8-26-13

Hey, hey, hey,

 Niagara falls was fun, but we only did the America side, which isn't quite as cool. When I come back  one day, I’m going to go to the Canada side again. It's nice to get out and walk around in nature anyhow. 

So, this week was great! So many miracles happened, seriously. I can't believe how much God rewards our efforts when we just have a little faith and trust in His timing. We started the week with a great FHE with the B____s, and sister B___ finally spoke to us. She said she read the Book of Mormon and felt peace again, which is a relief, because she gets her results about her cancer this week. Their family has sooo much on their plate, but they are pushing through and I think our presence is making a big difference. So at first, this week seemed like it would be a disaster, because every one of our appts were falling through. Mary literally just went A-wall and didn’t show up or respond to anything for a few days. We were facing serious rejection, and I couldn't figure out why we were so epicly failing. So, we decided to try a former investigators house, and he and his wife were really interested. It was such a strange lesson though, because they have a hobby of ghost- hunting....literally. they started to tell us about a suicidal ghost they found with an "i-phone app" (seriously?) but he ended up haunting them and then they had to get their witch ant to cast a spell that nailed his soul to his grave......soooo I was racking my brain to bridge the topic back to the gospel of Jesus Christ, because the Spirit was loooong gone. We ended up talking about life after death and bearing testimony about God's eternal plan of mercy for us. It clearly brought great peace to the wife, because she had just had a friend who committed suicide and was worried he would go straight to hell. We explained that the Atonement covers everyone, and everyone will have a chance at Salvation. I could see a weight come off her shoulders. 

   So, the week went on and we had more miracles. D_______ has started to really open up to us and finally explained that she hasn’t been reading the Book of Mormon on her own because she doesn't even know how to read scriptures in the Bible, and it's too overwhelming. We are going to start having scripture study with her, which should really help. Even more, she really considers us dear friends, which is great, because it got her to come to church this week. We told her we wouldn't be able to see her til next Thursday, and she was like "that's too long. I' think I'll come to church so I can see you guys". Then at church, we got to have some scripture study with her and  bring her some peace regarding her family situation. 

   So, back to Mary. We had visited 3 times and called a bunch and I was scared it was all over, but sis A  wanted to swing by again. I was like "she is Not going to answer", but sis A had more faith than me. When we got to the door, we could hear voices inside, which meant she was at least alive (for a bit, we were scared she was dead and her birds and hamsters were eating her in her apt, sorry if that was gross haha). I knocked on the door, and lo and behold, Mary answers with a big smile like nothing happened. Turns out her phone has died and she had totally forgotten us due to a rough week. We got to teach her a lesson about forgiveness and the importance of the priesthood and we have two more appts with her this week! It was perfect that she didn’t show up for her other appt too, because we have a potential investigator from that open time slot where we talked to random people on the street. 

 There were even more miracles, but Im all outta time :( 

I love you all and this gospel is true! Do your visiting and home teaching please!! And learn as much as you can about the sacrament. It is powerful and sacred and beautiful and I had no idea. 

Okay, love love love yall

Keep in touch.

Oh yeah one more thing. I am loving it here and I know I’m fulfilling a purpose, but I’m starting to feel like I need to get to Brazil. It's weird. I am feeling a bit of a pull. I don't know what that means, but if you all could please pray for my visa, it would be much appreciated. Prayers are powerful, and I really want to fulfill whatever purpose I have in Brazil. Thanks!! 

8-18-13

Alrighty, hello hello. I'm going to be honest, this week was hard. We had to dump someone. she is this old lady who pretends to forget her commitment, but then slips up and tells us she remembers and we finally just flat out had to tell her that if she never intends to go to church, then we cant keep coming. She was fine with that and said it was understandable haha, so I guess that's the easiest breakup Ill ever have. Also, I never realized how crucial the ward is!!! You guys, anyone who is reading this, church is not about showing up on Sunday for a few hours and half-way doing your calling and then going home and forgetting about everyone you saw and everything you heard. Church is not about going to a building and having someone entertain you and make you feel like youre the greatest and don't need to change anything because Jesus has it covered. To be honest, this church is hardly even about going to church. We call it a "ward family" for a reason. The gospel of Jesus Christ must exist within the hearts of the members. Our church is only as strong as the members, and we MUST be continually working to be knit together with love. I'm sorry if this is coming off as brash, but we are just pretty frustrated with our ward. They don't care about one another. Sure, they will make a lasagna if someone breaks their leg, but they don't want to listen to someone rant about their life problems (which New Yorkers love to do haha). That's what family is for right? Wrong. If you are in a ward, they are your family, okay. We call eachother Brother and Sister for a reason. Our Heavenly Father has asked us two things: love Him and then love one another. When we leave the church building, our work has only begun. We don't have to do big things, we just have to be there for one another. My comps and I are desperately trying to think of ways to unify the ward, because if they can't support one another, then how can they support investigators? I love the families in our ward, but I'm starting to wonder if they even realize how awesome their "ward family" could be. there are so many families that have so much potential, but they are struggling, and nobody is showing up for their brothers and sisters. They just tell us about it, and expect us to fix it. This church is more than a church. It is a lifestyle. It is a state of mind. It is a family under one God and of one heart. Let's act that way and care for our brothers and sisters. On that note, I am soooo grateful for the ward that I grew up in that set such a wonderful example to me. I am using the family feeling I had growing up in my ward as my vision for what this ward could be. Keep that going. It is SUCH a blessing to the youth. It is essential for the success of the members and missionaries.

On another note. I ate at the BEST BBQ place of my life. Yes, Amanda, it was even better than Smoking Apple, which I feel guilty even saying, but it's true. also, we are going to Niagara Falls today. Woot! Oh, and it's a miracle! I got some shoes that dont kill my feet. I can walk pain-free!!! seriously such a miracle.

I hope I didnt sound too negative. There are some progressing investigators that are doing great and really are learning so fast. They answer our questions before we ask them. I love so many of the people here so much. I just wish they could have a more eternal perspective. I wish I did too. I am working on trying to leave things in God's hands and letting Him work in His own timing. We truly are His children and we are cradled in His loving hands. If we could only see how much He cares for us and protects our little hearts, I think our trials wouldnt seem so tough. I KNOW that God only gives us as much as we can handle. I know He loves us more than we comprehend. I know that everything that happens is for our good, even if it is soooo hard to see in the moment.  I love you all. Keep writing. I really appreciate the letters. :)

8-12-13

Okay, so now it's time for the NY update! 

Wow, there is waaaaaay too much to write, but I'll do my best. So first of all, here is a funny story. Apparently I can prophesy death!! We had this inactive member that we did service for who is diabetic and his body is falling apart and he is miserable. He talked about how God doesn't seem to love him and he would rather just die and that he is considering suicide. Well, I tried to share some scriptures to uplift his spirits and I promised him that God loves him. Then, I felt inspired to promise him that he had something good coming. I said it a few times with such surety, even though I really didn't want to promise that to such a hopeless situation. Well, guess what....Webbie went to the hospital and died, but they resuscitated him! We all felt bad for him, because he was probably pretty mad to be alive (he has died and come back a few times). I was feeling pretty guilty, because I had promised him something good and now just look what happened! Then, the next day, we were talking about how I felt guilty and when I walked out of the bathroom, they said Webbie died. Honestly all we could do was laugh because it was such a  weird situation, and I couldn't quite decide if my promise had come true or not, haha, but I'm pretty sure that death was the best thing for Webbie. Now he can be free of mortal pains. So there you have it, I'm a prophetess! 

Okay, here's another one. So the F___s are this crazy couple who just joined the church and they are so great and sincere.....and really loving the church welfare system haha. We had dinner at their house, compliments of the church, which they love telling us with a smile. They really love and appreciate how much the church has blessed and changed their lives. So, anyway, Sister F___ was talking about her family and then explained that her brother was married to their first cousin!! I guess it's legal in Massachusetts. The best part is that she thought it was perfectly fine because it was legal there....not strange at all. ahhhh!! We all tried our best to act natural when she told us that, but all I could think of was children running around with 11 toes. They are such sweet people, just a little different and naive I guess. 

So, we have some awesome investigators. Dominique is staying with her grandma and in her 20s. She is such a deep thinker and loves discussing life and religion with us, but she thinks in these huge circles and always comes back to how Buddhism also brings us to enlightenment, so how do we know what is right. We keep trying to explain that the fact that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the whole truth and doesn't negate the good things about other religions. She worries me though, because  her thinking reminds me a little of myself with the way she goes on these crazy tangents and gets really deep. Sometimes I think its a miracle I didn't think myself out of a testimony. We will see though. I have hope for her that God will touch her mind like he has touched her heart. 

We also have a super sweet investigator in assisted living who is a hoarder. So, we helped her clean her apartment for about two hours and she kept calling us angels. Jenny, you would have loved this activity, haha. We got to clean and organize and really turn her place around. She is so faithful and has a love for God. I think she is going to be easy, honestly, because she has such a believing heart. I really admire her courageous faith. She has deformed fingers and body and had cancer and two heart surgeries, but she assures us that God has always watched over her, even while homeless for a bit. Wow, so humble!! She is awesome and so sweet.

The B family is really struggling. Gary has totally relapsed and only seems to care about drugs and girls again. Its super hard on the family, especially Jerry (the brother who holds everything together). They love having us over though, and are always uplifted by our message. I can tell that Jerry is really gaining new hope and feeling  better when we come over. Sister B is about to give up though, and her cancer is getting worse. I really love this family. Please pray for them. Please pray that they will stop being angry at God so that he can comfort their wounded hearts. 

I'm realizing that church attendance is sooooooo important. The ward is EVERYTHING. We don't go to church just to take the sacrament. That's what I always thought and everything else was just fluff. But now I know that a ward is a family. We keep tabs on each other. We support and serve each other. A calling gives us purpose and more opportunity to grow. If we want to bring more into the fold, we must have the ward involved, because friendship and fellowship must exist within the ward family. God wants us all to be missionaries. Remember: "feed my sheep". Try to find ways to serve one another, both within the church and outside of it. I'm realizing that everyone's purpose in life is to take care of one another and be somebody's somebody, not romantically, just in general.

Okay gotta run. I love yall sooooooo much. Write Me!!...if you want.....but do....okay :)

Sister Huntington

August 5 from NY

WOW okay I have like no time and I’m so sorry that this will be short, but I’m doing my best, I swear. Okay real quick, how should I do pics? More memory cards? A flashdrive? Why am I just now thinking of this? I dont know haha. Just let me know what you think? Also, I’m sorry if I sounded short on the phone. I was crammed for time. I hung up and was like "I feel like I didn’t sound friendly and loving enough," but maybe that is because I am in super-friendly mode all the time haha. HAPPY BIRTHDAY dad!!! Sorry you’re just now getting this. If it makes you feel better, I barely remember when my birthday is at the pace my days go lately.

Dr. Holland, Thanks so much for your support!! You are truly the best and many people recognized me as their old TA and rave about your class haha.

The field is awesome!!! Wow, I have no idea where to begin, but here goes. We are flushing an area. I’m with two other sisters: Hovey and Adams. They are great, except Hovey got sick and was in zombie mode for a little bit. That was kinda scary, but she is good now. I’m in North Tonawanda area, which is right next to Niagara Falls. Cool! I’ve had some yummy NY pizza and wings, so that's been cool.

But here is the good stuff. Well, since we were flushing an area, nobody knew anything about anything, so it was a very interesting first few days. We were like private investigators looking through a poorly maintained area-book and trying to make sense of what we had to work with investigator wise. I have lost all fear calling total strangers. Actually, I have lost all fear in regard to strangers at all. You talk to so many people and they all think you're  all little weird, but nice and its fine. I'm so so so busy, but super happy. People are so great, even the not so great ones ahahha. We were walking down the street and this car yelled "SLUTS" at us and seriously it was funny because it didn’t make us upset at all. I just thought, "Oh those silly boys". It's weird, I just feel an even greater capacity to love others and not get frustrated. Of course, I’m still super imperfect, but being a missionary is just loving people is what I have realized. We love and show them that they can change and that they have amazing potential through our Savior Jesus Christ. I love it. 

So we have met quite the characters. New Yorkers are something else, I tell you what. First of all, they NEVER stop talking. I’m serious, it's an effort just to squeeze in a lesson, and I have no idea when they are taking a breath. But they are so loving and kind and enthusiastic and open. I have heard so many amazing life stories and they blow me away. It's like story time all day long as I listen to the lives of incredibly diverse people. One person that I want to highlight on is Gary. He is an inactive member and wants to get back in the church, but he has had a wild ride for a life. He was a drug runner and all that jazz. When he opened the door, he had a big purple shiner under his eye. He is so sincere and humble though. He really wants to change, but doesn’t know where to start. At the end, we had him pray and it was so simple and beautiful. When I told him he did  a great job, he just started crying and couldn’t believe we had gotten him to pray out loud. Sometimes I feel like we are working with children because the testimonies are so innocent, which is really how we should all be. Ahhh okay I have 20 seconds left so I better send this. christ loves us!!

continued later

Okay phew! I was able to get a little but more time so that's nice. I was racing the clock on this computer haha.

Anyway, I guess I can tell you more about my mission. So, we are in an area that is not really ghetto, but the homes that we visit are usually super cluttered and relatively poor, though probably not by Brazilian standards. We have a car, so that's nice. Oh yeah, a guy in my district who went through the Atlanta consulate got his visa, so that's promising. Honestly though, I know I'm here for a reason right now and I want to stay here as long as Heavenly Father needs me in NY. I know everything happens for a reason and that I’m here for a reason. This area needs that womanly  touch that hasn’t been here for many many years apparently. The Elders before were kinda negative about all the people and made it seem like everything was a dead end and like all the people were lazy or kooky. But so far, everyone we have met has been so awesome and great. Sure....there are some characters....okay they are all quite the characters, but it makes it so much more fun to love them. My companions are great and such great examples to me, but I've also enjoyed the fact that we all are starting from square one, because it has forced me to be the leader in many of the situations. I have grown so much faster because of the fact that we are all basically on the same playing field in regards to trying to get things going and find people to teach. 

Okay well I really better run now. I love you and know that God loves us all so much. It's really so simple. We just need to spend more energy loving and serving and we wouldn't have to endure so much of the bitterness that plagues our hearts. I love you all. Thanks for the prayers!!

Sis Huntington

July 26, 2013

Hello hello hello my fellow friends! So we got our reassignments today and guess what!!!! I'm going to Rochester, New York! AAHHHHHHHHH Im so excited. Seriously it's like all I could ask for. This mission has Palmyra and Hill Cumorah in it (yeah Dad, get pumped) and borders Lake Ontario. It also has Niagara Falls in it. P-day activity! Ahhh I'm so excited to be in such a beautiful place at such a beautiful time of year. I have felt like I need to be somewhere else before I went to Brazil and I know this is the place I'm meant to be. Honestly I could not be happier or more excited.

 

I leave on Monday Jul7 29 at 9:00 am and land in Detroit at 2:28 pm. I have a layover until 3:23 pm and then leave for Rochester. I am allowed to make phone calls, so I will either call you before my first flight in the morning or in my layover. Ill try for the morning. Does that work? let me know. My P-day is tomorrow, so I can communicate and plan via email.

Get as much dirt on the mission as you can and tell me about it :)

More pictures

Pictures from the MTC