Monday, April 29, 2013

Hello again (Week 33)

Hello,
 
So last pday was wednesday so it has only been a few days, but I feel like it took forever to get to this pday. Crazy! But, can you guys believe that it is almost May?! That is so weird to me! Time is going by really fast...usually, some days seem to just go on forever though, but that's ok because eventually each day ends. Thanks for all the advice and emails everyone! I felt so loved and popular! :) You all gave me a lot of things to think about, improve on, and to help me get through this! So, thanks for all the help and love. It truly does make a difference. I read this article somewhere that said that a mission is a family affair. Even though we are miles apart the family is what keeps the missionary going. You pray for us, support us, love us, write us, encourage us, and help us to feel better and that's what a missionary needs to get over different hurdles thrown our way! I love you guys! Mom- you can accept Hope (on facebook). haha I laughed about Sis. Little's comment (on a photo on facebook)!  Am I friends with her on fb? And yes, she finished her mission and went home on friday. Weird. She went home and I'm already a mother (trainer) of two! ha Please tell Lexis congrats (mission) and also Cecily and Ethan (engagement)! I was waiting for that one to happen and was surprised that it took so long. (Answering a question:)The standard of excellence has to do with numbers and not with who we are. Otherwise I would be exceeding it! :P It's getting .5 baptisms per month, and 2 baptismal dates, 2 at sacrament, 3 member present lessons, and 3 new investigators each week. I still have yet to get it, but whatever. I'm trying! Thanks for letting me know about the times (for calling on Mother's Day). We are going to figure it out and let you know hopefully next week. I'm thinking it may be later on in the afternoon/evening, if everything goes how I want it to. We'll see.
 
Sooo, I have baby #2 already and she is awesome!! Her name is Sister Patchett, she's 20, the baby of 6, and from Henderson, Nevada. She is tall, skinny, and beautiful, and I love her! She loves volleyball too and played in highschool!!! She is so my child!!! :) She is fresh out of the MTC and wants to learn all that she can and spread the gospel to everyone. It's so funny how as a missionary you are all over the spectrum with your emotions, but I have swung the other way again. We get along well, and have a lot of fun together, and our relationship is good. So, now we can focus on the work and helping this area. She has a lot of faith, and is just like what do we do next, and is wanting to learn and do all she can. She says that she has learned a lot from me, can feel the great love that I have for her so that makes her feel comfortable so she can tell me things that she has gone through and she is fine with telling me, and she thinks that I am wonderful and can teach her a lot. She was talking to our district leader on thursday on the speakerphone, and they were just going back and forth about how wonderful and fabulous I am as a missionary and that I am just so great! ha I was dying! I am so excited to work with her and think that we are going to do great things here. The Lord is definitely mindful of us and knows what we need to help us and keep us growing and learning. Last transfer was the hardest transfer by far but I learned so much that transfer! On the phone, President said that I would be just fine and have success, and that I would have the Lord much stronger with me this transfer because of what I have gone through. I have been praying for the Lord to lighten the burden that I have had and I definitely feel so much better. Sister Patchett is taking responsibility and wants to do what she can because of everything that she has gone through and how she feels about the gospel. My back hurts so badly though because of everything I guess. Sometimes we try and see who can pop our backs the loudest because she is always popping! ha
 
Yesterday, I tried ramps which are some type of onion here and I didn't like them. They are sweeter or something and now I am going to be smelling for the next couple of days because of the smell that they put off. But that's ok because someone said everyone is going to be smelling like it. ha I think I gained like 10 pounds yesterday because I was constantly eating yesterday. Everywhere we went it seemed like people were feeding us a meal. I think I had like 4 dinners or something. By the end we were so full and I was struggling to eat what I had, but I did it! I am going to be so fat!! The ward is wonderful though and is definitely warming up to us. I am being prideful right now and claiming that to me ;) We have had to gain the trust of the members back and to help them love missionaries again, and it is working. Yesterday our Relief Society President was talking with another lady and hugged me and was just like 'don't you just love her. I completely fell in love with her and think that she is so cute.' Yes! She was one that I thought didn't like us cause she never talked to us, but when we were doing service at the church she was there and I saw an opportunity to talk to her and jumped on it. We talked for a long time and they used to live in Springville and she just loved talking to me, and now she thinks that I am just wonderful! We may not be having the best numbers, but I know that I am helping the members here and that makes me happy! I have had a couple different experiences like that just in this area, and it makes me feel so good!! 
 
Dad, I did service on saturday of picking up trash around a city and we got these picker upper sticks and we got to wear bright orange jackets and I thought of you! :) I can't even remember what all has happened this week, but it has been awesome! I am doing well and learning so much! Thanks for all your support and love! I love you all!!                            
 
Love, Jenna

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