Nashville! March 15, 2010

It's been like a week and a half since last p-day so alot has happened! Yes, it has been rainy all week, and I can't wait for everything to turn green! it is so pretty out here. So we arrived in tennessee at about 2 in the afternoon, Pres Hutchings was there to greet us and took us to the mission home. My first impression of tenessee was how huge people's yards were, how many trees there are, and how pretty the houses look. of course that was in brentwood, where the nicer houses are. There are no fences and the houses are like a hundred feetaway from the road. Plus the rolling hills make it way pretty! I think it is my new dream place to live! So we stayed over at the mission home over night and had testimony meeting and slideshow of the mission. Pres Hutchings is really cool! He is a real down to earth guy and super motivating! Then tuesday we drove to the church and did transfers. I got set up with Sister Winder who is from Blanding and we are in the Burgess Falls ward in Cookeville. Everyone says Burgess Falls is the best place because the ward is awesome, they even have a meal coordinator for the missionaries, and there are 8 missionaries here in the burgess falls ward! We are well taken care of! Sister Winder is a really great trainer, although she got sick on the 2nd day out here so we ended up stuck in the apartment for a day.


So, we've been teaching a couple people, two in particular who have been taught for a couple months now. I'll start with Kewandra who is 12 years old, lives with her grandpa who is inactive, and the reast of her family is anti-mormon. She loves church and loves the missionaries but she is scared to get baptized, probably because of her family. But she is praying about being baptized on March 27! She is a really sweet girl, and has some anxiety issues, but she is really cute.

Then there is Jana. She's crazy. Haha! She is an african american pennecostle, and LOVES to sing songs about Jesus. She also likes to quote scriptures in the bible. 1/2 of the time I have no idea what she is talking about. BUT she loves the Mormons, loves the missionaries, and says she has felt more love in our church than any others she has been to. So her first sunday she came, it was fast and testimony meeting, apparently she got up and sang her testimony from the top of her lungs.(I wasn't there though!) Haha, and then yesterday she came and the ward pianist asked if she would like to play the prelude music before sacrament meeting. Little did she know Jana.. so, once again she sang at the top of her lungs. The pianist just kind of sat there and didn't know what to do. One of the problems Jana has with our church is that we are boring, she thinks we need to liven up our songs. So we were told we needed to teach her about reverence. She is a sweet lady, but has strong personality and can be stubborn. She has a little too much faith, and thinks that Christ will take her cigarrettes from her when it is the right time. Its been frustrating trying to teach her about works! We talked to her last night and she feels like we are asking too much of her to change everything in her life, and so she feels discouraged. Which is hard, so we finally told her we'd go at her pace, and she broke down and cried because she says she doesn't feel good enough. It was a rough night last night! She really is a wonderful lady though, we love her to death!!! She has the cutest little grandchild who is only one years old, and I wanted to hold her so bad! So at this point we turned her over to the ward missionaries because we felt like she needs support and fellowship from the ward to help her. She loves church though, so she'll make it. It will just take longer than we were hoping for, which is okay. We don't want her to get baptized if she isn't ready.

Those are the two main people as of right now. We are going to work on getting more this week. I've only been tracting twice out here, and I actually kind of like it. Although it is a little awkward. Most people are real nice about it though.

Anyway, the mission is good! I've already learned how it feels to be discouraged, so we're hoping this week will be better! We have a car full-time which is kind of nice since it is cold and rainy but I want to get out on the bike. I haven't even finished putting it together, haha!

We get to go to the temple next week and I am SO excited! We get to go to the temple 4 times a year which is awesome! I wasn't expecting to go at all.

Here's an interesting thing Sister Winder told me. I probably would have ended up in Nashville anyway because I guess they are taking the Sisters out of Knoxville because of the crime rate over there. I guess there is a purpose for everything!

Well I should probably go.

I love you all so much!

One request, and this is for everyone! Send me more letters! Sister Winder gets a couple everyday and I haven't gotten one all week! Now I know how Cody felt! Make sure you write letters to missionaries! :) I'm just sayin.

Love always,

Sister Turner



Here is Crystal's address:


Sister Crystal Turner
Tennessee Nashvilee Mission
105 Westpark Dr Ste 190
Brentwood, TN 37027