good ol' sister porath didn't know about the tennis shoes on the telephone wire thing and when we told her that meant there was a drug dealer nearby, we kept our eyes out for the several pairs hanging in our area. we were driving to little egg the other day and there is a pair right over route 9. she points her finger straight in the air, and with a great big grin on her face says, "DRUGS!" its was classic.
this week has been really really great. we have 3 new investigators. they are amazing. and quite a few potentials. when we tract, we always meet people that want us to stop back, and after we do that a few times they either send us away, or let us in. its been pretty effective.
we had an exchange with the sisters serving in cape may this week. cape may was nice, sister porath went there and one of the sisters stayed with me. she had already served in this branch and all she wanted to do was stop by people she knew. but we had work to do, and i was very glad that i got to go back to my dear sister porath. i love her. i honestly could go another transfer here and with her. we want to. but four transfers is a little outrageous. but transfers aren't for another 2 weeks. lets not get ahead of ourselves. back to the exchange, there was much to be discussed about the exchange, and sister porath and i had a solid hour drive back to our area, so we kinda got right into it. we lost track of where we were, and ended up in toms river. its only the next ward north of us, but still, it took us probably an extra hour to get home... a little embarassing, but probably necessary. it had been an eventful day.
lets see... things are good here. OH! i have to appologize apparently. several people have mentioned my comment about the "man's club" thing. listen, a mission is totally different for sisters. TOTALLY! we don't get to have as many "mission buddies" as the elders. and it was a comment in the heat of the moment. at that time i emailed right after zone conference. so, enough about that. get over it.
i don't have many letters to write this week. but i got a great letter form grandpa owie [thatcher- for all you non-family members]. the beginnings of the little moss lake chronicles. he is such a great writer. and to be honest, i'm a little sad to be missing the action. i do love the northern woods, and i'll miss the vacay, even if it does take place at a swamp. i also got a letter from grandma. haha, i sure hope everyone is aware of the fox living in her backyard. hahaha, apparently it hunts under the window sills for birds that "commit suicide" by flying into the windows, even if grandma has a black hawk taped up on the window to scare them away... it was an entertaining letter.
i love you all so very much. thank you for your support and love. i hope to hear from you soon. thank you for the journal and the COOKIES! what a joy. very simple pleasures in missionary life.
keep praying for missionary opportunities!
love love love love love
sis m
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
can't think of anything funny to say
this week wasn't too eventful. we taught a part member family on sunday. he is a returned missionary from blanding, ut. he served in finland. she grew up in brooklyn and they have 4 beautiful kids. pretty much the most beautiful kids ever. we are hoping to teach them all. should be good.
we had 3 less actives at church on sunday. hallelujah chorus. 2 of them stayed all 3 hours. it was a miracle.
ummmm.... lets see, we had dinner with another less active couple named the Wiggins. they are so entertaining. brother wiggins, "wiggy" was in the military and was all of the place growing up and just says, "you'd be surprised the things i did..." and won't say anything past that. he is almost fullblood native american. his name used to be raincloud but changed it to john. why- i have no idea... sister wiggins, adele, is the funniest lady. in the middle of a conversation she will just burst out in some funny sing songy type sound. it makes you smile.
really truly... we don't have too much going on. lots of tracting and finding. we've got our work cut out for us but things are going well. we had interviews again this week. it seems crazy that we had them already. time stinkin files.
all is well on the missionary front! i love you all so so much! let me know if there is anything i can do for you! keep praying for missionary opportunities!
love love love love love
sis m
we had 3 less actives at church on sunday. hallelujah chorus. 2 of them stayed all 3 hours. it was a miracle.
ummmm.... lets see, we had dinner with another less active couple named the Wiggins. they are so entertaining. brother wiggins, "wiggy" was in the military and was all of the place growing up and just says, "you'd be surprised the things i did..." and won't say anything past that. he is almost fullblood native american. his name used to be raincloud but changed it to john. why- i have no idea... sister wiggins, adele, is the funniest lady. in the middle of a conversation she will just burst out in some funny sing songy type sound. it makes you smile.
really truly... we don't have too much going on. lots of tracting and finding. we've got our work cut out for us but things are going well. we had interviews again this week. it seems crazy that we had them already. time stinkin files.
all is well on the missionary front! i love you all so so much! let me know if there is anything i can do for you! keep praying for missionary opportunities!
love love love love love
sis m
Thursday, June 11, 2009
helping people?!?!
okay, funniest door response ever...
we were tracting, and Sister porath introduced us as missionaries hoping to do some service, this lady is smiling dumbly and says," nnyah i don't believe in that..." again, goofy smile. sister porath replies, "helping people??!?!" with the most surprise i've ever heard in her voice and the lady says, "right." as she closes the door. i think it hit her a few seconds after we left what a fool she made herself look like by not listening to us. in this life and the next. it was entertaining. but sad at the same time.
anyway! life is good. the work is going. we have been activating this woman named December Robinson. She's great. she came to book club and the lunch bunch. stafford is very social oriented. and she told us she'd come to church. she grew up in the branch, and people will recognize her, so that will be good. she is super sassy and i think she and mom would get along well. she used to sell pampered chef too! she's into cooking and kitchen gadgets, so you know they'll get along.
zone conference yesterday was the best one i've been to. so amazingly uplifting. there was the doctor that covers our mission there and he went to stanford so he knows where my home is. that was a cool connection. but his wife came up and talked to me after. i bore my testimony at the end and i had sung a musical number with two other sisters that went pretty well. she asked me how long i had been out and was surprised to hear how short it had been. it was pretty flattering. but i was very surprised to calculate in my head and say, "almost four months'!!!! what the what? that is ridiculous! i still have a year and a half left! but i don't. i'm running out of time.
actually, i think the time that i have been a missionary i have felt better about myself than ever before. Heavenly Father is blessing me so much. I'm hoping to lose weight and inches, but if i don't i know that I will be blessed later if i don't have the time to think about it now.
sister porath and i were at the Rasmussens house on monday for dinner and michelle gave each of us a little gifty. a very heartfelt card and she gave us each a necklace. i'm wearing it right now. its been hard for her moving from idaho to jersey and i think the both of us helped her out a lot. i love her so much and i'm hoping we'll keep in touch for a long time. my necklace has hearts and doodles on the front and on the back it says "dear friends are always close to the heart" she told me she would be proud to have a daughter like me and it almost made me cry. it was quite the little pick-me up after a long day of work.
side note: a mission is such a different experience for sisters than elders. its just a little mans club with sisters doing all the work. thats what i felt like yesterday anyway. elders do great work, and the work couldn't go on without them... but some of them take this opportunity for granted. and i don't like that. they are all just trying to be goofy and silly and spiritual and sometimes its hard to balance, i guess.
ummmm, what else. pray for betsy and her children, that we will be able to see them and teach them. they need the gospel. also pray for howard farkas to see the need for baptism, and pray for the woman living on midship that we have seen twice. we need to teach her. we don't know her name.
i love you all so much! keep praying for missionary opportunities!
love love love love love
sis m
we were tracting, and Sister porath introduced us as missionaries hoping to do some service, this lady is smiling dumbly and says," nnyah i don't believe in that..." again, goofy smile. sister porath replies, "helping people??!?!" with the most surprise i've ever heard in her voice and the lady says, "right." as she closes the door. i think it hit her a few seconds after we left what a fool she made herself look like by not listening to us. in this life and the next. it was entertaining. but sad at the same time.
anyway! life is good. the work is going. we have been activating this woman named December Robinson. She's great. she came to book club and the lunch bunch. stafford is very social oriented. and she told us she'd come to church. she grew up in the branch, and people will recognize her, so that will be good. she is super sassy and i think she and mom would get along well. she used to sell pampered chef too! she's into cooking and kitchen gadgets, so you know they'll get along.
zone conference yesterday was the best one i've been to. so amazingly uplifting. there was the doctor that covers our mission there and he went to stanford so he knows where my home is. that was a cool connection. but his wife came up and talked to me after. i bore my testimony at the end and i had sung a musical number with two other sisters that went pretty well. she asked me how long i had been out and was surprised to hear how short it had been. it was pretty flattering. but i was very surprised to calculate in my head and say, "almost four months'!!!! what the what? that is ridiculous! i still have a year and a half left! but i don't. i'm running out of time.
actually, i think the time that i have been a missionary i have felt better about myself than ever before. Heavenly Father is blessing me so much. I'm hoping to lose weight and inches, but if i don't i know that I will be blessed later if i don't have the time to think about it now.
sister porath and i were at the Rasmussens house on monday for dinner and michelle gave each of us a little gifty. a very heartfelt card and she gave us each a necklace. i'm wearing it right now. its been hard for her moving from idaho to jersey and i think the both of us helped her out a lot. i love her so much and i'm hoping we'll keep in touch for a long time. my necklace has hearts and doodles on the front and on the back it says "dear friends are always close to the heart" she told me she would be proud to have a daughter like me and it almost made me cry. it was quite the little pick-me up after a long day of work.
side note: a mission is such a different experience for sisters than elders. its just a little mans club with sisters doing all the work. thats what i felt like yesterday anyway. elders do great work, and the work couldn't go on without them... but some of them take this opportunity for granted. and i don't like that. they are all just trying to be goofy and silly and spiritual and sometimes its hard to balance, i guess.
ummmm, what else. pray for betsy and her children, that we will be able to see them and teach them. they need the gospel. also pray for howard farkas to see the need for baptism, and pray for the woman living on midship that we have seen twice. we need to teach her. we don't know her name.
i love you all so much! keep praying for missionary opportunities!
love love love love love
sis m
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
anyone reading?
I wanted to check to see if anyone is reading this or if you are getting most emails forwarded from Madeline's parents. Let me know. If you are, I'll keep posting!
-- Katie (Madeline's sister in law)
-- Katie (Madeline's sister in law)
an email in three parts this week...
bad news: today will not be a long email.
good news: i will email again tomorrow.
Sister Porath was invited to go to the temple this transfer. they make one trip per transfer and they usually take missionaries at their half way mark. at the end of this transfer it will be 9 months for her. crazy. so, i am in lindenwold. with the hermanas. just for the day. its real close to camden. they actually go to church in camden. but! i'm here until tonight and then we'll be back in manahawkin. so... i won't be emailing much right now. but tomorrow, when s. porath and i go email, i will write you all. i love you all so much! crazy news about kat colby. but thats awesome. also good news about daniel and his new found love for slo. hope all is well!
email me some more, just for fun.
love love love love love
sis m
---
so, as i said, yesterday i was in lindenwold with Hermana Guenter and Hermana Leonard. Both are amazing missionaries. they live in this awesome complex with a pond and a little bridge. there are these ducks and frogs and we saw a midsize snapping turtle! it was cool. but the funniest thing was the geese. there was a little gosling and the mama goose was really protective. we were trying to run in the morning and the mama goose started hissing at us. since when do geese hiss???? it would scrunch up its neck, and then straighten it out real tall and open its beak and hiss with its tongue sticking out. it was bizarre. so i imitated it. and H. Guenter cracked up. so, they kept asking me to do the goose face all day. and because i was in a spanish area they were calling me hermana. and i'm pretty sure H. Guenter won't remember anything other than the goose face. hence, hermana goose face. it was a fun day.
Sister Porath got to go to the temple. so jealous. i'm running out of time... i may not be able to write much more today. but i'll try. i love you all!
sis m
---
sorry, this week has been a little weird, but good.
we had this less active lady at church this week. her name is terie. short for teruko. she is the most amazing lady i've ever met. she is hilarious. she's from japan and acutally understands more english than she lets on. but she is my favorite person to visit. its like having a 3rd grandma. she's 88 though. but she doesn't look it at all! she's phenomenal. and she loves me back. i sat next to her during sunday school and she turned to me when she couldn't understand what was being said and said in an almost whisper, " i don't know nothing!" it was classic. she left before rs but it was worth having her there. she lives in a nursing home so she doesn't get out much. it was lovely having her at church and letting her get to see all the people she knows.
we found a new investigator on tuesday. her name is chelsey. she's only 16 but it was amazing when we met her. we were tracting, and i had picked the streets out the day before and we were just trying to get as many houses in before we went to our dinner appointment and she came to the door. i asked her if she would allow us to share a message about Jesus Christ and we ended up talking about prophets. i asked her what it would mean to her to have a prophet on the earth today. she said it would answer a lot of questions she had. we commited her to pray and ask God if there indeed was a prophet on the earth and i bore testimony that there was and s. porath gave her the restoration pamphlet. we have an appointment with her tomorrow and i am way excited. the best part was that i felt like the whole situation was guided by the spirit. i felt the holy ghost speaking for me. i had no inclination of talking about prophets, but it was amazing for me to re-realize that God has a mouthpiece on the earth today. President Monson guides us as children of our Heavenly Father. What an incredible thing to know. i can't wait to tell chelsey more.
work in the stafford branch is going right along. they are still as crazy as ever, and the missionaries are working hard to help them get excited about our work and calling as members of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love the people here, and I can't wait for you all to meet them.
President Winegar changed around our key indicators this transfer. we no longer count other lessons. we are just counting member lessons and new investigators. i think he wants to motivate us to have member present lessons. so, i guess thats what we'll shoot for. we also count hours tracted. we have a required 5 a week. about 1 a day not including pday and sundays. but we tract on sundays anyway.
the work is going. i love being a missionary. time goes by so stinkin' fast its not funny. its not fair that i'm already in my 3rd transfer. s. porath and i were reading the white handbook today and it says on page 13, "time is one of the most precious resources Heavenly Father has given you. the period when you are able to serve the Lord with all your time and all your efforts is extremely short. Use it fully and wisely. Such an opportunity is a priviledge." how true?! Sisters only get 12 or 13 transfers. and unfortunately they make us choose. Hermana Guenter goes home after this transfer and because she was spanish in the mtc, she only gets 11!! its so scary! my time is running down! there are people that need me to teach them and i have yet to find them! I'm so grateful for modern revelation and the prophet's and apostles' guidance and the motivation i can get from their words.
being a missionary is the best thing i have ever done. i love it with all my heart. it has its downfalls, but the pay-offs are 10 fold.
I'm grateful for such a wonderful Gospel to share and that it makes sense and adds up. not like some other ones i've learned about. Heavenly Father is exactly that. Our Father in Heaven. Jesus Christ is His only begotten son. His only son in the Flesh. The Holy Ghost is a personage of Spirit who speaks to us through thoughts and feelings. All of them help and guide and create. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is real. i'm so grateful i have this knowledge and the priviledge of sharing it with others. I have been set apart as a missionary of the Church, and as such, i have authority to preach the principles of the true and everlasting gospel. what a blessing!
i love you all so very much! keep praying for the work and the Stafford Branch. and keep praying for missionary opportunities.
love love love love love
sis m
ps- melia, if you read this, do you remember a michelle leonard from the colony? she's here on a mission and she's amazing. thought i'd ask.
good news: i will email again tomorrow.
Sister Porath was invited to go to the temple this transfer. they make one trip per transfer and they usually take missionaries at their half way mark. at the end of this transfer it will be 9 months for her. crazy. so, i am in lindenwold. with the hermanas. just for the day. its real close to camden. they actually go to church in camden. but! i'm here until tonight and then we'll be back in manahawkin. so... i won't be emailing much right now. but tomorrow, when s. porath and i go email, i will write you all. i love you all so much! crazy news about kat colby. but thats awesome. also good news about daniel and his new found love for slo. hope all is well!
email me some more, just for fun.
love love love love love
sis m
---
so, as i said, yesterday i was in lindenwold with Hermana Guenter and Hermana Leonard. Both are amazing missionaries. they live in this awesome complex with a pond and a little bridge. there are these ducks and frogs and we saw a midsize snapping turtle! it was cool. but the funniest thing was the geese. there was a little gosling and the mama goose was really protective. we were trying to run in the morning and the mama goose started hissing at us. since when do geese hiss???? it would scrunch up its neck, and then straighten it out real tall and open its beak and hiss with its tongue sticking out. it was bizarre. so i imitated it. and H. Guenter cracked up. so, they kept asking me to do the goose face all day. and because i was in a spanish area they were calling me hermana. and i'm pretty sure H. Guenter won't remember anything other than the goose face. hence, hermana goose face. it was a fun day.
Sister Porath got to go to the temple. so jealous. i'm running out of time... i may not be able to write much more today. but i'll try. i love you all!
sis m
---
sorry, this week has been a little weird, but good.
we had this less active lady at church this week. her name is terie. short for teruko. she is the most amazing lady i've ever met. she is hilarious. she's from japan and acutally understands more english than she lets on. but she is my favorite person to visit. its like having a 3rd grandma. she's 88 though. but she doesn't look it at all! she's phenomenal. and she loves me back. i sat next to her during sunday school and she turned to me when she couldn't understand what was being said and said in an almost whisper, " i don't know nothing!" it was classic. she left before rs but it was worth having her there. she lives in a nursing home so she doesn't get out much. it was lovely having her at church and letting her get to see all the people she knows.
we found a new investigator on tuesday. her name is chelsey. she's only 16 but it was amazing when we met her. we were tracting, and i had picked the streets out the day before and we were just trying to get as many houses in before we went to our dinner appointment and she came to the door. i asked her if she would allow us to share a message about Jesus Christ and we ended up talking about prophets. i asked her what it would mean to her to have a prophet on the earth today. she said it would answer a lot of questions she had. we commited her to pray and ask God if there indeed was a prophet on the earth and i bore testimony that there was and s. porath gave her the restoration pamphlet. we have an appointment with her tomorrow and i am way excited. the best part was that i felt like the whole situation was guided by the spirit. i felt the holy ghost speaking for me. i had no inclination of talking about prophets, but it was amazing for me to re-realize that God has a mouthpiece on the earth today. President Monson guides us as children of our Heavenly Father. What an incredible thing to know. i can't wait to tell chelsey more.
work in the stafford branch is going right along. they are still as crazy as ever, and the missionaries are working hard to help them get excited about our work and calling as members of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love the people here, and I can't wait for you all to meet them.
President Winegar changed around our key indicators this transfer. we no longer count other lessons. we are just counting member lessons and new investigators. i think he wants to motivate us to have member present lessons. so, i guess thats what we'll shoot for. we also count hours tracted. we have a required 5 a week. about 1 a day not including pday and sundays. but we tract on sundays anyway.
the work is going. i love being a missionary. time goes by so stinkin' fast its not funny. its not fair that i'm already in my 3rd transfer. s. porath and i were reading the white handbook today and it says on page 13, "time is one of the most precious resources Heavenly Father has given you. the period when you are able to serve the Lord with all your time and all your efforts is extremely short. Use it fully and wisely. Such an opportunity is a priviledge." how true?! Sisters only get 12 or 13 transfers. and unfortunately they make us choose. Hermana Guenter goes home after this transfer and because she was spanish in the mtc, she only gets 11!! its so scary! my time is running down! there are people that need me to teach them and i have yet to find them! I'm so grateful for modern revelation and the prophet's and apostles' guidance and the motivation i can get from their words.
being a missionary is the best thing i have ever done. i love it with all my heart. it has its downfalls, but the pay-offs are 10 fold.
I'm grateful for such a wonderful Gospel to share and that it makes sense and adds up. not like some other ones i've learned about. Heavenly Father is exactly that. Our Father in Heaven. Jesus Christ is His only begotten son. His only son in the Flesh. The Holy Ghost is a personage of Spirit who speaks to us through thoughts and feelings. All of them help and guide and create. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is real. i'm so grateful i have this knowledge and the priviledge of sharing it with others. I have been set apart as a missionary of the Church, and as such, i have authority to preach the principles of the true and everlasting gospel. what a blessing!
i love you all so very much! keep praying for the work and the Stafford Branch. and keep praying for missionary opportunities.
love love love love love
sis m
ps- melia, if you read this, do you remember a michelle leonard from the colony? she's here on a mission and she's amazing. thought i'd ask.
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