Sister Young : The One Where I Lost at Arm Wrestling

I've got SO MUCH TO WRITE ABOUT! My word, there's a lot to cover. I'll try and get it all down but I'll miss things here and there, so apologies to everyone now. :)

My last week in the MTC was good. Nothing much changed but we did have an extra devotional to attend because we were leaving that week and that was pretty moving. Some Elders and Sisters stood and bore their testimonies and I could feel the spirit so strong. Tuesday, we sent off 4 of our elders that were going to Orem Utah on their mission (a 20-minute bus ride away) and Sister Bunker and I cried! It was so sad! We loved our district so much and we got a little taste of what sending our babies off on missions will be like. Newsflash: NOT FUN! Even Elder Thompson turned around and waved and HE was crying! Oh man. Tough stuff.

That night, at dinner, we were all talking about our sadness and stuffing our sorrows with crappy food and I felt a hand brush on my shoulders so I turned around and it was Sister Martino and President Martino, the president of the MTC and his wife. I stood up and she gave me a big hug and we talked quickly about how we miss our elders and whatnot. They told us we would be VERY happy that were staying for one last devotional. They wouldn't tell us who but they said we are very lucky to have it be our last night. And they were right! It was Elder Ulisses Soares. He came and spoke to us! It was amazing. He talked about missionary work and how blessed it is to be a part of it, whether your a member or a missionary. It was so good!

Sister Chandler and I woke up at about 2:30 the next morning to head to Arkansas. We got to the office with our group and they showed us where the bus stop was that we walked to and what trains to take from there to get to the airport.... We literally just took our luggage into the dark morning and hoped we made it on time! It was like a mama bird pushing her babies out of the nest and plummeting to their death! We took a bus, 2 trains, and 2 planes, and a van ride to get to President Strong's home.

The next morning, we got up and took a big van ride to where we were going. Mine was about 3 hours from Bentonville. I'm in an area called Nixa and it's located in Ozark Missouri. It's gorgeous here, with all the rolling hills and greenery. It's so beautiful.

My trainer is Sister Taylor from Pocatello Idaho and she is a licensed Massage Therapist! How cool is that?! She's really good and getting to work but taking care of yourself so that we can work hard. We cover 2 wards 😥 so yesterday was a very long day with 4 hours of ward council and introducing myself as the replacement for Sister Wamsley, who was here for like 3 transfers so they loved her. But I've been really outgoing and made sure that I always have a smile on my face. 😊

The first night, we had dinner at a member's home, the Houlds. During dinner, someone asked how long I had been out and I said:

"um, about 4 hours." Haha they were so shocked and she said she thought I was already a well seasoned missionary! So that was really cool. Then we headed over to Stephen's house and he is the white version of choncho from Nacho Libre but wired beyond belief. He's working on getting baptized on November 10 and we stop by and teach him as much as we can while his attention span is less than the length of a hair on a hairless cat. Seriously. It was pretty incredible to watch. 😂 but he's such a sweetheart and so cute. He challenged me to an arm wrestle but made me use my left arm and he won! After that, he informed me that I was just as cool as Sister Taylor. 😉

I'm doing good. The wards here are mighty difficult; the work is very slow and people are busy! But Sister Taylor and I have decided it's more of a challenge to get the work moving. The Lord is aware of our needs. :)

Thank you for all the love and the prayers. I feel them so strongly on my bad days. I can feel of your love and appreciation and I send it right back to you. ❤

I have a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that Joseph Smith was a man and made mistakes like the rest of us, but he was the man chosen of God to restore the true gospel on the Earth as a Prophet and usher in the new dispensation. I am so grateful for him and for his testimony and diligence. Because of Joseph, I have strength, comfort, knowledge, and peace from the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love this church in all of its forms. I know that it is operated by humans but it is run by divine guidance; by Jesus Christ, Himself.

I love you all! Until next week! 😘