First Week - March 11, 2013

I have been anxious all week to get to write you.  It was so nice to receive your letter and then an email today.  The first week has been hard.  A mission is nothing like I had expected it to be.  I guess I had expected more of a go go go schedule, teaching a lot, and all that.  But we don't really have investigators.  A few potenials, but that is about it.  We visit a lot of less actives out here, because there are a lot.  The church here isn't even a ward because it is so small.  It is called a branch.  But it is in town, so not a far drive.  Sunday was a little strange. Sacrament felt empty. In sunday school there was seven of us, including the speaker and the missionaries, and relief society had maybe, nine people.  It is so small, everyone has like three or more callings in the church.  I guess I expected the work to be going and I would just jump in with it.  I think the hardest thing is just knowing what to do and where to go.  Sometimes after appointments fall through we don't know what to do.  We've done some tracting and we did get into one house that we hope to be a potenial, but besides that, no luck really. 

I Made It!

At the mission home with President and Sister Anderson

My new companion - Sister Jones

When I first arrived in Minnesota with the sisters on the transfer train

 

I made it to South Dakota.  Landed yesterday and stayed the night at the mission home.  I just got to Pipestone, Minnesota a few hours ago.  I already ate dinner at a members home and shared a short message.  We have a few more places to go tonight.  My companion is Sister Jones.  She is from Highland Utah and has only been out here for five weeks.  So we are both pretty new.  She seems very outgoing and confident, which is great.  I think we will get along well.  Its been a long day in the car and now doing  things that are completely new and out of my comfort zone, but i'm excited.  

MTC pics

Sister Dallon - my MTC companion

My District

First email

Family!!

I have so much to say! What a long week haha.  I love it here, but it is not easy.  I made it to Monday though.  Sunday was good.  I've never had church at 7:30 before in my entire life.  You thought 9 church was bad...you thought wrong.  We had a wonderful devotional that really gave me a boost.  Stephen B. Allen spoke and talked about the ups and downs of the missionary.  He was funny and serious.  He showed us how everyone was struggling with the same things.  It was a great ending to the day. 

MTC Drop-off

            

Family pose - inside joke!

We left spaces for Sam and Katie, Garrett and Brooke and Jill 

who couldn't come to the MTC, but said 

 their "good-byes" earlier!

 Amy is "pumped" for me!