Wednesday, April 30, 2014

BRASIL CTM!

I am in LOVE with Brazil.
I miss the OTM with ALL my heart, and waving goodbye to President and Sister Shumway after going through Airport Security was quite possible THE single hardest thing to do on my whole mission so far. I cried.
I wish I had had the time to call everyone, but...I couldnt.
The plane ride down, wasn't all bad, I was sitting next to this asian guy who kept nodding off to sleep, it was kind of funnny. ​
Landing in brazil was so weird, I'm pretty sure they just landed us in some remote part of Utah that they made up to look like Brazil and they paied a bunch of Brazillians to come speak portuguese out here...
 
It's still NOT REAL
 
Sam Ellis, Emily Basham, and my MTC companion are all here!!! AHHHH
Sam and Sister Van Wagnen are both in my District. It's literally, THE best.
 
We eat Beans and Rice all dayyy every dayy.
When I get home, I will be eating that stuff All.The.Time.
 
Believe it.
 
We got to go to the temple today! It was amazing!
 
(If I knew how to send pictures I would, but I don't....soo whenever I figure that out you'll KNOW!)
 
Ummmmmmm basically I've learned more here in less than 1 week than I did in 6 weeks at Provo..
 
I'm pretty impressed that I can remember so much actually, it's awesome, next week we head out for the FIELD!
 
I'm dying, I'm so excited, but I'm also SOAKING every moment of the CTM stuff. It's SO weird not having to worry about plans falling through. haha
 
anyywayyyy.....I don't know what else to talk about, but I'm HEREE!!!
 
YAY!!

Monday, April 21, 2014

Everyone Should Have a Cabin Like This..


"Walk A Mile In Her Shoes" Raising Awareness of Women's Abuse!

This was SUCH a fun event that we got invited to help host! 

At WAM!


Sister Martin!


The Runnels!


Geneva got Married!!


And Then This...OOps!


The District.


So Much Joy...Just Ringin a Bell


Molly Filed's Cemetery...Molly Fields...DO YOU SEE THIS!?


The Coolest Elders in the Mission


Fish #1 of..many! :D


Leslie!


At Isaiah's Game!


Fishies!


At Dawson's Cabin!


District Selfie!


Ali's Game!


We Went Catching Today..

We caught about 40 fish today! 

On the Phone with President SHUMWAY!!

BRAZIL!!!

Ok I have like 2 minutes to do this, buttt

I'M GOING TO BRAZIL TOMORROW! 

I wish I could tell you the whole story, but really, I don't have time haha. 

It's happening!!!
 

I'm stoked! The past few days has been filled with LOTS of goodbyes, we have LOTS to get ready, our area is getting shotgunned and we have 2 less days to get it ready than usual....so weee areee stressiinn to the max...

haha. It'll be good though, the new sisters coming in are going to have a LOT going on when they get here, it's pretty exciting! 

anyway. LOVE YOU ALLL!!!

Take Care! 

Next week, I'll be writing from BRAZILLLL!!! AHHHHHH!!!

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

TRYING to be Patient!


I'm Fishin!


Dawson Telling Us a Funny Story


Happy Easter!


Sister Davis' CAKE!


Our Dash Buddy


That's the Biggest Banana Split in Tahlequah..errrr....Ever...


The Big O Banana Split We Ate Today!


April 7th- April 15th

Last Monday felt like an ETERNITY ago! 

Fishing was soooo fun! 

This week consisted of......

Doing Good Deeds at Walmart 
Singing to Charles and his family
Breakfast with the Old Boys
District Meeting in Prairie Grove 
Singing to Charles and family one last time (He died Wednesday Night) :( 
National Volunteer day Artist, the Nursing Home's Activities Director got cute mugs for us! 
We taught Seminary
Made wedding decorations
Got Free Eggs! 
Played a LEGIT game of Stick Ball at the Stomp Grounds 
Got proposed to....
....Said no
Discovered after a lesson that I have THREE VISA DOTS! 
Got SOAKED in less than 3 seconds in a MASSIVE Thunderstorm.
Taught 5 lessons in 1 hour
annnddd
now..
I HAVE FOUR VISA DOTS!! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

I'M GOING TO BRAZIL!!!!!!!!!!


Sorry this email is SO boring, I promise I'll send LOTS of cool pictures later! We are going to go eat Birthday Lunch now! :D 



The Most Beautiful Thing I've Ever Seen: Four VISA Dots


Monday, April 7, 2014

me and my comp


MISSION PART 2

It's hard to believe that HALF the mission has come and gone....


I think I'm just going to tell everyone that I'm 9 months old for the rest of my mission, that way I can always feel like I have more time left...

I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE! 

But then again...I have such a LIST of things I want to do when I get home! 

I decided I want to enter a Rodeo the summer I get back...I'm hoping Chrystia or Sister Scott will just let me come over and RIDE all the time.

I miss that SO much! I don't get trunky often...but when I do it's when people talk about Rodeo's or when we pass a pasture and a little baby colt is grazing in the pasture next to his mama. 

That just gets me every stinkin time. 

This week was a LOT of fun. It flew by pretty fast, but...looking back it feels like it took about 3 years. haha. 

Mission Time...It's a weird thing....Almost indescribable...

Grace will understand. 

Tuesday was April Fool's day. Nobody pulled pranks on us....ok The Elders totally did...and it was stinkin hilarious...but that's another story. haha. 

Wednesday we did a bunch of service at this place called "Help In Crisis" basically they just have a bunch of voulenteers come and work and the "money" we earn during those hours go straight towards the Women's Shelter, The Food Bank, After School Kid's programs....stuff like that. 
They are the coolest people. On the 19th We are helping with their annual "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes" event. Where Men, strap on red pumps and walk a mile for Women's abuse awareness. It'll be pretty fun. We're excited. 

Thursday we played Bingo with the Old people...we loveee it there. I think we go almost every day. haha. 

There was also a HUGE thunderstorm on Thursday (and a tornado warning out) needless to say, we were running around in the rain. It was sooo fun! The sirens didn't go off today, I experienced that twice last summer, and once already this year. It's a pretty interesting experience.

Sister Shumway spoke during a Zone Training Broadcast on Friday. "Elders and Sisters when we see a tornado, the proper thing to do is to HIIIDEE!" I wish you knew what her voice sounded like. Man, I love our mission mama, she always makes us laugh whilst also chastising missionaries.Bahaha! 

Zone Training was pretty good, I got to see Sister Boll again! She is STILL speaking Marshalese! She's been there since we left VanBuren...and that was FOREVER ago! 

After Zone Training, the Bradshaws took the district out for lunch at the Flying Burrito. So delicious...I guess every other missionary thought it was a good idea too, because soon enough, the whole Zone was there! 

We were lucky, there is a Beehive store there in Springdale, so we got to go wander around while sister Bradshaw got some stuff for her son who's serving in Californa. 

I got a present for Laura and Emily (one thing for the both of them) and something for mom! Woopwoop! One day I'll send it to you in a box of junk. You'll have to dig through it to find it, I'm sure, but it'll be worth it.  :)  

Saturday and Sunday was GENERAL CONFERENCE!! WOOHOO! 
The Elders said Priesthood session was really good, so we're going to be watching it tonight! :D 

We watched the first session with the Philips and an investigator family, after it was done, Brother Philips (who's pretty old mind you) and the rest of us had a few contests...pull ups ( I lost that one ) Push ups, tons of stuff. Brother Philips is in stinkin good shape! He showed us a ton of other cool exercises! It was a lot of fun, we laughed a lot.

We were supposed to go to another stomp dance tonight, but it didn't happen, we'll go either on Tuesday or Saturday this week hopefully to make up for it! 

Sunday was another day of General Conference, the morning session was my favorite by far this time around! I loved it all! I'm excited for the ensign to come out so I can read them over and over! If you're going to watch any of it, I recommend that session (MOM WATCH IT!:D) 

We have a Less Active that we go to see every once in a while, and whenever we go she always has FOOD! Today she had enchiladas and sugar cookies! YUM!

Last time we went over she was supposed to feed us..but forgot. She told us that when we walked in this time she was hoping that she had signed up and forgotten, because it actually looked like she hadn't...but really we just wanted to say Happy Birthday! She was disappointed..haha (we took some enchiladas home with us though :P) 

Today was SO FUN!!!
We woke up early and got in the car and drove to Dawsons! 
The district met us there and we fished allll morning, and for lunch fresh fried fish and smoked chicken! YUM.

It was a blast and I even caught one! I was having flashbacks to when Lucky would take us fishing! It was great. In all we caught 12 fish! 

Can I just say that we have THE best District EVER? Seriously, I've never had so much fun on Preperation Days! Gotta Love it! 

Next week on Tuesday is Sister Davis' Birthday so we're going to be emailing probably on Tuesday. Woohoo. We're going to go to the Cherokee Heritage Museum and to a few of the cool little and CHEAP gift shops around Tahlequah. It should be good. 

Today was miraculous...not just because of the fishing, but we found a LOST less active at Walmart while we were printing our pictures! 
It was crazy, this lady just started talking to us asking us all the right questions, finally we were like "wow, you know a lot!" She says, "well, I grew up mormon!" noooo wayyyyyy! haha. We gave her our number, it was a good day. 

Guess what. Not only are grace and I at our halfway point, but Seth totally is too! 

I was just reading my journal from LAST year and .... Seth left last year! sooo..yeah, that's cool. 

anyway....hope yuns have a good week! 


I love you. really. 


:D

We Got Up EARLY to Go FISHING! :D


Our DL is a Ham. haha!


Ready To GO!


FISHEY!

This one's for you, Lucky! 

Getting the Hook Out

That fish swallowed his!

Cleaning and Cutting


FISHING SUCCESS!


This little girl FELL in LOVE with me last night. She's SO CUTE!


We Took Some Branches for Our Desks


Pretty Trees!


Bahahha!


Funny!


The Missionaries Took OVER!


The Flying Burrito..After Zone Training!


Just Readin the Newspaper....


Margie


BEFORE!


We Got a Snack at the Gas Station


AFTER!


Thursday There was A HUGE Thunderstorm!


Lunch at Sam & Ella's!

They have the MOST delicious pizza EVER!