. . . and I will be staying in Canton! But Sister Wilson got the dreaded call last night that she was getting transferred. It really hit her hard because she's been in this area so long & has done wonders here. She opened up this area to sisters about 4 months ago. The elders here before didn't do too much. You can see the love that she has for the people here. I hope that I can have that same kind of love. We've had so many less-actives & investigators growing & changing, & they were sad to hear that she was leaving. But now I have to step up & make the best of my time here even though I'm scared to carry this area myself. We have a new sister coming in today so we're all excited. But we don't have anyone leaving till February so there will be a trio somewhere till then. Pres. Pehrson has a new style of training--he likes the younger ones to do the training! The sister who is just one transfer older than me is training the greenie! I guess the longer you're out in the mission, the lazier you get. I've heard good things about using younger trainers.
It is starting to get cold. The natives say it isn't supposed to get so cold so quickly which means a brutal winter. Ugh . . . I'm not excited for that! But the leaves are on the verge of turning so I'm happy I'll be here in the boonies to see it.
Our greatest work right now is with the less-actives. We had a great appointment on Saturday night with a less-active family & the husband's nephew. The husband joined as a young man & fell away because he felt that he was pressured into getting baptized before he really knew it was
true. But there has been such amazing progress. He used to be very bitter & sarcastic, yet now he has such great things to say. Hopefully they'll have the desire to come back to church soon. We helped another less-active in Burlington Saturday. We finally got a chance to see Leila last week. Her schedule was so crazy that it took this long to meet with her. We helped her get the things needed to put up a closet & put trim in a bedroom. All those hours in Home Depot [and helping Mom on the house] in Almo have been put to good use! We didn't get around to actually putting up the closet so we set up another time to do that. She's such a sweet girl & recognizes the good things that the gospel can bring back into her life.
The spirit has been so strong this week in our companionship. Each lesson we taught & every service activity was powerful. I'm starting to become a real missionary instead of just being on a mission. I love the people here. Even though the people are stubborn, I love them. We were at a farmer's market in New Hartford to do contacting, & and if looks could kill, we would be coming back home in a body bag! People were not happy that we were there. One lady said, "I feel like I'm in Utah with all these missionaries here." I'm surprised they didn't whip out their pitchforks & burn us at the stake. But . . . I still love them. Jesus Christ was rejected by many, but he gave his life for EVERYONE. He didn't pick & choose whose sins he would forgive.
From Sept. 15 email:
Transfers are next week! I'll find out Sunday whether I stay in Canton or move. We have another sister coming in next Tuesday so there will be a threesome somewhere. This past week was pretty good; slow, but good. Tuesday we got to meet one of our investigators for the 1st time. Penny is a high school drama teacher & her daughter plays Christine on the Broadway version of "Phantom of the Opera." She offered to take us to see it . . . sadly it's out of the mission boundries. She's a very sweet lady & is understanding the doctrine well. She had been taught by the Elders a few years back, but they said some really off-track things that weirded her out. We got those things cleared up & are moving forward. She really likes how the church empasizes families & she has searched everywhere for that. We also had our weekly visit with a ward less-active. He's been trying to quit smoking & finally got some really good medication. As of yesterday, he hadn't smoked in 3 days. Yay! It's so exciting to see such a change in people. He has a very strong desire to go back to church & make it to the temple. He's made such improvement in the short time I've been here so he has great potential!
Wednesday we taught another less-active, Barbara Lettley (below). She's a single black wom
an with 5 kids. She grew up in Harlem & found the church about 8 years ago. She is SOOO spiritual & you can just feel the Holy Ghost radiating from her. She also has a very interesting personality, b
ut I love her :). I selected a lesson on temples & family history & she confessed that it was exactly what she needed. She said that her ancestors have been harassing her to do their temple work, which I can very much believe. She loves the temple & that was one of the things she was looking for in a church in her many years of searching.
Thursday we had our "district
unity" after district meeting at the Goshen ward building & had the infamous TSB--Torrington Super Buffet (only $5)! It's a big hit with the Elders. There was sooo much good Chinese food. My companion, Sister Wilson, has a degree in psychology & she has this amazing ability to "read" people. She just asks a few questions & can pretty much figure out what is really deep down inside a person. She did Elders Kirkam & Harmon (Avon area) & totally called them out on a few things. They were a bit scared that she knew so much about them!
Transfers are next week! I'll find out Sunday whether I stay in Canton or move. We have another sister coming in next Tuesday so there will be a threesome somewhere. This past week was pretty good; slow, but good. Tuesday we got to meet one of our investigators for the 1st time. Penny is a high school drama teacher & her daughter plays Christine on the Broadway version of "Phantom of the Opera." She offered to take us to see it . . . sadly it's out of the mission boundries. She's a very sweet lady & is understanding the doctrine well. She had been taught by the Elders a few years back, but they said some really off-track things that weirded her out. We got those things cleared up & are moving forward. She really likes how the church empasizes families & she has searched everywhere for that. We also had our weekly visit with a ward less-active. He's been trying to quit smoking & finally got some really good medication. As of yesterday, he hadn't smoked in 3 days. Yay! It's so exciting to see such a change in people. He has a very strong desire to go back to church & make it to the temple. He's made such improvement in the short time I've been here so he has great potential!
Wednesday we taught another less-active, Barbara Lettley (below). She's a single black wom
an with 5 kids. She grew up in Harlem & found the church about 8 years ago. She is SOOO spiritual & you can just feel the Holy Ghost radiating from her. She also has a very interesting personality, b
ut I love her :). I selected a lesson on temples & family history & she confessed that it was exactly what she needed. She said that her ancestors have been harassing her to do their temple work, which I can very much believe. She loves the temple & that was one of the things she was looking for in a church in her many years of searching.Thursday we had our "district
unity" after district meeting at the Goshen ward building & had the infamous TSB--Torrington Super Buffet (only $5)! It's a big hit with the Elders. There was sooo much good Chinese food. My companion, Sister Wilson, has a degree in psychology & she has this amazing ability to "read" people. She just asks a few questions & can pretty much figure out what is really deep down inside a person. She did Elders Kirkam & Harmon (Avon area) & totally called them out on a few things. They were a bit scared that she knew so much about them! (Above, Torrington District: Wilson, Darrington, Christensen, Kruger, Harmon, Kirkham)
Friday we had an appointment in Norfolk, but Daniel, our investigator, wasn't there. Disappointed, we went back to Winsted to do a few stop bys. We ran across a referral the Torrington Elders gave us & set an appointment with her. It's always exciting to get a new investigator. We had planned to do more contacting at the farmer's market in New Harford, but it hadn't started yet so we headed back to the Canton area where we tracted in the pouring rain. I quite enjoy tracting in the rain. We ran across a very strange old guy that talked a million miles an hour & it was pretty hard to get away. We had dinner with the Comen family who just moved here from Odgen, UT. Very sweet family with 3 little kids.
Saturday we had a LONG day of tracting. Saturdays are always slow! On our way to Norfolk, we stopped by some of the antique stores in Winsted. I didn't see anything too exciting that was in my price range, but there's lots of good stuff there. A lady working in one of the stores saw that we were missionaries & relayed all the bad things that had happened in her life. So we shared our message & gave her a pamphlet. Just at that moment, the investigator we were supposed to have seen on Friday walked in. I know that Heavenly Father has perfect timing. When you're being obedient he will bless you. We set up another appointment with him & he was so sorry that he missed us that he gave us gas money. We tried to explain that we couldn't accept it, but he wouldn't budge. So after he left, we gave the money to the lady in the store. She needs it much more than we do.
Sacrament meeting talks are very interesting out here . . . & not in a good way. There isn't much doctrine or spirituality to these talks. But I guess they don't know any better bec
ause most are 1st generation members. That supports the fact that we all need to strengthen the stakes of Zion around the world instead of conglomerating in Utah & Idaho. Later that day we had dinner with the Walburger family (right). They just moved here from New Jersey. I was a bit apprehensive because they seemed like the stuck up, rich type. Boy, was I ever wrong! This just goes to say that we shouldn't judge people. Sure they have a lot of money, but they are the nicest people I have ever met. They have 3 little kids who took a liking to me pretty quickly. The 4-yr-old is my buddy now :).
Well, that's the "excitingness" of my week. Thanks to my brothers for serving missions & being such great examples for me! You don't know how much you've made me a better person!
Friday we had an appointment in Norfolk, but Daniel, our investigator, wasn't there. Disappointed, we went back to Winsted to do a few stop bys. We ran across a referral the Torrington Elders gave us & set an appointment with her. It's always exciting to get a new investigator. We had planned to do more contacting at the farmer's market in New Harford, but it hadn't started yet so we headed back to the Canton area where we tracted in the pouring rain. I quite enjoy tracting in the rain. We ran across a very strange old guy that talked a million miles an hour & it was pretty hard to get away. We had dinner with the Comen family who just moved here from Odgen, UT. Very sweet family with 3 little kids.
Saturday we had a LONG day of tracting. Saturdays are always slow! On our way to Norfolk, we stopped by some of the antique stores in Winsted. I didn't see anything too exciting that was in my price range, but there's lots of good stuff there. A lady working in one of the stores saw that we were missionaries & relayed all the bad things that had happened in her life. So we shared our message & gave her a pamphlet. Just at that moment, the investigator we were supposed to have seen on Friday walked in. I know that Heavenly Father has perfect timing. When you're being obedient he will bless you. We set up another appointment with him & he was so sorry that he missed us that he gave us gas money. We tried to explain that we couldn't accept it, but he wouldn't budge. So after he left, we gave the money to the lady in the store. She needs it much more than we do.
Sacrament meeting talks are very interesting out here . . . & not in a good way. There isn't much doctrine or spirituality to these talks. But I guess they don't know any better bec
ause most are 1st generation members. That supports the fact that we all need to strengthen the stakes of Zion around the world instead of conglomerating in Utah & Idaho. Later that day we had dinner with the Walburger family (right). They just moved here from New Jersey. I was a bit apprehensive because they seemed like the stuck up, rich type. Boy, was I ever wrong! This just goes to say that we shouldn't judge people. Sure they have a lot of money, but they are the nicest people I have ever met. They have 3 little kids who took a liking to me pretty quickly. The 4-yr-old is my buddy now :).Well, that's the "excitingness" of my week. Thanks to my brothers for serving missions & being such great examples for me! You don't know how much you've made me a better person!
The newly arrived Sister Darrington meeting Elder Shey Taylor from Declo, Idaho, just before he leaves for home after completing his service in the Connecticut Hartford Mission.
Brenda's companion, Sister Wilson, who is from a military family.
Elder Park trying to convert all of Connecticut.
One of the many old churches in the area.
Winsted, the scariest town in the area! The picture doesn't do it justice!
Sister Wilson, Sister Lindsay, Sister Rosser, Sister Darrington.
We're really here!
Girls just want to have fun--even at the MTC!
Elder Cooke was in her basketball class fall semester at BYU-Idaho.
Brenda pointing to Connecticut & her companion, Sister Rosser, to Baltimore, Maryland.
Connecticut boonies
From Sept. 8th email:
So we survived the hurricane/tropical storm that blew through Connecticut on Saturday! That was an exciting experience. I had no idea that it was coming until it came. It first started raining about 5 p.m. and it POURED! I've never seen rain come down so hard in my life. We were out there tracting in it & I actually enjoyed it. People were a bit nicer but told us to stay dry . . . How it that possible?! My shoes are still soaking from that. President even called us in about 1/2 hour early because of a tornado warning. It rained all through the night & the wind blew pretty hard. Our power went out sometime in the night but things were back to normal in the morning. The weather has been a bit cooler now so I'm happy about that.
The work is still slow. Tom Obrien, our investigator with a baptismal date in October, decided he didn't want to get baptized then. He hasn't been to church in 5 weeks & is losing his faith. We're encouraging him to keep reading the Book of Mormon & praying. Hopefully as we meet with him more, he will get back the fire he had earlier. Yesterday, one of our most promising investigators showed up drunk to the appointment . . . which ironically was supposed to be on the Word of Wisdom. He had never done anything like that before so it was a bit of a shocker. Plus he didn't read his assignment, and he always reads! Something must be going on in his life. We didn't want to dive too far into that in his current condition. But we did pick up a new investigator on Sunday. A less active who lives in another town came to church with her boyfriend & he lives in Canton. Yay! That's an answer to so many prayers. We haven't been able to pick up anyone new since I've been here.
My 1st zone conference was Thursday & it was pretty much amazing. We had some training on "the white bible", obedience, a few Preach My Gospel chapters, & a few other things. It was so spiritually uplifting! Just what I needed. Pres. Pehrson talked to us about getting over the mindset that Connecticut is not a "baptizing mission". Any place is able to baptize as long as the missionaries are out working all of the time, are being obedient, & have the right attitude. That really hit me because I had kind of settled into thinking we can't baptize much here because the people are so stubborn. But now I've changed my attitude. We can do it. Heavenly Father will put those he has prepared into our path. We will have to sift through all those who are not interested to find them. Elder Perry came here in January & told the missionaries that they only send the best to Connecticut. I know that's true! Not just because I'm here . . .hahaha. I also enjoyed being around other missionaries who are going through the same things I am. People in the "real world" are really hard to relate to now. Pres. & Sister Pehrson are great! They are getting adjusted to their calling & have made some great changes here. So the work will be picking up soon! :)
Well, I'd better get going now. I can't believe how fast the time goes by. The seconds, minutes, hours, & days fly by! Keep all the missionaries in your prayers because we need all the help we can get. I know that each & every prayer gives us the strength & courage to continue this work because it's not easy. But I'll be a better person because of it. And I'll encourage all of you to get a Preach My Gospel & study it! It is amazing!
From Sept. 2, 2008 email:
Things are good here in Canton. It's been a bit of a slow week & a lot of our investigators rescheduled our appointments. But that's the life of a missionary. We had a good experience on Friday with the Andersons. We taught about our life here on earth, the atonement, & a little about the resurrection. Jon's nephew was there & he is very interested in learning about the church. Saturday was another LONG day of tracting out in the boonies. Now I have a million mosquito bites. I don't know why they love me so much. Maybe it's because I'm so sweet :). Sunday Pres. & Sister Pearson talked in sacrament meeting about missionary work. Hopefully that will inspire the ward to help us out a little bit. Oh, funny thing, Pres. Pearson & Pres. Johnson (the old mission pres.) have known each other for like 25 years or so & were in the same type of health care business.
Yesterday we had to give up part of our preparation day to go to the office & get a new phone. All the companionships are getting a phone so that will make contacting everyone easier. The other missionaries got the news today in Zone Conference so I bet they're pretty happy. We don't have Zone Conference until Thursday. I don't know what goes on there so that will be a new experience! I've heard there's lots of changes going on, but that really doesn't affect me much because I don't know any different.
Some days it's hard to keep going because of all the rejection. I got my first real bad one the other day. But I just kind of laughed it off. I like to say that the New Englanders are harder than the winters here. But there are people out there that have been prepared by the Lord to hear our message. And we will find those people even though we have to sift through everyone else to get to them. I'm getting better & better at teaching each day. I'm definitely a more confident person & I'm not so scared to talk to people. But I still have to learn that I can't be perfect & that I will make mistakes. I will get over that soon! I can't say that I absolutely love being a missionary right now, yet I'm sure that will change. As I get used to the schedule & the work, I'll enjoy it more. But I know I'm doing what Heavenly Father wants me to do right now. He's putting me in situations that help me grow & prepare me for the future. Can you believe I've been out over a month? Time flies! Keep all the missionaries in your prayers!
(Note: pictures added to previous posts)
From Aug. 25th email:
Two weeks already! It's gone by so quickly! I got to play my 1st game of basketball in Connecticut. Sadly it wasn't competitive, but it made me happy.
My area covers Burlington, Canton, New Hartford, Winsted, Colebrook, Collinsville, Norfolk (pronounced "Nurforlk") & a few other little towns I can't remember the names of. It's a very big area & there aren't a whole lot of people. The people are great here, just a bit stubborn. I guess that's a New England trait. Smoking is a real big hang-up for a lot of investigators. We've been doing a lot of tracting because our numbers are low & we don't have many appointments. We need something to get the ball rolling here, but Sis. Wilson said they've tried about everything. But we are working hard & being obedient so something will happen.
Thursday we went to the mission office to do service because we missed out on some hours on Wednesday. I strongly believe they should call some office sisters. I bet they would get more done. Elder & Sister Carr were on vacation so they were a bit short-handed. We put together the departing & incoming missionary binders & got to see who the new missionaries are & got to know the dirt on everyone. It's a lovely job. :)
Friday we had 3 dinner appointments scheduled (I don't know how that happened) but one fell through so we only had to stuff ourselves with 2 meals. The 1st appt. was with the Tibidous. They are a very Christian family but aren't interested in joining the Church. They have the missionaries over to set a good example for their kids. They tell us how much they admire us for giving up 1 1/2 yrs. for the Lord. The last appt. was a less-active family from Utah. The wife wants to get active again so that's what our job is.
Saturday was a LONG day of tracting. We had no appointments so we headed to the Massachusetts border (picture above) & worked our way down. Sis. Wilson & I had a good time getting to know each other & getting some exercise. We pretty much climbed the 3 biggest "hills" Connecticut has & now I'm a bit sore. But I really enjoyed it. No one really wanted to listen to us. One lady let us in for cookies & a glass of water because her mother had let the Elders in before. She was way nice & had been to Idaho white-water rafting. Things like that make your day so much better!
Sunday we had an appt. with Arthur King who had been investigating the Church earlier but had lost contact. We talked about the Fall & I could tell that it really hit him. Not many people know that the Fall was actually a good thing. He always does his reading & loves the Book of Mormon.
I keep noticing a huge change in myself. I'm much more confident in speaking & my teaching is getting so much better. In my personal study I ran across a few scriptures in Alma 17 which answered my prayers & helped me to learn to teach by the spirit. It was exactly what I needed & helped to build my testimony. I'd encourage all of you to read that chapter. Keep praying for me & all the missionaries. We're doing a great work in bringing the lost sheep into the fold of Christ!
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