How are my favorite people?? It sounds like you are all doing splendid!

Thanks for sending my package. Awww baby Julian is so cute!!!!!! Thank you for the pictures. Ah all my cute girls are just growing up so fast. If you talk to them, tell them that I said congrats and that I love them ever so much 🙂

Ok so pretty much this week flew by!

Things that happened this week:

Sister T. came from St. Vincent to do tradeoffs. It was a lot of fun to have her here. I learned much.

She told me that I was the most positive person in the entire world but she was like “listen you have to tell me how you are really feeling”. Hahah ah man. I am starting to realize that I am being too positive in the fact that even when I right in my journal I hardly say what I really feel because I am trying to be happy even for myself. It’s ridiculous!! So I am starting this journal thing where I right down everything I feel. My real feelings not ones trying to talk me out of the ones that I am having. I guess times have just been hard so I have been trying to keep a float but maybe it’s a bit much.

So this Sat. we had a baptism and it was AWESOME!!!!!!! T. is such a special spirit. We were at his house for his interview and his mom told about how T. never wanted anything to do with religion or church. And even books or anything!! But said he has changed since we started meeting with him. He loves the Book of Mormon and he will come to church two hours early. She was so surprised at the way he is now 🙂 And they came to the baptism. T. was doing missionary work!! AHHHH….

I got a letter from Brother K. this week. It was amazing. He is still going strong and everything. He made me cry! It was so touching 🙂

On May 22nd I burned a pair of socks!!!! All the Elders burn a tie at their one year mark but I didn’t want to burn a skirt so I burned some holey socks!! It was awesome. I was thinking about how May 22, 2012 I graduated. May 22, 2013 I entered the MTC and now here I am hitting my year mark! WOW!!!

I am learning so very much continually everyday. Sometimes I feel a little bit weighed down. I have a lot on my plate (no pun intended) (I know I am chunkin up). But in the epic words of Bob Marley “Don’t worry about a thing, cause every little thing is gonna be alright” Seriously. I testify to that. My brain has been a little scattered (Kinda like it used to be at home;) But I just need to take it slow by slow. The Lord works line upon line.

Anyway thank you everyone for the support and love that you give me. I love you all so very much 🙂

Have the best week ever!!!

Love Always, Sister Emily

Awww… man. The Hales family. I will keep them in my prayers. I admire them so much. Send them my love. I know everything will work out 🙂

My companion is from Guyana. Her immediate family are all members. She is a strong girl. It has been hard for her to come into a placer with so many struggles but if the Lord wants someone to grow…. He sends them here! 🙂

She will be ready for her mission very much so. She’ll be leaving here in a few weeks to go back home and prepare for her real mission. She is awesome!!

She calls me her first mama. I am like her premortal life mom because she hasn’t even started yet! Hahah she has so many fun things about her. She is like one of the sassiest people in the world!!! And it is hilarious. We have a lot of fun together and all.

T. one of our investigators! He is awesome. Never misses a sunday at church. Always keeps commitments and loves the gospel. He is a little slower but a great guy! We will be baptizing him this Saturday 🙂 I am very excited.

Yesterday when Pres M. was here he was talking about the importance of asking questions. He said asking q’s is good and it helps us learn and grow!

Something I have been learning from the Book of Mormon is from Nephi. I want to be like Nephi. I desire to have his faith and diligence. Every time I restart the Book of Mormon I learn new things. I have read the Book of Mormon so many times on my mission now. 🙂 I love it. I know whoever reads the Book of Mormon will learn more about the Savior and be a better person.

Anyway this week has been a good week and I am grateful for my Heavenly Father and the strength he gives to me in my life.

Anyway I love you all very much. I am looking forward to getting my last package 🙂 Thanks for everything  🙂 LOVE YOU ALL MY AWESOME ETERNAL FAMILY!!!!!

With so much love, Sister Emily 🙂

MAHM!!! I am so proud of you for not crying!!! I am so proud of me for not crying!!! We did so good. Yeah it was really what I needed to see all of you and to hear from you. It has been wild here……. Don’t worry I will give you the details when I get home…..

You all are looking like real mighty fine. Are you all on an exercise plan because you have all slimmed out and are looking like super models. Seriously. Ya tryna make me look bad when I get home??? 😉 Haha just kidding.

I am glad you had a great sacrament meeting! I miss those kind of Mothers Days!!!

Ah that is so sweet of you to think I am an old soul. I honestly wouldn’t be anything without the things you and Dad have taught me or the support you gave me.

You raised me just right. I wouldn’t change a thing.

Thanks for all that you have taught me and for the potential you always saw in me. I know I have had struggles in my life and sometimes maybe I was not the best. But I am eternally grateful. THANK YOU.

Again Mommy. Happy Mothers Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks so much for being my mom and for ALWAYS being there for me. You helped me so much because I knew that I could tell you anything. You really and truly are my best friend. You have always been such a great example to me in my life and I admire you with all that I am. THANKS SO MUCH!!!

Tell Brother L. I say hello 🙂 What a sweet man.

Ok so this week it has been my pleasure to meet Sister K. She is an angel. I have never met anyone like her!!!! She has this cute little tude and such a strong testimony. I am glad she is from the WIM and is able to help with any struggles that come our way 🙂

This week we had a man from the mission presidency come into our area. He is a great man! He gave us a pep talk and everything. We are setting a goal to each go and find 3 priesthood holders. There will be miracles here I just know it!!!!!!

There are many times this week when I honestly felt a little worried or down for second and then I felt Heavenly Fathers love and support there for me. My relationship with Heavenly Father is the most important thing to me in my life. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. He does so much, especially showering me with tender mercies.

I pretty much told you everything else yesterday!!

The Branch is going to start going better now.

We found out that a lot of the rumors were true……. Ummm… Yeah! But never the less everything will start to fall into place from here on out.

We are going to start going around helping to strengthen the members and now we can really focus on our purpose without worrying about other things.

Tank you so much for putting our area in the temple.

This Sunday went really well. It was testimony meeting and you could see how all these trials have been effecting the people but they are so strong it blows me away.

Also somethings that were hysterical:

Before I begin I must explain that testimony meetings here are a wonderful, funny, awesome mystery box of surprises.

I love the people here so much. I don’t think I could handle the things that they go through… And sometimes I am not even sure I can handle the things I am going through!! Haha the Lord provides much strength for me.

Sister K. is really nervous to leave and she has a lot to handle before she leaves. I have been praying endlessly for her. She is such a tough girl and I have learned a lot from her. Last night she was feeling really sad and was crying… I have never seen her cry!! I knew it was bad and so I trusted the Lord as her (mission) mom to help her in any way I could. I made her sit on my lap and we talked and cried for a long time. I think I was able to help her out 🙂 She sounds just like me when I first started, she’s really hard on herself and wants to be perfect and be better fast! I keep saying “all in good time”. I am so grateful for the things I have learned here on my mission.

This week I got my transfer call again 🙂 Sister K. is headed off to Suriname in two days and I am basically training again!!! I am getting a TEMPORARY missionary from Guyana! Her name is Sister K. She seems to be wonderful. It’ll be a good learning experience for her as she prepares for her real mission. And coming here will help her to know how to strengthen the small branch that she goes to! Awwww Heavenly Father is in the details of our lives, I know that for true.

This transfer coming I know will be a very wonderful learning experience. As they all are.

To answer your q’s:

How many branch members?-We have around 40-50 attend most weeks.

Where do you attend?-The church building is a normal building. It is on the upstairs floor. Our chapel is very small. It is more like a big room rather than a chapel but it is nice. I love it there.

What is the town like?-The town here is very small. Very farmish and low key. The area is mostly flat and some big hills sometimes.

Weather?-IT IS SO HOT!!!!!!!!!!! Sweating all day ery day. It’s nice.

Companion?-My comp is doing great! She is a doll. So strong and jumped right into the work. Good thing too because she is starting to train half way through her training.

How are you sleeping? How are your clothes?-I’ve been sleeping great and my clothes are doing pretty good. Pretty beat up. I could def use some socks! I will tell you all about everything when we skype. I am so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂

Tell Meg and Jasers that I am excited for them. And tell baby Julian that he needs to come quick because I want to meet him!!

Um sorry I am running out of time, but Kels I will try and figure out when I am coming home exactly. I don’t know how but I will try!!

I love you all so very very much and am so grateful for you 🙂

Have a wonderful week and I will talk to you in less than a week! See you soon. For true though.

Love always, Sister Emily 🙂

Hello to my most wonderful family 🙂

How are you all?? It sounds like you are all very busy and enjoying the rainy yucky weather.. Speaking of which… I uh got sunburned today in the sunshine! I wish I could send some of this sun to you in a mason jar or something.

Ok all these babies!!!!!!!!!!! MAN!!!!!! I wish I could there for the babies. That is one thing that gets me.. I am kinda hungry… Yeah for babies!!!!!!!!

What are some things that you want me to tell you about when we Skype?? I want to have an outline for our sype sesh….

Well…. This week was ummmmm….. Great? Hahaha this week was a big challenge. Lets just say I learned a lot and was tested quite a lot.

I was actually sick all this week with a head cold or something. It was pretty bad. Also all of the people we are teaching that were progressing are kinda falling through. And our Branch is having some struggles. There is some gossip going around and our BP resigned basically.. WELP! The lord will provide a way. That has been the motto of my life for the past little while and will continue to be for my whole life.

Anyway we found out that Sister K. is leaving at the end of this transfer for true. And so we are trying to cram in 7 weeks of training in one week!!!! WOW!!!

This week we taught somone while they were in the shower….. And also someone hit a possum and were hanging on to it by the tail and hanging it out the window of their car…. Hahaha only in this place. 🙂

Something wonderful: The highlight of my week was yesterday. In the morning we went early and were helping our inv. to get on buses and stuff and T. refused to go to church and his g-ma said if he went to church he’d be kicked out of the house… Pretty much Satan is working real hard. But it was a rough morning and I was sick and the Branch was having a hard sunday. Anyway needless to say I was feeling a little heavy in my heart. But I was trying to look for the good in what was happening. Anyway I asked my District Leader to give me a blessing and the moment the elders put their hands on my head I was flooded with peace and it was such a special blessing. I am actually feeling loads better now. I have such a great testimony of the priesthood. I am so grateful to be surrounded by righeous males holding it.

Anyway this week I read an article called the 40 day fast and it was amazing. It reminded me about what I have been taught about aligning our wills with Gods and changing ourselves for the better. I know I have come a long way from who I used to be and I know I have much further to go. But I am grateful for the experiences and blessings I have had all throughout my life. Thanks everyone for your love and support I can feel it. Somedays it is hard to keep going but there are so many great things in life.

I love the gospel and I am commited to always keep learning and moving forward.

Sorry this compute is being silly so I won’t be able to write each individual but just know that I love you all so much and I hope you have a great week 🙂

Love always, Sister Emily

Ok so pretty much I have five words to say.

CRAZIEST WEEK OF MY LIFE!

Alright I will stop being dramatic now… But this week was wild!

I’ll tell you about it in a minute. So first of all, yes Sister G. told me Happy Birthday from you. Thanks! MOM! Forgive yourself right meow. It’s fine. I had a great birthday!!!!!!

I am glad you liked the pictures Sister B. had. Sorry I have not been sending pictures like I used to. Next week I will send some for sure 🙂 Well hopefully. I am also glad the temple went really great! I miss that wonderful place so bad.

 Zone Conference was SO good! I love all of the missionaries they are like my besties. And I felt the spirit so strong and it always gives me the boost I need. It was magnif.

Today for P-day we went to the beach with the Zone and played football and volleyball. And then got smoothies and it was really fun.

There are so many neat things about this place. There is animals all of the place. We will be cruising down the road and then all of the sudden there’ll just be like a big morbidly obese (only not really because the animals here are starving) cow in the middle of the road. It is fun! Kinda!

There are too many fun things!

The companionship is great! I love Sister K. Haha she is an energetic, loving, hard working and very out there sorta person. I really enjoy her. She is checking all really quick and I am sure learning a lot. It’s funny how that works. Anyway all is well. Still trying to do my best. I am learning a little Dutch! I understand what she says and all but I am still working on speaking it… Maybe one day.

I have just been loving random scriptures all over the place but the chapter that comes to mind is Mosiah 4. This encompasses a lot of different qualities I am working on. It is always a nice thing to be more humble and loving and to recognize God in our lives.

So this week the Elders got one of the bikes stolen.. It is actually a funny story… One of their investigators brothers who is like 10 took the bike and then a random Rasta man came over and pushed the little boy off the bike and rode off with it… Hahahaha anyway… i tell you.

We had this big Celebration on Friday which is celebrating 25 years of the church here. It went really well. It was so fun 🙂 Singing, poetry and food and stuff. NICE.

Ok side note: We are at the church right now and I am sweating my guts out because there is no fans or AC in the computer room.

Ummm… My birthday was really nice. The Elders had a baptism on that day and me and Z. (the one getting baptized) joked that it was both of our birthdays because she was being born again.

Holy cats if only I could tell you all the crazyness that is happening.

Anyway that was basically our week. We are still working with a couple of people towards baptism. And struggling to get people to church.

It was a great week for true.

Funny thing this week: D our awesome inv. was praying and said he was grateful for the “book of mermaid” Hahahaha never heard that one before. I have heard Book of Normon, Book of the mormons and so on but that one was new 🙂

Alright well I love you my wonderful mother. Thanks for all you do. You are so great.

Have you watched “because of him” Mormon Message????? SO good. It makes me cry. I am so grateful for our Savior just like you said. He means everything to me. I love you ever so much! Stay excellent.

Oh what are some things you want to hear about when we skype?? so I can get prepared!

Have a great week! Thanks for all the love and support from everyone. I love you all with all of my little sister Emily heart!

Love always, Sister Emily

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

How’s it?? Well dang. It sounds like you are all having a great time. SAY HI TO BABY JULIAN FOR ME 🙂

Sounds like all went well!!!! I loved the pictures. Speaking of which sorry I have not sent any in a while it is a little more difficult here in this area.

Tell Krissy hello for me and that I love her a ton. Tell Bryce I send my “support”….. Ok yeah I may or may not be a little awk.

QUESTION ANSWERS:

1. Yes I will skype you on Mothers Day and yes I will figure out the details.

2. I email at a little internet cafe!!

4. The branch is doing good 🙂 Still moving forward slowly but surely. It’s definitely a work in progress.

So pretty much this week has been CRAZY! I know I pretty much say that every week but it always stands true.

This past week we met D.. I think I told you about him. Anyway he is so humble and loving and so open to the gospel and wants to change his life.

Spiritual Experience: We were in a lesson with him and we were teaching him about the Book of Mormon and answering his questions and we had a set a goal to invite him to be baptized on a certain day. The spirit was so strong and he looked up at us during a pause and he said I have one more question…. when can I be baptized?? He wanted to this week@!!!! But we told him there are some things he needs to learn first and after he comes to church. So we will keep working with him 🙂 WHAT A BLESSING FROM HEAVEN!!! You don’t find someone like that everyday!

I decided I need an increase of Faith in setting goals and such! Sister K. has helped me with that… Sometimes I am just thinking man that is kinda silly but then I realized she has much faith and has not been hardened by experiences. So I should take what she says and go with it 🙂 Awwww…. She is a doll. Gotta love them greenies 🙂

Oh man we actually had some struggles this week. One of the less active’s basically told us off and was telling us she didn’t have a testimony anymore and wouldn’t listen to anything we said.

On sunday the 2 people we are preparing for baptism didn’t come to church and D. wanted to come but he didn’t have any money for a bus!!! Awwww it’s so sad.

But all is well 🙂 I am loving it here. There are struggles but most of the time they are lessons that need to be learned. And the people here are such beauts (beauties) Oh man…. Hahah I love them bad.

Ok that is pretty much all for this week. I super love you all and again I am so grateful for all the love and support!

I know that this is the true gospel of Jesus Christ with all my heart and I am so blessed to be a part of the Lords work.

P.S. Today we watched the Best 2 years and I cried half of the movie!!! Hahahaha who knew right?? I am such a softie! That show is so much better and also funnier now that I am a missionary.

Keep me posted on the baby and on everything that is going on 🙂 LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Take it easy.

Love, Seesta Emily

How are you my dears?? All is well here in St. L.!

It sounds like you all are having crazy awesome things happening and also like you all enjoyed Conference.

I am excited to see the baby and hear how everything goes.

So this week was yet another crazy week. We are having at least 4 hours of study everyday with training and language and all.

Sister K. is doing really well. Just jumps right into missionary work. She reminds me of a peculiar mixture of Aunt Tiffany, Sarah H., Rachael C., Kiera Knightly and Mulan. Go figure that one out!! She is a lot of fun. Such a doll. I love her a lot.

We are working hard and finding lot of “ripe fruits”. Hahaha I try and make it fun for her and we always pick a fruit for the day and we’ll watch for “ripe bananas or mangos” Or whatever fruit we feel like. (looking for people who are ready for the gospel) 🙂

2 Funny things that happened this week:

Us: “Good afternoon!” Little boy: “Hey babes!” Sister K.: “He’s like FIVE!!!”

Hahaha she’s still getting used to getting hit on All day ery day……

We also met this really nice and prepared man who has met the missionaries before, we walked away “Wow that was one righteous mango.” We have fun with the work… In fact most the time I like to think of it not as work at all!! “Missionary work”… psh… more like missionary service, missionary fun, or something like that 😉

Oh this week our bathroom got flooded, there is a leak and our water went out a few times! Adventures I tell you. Also we caught a giant Cockroach!!! There are too many awesome things happening.

Oh man General Conference was exactly what I needed. All of the questions I went in with were answered 🙂

In fact when cool story: The other day I was just thinking of how great the Lord is and how much he helps us! And I came across the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 84:88 talking about how his angels are all around us bearing us up and that he’ll be right near us. And then someone mentioned that in their talk and it really was a tender mercy from the Lord.

I am not sure if I could pick only one talk that was my favorite but I noticed they talked about Love and Charity a ton. And also about how whatever struggle we have can be fixed by a positive attitude and the gospel 🙂 SO TRUE!!!!

I liked so many things though I can’t narrow it down. I took like 2 pages of notes on each talk 🙂 Ahhhhhh… It’s the best.

Ok so remember how I said before my mission that I wouldn’t get fat?? Well……… uh….. jokes on me!!!! I’m getting a little fluffy.

Um so pretty much there is quite a bit of drama that is going around the branch… But I really love the branch they are so wonderful!!!!

There are still some challenges but they can be fixed with love and patience 🙂

I almost missed Conference because of technical difficulties…

We are still working with L. trying to help her feel supported and loved and help her prepare to be baptized she is so great. LOVE HER BAD.

And also T. is the best. We are helping him. He wants to start teaching us and he shares the gospel with his friends!!!

Anyway Life is so lovely.

Life is great over here. Thank you everyone for your love and support.

God be with you till we meet again.

Love forever and always, Sister Emily

How are you my favorite people??

YES I did get my package. THANK YOU! I loved it ever so much.

Ok so my new companion is……………………….………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. AWESOME! Her name is Zuster K. She’ll probs only be here for 6 weeks. So basically I have six weeks to train her to be the 1st Dutch sister in Suriname!! Talk about pressure 😉 Just kidding I am doing just fine. Sister K. is a doll. She is so outgoing, energetic, fun, hard working and a little spaztic I might add 🙂 She is absolutely adorable though. She reminds me a lot of me when I first came out. I am so grateful and know it was meant to be that I am training her. I really feel like because we are pretty similar I can help her most effectively. She is So full energy just like bounces off the walls. So I was thinking how I used to be that way until I learned to funnel my energy into more productive things like being mature, sharing the gospel and getting important things done. I still have a long way to go. But I have seen this change in me and hope to continue that change.

ANYWAY it’ll be an awesome six weeks for sure!! 🙂

So we had Zone Conference. It was the best ever. I loved it. I got to learn so much. We learned about using time effectively and planning and I know that is something we all needed.  President M. and Sister M. shared experiences from when they were younger and mistakes they made and stuff and it was wonderful to hear. I am so grateful for the Atonement because I know that I am very far from perfect. But I will keep setting goals and striving every day to be better…

Sister M. went out teaching with us and we had a great lesson on the BOM (Book of Mormon) with T. (one of our progressing inv.) It was such a great lesson.

I love all the people in this mission they are angels.

It was SO fun seeing all of the missionaries. Seriously these people are like my best friends. We are all one big family 🙂

Oh goodness it sounds like everything at home is going well. Lots of things are going on!!! Wow thanks for the update.

This week I have been thinking so much about the Savior. The way He was and the things He did. I love the example He sets for all of us. I am really learning more and more to forget myself. That’s when we are most happy. I always seem to look back and think woah look how much I have changed and learned! I love it!!

I am so glad that I decided to serve a mission. I love missionary work, and boy is it work!! It has been such a challenge. But the most wonderful thing ever.

We have a lack of Priesthood holders in the branch and it really reminds me to appreciate the priesthood and so we are doing our best to find more and strengthen the ones we have.

There is so much going on. It’s so busy over here in St. L.!! I am just loving life.

Thanks for everyone’s support and love.

I love you all so very much! Don’t forget to read the scriptures, pray daily and go to church that’s where growth comes and happiness! The church is so true. And we are so blessed to have it in our lives so lets go share!!

Love always, Sister Emily

You’re in St. Georgey??? LUCKY!!!

Alright so down to business…. We got our transfer calls on Saturday and Sister S. is leaving the area and I am training again!! We are a little sad that we are being split up because we are basically soul sisters and are like peas and carrots. But the Lord knows what’s best.

So Seester S. is moving to go with Sister G. one of my other favorite people ever 🙂 I am excited.

So I will be training a Sister named Sister K. (All the dets I know): She has brown hair. She is from Washington. She is learning to speak Dutch!!! I am training her to send her off to be the 1st sister in Suriname!! Pretty cool! Holy cats. The pressure’s on 🙂

We had a really great week. It was very busy as usual and kinda crazy. Sister T. who is the Sister Training Leader and serves on St. V. came this week and went out teaching with us and it was really fun. She said we are hard working, fun, obedient, good teaching Sisters.

She said she thinks I will be called as a STL soon but we’ll see. That’d be fun but for sure a Pressure filled teaching and learning experience. We shall see what happens though.

This week we have been practicing teaching skills and memorizing of course for Zone Conference. Which will be this Saturday coming. Sister Mehr wants to come out teaching with us. THAT’LL BE AWESOME!!

I have been thinking a lot about the spirit this week. How it has worked with me in my life and how I have seen in the lives of all these beautiful souls 🙂

Sometimes people in the carib like to be loud and yell and do silly things and so it has been a nice challenge to try and help them realize how the spirit works.

Man I am really so grateful for the challenges and also the great things I have and will learn on my mission. It’s the best. It’s amazing to think of things that used to matter to me just don’t really matter anymore.

I was also thinking about LaRee my favorite! How is she??

We met this man this week from England… We always say his name in a English accent it is so funny. He had this house that was like an outdoor house! It was cool… We are still meeting quite a few people. We are trying to decided who is really to progress and who is just limin in our teaching pool. But we shall find them. Holla!!!!!!

I am excited to get the package you sent!! It’ll be nice. I am going to get a bag soon. Mines is gettin mashed up boy.

Scripture of the week: Alma 7:23 this is the key to life. 🙂 We should all try and be the things that are in this verse.

Funny story of the week: We were in a lesson with T. one of the people we are teaching and here is the start of the lesson…. Me: “Alright T. we are going to teach you about one of the Lords commandments. It’s called the Law of Chastity, which prohibits any sexual relations outsides the bonds of marriage….” T.: *giggles* Us: T. what’s so funny? T.: I just was not expecting that to come out of your mouth… Hahahaha. Then at one point in the lesson Sister S. said (we’ve been working on boldness, and it’s working) T. do you want to please God or please your girlfriend? Whaaa?? Hahah

Um pretty much funny things happen all day everyday so I can’t say them all..

Anyway it sounds like you’ve been having fun with all the extended family and everything.

I love you all dearly and hope you have a wonnerful, spiritual, awesome, great week. REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE and what you stand for.

Love forever and always Seesta Emily