Well my friends.
It's official.
Missions are the best. This week has been incredible.
First, let's start out with the funnies. I know they are secretly your favorite anyway.
On Friday we went to dinner are Sister Blazeskis house. She was telling us about how she has seen bears around her house for the last week or so. She is worried about her two little doggies and she always takes them with her to take the garbage out because she knows they can smell the bears. She told us that if we ever see one we need to be loud and clap our hands so they get scared of us. We just kind of laughed at the story she told us.
Then during the lesson she was saying something about her family and I just happened to zone out for two seconds and then she yelled something and scared the day lights out of me. I practically jumped out of my chair and sister Checketts could not get herself together so we could finish teaching the lesson. Sister Blazeski thought it was pretty funny too :)
Earlier that day we were teaching an online lesson from the new facebook messenger ap. We were waiting for our less active to respond after we had born our testimonies and promised her blessings... and sister Checketts is tinkering around with the ap. Next thing I know she has sent a voice recording to everyone in the conversation and all it says is "Heelllllooooooooooo!!!!" welp. There goes the spirit! We were dying. She had to send a message that said to disregard the voice recording and there was no way to delete it. We were laughing so hard.
Now fast forward to Tuesday morning. We woke up and we're all ready to go running. We get out of the apartment and run maybe 10 steps and sister Checketts stops and says "well, looks like we are going to settle for a brisk walk this morning... I forgot my sports bra." So we decide to just walk our normal route. We were just about to the end of our peaceful morning walk.. Each of us in our own little world. We are about ready to turn into the apartment complex from the road, and I see a car slow down and pull away from the edge of the road. I look at the trees and see this black form sauntering from the bushes. I grabbed sister Checketts arm and said "it's a bear!" Just in case she wasn't sure. We both panic for a quick second and the car starts moving again and conveniently scares the bear into a brisk walk of its own... In our direction! Of course we both panic and one of us (probably me) yells "run"! Before the word is halfway out we are sliding down the dewy grass into the ditch and onto the parking lot.
Now, pause for a second. Just put yourself in the car's position. You see these two white girls daydreaming while taking their morning walk. You watch them freeze as they see the bear and do the panic dance. Then you watch the bear move slightly in their direction. They freeze, dance, and then book it down the hill into the ditch towards their apartment. Like they really could outrun a bear. We got halfway to our door and busted up laughing. The good news is we probably made the drivers morning!
Later in the day as we were reflecting on our near death experience, sister Checketts informs me that she has basically been preparing for her whole life for that one moment. Her parents had a bear trainer speak to her family about what to do when you see a bear. She has read numerous survivor books and studied and wished and prepared for an opportunity to show her skills. Welp. Opportunity came and went, my friend... And I am pretty sure we failed.
Later yet, we were in Pinebush during our dinner hour. We saw this homemade ice cream stand that advertised pumpkin and apple pie ice cream. We decided it was Pday Eve and we deserved a treat. Sister Checketts pulled in what she thought was the parking lot only to find out all of the cars parked there were at least a hundred years old. And all of the people from the ice cream stand are watching us. Probably because we were interrupting their car show. Apparently the Malibu isn't quite up to their standard. Please excuse me while I back my companion out of the car show. Miss Hyrum really did prepare me for the rest of my life, turns out.
I think that's all of the silly stuff. This week was also full of spiritual miracles.
This week we have been surrounded by so many wonderful women who are doing their very best to keep the covenants they have made. They are strong, independent women who don't let anything get them down. Let's just name some of the things I have heard about this week... Marriage for all the wrong reasons, abuse by parents and boyfriends, rape & the resulting guilt and shame... one woman had 10 days to find a job or she was going to lose all means of supporting herself and her family. It's so humbling to see and hear about these experiences. Sometimes I think it's hard for ME to keep my covenants or to read every day or pray always... But I have no excuse.
Friday we went and washed pumpkins for the Hamptonburgh Fall Festival. It wasn't my favorite service opportunity but it was good. My hands were frozen and swollen by the end... But the pumpkins looked beautiful! :) Then on Saturday we went back to help with the festival. A member of our Ward signed us up to do free face painting. It was really fun but also pretty high pressure... Nothing like parents standing over your shoulder as you smear paint all over their child's face! One lady asked me to paint a mermaid on her daughters arm. Excuse me? Do YOU know how to paint a mermaid? Let's just say that wasn't my best piece of art :)
We tried to plan in a car fast on Thursday but then we ended up not being able to, so we had to car fast on Sunday. It wasn't bad walking to church, and then we had planned on a member coming out with us in the afternoon, but she was sick. That meant a long afternoon of walking. Yay! We had a member drop us off at one appointment and then we walked the 3 miles home, making a few stops on the way.
The roads here don't have sidewalks so we couldn't walk next to each other and talk, and I was left alone with my thoughts. I started to get grumpy because we were wasting so much time walking when we could just get in our car and drive for 5 minutes and be home. Surely President Morgan would understand that we aren't making the most use of our time and it's more convenient to drive! We car fasted for half of the day.. That's good enough, right?
Wrong. I don't think God accepts our own, man-made justifications... It's never easy or convenient to pay tithing or to fast for 24 hours or to read and pray every day, but he asks us to do those things anyways. He knows there is a lot more you could be getting done on Sunday, but he still asks us to go to three hours of church. He asks us to commit 100% because he knows it is a sacrifice... And isn't it the least we could do for Him after all he has sacrificed for us?
I am so grateful for the mission and I am SO grateful that I keep learning and growing. We have really struggled with the elders that we serve with here. We tried to bring it up with them but it always got really contentious really fast, so we asked our STLS about it... Who asked our zone leaders & president Morgan. The zone leaders called our district leader and then our district leader called us out during district meeting. He said he was really hurt that we didn't trust him enough to tell him. He didn't know it was us but it doesn't take a rocket scientist... Anyways.. After that awkward schpeil we had an interview with him. Sister Checketts and I had already talked about being open and honest with him.. So when he asked what we thought about the casualness in the district we were honest. And it felt SO good. This whole week we have been trying to live in honesty in our words and thoughts and actions and it just feels GOOD. it feels good to be true to who you are and how you are feeling. It feels good to be honest and not sell yourself short. It feels good to work hard and to be open about all that you are doing. The gospel helps & inspires us to live in honesty.
I LOVE being a missionary. I love being a member of the restored church. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and I know it has the power to change people's hearts, minds, and lives... And I love being able to testify of that power in my words, thoughts and deeds. This week, as we testified of the restoration and the book of Mormon, our investigator told me there was something different about me. She said I was glowing. I know that that is the spirit and it testifies to each of us if we will let it. I know that we have a prophet of God who leads and guides us... And I am so grateful that we get to hear him be His mouthpiece in a few short weeks.
I am asking (and kind of telling) everyone to actively participate in conference. The Women's broadcast is this Saturday. Please go. God wants you there and I want you there. :)
I love you all!
Xoxo
Sister Toone
Ps. True companions and best friends wear tiger leggings together. :)
It's official.
Missions are the best. This week has been incredible.
First, let's start out with the funnies. I know they are secretly your favorite anyway.
On Friday we went to dinner are Sister Blazeskis house. She was telling us about how she has seen bears around her house for the last week or so. She is worried about her two little doggies and she always takes them with her to take the garbage out because she knows they can smell the bears. She told us that if we ever see one we need to be loud and clap our hands so they get scared of us. We just kind of laughed at the story she told us.
Then during the lesson she was saying something about her family and I just happened to zone out for two seconds and then she yelled something and scared the day lights out of me. I practically jumped out of my chair and sister Checketts could not get herself together so we could finish teaching the lesson. Sister Blazeski thought it was pretty funny too :)
Earlier that day we were teaching an online lesson from the new facebook messenger ap. We were waiting for our less active to respond after we had born our testimonies and promised her blessings... and sister Checketts is tinkering around with the ap. Next thing I know she has sent a voice recording to everyone in the conversation and all it says is "Heelllllooooooooooo!!!!" welp. There goes the spirit! We were dying. She had to send a message that said to disregard the voice recording and there was no way to delete it. We were laughing so hard.
Now fast forward to Tuesday morning. We woke up and we're all ready to go running. We get out of the apartment and run maybe 10 steps and sister Checketts stops and says "well, looks like we are going to settle for a brisk walk this morning... I forgot my sports bra." So we decide to just walk our normal route. We were just about to the end of our peaceful morning walk.. Each of us in our own little world. We are about ready to turn into the apartment complex from the road, and I see a car slow down and pull away from the edge of the road. I look at the trees and see this black form sauntering from the bushes. I grabbed sister Checketts arm and said "it's a bear!" Just in case she wasn't sure. We both panic for a quick second and the car starts moving again and conveniently scares the bear into a brisk walk of its own... In our direction! Of course we both panic and one of us (probably me) yells "run"! Before the word is halfway out we are sliding down the dewy grass into the ditch and onto the parking lot.
Now, pause for a second. Just put yourself in the car's position. You see these two white girls daydreaming while taking their morning walk. You watch them freeze as they see the bear and do the panic dance. Then you watch the bear move slightly in their direction. They freeze, dance, and then book it down the hill into the ditch towards their apartment. Like they really could outrun a bear. We got halfway to our door and busted up laughing. The good news is we probably made the drivers morning!
Later in the day as we were reflecting on our near death experience, sister Checketts informs me that she has basically been preparing for her whole life for that one moment. Her parents had a bear trainer speak to her family about what to do when you see a bear. She has read numerous survivor books and studied and wished and prepared for an opportunity to show her skills. Welp. Opportunity came and went, my friend... And I am pretty sure we failed.
Later yet, we were in Pinebush during our dinner hour. We saw this homemade ice cream stand that advertised pumpkin and apple pie ice cream. We decided it was Pday Eve and we deserved a treat. Sister Checketts pulled in what she thought was the parking lot only to find out all of the cars parked there were at least a hundred years old. And all of the people from the ice cream stand are watching us. Probably because we were interrupting their car show. Apparently the Malibu isn't quite up to their standard. Please excuse me while I back my companion out of the car show. Miss Hyrum really did prepare me for the rest of my life, turns out.
I think that's all of the silly stuff. This week was also full of spiritual miracles.
This week we have been surrounded by so many wonderful women who are doing their very best to keep the covenants they have made. They are strong, independent women who don't let anything get them down. Let's just name some of the things I have heard about this week... Marriage for all the wrong reasons, abuse by parents and boyfriends, rape & the resulting guilt and shame... one woman had 10 days to find a job or she was going to lose all means of supporting herself and her family. It's so humbling to see and hear about these experiences. Sometimes I think it's hard for ME to keep my covenants or to read every day or pray always... But I have no excuse.
Friday we went and washed pumpkins for the Hamptonburgh Fall Festival. It wasn't my favorite service opportunity but it was good. My hands were frozen and swollen by the end... But the pumpkins looked beautiful! :) Then on Saturday we went back to help with the festival. A member of our Ward signed us up to do free face painting. It was really fun but also pretty high pressure... Nothing like parents standing over your shoulder as you smear paint all over their child's face! One lady asked me to paint a mermaid on her daughters arm. Excuse me? Do YOU know how to paint a mermaid? Let's just say that wasn't my best piece of art :)
We tried to plan in a car fast on Thursday but then we ended up not being able to, so we had to car fast on Sunday. It wasn't bad walking to church, and then we had planned on a member coming out with us in the afternoon, but she was sick. That meant a long afternoon of walking. Yay! We had a member drop us off at one appointment and then we walked the 3 miles home, making a few stops on the way.
The roads here don't have sidewalks so we couldn't walk next to each other and talk, and I was left alone with my thoughts. I started to get grumpy because we were wasting so much time walking when we could just get in our car and drive for 5 minutes and be home. Surely President Morgan would understand that we aren't making the most use of our time and it's more convenient to drive! We car fasted for half of the day.. That's good enough, right?
Wrong. I don't think God accepts our own, man-made justifications... It's never easy or convenient to pay tithing or to fast for 24 hours or to read and pray every day, but he asks us to do those things anyways. He knows there is a lot more you could be getting done on Sunday, but he still asks us to go to three hours of church. He asks us to commit 100% because he knows it is a sacrifice... And isn't it the least we could do for Him after all he has sacrificed for us?
I am so grateful for the mission and I am SO grateful that I keep learning and growing. We have really struggled with the elders that we serve with here. We tried to bring it up with them but it always got really contentious really fast, so we asked our STLS about it... Who asked our zone leaders & president Morgan. The zone leaders called our district leader and then our district leader called us out during district meeting. He said he was really hurt that we didn't trust him enough to tell him. He didn't know it was us but it doesn't take a rocket scientist... Anyways.. After that awkward schpeil we had an interview with him. Sister Checketts and I had already talked about being open and honest with him.. So when he asked what we thought about the casualness in the district we were honest. And it felt SO good. This whole week we have been trying to live in honesty in our words and thoughts and actions and it just feels GOOD. it feels good to be true to who you are and how you are feeling. It feels good to be honest and not sell yourself short. It feels good to work hard and to be open about all that you are doing. The gospel helps & inspires us to live in honesty.
I LOVE being a missionary. I love being a member of the restored church. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and I know it has the power to change people's hearts, minds, and lives... And I love being able to testify of that power in my words, thoughts and deeds. This week, as we testified of the restoration and the book of Mormon, our investigator told me there was something different about me. She said I was glowing. I know that that is the spirit and it testifies to each of us if we will let it. I know that we have a prophet of God who leads and guides us... And I am so grateful that we get to hear him be His mouthpiece in a few short weeks.
I am asking (and kind of telling) everyone to actively participate in conference. The Women's broadcast is this Saturday. Please go. God wants you there and I want you there. :)
I love you all!
Xoxo
Sister Toone
Ps. True companions and best friends wear tiger leggings together. :)
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