Thursday, November 17, 2011

Out the window Buzz! Your a Genius

Hello Family! 

It has been a great week! Last Thursday we went to transfer point. I was totally bawling/freaking out the whole way there because I got called to be a trainer and I was just thinking it was a total joke! A trainer is someone who TRAINS brand new missionaries. You'll remember that I was a brand new missionary just 3 months ago, so I did not feel adequate AT ALL. But, just like our Bishop said: The Lord knows I can do it, the mission president knows I can do it, so the only problem is me thinking I can't do it. So, I have learned just how much I need to rely on the Lord to do anything. Every morning I wake up stressed out of my mind and so nervous about the day, but if we do what we are supposed to, I have seen how the Lord will help us. It's amazing. Sister Graham is so great though, so that also makes the job a little bit easier. She is from Orem, Utah and does not know the Grahams. I really like driving, especially since the mission office just gave us a brand new car. It's flippin' sweet. It's the only time in my life that I will probably get a car with less than 25 miles on the odometer haha. It's cool though. Also, really scary since it's not my car :) 

We have worked in the Trail Center a lot this week, so that has been great. They are putting up all the Christmas decorations and stuff. It's the best. I love that Laura has her tree up. Also, I would love to get some pictures of the Christmas lights at the house! I bet they look awesome! I can't believe that Thanksgiving is next week!!! What are your plans for Thanksgiving? We are going to a recent converts house, the ones that I LOVE so much. I'm excited. But I am really sad that I don't get to be home playing with all the kids. Holidays are a rough time to be away from home, especially knowing that the annual dipping party is coming up and Fakesgiving!! OMG. Oh well. I'm excited to Skype with all of you in like a month and a half though! That will be a ton of fun! 
Well, we are in finding mode big time. We need to increase our teaching pool so we can get people baptized! It's a lot of fun talking to people all the time, but I wouldn't hate having a lesson every now and then :) One of the goals for the Millard ward is to have everyone pray for the ward to find a family that we can teach, baptize and then one day be sealed in the temple. It's pretty cool and I am excited to see what comes of it. I just remembered that upon being called to be a trainer, Elder Watson offered to give me a blessing. It was so great and in that blessing I was promised a lot of really great things about my mission. So great. I love the Priesthood! Also, I love all of the senior missionaries here, they are fabulous. Especially Elder Watson. He is like our grandpa/Dad here. It's awesome. He's always there for us and taking care of us. The Watsons go home the same time I do. I'm so glad because A. I can go visit them when I get home without driving to Nebraska. B. They are taking a moving truck back to Utah, so I might be able to slide some of my stuff in there :). Which is super handy. 

That's awesome that Steve Scott is coming out here. I would love to take him on tour. Too bad Jenny and Drew can't come out here too :) And Jodi :)
I am so jealous that you are going to see White Christmas!!! Ahhh!!! That will be so much fun! 
Well, we are having our mission tour this week and so tomorrow we are going to go and get trained from Elder Christofer Goulden or something like that. Those who had it yesterday said it was amazing, so I am pretty excited. I have to play the piano for it and then Me, Sister Hawkes, Sister Brown and Sister Wilson are all singing "Lord I Would Follow Thee." I arranged some different parts and music to make it sound more than just a hymn and it sounds pretty sweet. Last zone conference I arranged accompaniment for Where Can I Turn for Peace so I could play for Sister Hawkes. It was pretty fun. I like doing stuff like that it turns out. 
You know how every missionary comes back and says that the number one thing that they learned from their mission is the power of the Atonement? Well, I always heard this and I figured it was because they saw it changing other peoples lives or because they had to go through really difficult times and as they were struggling they were able to go to Christ. And I know that all of these things happen, and I have seen them happen. But one new thing that I have seen is the Atonement helping me to train Sister Graham as well as teach investigators and interact with members. I was so so so so so nervous about being in charge and having to lead a lesson. But the first lesson we went into, I could feel a difference. And I know it's because of the Atonement. It makes up the rest for EVERYTHING that we do. And even though I was/am nervous about being called to train, the Lord has provided a way for me to do that, just as long as I rely on Him. It's cool that the Atonement will help us in every aspect of our life. I love that. 

Mom, have you gotten your quilt back yet? I sent it back on Wednesday, but I did the cheapest rate so it might take a while... I hope it gets there soon. 
Oh my gosh, I forgot!!! There is a gingerbread house festival that is going on downstairs and it starts this Saturday and goes through the first of the year. They set up all the decorations down there and there will be music entertainment the whole time and then there are gingerbread houses everywhere and activities for all of the children! And it smells like gingerbread all. day.  long. It's the best thing I could ever ask for :) Maybe next year, you all should come and pick me up so you can come to it. Maybe then they would let me go home with you before Christmas!!! Genius. Hahaha. That would be really fun. I know all the kids would LOVE IT. 
Sarah sounds like she is doing great still, that's really good. She sent me an awesome letter last week. It's like she knew I was called to be a trainer and that I was freaking out about it. So awesome. That's too bad about Steven! I'm glad that things are working out though. Also, Jared sounds like He is doing well. I can't believe he'll be in the Philippines so soon. I'm glad he gets to be a zone leader. When I was the coordinating sister it was fun to go and work with them and to take the new missionaries around. But, we got to see the stark difference that just a week would make in a missionary rather than like a month. So I bet that's really cool. And they only let the really good missionaries be zone leaders, so I'm glad Jared is doing his best and working hard so he can be a top missionary from the beginning. I am so proud of him. 
As far as Christmas presents go, I would love clothes. But, maybe buy some clothes and then send some gift cards or something. I really like the skirts that I have seen at dress barn. I know Laura is probably cringing... but it turns out they are kind of cute. Or maybe my sense of fashion is just SO warped. All the dresses that Mom made me are kind of too big now and they are super long. They don't have to be as long. But I can still use them for the Winter so they will be long and I can put some sweat pants underneath them. I don't really know what else I would want for Christmas... We don't have a whole lot of time to do anything... but clothes would definitely be fun, and then whatever else you feel is necessary :) Mom, you can send the electric blanket from home if you would like, whatever is fine, just as long as it's electric :) Also, I already said this, but no one said anything back to me, that I would like to still be in on the name drawing for Christmas presents... please? If you could let me know who I have as soon as possible that would be great, because I only have so many more days that I can actually buy it, and then I'll have to ship it. 
It sounds like things are going really well at home, with the exception of the truck not starting. Maybe you should get new cars, it turns out they are really nice. You can buy old mission cars, because they pull them out every 50000 miles, so it's not half bad idea. Plus we have to vacuum them and wash them every week. So, that's pretty sweet. Is Mom ready to part with the van yet now that only Laura lives at home? Who knows. hahah. 
Well, Family! I love you all so much! I miss you and I'm so glad that things are going well for all of you. You are in my prayers every single day and I miss you so much! I'll talk to you in a month and a half and I'll see you in 13 1/2 months! I can't believe I'm almost to my 12 months left mark. Crazy. It's been fast, but slow at the same time. I love being a missionary. OH MY GOSH, I just remembered a really great TC experience. It was a Jewish mom with her Christian husband and two kids. They lived in Idaho and so they knew a lot about Mormons and admired them. They had a lot of questions for me as far as my faith goes. I got to talk to her about how our family came so close together when Mom had cancer and it just built us up. And then she pointed out that most LDS people turn to God in times of trial, whereas the world usually questions God, and she wanted to know why that was. I was able to bear a powerful testimony on the Atonement of Jesus Christ and how He didn't just suffer for our sins but for our pains, sorrows and afflictions. So, when we have that knowledge, we can go to Him and find comfort and it makes it a lot easier. She was speechless. It was just such a great opportunity to bear my testimony of the Savior to a Jewish person, who doesn't even believe in Christ. I hope it made a lasting effect on her. It was a great experience for me. 
Well, I love you and miss you!!!
Love,
Sister Proctor

I feel like a teenage mother

Dearest Darlingest Family,

This has been a CRAZY morning. We had been waiting all morning to hear about transfers, and then at 8:01 am President called-NEVER a good sign. hahaha. He called me and let me know that the Lord has called me to be a trainer. I immediately started freaking out. It is going to be a very new, interesting and faith building experience. I am excited that I get to stay in Millard, but I am so nervous to train!!! I have only been out 12 weeks! I know that the Lord will help me though and we both (my new companion and I) have a lot to learn from each other. Anyway, if you could just add some more thoughts for me in your prayers, that would be great :) And also for my new companion, that she won't be TOO disappointed with her trainer :) Her name is Sister Graham and she is from Orem, Utah. She doesn't know that we are going to be companions yet, she will find out tonight at President's house and then I'll pick her up tomorrow morning at transfer point when I say farewell to Sister Myers. Like the title of my subject, I feel like a teenage mother. I am not experienced enough to train someone! Hhaha. It's gonna be hard, but I know it will make us both better missionaries and the Lord has a lot in store for both of us. 

Transfers are CRAZY. One of my roommates is being shipped out west and we won't see her for who knows how long. It's just weird because the last transfer didn't affect us, but this one totally threw us all through a loop. I will still be rooming with Sister Hawkes though, so that's good. She will be training as well. So, fortunately I will have a semi-trainer when we come back at night that I can ask questions to. I am excited because I know this will push me to be a better missionary. 

Anyway, this week has been good. The last p-day I was sick and I just slept the rest of the day after I emailed you. Then on Wednesday I was sick again and had to stay in the Trail Center all day. Then on Thursday, I was so sick of being sick that I didn't even care anymore and I went out in the afternoon and felt good enough, then we had a shift in the trail center, so that was fine. Then, on Friday we had weekly planning and the trail center so by that time I felt much better. On Saturday we had Phil's baptism! (change the name if it's going on the blog). It was so awesome! He is thinking about serving a mission and I can't wait for people to hear his testimony. Then on Sunday we had a great day and ____ was confirmed and ___________ received the Priesthood! It was so great! I love days like that when you see people making covenants and/or receiving the blessings of the gospel. It's so awesome. On Monday we had district meeting- I included the picture of our district and our zone leaders. I have loved this district, they are SO fun. And the good news is a lot of them are still in my next district. Then afterwards we went to the trail center. Then yesterday we served in the trail center. I was the next to give a tour and I was just sitting in the chair and these two guys walk in. And I turned to Sister Atkin and I was like, "these guys look famous. like the osmonds or something." Then we found out that one of them had served in NOM and left in July and so he was talking to Elder Watson for a while. In the mean time, Sister Atkin are making all of these jokes because they look like the Osmonds about how I should on the tour call him Elder Osmond or ask how Donny and Marie are doing, and we are just cracking each other up. Then I go to take them on tour and as we are walking into the gallery, I ask them what their names are and they say their first names and their last names. Osmond. I was like. Wait. What?! and they were like, Umm... Osmond. and so then I start laughing and I bring them back into the lobby and say "Sister Atkin, I'd like to introduce you to the Osmonds." And she couldn't believe and we told them the story of what we were talking about before hand. It was so funny. It turns out that Donny and Marie are their aunt and uncle. Crazy stuff. So I'm practically famous now. It was a really good tour, too. 

Hey, I had this idea! Rather than buying stuff and shipping it to me, you could buy it on Amazon and have it shipped here!!! Genius right?! ahahha. Some of the other sisters families do that for them. No pressure or anything, but I could really go for an electric blanket... It is starting to get CHILLY here. It snowed last Wednesday. A TON. It's all melted now, but it's supposed to snow again today I think. Oh gosh, I just realized that now I'm gonna be Senior comp, which means I'll have to drive the mission cars. In the snow. yikes. Again- please pray for me. 

Well, this last week has been really great. Since I was sick for so long and realized how BORING it was to stay inside all day and how unproductive it feels, I have a new found love for missionary work. Not that I had lost it or something, but you just realize how great it is to be able to be out working all day. It's awesome. I am so excited to see how I grow this next transfer. I am nervous, but I know that Heavenly Father knows exactly what we both need. It will be great. I am sad to see Sister Myers go. We had some rough times, but these past few weeks we have just gotten along so well, and everyone in our ward tells us how amazing we work together (this was even when we were having rough times). Our ward mission leader said that he hasn't seen more effective missionaries than the two of us in the 3 years he's been the WML. It's awesome how well we worked together even when we sometimes drove each other crazy. I am going to miss her and I am excited for her to go back to the real world. Missions are really great. I am excited to see what I am like at the end of mine. I already feel like a different person from when I left- but it just gets better and better. I'm excited to see what Jared is like when he comes home. 

I can't believe that Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming up so fast! I am excited for Thanksgiving. We are having it with the Kmieicks. They are recent converts (Aug 2011) and they are so FREAKING awesome!!!! They are my favorite, and I was really sad thinking that I might get transferred away from them. But I get to be with them for longer! So that's awesome. 
 
Well, I love you all SO SO SO much! Thank you Michelle for all of the pictures! They are so fun to see how everyone is growing up! I love it! I can't wait to hear from you all very soon. Know that I love you and I pray for you everyday. I am so grateful for our wonderful family!!!

Anyway, I love you all so much! Please keep me and my poor trainee in your prayers!! I miss you! 
Love,
Sister Proctor

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

I Have a laundry Machine

Hello Family! 

This week was SUCH A GREAT WEEK!!!! As you can see in the pictures, we had a baptism!!!! Since you aren't posting this on my blog, I will tell you his real name, but if you are posting it on my blog then you will just have to change the name :) Anyways, this is __________! We met him at the end of August, but we didn't start teaching him until the end of September. He was set for baptism on November 5th, but this last Tuesday, Sister Myers and I felt like it needed to be moved up. So we had an appointment with him that day at the trail center and in the memorial room, we talked to him about it, and he said a prayer and said he wanted the rest of the day to think about it, but that he knew he probably would get baptized on Saturday. Then, we went and watched the John Tanner story, which is like 20 minutes long, and then he came out and asked us what we were doing on Saturday and if we wanted to go to a baptism! It was so awesome! So many people from the ward came and it was such a wonderful experience! It was stressful making sure everything was set up and that there would be people there, but it was ALL worth it! So so so so so great! He was so happy. He told us at his baptismal interview that he was so amazed that all of the sister missionaries were alike (he has met 4 total in the last month). He said we are all different, but we all have the same happiness and the same seriousness about the gospel. Then he said that he has never seen happier people than he has underneath the roof of our church building. It was really really cool. I am so happy for him. Now, we get to do it all over again this weekend with our other investigator! So awesome! 

That was obviously the highlight of the week. Last night, since it was Halloween, we weren't allowed to be outside after 6 pm. So, all the sisters got together and had a dinner and then made a Christmas craft! Best way to spend Halloween EVER! It was awesome! 

Well, I've had my first sickness in the mission field. I was super sick on Wednesday and I just slept all day long in the basement of the trail center. It was SO boring. I thought days were long when we were out in our area, but they are WAY longer when you are just sleeping all day. It was so annoying. I felt fine after that, except today I am feeling pretty crappy again, but I'm hoping I can just push through it. It's so annoying being sick. All of the sisters are coming down with something this week. 

I can't believe Dad bought Christmas lights!!!!!!!! What the heck?! It's a Christmas Miracle. 

So, this last week I took a former mission president  and his wife on tour. He was the mission president of the Utah Provo Mission. At the end, he said I was an amazing missionary and he wished he could have had me at his mission. Best. compliment. ever. It was so awesome. I really love being a missionary. It's so hard, yet so awesome all at the same time. 

Next week is transfers! I will definitely be getting a new companion, since Sister Myers is headed home. It is so crazy and so exciting all at the same time. We have had a great 3 months together, but I am excited to see what else is to come. It's weird because I hate moving in real life, but in a mission I think it's so fun to not know where I am going to be living or who I'll be living with next week. Crazy stuff. OH, just FBI, my P-day next week is on Wednesday. BUT, we might have to do our emails on Tuesday if we get picked to go out with the new missionaries. So, just send in your letters probably on Sunday night :) 

I am struggling writing this letter because I feel like my head is about to explode, so I'm sorry if it doesn't make any sense :) 

Thank you, Michelle for the package! I got it on Wednesday (the day I was sick) and so it was PERFECT! Plus I was freezing cold and that Gryffindor scarf warmed me right up. That is awesome and I am so excited to wear it!! 

Well, I have gotten some winter gear. I still have to get some for real snow boots. They are just so ugly I have a hard time spending money on them. It's supposed to snow tomorrow. Woof. I like snow, but not when we have to walk around in it ALL day long :) Hopefully I can find some boots today or something. We'll see what happens. 

Jared sounds like he is doing great. I am excited for him. He's officially been in the MTC longer than I have. Woohooo! It's so exciting when you get your travel plans. Probably even more exciting when you are there longer than 4 weeks :) I loved the MTC, but I definitely do not miss eating that cafeteria food all the time. 

I am making such great friends with the sisters here. I am so excited to get back (in 14 months!!!) and play with them/live with them. They are so great! Did I tell you that my mission is shorter than regular missions for some reason? It looks like my fly home date with be January 4, 2013. Which is pretty crappy that I'll miss 2 Christmas' but there's not much I can do about that haha. I figure it will be a fun way to say goodbye to those here. 

So, Nebraska decorates for Holidays like CRAZY here! Everyone has Halloween decorations up and I can't even wait to see what it's like at Christmas! Also, as you saw in the picture, we made those reindeer sweatshirts! It was awesome! We did it with our whole district. It was a surprise. I know the Elders loved it. hahaha. It was so much fun!! 

Well, I don't know what else to say and I feel like I should go lay down or something. I'm so glad to hear that everyone is doing well. I pray for you each every single day and I love getting letters from you all! Please remember to do the simple things like praying, studying scriptures, and going to church. It's crazy how just slacking a little bit can interrupt your life so much. I see it out here all the time with the less actives that we visit. Know that I love you all so much and I love this gospel. I love being a representative for Jesus Christ and helping people come closer to Him. I can't wait for Jared to have his first baptism. It's such a great experience seeing people understand, and the light in their eyes changes. It's so powerful. This gospel is amazing. I love you all and miss you!!

Love, 
Sister Proctor