Happy New Year!

From Dec. 28, 2009, email: The highlight of my week was of course talking to you all [family Christmas Eve]! I'm happy that everyone was able to be there. I guess we'll all be getting together again in the next few months! And I'm glad that you enjoyed the mission DVD. It is such a blessing to have all of those pictures to remember the good times! I'll have to create my own for the family to see when I get home.

We decided to cancel our first dinner appointment on Christmas Day because we were still stuffed from the night before. Plus we didn't want to have to rush around. President & Sister Pehrson opened up the mission home to the missionaries and we had a great time there. Lots of good food, fun, and company! Sister Pehrson introduced us to a game called Five Crowns...it's quite fun! We watched a little bit of "It's A Wonderful Life" before heading back to Torrington for our dinner appointment. It was at the Greens, the same family that had us over for Thanksgiving. I love them so much! It always feels like home when we are there. I was happy to see that dinner was lasagna. I'm just about tired of ham & turkey! We ended the night with dessert and carols around the piano.

Susan is still progressing along so well! She came to church yesterday and LOVED it! She says that she wants to be baptized, it's just all a matter of when. It's so great to see her excitement for the gospel. She's already got a strong knowledge of the scriptures and the Book of Mormon is adding to that. I know that she is feeling the power of that book. The Spirit is touching her heart and helping her to change. Yay!

Oh! I almost forgot to write about transfers. Sister Murray & I will be staying in Torrington together...but Sister Mortimer is joining us! I'm so excited to have my greenie send me home [next transfer]. I love her so much! She knows how to have fun, yet work hard. It is going to be such a wonderful transfer! Happy New Year!




Left: Sister Darrington & Sister Mortimer walking on Preneveou's frozen pond

Merry Christmas!

From Dec. 21, 2009, email: We didn't get too much of the storm...only 2 or 3 inches at the most. They cancelled church yesterday because of the storm so it was a bit disappointing since there wasn't much on the ground. We spent our Sunday knocking on doors and wandering around in the snow. It was super cold so I got a little taste of the weather that you had in Idaho.
We went on exchanges last week with Windsor so I got to serve once more with my greenie, Sister Mortimer. We hope that President will let us serve one last transfer together. It was a weird feeling to go back to Windsor...it felt like I had never left. The sisters there are doing a great job and I'm happy to see the investigators progressing along so well. We had a great experience that showed us that Heavenly Father puts us in the right place, at the right time. Sister Mortimer had accidentally written down the plans for the day in the wrong order which we didn't realize until we were halfway through the day. Then we were left with two options: do our back-up plans for that hour or waste miles by driving all the way to the top of the area to do what we had previously planned. We chose the back-ups. Sister Berry was our stop, a less-active member from Jamaica. When we got there, she had a houseful of kids there. Apparently she has been working two jobs for the past seven years to bring the rest of her kids over from Jamaica. And they were finally able to come! The best part is that we taught a first lesson to four of the older kids and they are definitely interested!


The rest of our week included baking & delivering cookies, playing bingo with the old folks, tracting, caroling at a convalescent home, more tracting, putting up & decorating a Christmas tree for the elderly Zeiners, many dinner appointments with members, teaching, and visiting the North Pole to see Santa. Look what excitement comes while serving a mission! Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas ! And watch out for Windsor bears!

Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam!

From Dec. 7, 2009, email: Our weather isn't so warm anymore. Saturday night we got a pretty good snowstorm that brought us a few inches and since then it's been pretty cold! Burr! I guess winter is finally here. Hopefully it will be another "off" winter with not as much snow. It's pretty, especially on the bare trees, but it's not too fun to trample around in!

The snow did bring us an interesting experience this week. We had planned to meet a few members on the other side of town in Torrington, but we changed our minds when we hit bad roads on the way. So we parked the car and went over to another member's apartment to check up on her "Invite a Friend to Church" efforts. As we were getting buzzed in, a lady walks up to us and requests a Book of Mormon. Sister Murray and I sit there for a second in shock because it's almost unheard of for someone to approach you to learn more. Then she askes us to come by and teach her. As we are writing down her information she gives us her last name: Pascquale. That name sounded familiar so I asked for her first name: Patricia. She just happened to be a referral that the Elders in the area got a few months ago, but weren't able to contact because of a wrong address. We had even put down in our plans to try to find her this week. But Heavenly Father provided a way for her to find us. I'm always amazed how things work out.

We were watching "On the Way Home" with one of our investigators, Peggy. It's an older movie from the early '90s so there's lots of sweet bangs and jumpers. But other than that, it was a powerful movie. The basic story line is that a family loses their little girl in an accident, a friend invites them to hear the missionary lessons, and then they get baptized. So pretty much a missionary's dream. This movie hit me pretty hard. I have been so very blessed to have the gospel in my life. We have all the answers. We have the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. We can be with our families forever. I can't imagine not having a testimony of these things. That's why I'm a missionary...people need to have the knowledge that they are a child of God and that there is a plan for them.

Saturday we helped an investigator family stack a huge pile of wood into neat little rows. It felt SO good to be out there doing outside work. The whole time we were stacking it was snowing on us, but we didn't mind because we were serving. I've learned that serving others brings us great joy. We are only following the example of our Savior. After two hours of stacking we were pretty sore, but not as sore as when we got up the next day!

We got the wonderful opportunity to teach the Sunbeams in church yesterday. It was so much fun! I haven't been in a Primary in years and it brought back some good memories. It was a bit hard to keep their attention, but the treats definitely helped. After our short lesson we made thank-you notes for the Bishop and the Sunbeams got to deliver them to him. You should have seen the happiness in their eyes and their smiles from ear to ear when the Bishop thanked them for their cards. One of the boys, Jake, is a miniture version of Ethan so I took a liking to him early on. It made me miss my little nieces and nephews! I can't wait to see how much they have grown up.

Keep me, and also all the other missionaries around the world, in your prayers! I loved how in the opening prayer of the Christmas devotional, the apostle prayed for those away from home. I think he covered both me & Joel in there...so remember us this season! Remember the true meaning of Christmas!

Turkey Bowl

From Nov. 30, 2009, email: I had a wonderful Thanksgiving out here in Connecticut. We started out with a Turkey Bowl over at Trinity College. I'd like to thank my brothers for teaching me how to play football....you should have seen the look on the Elders' faces when I caught a few long passes and even intercepted the ball. Haha! It was SO much fun! After most of the crowd left we sat on the field and played a few rounds of "Signs." Then we headed off to our Thanksgiving dinner.

Tim & Brenda Green had us over along with a houseful of their family. The dinner was yummy and the company was great. Some of their family aren't members of the church so we were able to talk a little bit about our beliefs. One of the old guys there was WWII vet who had landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day. The brutality of war had led him to believe that there was no God. How would that be? What would life be like without the knowledge of a loving Heavenly Father? There would be no hope, nor happiness, and nothing to look forward to. That's why at this Thanksgiving time I am grateful for my testimony of the gospel. I can't imagine life without it. And I'm also grateful for this opportunity to serve a mission because it has solidified my testimony.

It's quite a change adjusting to Torrington from Windsor. There isn't as much going on here, but there is lots of potential! We taught Debra and her family again this week, but it seemed like every distraction in the book was working against us. Debra's parents were there conversing between themselves, the TV was blaring, the phone kept ringing, and numerous other things. But that was because we were teaching the greatest message that we have to offer: The Restoration of the Gospel. Even though it started out rocky, I think they felt the Spirit. I feel that we are here more for the younger kids so they may accept the gospel when they are old enough.

We also taught Sister Senecal again. She's a less-active member who had deterred off the strait and narrow path a bit. But she is making progress to find her way back. She was going to come to church yesterday (which is a HUGE step), but her ride situation didn't work out. We used the conference talk entitled "Preserving the Heart's Mighty Change" for our lesson, which she really enjoyed. She realizes that her heart has slowly been hardened and she is seeing the need to change. I love working with less-actives. I love helping them rediscover their testimonies and recognize the feelings of the spirit. President Pehrson made a good statement when he said that when we re-activate a less-active, it's just like having a baptism.

Yes, I did get accepted to BYU and I'm planning to pursue a Family History degree. Since being on my mission, that is the direction that I feel like I should head in. Maybe it's all of these dead ancestors out here! I didn't think that the day would ever come that I would want to attend BYU...but I guess it's here now!

Bedrest

From Nov. 23, 2009, email: That's kinda funny that Joel [brother] got hit with some type of virus because I've been out almost all this week with the flu! Luckily it wasn't H1N1, just the regular flu. I spent most of Thursday & Friday in bed, which was a nice rest, but now I'm stir crazy! Sometimes as a missionary you hope for just one little break, but when you get it, you don't want to be there! I'm doing much, much better, just a little sniffly and coughs. Sister Murray got a little bit of it so we nursed each other back to health.

Before the flu hit, we were able to have some good lessons here in Torrington. Elder Carr, the vehicle coordinator (how ironic, eh?), befriended Susan, the lady that works at the auto body shop that we take our mission cars to. Sadly, there have been too many cars in the shop, but I guess that has led to teaching opportunities! She is definitely searching for something in her life and wants to pursue this course. She already loves the Book of Mormon and has committed to be baptized when she knows it's true. It's such a good feeling to be teaching people that understand our purpose as missionaries and understand how important the restored gospel is.

We also taught a family from the Dominican Republic. The kids are super smart and they love the Plan of Salvation cutouts that we made. It's so much easier for everyone to understand the Plan if they have some sort of visual.

Sunday was our first time out of the apartment in a few days. The Goshen ward is SO great! All of the members LOVE missionaries and we are fed almost every day out of the week. So don't worry, we are taken care of. Hopefully I'll have more exciting news next week. Pray that I'll be completely recovered so I can get back to bringing others to Christ!

Transfer time

From Nov. 16, 2009, email: I'll be spending Thanksgiving and Christmas in Torrington with Sister Murray! It was quite a surprise because we thought Sister Pulham would get moved around again, but she's staying with Sister Thomas in Windsor and Sister Mortimer will join them. I had a feeling I was leaving Windsor and I'm super excited to have another adventure in a new area. I hear it's the coldest area in the mission and the Sisters there said they saw a black bear the other day. Yikes!

Tuesday we had a great lesson around a campfire. A weird warm streak has been in the area so it seemed just like summer. Bob & Cindy are a couple that we tracted into a few transfers ago and now we are finally starting to teach them. They have so many questions about the church & they are so willing to learn. We talked about the plan of salvation by firelight. It was a new experience for me, teaching outside with the fire, but the Spirit was definitely there. We also met with a less-active sister in the ward, Elaine, who is preparing for the temple. She had been a bit hesitant about going, mainly because she didn't know what to expect. But we brought another sister who shared her amazing experience about going for the first time. I could see Elaine's desire to attend the temple grow just in that meeting. I'm so grateful for members! They add so much to the lessons & provide experiences that missionaries just can't relate. I'm so excited to help out the Sister missionaries when I get home!

Saturday we were able to help the Mejias family clean out their 150-year-old barn that they are turning into an educational center. I had flashbacks to Almo! They had sooo much stuff in there and most of it went into the dumpster & out of their hair. Hmm...that's what I feel like doing with all of my junk when I get home. On a mission, you learn that you can live without a lot of things. We're trying to work more closely with the family because they haven't been to church in months. Jonathan still comes faithfully each week, though. Well, I've got to go pack up all of my stuff for transfers tomorrow! Hopefully I'll have more spiritual adventures for you all next week!

Faith, Hope, Charity

From email of Nov. 9, 2009: The highlight of this week was going on exchanges with the Fairfield Sisters. I went down there with my old comp, Sister Monson, while Sister Johnston joined the Windsor trio. That was my first trip down there to the "richest county in America." Oh, boy! There definitely was a difference in the people! Up here in Windsor, most are humble and willing to talk. But in Fairfield, they run at a faster pace. They think that they don't have time for religion. There are humble people, though. I was able to help teach a new member lesson to a woman who was baptized last Sunday. I could see the light in her eyes now that she had followed the example of Jesus Christ into the waters of baptism. Things like this strengthen my testimony of the restored gospel. I've had these wonderful blessings my whole life, but it is something else when you see the light come into a once darkened spirit.

We also helped the Bridgeport Spanish branch prepare for their musical fireside. Sister Monson is a music genius so she was able to extend her talents to help them. They are a small, yet humble group. But it shows that the Lord's work is going forth to every people and every country.

We were finally able to meet with the Mejias kids after a long absence. We strung string all throughout their living room and kitchen and told them to follow the string, or as we called it, the iron rod. They had such a blast trying to "hold fast" and not following the temptations of the adversary (me!). We had been worried about one of the boys because he hasn't been to church in a few months nor sat in on our lessons, but he enjoyed the lesson. Jonathan, the other boy, is an amazing example for them and also for me! He comes to church by himself, reads his scriptures daily, serves others, shares the gospel, and he's only 13! And he's only been a member for about six months. We're predicting he's going to be a future apostle. :) I love these kids so very much! It's an honor to have been able to teach them.

Sunday was a special day for the Bloomfield ward. It was "Bring a Friend to Church Day." Members of the ward were encouraged to extend the invitation to their friends and family to attend church. There were three or four non-member families that came, which is a huge success for this area. The primary explained the FAITH aspect of the church through their annual program. It's amazing how much you can feel the spirit through the voices of children. As soon as they started singing, I felt the power of their words. Even some of the Sunbeams had their parts memorized and recited them without a single stutter!

The theme of Sunday School was HOPE. It didn't hit me until then that a life without hope would be so dark and dreary. Jesus Christ brings us that hope. Without him, dispair would take over and there would be no looking forward to the blessings that Heavenly Father has in store. One of the greatest things that I have hope for is the time that I can be with ALL of my family in the Celestial kingdom. I'd better see you all there! Relief Society & Priesthood focused on CHARITY. I'm so thankful to be part of an organization that gives so much. We truly are happiest when we are serving the Lord.

We've made a good friendship with one of the less-actives in the ward, Sister Perkins. She is originally from Jamaica, but just earned her citizenship in the United States this week. We celebrated with her by eating papaya and mango, Jamaican specialties! She has such a huge heart. At this time, she is taking care of a 96-year-old lady and is by her side every minute. Back in Jamaica, she owned a shop and whenever she would see a child without shoes or clothing, she would take those items from her shop and give it to them, free of charge. That is a perfect example of charity! I have grown to love the people that I serve so very much. At the beginning of my mission, I didn't think it was possible to love them like I do now. But the spirit does amazing things in the hearts of these Connecticans, and also in mine.

This is the last week of the transfer so I could possibly move, but I could also stay. I just don't know yet! I haven't had any inclination either way. I'm willing to follow whatever the Lord has in store for me. Keep reading your scriptures, praying and serving others daily! I promise you GREAT blessings from Heavenly Father when you do so!

Greek goddesses

From Nov. 2, 2009, email: I'm so excited to hear that there are Sister missionaries in the area! I've never known Sisters to be in the Declo area before. I'd definitely love to go out with them if they are still around. Now I know how important members are to missionary work! So I encourage you all to help them out before I get home.

I forgot to tell you that a few weeks ago at church I saw Jenna Peterson from Oakley. She was sitting on the back row in the Hartford Ward sacrament meeting so I popped my head in and waved at her. She had a confused look on her face for a second, but she definitely recognized me. But I still haven't been able to talk to her to see how basketball is going. Yesterday while we were having our missionary coodination meeting, I saw her hobble by on crutches. The Hartford Elders said she tore a few ligaments in her foot and basketball is out for now. I think it's crazy that we are both out here in the same place. What are the odds?!

This week has been a bit rough. A lot of our appointments have fallen through, but we still keep on truckin'. We've let out a lot of frustration in raking leaves. I can't believe how many leaves there are! At the Hahn's (part-member family) we built up a giant pile of leaves and then got pictures jumping in them. The wind kept blowing our pile around so we had to chase the leaves down and corral them back with the others. Bro. Hahn isn't a member so we got some quality time in with him as we raked. We're slowly working through all of his concerns and we think he is super close to making the dive into the font!

Did I ever tell you that Dominick was back in town? Apparently his move down to Miami didn't work out so he's in Windsor Locks for a while. He still wants to be baptized, but there are some Word of Wisdom issues he needs to work through. We're teaching him a couple of times a week and I'm always amazed at how smart he is and how much he retains. He says that he received answers to his prayers and that he feels different when he prays. I'm so happy that he recognizes the Spirit!


On Halloween night, we had to be in our apartment by 6:00 so we had some extra time to have some fun. We used our bedsheets to dress up like Greek goddesses and ate pizza and ice cream. We had so much fun! I love these Sisters. I'm excited to continue our friendship after our missions!

Sister Worthington, the office Sister, called the other day and asked which airport I wanted to fly into. Agh! That was a shocker to me because it isn't time for me to go home. At least I don't feel like it yet. It seems like I just got out here. But, alas, my time out here will end soon.

Keep praying for the missionaries around the world. Each prayer helps! We feel the power that comes from the members' prayers. I felt that in testimony meeting yesterday. The unplanned subject of the meeting was missionary work. Many convert members bore their testimony of their conversions which made me feel sooo good! I got to witness the fruits of earlier missionary work. I sat back and thought to myself about the happiness sharing the gospel brings. I've never been happier in my life. I love being a missionary and I plan on continuing that great work when I go home. I encourage all of you to reach out to those who don't have the wonderful blessings of the gospel in their lives. They NEED it! And they WANT it!

Book of Mormon

From email of October 26, 2009: The annual Fall heat wave rolled through this week so we were enjoying not having to wear a coat. The leaves are just over peak now so their colors aren't as brilliant as they were before. They are turning more of a dull, rusty color. I guess I'd better get out there and take some more pictures before they all fall off! We've been having a blast raking up the leaves for the members and investigators. When we tell them we LOVE to rake leaves, they give us a funny look. We just explain that we don't really have leaves out West so it's fun for us to rake them. They gladly turn over the chore to us.

Last P-Day was part two of Heublein Tower. We had hoped that the leaves would be more colorful this time around, but there wasn't much difference. We were worried that the weather wouldn't permit us to go up because of a huge storm that rolled through on Sunday. But Monday was a perfectly beautiful day with no cloud in sight! Such a blessing!

I'm always amazed how the Lord prepares people to receive the gospel. We picked up a new investigator this week, Veronica, whom we had tracted into last week. She had missionaries stop by in the past, but things just didn't click. Then we taught her the message of the Restoration and she accepted everything! We asked her, "What would it mean to you to know that the Book of Mormon was true?" She replied, "Well,that means that I'd better get going to the true Church!" She was so humble and accepting. Great things will happen with her in the future.

We're running short on miles this month so last Friday we planned a no car/all walking day in Windsor Locks. We seriously walked about 10 miles! That was quite a bit for us since we're used to driving everywhere. But it feels so good to get out there and walk. Cars are definitely more convenient to get places, but you pass by so many people. I like to think of the 61st section of the Doctrine & Covenants which says, "But verily I say unto you, that it is not needful for this whole company of mine elders to be moving swiftly..., whilst the inhabitants on either side are perishing in unbelief." We were able to testify and hand out many copies of the Book of Mormon that day, thus fulfilling our purpose. It feels so good to be a missionary!

We had some wonderful speakers at Stake Conference this Sunday. First of all we had a new member bear his testimony about the blessings of this church and his fight to overcome an addiction to alcohol. His wife was a member, but she didn't want to push him into joining. Then he had that change of heart. He wanted to better his life because he could see the damage that his addiction was causing. He bore such a powerful testimony. Then a recently returned missionary spoke about the importance of sharing the gospel. He had just returned from South America the night before and hadn't been released yet! That's quite the homecoming talk. Then the granddaughter of President Monson, who lives in Avon, spoke on how she was using the scriptures in her family. She gave a lot of good examples that I mentally took note of for my future family. Now I realize the importance of teaching children. They are the future leaders of the church. We have to prepare them so they can "withstand the fiery darts of the adversary." I got to see some members from the Canton ward at Stake Conference and I was surprised that they remembered me! It feels so good to have made such an impact in their life that they remembered me after a year and many other missionaries down the line.

Since we have been focusing on the Book of Mormon these past few months, my testimony of it has grown immensely. I was reading about the account of Alma speaking to his son, Helaman, the other day and something really stuck out to me. At this time, Alma is passing on the records to Helaman and is explaining the impact that those words have had during his missionary service. Not only had those records brought many Lamanites to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, but also many Nephites had been sheparded back into the fold. Alma said,

"And now, it has hitherto been wisdom in God that these things should be preserved; for behold, they have enlarged the memory of this people, yea, and convinced many of the error of their ways, and brought them to the knowledge of their God unto the salvation of their souls. Yea, I say unto you, were it not for these things that these records do contain, which are on these plates, Ammon and his brethren could not have convinced so many thousands of the Lamanites of the incorrect tradition of their fathers; yea, these records and their words brought them unto repentance; that is, they brought them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and to rejoice in Jesus Christ their Redeemer. And who knoweth but what they will be the means of bringing many thousands of them, yea, and also many thousands of our stiffnecked brethren, the Nephites, who are now hardening their hearts in sin and iniquities, to the knowledge of their Redeemer?"

That is the same for the Book of Mormon. Alma and his brethren had those records to bring souls unto Christ. We have the Book of Mormon. And I love the Book of Mormon with all of my heart. I'm grateful for Mom & Dad, for their examples of reading the Book of Mormon. I'm so thankful for the many, many Sunday School & seminary teachers who planted that seed within me so that I would eventually come to know it was true. And I'm grateful for a wonderful family who lives the principles taught in this book.

New prospects

From email of October 13, 2009: We definitely got a touch of that cold weather. Burrr! There were a few days this week that we froze. Then to make matters worse, I picked up a cold of my own. But we're bundling up and plugging along. I love this cool, crisp weather because it's a fresh new start of the season.

The Lord is blessing us with new families to teach. In addition to the Campbells, we found another family of three that's really searching for something more. We had run across the mother right as we were leaving an appointment with Dominick on the same street. Her 11-year-old son had been asking a lot of questions about God and Jesus Christ for the past year and she decided she needed to address that topic. So she brought us over. We taught her, her son, and the boy's father (they're not married...yet!) and committed them to be baptized. And they accepted! They were super excited to come to church and to become involved in the community of Saints. But she works on Sundays so she won't be able to attend. We're still trying to figure out that situtation.

On Saturday we brought one of the Young Women out with us to an appointment, but that appointment fell through. So she consented to do some tracting with us! Since there were four of us, we could divide and conquer and we got a lot accomplished. She is the friend that invited Amanda to girls' camp, which led to her baptism last week. Because of this, she wants to be a sister missionary. She is going to make a great one, too!

The Relief Society had their monthly cooking class this week and the subject was, can you imagine, APPLES! I learned how to make baked apples and applesauce. Then we made "dinner in a pumpkin" which is a rice, cream of chicken soup mixture baked inside of a pumpkin. I'll have to send the recipe home because it was so, so good! Who would have ever thought to bake a pumpkin for dinner? There were lots of leftovers so they were kind enough to supply us Sisters with dinner for the next few days. That was such a blessing!

There is a new "mission culture" starting in the Connecticut Hartford mission. We are using the Book of Mormon more in our finding. Instead of handing out a BOM pass-along card, we hand out the actual book. Every person we come across we offer the book and commit to be baptized. I was a bit apprehensive to do this because I'm still a little timid, but since instituting this new culture, I've become much more bold. The Lord needs bold missionaries. We can't take the BOM lightly. It is evidence of the Restoration. It will bless the lives of people who are in darkness. My testimony of the Book of Mormon has increase dramatically in the past few months because of our focus on it. I love to read it! I encourage everyone to read from it daily. Make time for the important things in life!

Baptism!

From October 13, 2009 email: It sounds like it is apple season! We also had our own apple pressing fun last Monday. Bro. Ouellette, the ward mission leader, invited us over for FHE with the Mejias family to make some homemade apple cider. We used an old-fashioned hand press which gave us a good workout. But just like anything in life, good things require work. And boy was that cider good!

We had worked up a thirsty appetite earlier that day by hiking up to the Heublein Tower atop Avon Mountain. The folks around here like to call it a mountain, but it's more of a little bump in the landscape. It's the highest point in the area and some rich guy built a tower on top which is now open to the public. It was quite the trek, but the view was amazing! We could see for miles! We're planning to go back next Monday to catch the leaves at peak. Hopefully they're still on the trees by then!

Amanda did get baptized on Saturday! Will Rice, the teenage brother of the girl that invited her to church, baptized her. She was beaming that whole day because she had been waiting a long time for that moment. She still hasn't told her mother that she got baptized so hopefully that doesn't bring resentment towards the church when she does find out. Amanda's father said he would take all of the backlash because he authorized the baptism. Hmm...that makes me SO grateful for the family that I have!

Saturday we also had a fun experience at the town of Windsor Chili Cook-off. A member had informed us of the event a few weeks back and hinted that it would be a great place to go contacting. And it was! We were able to hand out a lot of pass-along cards and even some DVDs. Plus the chili was good. One of my favorites was the Celtic Chili, which promised to "put a wee bit of wind in yer pipes."

Friday night we found a family that has some great potential. All of our appointments had fallen through for the night. So we turned to our back-up plans of tracting. At one door, a Jamaican lady chatted for us a bit and then eventually let us in. We proceeded to teach a lesson on the Restoration, which she was intrigued by. She had grown up Pentacostal, but was still searching for something. Her husband pulled up in the driveway and we Sisters exchanged some nervous glances because you never know how the spouse will react to strangers in the house. But he sat right down and listened to our message. Then he said, "Wow, can you believe that just last night we said that we needed to find a church. Plus my wife NEVER lets anyone in the house or even answers the door." I'm glad that he recognized us as an answer to prayers. So we'll be working with them later on this week.

We are having a wonderful time being a trio. Sister Pulham is amazing! I love being able to serve with her. She’s from Lehi, UT, but got her call while at BYU-Hawaii. What I really love is that she is a sports fan too! She actually played college soccer in Iowa & Hawaii. Yesterday for p-day she taught me how to play and I really enjoyed it. We beat some of the Elders in a game so that shows how good she is! She will be out here until the first week in January. Temple square sisters go on “outbounds” anytime after their third transfer so they get to experience the ups and downs of “real” missionary work.

(above left to right: Murray, Monson, Pulham, Baird, Thomas, Sister Pehrson, Johnston, Darrington, Mortimer, Timothy)

The leaves out here are BEAUTIFUL! I wish all of you could experience them. I’ll send some pictures home just so you can get a taste of what it’s really like. Fall is definitely here! Thinking about the change of seasons made me realize that I don’t have much time left. There are only two more transfers left after this one. I still can’t believe how time passes by so quickly. I really need to dig in deep and finish with a bang! I’ve been blessed not to be trunky. This is the best thing I could be doing right now!

The Lord's Hand

From October 5, 2009, email: I can't believe that there is already snow in Idaho! I don't wish to see any here in Connecticut for a few more months! And wasn’t conference amazing! I felt so spiritually uplifted! There were so many talks that spoke directly to me. I can’t pick a favorite yet because they were all so good!

The baptism for Amanda is a go for this Saturday. She had her interview before conference on Saturday and she's so excited! I've seen a huge change come over her even in the short time that I've known her. It's amazing what the gospel of Jesus Christ will do for people. When the Spirit touches a heart, that heart is changed forever!

We had to say our goodbyes to Dominick this week. His mother officially kicked him out at the end of the month so he is finding a new life for himself in Miami. It will be really good for him to get out of the drug scene in Windsor Locks. I'm sad to see him go, but I know that there are missionaries down in Florida who will help him enter the waters of baptism! I'm happy to say that he wanted to spent his last night in Connecticut having a lesson with the Sister missionaries! He even said, "It's going to be hard to keep the Word of Wisdom down in Miami, but I'm going to try my hardest!" He really gets it! He knows that true happiness comes from following Jesus Christ and keeping his commandments. It brings me so much joy knowing that I've touched one more life!

I find it amazing how much the Spirit directs us in our missionary efforts. In our nightly planning, we "randomly" picked a street to tract and followed our plans the next day. The first door we knocked on was a former investigator whom we had no record of! He loved having the missionaries come over and he still goes to the church every once in a while when he has time off of work. It was not some crazy coincidence. We see the Lord's hand every day! Another example happened just last night. We set a goal for ourselves to hand out a Book of Mormon each day this week. Sunday evening at about 7:30 pm we hadn't handed one out so we were feeling a bit down on ourselves for coming so close to our goal. But then Sister Thomas spots someone at a bus stop as we were driving by so we turn the car around, say a quick yet fervent prayer, jump out, and start talking to this young girl. Miracles! She has always believed that there was one true church and hadn't found it yet. She was intrigued by the Book of Mormon and wants to learn more! I know that the Lord is watching over His missionaries and that this work will go forth no matter what!

Transfers are this week, but Sister Thomas and I will be staying in Windsor together. But…..we’re getting another Sister so we’ll be a trio! Sister Pullham is a Temple Square sister doing her outbound in our mission. We’re super excited to have her this next transfer! Sister Thomas and I are finding some crazy connections. First of all, she has a “friend” serving in the Houston Texas mission. I entered the MTC the same day as him. His family owns a big ranch/farm out in Idahome…do you happen to know a Rullon Spear? THEN…his mission president’s son just happens to be Lisa Lee’s husband! Wow…who would have ever thought! Sister T. emailed a copy of their wedding announcement and he emailed back saying that they had just been visiting last week. Crazy!

I love being on a mission even with all of it's craziness. I know Heavenly Father wanted me to be out here and I'm proud to serve him. Keep Windsor in your prayers so we can find more people to share the light of the gospel with! And now I'm taking the counsel of Elder Bednar...I LOVE YOU ALL, FAMILY!

Charity

From email of Sept. 28, 2009: This week we went on exchanges with the Sisters in Newport. Sister Thomas (below left) went over the bridge to Newport with Sister Johnston (below rear) and my greenie, Sister Mortimer (below right), came with me to Windsor. It was so much fun to be back with her! She has grown so much in testimony and spirit since we were last together. We reminised about our Groton days and laughed at our funny experiences. Then I took her over to see the Oliver Ellsworth homestead, which just happens to be a distant relative of hers! It was a pretty successful day with a couple of new investigators and some great lessons with LA/RC and Dominick. I love exchanges because not only does it build our friendships with other Sisters, but we get a bit of refreshing. Sometimes we get into a rut when we are with the same companion for a long time. We ended our exchange with lunch & ice cream (of course!) at Friendly's, the East Coast version of Denny's.
On Friday, we helped a young mother pack up her house & move. She was super stressed out about it and didn't have much time to prepare so we were glad to help. But she had SOOO much stuff! I don't think she would have been out of there that day if we wouldn't have helped her. We definitely got our work-out hauling huge boxes up the stairs from the basement. Both of us were super sore the next day! One thing I've learned on my mission is the joy that comes from unselfish service. If I don't expect anything in return, then the spiritual blessings pour in. I've struggled for a long time to "forget myself and go to work," but I'm finally catching the vision. I'm definitely going to extend my service opportunities more often when I get home!

Saturday evening was the General Relief Society Broadcast which I loved! As it was starting, I thought to myself, "Mom, my sisters, and the other wonderful women in my life are all doing the exact same thing I am doing." I felt so close to all of you because we were united in purpose. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. But I held strong. After hearing the messages from the Relief Society sisters, I committed myself to always to my visiting teaching. I didn't realize how important it is to visit these sisters each month and how many lives you can touch through it.

But there was one thing that really struck me. President Eyring was speaking about the connection between the Atonement and charity. When we truly come to understand the Atonement, our hearts are changed. We want to be like Christ and have no more desire to do evil. When our hearts are changed, they have a greater capacity to love like Christ did. One of my favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon is Alma 5. Alma said:

"Behold, he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God."

". . . a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts, and they humbled themselves and put their trust in the true and living God."

"And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?"

"And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?"

That message touched me so much because I have felt that change in my heart. I felt a portion of it before I came out on my mission, but it has changed immensely since being out here. I know that when we have that change, we will do as Christ would want us to do. And he wants us to have charity for others. It's amazing how much I can love these crazy Connecticutians and Rhode Islanders. Without charity, you are nothing.

Sunday we got to experience TWO baptisms! Sadly enough, none of them were our investigators. The assistants had a baptism of a twelve-year-old girl named Deszchelene (I might have missed a letter or two in that one). She's the daughter of a recently re-activated member. She had to overcome her fear of water so she could be baptized. Then we headed up to Suffield to watch a child of record baptism in a pond! We were a bit late so we didn't get to see the actual baptism. But it was SOOO beautiful! It had been raining all day so there was a light mist over the pond. Plus the leaves are starting the change so it created a beautiful backdrop for such a sacred event!
Thanks for all of your great examples, especially those who have served missions. It is TOUGH! And I admire all of you who have served. But now I know what great blessings come to us because of it. Remember those times on your missions!

Tender mercies!

From email of Sept. 21, 2009: I'd still like the Buck pedigree chart. I talked to the Bucks in the Hartford Ward and we're wanting to compare relatives! And speaking of Bucks, I ran into someone at zone conference that President Buck might happen to know. The area mental health advisor, Sister Rowe (above), gave us a training at our conference on Wednesday. She sat with us at lunch and of course we went through the whole "where are you from, who do you know" game. Well....she just happens to be Thayne Buck's sister! How crazy is that? We got a picture together so you can send a copy to Thayne & Marilyn. It's a small world!

This has been a much better week than the last. We reset baptismal dates for Amanda (Oct. 11) and Dominick (Oct. 4) and then set two more with some of our other investigators! The Lord is constantly preparing people to receive the restored Gospel. We as missionaries, and members, just have to have the faith and the courage to open our mouths and invite. It never ceases to amaze me how much the Lords blesses us with his tender mercies. We see miracles happen here every week! We took the bus on Thursday to save on our miles and ran into Tido, a young man we had met weeks before who was interested in the Book of Mormon. We had met him at a bus stop in the Wilson area, but he was in such a hurry that we didn't get his information. But on Thursday he was on his way to work and just so happened to miss his usual bus. We were at the right place and the right time! We called him a few days later and his brother wants to learn more! Tender mercies!

Sister Thomas and I are having a wonderful time reactivating less-actives and teaching our investigators. We get along great and have promised to be great friends from now on. I remember when I got set apart that the couselor in the Stake Presidency told me to have fun on my mission, but still be obedient. Sister T & I definitely are doing that! We laugh until our sides hurt and we play games during tracting to make it more enjoyable. She loves to cook, too, so we always make great meals together. I feel bad for the other missionaries who eat Ramen & cereal all the time because we eat actual meals! I'm so glad that I could make so many lifetime friends on my mission.

I've noticed on my mission that we need to build up the areas that are struggling. It's fine and dandy to go to a nice, big ward where you can blend in with everyone else and not take much responsibility. But these less-flourishing areas need the leadership and love that we can offer.

Fall is just starting to peek into the leaves. Every once in a while we get a nice bright flash of color. I'm super excited for another fall out here. It is SO beautiful! I have to recommend that all of you experience it for yourselves! I'll definitely have to take more pictures this year so you can get a taste of what I see every day!

Not such a great week!

From Sept. 14, 2009, email: It's amazing how quickly things can turn around. The week before was awesome, but this past week was one of the worst. Amanda didn't get baptized because her mom wouldn't give her permission. She said to wait--possibly months or years. She didn't say absolutely not so we're still hopeful for the future. It's all in the Lord's timing!

Dominick didn't show up for church yesterday so we'll have to move his baptismal date back a week or so. We had such a wonderful lesson on Saturday night, but I guess it wasn't enough to get him to church. His friends are not a good influence on him so he's struggling to find the balance. I'm not sure that his heart is completely into the gospel. It sounds like a good thing to him, but he doesn't have the testimony needed to stay strong. So we'll be working on that this week. He went with us to Institute at the Bloomfield chapel and really liked it. They've got some great kids in the area that he can fellowship with. I even enjoyed the Institute class. Even though I've read the BOM over and over, I still had many new insights throughout the class.

On Wednesday, all four of our appointments cancelled so we weren't too happy then. But we did take the bus down to Hartford to get monthly bus passes & were able to hand out two BOMs. That was the highlight of the day. And once again on Friday, all of our appointments cancelled. It was a frustrating week, but we just have to press forward through the hard times.

Saturday we did service for a part member family. Luckily I've become such an expert at painting (haha) from all those hours in Almo. We have a deal with the non-member husband: one hour of service for one hour of church. So we happily painted away for a couple of hours and he came to church (without his member wife) with their two kids. Service is the best way to soften a heart! He won't be baptized anytime soon, but definitely in the future.

The Elders talked in church yesterday and did a wonderful job. One of them talked about his missionary experiences in high school. Two similar situations produced such different results. But in both of them, he felt the undescribable joy that came from sharing the gospel. As D&C 18 states, if you bring one soul unto Christ, "how great shall be your joy with Him in the kingdom of my father." I've truely felt that joy as I've been serving the Lord here in Connecticut. I know that this is His work and we are just the instruments in bringing those souls into the fold. I've never felt so happy in my life! I wish I could carry this feeling on even after I'm home. Heavenly Father doesn't need us to do the work . . . he could send angels down here to preach the gospel. But WE need it. We need to learn unselfish service. We need to strengthen our testimonies so that no matter what storm comes our way, we are safely built upon the rock of Jesus Christ. That is probably what I'm most grateful for. I can now say I have a testimony of Jesus Christ, the Atonement, the Restoration, the BOM, and also prayer. There is no way that I could have spiritually survived without this testimony.

The best week ever!

From Sept. 8, 2009, email: We had a wonderful Labor Day yesterday. The missionaries in the Hartford/Bloomfield wards headed over to the mission home to watch the BYU-Oklahoma game. Of course the Elders were in heaven because they hadn't seen a football game in months and years! One of the assistants, Elder Pawlak, will be playing football for BYU next year so I'm sure he got a bit trunky. It took me back to the days of watching sports with Dad and my bros!

Sister Pehrson (below) took me and Sister Thomas to the mall for a short visit and even bought us some lip gloss from the MAC counter. She spoils us! We also made some super yummy oatmeal/chocolate chip cookies at the mission home. Maybe I'll send the recipe home next week so you can enjoy them too!

This week has been one of the best in my entire mission. We have seen so many large and small miracles happen. We had some good lessons with Dominick and even took him to a YSA dinner which was a hit. However, we got suckered into giving the FHE lesson tonight there so we'll be going again with him. He went to church for the first time this Sunday and loved it. He really enjoys the family-feel in the church because his family isn't the greatest. He's still a go for the 26th of September so keep him in your prayers!

We are also still planning on a baptism for Amanda this Saturday...if her mom will give her consent. Her mom said yes at first, but then took away her approval after hearing some anti-Mormon rumors. Her parents are in the middle of a divorce after which her father will gain full custody of her. He totally supports her in getting baptized so we are in this back-and-forth battle with her mom. So keep her in your prayers also!

We were finally able to have an appointment with Leslie, a middle-aged lady, whom we met contacting. She had issues with prophets, but that was quickly resolved after a scripture chain through the New Testament. We were looking at a scripture, Mark 13:24, where it compares Christ to a man taking a journey and "giving authority to his servants" when we ran across a difference in Bibles. She had recently studied with Jehovahs Witnesses so she was using a copy of their Bible. But hers did not mention anything about Christ in that verse, which really upset her. We've got her turned back to the King James version. She has been searching for truth for her entire life and now it is right in front of her. The answers that we give her bring comfort to her that she hasn't felt in years. I'm excited to see how she will progress. Not only did that lesson touch Leslie's heart, but it changed mine also. Of course I've always felt that the Book of Mormon was true. But the truth never came with such force as it did when I bore testimony to her. I wasn't just saying that I believed it was true. I KNEW it was true. That was the witness that I'd been praying to Heavenly Father for so long to receive. There have been times that I've doubted, even when I have been out here on my mission. But now I know without a doubt that it is here to restore truths that were lost and to be an additional witness to Christ.

The mission has started a Book of Mormon activity in which we are reading the entire book & highlighting all the names or references to Christ in red and marking his words in blue. I highly recommend everyone to do this! I'm only halfway through 1 Nephi, but I've gotten so much out of it!

I know that when we put it in our minds to be obedient & diligent no matter what, miracles will happen. I love my mission. I especially love these people whom I am serving. I'm so thankful for the change in myself as I have served here in Connecticut. I know that I'm closer to being who Heavenly Father wants me to be. It is wonderful!

Commitments!

From Aug. 31, 2009, email: Sister Thomas and I are having a wonderful time here in Windsor. We just set two baptismal dates this week, one with Dominick and another with Amanda. Dominick wants to change his life & wants to feel the cleansing power of baptism. But he has to start coming to church first. We set up a ride and everything yesterday and he just didn't show up. Ugh. Maybe next week! Amanda is friends with a YW in the ward, Kaylee Rice. They went up to girls camp together and Amanda came back with a desire to be baptized. We taught her and her father about the Restoration on Monday and then just taught Amanda the Plan of Salvation on Saturday. Her father wanted to make sure she knew what she was getting into. But she is ready! She's getting dunked on the 12th of September and then going to do baptisms at the temple the next weekend. Pray that everything works out!

President Pehrson sent out a letter this past week to all the missionaries stating the "15 commitments of a Connecticut Hartford mission." He's really emphasizing our personal worthiness and diligence so we can be more effective missionaries. These commitments include getting up on time, going to bed on time, studying when we should, teaching all 5 lessons each week....things that we should be doing anyway. But then he added a commitment to commit our investigators to baptism on our first lesson. I thought he was crazy at first, but he sure does know what he's talking about! It weeds out those who aren't interested in joining. And we've seen some great things happen this week because of our effort to be exactly obedient to those commitments.

Last night we had a fireside for the Bloomfield Ward. We had a pretty good turnout which is good! We Sisters talked about "the triangle of power" with missionaries, members, and the Lord making up the sides. The triangle will be strong only when each side is equal. Then the Elders did a cool visual of Alma 50, which we have to build up barriers around us to keep the "arrows" of the adversary from penetrating us. As members of the church we have so many pickets, walls, towers, etc. that keep us safe. But those without the gospel are helpless. That really helped me to understand why this gospel is so important.

New companion

From August 24, 2009 email: I guess we got a touch of Hurricane Bill on Friday with lots of rain and strong winds. We had to reschedule a few of our appointments because of the weather. I'm about done with this heat and humidity. We spend a lot of the time outside and we are permeated with sweat by the time the day is over! But I hear there is cool weather on the horizon! I can't wait for another fall out here!

We got transfer calls last night and Sister Monson is getting shipped out of Windsor. She's headed down to Fairfield with Sister Baird and Sister Thomas is coming to Windsor. She's the red-headed sister that I did exchanges a few transfers ago. I'm sad that Sister Monson and I don't get to spend much time together, but I'm also excited for a fresh start. We've got lots of good things planned for the area!

We had a frustrating lesson with a recent convert/investigator family this week. The wife was baptized earlier this week, but the husband never made the plunge. He says that he has issues with tithing because he can't afford to pay it right now. They have to get their finances in order before they can donate anything. We tried to explain that huge blessings will come to the whole family when they put forth the faith to pay it. It is that element of faith that they have to put forth. The wife has been paying her tithing, but recommitted to pay it first. It is frustrating when people aren't willing to try out the Lord's promises. We are told that he will "open you the windows of heaven, that there will not be room enough to receive it." Maybe somewhere down the line he will change his mind.

Now I have a question for you all: How did you gain a testimony of tithing and how has the Lord blessed you because of it?

The stake had girls' camp this week which produced some amazing results. A friend of one of the Rice girls in our ward wants to be baptized! She had an amazing experience at camp and already comes to church a lot. We are teaching her (and her parents) tonight so pray that everything goes well! Her parents aren't very supportive of the idea, but her father has give her consent to be baptized. Her mother had at first said she could do whatever she wanted, but took that back when she received some anti-Mormon literature from a friend at work. Ugh! Luckily they are issues that can be addressed easily. She heard that Mormons can't cut their hair...that's strange!

It scares me when I think that I only have 5 months left! I kind of feel like the younger Curtis Richins who just came home from his mission. It has taken me a long time to know how to be a good missionary. Over the past few months, things have just clicked in my mind on why this is so important. I wish I would have realized this the first month of my mission! But I can't change the past so all I can do now is work my hardest in bringing souls to Christ!

Planting seeds

From August 17, 2009 email: I was thinking that Tanner [her oldest nephew] had another year before he turned 12, but I thought wrong! I can't believe that he is old enough to be a deacon! Time sure does fly by! I can't wait to see how much those little squirts have grown while I've been out here.

Last Monday we had a ward FHE softball game. Softball just isn't up my alley. I slipped quite a few times and one was particularly funny. And they just happened to get that on video! Then I ended up with a huge bruise on my hand because my first instinct when a ball is flying at me is to stop it and I didn't think about using the glove! Haha...just a few blonde moments there. Hopefully this helped to bridge our relationship with the ward members. We've got to make this ward unified! The mosquitoes came out towards the end of the game and they enjoy biting me! I look like I have chicken pox on my legs. Maybe it's because I'm so sweet! :)

We had an experience this week that helped us to understand that seeds are being planted all over. Thursday evening we were tracting a street because one of our appointments didn't show up. People were quite rude and someone even left us a mini-Bible on our windshield. But of course, at the last house on the street, someone was interested. We set up an appointment with Bryan for the next day and suprisingly enough, he was there. As we start the lesson, he said that he had a friend that was interested in learning more about the church...but she lived in Egypt and was Muslim. Bryan met her in Egypt where he had been teaching elementary school kids. So he hooked up his computer to a microphone and she listened to our lesson and even asked a few questions. She really wanted to learn more, but all we could do was to direct her to the mormon.org website. Hopefully someone will be able to help her out more. It was a neat experience to help plant a seed all the way across the world.

It's interesting how the Spirit lets you know whether someone is ready, or not, to accept the gospel. We sat down with a former investigator to see if his heart had been softened, but we couldn't present a coherant lesson. I had no inspiration whatsoever and I could tell Sister Monson didn't either because she kept turning to me with a bewildered look. Ugh! We got the hint that he wasn't at all willing to change nor could he see the blessing the gospel could be to his life. But then ten minutes later, we had an awesome lesson with Dominick, our 17-year-old investigator. We had exactly what we needed to say put into our mouths. That's just another testimony that this gospel is true!

A few nights ago I was saying me evening prayers before I hopped into bed and I felt this overwhelming sense of peace. I've never felt something like that before. But it was then that I knew that I truly did love my mission. Even though it's so stinkin' hard at times, I love it. There is no greater work out there than to proclaim the gospel. We have what the whole world needs. So let's all get to work!

Better attitude = better sucess!

From August 10, 2009, email: When one door closes, another one opens! I'm sure your release from the branch will bring even greater opportunities! But I am sad that things won't be the same when I get back. Hopefully the new ones can carry on the wonderful tradition of the branch.

After Preparation Day last week, we helped a member family in the ward to paint their kitchen cabinets. Good thing I've had a lot of painting experience in my life!

We're working harder to get to know the members because some of them aren't too supportive of the missionaries. The best way to soften them up is to teach them! We are SO thankful for the members who do come out to appointments with us and feed us. Coming to Windsor from Groton is like going from feast to famine. But I look at this in a good way...I've gained too much weight out here! I'm sure you're all laughing at the pictures I've sent home because I'm not quite the same as before. I sure laughed at Adam & Joel when they plumped up.

Tuesday we went on exchanges with the Rocky Hill sisters. Sister Timothy (from Bear Lake area) came here with Sister Monson and I went to Rocky Hill with Sister Murray (from Rexburg). We had a wonderful time! It's always good to get a change of scenery for a bit. Sister Murray is a wonderful missionary and I very much enjoyed our time together.

Wednesday was Zone Conference and it was probably the best one yet! The general theme of it was "Recognizing the Spirit" from chapter 4 in Preach My Gospel. This is something I've felt like I've struggled with and, of course, the best way to learn is to give a talk! President Pehrson asked me to give a 3-5 minute talk on personal revelation and it went very well! I'm so glad that I have grown so much! I can give a talk and not be too nervous about it! The other missionaries who gave talks did a wonderful job and the Spirit was definitely present. The sad part was I had to say goodbye to Sister Haueter & Sister Glenn. Their time here in the mission was up and it came so quickly!

Saturday night we had a really good lesson with a young kid named Dominique. He had talked to missionaries previously and had received a Book of Mormon. He has lots of good questions about God and Jesus Christ. It sounds like he never had any religion in his life. It blew his mind that Christ came here to atone for our sins and weaknesses. I don't know how anyone could make it through life without a knowledge of the Atonement. Life just seems bleak and pointless without it. He had never prayed before, but had read in our pamphlet how to pray so he tried it out. I see great things in this kid. He is being prepared to one day receive the gospel.

We are seeing many great and small miracles happen in this area. Sister Monson and I decided that we were lacking a bit in faith and were a bit negative about things. So we have made a change in our attitude and amazing things are happening! We're excited to get things rolling here in Windsor Locks!

Windsor work

From August 3, 2009, email: That is SAD news about the branch [Marsh Creek Young Singles that parents have been serving in]! I can't believe it is time for a change already. I'm sure you feel just as I feel when I have to leave an area and start fresh. It's hard to leave, but there are more opportunities to bless the lives of others out there. I hope the new leaders will be as good as the original Marsh Creek Branch presidency.

This week has been a bit slow for appointments because people keep cancelling and ignoring us! We have a lot of investigators down in Windsor, but now that we've moved up to Windsor Locks, we need to focus our efforts here. Not many of our investigators are progressing nor willing to keep commitments so we'll be doing a lot of dropping! We need a fresh start on the area. So we're working hard at finding new investigators!

We taught a couple, the Arnolds, who had visited Temple Square a few weeks back and wanted to learn more about our religion. We had a really good first lesson with them on the Restoration and they wanted to learn more! They were so willing to read & pray about the Book of Mormon that it kinda threw me off. They had previously gone to a Congregational church, but were turned off by the new leadership there. They said that they didn't realize that they were missing something until they had visited Temple Square. He has also had lots of contact with missionaries because he owns a bike shop down in Newington. But we won't be able to meet with them for the next couple of weeks so keep them in your prayers!

Patricia is about our only progressing investigator. She lives in the same apartment complex the Sisters used to live in so that is how the first contact was made. Her family is super opposed to her investigating or getting baptized, but she is willing to follow the example of Jesus Christ. We had a great lesson with her in which she said she would be baptized before her next birthday, which is in November. She even came to church for the first time this Sunday & enjoyed it! Sometimes I wonder about the testimony meetings out here, but it was actually a good one this time around. Most of the youth filed up to give their testimonies about EFY. I'm glad these kids have something like that to attend to strengthen their testimonies of the gospel. We also had a wonderful Relief Society lesson on temples, which included pioneers, past and present. Sister Ouellette gave a PowerPoint presentation on a group of members from Africa who traveled over 300 miles through storms and mud to go to the temple. I know the Spirit touched every heart in the room. The was hardly a dry eye in the room.

We had a short lesson with the Mejias kids on Thursday night and then had a little basketball game against them. It was a blast! It was boys (Jon-13yrs and Myles-12yrs) against Sister Monson, Nya (8yrs), and me. We kept score for a while, but we were having too much fun to care. Imagine it: two sister missionaries out there in their skirts and tracting shoes playing basketball. The boys gave us a compliment by saying we were better than most of the Elders that came over to play. Haha...I wouldn't be surprised if we were... :)

All is well here in Windsor. We are working hard to bring the blessings of the gospel to all. But this time I have as a missionary is coming to an end. I'll be coming home February 10th! I'll get my flight plans sometime soon. I can't believe how fast it has gone by. I'm gonna miss this when I'm done!

Lots of work to do!

From email of July 27, 2009: Things are going great here in Windsor Locks. Yes, things have finally settled down, but we are still so stinkin' busy. I love it! Windsor & Windsor Locks are both quaint little towns and there is lots of good work to be done.

We had another musical fireside last night in Woodbridge, but this time I actually participated. It was AMAZING! There were over 300 people in attendance and the musical numbers were so touching. I think all who were there could feel the presence of the Spirit. One Elder sang, "I Stand All Amazed" and couldn't make it through it without choking up. That set the rest of us off. Luckily I didn't let any tears fall, but they were definitely welling up in my eyes! Many in the audience were touched to the point of tears. It was so powerful! I wish you all could have been there to enjoy it. We received a standing ovation (which was kinda strange in the chapel), and I do know that hearts were touched especially mine.

Earlier on Sunday we had the confirmations of two recently baptized members, Myles and Nya. They are part of the Mejias family: the wife was recently activated, the older boy baptized a few months ago, and the husband a non-member. They are such an awesome family. The older son, Jon, remembers having the Elders around a few years back and wants to be just like them. He initiated contact with the missionaries and didn't take long to get baptized. They are such great kids, and I'm so glad to have them a part of our ward. We're hoping to help them make the step towards an eternal family.

We're working on building up our teaching pool here in Windsor Locks as the Sisters before me just baptized most of their progressing investigators. It's tough work, but I love it. There's always a sense of accomplishment after a long day. People are really kind and listen, but most don't see the need for organized religion. We know that there are people out there who will accept it. We've had some good lessons with Orlando, a former investigator that we picked up again last week. He has been through all of the lessons, but doesn't accept that Joseph Smith was the only one called of God at that time. We tried to explain that there were inspired men, but there is just one person on the Earth who is called of God to lead the true church. But he is reading the BOM and praying about it so I know that he will get the answer he is looking for.

The ward is good here, but they aren't as thrilled about member missionary work as was the Groton ward. So we're going to work on that. We're planning to get into their homes and teach them the message of the Restoration to help them remember their testimonies and fuel the desire to share it. We just have a very small portion of the ward in our boundaries and the assistants cover the rest. This transfer we have three assistants because Elder Brand is going home next week. He is the one who put together the muscial fireside and he definitely will be missed by the mission! The assistants love to pull pranks on us Sisters so we're plotting some way to get back at them.....any ideas? :)

I realized that we do have ancestors in the Windsor/Suffield area. Bro. Buck, member in the Hartford ward (who lives in Wethersfield), still lives on a farm that has been in the family for generations. I wonder if we're related. I'll have to catch him in the hallway at church and compare pedigree charts.

Yes, all of my companions except for my trainer have been from Utah. And I will definitely be keeping in touch with them. I've made SO many great friends here on the mission and I plan on continuing those friendships later on. The sisters out here are so great!

I want you all to know that I KNOW that the gospel is the way to happiness in life. I KNOW that the message I carry as a missionary is our hope in life. I KNOW that the true church has been established once again on the earth. I KNOW that we have a living prophet here to guide us. And I KNOW that our trials are given to us for our good. We are being purified just as silver, as Pres. Buck demonstrated a while back in a lesson. I love this gospel...I love being a missionary!

Happy One Year Anniversary!

From email of July 20, 2009: Can you believe it's been a year since I entered the MTC? I sure can't! Time has flown by so quickly. It is just hitting me that my time out here is VERY short and I have to make the best of it!

So now I'm in Windsor Locks, CT. It is a totally different area than what I'm used to. It's a poorer area, but the people are definitely humbled! We are so stinkin' busy each day...I've never been busier! We have a pretty large teaching pool, but none who are in the running for baptism yet. The previous Sisters just had 7 people baptized so we've got lots of recent convert lessons to teach. We are going to start working with the ward more closely as they aren't too missionary minded. Hopefully things will start to turn around.

My companion is Sister Monson from Centerville, UT. Joel used to home teach her back in the days of Old Farm [in Logan, UT]. Crazy! We get along really great. We're both a bit shy so we're pushing each other to do better each day. I'll have to write more about our experiences later as I don't have much time left on the computer!

Transfers!

From email of July 13, 2009: Last week I forgot to mention that transfers were coming up. And so...suprise! We're getting doubled out of Groton! It was a big shocker to us. Sister Mortimer is headed to Newport (getting doubled in there) and I'm off to Windsor. I had a feeling that I was going, but I had no idea that it would be both of us. We're spending a lot of today packing and saying goodbye to all the wonderful people here. I'm going to miss it so much! We have Jayde's baptism this Saturday so the Elders will have to be on top of things to get it done!

We got our transfer call last night while we were teaching the Taggarts. They are so awesome! Seth said he didn't want anything less than a temple marriage now so his kids can be sealed to him. We also committed Kelsi to accept nothing less than that...in a few years! We took our departing pictures, some of which are included in the email. Seth's little boys said they wanted us to be their "big sisters" and they attached themselves to us pretty quickly. Its been good for them to be exposed to church because they don't get much of that with their mom in Louisiana.

We had a funny thing happen to us the other day. We were just about to leave for service at Gerts when Sister M. decided she needed to go to the bathroom. I'm sitting on the couch in the other room when I hear "HELP!" Sister M. got locked in the bathroom because the handle was messed up. So after a bit of fussing, we got her out and I thought I got it fixed. But then I get locked in the bathroom and the handle falls completely off! We had to do some more fumbling around until I was out. We were laughing so hard that we were struggling to get out the door. A little comic relief doesn't hurt every once in a while!

Interesting holiday

From July 6, 2009 email: It sounds like everyone had a wonderful Independence Day. Mine was quite interesting...a wedding, baptism, and a BBQ! Friday afternoon, Pres. Pehrson left us a message on our phone saying that he wanted us to be witnesses for a wedding he was performing in the Groton chapel on the 4th. We called him back and got the full story: a sailor in the navy and his fiancee’ were going to get married in Utah, but the Navy wouldn't let him go. They had the reception and everything all planned out. How stinky is that?! So they decided to do a quiet ceremony here in Groton. However, Bishop Mason was out of town so they got a hold of President Pehrson. It was quite the experience. Ruby, the bride will be in our ward in the next three months. Phil, her Tongan husband, should be coming whenever the Navy will let him go.

Then we headed to a baptism that the New London Spanish Elders were having. Everything was in Spanish so I didn't understand a single thing of it, but the Spirit knows no language. The Spirit was very strong there. I stumbled through the Spanish versions of "I Am a Child of God" and "I Need Thee Every Hour" but I still felt that same burning inside. That is a huge testimony to me of the truthfulness of the gospel. It feels the same no matter where you are.

The Harpels took us in for a BBQ since no one else offered to feed us. They are so good to us! I can't remember if I told you that Sister Harpel made us each blankets that folded into pillows and also bought us a Navy shirt to remember Groton by. Plus they are always feeding us when other people fall through. They have a son out on a mission in Peru/Bolivia who gets home in December. I think they're so good to us because we remind them of him!

We dropped by Kelsi and Seth this week. They are doing AWESOME! They came to church along with his two other boys and stayed the whole time! That's improvement. He said that while they were in Utah, his cousin said something in a talk that hit him. He wants to change his life around. Now he's completely given up smoking, drinking, swearing, etc. He is so much happier! We are so excited! This makes all the hard missionary work worth it! Kelsi is excited for this change in her life. She is such a sweet girl!

We are seeing a slight change in Gloria. She is being humbled, which is exactly what she needs. She fed us last night and we also had a wonderful scripture study lesson. She committed to read the entire Book of Mormon since she has never done that before. We promised her that she would get the answer that she is looking for...as long as she is humble. We got a picture of her and her husband, Russ.

There was a crazy storm that rolled through here on Wednesday. It poured...and poured...and poured...and poured! Streets were flooded, cars were stranded, and many basements were full of water. I've never seen so much water come down in so short of time. We had our interviews with Pres. & Sister Pehrson that day in Waterford and the water was running off of the building like a waterfall! There was more booming thunder and lightning. Crazy, crazy storm!

I'm glad that the Durfees [sister & brother-in-law] are moved back to Idaho! That makes visiting a lot easier when I get back! I'll be either getting home for Christmas or on February 10th...hopefully the former! I have to talk with President about it to see when he'll let me go. I'm enjoying my mission so much, but I realize that it will have to come to a close some day. I've learned SO much out here and I've had amazing experiences. I can't wait to share all of them with you when I get home!

Baptism!

From email of June 29, 2009: Kelsi got baptized this weekend in UT! She gave us a call not long after it happened and she said she felt good. She is such a special girl! She's being such a great example to her father, Seth. He hasn't smoked since getting to Utah...yay! We are excited that he is making those necessary improvements to his life. It is hard to pull yourself free when you get wrapped up into the things of the world. You'd be better off just staying away from them!

We took over an investigator whom the Elders in North Kingston had been teaching in Westerly. They had said that she knew the Book of Mormon was true, Joseph Smith was a prophet, and they had set a baptismal date with her. This week we met her and found out that she was no where near baptism. Elders, Elders! We tried to teach her a watered down Restoration lesson, which got her thinking a bit, but her huge yellow lab was being rambunctious. This lady absolutely LOVES her animals and treats them like her kids. A lot of our appointments this week fell through or were rescheduled. It's frustrating to work so hard, and not have people follow through. I guess that's the missionary life! We are focusing a lot on finding new investigators since our teaching pool is dwindling baptisms or moves. We figure we can't convert all of Connecticut, but those who have been prepared by Heavenly Father.

Our talks went very good on Sunday. Sister Mortimer was the first speaker so she stood up, took about seven minutes and then passed it on to me. Can you believe that I spoke for over 20 minutes! I used to be scared to death to speak in church and always look forward to the day when I was comfortable with it. This Sunday was it! We elaborated on Elder Perry's talk in the last general conference, which was about member missionary work. As a missionary, I've really come to know the importance of members in this work. We can't do it without them. I'm going to be a much better member missionary when I get home. This mission has been the crowning point of my life. It has changed my way of thinking and my desire to serve the Lord. My testimony has been strengthened immensely--it couldn't have happened any other place!

Exchanges & more rain!

From email of June 22, 2009: Sounds like a very eventful week! I'm a tad bit jealous that you were able to go to the Manti pageant and see the beautiful temple there. We will most definitely have to go when I get back.

Let Holly and Trenton [sister & brother-in-law] know that they will not be alone in speaking in church. Sister Mortimer and I have to speak with the high councilor this Sunday. Ugh! This will be the 3rd time since I've been in Groton. And the subject is...of course...missionary work. Hopefully that goes well. Yesterday we had a recently returned sister missionary speak about her mission in SLC. Sister Park moved to Connecticut to live with her sister for a while and then decided to go on a mission. Her parents live in Ukrane right now so CT is closest to home. After the meeting she found us and referred a friend of hers, Alex. Apparently she had referred him to the missionaries about a year ago, but not much happened. Last week we were looking through our old referral records and ran across his name. We had planned to stop by him sometime this week, but Sister Park beat us to it. What a coincidence...or was it? Later that night we taught him about the Restoration with Sister Park and he accepted to learn more. He is really searching for something more in his life that the gospel can fill. The spirit was VERY strong in the room and I know that most of what we said was put into our mouth. I loved to see Sister Park still actively engaged in missionary work even after she was released. That's what I want to be like.

My baby, Sister Mortimer, left the nest for the night as we went on exchanges with the Fairfield Sisters. It was our first time being apart for so long! But it was good. I stayed here in Groton with Sister Thomas, from SLC. She's only on her 2nd transfer, but I still learned a lot from her. One big thing is talking with everyone. There are times when I let my shyness get the best of me and I chicken out. But with Sister Thomas, we talked with EVERYONE and saw great miracles happen. We were out contacting in the morning and took a little detour from our usual contacting route. We ran across a guy who was setting up for a car wash to benefit the Relay for Life. At first he wasn't too excited to listen to us, but as we shared our testimonies and recounted the First Vision, he softened his heart. He already owned a BOM so he promised us that he would pick it up when he got home. It was crazy to see the change in him just over a span of a few minutes. We just happened to be at the right place, at the right time.

We have also been floating away from the extreme amounts of rain. I heard that there was a flood warning issued somewhere in CT, but I don't know for sure. I'm looking forward to some sun, too! I do like the cooler temperatures, though.

I want everyone to know that I love them very, very much! I'm blessed have the greatest family. I see so many families broken up and wrecked, which makes me appreciate the love and closeness that we have. And it is because of the gospel that our family is so good! I can't imagine it any other way! The picture is of us sisters on exchanges. Mortimer, Baird, Thomas, & Me. I look a little funny because I had to sprint back to get into the picture. Enjoy! :)