Week 10

October 24, 2011

Hello there!!

Another great week! :)

Last Thursday we had the Omaha Zone training where a bunch of us missionaries get together and have President and Sister Kunz talk to us along with the assistants. Then we also get to do lots of role plays. It's always a great time with amazing messages and some good practice. That day I had a BLAST FROM THE PAST though!! So I saw an Elder that looked SO familiar and then about 10 seconds after thinking that I recognized him! Guess what it was?! Elder Karson Smith from my 1st grade class in Cedar City, UT! Haha!! Somehow I recognized him and was pretty confident that it was him. So during our lunch break I went up to him and asked where he was from and he said Cedar City, UT. Then I decided to go for it, "This is going to sound pretty crazy... but I'm pretty positive we were in the same 1st grade class! Fiddlers Elementary? With Mrs. Riddle?" Then he was like, "NO WAY!!! Yeah i was in that class! What's your first name?!" So I tell him and then he throws his hands on his head and shouts, "This is BLOWING MY MIND!! I totally remember you!" haha... then if this wasn't weird enough that I remembered that then I threw out some more random details I remembered, like how his mom was my Sunday school teacher when I visited my Dad and how we had a swim party at his house one time. It was hilarious! He was shocked that I remembered and recognized him but said that he could remember after I said my 1st name. So that was a pretty crazy encounter!

We met with Stephen this week! Yay! He still really enjoys meeting with us and is on board with the things we teach him. He is just an amazing man! When he feels the Spirit or when he's really happy with something we told him he "cheeses it up" and smiles really big and just looks at us and lets out a little giggle. Normally I can't help but do the same. We are just a happy group! He thinks I've been lied to my entire life and that I'm not Italian but really Egyptian. haha! He has been doing a lot of "research" on the church from the Internet and mormon.org but we are trying to get him to research by reading the Book of Mormon. So basically right now he just needs to read the Book of Mormon and focus his efforts there and then pray about it to know if it is true. Sometimes our lessons with him are difficult because he is a talker. He has such great faith though and knows Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love him and are leading him down this path.

The other day I gave a tour to a group of people about 40 people who are traveling around to all different church historical sites. I would love to do a tour like that someday! But this group of people were so nice and friendly! It's fun to hear their testimonies and experiences as they've been learning so much about the church history for the past couple weeks. One of the ladies in the tour gave me a praire diamond ring! It's a ring they can get at Nauvoo and I believe that it's a nail that is just bent in a circle and the pioneers used those as wedding rings during their journey out west. It's so cool!

On Friday we had a big cleaning day at the Trail Center! Sister Hawkes and I were actually on shift that day so we gave tours while all of the other Sisters were cleaning. :) We got pretty lucky! Although it would've been fun to help organize and clean out everything. Afterwards as a special treat for the hard work we all got to watch the movie 17 Miracles! It was sooo good! It's a movie about the pioneers and the Martin Handcart Company. We tell stories and talk about the pioneers constantly and this movie really helped put things in perspective and gave us a better idea about what some of them went through. If you haven't seen the movie you should definitely watch it! Let me give you a mental picture of what took place... about 26 Sister missionaries that work at a historical center that is ALL about the pioneer's journey watching a pioneer movie that shows how much people suffered while crossing the plains... we were all in tears and were passing around a tissue box! It was so sad but hilarious seeing all of us break down like that. But I dare you to sit through that movie and not shed a tear! If there is any group of people that is justified I think we are! I am so grateful we could all watch that movie together and gain a greater appreciation for the Saints crossing the plains and proving their faith and trust in the Lord. They are such an amazing group of people. I am honored to be at the Mormon Trail Center where we get to testify of these incredible people.

We are now teaching a new family as well! They are from West Africa and are so incredible! Their family is incredibly busy so every time we go over we teach different members of the family. We ran into the mom while we were walking down the street about 2 weeks ago and since we've been back we've taught her daughter and son who are in their 20's. The girl, Eunice, has been reading from the Book of Mormon and so far she likes it! :) I'm excited to see how this family progresses.

Last week I bought a pair of boots! (I attached a picture of me wearing boots for the first time since I was probably 6 years old. haha!) I feel so goofy wearing boots, but it is necessary. It's getting colder here but yesterday and today have been pretty warm! What a blessing! I need to get some more gear... like long sleeve shirts, warm socks, and thick skirts.

Just in case you are confused with my preparation day schedule... it switches off between Monday and Tuesday every week. Until transfers, which is November 10th, then my p-day is on Wednesday the 9th. So that means that next week my p-day is on Tuesday. Hope that clears things up! It switches because of the Trail Center schedule. For all of the Elders it's always Monday. They have it easy!

Well I hope you are all doing wonderfully! I love you all! Enjoy the pictures! Like my amazing family history chart?! Elder Naylor is incredible!

Have a great day!!

Lots of love!

Sister Jones