Elder Oaks and Missionary Friends

October 21, 2013

Hey, hey!

Today was a pretty fun, chill day!  I like Monday's a lot.  I wish Gainesville wasn't so far away so that we could hang with Sister Hooker.  I love the Elders that we hang out with though.  We always have a blast.  I love your e-mails that I got this week.☺ I got an e-mail from Michelle Irvine and that was fun.  I also got one from Carson.  Well I haven't written him in forever.  Those letters were fun surprises.  We went to Walmart and I printed off some pictures.  I would like to get another memory cards so that I can send this one home and still have one.  That would be nice if you would print off copies from the card that I sent home.  I will try and get them all on a CD today.  And I will save them to my jump drive.  That way it will be all sorts of backed up.  Just in case.☺

We had dinner at the Holgado's tonight since it is Monday.  They are such a funny family.  I think I have always been a favorite with them.☺ I like that feeling.  That is totally not to say they don't love Sister Carrigan though because they so do that is why I said "a" favorite.  And once they get to know Sister Knight they will love her too.  I like that in all reality we can have more than ONE favorite.  We showed Scotty of video on Temples and talked about that.  His attention span is so very short.   We only get a little time before he is off and away again.  He is so cute though!  We played hide and seek afterwards.  Sister Knight and I stayed within sight and sound of each other.  Even with that hindrance we did pretty dang good.  It was hilarious!

After that we saw that Sister Watkins called us.  She told us to come over and teach her a lesson.  She told me she had something for me.  When we got over there we laughed because the Elders were over there too.  She is a funny lady.  She had printed off both her email to you and your email to her.  I love them both!  She let me keep them.  Lacey, you are now her favorite!  You made her cry.  I guess you will just have to come back with me to meet my little treasure Sister Watkins in person.  She told me my room is always ready when I want to come home.  That is what she calls her house for us.  She is right though, and she knows it!

October 22, 2013

District meeting wasn't the same today.  Don't get me wrong!  We still had a good time, but I miss the old group.  Elder Thomas, (the ZL's always split up and he always came to ours) Sister Alvey, Sister Carrigan, and Elder Smith.  We had a good thing going with all of us.  This group is good too though.  That's the bummer about transfers, you get really close to some of these missionaries and then they have to up and leave you!  

The Elders have this thing where they choose one person and that is the person they call on for everything.  To read scriptures, say prayers, answer questions. . . it used to be elder Howell and now he is district leader.  Guess who they have picked on now?  Yup you guessed it!  Yours truly.  Nerds.  Elder Howell doesn't do it but the rest of them do.  I told them they needed to pick the person who would most likely be the district leader after elder Howell.  They didn't go for that.  All well.  I would rather have them do this kind of stuff and tease me than ignore me.  If they ignore you, they don't like you.  That makes me "a" favorite in the district.☺

After district meeting we went home for lunch.  No one had any money.  I was OK with that.☺  We went over to Marni's and helped her out.  I really like her!  She is a cutie!  Sister Knight told me that when we go and helped Marni, she feels like we are being productive, but when we tract she doesn't feel like we are.  She is going to have to change that mindset or she is not going to feel productive very often.  She is starting to get the hang of missionary work though.  She is opening up more too.  I hope that we can be as close as Sister Carrigan and I were.  I know it takes time.

We had a little while to tract before dinner so that is what we did.  I don't feel as productive if we don't tract.  I love tracting.  Granted, some days are better than others, but for the most part I think it is fun.

Dinner was with the Hayden/Johnson home.  Sister Hayden and her family live with her parents.  I'm not really sure what her story is.  I think her husband is a member and that he works in like North Dakota or something.  I'm not really sure.  Anyways, we had fun!  Their little boy is named Gabe and he is the second oldest with girls on both sides.  I told him that I had a brother named to Gabe who is also the only boy.  I think he liked that.  I told him that you had turned out pretty dang good Gabey.  So he would be okay too.

By the time dinner was over it was dark.  I don't like that it gets dark at 7:30!  We try to go see some less actives and then some members but no one would answer.  It was about 8:15 and I asked Sister Knight if she was familiar with the mormon.org videos?  She said she wasn't.  I really want to try incorporating some of these into our lessons.  So we went over to the church and talked about our investigators, what they needed, and found videos to go with that.  We found some really good ones and some that answered questions that Michael had asked us.  

While we were doing that one of our ward members was doing family history work.  She asked us how she could get someone's info to have the missionaries to visit them if they weren't in our area.  Turns out it is her son.  He is 20, off to college and not really going to church.  She is worried about that.  I guess he is super talented and is going on tour with Donny and Marie Osmond during their Christmas tour.  Pretty cool!

We went home after that.  Kiaundra texted us.  She is the cute little 19 year old girl.  She told us she had some sad news.  She went to visit her family in North Carolina and had told them she was going to be baptized (that was news to me but happy news) into the Mormon church.  Her family got really mad.  She said she couldn't go against their wishes.  But, she still wants to meet with us and go to church and everything.  So pray that her family's hearts are softened.  She really wants to become a member and we want her to do that too!  Man, I hate that Satan is getting in the way of all of these amazing people.

October 23, 2013

UGG.  It was so hard to get up this morning.  My body feels like it's a bajillion years old.  No worries.  I got up on time.  Guess what???  The zone leaders called us.  They are figuring out how to get everyone to Elder Oak's talk.  Guess who they said we are meeting up and going with?  Has everyone guessed?  Of course Sister Hooker!  You are right.☺  I'm so happy.  We're going to have a blast.  Whoot!  So then we got permission to call them to figure out where we would meet.  I love talking to Sister Hooker!  She sounds so much happier and I'm so glad.  And I think her greenie, Sister Parrins, is really awesome.  I love hearing how happy Sister Hooker is.  It's going to be hard when we aren't in the same zone anymore.  I think we should be put together as companions.  I think we would be a power team!  One can pray…

Today was mostly a day of tracting day.  We went tracting for about 5 hours.  I really didn't mind it.  We need to make up for some of the days that we haven't and won't be able to tract.  We took Sarah Holgado with us.  That girl is a hoot.  She will be a great missionary when she goes.  I finally got her to do a door approach!  She did really good.  She will be experienced by the time she gets out into the field.  Hopefully she will get her paper started soon.

It was chilly today.  It was really windy and humid cold.  I don't like it!  I'm warning you now.  If it gets too much worse, then I'll be dead.  I'm going to die because of the humid cold.  I'm missing the dry cold for sure.  I'm I'm going to have to go buy me some thick tights, more long skirts and a pair of winter boots.  Sister Watkins calls them winter boots as opposed to snow boots because she says they are not the same thing.

Speaking of Sister Watkins, we had dinner with them tonight.  She is so cute!  Every time she gives me a hug now she will step back, look me in the eyes, and say, "Your Momma loves you!"  I love it.☺ And mom I know that you do love me.

I love our discussions that we have when we are at their house.  I wish that all members were like them.  They go to the temple every single Saturday, without fail they haven't missed one yet since they could first go, starting with baptisms and now endowment sessions.  She was telling us some amazing stories.  She told us some stories about the temple that she didn't want us to talk to others in the ward about.  Needless to say, she told us about some very spiritual experiences in the temple.  She and Brother Watkins tell each other what happened to them after they have done their work for the session.  I love hearing what they share.

So we got another rule today.  It's both a good and the bad rule but doesn't affect Sister Knight or I.  So you know how we were allowed to give the Elders rides?  Well!  That rule is officially gone.  Elders and Sisters are no longer allowed to ride in the same car.  Ever!  Even if the member is driving.  The Elders aren't very happy with this rule.  Especially because they can't get rides to church or meetings with us.  They either have to ride their bikes or call a member.  I feel bad just 'cause it's getting pretty cold now and they have to ride their bikes to church and pretty much everywhere too.  They can call members though.

October 24, 2013

This morning we got up at 5:30 and went to Sister Olson's seminary class.  Rise and shine!  They had just gotten through Jacob chapters five and six and were studying chapter seven.  She wanted to have us there to talk about what we did when someone tried to shake our faith.  Sister Knight was pretty quiet.  I think she was kind of tired.  I basically answered the questions that Sister Olsen asked, which was fine.  I didn't mind.☺  Sister Olsen is so sweet.  She made us breakfast as a thank-you.  I love her a ton.

We went home and did our studies and got ready.  Not going to lie, I was dozing during personal study.  I may not have been tired at seminary but I was tired later.  On top of that I was freezing!  I had two pairs of socks on two blankets my pajamas and my sweatshirt on, not to mention that we had our heater going too.  I don't know about this humid cold.  I'm not liking it that much.  It's going to be a rough winter.☺

We had the Elders meet us over at Marni's house today.  She had mentioned that the yard needed to be done.  The Elders had just finished complaining about how much more service we got to do than them.  So, I volunteered them☺  They didn't mind though.  I think they were actually excited to do something other than tract.  Funny story.  Elder Howell was cutting the bushes with an electric trimmer.  It was hooked up to an extension cord.  Well the cord got in the way and along with cutting the bush he cut the extension cord as well.  Marni was laughing so hard.  It was funny when she told us.  Poor Elder Howell.  He was really embarrassed.

After Marni's house we went tracting until dinner.  Sister Knight does not like tracting as much as I do.  I like it.  I like talking to people.  I think that Sister Knight will grow into it.  We had a lesson with Ben and Casey tonight.  The Picketts had us over to dinner and invited them as well.  Part of the training program is that the greenie extends the baptismal invitation.  Sister Carrigan liked to do it so I have never really invited someone to be baptized.  I wanted to do it but I had Sister Knight do it.  I will get to eventually.  Ben said that he would get baptized but thought that November the 16th was a little too soon.  We told them it should be his goal though, so he agreed.  Casey said no, she isn't sure yet.  That's OK.  She will be ready someday.  We had hamburgers for dinner.  Sister Knight had told me that she hated hamburgers...well...she must have been really hungry then.  That sucker disappeared pretty fast.  It made me smile.  I LOVE hamburgers!!

Sister Rodriguez had asked us to go with her and invite less actives and non-members to the primary program on Sunday.  So that is what we did for the rest of the night.  It was really good because we went and saw some less actives that I had never met before.  There is one family, the Lockridges, who are a part member and less-active family.  Her husband is not a member.  She is super sweet.  I think we will start visiting them more.

After that we went home.  Yea for mail!  Daddy I got your letter.  Thank you for answering my questions.  That was super in interesting.  All I can say is, I'm so glad that I will never have to be a bishop.  What a stinkin hard job!  Speaking of bishops, I'm not sure if I told you are not.  They made Bishop Galt the new stake president.  He will be amazing at that.  I'm bummed though.  I really love him a lot.  As long as they don't take away Sister Galt then it will be okay.  We should find out who our new bishop is this Sunday.  My bet is on Brother Hunsaker!

October 25, 2013

Today wasn't super crazy eventful but it wasn't boring.  Since it was Friday we started out with weekly planning.  Sister Knight is not that excited about weekly planning.  I really do love her though!  She has warmed up and we have fun.  We went tracting after planning.  O geez!  What a time we had!  On one door this boy, probably 18, opens the door.  Oh my goodness!  He was flirting up a storm!  When we gave him the mormon.org card with our number on it he said, "Oh!  It's YOUR phone number?!?  Sweet!"  Sister Knight was petting the dog so I was the one stuck in the awkward one sided flirting conversation.  But then she offered him a Book of Mormon.  He took it and she was super excited about that.  I'm not sure his intentions were good, but you never know.  He may take it off of the shelf and read it.

The next house we knocked on ended up being a nursing home.  They look like a regular house in the middle of this neighborhood.  One of the caretakers, Cheri, opened the door and started talking to us.  We told her what the Book of Mormon was and where it came from.  She actually seem very interested in it.  She took the Book of Mormon we offered and we invited her to church to the primary program.  She sounded like she would like to come.  She said she would like to tell her sister about it as well.  She was really sweet!  I hope that she comes to church!

Soon after talking to Cheri, we turned back and headed to the car.  We passed Jay's house (the 18 year old flirty boy) and he is standing in his driveway with his guitar!  What?!?  He isn't playing it though.  Just fiddling with it like its totally normal to be standing in the middle of the driveway with a guitar.  Oh boy.  

OK, my last tracting story for the day.  We had dinner with the Rodriguez family and we were tracting in their neighborhood before dinner.  We knocked on this door and a couple answered that looked SO familiar.  We give our door approach and the whole time I am praying that this isn't like the Collett's incident that happened last week.  Then they tell us that actually, this isn't their house, they are just house sitting.  They told us that their neighbors are Mormon.  That's when it hit me.  Their neighbors are us!  We tracted into our own neighbors!  Weird!  They didn't recognize us, and I thought about saying something, but then they said they talked to us all the time.  We do talk to each other, just not enough for them to recognize us.☺  Haha!  It was kind of awkward.  It's going to be weird when we run into them at our apartment.  Maybe they won't realize it was us.

We had dinner with a cute Rodriguez family.  So my thrush, which they told me was just a yeast infection, still hasn't fully left.  Sister Rodriguez had told us before that she had been trying to get rid of a yeast infection since an April.  I talked to her about it and she kinda told me what I already knew.  Lots of times it's caused by an antibiotic.  She told me what probiotic to get.  I will get that on Monday.  It's been a pain in the butt.  She also said to try and avoid the yeast and sugar.  So I will be trying that too.  Darn, I'm just going to have to eat boring food for a while.  But hopefully, that will make it go away.

October 26, 2013

Congratulations!  You are now reading this written by a hand that has been shaken by an apostle of the Lord!  Ha!  I got to shake Elder Oaks hand!  Oh my goodness!  Today was like the best day EVER.  It started off that we got to drive down to Tucker with Sister Hooker and Sister Parrins.  What a blast!  Haha! It was really a lot of fun.  I LOVE Sister Hooker!!! We just talked and giggled the whole way down.  I can't thank Heavenly Father enough for these great friends of mine.  I just love them to death!

When we got to the building I had a list of people I was on the lookout for.  Elder Harmon (duh), Elder Zimmerman, Sister Carrigan, Sister Jacobs, and cute Sister Tavenner from home.  The place was pretty dang packed because we had our mission along with the Atlanta mission.  I found Sister Carrigan first.  I gave her a big hug.  It was so fun to see her.  I really do miss her a whole lot!  Next was my favorite, I found Elder Harmon!  I think he is a cutie!☺  We really did just become the best of friends in the MTC.  Elder Harmon sat down by me just before Sister Carrigan was going to.  I think she was a little annoyed with him.  I'm so glad that I have such amazing friends here.  It's a good feeling!  I wanted like 10 sides so that I could have every one I loved sitting by me

I saw Elder Zimmerman and that was so much fun!  We didn't talk too much before the meeting but we got to after.  He is doing really well and I'm not surprised!  He got his bike stolen but he was happy because he got a new one.  Funny boy.

Right before the meeting a sister waved me down and said, "Sister George!  Sister Jacobs has been looking all over for you."   I found Sister Jacobs and it was so fun.  We hugged each other and talked for a minute.  She looks so happy.  It was really fun to see her!  I was looking all over for Sister Tavenner!  I didn't find her until right after we had sat down.

Elder Oaks said he would take two pictures.  One with the Atlanta mission.  And one with the Atlanta north mission.  We all crowded together and got ready before Elder Oaks arrived.  He walked in and it went silent.  It was so cool!  He took the pictures with us and then went up to the front to shake hands while the Atlanta mission got ready for their picture.  After they finished he grabbed a Sister Oaks bag for her and offered her his arm.  It was so cute!  I want that someday.☺

When we got in line to shake his hand I was so excited!  It was really awesome!  The spirit was so strong.  After the meeting we were driving home.  Sister Parrins said her friend had Elder Oaks come to his mission too.  Elder Oaks had told them that every time he shakes a missionary's hand and looks into their eyes, he has a mini interview with them.  Pretty intense!  So not only did I get to shake Elder Oaks hand BUT I also had a mini interview with him!  Sweet! 

The meeting was super good.  In meetings like a ours, they don't come prepared with the talk, they just go with what the spirit tells them to.  He talked about how a lot of times as members we feel superior to others who aren't members and they can feel that.  We need to not do that.  We aren't superior at all!  He also told us that every time we say "my mission" that is not the truth.  It is really the Lord's mission.  If we remember that, how much more dedicated will we be?  A lot!  He also used his fishing analogy.  I have heard him use it before but I like it.  Though we may be gone from our apartment all day, how long do we have our lines in the water?  We need to remember to ALWAYS be fishing in water and have our lines in the water.  Then he told us 10 things that President Hinckley told a group of missionaries that they should take home from their missions and if they bring these things with them they have had a successful mission.  1-A testimony of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ 2-A greatly enlarged understanding of this gospel  3-A love for the people of Georgia  4-A greater love for our parents  5-Understand the meaning of hard work  6-Understanding of our own personal virtue  7-An increase of being poised and polished  8-Courage to act  9-Faith to try  10-Humility to pray.

We didn't get an obedience talk or get chastized.  And it was an amazing meeting!  Oh mom, I forgot to tell you that I got your letter last night.  And the one from Sydney, Lindsay Kuhn, and Sean Nance.  I loved the story you sent!  Oh my amazing!  I need another copy of it...  Sister Wolfert stole mine!  She didn't mean to but she did.  So can you send another copy?

At the end of the meeting, after Elder Oaks left, I found Michelle Tavenner.  I mean Sister Tavner.  :-) she looked fabulous!  I got a picture with her, which you will get before you get this letter.

Sister George and Sister Tavenner

It was a blast to see all my missionary friends and to listen to Elder Oaks speak to us!  So fun!  When we got home we said goodbye to Sister Hooker and Sister Parrins and headed over to Michael and Brittany's with Sister Fullwood for lesson.  We had planned on teaching them the plan of salvation but didn't end up teaching that.  I liked what we did better!  Sometimes your plan just wasn't what was needed.  Mostly they asked a lot of questions and we answered them.  Sister Fullwood was a HUGE help.  Some of the stuff Michael asked was way over my head but Sister Fullwood knew how to answer them.  

Afterwards, Michael asked if he could teach us something.  I was excited!  He knows a lot of cool stuff!  Like, God didn't bless the second day when he created the earth because there was going to be a flood.  He asked us if we knew why Christ was crucified instead of just being stoned like most people.  I looked in the bible dictionaries under crucifixion.  It says that was saved for only the lowest of the low.  I told them it was totally my thought because I didn't actually know, but Christ died for everyone, even the lowest of the low, and maybe it was just symbolic.  Michael didn't know either.  He was just wondering.  It was just a really fun, cool lesson.

We had dinner with the Moores tonight.  Sister Moore is the Relief Society secretary.  She is really awesome!  Her house was so cute!  She had a turquoise dining room with a chandelier.  It was awesome!  After dinner we had been asked to help with the primary program practice.  So we went over to the church.  It's going to be so fun tomorrow.  The kids are so stinking cute!  I'm excited!☺  I love being around the kids as a missionary.  They get so excited to see you and I love that.  We ended our night meeting with Brother Pickett and talking about our investigators.  It's weird that we can't take the Elders anymore.  Brother Pickett took them home and basically just followed us.  All well!  Rules are rules and we must follow them!

October 27, 2013

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA SYNDERGAARD!  I hope that you had a good day mom, and thought of happy memories.☺  I love the knowledge that we can be with our family's forever.  What splendid knowledge.  We went to PEC today and when we talked about our investigators it went really well.  Then we got to the Elders.  O geez!  So they have a new investigator that is dating Adrienne.  We'll Karlin is also a member and Adrienne's ex boyfriend.  Last time Karlin and this guy saw each other it came to blows.  There is a ton more to the story but its all just complicated and messed up.  Anyways, they all just started arguing about what to do.  Pour Elders!  They so did not know the whole story about their new investigator!  All they're trying to do is teach the gospel.  Karlin ended up leaving when they told him who was coming.  The whole situation is just crazy!

For sacrament meeting today it was our primary program.  They did so good!  It was fun to listen to them!  They did something really cool, on most of the songs they had one of the kids accompanying them.  That was really cute.  I got a little teary when they sang "My Heavenly Father Loves Me" it just reminded me of home.  "I am a child of God" was just not as good in only English.  I miss the Spanish and the Dutch.

Church was just really good today.  I love being able to see our whole ward together every Sunday.  We went tracting before dinner for a few hours.  We tracted into this guy named Chad.  I started talking to him and told him what the Book of Mormon was.  He said it sounded like a pretty good book!  Yup!  I gave him a Book of Mormon and he seemed really sincere when he said he would read it and look into it.  Hopefully he will and give us a call!  If not, a seed has been planted.

We went to the VanDykes for dinner.  They are nice.  Their 18 year old son, Todd, likes to talk to the missionaries.  After dinner we planned our FHE lesson for the Holgado's tomorrow.  I know sister Holgado wants it but I don't know if Scotty will get baptized.  He doesn't really need to.  He is already celestial.  We will continue having FHE though if that is what she wants!

 Well family, I love you tons!  I'm excited for your e-mails tomorrow. ☺

Love Molly

P.S.  Did you know that you can send me videos on the e-mail?  I just can't send you any.  You all should make a video for me and send it to me.  Love you.

P.P.S.  I still have not gotten a letter from Grandma Syndergaard yet.