April 25th 2011

WOW! Crazy awesome week!!!!! How are YOU??? I was wondering when all these cool mission experiences you hear about would happen to me! It all started with this transfer! YAHOOOOOO!!!!!!!! Sister Cockrell and I had a great time, but this transfer we kicked it into HIGH gear!!!!!!!!! Transfer phone calls are this Saturday! I hope I am staying in my area!!!! I LOVE THE PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!! The family ward out here is spectacular! They are my favorite families on earth!!!!!!!!! On Easter Sunday I went around at church and just gave so many people hugs and handshakes! It was an AWESOME EASTER! I love my family out here! LOVE THEM! You couldn't ask for a better ward to serve in! They are SO united!!! SO dedicated! I am creating special friendships with each one of them! They love me to, and so many mothers gave me hugs and kisses on the cheek. It wasn't a quick "happy Easter." When I hugged them and they hugged me, it was a deep "thank you for always being there for me...." it went two ways because of the things the families face, we are always there for them! ug ! I LOVE BEING A MISSSSSIONNNARRYYYY! Don't let me die! Don't let me leave! I want to be here in heaven for life!!!!!!!!! WHAT???? Las Vegas = Heaven???? kill me, I never thought I would say that! wow....Here is a little about this week:

Got to go to an appointment in the real hood, close to the strip....it happens every now and then. We live 6.7 miles from the strip, so basically, every mile you get closer to the strip, its more ghetto. Real ghetto. I LOVE it! Anyways, its always exciting here in Las Vegas! Its VERY hard core though....as missionaries, we aren't just battling small little tasks and walking from hut to hut.... we are literally lifting people up and helping people battle and face Satan's greatest temptations. You know what I mean. EVERYTHING. I will have more to email about this later as I do a re-cap of this area I have been serving in.....We do live in a safer area btw. It looks just like a friendly neighborhood! :) To bad people come straight home from work and pull into their garages and you never see them! That's why we go tracting in the evenings when people are out.

Time is flying SO fast!!! I'm sorry to continue this, but I just DON'T want my mission to end! Everyone keeps saying to soak it up, because once you are released from this great calling, and they ask you to take your name tag off, you feel different. A mantle is taken off of you. I don't want that to happen. As a LDS missionary you have the Savior even closer to you. His words are always coming through your voice; he always prompts you to go places and to talk to certain people. His holy ghost is more readily available to you...so I cry when I think the day will come that I will no longer bear the name of my savior on my chest (my nametag). Of course, you can and always should be a missionary for life. So that is good!!!!!!

I do love my savior SOOOO much! He is so good to me! I wrote my testimony of my Savior on Easter Morning.!!!! He is risen, he is risen!!!!! I love my savior and I will only do his will. I just wish you could come with me to the lessons I get to be at. I just wish you could see our investigators tears fall from their face as the Holy Ghost is testifying to their hearts the truthfulness of the gospel. Other churches have great truths, but the Church of Jesus Christ has the full truth. It has the priesthood and is run by the Savior through his Prophets and Apostles. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Let me go to the Father now, I am just filled with joy, full of great thanksgiving..... See how a mission changes you? I would have never been this Christ centered if I was just editing pictures in Photoshop. I live for my Savior; I yearn to feel his Spirit, I long to reflect his love. I hope you do to.

MY COMPANIONS:

Sister Walker: is 25 and is 1 semester away from getting her bachelors in Biology!!! She went to BYU Idaho and is super loving and smart! Its funny training people older then you! :) Sister Walker is number 6 of 10 children! Get this....she DOESN'T"T USE THE MICROWAVE either!!!!!!! We cook together and put cayenne pepper on anything we can lol! We have competitions! She is shorter then me, very sweet, says it like it is, and kicks butt at bearing her testimony. She is so fun!

Sister Clevenger: is almost 22, went to BYU Idaho (even had a class with Emily!) and wants to work with children cancer patients. :) She is soo fun! She is taller then me, dirt bikes, is a tom boy, but has a divine solid testimony of her savior. I thought I wouldn't be so much reminded of Eric out here, but she reminds me of him! Miss you brother!!! I try beating her up...ha-ha ! Pushing her around and wrestling. But she always beats me. Well we haven't wrestled yet. but I know she would take me down. For now I just scare her. ! Not. Anyways we are ALWAYS picking on each other. It’s hilarious!!!!!!!!! We always joke around that Sister Walker is the mom of the trio lol! She has to break up our fights! (JK they aren't fights)...it’s a fun relationship!!!!

I LOVE my companeros!!!!

We had 14 lessons this week but I KNOW we will have 20 next week!!!!!!!!! (3 people had to reschedule for next week anyways)...so next week will be busy! We are SO tired though!!! Today we went shopping and I bought fresh bananas, coconut milk, and tp, and distilled water. $3 left!!!! YAY!!!!!!!! We always get so much food though, so we are WELL taken care of. DO NOT send me money! I do not need it! Plus missions teach you how to budget! This is sooo good for me! I am turning into an elder though! ha-ha!!!!! cheap cheap! My elder buddies and I get along so well! I do love to joke around...you know how it is! :) :) gotta have fun! Keep it real! Keep it fresh! You have to be serious, and fun on a mission! :)

I received revelation that the second coming is coming tomorrow. Just kidding. I just want to make sure you are paying attention!


I do need stamps and journals though! If anyone has any extra! :)

AWKWARD hilarious moments: We knocked on the door we thought was our dinner appointment, but 2 new fresh faces and a white dog appeared at the door and so we just acted like we where tracting! ha-ha MY fault! My comps are like "soooo I guess that wasn't our dinner app?? lol!" also we where shopping at the dollar store last Monday and I contacted someone in Spanish!!!! It rocked! But she said "no hablo engles" aka "I don't speak English"... I was speaking Spanish crazy lady! Ha-ha I hope so at least. oh well, heavenly father has blessed me with many friends who speak Espanola out here...so I am practicing! Eric and I will talk in Spanish to each other in front of you mu hahahaaa!! I am keeping all of these stories down in a journal...so you will have to borrow them when I get home and read them for a good laugh! :) Another AWKWARD moment, we where teaching a lesson with the elders and the investigator asked if you had to be a virgin to serve a mission...ha-ha! Good thing a church member was with us to answer! :) You have to be worthy...etc. ... so that was hilarious. And the same night we went to make copies of paperwork at a church building and we totally wedding crashed on a reception! We went to hide in the bathroom, and of course, because missions are filled with all those precious, funny, awkward moments, the bride was in there! HA-HA! Missions...gotta serve one!!!! Hilarious, extremely hard, extremely joyful...extremely everything!!!

Debbie is doing excellent! Everyone is actually! The new investigator from our singles ward we had we set with a date!!!!!!!! May 14th! We had to pass him off to the elders in the red rock zone, because that's where he lives! Oh well, it was fun teaching him while it lasted!

There are about 7 church buildings all within 5x5 miles of each other around where I live and 2-3 wards meet at each of them. There's just nothing better then serving a mission! Although they are extremely demanding and put your faith to the test (test you of how much faith you are willing to put in the lord to direct you), they are amazing! We are reactivating an Indian family....(not Muslim- Indian like, regular Indians.....), and its awesome they rock! They said at our last lesson with them that they hadn't felt that good since the missionaries where with them over a year ago! There where many precious tears shed....its amazing how missionaries change your life! They just have a positive influence on you...I've felt that from all the kick awesome missionaries who have served in Wisconsin!!! Its just such an honor to serve a mission. To be the hands of the lord. If we are exactly obedient, the lord uses us to the fullest. Everyone remembers and says "when the missionaries knocked on our door...." or "when the missionaries did this...." It’s so awesome being one of those missionaries and making all these eternal friendships!!!!!!!!!! I hope you read the email I last sent...that one was good.

For Easter we had dinner with a wonderful family and they even had an Easter egg hunt for us! aww!! So fun...

YOU ALL ROCKKKKKKKKKK

Be good! Be great! LOVEEEEEEEE UUUUUUUUU"

"Okay Okay, I admit.... I drag raced my district leaders!!! haha I just HAD to. Cruzin through LV! Anyways THIS WEEK HAS BEEN INCREDIABLE! I love my mission soooo much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i love it i love it i love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The ghetto is so entertaining...I am still in the same area as when I got here! yay! It is AMAZING! Pretty much everywhere you go, it is in the hood, or close to a hood. The very worst parts are by the strip. Which I am kind of far from. 6.7 miles.... the Elders serving there have the funniest and craziest stories! Especially because most of them are on bikes. The black guys on the street corners will ask them who they are. They respond with "We are missionaries!" and they go "missionaries???" and the missionaries go "we are preachers!" and the black guys go "OOOOOH, you are Preachers! You good people, you good people!" that pretty much sums up Las Vegas. Oh and there are random shopping carts everywhere, old men who zoom across the street at night in their scooters, and there are stray cats everywhere!!! That’s how Las Vegas is...well I don’t see too much of the real ghetto. The church members here are AMAZING! They are SO STRONG! Its awesomeeeeee. I can’t wait to bring back anyone who wants to see my mission, after I get home! Of which, when I see a plane I say "NOOO you can’t take me! I’m not leaving!!!!!" Still got 13.5 months! Las Vegas is so crazy. In our family ward boundaries (2x2 mile) we have one of the richest areas of LV, and we also have run down apartments. Both extremes! OH, mother, I get to SKYPE YOU ON MOTHERS DAY!!!! Hooray!!! So if anyone is at my house that day, you get to see me! And I get to see you! Thank you for your cards everyone! :) You all ROCK! It’s so great to get support. (Especially to the west bend relief society!!!!) Sister Walker, Sister Clevenger and I are exactly obedient the best we can be, and we are seeing miracle after miracle. My sister companions work SO HARD! They came PRE TRAINED! I love them so much! We have so much fun together. .... Being in a trio is the best. It’s like having a BIG family! 3 are better then 2! I will be sad if one of them, or I get transferred in 2 weeks! Well we still are having 15-20 lessons and we have 3 set with a baptismal date! We almost have 2 others! This boy came to the singles ward and said he wants to join the church! SCORE! We tract in each 10 minutes we have available! Remember David who got baptized? He is looking GREAT! He just looks so sharp! He came up to me on Sunday to say Hi and to see how things where going! Picture a tall man with trimmed black hair. Soft face. White shirt. Black tie. He looked so respectable and his eyes literally GLOWED! yay for the spirit!!!! Also, the FIRST day on my mission we met with Jamie and taught her the first lesson. She got baptized in Washington on Saturday!!! :) Miracle One: One of our black investigators, Waymond, is 69 and so awesome! He has had a LOT of hold ups...the missionaries have been teaching him for 4-5 years! BUT we have a baptism date set with him for June 4!!! He said the closing prayer to one of our lessons, and he cried. He hadn't said a prayer in more then 30 years....the gospel changes lives! Baptism is such an important covenant, but we prepare people for baptism. It’s a life style change. Miracle Two: Debbie (55), who I explained in my previous letter, has been taught 4 times, attended church twice, come to 2 dinner appointments with us, and even went to a baptism! We basically fellowshipped her the first 2 lessons. By the 3rd lesson she said "I know without a shadow of a doubt that the Book of Mormon is true, and that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God!" She is so prepared for this gospel! When we where teaching her the first Lesson (during our 3rd visit) we where explaining the Holy Ghost and how it enters into your bosom and it can be a peaceful, yet burning feeling! She clapped her hands and said "oh gooooooooood!!!! When I was reading the Book of Mormon, I felt this burning feeling come into my chest and so I thought I was having heart burn. So I went and ate some tums, but when I went back to reading, it started again! I couldn't figure out what it was!!!" She was so relaxed when we told her it was the Holy Ghost testifying to her it was true. That’s the only way people become converted in our church. THEY have to act and pray. The Holy Ghost confirms the truth of what we are saying. And it’s super cool, because as missionaries, we TEACH by the spirit. On our 4th visit, after we had taught her about how Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ, she said that night she had a dream. It was a dream where this young farm boy, dressed in his Sunday best, went into a grove of trees and started praying. And then this pillar of light came to him.....She had a dream about the FIRST VISION!!!!!!! WOW!!!!!! So when we watched the Restoration with her, she was in awe the whole time saying "that’s what I saw! That’s what I saw!!!!!' Heavenly Father has been preparing her to receive this message for a long time! She has a date set for May 7th! (So does a 13 yr old girl named Brianna Adams!) Debbie doesn’t have much money, so I gave her 3 of my skirts to wear at church. She is so wonderful, and she is so sad that one day she won’t be able to be with us missionaries. I told her we where going to be friends, for ETERNITY! SO there are just SOO many miracles happening. Ones I have written above, and ones I have not yet written about. I do know the Lord loves us all, and he certainly guides us in his work! I can testify to you that there is nothing more spiritual then sitting between 2 of your investigators at a baptism. There is nothing more sweet then seeing them be baptized. There is nothing better then waking up at 6:30AM and working your hardest all day for your God, and then crashing to your pillow at night. There is nothing as special, as when a less active member, whispers to you through her tears, 9 o’clock at night, "thank you, for never giving up on me." There is nothing better then sharing the great news about Jesus Christ and his atonement, and there is nothing better then working with the Father minute by minute, hour by hour. I have had the most mentally, physically, and spiritually draining moments of my life then on a mission. But I wouldn't trade this for the world! I am learning SO much, and am gaining a SOLID testimony of everything we teach!!! I love the Savior! I LOVE our Heavenly Father. I have a testimony that if you put every ounce of faith and trust in the Lord, he leads and guides you. When I have felt the most weight on my shoulders, and all I could do was cry, it was at those moments that I have felt Heavens Angles sitting by me on my bed. I know angels are here, and I know they are helping us. They are continually and literally putting their arms around us. I have also experience the most JOY i have ever yet felt in my life! It is a new joy, a wonderful joy. When we have so much success, it is truly amazing to say "Heavenly father you are So amazing! Thank you thank you thank you for this day!!!!" I dream about our investigators and still wake up at 2, 3, and 4am wanting to get going on the day! Looks like Eric starts his mission June 27!? I get home June 27th 2012 so we will be serving for exactly one year together!!!! I am so excited for him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He is already a fantastic missionary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So an example of a regular day....this is what our Friday included. We woke up and exercised, ate breakfast, had 2 hours of studies, did a hour of visiting mormon.org (we have to do that weekly), taught 4 lessons, we tracted 3 doors in our extra 10 min in the blazing heat, we made appointments for this week, called 10 families to see if they needed service, did some service, we testified of the gospel, had a lesson in canyon gate (one of the richest gated community) we uplifted a weary mother, had dinner at a kind of chaotic house in those apartments, i got violated by a hairless cat in heat (haha!), and I wrote 3 letters during lunch, oh and we had a planning meeting from 9:30-10:15PM. I don’t think I had time for a shower that day. I do know why they call it the best two years..... Its because of the eternal friendships we make! They are eternal friendships made by GOD! Pday activity: Our zone went hiking this morning at Red Rock! IT WAS AWESOME! But it was the 2nd hardest hike there!!!! That’s right, these LDS sister missionaries got skills like the elders! We hiked everything they did! It was crazy!!! Red rock is the bomb!!!!!!!!!!!! Then we went shopping at Wal-Mart and it’s like we where famous! People always say "Oh look! It’s the sisters!!!!!' Pdays are the happy day’s lol. OH and mom, I have initiated MORMON MYTHBUSTERS to my singles ward out here! We are having it April 25th, with 2-3 other singles wards WOOT WOOT!!!!!!!!!!!! I am soo excited!!! Thanks for your epic idea! Gotta bust these Mormon facts! YES Mormons are Christian. NO Mormons do not practice polygamy. YES Mormons can dance. NO Mormons are guided not to drink coffee. YES the Book of Mormon testifies of Christ, YES Mormons read the Bible YES Mormons are HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WAYYY To happy if you ask me! Well, I've written the longest email in my life. The only other thing to tell you that I have left out is that someone got arrested during one of our lessons. The end! HAVE THE BEST WEEK EVER! SISTER SPROUSE"

Well we have 2 new investigators! They are 22 and 26. No schooling, no job, smoke, missing teeth, etc. and when we asked them what they like to do in Vegas, they said "drink!" WELL we have met them with the Elders and they are already changing! It’s the best!!! Watching their eyes take fire believing and finding out they can pray to a Heavenly Father who loves them, is AMAZING. And finding out that THEY matter! This Gospel brings HOPE! Basically, it ALL comes down to a Merciful God who gave us His Son who preformed the Atonement. I LOVE IT!!!!! The people here rock! I am so excited to be here for 15 more months! I don’t want it to stop!! There is just so much progress happening. I could literally write for HOURS!!! How much do you want to hear? I really have no idea what anyone thinks of these emails. Hopefully they are spiritual, fun, and bringing you closer to Christ! Here is a cool story about what blessings come when YOU change and commit to baptism and a new way of life: Sister Cockrell taught this woman last year. She was living in her mini van. She started taking the lessons and came to church and basically grew into a beautiful flower! She got baptized, and now she lives in a HOUSE, has a HUSBAND, has a beautiful DAUGHTER, and tomorrow she is getting SEALED to her family in the TEMPLE for time and all eternity! WOW! This gospel makes you change, because it makes you WANT to change. And that’s why it’s so beautiful. The gospel of Jesus Christ ROCKS! It’s also the BEST time to be a missionary! It’s so sad about the awful earthquake in Japan....the second coming IS coming, and we have to prepare ourselves TODAY. Everyday we have to become better people and better missionaries. There is only TRUE hope and PEACE in the gospel. That’s all Jesus Christ wants for us. He gives us peace when we TRUST and OBEY him. I hope you are all feeling happy and GREAT! We become strong when we choose the right in tough situations. Choose to be strong! Choose to obey! Pray pray pray! It is through prayer and humility that we submit our will to our Fathers will. He knows all things. Believe in miracles! Its so funny. Sister Cockrell is truly one of my best friends! I LOVE HER! We are like sisters!!!!! She is definitely part of my family!! Yesterday night it was a LONG day, and it was 11PM...She came out of the bathroom and ran over by me...I was almost sleeping and she said "sister, are you awake??!~" and I moaned "Kind of...." and then the little silly girl jumped on me! haha and we talked until 1AM. Then we woke up at 6:30 as usual and talked for another hour! haha we have decided this will not be the end...we are going to kick it somewhere together, whether we are married already or what not. She is going to BYU this summer! woot woot~! Man, there are so many restaurants out here...and the mountains are so pretty...there is so much to explore. This morning we went hiking at Red Rock with our district! It was pretty intense! climbing up huge rocks, crossing gorges and streams...catching lizards, taking funny pictures, getting a tan, and soaking up the view of the beautiful cacti painted desert...ah so much fun! Ill send a pic! Mondays are our preparation day, so we usually do fun things. It was sister Cockrell and I, one of our girl friends, and 6 elders and one of their friends..... :) I put sister Cockrell on my back and we crossed a stream....it was pretty epic. !!! You all have to come to Vegas! Don’t stay on the strip though! Its scanty!!!! haha ill let you know where to stay! ;) STAY WARM Wisconsin!!! Keep standing up for what’s right woot woot!

Jenna is training TWO missionaries! WOW Jenna!

This picture was sent from a family that had all three of themn for dinner this week. AMAZING things happeneing in Jenna's life and all those around her.

Give Praise!

"Are you a man of great faith? Do you believe in miracles? I believe in miracles and this week I have witnessed for myself the divine plan of our Heavenly Father. This week we had 17 lessons, doubled to what I have past experienced on my mission. We have 3 awesome investigators set with baptismal dates and are setting one more with a date this week. We received 9 referrals. Both our wards have fasted for missionary work. We have fasted for our investigators (people learning about the church), and for more missionary work and boy, it has come. Let me tell you of how direct God has His hand in our lives.... 3 Months ago my beloved trainer Sister Cockrell and I where running around trying to find this apartment within this huge complex. It was getting late (8:30 probably) and we where still racing back and forth across the whole thing. Finally we saw a woman walking her dog and we asked her for directions. She was so kind and she actually took us up to HER apartment to ask her son for directions. Her apartment was dimly lit, but very beautiful with many plants and it had a Greek feel to it. Her son told us where to go, and of course we left her with our pass along card and number. It was one of those families and circumstances where you thought "she would be perfect!" (for the gospel!) 3 months later a woman comes to general conference (which was 2 weeks ago). The elders there took her name and number and passed her off to us. Little did we know who she was.... when we walked up to her apartment and when the door opened, and I saw her house, and her happy face I thought "oh my gosh! This is a miracle! I am witnessing a miracle!" We are now teaching her the lessons and she has a baptismal date set for at the end of this month!!! WOW! I know she was prepared by the Lord. She has had an AWFUL life...so sad....I can't even begin to explain!!! This gospel is changing her life, and the peace she now feels she says is incredible. Never forget to give your life to the Lord. See where he takes you. Let him shape you and become like Him."