Alma 32:13

Hello FAMILY!!!

What a great week it has been! We had transfers, and the little birdie was right! Sister Hawkes and I are now companions!!! It's insane. Seriously, we'll be knocking doors and then just look at each other and start laughing, because it doesn't feel real! It's great. We're still in Bellevue 2nd and we have been teaching a ton and finding a lot of great people. It's awesome. I really really love it. It's Sister Hawkes' last transfer, so I'm so grateful that I get to spend it with her! Wooooo hooo!

This week:
Tuesday: A great last P-day with Sister Davis. It was a lot of fun. She has become one of my dearest friends. I'm so excited to see her grow and the effect that she will have on other missionaries.
Wednesday: I got to take the new Elders on tour at the Trail Center. It's crazy to think that I was there once. It's so overwhelming, but I know they will do phenomenal, and it's so exciting to see the changes that have been made in you because of the mission. Awesome.

Thursday: We went to transfer point and said goodbye to Sister Davis and then came home with Sister Hawkes. Seriously, we feel like we are just on exchanges or something. It's the best. And everyone thinks it's crazy that we get to be together since we are the best of friends and have so much fun together. It's awesome! I'm so grateful that I have this opportunity!!!

Friday: We had some AWESOME lessons! We haven't hardly had to tract because we've been teaching so much or else in the Trail Center. It was a great day though. One of our investigators, M is just TOTALLY progressing and it's amazing! I'm so excited for her and her family

Saturday: We taught a ton, and we took M on a church tour. She told us about how when she was 9 years old she found out that she was born out of wed lock and how she decided right then that she would make sure that her children knew that they were wanted, that they were planned for and that they had a mom and a dad. AT 9 YEARS OLD!!!! She has been living so many of the commandments her whole life, it's amazing to see her desires and to see how the gospel will just keep helping her! AAAHHH phenomenal!

Sunday: We had our concert in the park! It was AWESOME! It didn't actually end up being in the park because of the rain, and it was in the TC basement, but we had about 200 people there. It was SO good! I recorded it both audio and video for all of the sisters so once I get those burned for everyone, I'll send you a copy so you can see it. It's amazing to see all of the talent that the sisters here have. 2 of the songs were written by sisters here. And then everyone is just these broadway singers. It's AWESOME! It makes me really grateful that I came out when I did, and not when I was 21. It makes me think that God knew how stubborn I would be, but that it would also be the perfect time when I did finally decide. God is pretty great like that. I sang a song with Sis. Atkin that we sort of wrote. I sang Come Thou Fount with Sister Hawkes, and I made up accompaniment on the spot for How Great Thou Art. It was such a phenomenal night. President Kunz wants us to do it again. Make it a tradition for the rest of the summer. How cool to be able to share our testimonies and our talents through music!!! Bahhh!!! And it was so fun because a ton of people from Millard came so it was great to see them again. How great.





As for the pictures:
1- Guess what they have here!!!!????

2- In heaven. I love me some orange leaf.

3-This is a picture of me and Sister Hawkes 4 years ago. And now we are companions. CRAZYYYYYY

4-Sister Hawkes and I at transfer point

5- Sister Davis and I at transfer point saying goodbye.

Before I forget, on May 13, AKA Mother's Day, we can Skype. I have 40 minutes. I have church from 2-5 my time. So when would be the best time I could skype with all of you? We are going to get a schedule put together at the Trail Center, so let me know in your email next week.

WOOOHOOO for Laura's graduation! That's awesome!!! and now Mom and Dad are empty nesters. Crazy! It was fun to get all of your letters and emails. Thank you so much!

This week we met some Roman Catholics. It was funny because their 16 year old stopped us on the street and told us he had a lot of questions about God. He said he and his mom and grandma were sitting around thinking about it. They were simple questions like about how the trinity can't really be a real thing, they have to be separate, stuff about Him performing miracles, etc. It's just weird to think about how people in other religions sit around asking the basic questions, but they have no answers. It's awesome that when you have the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, those questions are answered! How grateful I am for that!

Oh, before I forget. We had some pretty powerful lessons. One woman that we are teaching is Native American, which is so cool because the Book of Mormon is like her family history!!! So we were asking her about what she believed happened after we die, and she said she didn't know, all she knew was that everyone said that you "go home." So I pulled out the Book of Mormon and had her read Alma 40:11. "Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life." She thought it was INCREDIBLE. INCREDIBLE. It was awesome. She really likes the Book of Mormon, so we're excited to teach her more about it.

Then, we used that same scripture in another lesson the next day. We are teaching a really sweet lady who's son passed away about 1 1/2 years ago. She had so many questions about the afterlife, so I had her read that scripture. She was in tears before she could even finish it. She said that it had answered so many of her questions. It's amazing to see how ONE scripture can touch 2 completely different people in their own personal way. The Book of Mormon is the word of God!!! It's so amazing. This scripture is one of my favorites, because last year when I was taking mission prep, they invited us to go home and to gain a personal relationship with the Book of Mormon. I just opened it up to where I was already reading, and I read this verse. This was during the time that Grandpa Goodwin was very sick, and reading that along with verse 12 gave me SO MUCH COMFORT! I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon and how God uses it to speak with us and show His love for us. Amazing.

Something I realized in my personal study this morning was in the index of the Book of Mormon. Look how many PAGES of references there are to Jesus Christ, and then try telling me that it is not another testament of Him. It's awesome how much this book testifies of our Savior. Incredible.

I am so grateful to be a missionary. I am so grateful to be in Nebraska with people that I LOVE! Missions really are the best.

I love all of you and I am so happy that we get to be together FOREVER. I love you.

Love,
Sister Proctor

It would be way cool if you could figure out a 3 way skype thing so I could see Jared! Just something to think about. Love you!

ALMA 26!!!

Hello Family! How I love you!

 

This week has been splendid!

On Monday we had our preparation day. We went to a park and played ultimate Frisbee. I actually caught it, and threw it. So that's kind of a huge deal. Then the Elders all tried their cool tricks-picture of one included. Then on Monday night, we had to drop a bunch of our investigators because they weren't progressing. That was hard because you grow to love them SO much. But, I can still love them, and fulfill my purpose by teaching people who are willing to progress.

Tuesday:We went to the Doctor's for a post-op and he said everything was fine and I can go back to normal exercise on May 1st. Wooo hooo.

Wednesday: He had district meeting and then we were out in our area all day finding people. It was good. Sorry these are kind of lame, but I was behind in my journal, so I just wrote the basics, so I don't really have cool stories to tell you :(

Thursday; We were on exchanges and I went to Fairview with Sister Jasper. It was fun. I like being with new missionaries because then you can see the things that USED to bother you, and how you have overcome them. It's a good thing (Said like Martha Stewart). Also, on Thursday, a little birdie told me who my next companion is most likely going to be- that little birdie was Elder Watson, and he said that it will probably be Sister Hawkes!!! I will find out for sure tomorrow, but I am so excited!!! It's her last transfer and so President let her request who she wanted to be with. Incredible. Stay tuned next week to see if my wildest dreams came true!

Friday: We were in our area all day long, but then Elder Watson needed me at the Trail Center so I came in and helped out. Also, this Sunday we are hosting a concert in the park. A bunch of the sisters will be singing and it's gonna be huge. Sister Hawkes and I are singing come thou fount, and then Sister Belka, Atkin and I wrote a mash-up thing of the handcart song and come come ye saints. It's SOOOO Awesome! So we will perform that, and then I'll be sure to record it and send you a copy. After we were done at the TC, we took one of our investigators to a baptism and she loved it. She is so excited for her own baptism, and so are we! She is getting baptized May 12! When is Hannah getting baptized? Then that night, since it was our 9 month mark, we decided to take pictures. At your half way point, Elders usually burn a tie. But apparently, sisters have a pregnant picture since it's 9 months haha. Kind of funny. It looks real to me, and that is freaky. Anyway, kind of funny.

Saturday: We were in the Trail Center and then we taught one of our investigators and she is progressing a lot. She is from Venezuela and she didn't grow up with any belief in God so her progression has been slower, but she is doing so well!

Sunday: We were in the TC and then we got some great new investigators. My favorite was when we handed the Book of Mormon to one of them and she looked so excited to read it! It's like she was hungry for the truth that she would find in it. I love that.

Monday: We had our last district meeting together and then we were on chat. It was a lot of fun. The TC is getting an exhibit of Book of Mormon paintings, I'll have to send pictures to you, they are really cool!

 

Ok, now for the pictures:

 Elder Nelson at our Zone Activity doing cool tricks

 The gorgeous lake by our house. This is when we were going on our morning walk

 More of the same

 Sister Hawkes and I at Zone Activity

 This cool castle thing that Elder Reese showed us on our way back. (We share an area with Elders- Elder Reese and Elder Smith. Elder Smith is actually going to New Zealand once he gets his visa. We all have a lot of fun together)

 The house we live in

  Sister Belka and I at 9 months!

My district from this transfer: Elders Dobesh, Nelson, Smith, Reese, Sisters Rhoades, Unice, Davis, Proctor

 

I can't believe it's just going to be Mom and Dad at home! That is so crazy! They will have fun.

Things with the belly button are just fine. It hasn't bothered me and I can do everything normal, except for exercise until May. I'm glad it's all over with. It was kind of fun though, I was thinking about surgery this morning and I wanted to do it again just so I could be put out hahaha. Anything for more sleep when you are on a mission :)

 

Yeah, so transfers are this week. Sister Davis has been here her whole mission, so she's probably gone. We have had a really great time together. I love being her companion. I am excited to see if Sister Hawkes really is my companion. We'll have a total blast. It's my goal to make this her best transfer of her mission since it's her last. I love transfers!!! I love the drama of it all hahah. I love thinking of who is going where and with whom. Hahah it's so fun. And, we get to be at the Trail Center tomorrow morning which is the best, because then you hear everything as it's happening hahhaa. Oh man, it's like a soap opera, but it's the greatest.

 

Holy Cripes!!!! I can't believe Isaac got called to be in the Bishopric! Good luck with that and having your first child at the same time!! I will keep you in my prayers:) I am sad that I missed Taniel's Baby shower. I bet it was way fun. Casey said she was gonna put my number on the invites so they could RSVP to me, hahahah. So funny.

 

Yesterday, I was on chat and no one was coming on to talk with us, so I looked at the 14th ward directory online with pictures. There are a TON of new people in the ward that I don't even know. It's crazy.

 

Ok, so I am so excited for the concert in the park this weekend! Seriously, it has been so much fun to make up songs and sing them with sisters. It turns out that I really like composing stuff. Maybe I'll do music stuff when I get back. Everyone always asks us about the school we did and what we want to do when we get home. I am hoping that in the next 8 1/2 months I get that figured out. I love medical stuff- but on a scale of 1-10 I really don't want to do all that schooling. If one of you could just figure out what I should do when I get home, that would be great.

 

Well, dearest darlingest family, I love you all so much. I love this gospel. Missions are SO MUCH FUN!!! It's so cool that I just get to talk to people and bear my testimony to them all day long. It's so awesome that I get to see people's hearts change. It's so awesome that my heart is changed in the process!!! I just love being a missionary. I can't believe how lucky I am. I love serving my Savior.

 

I love all of you and I am so grateful for everything that you do. Keep up the good work. I heard Mom is going to go to the temple once a week! What an awesome goal and I wish I could join you!!! Do everything you can to be a little better, like President Hinckley said. This gospel is amazing and our only source for true happiness and true peace. I love you !!!

 

Love,

Sister Proctor

Alma 17:10

Hello Family!!!

Things are going great in Nebraska! I survived my first crazy storm! It was way fun! I got to see a GREEN SKY! Unfortunately/Fortunately, there were no tornados, but it sure was fun! Hahaha

This week:

Tuesday: I was still feeling AWFUL, so I stayed in again and took a bubble bath. I think that did the trick because on Wednesday, I felt great!!!

Wednesday: I got an awesome package from Mom and Laura, with a super cute skirt that I am currently wearing right now. I am so jealous that walmart has these clothes!! We also had one of our investigators have a miracle! She had been trying to find a virus in a website that she had designed and had struggled to find it. We invited her to pray for help. She didn't really understand the concept of asking Heavenly Father for help, but she decided to try it. As soon as she went in, she opened up the first file, and there it was. AMAZING!!!! Heavenly Father is so great at answering prayers!!!

Thursday: we had district meeting and then we were just out in our area. I love being able to be OUT! It was a great day.

Friday: we went to the TC and everything was CRAZY!!! President Kunz got a call from SL and they told him to have his missionaries ready for a tornado. It was crazy, but also fun and exciting. Then we got to go to the temple, which was SO great! I love being able to go to the temple, and I can't wait until I get to go all the time when I get home instead of every other month!

Saturday: Saturday is when the crazy storms started. It was so much fun. It was raining like crazy. I sent a video, but that doesn't even show when it was raining hard. It was fun to be out in all of it. After dinner, we went back out and it started coming down like CRAZY and our car was making wakes as we were driving, then we got the call that missionaries needed to be inside. So, we all went back to the Witters, were we live, and waited it out. Nothing happened and it wasn't even windy, but we were on Tornado watch. It was fun. Then, when it was all over, we went back out. Even though nothing happened, we all prepared for something so just in case in the future, something does happen, then we'll be ready. We made our little backpacks of stuff that we would need. Some of the Sisters were freaking out and went crazy packing their whole trunks. I love it. We were the only sisters out in our area, everyone else just stayed at the TC freaking out. I'm kind of glad I wasn't there. I'm sure there was a LOT of drama/sisters panicking :) We just had fun with the Elders and the Witters. We even had milkshakes :)

The updog chat hahahah so funny.

The first picture is from when we got to have a sonic slush!!! best day ever. Tomorrow is happy hour all day. You best believe we are getting another one.

Gorgeous flowers from President and Sister Kunz and Michelle

Me, last week

Bunnies are "pests" here. I love them. They are jumping around everywhere

Sunday: we had a great morning in the Trail Center, a bunch of investigators at church and then a good night teaching people. Things are going great. I am so glad to be able to be out!

So, I found out that I probably won't be coming home until January 4. Unless, our new mission president decides otherwise. But that's OK. There are worst things that could happen :) Whenever I come home will be great.

It sounds like things are going great back at home. I feel like Jared like we are going to come back to a whole new house with all of the things that you guys are getting! I can't believe you got a porch set from Costco!!! I want to see a picture of that for sure!!!

I can't believe how close Michelle and Taniel are to having their babies! That is crazy!!! I can't wait! I would love to see more pictures of Rachel! OH! I got Laralee's package too! 2 packages in one week! This is HUGE!!! I thought it was pretty funny that Hannah thought I had cancer. hahah, I showed that to all of the sisters there. We all laughed. She is so cute. What day is she getting baptized!?

I loved the picture of Eve with Laura's make up. Maybe the lipstick beard thing will catch on one day.

So, this week, we went to have dinner with a member and she is this total powerhouse woman. She was a convert at age 16, she served her mission in temple square, she went to BYU and married an RM from there in the temple and then like 3 years later, he stopped going to church. And now he is completely inactive. But, she is so grateful that she has a PERSONAL testimony of the gospel that she doesn't have to lean on her husbands testimony, which he didn't keep up. It reminded me of General Conference when they talked about being active in the church AND active in the gospel. It's so important that we all have our own personal testimonies. I invite all of you to read this talk http://www.lds.org/ensign/2000/11/the-challenge-to-become?lang=eng&query=conversion by Dallin H. Oaks. It was actually a talk that I read as I decided to serve a mission. It is phenomenal. You will love it. It is so important that we each do things to make sure that we are building our own testimonies. And the gospel is so great, so what a great opportunity we have to learn about it for ourselves! And then, Heavenly Father will send the Spirit to us to testify that it is true. DO everything you can to ensure that you are inviting the spirit in your life, it will CHANGE it for the better.

Well, I love all of you so much. I am so grateful that we are a family and that we can be together forever. I promise to be safe and smart in all of the crazy storms. I know the Lord will protect us, but I also know that He gave us a brain to make sure that we are safe. I promise to use it :) I hope you have a phenomenal week. Also, I don't know how many letters I will be able to send this week since we have zone activity today. So, know that I love you all! Have a wonderful week and I cant' wait to hear from you more.

Love,

Sis. Proctor

I'm Alive

Hi Family!

I survived surgery! Just so you know, viewer discretion is advised for those pictures. I took a lot of post surgery pictures. This week has been one of the most boring weeks of my life. I won't even do a day to day thing, because it was all mixed in. But, from what I do remember, on Monday, we had P-day and we went with the Elders to a bunch of thrift stores. That was pretty fun/gross. Then, because it was blazing hot, Sis. Davis and I went and got some lime fruit slushies at Sonic (picture included). Then that night the Senior missionaries were having an Easter Dinner. I sang in it with some other sisters. It was a lot of fun. Then we slept over at the TC apartments and the next morning Sis. Kunz picked me up for surgery!

We got there at 7 and things started rolling. They had a bunch of people come in and talk to me, they hooked up the IV which really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Then they whisked me off to the operation room. Right before they rolled me into the OR, they put some Valium through my IV, so I was very happy, and very thankful for everything everyone was doing for me. Then they told me that I would fall asleep and I DID! It was the best sleep I have ever had in my life. Waking up felt SOOOO good!!! My eyesight was really blurry, and my throat killed from the breathing tube deal. Also, I kept telling them I was in pain, but in hindsight, I'm pretty sure it was just the cold from the icepack :| Oh well :) I didn't want to talk to the nurses because every time I did, I was SO grateful for them and I felt like I was going to start crying so I just stopped talking to them all together to save myself from embarrassment. Then, at some point, they wheeled me back into the recovery room. I just laid there for a while, because I figured that was what you did, but then I heard Sis. Kunz on the phone saying that they were waiting for me to wake up, and so I did hahah. I woke up and they said they wanted me to eat something, I told them I would if I could do it laying down. But they said they wanted me to sit up. Knowing that it would ge me out of there, I was all over that. So I sat up and ate some pudding. Then, I had to sit there for a while. Everyone thought it was weird how coherent I was. I felt totally fine. The only time it hurt was when I would use my stomach muscles.

I got myself dressed, they took the IV out and then they wheeled me out to Sis. Kunz's car. Then we stopped by Target so she could get my pain pills, and then took me home. I felt totally fine. I even told her how to get to our house. Then, I slept for about the next day and a half. It turns out all pain pills do to me is knock me right out. I stopped taking them on Thursday morning, because an Advil did about the same thing without making me sleep for so long. But, here we are a week later and it still hurts. I can't really stand up or walk around for long amounts of time. It's frustrating. I am going to the post-op appt tomorrow and hopefully he will tell me everything is fine and that I'm just a wimp. I don't know, we'll see. The good news is: I survived. I'm alive, and I will hopefully be fine soon! I'm sorry that this letter is not very long, but we are using our Bishop's computer and it is SO SLOW and it has taken forever just to write this. Also, I am starting to feel really tired from sitting up like this for so long. So, I will hopefully be able to send you all of the pictures next week. I don't think this computer can handle it. Know that I love you all SO much and I hope you had a wonderful Easter. I got to go to church, and it was AMAZING. I love Easter so much. What a wonderful thing to know that He is Risen!!! Anyway, I love you all and I can't wait to get that package tomorrow! Woohoo! Have a great day and I look forward to hearing from you again soon!

Much love,

Sister Proctor

General Conference-David F. Evans

Hello Family!

This week has been great! General Conference was amazing!!! We watched the first session at M's house with some other recent converts, which was AMAZING. Then we watched the 2nd one at the Stake Center. Then on Sunday morning we were in the TC, so I only got bits and pieces of it, and then watched the last one in the Stake Center. Man, I just LOVE general conference! It's amazing! One of my favorite talks was by David F. Evans, when he talked about letters from home ;)

It sounds like everyone is doing well. I hope Brookyln's birthday was awesome! That is so exciting!

Sorry there aren't any pictures today, we are at a different library and it won't let me plug in my camera. Oh, before I forget, go to http://mormon.org/sherinians/ and watch it, but as you watch it, picture the husband as Buster from Arrested Development. It is HILARIOUS. We spend an hour a week on mormon.org so, I watch those videos A LOT. It's such a big deal when new ones come out.

This week:

Tuesday: We had a great lesson with one of our investigators. She is a friend of a less-active in our ward, so it's really cool to see them both progress as we teach them.

Wednesday: We had another great experience on chat. We were able to tell this girl the things that we believed, and she was just so excited about all of it. She said she could tell that we really believed the things that we were saying. It's awesome to see how the Spirit can touch the hearts of people even over chat. Also, we had a funny experience on chat, I took a pic of it so I will have to send it to you next week. But this guy got on and asked if it would be considered a sin if he were Mormon and he continued to eat up-dog once a week. I told him I grew up with 3 brothers, and he wasn't gonna get me with that one :) hahaha It was so funny. He was like, "Dang it!" So, thanks for all your lame jokes, brothers :)

Thursday: We got to do yard work! It was so fun! We did it for the Witters, who we live with. It was awesome. I miss doing yard work, and it was fun to help her out, since she does so much for us.

Friday: My comp was sick, so I updated our area book and organized things. It was good.

Saturday: Great day at General Conference and in our TC Training that morning, they asked me to share a TC Moment, so I got to tell everyone about M and his story of conversion because of the TC. It was awesome.

Sunday: Another great General Conference day! Isn't it so awesome that we have a Prophets and Apostles who speak to us!!!

So, tomorrow is the big day. I am sort of freaked out, but I am sure that everything will be fine. Keep me in your prayers, and I will be calm:)

I am sorry this is not very long, but we are car sharing with the Elders and they have to go pick up  their mini-missionary in like 10 minutes and I still have to write President Kunz. Crazy, I think Jared's letter will be longer than mine this week! WHOA!

I love you all so much! I miss you! I love being a missionary and I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let's all remember to stay active in the gospel, as well as in the Church. Which means reading your scriptures EVERYDAY! I love you all so much!

Love,

Sister Proctor