Some random thoughts and long overdue pics

I am going to be training a new missionary again. I am really excited. I feel like I am at the peak of my mission in every aspect. I've learned how to not only have confidence in my own abilities, but to trust mostly in the Lord. I am excited to get a chance to do it all over again. I learned a lot the first time, and it will be neat to get a second chance. I hope I can help her love her mission as much as I love mine.

I just love being a missionary. It's not just how I live anymore, it's become a hobby. A passion. When you told me that Sister Ensign mailed you my release date I threw up in my mouth. (May 28 btw) I love all of you, but I really never want to come home. I've never felt so much joy in my life, and I don't want to leave it ever.

This has been an amazing week. I have learned that the Lord is so aware of our righteous desires, and our hearts. We saw SO MANY MIRACLES. We had 4 investigators come to church, we found 7 new investiagators mostly by contacting in the main street of Willoughby (it's like Park City) and taught ALL WEEK LONG. Biggest Miracle EVER: We got a referral on our phone on Wednesday, and stopped by and left a note. She called us a couple hours later and let us know that she was good friends with a sister in our ward, and that she wanted to learn because she's currently looking for a church. We taught her the next day. When we told her about living prophets she freaked out. "WHAT? HOW COME I'M HEARING ABOUT THIS JUST NOW??? THIS HASN'T EVEN BEEN IN MY RADAR!" She came to church on Sunday, cried through an amazing fast and testimony meeting. All through Sunday school and relief society she made amazing comments. Afterwards we met with her and talked more about the Book of Mormon. I have never seen anybody get more excited to have the Book of Mormon. My whole mission. She said, "Well, why don't the catholics and the methodists use this book too? Why wouldn't they want another testament of Christ??" She already knows about the Word of Wisdom and said, "I am going to have to quit drinking wine, but you know what's funny? A few weeks ago before any of this even started I began weaning myself off of caffeine!" She asked about tithing and had no problem with it. She signed up to bring a cake to the next enrichment. Sister Munford and I were both in awe. She gave the most humble prayer asking God to let her know that Joseph Smith was a prophet and the Book of Mormon is true. I was so touched. It's moments like these that I feel so grateful and blessed to have this experience. There are so many facets of temporary happiness, but this is really what brings true joy. When we gave her the Book of Mormon she said, "You have no idea how excited I am to get this book. I've been waiting for this for a long time. I'm going to hope every stoplight turns red on the way home so that I can quickly read!" AMAZING.We've also gotten a handful of amazing investigators like her this past week. I knew that Heavenly Father would provide. I'm continually amazed at his love though, and so grateful. I really can't explain how grateful I am for this time.

I just finished reading the Book of Mormon challenge with my mission- we circled every reference to christ and highlighted every time he spoke directly and all of the doctrine related to Christ. It was amazing. Try it.

There's a sister in our house being trained right now. She reminds me so much of myself a year ago when I was being trained. It's made me realize over the past couple of weeks how much I love my mission, and how much I have changed over the past year, and how sad I am that time is starting to slip. (The fact that Sister Norton is ending her mission in three weeks has made me a little more sentimental than usual). I've changed more than I ever thought I could. I'm not sure when it happened. I think it was a process. Not changes that anyone would really notice if we were to hang out, but changes that are a lot deeper. More understanding. More of a desire to be obedient. More of an appreciation for the plan that Heavenly Father has laid out for us. More love for the Savior. Holy cow I'm so glad I signed up for this. In the beginning I thought that I was sacrificing so much, but now I look at it so differently.

Our area is doing awesome. People are at church every week, the members are helping out. We've got baptismal dates. I feel like I've been working my whole mission to see the miracles I've seen in the past month.

Picture this...

Two girls lost out in the middle of nowhere in the country. The gas-light has been on now in our trusty Corolla for almost twenty miles, Bonnie (Our GPS) has stopped working, the cell phone is beeping because it's dying, and the worst part of all is that we both have to go to the bathroom REALLY bad. Oh, and it's dark outside. Did I mention the fact that it's Sunday, and I'd really like to keep it holy, considering the fact that I'm a missionary and all? How did we get ourselves out of that one? I'll leave it to your imaginations.

Gotta love Sister missionaries in Jodi dresses

It's borrowed!

You know you've been a missionary for quite a while when...

1. Your companion tells you that you woke her up in the middle of the night because you were teaching the plan of salvation in your sleep.

2. The next week your companion asks you what scriptures you have memorized from Alma 5. You reply that you don't have any scriptures memorized from Alma 5, and she laughs and tells you that you were reciting one of them in your sleep quite fervently. (P.S. You might all remember that I have never talked in my sleep previous to this transfer of my life.)

3. You have a rating system for the hymns.

4. Wearing jeans is a weird, yet totally wonderful feeling.

5. You start relating everything to the gospel.

6. You have the kind of butterflies you got at junior high dances when the boy you liked asked you to dance with him.... EVERY SINGLE SUNDAY MORNING BEFORE CHURCH.

7. The jokes the immature elders in your district tell start becoming really funny.

8. P-days are stressful because you don't know what to do with free time. You have a list from here to Kansas of people to write, but you just keep letting it grow longer.

9. You watch your companion get really nervous before teaching appointments, and you can only slightly remember what that feels like.

10. You realize that you are HALFWAY DONE WITH YOUR MISSION. If the first 9 months flew..... how fast will the next 9 go?

Kirtland update

We've had a lot of cool things going on lately. Last night the sisters sang in the choir lofts at the Kirtland temple for 'The Emma Festival', a program held every year on commemorating Emma Hale Smith around her Birthday. Tickets were a hot item, and it was an audience sing-along, and then we sisters had a few musical numbers. I sang a song in a double quartet that was really pretty. It was a great experience.

I got to take Elder and Sister Hinckley on a tour! Yeah, it was crazy. Last week, Elder and Sister Butterfield pulled me in and said that Elder Hinckley, President Hinckley's son, general authority, and head of the mission department was coming to Kirtland, and they wanted Sister Tycksen and I to take him on tour. Yes, only slightly intimidating. We exchanged comps for the day, and Sister Tycksen and I went into sites early Saturday morning before they opened, and met Elder and Sister Hinckley and gave them their own personal tour. I was a little nervous at first, but they were so great and down to earth. It was really comfortable, and easy. It was a great experience, and I was really flattered that Elder Butterfield asked me to do it.

I have seen somebody I know almost every day. It's kind of weird. It's sort of like getting interuppted in the middle of the shower. I like it, but it's combining two very separate worlds.

Tours are going really well, my testimony continues to grow, I feel the spirit strong, and I've met amazing people on tours that I will never forget. I've even been able to see in a small way the effect I've been able to have on some people.

Not everyone can say they got to be in a parade on their mission

This past week was so fun. Kirtland is so different from normal proselyting. Being a missionary in the field is like being the salesman for a company and doing the gruntwork, and being a missionary at the visitors sites is like being in charge of public relations for the same company. Both jobs are difficult in their own ways; however, in Kirtland there is a little more 'wining and dining' if you will. For example, we get to help with a lot of community affairs and be the faces for the church here in Kirtland. This past week, Kirtland hosted their annual town 'Strawberry Festival'. It reminded me exactly of a small Americana town carnival, very similar to the one in 'Sweet Home Alabama.' Some of us got to help at it all night Thursday, and all afternoon and evening on Friday at the Strawberry tent. Here's a unique one for you- Friday evening Sister Tycksen and I got to dress up as CLOWNS, and we were in the Strawberry Festival Parade.
This was crazy Hahahaha. Yes, a CLOWN. Just in case you didn't realize, this is kind of a big deal. I was wearing a huge striped clown costume, a colored wig, a big red nose... the works. We handed out balloons to kids on the side of the road, and squirted people with these little toys the director had given us. It was so funny. We were laughing so hard, and of course loving it. As the parade started and we are walking down the road waving at people, suddenly I came to the
realization that we were CLOWNS in the parade, and that meant that people were expecting us to act completely stupid. Luckily I had so much stuff to give out, and the parade wasn't too long anyway, that I really didn't have the chance to have to think of something terribly idiodic to try to do to get laughs. It was so fun though.