah onesie from Sister Burtenshaw!!!

 After the apostle spoke, the missionaries were allowed to play sports like basketball or volleyball (of course I didn't). We could watch the movie Brave, or we could just hang out. Being up in Park City, I hardly get to see the other missionaries in the valley, so I hung out with some of the missionaries that I have met on my mission. Mostly, I was walking around with Sister Burtenshaw from my West Jordan zone. I absolutely love her! She gave me a cheetah print onesie for Christmas, by the way. It's amazing. hahah.

Sister Burtenshaw and I on New Year's Eve --

Sad that we have to leave each other!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, I set some New Year's resolutions and reflected on my goals that I had for last year. I think that I did pretty good! Some of the things that I think I did really well on last year.. "Bring Anis to SRU" (Yes!), "Go on a mission" (Yes!), "Send lots of mail" (Definitely!). I am really looking forward to this year. It will be the only year in my life that I am completely dedicated and focused on serving the Lord. My goals are all mission-oriented, like, "Invite others to come unto Christ," and "Give, oh give away," which means that I want to be generous with my time and energy and possessions. I want to completely serve the people here and forget myself in the work.

I started my One Line a Day journal over. It's fun to read about the things from last year. One of the funny ones was on January 4, last year: "Too many hours at Kohl's with Zooey and Mutti, Starving at Shane's basketball game, Flat tire on the van from Mutti running over a curb." haha. Do you remember that?? Another good one is from January 14: "Blueberry muffins, Terrible movie at the dollar theater, Paper at Michael's, Vegi-meatball subs, & Trying on mom's wedding dress." I loved that day!!

On Thursday, we were tracting (knocking doors) some apartments (it was FREEZING). We knocked on 305 and a little girl answered the door that I recognized. I thought, How do I know her?? Her mom came up and I said, "I know you!.." It took me a minute, but I realized that we had met this woman while tracting another apartment complex on my first day in Park City. She had been at her sister's apartment and was nice to us, but wasn't very interested in hearing our message. So when we knocked on HER door, I think that we were all surprised! This time, though, she was very very open and honest with us. She said that she felt comfortable talking to us. It was a complete change and I know that it wasn't a coincidence. I know that Heavenly Father had been preparing her! 

On Friday was Sister Zeiner's birthday. Big 22! We all went out to lunch at Ruby Tuesday's and had a lot of fun. We worked in the Visitor's Center that night. A recent convert from New York and her member friend came in, just to visit. The friend lived in Utah but the Recent Convert was so so excited to visit and see all of the members and all of the temples. She was glowing. We talked to these girls for quite a while and heard all about them. The member said that she was trying to decide whether or not to go on a mission because she hadn't received any answer to her prayers asking if she should go. I shared my experience with her about not getting an answer either and I told her that Heavenly Father wants US to make the decision sometimes. I told her that she should pray for him to bless her path or block it. She started to cry and I felt so positive that she needed to hear about my experience. 

I love love love LOVE being a missionary. It was OK my first transfer; my second transfer I really liked it; and now I absolutely LOVE it. I am seeing miracles every single day. My companion and I are lead by the Spirit and we are always laughing and enjoying our experiences. I am meeting so many people that I immediately love. I am sharing my testimony about the most important thing in my life. I am learning and growing and changing. I am so so grateful to be here and I am so happy that I made the decision to serve the Lord. I am humbled that Heavenly Father would let me be a representative for his son, Jesus Christ. This is the best thing ever.

 I really love you and I appreciate all that you do for me! Thank you for your letters and your love and your support and prayers!

 

Sister Garibaldo, Sister Jara, and Sister Piton (she's done with her mission--just visiting!) on New Year's Eve.