Dear Family,
It's been a while, yes? I haven't forgotten about you, I just didn't have p-day until today. Hello! I'm not sure where to start. I heard lots of good news - NATHAN! Congratulations on Graduating. I'm so glad Mom, Dad & Grandpa got to see you, and I hope you had fun in Florida. I love you. And I'm glad everyone seemed to be safe in travels, and thanks for thinking about me as you flew over Niagara Falls. I'm excited to see that someday.
I know I am missing some good news, but i will try to remember it later, just know that if you let me know of your good news, I smiled/ maybe laughed and felt very happy for you. And also made the old man across from me think I was smiling at him. It probably made his day. So congratulations, you successfully made at least two people happy.
SO! I arrived after my great experience in the MTC. The Temple Square experience was interesting. It gave me a new appreciation for Temple Square sisters. It was different. We pretty much did a circle around the square all day and talked to people who looked like they hadn't been contacted yet that day.
But now I am in Rochester - actually my area is called Pittsford {the wealthiest of the areas I think} and I live in Fairport. It is about 20 minutes from Palmyra.
The mission president, his wife {who are amazing. So fun, but so serious about the gospel. And they quote Nacho Libre a lot...} and the AP's came to pick me up, and since there are usually a bunch of missionaries that come in, it changed their regular schedule to just have me. Apparently there were four others who were supposed to come with me, but they didn't make it through the MTC :( But they took me to the sites and started at the Smith log home. We had a little testimony meeting in the upstairs where Moroni appeared. It was a wonderful experience. We also walked around the grove and he showed me the biggest tree in the grove, that had fallen down in November. He said it wasn't the oldest tree, but it had been the biggest, and after it fell he discovered that there had been a stream right underneath it, so the roots never had to grow deep to reach water. He related this to me and told me I need to fall in Love with the Book of Mormon everyday to not have this happen. And since that experience the Book of Mormon has come to mean even more to me. I love it.
I am with Sister McKenna, which is a miracle by itself, because Sister Anderson {one of my MTC companions} was her good friend and also Brett Engar - a guy I knew in Salt Lake - is her step brother, so I had heard about her before I even came. She has only been out two transfers, so we are both very new to this. I love her! President had us start a program - the first in the area to try it out - that is supposed to train missionaries to be able to train after 12 weeks in the field. All missions will adopt the program in August. It has been good - very busy companionship study. So what can I say about her? She is funny, very obedient {which was an answer to prayer for me}, can't eat gluten or dairy so she eats beans, chips & salsa, or eggs for almost every meal which = her being one of the gassiest people I know. And I love it. It makes life very funny. Yes, I am like a 12-year-old. But we work hard and teach each other. Her teaching me more so than the other way around. Our door approaches are the definition of awkward :)
This is how my schedule works: we get our assignments 3 weeks in advance [generally] of what sites we will be at what day. It is either the morning shift 8:30-2:30 or afternoon 1;30 - 7;30 {unless it is at the Whitmer farm because that takes 50 minutes to get to, and then we stay there all day}. After our shift we proselyte in our area, or whatever needs to be done: teaching {which has yet to happen...} service, or .... other things. That I can't think of right now.
I have seen many small miracles this week, and gained a strong testimony of the good that can be done at visitor centers. I am also learning to enjoy tracting - and by learning I mean I am at a .5 out of 10. But I read a great scripture today in Alma 56:47 and changed it to being proselyting rejection, area, and heart ache. It was humbling, and I know that the way I will learn to enjoy tracting is to love the people more. Everyone here has a religion, and almost everyone I have talked to has heard about the Book of Mormon. Generally that means they have read antibook of mormon literature. But we are looking for those who want to change their heart. It will happen :)
This novel email is now closing. I love you all! Happy birthday to Nicki, Sydney, and Jeniel this week!
love,
Sister A
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