Home Of The Cornfields

Sup!!! We made it to iowa!! I can't tell If it's exactly what I thought it was gonna be or different haha! But everywhere you look it's just straight land, corn fields, and soybean fields! So pretty wild!! Let me tell you a little bit about my week!

The mtc

I miss the mtc and my district so much!!! I honestly would have served my whole mission there if I could. Being in a place surrounded by so many missionaries going to so many different places speaking so many different languages is just a feeling I can't describe!! And I miss it so much! So shoutout to everyone in the mtc, take advantage of your time there because it is so sacred and SO SICK!!!

Iowa city baby!!!

We woke up at 3:45 am on Wednesday and flew to Chicago and then to iowa!! We got off the plane and met our mission president and his wife president and sister Barney!!! They are the coolest people I have ever met! I love them so much!!! We went to get our luggage and everyone's bags were still in Chicago except for mine and Sister Mcmullin (a sister in my mtc district) so that was interesting!!! We stayed at the mission home and woke up the next morning and went to the Mormon handcart park which was so cool!! Then we had some meetings and went with our trainers!! My trainer is so cool!!! She's from Holladay, Utah and went to Olympus!!!! She also cheered in High school which is so dope!!! She's really patient with me and hypes me up even when I sound stupid haha!! She also laughs at me even when we knock doors and I interrupt her in the middle because I see the cutest cat I have ever seen like fr it was so cute!!! Haha that actually did happen but she loved it and thought it was hilarious!! Won't happen again! I'm so grateful for her!!! Her name is Sister Johnsen!! If you ever see her, remind her that Utah sucks because her dad sent her a Utah shirt and I told her we're gonna have real problems!!!!

MY AREA!!

My trainer likes to call it the boonies and it really is, it's called Mount Pleasant and it is an hour away from Nauvoo which is so cool!!! I know God sent me here for a reason because I just went to Nauvoo last summer and now I'm just right next to it again!! I love it! It's a small town and everyone here is like the same person. It's crazy!!

Okay now we will get into the week and some cool miracles that happened!!

President barney likes to say when missionaries first get here they go into survival mode and that is literally me right now, some moments I'm like where am I. I'm definitely still trying to adjust but I'm also trying to be patient with myself too!! We got here and I had my first member meal with the Sanchez family that has 8 kids which was actually really fun!! Elder Soares from the quorum of the 12 came and spoke at stake conference this weekend in Nauvoo and I had the opportunity of going there twice which was amazing!!!! We went Friday to the youth session and he answered questions which was so awesome! Then he let everyone shake his hand which was so cool!!! We also went Sunday to watch stake conference and that was so awesome!!! The spirit was so strong and it was just incredible! Elder Soares talked about how the comoshin in the world right now is because the world is disconnecting from the savior and Christ's atonement. The atonement is the reason we get to be here!!! The reason I'm out here teaching people what this life is all about and why this gospel is so important!!! We cannot live without it!!! He also said "when we focus our lives on him, we can walk in his light and his light will light the path for others" I love this so much. We NEED to focus our lives on him and it will literally change the lives of others and even the way we live our life!!! I'm so grateful I had the opportunity to go to stake conference in Nauvoo. It was an experience I will never forget!!!

Miracles

- On my first night here we were calling people and teaching them. My companion asked me if I wanted to knock on this house or try calling them and I said knock. She told me that they have been trying to contact this lady for a long time and she never picks up. She is a member but she's inactive. We knocked and she answered!!! We were able to share with her a message and we asked her to read the BOM and she said she would and she wants us to come back too!!! So cool!!

We're also teaching this lady named Liz, she struggles with the word of wisdom and she's been in jail. We're in the middle of teaching her and she asked her daughter to go grab her "glue" and I was sitting there like why does she need glue? Well the daughter comes back with glue and she pulls out her teeth, puts glue on the top and puts them back in!!! LIKE WHAT?!?! I almost lost it!!! I held it together and after I started dying I looked at my companion and we're both trippin. I had to share because I think this story is so freaking funny!!!

The people here are awesome!! I'm starting to see so many Miracles in my everyday life and the lives of others!! Being here has already made me realize how blessed and lucky I am. Some people here absolutely break my heart. I'm so lucky that I have the opportunity of changing the lives of others all while they're changing mine!!!

D & C 19: 23

23 Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me.

I love this so much!! Adjusting to missionary life is tough. But if we lean on him we can have peace and I have definitely felt that!!! It's exactly what Elder Soares is talking about, we're all losing sight of why we're here and our purpose!! He wants us to lean on him and he will always guide us!!! I know this to be true!!!

I love you all!!! Have an amazing week! Email me I would love to hear from y'all!!

Also I know college football just started and that has me down bad so watch some football for me and email me and keep me updated!!! GO COUGS!

My pics are all out of whack because I wanted to send some of my favs from the mtc too so sorry about that

Things I miss!!!:

1. Football

2. The mtc

3. My bed (My feet hang off my bed here hahaha)

Pics:

1. Arriving to the field

2. Me and President and Sister Barney

3. Me and Sister Johnsen!!

4. Me haha