November 28, 2016

This morning I woke up and just really felt like I had to explain myself to all of you. (friends and loved ones at home and abroad)

This is going to be really honest but please just hear me out for a second or two. 

I hate emailing.

It is awful for me. Literally pains me to do it.  (Writing letters too.) 

IT IS NOT BECAUSE I DON'T LOVE YOU ALL. THAT IS NOT IT AT ALL. 

It's just that every week I sit down to write this e-mail and I feel this incredibly intense pressure to put something that can't be put into words...into words. Which is probably why my emails may come across quite ridiculous. I'm sure a lot of weeks I may seem uncommitted, unfocused, and probably uneducated because I never proofread these things. 

I will tell you right now there is nothing I want more in my life than to be a good missionary who lives my purpose with every person that I meet, acquires Christlike attributes, and really just repents and changes for the better every day. 

So here is the deal....Every day I wake up and I try to do one thing. Invite others to come unto Christ. 

I am not even a little bit close to being perfect at fulfilling that purpose, but that's what I'm trying to do here...and that's the only reason that I'm here. 

So here I am repenting, trying to become better.....better at emailing and sending letters....but sometimes it is just too hard. Not because I don't want to do it, but because I don't want anything to distract me from that purpose and it's hard to spend even just one day a week...a few hours of that day trying to put all these emotions and experiences into words. Out of all the different combinations that 26 letters can make...none of those combinations do missionary work justice and especially how I feel about being a missionary.

So if you wonder why my e-mails are awful.....that's why. 

Please forgive me and wait super patiently while I try to become better. 

-And really the whole point of this was to help you understand that I am trying to put all my focus on my purpose. 

-And also to remind you that I love you all. 

ON A LIGHTER NOTE 

This week was great. 

We had a great thanksgiving. We spent dinner with Bishop Madsen and his family and then dessert with half the ward. So GREAT! 

We also had a mission turkey bowl and I volunteered as tribute to represent the Sisters of the CFM. Basically you see the picture...and that' s about as athletic as things got. 

Also pictured...SISTER BANGERTER (like the highway). She is amazing and I had my last exchange with her...but good news she said that we can play just dance together in eighteen months...even if she is six months pregnant. So that was good news...but really she is amazing and I love her. 

I HAD LUNCH WITH MY BEST FRIENDS TRAINER. So cute isn't she. Oh goodness...sending lot's of love to the beloved Sister C right now because she is amazing and wonderful and treated Sister Troseth and I to amazing and wonderful pancakes for lunch one day. 

ALSO....

This week was getting real close the end of the month and we were getting real close to the end of our monthly mileage budget for the car. So Sister Troseth and I basically trekked across all of North America this week. It was such an adventure. We actually had a lot of success this day and also I think people were really taking pity on us because we looked like drowned rats. Also Sister Troseth's coping mechanism was calling me Sacajawea  and narrating the adventure like we were on a reality t.v. show. 

We are praying to be able to FIND INVESTIGATORS this week. Were looking for some miracles....so prayers would really help out....thanks!

FRIENDLY REMINDER THAT I LOVE YOU ALL!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING WEEK.              November 21, 2016

Well ladies and gentleman. Life is good here in the Orchard and Mountain View wards.

We are really trying to get in the Christmas Spirit...

We are trying to do a lot of member missionary work and because we don't know any members.... we are basically trying to meet everyone and their dog. Which the dog part is pretty easy because everyone around here names their dog Cocoa. The members are super great and they are all basically related to the members in my last ward so that is really great.  We found an investigator named Danny this week. (DAD LISTEN UP) He told us how dove hunting brings him joy and he broke his arm a few weeks ago and cried...not because it hurt but because he couldn't shoot a gun anymore. Oh goodness...haha we gave him a Book of Mormon and he told us that we have a 70% chance at seeing him at church on Sunday so that's SUPER EXCITING.

We live with Sisters now and I love it...it's like a miniature sleepover every night. We also live behind this cute family and when we left for the day a few days back we saw them playing in the garbage can. So cute.

Don't worry about thanksgiving plans...goodness even the man from the car wash invited us over for tamales. Which isn't that surprising because I have a pretty healthy relationship with 90% of the car wash employees.

I LOVE YOU ALL and I would promise to write a good email next week but I have come to accept that I'm awful at writing e-mails.

                                                                                                                    November 14,2016

GOOD MORNING AMERICA. 

Well I have a new companion. Her name is actually not Sister, but Hermana Troseth, she's from Franklin, Tennesee.

she's a spanish missionary and a great missionary. Life is good.

ummmmm. So round two of moving into an Elders apartment features.....

-surviving off of the Serbian equivalent of Top Ramen for lunch all week

-having no hangers...then having hangers delivered courtesy of the zone leaders. (pictured....... what in the world is life.) 

-HALF EATEN SPAM IN THE FRIDGE. WHO EVEN EATS THAT. 

Goodness gracious. 

LIFE IN ORCHARD VIEW/ MOUNTAIN VIEW 

-Once upon a time I was in a YSA ward in Cedar City, Utah....and on Sunday I just watched this girl who was in that same ward talk in Sacrament meeting with her husband. Which is the weirdest thing of my life. sooooo weird and soooo crazy. 

-We are trying to build all sorts of trust with members around here. They are super great. 

-One night the Zone Leaders gave us a call and asked how many new investigators we had found and then we hadn't found any....they committed us to find and WE DID. 

A NOTE FROM SISTER TROSETH

-HOLA!!!  

oh my goodness there are no words for this week.                                              November 7, 2016

hahahahahaha. 

I literally have no words for this week. 

(excuse me while I proceed to write a lot of words about this week)

But hey that bullet point thing hopefully worked well so here we go. 

-I went to Cafe Rio again. oh my goodness this was the ultimate experience because essentially Cafe Rio is like a Relief Society/Priesthood activity because all members there all the time. People were thanking Sister Murray and I for our service...I was drinking horchata....and just casually met a general authority between all of those things. So funny because last week I sent you that quote about voting from Elder Lawrence and this week I met Elder Lawrence. 

-Anywho Cafe Rio was courtesy of the Walker family...and boy are they amazing. I told Brother Walker at Sunday at noon that I was getting transferred and Sunday at seven they basically had a party for me....greeted us with a tunnel into their home and then proceeded to gift me with incredible things. Pictured is the days newspaper so in fifteen years I can look back on the last day that I was in the Walker home. Signed by the whole family...love it! Also Brother Walker is going to DJ the party that I have in a few years when I come back and tour the mission so that's good news!

-I AM LEAVING SHEPHERD/DRYCREEK. 

-AND BEING DOUBLED IN AGAIN. 

What. Holy Cow transfer calls are ridiculously terrifying and then you find out that your affected and cry yourself to sleep and then wait a whole twenty four hours before you find out where your going....

so I'm staying the stake which I am pumped up about that. I'm going to the Mountain/Orchard view wards. With Sister Trosseth...maybe I don't even know how to spell her name...but I'll meet her tomorrow. 

Also truest thing I've ever heard this week. 

'The only thing bigger than a mission presidents hands...is a mission presidents heart.'

-So true because If ya'll ever meet President Clark you'll have a hard time not losing your hand in his handshake and then you'll have absolutely no chance at not loving him because that's not possible. 

I LOVE YA'LL