Hola, mis amigos!
What a week! Sorry I was so flustered in my last email! If it wasn't clear, I'm staying in the Valle Vista ward in Hemet. But last Monday, Sister Cozzens and I went up to her new area in Riverside. I needed to go to Riverside on Wednesday to pick up my trainee, so the APs decided to keep us together those last few days:)
Sister Cozzens and her new companion, Sister Garlitz, are both brand new to the area and have no idea who the ward members are, don't know the needs of the investigators, don't know where to buy groceries! It's called being "doubled in," and the missionaries before them were "doubled out" of the area. I hung out with them and we taught a few lessons, met a few ward members, and went walking around a few neighborhoods. Super awkward story, we accidentally contacted a dead man. We approach this door, intent on talking to John, an potential investigator. We knock on the door and a man answers. "Hello! Is John here?" "John is no longer here." "Oh! Where'd he move to?" "John recently passed away." Awwwwwwwkwaaaaaaaaard. So the man we were talking to was named Tanner. And the Sisters invited him to receive comfort from the Because He Lives video. He told them to come back, so the Spirit was there and told him that what they had to offer could help him!
What a week! Sorry I was so flustered in my last email! If it wasn't clear, I'm staying in the Valle Vista ward in Hemet. But last Monday, Sister Cozzens and I went up to her new area in Riverside. I needed to go to Riverside on Wednesday to pick up my trainee, so the APs decided to keep us together those last few days:)
Sister Cozzens and her new companion, Sister Garlitz, are both brand new to the area and have no idea who the ward members are, don't know the needs of the investigators, don't know where to buy groceries! It's called being "doubled in," and the missionaries before them were "doubled out" of the area. I hung out with them and we taught a few lessons, met a few ward members, and went walking around a few neighborhoods. Super awkward story, we accidentally contacted a dead man. We approach this door, intent on talking to John, an potential investigator. We knock on the door and a man answers. "Hello! Is John here?" "John is no longer here." "Oh! Where'd he move to?" "John recently passed away." Awwwwwwwkwaaaaaaaaard. So the man we were talking to was named Tanner. And the Sisters invited him to receive comfort from the Because He Lives video. He told them to come back, so the Spirit was there and told him that what they had to offer could help him!
Tuesday morning the APs called us and asked if we could house some Stripling Warriors at our apartment for the night. They fly in from the MTC Tuesday afternoon, have training that evening, go to sleep somewhere close the the mission home, and then the next morning return to the mission office for more training! Wow! So that evening we picked up Sister Roberts and Sister Reed and they spent the evening with us. While we planned, they passed out. In the morning we took them back to the mission office, but little did they know that I'd be one of the trainers:) So Wednesday morning I had some training myself on how to be a trainer. Wow. By lunchtime we were all mingling with one another and talking and "I hope I stay in Riverside!" "I hope I get so-and-so for a companion!" "I hope we're in the same zone!" is going on. And then the moment of truth. We meet all together in a room and President Mullen has the trainers go up on by one and describe their area. When the trainers are done explaining, he assigns them the trainee. So we don't know who we're training until the last possible second! Finally it's my turn to go up and I"m literally shaking. But I'm so excited! President Mullen introduces me, and I introduce Valle Vista. I talk about our investigators, about Sarah and her recent baptism, I talk about the orange groves and the trailer parks and the ward. And then my new Sister is!.... drum roll ..... Sister Roberts!!!!
So lemme tell you a something about Sister Roberts. She's 21 years old, from Boise, ID, planning on running for office after her mission, is a vegetarian, and LOVES Jesus! Just like me, serving a mission really wasn't at the forefront of her mind. But after a few promptings from Heavenly Father, she decided to trust in Him and do His will. So far she loves it! Her enthusiasm for teaching the people of Hemet is contagious and I am sooo glad she's my companion!
There's no such thing as a normal day on the mission. Her first day, her first lesson we were on exchanges with Hermana Babb. She was staying with us because her companions had a meeting up in Riverside. BUT there was a lesson she needed to teach and we needed to go with her because we were her companions at the moment. We met this man, Juan, at the Ramona Bowl, which was the first outdoor theatre in the United States. It is beautiful!! And we taught Juan about tithing there. And by we, I mean Hermana Babb because it was in Spanish and Sister Roberts and I were kind of useless. Oops. We've dropped a few investigators because they're not willing to change or meet us half way or even a tenth of the way. It's so hard for Sister Roberts because she knows that they're all children of God and deserve a second chance through the Gospel. But she invited someone to be baptized on December 20th, and I thought she was going to explode she was so happy! She loves literally everyone we talk to. I just love Sister Roberts.
The other Sister Roberts and Sister Ogden are still alive and well and they also have two upcoming baptisms:) The work is progressing! Thank you for your prayers and for the happy thoughts you think.
I love every single one of you, and want you to know that your Savior, Jesus Christ, loves you too. I can promise you as a representative of Him, that as you turn to Him in your times of need and in times of joy, you will be able to feel His presence and His support all around you.
Sister Turner
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, become more, then you are a leader. - John Quincy Adams
There's no such thing as a normal day on the mission. Her first day, her first lesson we were on exchanges with Hermana Babb. She was staying with us because her companions had a meeting up in Riverside. BUT there was a lesson she needed to teach and we needed to go with her because we were her companions at the moment. We met this man, Juan, at the Ramona Bowl, which was the first outdoor theatre in the United States. It is beautiful!! And we taught Juan about tithing there. And by we, I mean Hermana Babb because it was in Spanish and Sister Roberts and I were kind of useless. Oops. We've dropped a few investigators because they're not willing to change or meet us half way or even a tenth of the way. It's so hard for Sister Roberts because she knows that they're all children of God and deserve a second chance through the Gospel. But she invited someone to be baptized on December 20th, and I thought she was going to explode she was so happy! She loves literally everyone we talk to. I just love Sister Roberts.
The other Sister Roberts and Sister Ogden are still alive and well and they also have two upcoming baptisms:) The work is progressing! Thank you for your prayers and for the happy thoughts you think.
I love every single one of you, and want you to know that your Savior, Jesus Christ, loves you too. I can promise you as a representative of Him, that as you turn to Him in your times of need and in times of joy, you will be able to feel His presence and His support all around you.
Sister Turner
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, become more, then you are a leader. - John Quincy Adams