MIssionary-me; an extension of me-me

Abby's Email from January 26, 2015

Dad!

Yes, I hit my eight months this week :P I'm not sure how I feel about it. It's really crazy how fast time is flying, but I absolutely love being a missionary. I want to do it forever! But I don't think I could be away from home that long. I love and miss y'all too much to do that.

This week was pretty good. Pieces of it were rough, but overall it was really great. On Monday, we met with a member who we'd been trying to catch for a while. She is super sweet, but I think she is still trying to get used to new sisters in the ward. We also saw the Olsens, the family that I adore so much.

Tuesday, we went on exchanges! It was great! I got to go back to Alluvial. I missed that area so much. I was with Sister West, a sister that I came out with. She's the funniest person ever. We had a lot of fun together! We contacted a couple referrals. It was great. Then we saw a few members that I really didn't get to know but they all remembered me and asked me if I was still there. I told them I wasn't; we were just on exchanges. We got to eat dinner with one of the last members I saw in Woodward Park so that was fun! I loved it. The Harris family is so great. I miss them. She's super sweet. They have a missionary out too in Mexico. We also got to see the Kuhns. I miss them so much. They are so great. It felt like home. It was weird being back though. It almost felt like I never left but it felt different...maybe because I'm no longer the missionary in that ward. It makes sense.

Wednesday, we had zone conference. It was fun! And awesome. I learned a lot. I need to plan better and I also need to control more. We can control more than we think we can. We ate dinner with the Robertsons, a couple I just absolutely adore. They are the best. They are so sweet. We also saw the Echeverrias. They are super great too. We practiced teaching them the Restoration. We need to work on that. We learned a short way of teaching the Restoration at zone conference and we tried that but it will take a lot of practice. It'll be great though when we get it down!

Thursday, we went on exchanges again. This time, I stayed in Cedarwood and Sister Russell went to Shepherd. I was with Sister Bennion, another sister I came out with. We had a lot of fun together! And we also got to talk. It was nice. We saw the other Olsons (the ON spelling). They are super great. Brother Olson was telling us mission stories from his mission which kept us there too long, but it was all good. Oh crazy story that day! So, we were visiting an inactive member and they said they weren't really into the church right then so we were walking back to the car and Sister Bennion was all, "This might sound strange, but can we go knock that house?" So we did. And it ended up being a member in our ward whose address is wrong on the directory! The way the spirit works is amazing. It shocked me! We met the Browns. They are so great. They are kind of crazy but they are hilarious! Brother Brown is really into cars and so is Sister Russell so we're going back on Tuesday to see them for the cars. It was great. We were laughing the whole time. We also saw the G family, our investigators! We talked a lot about the Book of Mormon with them. They are great. I love them so much. I know they are prepared; they need to read the Book of Mormon. Well, C does.

Friday, we had to weekly plan. That always takes so long. But our district leader brought us a new DVD player because ours doesn't have a cord so we can't use it. It has a USB in it so I can plug in my USB and listen to music! It was great! We saw C again because the elders gave her a blessing. Then we had a lesson with her. We read a little from the Book of Mormon and really listened to her concerns. We were able to discern some things that she needed and we're going to see her again today.

Saturday, I woke up with a migraine. It was terrible. I haven't been having them a whole lot but I have the last couple day. I am trying to remember to take something right away. We got a new investigator though! He's an older man who is awesome. I love him so much. I hope we can help him come closer to Christ!

On Sunday, we had church. We went to the Gs before to invite them. but they didn't answer the door. And the elders couldn't get their investigators to church either. It was sad. We ate dinner with the Humanns. They are great. We then saw the Hutchasons. They're awesome too. They are so loving and said we are always welcome. I love these people so much. It makes me happy to feel their love.

I love you, Daddy! I miss you and I am so grateful for the support you've been.

Always <3,

Sister Abigail Reese

Mom,

I love Mondays! Today we got to go to the zoo with Melanie and Sister Isaksen and Sister West. It was a lot of fun! I loved it. I will get pictures sent as soon as I can. My memory card is almost full. So I'll use the super big one that you gave me next.

This week was really good! Well, parts of it were rough but other parts were awesome. I hit my eight months this week...so that was weird. I've been out almost half my mission! Next month, I'll be out the same amount of time as I have left...and then after that it will be I have less time left than I've been out. I'm really sad! I love being a missionary. But I know God assigns us eighteen months for a reason and He would give us more time if that was meant to be.

On Monday, we took a nap! That was really nice. I find that no matter how much you sleep, you're always, always tired. It's depressing. But I think that's life, right? We saw a member who we had been trying to meet for a while. Sister Luna. She's super great and super sweet but I think she's still getting used to having different sisters in the ward now. She has some nonmember family that the sisters were teaching before they left so maybe we can help them now, once she gets more used to us. We also saw the Olsens, whom I love. They are so sweet and they love us and want to help us. they tell us that we're always welcome. It makes me happy.

Tuesday, we went on exchanges. I went back to Alluvial! With Sister West! She's one of the sisters I came out with. It was a lot of fun! I loved it! Sister West is so funny. She is just super random and they don't have a GPS like I do so we were relying on maps. Sadly, despite the fact that I was there for five transfers, I do not know my way around as much as I should. We saw some people I didn't really get to know and I wish I did. I look back now and I see the way that I could have used my time more wisely. We got to see the Lemon family, a family that I didn't really know that well, but they are sweet. She remembered me too! So that made me happy. And we ate dinner with the Harris family who I love so much. She's super sweet. And then we went to the Kuhns! I love them so much. I miss them. It was really great to see them again. It felt like home :) It was different being back in my old area. It felt like I had never left and yet...different. It was weird. I miss that area so much but I know I'm not there anymore. I'm in Cedarwood. That's the other thing I learned--I love Cedarwood! It's the best! I'm so grateful to be here. And I get to work with the assistants, Elder Cook and Elder Parkin.

Wednesday, we had zone conference. A whole bunch of sisters from my last area served us lunch! I got to see R! I missed her! It was awesome. I just ran across the cultural hall when I saw her and hugged her. It was a sweet reunion. And Sister Veres, the relief society president, came over to tell me that a less active I'd been working with was helping at their relief society activity. It made me happy! We had some really good trainings. I sat next to Elder Bettinger during lunch and found out he has family in Middleton--the Sisson family. Who I know. It was a strange connection. President and Sister Clark also told us stories because they sat with us too. It was great! We saw an inactive member. She's super sweet and I hope we can help her. She has the cutest little granddaughter ever. We also saw a recent convert. She's so strong. I'm so glad I get to know her. She made us breakfast this morning so before we went to the zoo we went and ate breakfast at her house!

On Thursday, we went on exchanges again. I was in Cedarwood with Sister Bennion, another sister I came out with. It was so fun! I loved it! She and I had a chance to just talk so that was really nice. I'm glad we got to do it. We ate dinner with the Madsens. He was a stake mission president a lot of times when they still had them. They watch Downton Abbey! or she does. I miss that show. Is it good?? Have you been watching it?? We also taught an investigator we've been teaching with the elders. She reminds me of Courtney. A lot. I'm not sure if we're going to be able to keep teaching her, but I hope so. I love her and I want to help her.

On Friday, we went to the mission office after we exchanged back for some supplies. We forgot one so our district leader brought it to us because they were there too. He also brought my bike to me from my last area. Even though we had a bike rack. It was sweet. I think he just wants to serve us in whatever way he can. It's nice. We saw the Echeverrias. We ate dinner with them. They're great. He's the assistant ward mission leader. We also saw the Olsens...again! We're there a lot. It was Sister Olsen's birthday. So they gave us cake. And then I told them my birthday is soon and Sister Olsen said the young women were in charge of feeding us that week so she would sign up and get me a cake...which was totally not what I wanted. I just wanted to know where they got the cake so I could get one too!

Saturday, we got a new investigator!  He is awesome. He's so ready, even if he doesn't quite realize it. I love him. I want to help him. We ate dinner with the Nielsons, who are also great. They fed us Hawaiian haystacks for dinner. They were delicious. I loved them. We had a really good lesson with them.

Sunday, we ate lunch with the elders again. They brought us a pie that we didn't eat all of so we gave it back to them. Elder Parkin is a health nut so he won't eat it so Elder Cook has to eat it all and he didn't want it because they have a huge apple pie in their fridge...but we made them anyway. We ate dinner with the Humanns. then we saw Rocio. She's so awesome. I love her.

I'm glad that everyone is doing well! I want pictures of Reese...like physical pictures. That would be awesome! I wish I was there to help you clean...I actually like to do it now. Weird right?

Hunter has not been emailing me. He did last week but I don't think he did this week...you should have him do it Sunday night. You could all do it as a family thing!

I love being here, Mom. It truly has changed my life. It has changed your daughter. I'm a different person. President told me this week that the person I am is all of me. Missionary-me is an extension of me-me. I love it. I love the change I've seen. Thanks for helping me prepare for this. I love it!

I love you!

Always <3,

Sister Abigail Reese