Jan 17 2010

Greetings from the Kingdom of MESA ARIZONA!
I am officially calling the Arizona Mesa Mission the PRINCESS mission for all of the below stated reasons:

I live in a palace
I get fed delicious food every night
It's sunny every day
I get to go running for an hour a day
I eat all the fruit I want right from the trees
There's SO much member support
I will hardly ever go "tracting" cuz of all the member referals
I committed someone to be baptized the FIRST DAY I was here and working!
I get to stare at the castle (temple) ALL DAY!
...there's even a ward called the "Princess Ward" baahahahahaha It's like "princess court" or something like that. I'll get a pic sometime!

When I turned in my papers I was fully expecting and excited to live in a hole... boil my water... and eat bugs...
God knows me too well.

My companion is Sister Chelsea Watrous and she's THE BOMB! She's beautiful and loving and helpful and understanding when I'm an idiot and most important has a super strong testimony! She graduated from Riverton in 05 and has lived in Texas and Florida since. She's pretty much a stud. Except the girliest version of that. she has GORGEOUS blonde hair and is always SUPER cute! I've been praying for her since August 2nd- the day I decided to go on a mission. Plus, I even wrote President Ellsworth a letter literally begging him for the BEST trainer he could give me.  He delivered. Ask and ye shall receive right? She's a trainer here at the VC. That's like the highest calling you can get.
Oh yeah, there's all sorts of callings I can get here. The Lord seriously knows me.

Mesa is close to home. I've already seen people I know! Or people who know people I know.  I sat down in my 3rd of 4 ward on Sunday, looked up on the stand and saw none other than President Ruben! Not Paul, but his brother! I talked to his wife for a bit. Ahhh how small the mormon world is. And the world between Mesa and Salt Lake.

I love being at the VC. Just like I thought, we get shifts from 9-3 or 3-9 and the rest of the days are proselyting. We get at least one full proselyting day a week. And I will get around 2 full proselyting transfers. There are a few oddities, like one sister who got switched to VC and one sister who had 4 transfers away, but that's pretty rare. I love all the girls, they're super cute and SO not catty at all!

My zone/district is awesome! My district leaders are always letting everyone know they're loved and appreciated which is a big deal! It really makes me want to work harder.

I've definitely learned that telling people how wonderful they are is a lot more motivating then telling them what they need to do. people want to live up to the reputation that precedes them. Our stake president- President Ostler has definitely taught me that.


Day by Day Breakdown
Tuesday- left the FIVE DEGREE weather with 10 Elders to MESA! President picked us up and we came to the Temple, had a quick meeting then went to the Mission home. Had another meeting and ate lunch. Interviews then off to work with our temporary companions. I was with Hermanna McKenna and Sister Rodriguez. They were in a zebra area so I got to hear some spanish. we worked, took pictures on the ugly green couch, and went home and to BED!

Wednesday- Got up to run, went to transfer meeting, got my companion (YAY!) and went to work! Got food and such at Walmart, taught some lessons, and committed Tana, our sweet little 12 year old to be baptized.

Thursday- Worked in the morning, VC at night

Friday - Same schedule

Saturday - Weekly planning (aahhhhh) and VC

Sunday - Getting everyone to church, bringing everyone to church, and sitting through looooots of church! Heard 5 different talks on honesty... honestly!

Monday - P DAY! our P day ends early cuz we have to be at the VC at 5:30

Pretty much we do the same thing every day- run, teach, call, VC, eat, and sleep. it's all WORK WORK WORK and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!!

A few Sunshine Statements for ya'll:
No one can be offended when offered happiness
"I lover to PHWAM people with the Spirit" - E. Dursdeller
If you want to hear the Lord's love, read the scriptures; If you want to feel His love, pray. -President
When you look for miracles, you will see them and they will come
This is the time to change. This is the time to watch people change. We can watch them and learn and grow together." -E Armour
We need investigators, not spectators
We love PEOPLE not NUMBERS
Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of cancer
My purpose is not to fix others' problems, my purpose is to lead them to Christ and Heavenly Father so they can.
"wanna make memories" -me!
"What have you gained?" "Depends on what you mean!"
"I was asked to speak on honest, and honestly I wasn't too thrilled"
There are 2 people you can never lie to, yourself and the Lord
If you do what you need to do, you'll be where you need to be



The key is to BE and not SEEM - President
Normal people look at bad parts of town and see people to stay clear of to be safe; missionaries see bad parts of town and see people to teach to bring them to Christ. - SMH

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

PS CHASE! I'M SO EXCITED! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH L.A.!!!! ahhh see you in... forever! but thats ok!
PSS CHAN CHAN! I need pics from Miss America ASAP! Thanks for being WONDERFUL!!!
PSSSS Nate- thanks for those talks, I'm writing you a for real letter... soon! but seriously, thank you!
PSSSS I LOVE YOU ALLLLLL!!!!
PSSSSS The church is true, the book is blue, God loves you, and I do too!!!