Sunday, October 21, 2012

First letter from Sister Taylor from NJ!!!

Well here goes nothing I'm sorry if I miss some information but I will try and get everything in there. First a few items of housekeeping: I have not yet gotten the package, they changed the mission office address so I'm guessing the blanket got sent to the old one but I'm hoping on Wednesday at zone conference I'll be able to get it and get the mail if anyone has sent any. Of course there won't be pictures in this email because I haven't recieved the cord yet but I'm hoping to get that like I said. Item 2: I'm not sure the exact brand of Sister Robinson's backpack but it was a black one so if you wanted to get a jansport inexpensive (like $20) iIm sure that would work. Thanks for doing that. I really appreciate her giving hers up for me. Item 3: my companion (I'll tell you about her later) LOVES salsa, so would there be any possible way you could send us some because we are STARVING. But if you could we'd both really love that... Item 4: Sister Dicou really loves salsa and would be so appreciate if she could taste some of our very own. I hope you'll be able to send it somehow..

Item 5: My address for my apt is:
201 Lindsley Dr. Apt. 1B
Morristown, NJ 07960

Mission office address is:
5 Cold Hill Rd. South Ste. 10
Mendham, NJ 07945.

Make sure to put those on the blog so if people send me packages I'll get them quicker. Item 6: how much did the car sell for? I can't believe it went that fast. That's so incredible! :) Item 7: I put it down lower as well and I'm to lazy to delete it, but Monday's are my P-days. I'm kinda sad I haven't gotten the package yet so I can put pictures on this email but they are coming I promise. Item 8: I forgot to mention I did buy a clothes hamper in the MTC. And I will be buying some more winter clothes soon as it starts to get colder. Item 9: IS KIMBER ENGAGED YET??

Okay, I hope I got everything down if I remember something I will put it in the first paragraph.

Anyways, the mission field is unlike the MTC. It is so crazy, but so much fun. We got to the mission home and slept and the next day woke up and ate breakfast and then had meetings, with the financial and doctor of the mission and the transportation person. After we had a meeting with President Jeppson. He told us his whole story and it is INCREDIBLE! He is such an amazing man. His wife is so hilarious and I just already love them so much. They are amazing people. Their son-in-law is actually Alex Boye which is pretty awesome. After that all of the trainers were downstairs and came up and we had lunch. We didn't know who we were going to be paired with but it was kind of obvious Sister Roper and I had one of two choices. As we were eating President was praying and deciding who to put as companions. And then the companion ceremony began. He did the sisters first and Sister Roper was put with Hermana Coley. So there was one more sister left. My companion is Sister Dicou and she's from Sandy Utah. She went to Alta and is so so awesome. This is her last transfer so she's been here a while and knows her stuff. While we were eating I had a feeling I was going to be her companion and I was so excited. I've already learned so much from her. And I can't wait to learn more. I am serving in the Parsippany Area. We went to our transfer conference and there were some missionaries going home so they bore their testimonies and they were so strong. I can't wait until I'm up there and bearing my testimony of all the things that I know are true. My testimony has already grown so much but I can't wait to let it grown even more. I have a lot to still learn but it's coming. After conference we went back to the apartment real quick and then out we went. We went to a couple of places and found a new investigator.

We woke up the next day and exercised! It felt so good to get out and exercise. We run in a cemetery. It's nice though, I'm not to scared haha. We had district meeting for the first time. The spirit of all the missionaries are incredible. I know I'm going to learn to much just from them. We had dinner with some of the members and that cooked some pretty good fried chicken. I ate everything off the bone. (Yes, dad, I really did) We went to visit a recent convert, Bonny, and I can already say I love that lady. She's amazing and I can't wait to get to know her even more.

The next day was our walking day and planning session. It was a good day. It has been pretty cold this past week but Sunday was so beautiful, same as today. I already pulled out my coat but hopefully this week it won't be to cold. Our walking day was incredible! We taught a couple of recent converts and talked to a lady, our last one of the night. Her name is Debbie and I feel so strong about her. It's so crazy to be able to talk to people and have them open up in just a matter of minutes. I want to help everyone. I want them to know, how I know, that this church is the true church of Jesus Christ on the earth today. It stinks to see people you love make a wrong decision because I want to help them see the truth so bad.

Saturday we got to go to Ellis Island! The opportunity I have as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to get to go serve on Ellis Island is incredible. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. And we were right across from the city! I saw the Freedom Tower and the Statue of Liberty. It seriously was so cool! It wasn't too busy when we got there so Sister Dicou and I went and walked around where they took all the immigrants and then watched the film there. The history there is like none other. I'm so grateful for that opportunity to go and serve there. For the last few hours we went into where the people look for their ancestors manifests and ships and helped them when they needed assistant. It is so cool to see people get so excited to find their ancestors. I know that genealogy is true and we can help find people's ancestors and we can do work for them. I'm excited for when I come home to start finding people and do genealogy work! (Grandma is going to be so happy!) :) After Ellis Island we had a dinner appointment with an old man, Skip, and he took us to a diner. I had a chicken pesto panini and it was delicious! The food here has been pretty good. Saturday and Sunday were a little tough for me, I don't know why but sometimes you just need to cry. I don't know why I was feeling like that but in my prayers I just let it out. It felt good to be able to cry and speak with God, because he knows what I'm going through and he's going to be able to help me through anything. I think I was just a little frustrated because I didn't know some of the people in my ward I was serving in. I know I'll be better because I saw their faces and met them on Sunday. Sunday's are always so good. I've taken Sunday's more seriously I feel since I first got my call. It's a nice relaxing time at church to be able to remember the sacrifice Christ made for all of us and to partake of the sacrament. I'm grateful for the sacrament and the opportunity to renew my baptismal covenants with our Heavenly Father. After church we had a couple of appointments. We met some pretty cool people. I feel like Sister Dicou and I have planted good seeds in the people we've come in contact with, even if we didn't teach them anything. I can't wait to finally start really teaching a progressing investigator and see the change in their life. I know it's going to be amazing and strengthen my testimony so much. So to answer your question mom, Monday's are my P-days. So I'll be sending pictures next week.

New Jersey is so beautiful. The trees are changing colors and I just LOVE it! It's definitely totally different from Utah but Utah has its own beauty. The people here are awesome. The ward is so cool. It's pretty big, almost like a Utah ward. I'm so excited to serve here and know New Jersey is where I'm supposed to be. I don't know why yet, but I'll figure it out. I read my patriarchal blessing a few days ago and I love it. It's so true and pertains to my life when I was at Taft, here and for the future. I've realized I've taken a lot of things for granted in my life as I was growing up. But that has changed. I see people without the gospel and I just want to help them. That's why I'm here. To help people see that without Christ and his atonement and every aspect of this gospel we can't return to live with him again. I've learned so much from my experience already and can't wait to learn SOO much more. I know Sister Dicou is my companion for a reason. Her testimony and her experiences are so great. We've gotten along so well. And I can't wait to build that friendship.

I hope I got everything in there that I wanted to say. Of course, there's so much more than what I wrote but that's the just of things that are going on right now in New Jersey. I know this church is true. I'm so grateful for the gospel in my life right now. I honestly don't know where I'd be if I didn't have the gospel in my life. And I know a lot of people say that but I really don't. The structure and the standards that I have, bless me. They don't restrict me. I know that Jesus Christ died for me and I can't return and live with him and Heavenly Father one day. The things that I have already learned have been incredible. I know the plan of salvation is real. I know the Holy Ghost can be in our lives, if we obey the commandments and be obedient to the things we have been taught. I know prayer truly works. I've been praying more than I have ever prayed in my life and it's been a blessing. Sister Dicou and I were going to visit someone and as she was saying the prayer a car was slowing passing us and I could tell she was looking at it as she was praying. The car drove off and we finished our prayer and got out of the car and started walking. As she we praying I was getting a bad feeling for some reason. But as we were walking the same car started coming towards us. I told her I felt funny as she was praying and so we started walking back to the car. He kinda sped up a little and we jumped in. He parked behind us and then slowly drove past us again and then stopped in front of us. Sister Dicou said we're outta there and drove off. It was pretty scary. I know the Lord is watching out for us. And I know the Holy Ghost is real and we both got that feeling to get back in the car. I'm grateful to be able to listen to the Holy Ghost and we were able to stay safe. I know that this church is true and we have a living Prophet on the earth today to lead and guide us. Go re-read some of those general conference talks. They will help us in our lives today because the Lord speaks through his prophets and apostle and he speaks through them. I loved General Conference. I loved all the talks and gained so much about the gospel. This church is true and I love being able to be an instrument in God's hands and help his children come back to him. I love you all and am so very grateful for your support and love! I pray for you guys all the time!

Love,
Seester Taylor

P.S. Happy 7 months to Grant on the 12th. And a happy 2 months to Tacy on the 8th. I can't believe she's already two months. I'm expecting pictures of them as well soon. :)

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