Amy's Mission Blog: Week 3!

Hello everyone!

Again, thank you all for your letters! I miss you dearly! But it has been really great. So, the best news of all? Technically we have unlimited email time. Unlimited in the sense that we have 8 hours on Preparation Day (we've been told not to call it Pday), but that also includes shopping, washing the car, doing laundry, etc. So, unlimited in the sense that it does not only have to be an hour. So I don't have to rush through things, which is super awesome. But yes, ANYWAY.

Are you ready for the city I am in? It is Bowling Green! And guess what? It's super farmlands wonderland. Though maybe you all already know that because I know the Chase's sent mother a beautiful picture of me at the Chili Cook off on Saturday. And hopefully they'll be sending you the dinner they made for us yesterday. It was all green. EVERYTHING. And they had me put on this green wig and glasses. It was super special. But great. They're good people.

Anyway, a lot has happened since I was not able to email last week. We had our last days at the MTC which was incredibly bitter sweet. I am going to everyone so much. The elders and the sisters in my district. I'll be including pictures in this one so I will let you know who all those people are and you can actually see their faces!

They were really great though. I miss them. Though my companion is super great now. So that is also awesome.

So, to begin actual mission life. Our very first night in Ohio there was a big storm so we weren't able to go to Kirtland the next day like they typically do (instead we'll be going this Friday. Valentine's Day! All of our companions were super happy because the majority of them haven't been since their first days). So, we stayed in the mission home and learned stuff. Like we should. Then on Thursday we met our companions and went to our new locations. Bowling Green is apparently the furthest west that the sister missionaries go, so here I am. I have been told it is also the second flattest county in the country. Oh, how I miss the mountains. And knowing what direction I am facing. So, first exciting story, my very first night there one of the investigators wanted to meet me so we went to his house. He has diabetes and heart problems and had to have an operation on his toe so my companion also wanted to make sure he was doing well. So, we went and while we were there he was having really bad heart burn that would not go away. Because of his heart problems my companion was really concerned, and to make a long story short we ended up calling 911. It turns out he has a blood clot in his lung. The doctors released him but it's still there and if it moves it goes straight to his heart, so we're all praying really hard for him. So, yeah. That happened. First day. Way to begin the mission, right? My companion has assured me that is not typically how it goes, but we shall see.

The second day, we got a brand new investigator! Her name is Marie, she is incredibly sweet. The very first visit she said she would like to be baptized. First lesson. So, yeah. Very different experiences. It's only day 5 for me actually in the field, so I guess there's not a whole lot to report otherwise. It's super freezing, but my jacket and boots are proving to be marvelous. I don't know.

Pictures: The first one Is some random elder that was among the many of our 700 cameras to take our big group photo who then decided to take one of himself. I had no idea he did so until I was looking through the pictures and had to know who is this random man?

A nice picture of our district. From left to right: Sister Byers (my companion), Me, Sister Thomson, Sister Wright, Sister Mejia, Sister Jarvis.

908: They have a whole bunch of pictures in the MTC of missionaries in their various places. This one was my favorite. It was England in I think the 60s.

Sister Byers and I

My favorite picture of Sister Mejia

Sister Mejia, Elder Palmer and I

We gave Elder Palmer a beard and moustache to match our moustaches.

That is Sister Mejia and I hugging a pole. Like champions

I couldn't not include this picture because our faces our so attractive. But that is Elder Linford and me.

Sister Mejia and I made sure all the Broncos supporters were wearing blue and/or orange on Sunday so that we could make an angry picture against the Seattle fans. But apparently we're missionaries and aren't supposed to be angry so we're happily opposing.

Our beautiful district

Elder Linford can't take a jumping picture to save his life. This was the best one.

The best district. Top to bottom left to right: Elders Linford, Hamman, Searle, Phillips, Palmer, Stocking, Sisters Mejia, Jarvis, Byers, Thomson, Wright, Me, Byers