March 18, 2013

Mom! Well as you probably know, I'm actually not in New Mexico. I'm in Flagstaff, Arizona teaching the Young Single Adults from North Arizona University with Sister Harrah. She's an awesome first companion! I like her a lot better than the one in the Training Center... We get along really well :) She doesn't really get me yet, and I think she thinks I'm weird when I'm just trying to be funny. And I think she thinks I'm angry all the time, but it's just because we have to do this 12-Week Program in the morning when I'm not happy enough to smile yet. But yeah, speaking of that, there is this new 12-Week Program that during the first 12 weeks of a missionary's mission, the trainer and the new missionary go through a program that is just added training in the field to make up for the shortened time in the MTC. I don't like it very much, just because it's really basic and I feel like it makes me seem like a baby. I'm just glad my trainer is 22 so I don't feel even more dumb that a 19 year old is going through the most basic steps of being a missionary. But that's prideful! And probably one of the things that got me about my MTC companion. So never mind! I won't think that anymore. Sister Harrah is from Northern Utah in some city I've never heard of. Clinton I think. Or somewhere near there. She's only been out for 3 months so as soon as she was finished being trained she was thrown into becoming a trainer! That will probably happen to me, too, because they like to keep someone who knows the area around the YSAs. But I'd be training in the Summer when they all go home! It will be interesting.... We live in a basement apartment of a member family. I've never met them. They don't like getting to know the missionaries because they get attached and then sad when we leave so I guess I'll never know the nice people who let me live in their house! We also drive a Pontiac Vibe which is nice! And we have a cell phone on which the buttons don't work very well and it takes some getting used to. I got my patriarchal blessing. And you know to send my mail to the Farmington address and to send packages Priority Mail right? Just making sure. This week is Spring Break for NAU, so there will be nothing to do except knock on doors, and even then we probably won't get a lot of people answering the door! It's going to be an experience. At least the weather has been really nice! I just barely missed a bad snow storm that made my companion and her former companion stuck in the apartment all day! But Flagstaff is really pretty and I like it a lot. And the apartments that we go tracting at are really nice, too! If I didn't already have my mind set on school in Utah, I might be tempted to live here. But that would be so awkward. We were tracting on Saturday, and we had the best time! We talked to this one man who was Non-Denominational Christian who was telling us all the reasons he disagrees with our church. He would tell us what he believes and then we would tell him what we believe in contrast to what he said. We went back and forth for probably 20 minutes at his door! At the end he asked for one of our cards and implied that he might read the Book of Mormon on his Nook! I don't know if anything will come from that visit, but it was so cool! He was married and over 30 so the Sisters aren't supposed to teach people like that. We are allowed to find other people, but we're supposed to refer them to the Elders. Then if the Elders find someone between the ages of 18 and 30, they are supposed to refer them to us. I really hope the Elders are able to talk to him! But later that same night, in the same apartment complex, we found a quirky guy who needs fellowshipping. He isn't young enough for us to teach either, but he was really lonely and I want to help him so bad! Then we found another guy who listened to us for a few minutes, but I think he might have just wanted to hear us because we're pretty girls. I shouldn't have noticed, but he wasn't wearing a shirt, and he was pretty cute. I did a good job of not thinking about it! But Sister Harrah thought he was really hot, and it made me realize that too.... I was so proud of myself for not thinking it at first! Oh well. Later in another complex, two girls let us in to talk to even though they weren't interested at all. One of the girls has a baptism date set on Easter for the Christian Fellowship church. But they were nice enough! Yesterday, we found a woman who as soon as she opened her door it just smelled so bad of smoke. We think she was baking something in her kitchen. I remembered I randomly had a Word of Wisdom pamphlet in my bag so we stuck it in her door! That might have been a bad idea, but maybe it could help her! We justified it that Jesus would have told her that smoking is bad for you. But she might take it that Mormons are a bunch of jerks who thinks she needs to change. Well, I mean, she does need to change... I'm terrible!!! A lot of the people who live in Flagstaff are Muslim. I'm really glad I haven't had a bad experience with them yet, but Sister Harrah says they like to invite you in and then challenge you. But I've met some Muslims and they have been nice so far! Anyway, that's my life. I want to commit to working harder this week. I know I've only been out for a week, but I feel like I haven't been working very hard. I want to do everything I can to bring the gospel to everyone! I know that isn't necessarily possible, but I feel like a lazy missionary. I just need to open my mouth and talk to everyone and not be scared or shy, and also to teach with the desire to convert people instead of just doing it as routine. I have a lot to pray and ponder and practice. Well, that's all I can think of to say. Ask more questions if you have them! Love you! -Sister Tolley P.S. My shoes are AWESOME! They are perfect! Ugly, but they feel so good on my feet! Also, have you been going to the gym every day? What HAVE you been doing with your life now that I'm gone?