12/22/14

did you get your package????? I did indeed get your package :} but I didn’t open it cuz I didn’t know if it was wrapped

did you get any other packages?  Yes, I got one from gma b and grams/pops, jana, and you :} those are the only ones that come to my head right now... sorry haha

How was your mission conference?  I want details too... it was fun :} we took pics in the morning, then had training after training after training, then lunch time :} then more training and testimony meeting,  then dinner time! Then talent show :} then we got our letters that everyone sent to us :} SHOUT OUT TO ALL WHO WROTE ME: thank you so much!! You all made my week that much better. Thank you!!  Ok, then we all said our goodbyes to those missionaries going home, and that was so sad!!! But it was over all very fun!

who did you know that was there?  Sis Stew, sister Moore, the people in my Zone down here in Lawton, Elder Tripp, elder Marsh, Elder Collins, there were a lot of peeps I knew, which was fun to talk to them again :}

did you divide into classes or group stuff?  Nope all of us were together in the chapel :} it was very squishy haha

what did you learn? for you and for your missionary service? To never give up. Apparently Christmas time is one of the hardest for missionaries cuz they get homesick and discouraged, but Pres advised us to keep going, even through the rough times :}

Did you have any special speakers? No special speakers, just our Assistants, Sister Walkenhorst, and President :}

How did your musical # go?  was it amazing?  It was amazing, we definitely brought tears so some peoples eyes, it was amazing!! It’s a good song eh ;}

what are your plans this week? To #sharethegift of Christmas :} and to not let sis Duersch see her Christmas presents early :}

do you know WHEN you get to call and for how long? I will get to call at 4 my time so 3 pm your time, and we can talk for about 1hr and ½ :} so excited!!!

If it's skype do we call you or do you call us?  I will be calling you ;] hehe

What are your plans for Christmas eve? and Christmas day? Christmas eve is a not quite sure yet haha, but Christmas day, we are only aloud outside of your house, if we have set appointments with people :} OH and we are going caroling that night to our investigators and less-actives :} we got permission for that one hehe :}

I love you and am so grateful for the support i have received :}

1.Our gingerbread OKIE house... was hit by a tornado ;}

2.Sis Duersch and I being crazy

3. Us with fashionette :}

12/19/14

What was your favorite gift for the mission? (practical gift?) I really loved all the scarves I got from everyone! They are all different and I can wear them all with my outfits :} so my neck and face will never have to be cold again :} hehe

What was your favorite just for fun one? We got some bubbles from a member in our ward ;} those are so fun! And I also love the fishing game with the magnets and fishing poles. That is so fun as well ;}

Do you have too many fuzzy socks now? I can never have too many fuzzy socks :} but I do have a Priority Mail Box thingy full of them :} hehe. Thank you everyone who sent me socks and gifts :} I absolutely love them!!!

Are there any inside jokes in your mission? The inside joke right now is us getting Ipads at the end of the year… which is in 3 days haha :} so we won’t be getting Ipads any time soon.

What is your current mission theme right now? does it change each year or is it the same through the Presidents calling? Our mission goal is 100 baptisms a month, and it hasn't changed since President Walkenhorst has been here, and I don’t think it ever will haha

How much do you work on retention in your area? Are there a lot of less active members? We do have a lot and some Sister Duersch and I have never met, so we have been trying to find them and work with them but it is pretty hard during the Christmas season. But we have been working with about 8 or 9 less-actives and  we have about 25 or so in our area :} so fun.  we are trying really hard to fellowship, but half of our ward is gone. we had about 60 people at church yesterday... we were branch sized. it was ridiculously small. so it is hard to get people to come out with us when they aren't home. it is just so sad

What is your favorite smell in your area right now? Least favorite? Favorite smell would have to be the smell of smoke in the chapel, then you know someone is trying to change :} and my least favorite smell is the smell of Lawton. It reeks like garbage all the time.

How often do you do laundry? is it in your house again or do you have to go somewhere? When was the last time you washed your sheets? I washed my sheets about a week ago. We have a washer and a dryer in our garage that doesn't even fit our car…. Downside to Oklahoma, you can’t use your garages because they are too small for any normal vehicle. And we do laundry every p-day :}

When was the last time you saw an answer to a prayer? A few days ago, I prayed to know how to help our investigators progress, and I got my answer in a strange way. I had a thought come to my head after all of our investigators didn't go to church yesterday. I remember Sister Stewart saying that she did a missionary “Purge” with some of the less-actives in Quail Creek, which means that the less-active would have to call or text the missionaries to come over when they were ready to listen and get help again. So we tried that with Fashionette and Kyla to see if they had pure intentions, we got a text from Kyla this morning asking us to come over and we haven’t received one from Fashionette so the answer to that prayer happened in a random way haha.

do you know when transfers are and if either of you will be moving or staying? Transfers are the 7^th of January, so we find out this coming Sunday who is getting transferred. I hope we both stay again.

Love you :}

1-2. Me and my wonderful gifts :} thank you so much everyone!

3. us and Kyla!

4. me being attacked by silly string after opening our Christmas presents

December 15, 2014

Fam;

I would like to see pics of these outfits haha they sound awesome!!  (We dressed a little more festive than usual for the Christmas Party)

How was your week? Its been pretty good. We have been helping a lot of people this week come to Christ, and trying to get our less-actives and investigators to come to church. Kyla didn’t come to church today so she is getting baptized on Jan 3^rd.

Did you have your mission or area meeting? If no when is it? It is tomorrow!! Wahoo!! I am so excited!! :} it is an all day thing and I will be able to see all of my old friends :} so fun!!

What do you do at them and if your whole mission is there who is sharing the gospel with the people in Oklahoma? We split the mission in half. So last Thursday the northern half of our mission had the mission conference, and then tomorrow the southern haft has it :}

Do you know if you can skype us on Christmas day or call?  do you know from where and for how long? We will be skyping, but we are not sure where or when yet… we will keep you updated haha

what does your ward to for their Christmas party and will your investigators go to that to get to know ward members?  We had our Christmas party last Saturday and it was really lame. We had food and the kids sang 3 songs and that was it. Our investigators and less actives didn’t come so it was a bust :{        your party sounds like a hoot!!

What new insight did you gain in scripture study this week? I have been really studying the birth of Christ and reading the Christmas story in Luke 2. Then I studied it in Jesus the Christ which then gives me even more insight! I just love it!!

Did you remember that your Dad just turned 49? Yes I did, and I sent a card… so hopefully he got it or gets it soon haha he is so OLD!!!! haha

okay sis just a really quick clarification.  How are things going on Sundays?  is it still the strange mix-up of companions?  Does your ZL AND mission pres know that you have an elder for a comp?  I ask because dad mentioned that to someone the other day and he happened to be a former miss pres and he said and elder & sister should never be comps, not even short term.  Just wanting to keep you safe:) the whole thing doesn't make sense to me... but I'm glad you are in the ward you are in.   Hope you have a wonderful P-day. Yes the Zls and Mission Pres know, It was Presidents idea and one of my ZLs is my companion. We actually don't spend that much time together cuz we have other things we need to get done so it is just as a precaution. but I just have to make sure that I have a female with me at all times, or at least in the room or in the Hallway with me :}

and did you get the tree package? I did get the tree package and i even hung it up in our room :} it looks so good! i forgot to get a pic of it this week so i will take one for next week for ya :} 

love ya, Me

1 Me and sis duersch in our cute hats :}

2. the Christmas tree we made the elders

3. "this seems natural" :} hehe

12/8/14

How has Christmas caroling gone?  do you have a good group of willing singers? We have the Lawton 1^st elders and sister coming, but our elders will not participate. We haven’t gone yet, but our plan is to go this coming Friday.

Do you sing on corners or in homes and at doors? We will most likely sing at the door. :} Then hand them ‘He is the Gift’ pass-al-ong cards :} hehe

So what was the best thing about this last week? We took away Fashionette’s beer :} she was drinking while we were there and we told her that she needed to stop drinking, so she gave us her beer and we disposed of it.. After we took pics of course. (pics to come) She is so sweet and you can tell she really wants to change :}

Did you meet anyone new? To teach or share a scripture with? We actually got a referral from the Ogden missionaries, this guy wanted his friend to get a blessing. So we went over to this guys house with the 1st ward elders (elders Burnham and Bueno) and we taught him ½ of the Restoration cuz he was short on time, and the elders gave him a blessing. His name is Jared Engelhardt, and he is a Menonite (not spelt right). He actually came to church yesterday with his 5 year old daughter, Erika :} she reminds me of Lilly from Modern Family :}

Did Kyla, Robert, Fashionette and her family come to church?  how is Kyla's foot?  Kyla came, and Jared came… Fashionette did not :{ and Robert was babysitting the kids, they were not feeling well in the morning :{

What made you laugh out loud?  and did you throw you head back too?  Sister Duersch and her crazy faces she makes at me. Also we were talking to the elders (elders Winterton and Morris) last night when we brought them over their Christmas tree that we painted for them and we were just laughing and laughing!!!!

How have you grown? I have grown outward…. Haha :}  no i haven't gain that much weight :} which is good haha and i have been trying to be more outgoing haha :}  i have tried to become more Christlike and really think about what Christmas is all about. the #sharethegift initiative is awesome to help me think about that.

Teaching the Restoration has helped me grown stronger in my testimony of Joseph Smith. feeling and seeing the Holy Ghost work on the investigators when we teach the restoration is amazing!!

What are your plans for the week and for today? We are just gonna have fun!! And try really hard to get people to listen to our message :}

Do you feel surrounded by our love too? Absolutely!!!

Love you all, Me

the video she keeps mentioning is called He is the Gift and you can watch it at http://www.mormon.org/christmas  It talks about Christ's birth and the real reason for this Christmas season.  and how grateful we are for the gift of our Savior.  If you haven't seen it yet