Email update, September 9, 2013

Okay so about my week! On Tuesday we went on exchanges with the sister trainer leaders. They're kind of like zone leaders but specifically for sisters, and there's a set out west and one in metro. So I was with Hermana Encarnacion. She's from Spain and she's AWESOME!!! We spent the whole day tracting because we have like, 3 investigators hahahahaha. BUT we found a lot of potentials and we just had a lot of fun. Oh and... she taught me Spanish. And apparently the promise in my patriarchal blessing is true... I have "the ability to learn languages".... because she taught me Spanish and she said I did so well, picked it up so fast and had such a minimal accent that she would recommend to President Murdock that I have the potential to become a Hermana. Well, this weekend President and Sister Murdock came out to GJ to take a tour, etc. Sister Jensen needed to talk to Sister Murdock about some health things, and so when we met up with them, President Murdock turned to me and was like "Sister Noakes, I hear you want to become a Hermana." HAHAHAHA. So yeah. I might be a Hermana. They want to open new areas but all of them are Spanish areas, and they don't have enough Spanish missionaries. Oh dear! Anyways, Sister Murdock said that you called her! hahaha. And she said that you found her on facebook too. She says you sound very sweet and like a good missionary mom :) ALSO when the mission office called me to tell me you had called about that package, I about had a heart attack. I thought Grandma had died or something. So yeah. Hahaha. BUT I GOT THE PACKAGES. Boots, coat, Hawaii picture book, all that fun stuff.  (Mom disclaimer: I *thought* the number I had was for the mission office, but no. It was for Sister Murdock. But she gave me the mission office number so now I won't make that mistake again! And Sister Murdock sounds very nice and just the sort of mission mom you'd want for your daughter!)

 

I'm trying to think if anything else happened this week. well, when we were with Sister Murdock, she told me that Hermana Encarnacion spoke very highly of me and that she is impressed with how I've been doing. So that was nice to hear :) Um right now I can't think of much else, BUT i'm going to send you some pictures. I LOVE YOU!!!!!! Hey this Wednesday will actually be 17 months until reunification. YAY!!! Love you bunches and bunches!! Oh also. If you got pics from the mission office of me and Pres./Sister Murdock and then my whole transfer, I got them too, so don't worry about sending those. If you don't have them... you'll get them one day hahaha.

 

Okay so first picture is Sis. Duprey, me, Sis. Turner, Sis. Gregerson, and Sis. Beck, at the MTC pointing to Denver (well, that was the goal haha) Second is my whole MTC district. hahahaha. Back row is Brother Evans (teacher), then Elder Oldham (Emily's boyfriend's cousin (small world)), Elder Campbell, Elder Austin, Elder Rosequist and Elder Matson. Next row is Sis. Beck, Sis. Gregerson, me, Sis. Turner, and Elder Welck, with Sister Duprey in the front. None of the smiling ones had everyone's face in it, so you get a weird one. Hahaha. also what was the name of that CO mission moms thing? Sister Jensen wants to tell her mom about it. Oh and in answer to your "what should I do?" question - keep up what you're doing!!!! I love getting little letters during the week and having an email or two as well :) LOVE YOU!!!!

 

 

First is me and Sister Warner in the DENVER AIRPORT!!!! (Sister Warner is a missionary that Sister Noakes "met" on Facebook originally and saw a few times in the MTC as well.)

2nd is a nice picture of my MTC district sisters :)

 

3rd is a goofy one :)

 

 

 

 

WARNING: SNAKE PICTURE AHEAD!!!!! We found one outside a member's house. (It's file #1483, hahaha. I'm trying to NOT SCARE YOU)

 

 

Me and Sister Jensen! And I'm wearing makeup?? Yep! hahaha. (Confession: I've never been a makeup wearer, so I utterly failed to teach Sarah how to wear it. So her mission companion has done it for me. ;D -- And she looks fabulous, doesn't she?!)

 

 

And then a deer! I thought dad would appreciate that one. It was outside a member's house when we left from dinner.

 

 

Me and Sister Jensen again~

 

 

And look, I hung up all the stuff you sent me :) (I send her random things I find on the internet, LDS quotes, scriptures, things that I think she'll like or be inspired by. And a few pictures to round things out.)

Also, no idea if we have a mission scripture. Hahaha. We have a bunch of stuff we have to recite every day! Those are our purpose (in PMG), D&C 4, D&C 20:37, the Standard of Truth (a quote from Joseph Smith) and Work Ethic, a quote from... Kimball I think. It starts with "One of the greatest secrets of missionary work is work!" Etc. Oh, also, homesickness update: I'm doing way better!! I still miss you guys, obviously, but I feel a whole lot better about everything. I pray for you guys every night!!! I love you bunches and bunches, forever :) LOVE YOU!!!

(That quote is actually from Ezra Taft Benson, "I have often said that one of the greatest secrets of missionary work is work! If a missionary works, he will get the Spirit; if he gets the Spirit, he will teach by the Spirit; and if he teaches by the Spirit, he will touch the hearts of the people and he will be happy. Work, work, work—there is no satisfactory substitute, especially in missionary work." September 1990 Ensign)

SPIRITUAL MESSAGE TIME! John 16:33 :) the singles ward sisters gave us brownies with that scripture on it, and I LOVE IT! "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. in the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." IT'S SO TRUE! And I just love that scripture. Christ overcame it all, so we can too! Heavenly Father is never going to give us a trial we can't handle. I love knowing that.

Oh we've been getting a TON of rain here again. It just started yesterday and it's been dumping buckets on us. I am enjoying it because it's cooled off and i don't feel like I'm turned into a pile of sweat the second I step outside. hahaha.

SORRY ABOUT THE SNAKE. but I thought it was cool and that maybe dad/Spencer would like it. Oh and I got dad's story and cried and yeah. I'll write him about it. you should pester Spencer to email me back!! Short is good. maybe through some espanol in there. Also sister Jensen is a fake redhead ;)

LOVE YOU!!!!

hey have you seen the church's new "intro to mormons" video series? I've been watching them while i'm waiting for emails/for sister Jensen to finish up. they're cool! i found them on lds.org.
LOVE YOU LOTS!

have to get off now! talk to you next week!

LOVE YOU LOTS!!! SEE YOU SOON!

Sister Noakes :)

 

Also, I've sent her a few pictures of our new kitten, Angus. Our older cat, Apollo, isn't sure what to think of the new little guy, but so far they're tolerating each other. Sarah's disappointed she's not seeing the kitten stage, but I'm trying to document it for her with pictures like this one, of a totally exhausted Angus sleeping in a very awkward position on my knees.