April 26, 2010

This last week has been really interesting. My new companion is really cool! She is really funny and outgoing which is good! Because I still don't know the area all that well, we are both learning it together which is actually kind of nice because we are getting to know more of the ward members rather than the same ones over and over again.


Jana got baptized! It was a really neat baptism. She felt the spirit so strong and couldn't stop crying. She sang one of her songs called "My soul is anchored in the Lord" and it actually turned out really nicely! She also sang to our mission president yesterday at church, haha. We are really glad she finally made it! She has plans to plan my wedding.. hahaha, oh dear!

Wanda gave us a letter yesterday before church... explaining that she doesn't feel ready to be baptized. She has a strong testimony and continues to read her BoM but she says she doesn't feel like she can do all that is asked to be an active member of the church. So that was a crappy start to sunday! But the Bishop says he is going to try to talk to her and explain they want to help her and ease her burdens rather than add to them. So hopefully it will all work out still.

There was some kinda crazy weather on saturday, and we were on a tornado watch but it was mostly in other areas. Cookeville is farther east where there are more hills and stuff so they don't get as many tornados here. The clouds were moving super fast though and it was exciting! I am actually looking forward to the summer thunderstorms here! We had a day of service on saturday and I gave blood to the red cross for the first time! I was a bit nervous but I did it! I was fine right up until the end when everytime I squeezed the ball I felt weaker and it hurt cuz I could feel the needle in my arm.. that was the closest I got to passing out but I made it. I don't really want to do it again though.

President Hutchings told our ward that they were about ready to open missions in China! That is exciting! Has Tyson heard anything yet about his mission call? Thank you for all of your letters you send during the week. It is really nice to get mail! I tell myself every P-day that I am going to write letters to you all, but the day seems to go by way too fast. Last week we went to Burgess Falls and it was beautiful! I have a couple pictures on here of them. It is so green, it is awesome! So anyway, if it takes me awhile to respond back individually just know I am thinking about you all everyday! I am glad Matt gets to fly to germany finally! Thats exciting! There was an elder at transfer meeting who looked just like him i swear, and for a second I wondered if they had him come out here temporarily or something. Wasn't him though, haha!

Oh, one crazy story that happened.. One of the elder's investigators called the other day to say thank you for commenting on his hair. He had cut his hair for his baptism. It used to be really long and so I just mentioned that it looked good all clean cut. Well he said I was the only one who recognized him, and he really appreciated it. Well thats fine, but he also wanted me to call him after my mission. So I told him I already had someone, and then he told me he loved me... That was a little awkward. I talked to the elders about it and they said they didn't know he was going to pull that card, so they said they'd talk to him about it all. He is real nice, but it was a bit awkward!

I am doing well though! Tired, stressed, a bit forgetful, but happy and glad to be here on a mission! my companion said she thought I had been out for atleast a couple more months than I have been because she thinks I am doing so well. I guess thats good!

Well I need to write my weekly report to President Hutchings, so I better go! I love you all! Thank you for all you do!

Love Sister Turner