April 15, 2013

Thank you very much for sending me that stuff, I haven't gotten it yet but the mail is pretty unpredictable, it should come at either 1 or 4 today! So, our good friend Zach with the baptism date moved it AGAIN to next weekend, but for good reason. When he met Bishop Myers, there was an instant connection and he knew that he wanted him to baptize him, but Bishop will be out of town this weekend to welcome a grandbaby into the world, so they agreed to next Saturday, the 27th, which is my 2 month mark! It feels like I just barely passed my 1 month, but it also feels like I've been out for a year.... Anyway! I've been practicing being more bold and not letting people pass me without mentioning the church. The other day, we were out tracting and we saw one of our investigators out with his dog. He told us he was on a 2 week field trip with his geology class so we weren't expecting to see him (it had been a week and he should have had another week). Sister Harrah and I hid ourselves at first, but then I decided it was silly. So I turned around and shouted "JOSH!!!" across the complex and waved really big! She was so embarrassed! Then it would have been awkward if we didn't go over to his apartment. Turns out he had just gotten back that morning and was leaving the next morning for a second field trip. When he said he'd be gone for 2 weeks, he was talking about two different trips. If I hadn't yelled out to him, we would have assumed he was lying to us and probably would have been making more assumptions for this week that he's gone again! There was also this girl who was clearly avoiding us, so instead of letting her walk away I started walking towards her which probably made her feel even more dumb! And she wasn't interested, but I really shouldn't be so scared to talk to everyone! The worst thing that could happen is they turn me down, and that's already happened so many times that it shouldn't be a fear of mine! I don't think I am afraid of rejection, I think I'm just a little nervous about starting awkward conversations. I just need to own it and be confident! Which I am working on! I've been better at bearing testimony at the door, too, which has at least lengthened our approaches with people. Then they have to listen to me! We have this other investigator named Tyler who was referred to us from Salt Lake. He's amazing! The first time we met with him he just agreed with everything we said so we were a little worried he didn't have a purpose for meeting with us, just to learn. We invited him to be baptized and he said yes! The second time we met with him, we asked him to say the closing prayer and he opened "Dear Heavenly Father" and closed "in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." I couldn't believe it! We taught him how, but he did it all by himself without having to be reminded or anything! We asked if he'd met with missionaries before and he said he hadn't! He just remembered! The second lesson is the Plan of Salvation, so the third time we met with him we were going over the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I asked him, after teaching the section on repentance, "why would you want to repent?" and he said, "because I want to go to the Celestial Kingdom." WHAT????? He was soaking in everything we were teaching him! He reads the pamphlets! He prays! He carries the Book of Mormon that we have him in his hoodie pocket! I am so excited for Tyler! We extended the date of May 11th to be baptized and he said he would!!! But he's moving home to California in May never to return to Flagstaff...so we will get him to baptism and hand him off to the missionaries where he lives to finish. Sad, but at least he'll be baptized :) We've had some other good lessons this week. One of our ward missionaries asked us to "sit in" on one of his new member lessons where he gave the whole first lesson and then surprise attacked us and said "now I will turn the time over to the Sisters to give the second lesson." Good thing we can apparently teach on the spot! Anyway, it went fine, but the new member, Lauren, brought her friend, Ayla, who isn't a member! We were able to set up an appointment to meet with her this week!! We got a referral without even doing anything :) Sister Harrah and I were invited to go to the Grand Canyon with the other District in our Zone, and we almost went this morning, but we felt bad that the Elders in our District weren't invited (there wasn't enough room in the members' cars that were taking us) so we backed out last minute. We were standing on the curb ready to file into the car and everything! But I'm glad we didn't go. Next Monday is transfers so this is the last P-Day that we have together as a District anyway. We'll probably go to the Lowell Observatory or something today instead :) Anyway, thanks for the testimony and for the quotes. Getting your emails is my favorite part of my P-Day :) And writing back to Dad! If no one else wrote me, I'd be okay with that. All I care about are the letters I get in the mail from Dad and the emails I get from you :) I love you a lot!!! I'll call you in 4 weeks!! Love, Sister Tolley

April 8, 2013

I love hearing about how and what you're doing! Please keep me informed about your crazy diets and workouts :) Pretty much, I have been getting FAT. It's not easy, but I've been doing it. I was falling asleep during my personal study in the mornings so I decided to eat bigger, more filling/energizing breakfasts, but then I was eating normal lunches, and every night we get fed by members so I eat a lot at night. But I don't exercise! We used to do Jillian Michaels, but we got sick of it, so we started doing "our own thing" which ended up with laying on the floor, stretching....and then falling back to sleep. So, getting fat kind of hurts! Sister Harrah and I are kind of dieting, mostly just portion control and healthier options. We are also going to plan out what we do in the morning for working out the night before. This morning we went running! The elevation killed me, though. My body could keep running, but my heart hurt so bad! I had to stop to breathe forever! And today is turning out to be really stormy and cold so it was actually warmer at 6:40 this morning than it is now, so we're pretty lucky anyway! My biggest worry about gaining weight is that my clothes won't fit and it will be really embarrassing when I have to ask you for bigger clothes and when I send pictures and people don't recognize the fat girl in the middle....who would be me.... Conference was amazing! We watched it at the Welcome Center (NAU YSA Institute building) with some of the members. There was one girl who came who is a former investigator! She believes in the church, and wants to be baptized, but her mom won't let her, so she's waiting until a certain age when she can do it without her mom stopping her, or when she moves out, or something? But I have never seen her and I guess it'd been a long time since she'd been to church or activities or anything, so it was awesome to see her there!!! Also, I was thinking about it, and minus the Priesthood Session, there were 25 talks given in conference and there are 26 weeks until next conference. I decided that I'm going to try to read one talk per week and apply the things I learn in my life that apply to me. I'm pretty excited about it! I hope I can actually do it, though. I don't just want to hear the talks once, think they're cool, take some notes, and forget about them until next conference. I want to USE the things I learn for the next months until next time! And then just do that my whole life :) Also, I was reading in Genesis, and I was wondering about the Amalekites and how they are related to the ones in the Book of Mormon? I don't think I have the resources to look it up, but Sister Hales (a missionary with her husband working at the Welcome Center) looked it up on her phone on the gospel library and google and decided that maybe the ones in the Book of Mormon were called Amalekites to show their wickedness in comparison to the ones that were destroyed by the Simeonites in the Bible. But I have no idea! And was just wondering if Dad or someone knew, or if someone could look up dates or something. It's not of pressing importance, just something I was wondering about! I would like my CDs! Even without a CD player, because Sister Harrah's music is getting a little old. I still love it though, and it's not a big deal. So our investigator with a date set is named Zach and he moved his date to April 20th because this weekend is this country concert thing (Country Jam?) in Phoenix and all of his friends are going to it so he wants them to be there for his baptism. We realized yesterday that it's 4-20 which might be a problem for his friends anyway! Just kidding, but kind of not... I don't know what I've told you, so I might repeat myself. But we found this person, Josh, when we were tracting and have met with him 3 times now. Last time we set a date with him for May 4th!!! But then he went on a two week field trip with his geology class so we won't see him until the end of next week! I'm scared :( but he said he'd read the Book of Mormon, so we're hoping! Okay, okay, okay, something crazy is happening in the mission! I got an email from President Batt today that says that Flagstaff will be part of the Phoenix mission starting July 1st! That doesn't mean anything to me right now, but it could! My 12 week training period will be over in the first week of June, but if the pattern is the same where the missionary that hasn't been in an area as long trains or at least stays, then I will be in Flagstaff until August. If that didn't make sense, then I'll say it a different way. Sister Harrah has only been out four months. She was trained in Flagstaff and when transfers came she took me on to train. If the pattern stays the same, they won't white-wash the area, so I would be the one staying since she'll have been here 6 months. Anyway! I could, of course, be transfered somewhere else and sisters already in the Phoenix mission could be called to Flagstaff, but there is a possibility that I might be switched to the Phoenix mission! It's crazy, and a lot of things could happen, but I guess we'll have to see! Well, I guess that's all I have. I might be pretty boring. Love you so so so much! -Sister Tolley

April 1, 2013

To answer your questions in order, our mission has certain days set aside to go to the temple together. It's not very often, but the temples we go to are smaller so they dont rent out clothes and I don't want to have to borrow temple clothes from members. The Monticello, Utah temple is in an area in our mission, but that is pretty far away from us here in Flagstaff and neighboring zones, so our President allows for us to temporarily leave the mission slightly so that we can go to the Snowflake, Arizona temple which is really close and just barely outside of our mission. I think that is the one I will likely go to in the near future. We are moving along in the 12-Week program really fast. We're supposed to be in week 4, and we could be in probably week 8 by now, but we just used the time as added companionship study and pull it out on occasion. Most of the stuff it asks for me to start doing I've been doing since my first couple of days. I know it's inspired, and it is helpful, but sometimes I feel like it wasn't made for me. But I do take it seriously and I appreciate the added help that it gives me. Every Tuesday we spend a few hours helping at the Food Bank. Usually we box stuff up, but last week, Sister Harrah and I were on the front desk computers making accounts for people and learning the system so that they can keep track of people coming in and keep track of their inventory. It was pretty fun! We were working a lot faster than the people who normally sit at the computers so we made it so they ran out of stuff for us to do. They are playing conference, all sessions, at the institute building, so we will be watching it with the wards. I don't know what the other missionaries will be doing, maybe watching it at their ward buildings. Hopefully we can get one or two of our new investigators to come, but one of our investigators accepted an invitation to be baptized on the 13th! So he should be there with us too! I don't know what else we're going to do those days. I won't know until we plan for it the day before. We might have some lessons, some visits, and maybe even some tracting. I like that you send me spiritual thoughts with ever letter. It makes me want to share one with you! I was going to write this in a letter to Kelly, but I guess I will send it to you. Just tell her this is for her! At the MTC, one day, I was inspired to write these words and forgot about it until I was reading through my thoughts journal. I couldn't believe this came from my own mind! But anyway, this is what I thought of and I don't know what we were doing or learning about, but I had this thought on March 2nd: "When we lived in the Spirit World, we lived with God. Now we have physical bodies and are physically separated from Him. In order to know Him and to feel of His presence is to access our spiritual half." I guess I've been thinking a lot about our latent traits from God. I know that there are things we need to develop in this life to be more Christlike, but I wonder how many of those traits were ours in the pre-existence. It really changes my perspective on what my potential actually is. I don't know, that might be blaspheme, I just thought it was interesting. I want to say something crazy for April Fool's Day, but then you wouldn't know if I were serious for a week and that wouldn't be very nice of me. So, Happy April Fool's Day! If that's something to celebrate.... Love you! -Sister Tolley Oh! P.S. I wanted to share with Vic: Victoria! I was reading the Book of Mormon during my personal scripture study, and I read this verse that I thought you might think was as funny as I do. 2Nephi18:19 says, "And when they shall say unto you: Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto WIZARDS THAT PEEP AND MUTTER--sould not a people seek unto their God for the living to hear from the dead?" I don't know why but when I read the peep and mutter part I thought you might think that was funny :)

March 25, 2013

I am definitely getting used to the area and the schedule. At first I was thinking that missionary work was NOTHING like I was expecting. It's really weird to be over YSAs. I felt like I was just at school or something. It was really weird for a while. But I've been doing more missionary work. We have awesome lessons, and I love being able to study in the mornings! I don't know why everyone hates tracting so much. Besides giving lessons, it's one of my favorite things to do! This week was Spring Break, so we did a little more tracting than usual, and we found 4 new investigators! I love tracting, and I love teaching, and I love being a missionary! My mail is messed up. I got Dad's second letter that he wrote to me on March 11, on March 23! So I guess it's all being held at the mission home for longer. I was really sad for a week not getting anything, I was at least expecting something from him! But maybe I should give you my residence address for now, I'll be here for at least 9 or 10 more weeks! Sheesh lots of questions! I love Flagstaff SO MUCH! Sister Harrah and I were driving all over trying to find people on a list that the couple missionaries, the Kilgrows, gave us to look for over Spring Break, with more than 40 less-active YSAs. We found some of the cutest neighborhoods! If it wasn't weird and if I didn't have as much pride as I do, I would probably move to Flagstaff, because at least in the Spring, it is beyond beautiful! It's like living in a forrest with all the trees! I took some pictures, I will send them to you. Speaking of which, did you get all the emails I sent with pictures attached? I'll send you the card when it's more filled, but I just wanted to give you all the MTC pictures. So there are two YSA wards that Sister Harrah and I are over. We only teach people that are 18-30 and single so if we find anyone that is older, younger, married, or has children or pregnant, we give them as referrals to the Elders in our area and they are supposed to give any young, single adults to us. Our Sundays are nuts! We have 1st ward council, 1st ward sacrament metting, second ward council, 2nd ward sacrament meeting, second ward Sunday school, then second ward Relief Society. We're busy from 9-3! Then we have companionship study and then we either tract some or have a lesson or do visits or something. Every single night we get dinner fed to us from the members! We are so lucky! I spent $50 on food my first week, and at this rate, it will probably last me until the end of April! Well, some of it will go bad, but that's just how nice everyone is! Okay, I thought that YSA wards were awesome, but no, Flagstaff YSA is incredible! It is so inspiring! Their ward missionaries are amazing! They do their job so well! Sister Harrah and I don't even teach the after-baptism lessons because they have it totally covered! And we have so many people on hand ready and willing to come to our lessons with investigators! They are so awesome. I hope one day to be on an institute council or ward missionary or something so we can implement some of these amazing things that the Flagstaff YSA does. Like on Wednesdays they have correlation meetings, and every other week they all split up and go out to visit the less active members! They are so united and spiritual and I'm not surprised that every week 3 or 4 of them are getting mission calls. I don't think I would like having anyone see me. I am trying to be really focused. I don't know what I'd do if I saw anyone I knew! It would be weird, please don't let anyone find me! I am so pumped to hear where Kelly gets her call to! Oh and I just remembered something. I wonder if Dad got his laundry bag and the other package I sent to him? I don't know if you are getting any of the things I'm sending home! It's probably hard because I only read what you say once a week and I'm apparently not getting Dad's letters, but that would be something I'd like to know! Also, Carola Proctor keeps sending me Dear Elders, and I think you should talk to her about that, because it's so easy and costs nothing and you should all be doing it! Thanks for the thought, Mom. I have been worried that I'm not teaching very well. Every now and then I will get a prompting to say something, too and once I say it, I feel like our lessons start going a lot smoother. I'm still in the phase where I'm trying too hard to tell the whole history of things instead of the application and the why! But at least I know it's an issue. I just need to practice and figure out how to fix it. I always think about how I need to be talking to the person like I would with anyone talking about anything (obviously not too casual, but like they are important and the message isn't just rehearsed), but I'm having a hard time getting out of "missionary mode" and just going out to talk to people! I don't know, I guess it's hard to explain. I think I just need to relax a little more. I get too caught up in talking about the defining words and events and not enough time establishing what it means to us and to them and why we're telling them these things, why it's important and what they need to do with the information they're getting, I guess. I don't know, it's way too easy to just preach, and a bit of a challenge to teach, I think. But at least I know that it's a problem! I'll be working on that this week. Anyway, love you lots! Tell the family and Sister Gregorio hello for me :) Til' next week! -Sister Tolley

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?

From Kady's MTC Teacher

Dear Goodly Parents, It is a pleasure to write to you having been impacted so much by your valiant sons and daughters! My name is Brother Mitchel Morris. I have worked as one of your missionary's teachers for this past week and a half of their MTC stay. I can hardly believe they will be reporting to the Travel Office tomorrow at 3am to head to the airport and fly to New Mexico! I am so proud of all they have accomplished, and you should be too! Please enjoy your son or daughter's smiling face in the attached picture as they stand with their MTC District. Again, it has been a pleasure learning from them! I am confident they love the Lord and are ready to serve Him in their respective capacities. Continue to love, support, and encourage them. They need it in the days and weeks ahead. Also, enjoy the blessings that have been, are now, and will be poured out upon you as your faithful son or daughter magnifies his/her calling. May the Lord bless you for the sacrifices you are making. Thank you for raising up a righteous generation who have answered the call of the hastening of the work! Love, Brother Morris

March 8, 2013

Hello Family! My week has been so incredible! I should write to you on paper the things that I've been learning, but I don't have enough time to email everything I've learned, 27 minutes left and counting! The schedule is great, I love having everything all laid out for me, but a lot of the other missionaries hate it. I'm not as tired as everyone else either. I get really tired after I have a spiritual experience. I have spiritual experiences non stop every day! But I mean when I have a REALLY spiritual experience, like last night, seriously life changing! My Sunday was really good, relaxing, and I was glad to take the sacrament, when every day feels like Sunday I was starting to miss it! At the devotional, the Provo temple president and his wife spoke to us, then on Tuesday we had Brother Aidukaitis of the seventy and his wife speak at the Tuesday night Devotional. Yes I got my package, and thank you! I really appreciate the watch! But next time, I don't think I necessarily want any candy, I have no time to even open it to eat or share! But thank you very much! I'm getting used to working with my companion. I love her so much! But I don't like teaching with her. I feel like she doesn't even try to change or do better, I think she thinks she does a good enough job, but I don't like her teaching style at all! But it's okay, I'm learning to be more accepting of how she is. My district is a ton of fun! But the Elders don't really care about me very much, which is hard because I love them all so much! I love the other two Sisters a ton, though, and we have fun together and I know they at least love me! I'm sorry that you're being bothered by everyone! That's actually kind of funny. At least people care about you! The only ones who care about me here are the three Sisters in my disctrict, my teachers (WHO I LOVE SO SO SO SO MUCH!!!!) and God. But that's okay, because I'm just too full of love to even care if people don't love me back!! I'm so proud of you for working hard in the gym! I can't wait to get back into that with you! To be honest, I haven't been doing much exercising at all. The other day I ran a mile though! But usually I just play 4 square with my district. Speaking of Kelly, I saw Elder (Kou?) a couple of time at dinners and he took a picture with me to send to Dad, but anyway, he wants her to write him. If she doesn't know who that is, he's the one who had Chinese class with her. I've also seen Conor a lot, and I saw a couple of Sisters from High School. I saw the back of Bentley walking away from me today, but I didn't call out to him because I don't think he knows me. I saw Makyla too! Dad would like to know I think.. I haven't really asked if anyone has connections with Farmington in my district... Thank you for that message. It was hard for me to be enthusiastic early last week because I was so annoyed with my companion. But I have been trying to love and be happy and enthusiastic. So that message was perfect! I hope I have more time on the computer when I get to Farmington so I can write all of these things down. Can you tell Sister Lindsey that the things she sent me off with really inspired me? I am so grateful for the things she prepared for me. Tell Tean and Mandy congratulations for me!!! That's so awesome!!! Love you so so much! Talk to you when I get to New Mexico! Love, Sister Tolley Oh, but also, ask Sister Proctor about DearElder. She sent me one and it's like a letter, but you don't pay anything, it just comes straight to me in the same day you send it. It's pretty cool. Tell her I got her letter and I really appreciate it. I loved what she shared with me!