The awkward life of a missionary

HEY FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

     Thank you soooooo much for your emails - I loved hearing from you guys!! This week has been pretty good.  It's been hard and busy but great! Doug Duchesne got baptized on Saturdayand I feel like I have known him and Debi for months already.  We got to teach him about half of the lessons (the sisters before us taught the first half) and we have a really great relationship with him and Debi.  I will talk about that more in a little bit! But first of all I am SO BUMMED!!!!!!!!!! Okay so we were going to be going to the temple this coming Friday since we are able to go once a transfer but guess what.... WE AREN'T EVEN ALLOWED TO GO ANYMORE ON OUR MISSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We just found out last night and I am soo bummed!! It's not a rule from our mission president but it came from Salt Lake.  So basically I can't go to the temple for like a year now. :(

    

     Tuesday morning we went tracting and didn't have much luck at all and then we visited a couple less active members in the ward.  One of them has been working on coming back and said she would be there but the other one has COPD and is kinda embarrassed/says she doesn't have the energy to come but that she misses church.  It's really too bad because it's exactly what she needs is to come but she just wont! I bore my testimony to her and told her the Lord would give her the energy to come and she changed the subject right away haha oh well! We will keep trying!  After that, we tried visiting some potential investigators and we met this lady Carolyn who is so awesome! She grew up with Mormon friends and has read the Book of Mormon and knows it's true and loves Alma but was baptized into the RLDS... I don't think she understood there was a difference haha but she invited us to come back which was fabulous!!! 

That night we had dinner with Doug and Debi.  They are one of those families that literally have nothing.  Like earlier this week they had to pawn a gun so that they could pay a bill so it's like a sacrifice for them to feed us! But so anyway, Debi made a TON of spaghetti for the 4 of us and then evenly distributed the large amount of spaghetti on our plates and we felt bad not eating it all so we just ate it all and were STUFFED!!!! And THEN she had made a cheesecake... not from one box but 2 boxes and then gave us giant pieces and then gave us more and basically I don't remember the last time I ate SO MUCH!!! 

     Wednesday we got to do service at a senior center and I LOVE IT!!!!!! Oh my gosh it is so fun.  It's just a place where older people come for activities and lunch but they don't live there or anything.  We help at lunch time and it was so fun!!! Everyone wants to talk to you and we stay busy the whole time and we get to know a lot of people that come there and I wish we could do it everyday to be honest! Hahahaha it cracks me up though... old men don't hold anything back that is on their mind.  You talk to them for like 10 seconds and they have already told you how young and pretty you are and then like try to flirt with you hahahaha it's hilarious!!!! them!  Anyway, Mother... Debi asked for your name and number haha and so you may be getting a call from her haha she's super sweet and I love her.  She never had any kids and she adopts us as her 'daughters' and she said she knows our moms probably worry at home so she wants to keep in contact with them and I think she just likes taking care of us. 

     Thursday we had district meeting and our district meeting is kinda far away so we had a member drop us off and then we called her after to come pick us up... and called her and called her... and she never came!!! So we were stuck in Fulton for like an hour and then we finally just called someone else in the ward and they came and got us!! But anyway, I like my district! There are 2 sets of sisters and 2 sets of Elders.  They seem pretty fun so far! It's weird being in a district with other sisters though haha.  After district meeting, we went to Carolyn's for a lesson and she is so sweet!! She owns her own business selling a BBQ sauce she makes and she is so cute.  We taught the first lesson about like the restoration and stuff and she's really understanding and receptive.  Her husband wasn't there but she was telling us that he's always been a lot more scientific and needs facts for everything and believes in like Darwins theory and stuff but that she thinks he would come to church if he had good fellowshipping and so we are going to find someone for both of them to be fellowshipped by!! She invited us back next week for lunch to try her BBQ sauce and for a lesson! That night, we had dinner with the Griffins and I really like them.  They both served their missions in Japan so they made Japanese food and it was SOOO delicious!!! They made homemade sushi, curry and rice and  these little like pocket looking things with a sweet flavored rice in them.  It was so yummy!!! I don't remember what part he served in but she served in Osaka? Anyway, it was a fun night!

     Friday we volunteered at the senior center again and then after that we had our last lesson with Doug before he gets baptized!! Then, we had a lesson with Annette! She has a strong testimony and a lot of faith and really ponders things.  It was our first time meeting her and we weren't really planning on even having a full lesson with her because we had never met her but we ended up having a lesson with her and setting a baptismal date with her! For September 21st.  After that, we were visiting potential investigators again and we found 2 new investigators.  Harry and Mary.  (I don't think I will ever be able to take the name Harry seriously after watching Dumb and Dumber).  Anyway, Harry and Mary are boyfriend/girlfriend I think? Harry called her his baby mama sooo idk.  They both I'm pretty sure have some type of disability and so does their baby but Harry said he needs Jesus in his life and so we gave him a Book of Mormon and they said they would come to church (they didn't) but we have a lesson with them this week so we will see!! Hahaha it was kinda funny though, so I asked if we could pray with them and Harry walked back inside and was like "they're gonna pray" and we were just standing outside the screen door still and then a few seconds later he was like "you can come in" so we came in and prayed and they all stared at us the whole time.  I've decided that when I get home I'm going to have no sense of what's awkward because I feel like the life of a missionary is just like embracing awkward moments constantly hahaha.  Then we found another new investigator, Patricia.  She is an older black lady and just so sweet and cute and she said we could come back this week! That night, the Soybean Festival in Mexico started so we went and tried talking to people but no one wanted to talk to us haha so on our way out we got fried oreos.  They sound disgusting but they were so good!!!! It reminded me of working at Cowboy Corndogs at the fair and towards the end of the night when we had extra batter, we would just fry whatever snacks we had laying around, pears, candy bars, cheese, literally anything haha. 

     Saturday, we were supposed to have a lesson with Robin but when we got there she said she couldn't meet with us and that she was going to a pentacostal church on Sunday.  I'm not really sure about her.. she loves our church and the Book of Mormon and everything but then she's also taking lessons from Jehovahs Witnesses and so idk, but we will see! Then, we tried contacting people at the Soybean Festival again (only in Mexico would there be a soybean festival) and once again, no one really wanted to talk to us! So then we went to the church to set up for Dougs baptism!! We filled the font up, set up chairs, the piano, the TV, and everything looked so great!!! (We decided we are going to be baptism planners when we get home) and THEN, the Bishop got there and realized the air conditioning was broken so he just had everyone go into the RS room.  Whatevs! Bro. Loyd baptized Doug and it was his first time baptizing anyone and he was so nervous and got there like an hour early and just sat there and it was so sweet.  The baptism went so well and Doug looked so happy and just glowed afterwards.  While Doug was changing after his baptism, the plan was to watch the Restoration DVD, but the plug was broken so we ended up just singing hymns and I think it was supposed to happen!!! So Doug's daughter came to the baptism and she always thought Mormons worshipped Joseph Smith but after singing the hymns, she mentioned to Debi that everything was about Christ and it cleared up her misconceptions! So that was really neat!! I'm actually glad the restoration movie didn't end up working!!

     Yesterday Doug got confirmed at church and he still just looks so happy.  After church, we came home and had lunch and then just spent the day visiting members of the ward.  That night, we had dinner with the Prestons and they are so cute.  They just got married last week (they have both been married before) and they are in their like 60's.  They livin Centralia and in a really secluded area with TONS of tall tall trees and a little lake to the side of their house with a dock and it was so fun to just get to know them and spend time with them.  On our way home.... I got pulled over.... hahahahahahaha sooo it was a 2 lane road right and since it was night time I had my brights on cause I don't want to hit any deer or anything and I would forget to turn them off when people passed me so they would flash their brights at me to like remind me to turn them off right? So I kinda got the hang of things and realized how to turn them on and off quickly and so then I started doing the same thing to cars that were passing me.  Not to be rude or anything but just cause it kinda blinds you for a little and they are super narrow country roads.  So like I do it once right? And then a few seconds later, I see a cops lights turn on behind me and I'm going like 10 under the speed limit so I knew it wasn't that but he asked me why I flashed my brights at him and so I told him the whole story and long story short... his brights weren't even on and it's illegal to flash your brights!!! He let me off with a warning so that was fabulous!!

     Today we are just going to finish emailing and then probably go to lunch and grocery shop and then maybe check out the ymca and do stuff there for a little? We don't really know yet! But Sister Webb is so great!!! She's hilarious!!!!! We have a lot of fun together and she's a great missionary and I just really like her!! It's still weird to me that she's older than me but I'm training her but she's so great!! Haha oh I forgot! So we were at the soybean festival and this old man came up to us and had seen us at the senior center and was hitting on us and offered us a bite of his corndog... people here are so awesome.

     Welp!! I think that's about it!! It's definitely a lot difference here than anywhere I have ever been but I like it.  I know the church is true and that when we show the Lord that we want help and then do all we can to do our part that he will be there! I hope you all have wonderful day and week.  Be safe and smart and healthy and don't do anything dumb!!!! I miss you all like CRAZY and I love you SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love,

Taylor

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

P.S. Did I mention that the majority of people here don't have most of their teeth? 

To Mexico!!!

Hey Family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

     Okay, so you know how I told you that if I was ever called on a mission I would be called to Mexico and so that's a reason why I didn't want to go? Welp, I was RIGHT!!! I am being transferred to Mexico, Missouri! Hahahaha. I am training a new sister there and white washing too! Do you know what white washing is? It's kinda hard to explain... Dad would probably know so ask him haha.  I'm seriously so sad to leave Mahomet though - I LOVE IT HERE!!!!! Like it's probably somewhere I want to come back and visit for sure.  I will talk more about that later.  I know I didn't know Uncle Brad really well or anything but he's probably the Uncle on dad's side I knew the best and that I have memories with and I'm really going to miss him.  I really thought he was going to be okay and it made me cry to hear that he had passed away.  You're going to do a really great job on your talk Dad.  I will keep you in my prayers.

     We had dinner and a lesson with Biscuit and Mama.  Oh. My. Gosh. Can I just say I love them so much?? They are the sweetest couple.  Before dinner, they let us ride their tandem bike and it was so much fun! I loved it! It was kinda hard to get used to first but it was so much fun to ride.  After dinner, We went over the Plan of Salvation and it went really well and they have so many questions and they are just so accepting.  I asked them where they think they came from before they were born and they were both like "well, I've never really thought about that before".  They are both in their late 60's or 70's and it's so crazy to me how they have never thought about that before! Anyway, they said they would come to church on Sunday! After that, we visited Dennis (less active) and Sonja (not a member) Boyce and Sonja wants to learn more about the church and so she is a new investigator! It was so cool because like Dennis hasn't been to church since the late 90's but he wants to take the lessons again right along with Sonja and he basically told her the whole Joseph Smith story and it was just really cool! Tuesday night we got trainer calls and I found out that I was going to be training! I love training!!!!

     Wednesday we did service at Sweet Designs with Debi and it was so fun. She is so fun to talk to and she's really open about talking about religion.  She's definitely not interested in converting or anything but she will ask us questions about our church and tell us about hers and it's just fun to spend time with her and talk to her.  That night we had dinner with the Christensens!!!! I got to hear all about their trip to Utah and visit with you guys and look at pictures and it was so great.  Sister Christensen said how our family is her dream family and that she loved spending time with you guys and just loved you!!! The pictures were so fun to look at and her kids had a really good time too.  Emily wouldn't stop bringing up Touey all night hahaha it was the cutest thing ever.  She even knows my name!!!!!! But she loved Toulouse a lot and I'm just so glad you got to meet them.  I'm going to miss them a LOT. 

     Thursday we had district meeting and I was asked to give a training on recognizing the spirit.  I really like my district! It's like the most random group of missionaries ever but they are so fun.  The Elders made this awesome music video last monday to this upbeat song and it's like one of those videos that if it was put on youtube it would be huge.  They said they would send it to me so if they do then I will send it to you so you can see it!

     Friday we went to Charlenes and she taught us how to make chicken salad and then we ate lunch with her! Then we read from the Book of Mormon with her.  She is so sweet.  She calls us her "girls" and tells all her friends and family about us and how we were angels sent to her.  I just feel so bad for her because she is so alone and her depression really gets to her sometimes.  That night we had dinner with the Goodriches and we made a rap of primary songs with an app they have on their phone and it was hilarious.  Then we just visited a less active member after that.

     Saturday was SO GREAT!!!! We had invited a ton of people to church throughout the week and they said they would come since I was going to be playing the piano so we decided to visit them all again just to remind them haha.  So we visited Joe and Tara Mouser to invite them and they were getting ready to go to the state fair when we came over and they invited us to go!!! It's in Springfield Illinois so like an hour and a half away so we called for permission to go and we got to go!!!!!!!! IT WAS SO FUN.  I'm just grateful we even got to go!! When we got there, we looked at animals and we got to see Clydesdale horses from Budweiser along with the dalmation and that was pretty cool.  They are huge horses!!! Then we just walked around the little stands they had and ate and it was a lot of fun.  Fairs are so much fun - just like the atmosphere is exciting!! It reminded me of working a cowboy corndogs at the fair with the Barlows!! Joe and Tara also brought 2 of their foster kids and they are black and we drove up and there was this super super skinny girl who was taking tickets for parking and they were like "that girl needs to eat" "she needs to buy some groceries" (imagine that in like black people talk haha) but it was hilarious!! On our way home from the fair we got transfer calls and I am going to Mexico and Sister Johnson is staying here in Mahomet.  It was such a fun day though and the Mousers are so sweet!!! I was so grateful that we even got to go!!! Joe owns like his own branch of Edward Jones and said that when I get off my mission I could call him and he would give me an intership or job.  Pretty sweet right?

     Yesterday was good too!! We had church and I played the piano and not everyone who said they would come came but the Eastons, Biscuit, Mama, and Jim came! Biscuit and Jim are brothers and they all said they would come back next week!!! WOOHOOOO!!!!! In Relief Society they announced that I was going to be leaving and it makes me so sad.  I really love this ward and this area so much and it's way harder than I thought saying bye to people.  After church, we went to the Springers and she taught us how to make egg rolls and creme puffs and they were so delicious!! The Springers are so awesome and I really hope I can keep in touch with them.  Then, we went to the Eastons for Tim's birthday and he had invited a lot of the Elders in our zone and it was really fun! We had dinner, they played basketball, and we sang songs and it was just fun! When we got home to our apartment, Sis. Palumbo had fixed this old clock and painted it super cute and it was waiting for us at our door!! We didn't even ask her to do it, she just did it and it was so sweet of her. 

     Today, we are going to the outlet stores with Sis. Christensen and Sis. Hobson and then tonight we have dinner with Biscuit and Mama.  I am seriously dreading packing... I HATE PACKING.  It takes forever and we have to be at the church at 5:30 AM to take a school bus to St. Louis.  BUT it will be fine haha.  I'm seriously so sad that I'm leaving Mahomet though.  I told Charlene that I was leaving yesterday and she started crying and I felt terrible!!!

     Anyway, that was pretty much my week!! That is so awesome that you were able to give a Book of Mormon to Uncle Terry again and put all the scriptures and testimonies in it - I really hope he reads it!!! I know this church is true and I'm SO grateful for it.  I'm more and more grateful every day just for the fact that I grew up in the church.  I hope you all have a super fabulous week.  Be safe and healthy and don't do anything dumb (like take weird U turns)!!!!! I miss you all like CRAZY and I LOVE YOU BUNCHCES AND BUNCHES AND BUNCHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love,

Taylor

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO 

And one more thing!!

So we also had service this week at the museum and our job was to clean the shelves of the basement that like no one has probably been in in a long time.  But we start taking apart this metal shelf with screwdrivers and we got the top of the shelf unscrewed and were taking it off and there was a dead mouse on the top!!!! It was so nasty!!!! But like it's body wasn't there, it was just fur, tail, and teeth.  It was soooo gross!!!!! And then, we got to the bottom shelf and underneath, there was ANOTHER dead mouse but this one was just a skeleton!!!! But still it was so disgusting!!!!!!!! I thought volunteering at the museum would be fun... but I'm not so sure about that anymore...

     Also, apparently I laugh in my sleep frequently... I think that's kinda weird.  Welp I think that's all now!!!! LOVE YOU!!!!

7 Months!!!

Hey Family!!!!!!!!

     Thanks so much for your emails, I loved reading them!!!! I have been praying for Uncle Brad - that is so sad - and I hope he is doing well, keep me updated!! 

     So Monday was pday (obvi) and Sister Knight in our ward colored my hair for free and gave me some super great hair spray and a huge thing of really awesome shampoo and conditioner!!! She went on a mission too so she said she knows how buying things like that is inconvenient haha.  Then we went to the Goodriches and she made cafe rio salads!! They are from Utah and so they know what Missouri is missing out here.  Then we just played games like gorilla and psychiatrist all together and the zone leaders were there too and it was so fun!!

     So Tuesday, remember me telling you about Tracie?? Like SOOOOO prepared and we had a super awesome lesson with her and like her mom was in jail for 32 years for shooting her ex-boyfriend? So we were supposed to have a lesson with her on Tuesday and she texted us and said her Mom wants her to stick to her Catholic beliefs... Okay... Seriously??  We are going to keep trying though because she seriously needs to be Mormon.  Some people I meet on my mission I can look at them and be like "you would be such a perfect Camp Director" or "you're supposed to be a Relief Society president" and Tracie would be PERFECT in young womens.  Oh well, we wont give up!! Then, we taught Sarah Matthews the 'stop smoking' workshop and it seems like she's really dedicated to quit which is so exciting and I know Gordy really wants her to quit too.  Then we visited Charlene and I just feel so bad for her.  She misses her husband so much and feels like she has no reason to wake up in the morning.  She said she would like to come to bingo with us on Thursday and that she would like to come to church also.  She just needs friends and something to do everyday! That night, we had dinner with the Taylor's and Bro. Taylor works at the University of Illinois and they have an original copy of the Book of Mormon in their library!!!! Cool huh?? The school has like no idea how valuable it is either, but you can go to the library and like flip through it and everything so we might go do that!!

     Wednesday we had a metting with this lady at the Prairie Museum because we are thinking of volunteering there instead of the retirement home (I like the retirement home a lot but Sister Johnson doesn't and I figure I'm most likely getting transferred anyway so I don't mind) but the museum is pretty cool!!! We are going to do it every Wednesday and we get to help inspect like REALLY old documents and help build things for the library and I'm excited!! The top floor has like history of Illinois like architecture and original settlers and mining and stuff and then the bottom floor is mostly about Abraham Lincolns time and that kind of stuff.  Our assignment for Wednesday was to "get to know" the museum so we just got to walk around and look at everything and we had a fun time!! There was this thing you could do downstairs and dress up like Abraham Lincoln and then there was a backdrop where you could get your picture taken and so we did that and I will have to send you some of the pictures because they are paretty funny haha.  So I don't know if I told you about our apartment but up until last week our apartment consisted of 1 round table and 1 rectangle table, 2 beds, a dresser, a couple lamps, and a couch.  So our desk was also our kitchen table and there was like no way to organize anything.  And then, last week we finally got desks!!! And then, this last week, Sister Palumbo (like lives on Craigs list, haha) said there was this posting for a couch and you just had to submit your story and the lady would choose who needed it the most from the stories.  Sister Palumbo calls us one morning and tells us that she submitted our story and that we won the couch!! Now we have a couch and it looks pretty new!!!

     Thursday.... I don't even want to talk about Thursday..... Well I guess Thursday morning was pretty good.  We had district meeting and then we did service all afternoon at a resale/thrift shop with our district and the Champaign district and we just sorted clothes and stuff and it was so fun!! It's crazy the stuff people donate to those things.  Like some people I swear just throw garbage in a bag and donate it and it's sad because SOMEONE has to go through it and it can get gross! But we found some hilarious clothes and had fun with them!! It's so cool how much stuff has been donated though!!! THEN... ughhh............. we had a lesson with the Eastons.  Well, we didn't really even have a lesson.  We got there, had dinner, had a fun time, and then we are about to start the lesson and we were planning their baptism and all the details that night and Teri said they had something to talk about.  I could tell something was up just from that but i didn't think it would be what it actually was.  So Teri told us how our discussions made her reflect on who she was and how she got where she is and she said that she is still Methodist and doesn't feel like she needs baptism into the church right now.  She feels like she received the Holy Ghost when she was younger and that she is fine where she is at.  Then, Scott pretty much said the same thing except he is even thinking of going BACK into the methodist ministry now.  It seriously killed me.  Like most prepared family on earth right???  I think what bothers me a lot though is EVERY lesson, Scott would go off about how true the church was and how it wasn't a matter of if he got baptized but when and how the LDS values are more in line with their families values and that the methodist church is falling apart and then he totally discounted any of those feelings when we were there.  It makes me so sad and I still can't believe it happened.  They told us to not go away feeling like we failed but did the exact opposite because without us meeting with them then they never would have gotten to that realization.  It seriously just makes me SOOO SAD!!!!!!!!! I was not expecting that at all.  I asked them if they believed this was the restored church and they said that they hadn't gotten that confirmation (even though they said they had in the past) and so I told them to ask that in their prayers specifically and just bore my testimony on prayer because I know God answers prayers and if you really want to know something, all you have to do is ask!! We are having dinner with them on Thursday and then they invited us over for Tim's (their son who is baptized) birthday on the 11th so like it's good that they aren't cutting us completely off or anything but just keep them in your prayers please!! The whole ward is shocked just cause they all knew their story and many of them had talked to the Eastons and heard their testimonies and it's just crazy!!! I still have hope though!!!

     Friday was 7 MONTHS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOHOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! Friday morning we had a lesson with Randy and it went well! So like when people ask questions about our religion, no matter what, I don't really get offended like I take it as a good thing they are asking questions! But okay so he asked a question from Matthew 22:23-30 and it talks about how there is not going to be any marriage after the resurrection and I had never heard that or that question before!! So he was wondering why we get sealed and stuff and so I told him I would research that and have an answer for him next time and like it makes a little more sense to me now after asking our Bishop but it's still kinda interesting.  So basically, our Bishop said that there wont really be any "marriage" after the resurrection but that's why we get sealed because getting sealed isn't getting married.  So like there won't be temporal marriage but we will be sealed. Does that make sense?? Anyway, after that, we met a referral, John, at Subway.  He's from Hawaii and super nice and I think he has some kind of social disorder but he said he would read the Book of Mormon and that he would come to church and wants to meet with us again! Then, we met with this girl Casey that we tracted into a while ago, I think I told you about her? She is 19 and has a 3 year old and just had a baby a week ago! So we visited her and she also wants to learn more which is AWESOME!!! Oh also, we were tracting on Friday and we met a Satanist... that was weird.

     Saturday we visited less active members in White Heath but didn't have much luck so we visited the Springers for a couple minutes since they live there and they said we could come back for dinner that night! So then, we went to Farmer City and visited the Boyce's because we hadn't met them yet and they don't go to church! So we get there, and the dad was there with his wife and son and his girlfriend and the dad, Dennis, and his wife actually live in our apartments!!!! We were talking to his wife and asked if they go to church anywhere and she told us that they aren't right now and that she's been looking for a church to go to and has been telling Dennis that she wants to know more about our church!! So we have an appointment with them this week!!! Then, we went to the Springers for dinner and helped them make it too!! It was so fun! We made shrimp scampi (spelling?) over rice and some vegetables and it was so fun to help them!! I didn't eat any of the shrimp, just the sauce part haha but we got to like take the shells of the shrimp and make it all with their help!! Then Sister Springer showed us her quilter and it is AWESOME! But dinner was super delicious!!!

     Hahahahaha okay so remember testimony football?? So I told a couple of the young women that we used to play that during sacrament meeting and now they play it too!!! Hahahahaha.  The Relief Society lesson was really good, it was about confidence and beauty and they showed that dove commercial that mom showed in her lesson a couple months ago! The teacher shared a quote that had something to do with how arrogant people are typically insecure and how confident people are typically humble.  Interesting huh? Then, we had dinner with the Hope's (Bishop and his family) and they are always one of my favorite houses to eat at! They are a lot of fun to be with and they make really good food!!

     OH!!!! So remember Gracie from Frontenac?? She got baptized!!!!!!!!!!! I think that's pretty much my week.  I'm still really bummed about the Eastons, like it breaks my heart just knowing how close they were and like out of no where they just change their minds.  I read a really good talk in the July Ensign this last week about living for the eternities and it was so good - if you haven't read it you should!! It was talking about agency and how God not only has given us the agency to choose good from evil but also the power to choose good OVER evil.  It also talks about how in today's world, independent people are looking for ways to have freedom so they feel like by not choosing the right they are exercising their freedom but in reality, we have the freedom to choose a righteous path too!! Does that make sense? It says it better in the article haha.  I just know that when we do use our agency by choosing the right that we are able to have more freedom naturally because we don't have sins or wrong choices weighing us down.  Satan is working just as hard as we are today! It also talked about how like everyone made fun of Noah building an ark... until it started raining.  And that's just like how it is today! It's "not the popular thing" to make good choices all the time or stand out from everyone else but if we stick to our values and what we know is true, even if we get laughed at now, we wont be when it comes down to the end! I know this church is true and that the Book of Mormon is true and it's written for our day and I love it! I know that if we can beat Satan at his own game that we will be stronger and happier. I love the gospel!!!!!!

     Anyway, that's all I think! I hope you all have a super awesome week and that you stay safe and healthy and don't do anything dumb!!! I miss you all SOOOOOOO much and I'm so grateful for all of you.  I LOVE YOU BUNCHES AND BUNCHES AND BUNCHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love,

Taylor

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

P.S. So tomorrow is trainer calls so we find out who will be training this next transfer and then saturday is transfer calls!!! 

Hola!!!!

Hey Family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

     I LOVED reading your emails so much - thank you!! And I'm so glad that Dad was able to email me too, I was bummed when you said you weren't sure you would be able to email me this week so that was great!! Don't you love the Christensens??? They are so adorable!!!!!! I'm so glad that you liked them and had a good time with them.  I had TWO dreams this last week about that for some reason and the first one, I called home to ask you how it went and Dad answered and was telling me that it was really boring and awkward... and then I had a dream that we were at the Treehouse and Sister Christensen was with me and I saw mom and I went over to tell her to come say hi to Sister Christensen and she was telling me that the dinner was really awkward and they had like nothing to talk about and it just didn't go well and nobody 'clicked' haha.... SO I'm glad it wasn't like that!!!!!!!!!! So basically I'm pretty excited to tell you about my week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

     Monday was p day and we just took it easy and went grocery shopping, had lunch and frozen yogurt, and then wrote letters.

     Tuesday the sister trainer leaders (STL's) were with us and I spent the day with Sister Fallentine! We had like 3 different lessons planned for when they were with us and that morning before we went out, they all called us in a row and cancelled.... so our day was full of tracting! But I actually really like tracting as long as it's hot outside.  Sister Fallentine and I found a new investigator, Trevor, who is 16 and we have a lesson with him this week.  Sister Johnson and Sister Woodward (the one that I was in the MTC with - LOVE HER) found this lady Kelly who has like 4 kids who I guess just seemed super prepared and everything and like said this is just what she needs right now and asked to come to church and then yesterday at church she texted us and said her mom talked to her about mormons and said that we don't worship the same Jesus and that she isn't interested at all so that was a bummer.  Anyway, I talked to Sister Fallentine about Sister Johnson and she didn't have much to say other than to just keep being obedient.  I can't tell you how frustrated I am to be honest.  Anyway, at the end of our exchanges for the day, they interviewed us individually and guess what???? They told me that either this transfer or the next transfer they want me to be an STL!!!!!!!!!!!! There are only 4 of them in our mission.  That is so exciting to me and I hope I really do get to.  I think it would be so awesome to be an STL - I WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so excited all day that you guys were going to be eating with the Christensens that night and then when she texted me and said they were on their way to my house it was just so cool.  Then she texted me and told me they were just getting ready to eat so it was just so crazy that she was with you guys as I was texting her back.  I'm glad you had fun with them and I'm excited to see the pictures that she took. 

     Wednesday we had district meeting and we did like a pot luck type thing after where all the companionships brought some type of food and it was pretty fun! Our district leader brought these BBQ muffins which sound disgusting but they were good! It's so weird how the 24th isn't a holiday here haha like it was just like any other day here! Wednesday we pretty much tracted all day and we came to this one lady from the community free church and she came outside of her house and like wanted us to prove in the Bible where it says that there would be a Book of Mormon and just wanted to prove us wrong the whole time and then she called their youth pastor in training to come talk to us and they just wanted to like bible bash the whole time and it was getting no where.  Like it wasn't an argument and they were really nice but it was just going nowhere but we were there for like an hour!! Remember that weird Elder at the MTC that asked if he could get a picture with me and I didn't even know him? Welp I got a letter, a picture, and a returned missionary dating application from him this last week.... creeper...

     Thursday we did some more tracting and then had service at the Glenwood (old folks home).  I won one of the rounds of bingo but I gave my card to one of the old ladies so that she could get the prize and it was so funny she was like "is this cheating?" haha it was just kinda funny and it made me laugh - they take bingo so seriously there! Then we went to Ann's house and we dropped her:( It was really sad and we will still go visit her every once in a while but she just isn't keeping any of her commitments and isn't planning on getting married or coming to church anytime soon.  However haha while we were there, she had the TV on and it was Ellen and she left the room for a few minutes to use the restroom so we were like right there in front of the TV and JUSTIN BIEBER was on!!! It was so distracting hahahaha and I felt so bad but.... tender mercy?? Then we had dinner with Biscuit and Mamma and it was great!! I love them and they are so sweet to each other.  Then we had a lesson with them and Biscuit has started reading the Book of Mormon and had really great questions about it and we are having another lesson with them next week! Then we had a lesson with Joe and Tara and we went over the 10 commandments.  I don't think they will be getting baptized in the near future but I know they will eventually.  It's just so frustrating though just cause they know it's true!!!!!!!!!! Ugh... whatevs.

     Friday morning, Sister Palumbo (turning trash into crafts extrordinaire) called us and said she was looking on craigs list and there was this house putting a ton of stuff on their lawn for free and she knew we needed a bookshelf and she wanted us to come with her! Haha her husband laughs cause he thinks it's ridiculous and that she is just recruiting people to join her in her hobby of dumpster diving.  Anyway, when we got to the house everything was pretty picked over so that was a bummer but it was fun to spend time with her.  When we got back, Sister Osborne took us to lunch and we just got to know her and spent time with her.  She's probably in her late 70's and she had just gotten her hair permed and she was so cute.  Old people love telling stories about themselves.  Then we had a lesson with the Eastons!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH EM GEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay so we finish with dinner and are about to start our lesson and then they are like "okay so we have some news for you".  So guess what??? Scott, Teri, AND their daughter Andrea are not only ALL getting baptized BUT instead of September 28th they are getting baptized AUGUST 9th!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND they changed their mind about getting baptized in Wyoming, they are going to get baptized here!!!!!! Originally they said August 17th, but then we told them that transfers were the 14th so it was a possibility one of us wouldn't be there so they switched to the week earlier! YAY!!!!!!!!!! I feel so blessed that I have been able to teach them!!! Like I am still so excited that they chose to switch their day and that they already have such strong testimonies!!!

     Guess what mom???? I WENT TO THE TEMPLE ON SATURDAY TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If I read that right, isn't that when you went? We have to get a ride to go to the temple and earlier this week our Bishops wife told us they were going and that we could come with them.  I love going to the temple and the spirit that is there.  We did some of Sister Hope's (bishops wife) family names.  After, they took us to Cheescake Factory! When we got there, Sister Nelson (the girl I trained) and her companion were with 2 elders eating at cheescake factory and it's like a BIG no no to go on "double dates" on our mission.  And they were sitting in a booth and it was a boy and girl on one side and a boy and girl on the other which is another thing we aren't supposed to do. After we got there, they left within seconds.  Our Bishop was actually the one that said something to us about it and asked if we are supposed to do that so that wasn't good haha but honestly it was just kinda disappointing because Sister Nelson was my companion and one of the elders that was there used to be my zone leader.  Anyway, I got an oreo cheesecake and it was SO DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you go to cheescake factory on the 30th of this month, cheescake is only $1.50!!! Just an idea for ya!!! And they have a new smores cheescake coming out on the 30th. 

     Yesterday, the Eastons all came to church and stayed the whole time!! Andrea might even be going to girls camp today! Then we had dinner and a lesson with them about the Word of Wisdom, law of chastity, and keeping the sabbath day holy.  It's kinda funny cause earlier that week we were trying to figure out how we could stretch the lessons out until Septemeber 28th so that we could still meet with them once a week and then when they switched their baptism date, now we are trying to cram them all in!! We asked them about church and Scott and Andrea really liked it and Teri did too but she just didn't have a good feeling in Relief Society.  She said it wasn't anything that was said or done there, but she just hasn't had good experiences with all women groups in the past and so it was affecting how she felt when she was there, but she said she would keep going.  Also, our investigators have to go to church 3 times before they get baptized and they will have only gone twice, but we got special permission for them to still get baptized!!

     Welp that is pretty much my week!!!!! I'm going to be playing the piano in our ward on the 11th! Oh and have you ever heard of Hugh Nibbly? or something like that?? So these people in our ward were talking about him and how they used to go to his lectures and they were telling us all of these evidences of the Book of Mormon and they are sooo cool.  Also, the Goodriches in our ward are from Utah and Sister Goodrich is making us her own version of Cafe Rio tonight!!!! Anyway, thank you so much again for your emails, I love hearing from you guys and you have no idea how much it means to me that you write me!!!! I am learning so much about the gospel here and I really do LOVE it.  I hope you all have a really great week!!! I miss you sooooooooooooo much and you are always in my prayers.  Be safe and smart and healthy and don't do anything dumb!!!! I hope you have a great time in Alaska dad!! I LOVE YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love,

Taylor

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO 

1. What parking looks like at district meeting since we have to back the person driving

2. 6 months baby

New Mission President!

Hello Family!!!!!!!!!

     I LOVED reading your emails (as always) and it was so great to hear from you!! I miss you guys so much and whenever I hear from you it always makes my day!!! So this week was pretty great, it's FINALLY hot here and I really love it!! Like seriously though I have been waiting for it to just be hot. I don't know why but it's so motivating for me to go outside when it's hot... kinda backwards right??

     So I will just start telling you about my week!! Monday we went to Arthur (I already told you about that).

     Tuesday we visited Sister xxxx, her family is less active.  I seriously love her. She lives in xxxxx and she is SO creative!! Like she finds all these blogs online for crafts, fixing furniture, turning junk into something pretty and she is good at it!! We had lunch with Ann who is also less active in our ward and her husband isn't a member. She is so cute and loves us haha so it makes it that much better!! Anyway her and her husband have been separated for a while and are back together now and his heart has changed a little towards the church and she said she doesn't think he is quite ready to be taught by the missionaries but the door is cracked which is great!!! That night we had a lesson with Ananyanee and we were kinda nervous on how it was going to turn out because our lesson was on the Atonement which is pretty in depth obvi but it went so well!!! We started out by watching a bible video and then we just took it part by part and explained it and then we would have her explain it back to us to make sure it made sense to her and everything.  I seriously love teaching her!!!!!!! She understood that when we sin, it hurts Jesus and that he died so that we can repent and be forgiven which is definitely a start.  Every lesson, we go over terms and concepts we taught the other lessons and just her whole face lights up when she remembers and it's really cool!!

     Wednesday we had President interviews! I LOVE President Morgan and his wife A LOT!!!! They are so sweet.  We have a mission goal of 450 baptisms this year and every night at 10 as a mission we pray for that goal.  I think it's an awesome goal but at the same time, I feel like missionaries get caught up in the numbers and they just find "anyone" to baptize... does that make sense? So like ya, they might get a baptism, but frequently they may or may not stay active.  So anyway, I think this is something President Morgan recognized coming into the mission also so he is focusing a lot on "real growth" which makes sense!!! So he wants us to find solid people to baptize to help grow the amount of active members instead of increase the number of less active members.  ANYWAY, after interviews we tracted for like EVER and it was probably the hottest day of the week haha but like I said - I love it!!!! The whole waistband of my skirt was wet... tmi??? We found 5 new investigators though!!! We tracted into this one lady who brought us in and we sat with her and her 2 daughtes who were 12 and 14.  The mom doesn't have a belief in Christ but she wanted her daughters to talk to us because she wants them to make a religious choice of their own.  One of them, Markee, was 14 and when we asked her questions about like if she had ever wondered where she came from and things like that something sparked in her head and she seemed interested but her sister wasn't interested so I think that kinda made her change her mind but she said she would come to church sometime and she actually knows one of the young women in our ward so we told her to invite her to church!!! But that was really cool just because you could tell she hadn't thought of religious things before.  So she didn't become and investigator but it was cool to talk to her.  We also tracted into this boy named Chandler and he is a senior in high school but when he opened the door I noticed that he had a lacrosse lanyard(spelling?) so I asked if he played lacrosse and he said he did and long story short, HIS FAMILY LIVES IN DRAPER!!!!!!! Small world right???? His family lived in Sandy, moved to Mahomet, and now they are in Draper!!! He is moving back after a semester of his senior year here to either go to Alta or Corner Canyon but he knows some of the same people as me!!! It was so crazy!!!! He's not even Mormon!!! But he said he has been waiting for missionaries to come to his door because he has a lot of questions and so he became one of our investigators!!

     Thursday we had district meeting and played jeopardy and this Elder in my district has only been a member for 3 years and knows EVERYTHING about the Book of Mormon and so he won... it's whatever.  Then we had service at the old folks home and played bingo, no one came to Bible study, and then we served drinks!! The old ladies get so competitive at bingo it's hilarious!!! I guess this one lady was bringing her bingo cards home with her and she kept winning every week and so this other old lady told on her and said it wasn't fair and they still wont look/talk to each other!! We visited Debi at the bakery and we picked up some of the cookies we glazed and they were seriously so delicious!!!!!!! Like probs the best sugar cookies I've ever had (besides Mom's).  But glazing is not hard at all!! She just mixes powdered sugar, milk, lemon juice, and I think corn syrup? and then you just paint it on the cookie with one of those rubber brushes and it smooths itself out! Thursday night we visited visited one of the Elders investigators, India, who they haven't been able to contact for over a month now and she let us in and we just got to know her and invited her to church and it went really well!! She didn't come to church but we were telling the Elders what we talked about with her and they said that is more than they have ever gotten out of her! So that was cool!!

     Friday we had a lesson with xxxxx and xxxxx and they are seriously so sweet.  She is blind and he treats her so well!!! They are just such a cute old couple and he just like lives to make her happy.  Anyway, I think I told you but maybe not but he goes dumpster diving every day and finds things to give to people in need.  He has collected over 4000 boxtops and then donates them to schools, he finds furniture and fixes it up, he finds things to feed the animals with, he finds games for children, etc. He's really awesome!! They ordered a pizza for us while we were there and taught them about the restoration and left them with a chapter to read and we are going back this week!! There is a problem though haha she HATES water on her face... so baptism could be an issue.... but ya, I love them!! That night we had dinner with the Goodriches and they are so awesome!! We played catch phrase after dinner and then we shared a thought with them.  Bro. Goodrich is seriously probably one of the most spiritual people I have EVER met.  He is just so in tune with the spirit and I swear he can read my mind. I'm pretty sure he will be a patriarch some day.  Anyway, after that, he asked us individually what we are working on and we told him and then he said the closing prayer and asked specifically for help with those things and it just really made me realize how close to the spirit he is and it was just an answer to my prayers because I really needed that!

     Saturday we had a lesson with xxxx. She has been so angry with God for a long time and she had so many questions for us.  She was really open and started crying and asked a lot about repentance and forgiveness and the after life.  She hasn't prayed in a long time but she said she would start reading the Book of Mormon and pray.  She's really nervous to pray but she said she is going to do it.  I really like her!!! She has been SO prepared and I feel like this is just what she needs!! After that visit, we visited xxxxxx (her vegetable soup was SOOO good) and she is having a lot of depression right now and just really misses her family members that have passed away.  We taught her about the Plan of Salvation and she said she would get baptized if she knew the Mormons were right for her!

     Yesterday we had a dinner and lesson with the Eastons and it went really well also!! For dinner we had these giant noodle shells stuffed with chicken and like other stuff and it had kinda a taco seasoning to it and then they were put in the oven with cheese on top and it was so good!! Anyway, we talked to them about like faith, repentance, baptism, holy ghost, and enduring to the end and it went so well. Their son Tim (the member) was there too and his story is awesome and you can tell his parents are so proud of him! He goes to school in Wyoming and the Eastons are planning to move to Wyoming next year - it's their favorite place haha random right?? What part of Wyoming does our family live in? So we also talked about baptism with them and what they want to do is get baptized September 28 in Wyoming... not the ideal situation but we're going to see if that works.  One of their daughters, Amy, reminds me SO much of Erin!!! She isn't interested in the church or anything but not only do they have really similar faces but they have similar personailites and it is so cool!!!! Like I just want to talk to her the whole time because she reminds me so much of Erin!!!!  

     Sorry this email is super long, do I give you guys too many details?? Just let me know cause I feel like these are super boring to read!!! But also, so we have been looking for a large print Book of Mormon to give to Jim cause he can't read the small writing and we couldn't find one anywhere and guess what??? So the Elders were riding their bikes one day and this random guy like rolled down his window and started talking to them and he had a bag full of Book of Mormons that he didn't need and one of them was a large print one!!!!!! Isn't that cool???

     Well anyway, that was pretty much my week!!! Today I think we are just going to take it easy, go grocery shopping, and then go to a park and write letters!!! I am so excited for you to have dinner with the Christensens!!!! I think you will really like them!!!! I can't think of anything specifically that I would like you to send home with them but I do love surpises:)  Anyway, be safe on your trip Daddy!!!!! I hope you all have an AWESOME week and that you are safe and healthy!!! I miss you guys like CRAZY and I LOVE YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!

Love,

Taylor

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Arthur, Chicken, and Noodles

Hey!!!!!!!!!

     Thank you sooooo much for your emails!!!! I loved reading them!!!! Sorry I'm a little bit late on sending an email today - we spent the afternoon in Arthur which is an Amish town!!! It was pretty cool - I got you guys some stuff so I will send that to you. We went with Sister Christensen, Sister Bode, and Sister Hobson and it was so fun!!! 

We went to like an antique shop and then like a grocery store and then we ate at a restaurant there.  Have you ever had chicken and noodles? I think its like a midwest thing but I had it for the first time today and it was pretty good!!! It's mashed potatoes with gravy and noodles, sounds weird but it's good!!  I wish we could have spent more time there so I would love to go back soon.  Also, I LOVED getting an envelope in the mail every day this week :) It seriously made my week!!! Thank you so much for doing that Erin!!! I have put all of your favorite scriptures in my scriptures and I love having pictures so much!!!  The quotes were all so awesome too. THANK YOU ERIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay so last Monday was zone p-day and we just went to a park and played different sports and had a pizza party and just talked and it was really fun!! We have some really fun Elders in our zone!! Then, afterwards, we went to the church and Sister Johnson cut like 10 Elders hair. 

Tuesday we had a lesson with Charlene and I just love her!!!  She has started reading the Book of Mormon and we have just taught her like the restoration and stuff so ya!!! She invited us over for dinner for tonight and she's making her famous vegetable soup haha.  Also, her granddaughter, Megan, was there too and she is kinda interested in learning more too and might be coming to dinner tonight also!! That night we had a lesson with Ananyanee and I seriously LOVE her!!!!! She has been coming to church with her husband for 3 years now and all this time she has had NO IDEA what they are talking about.  

Wednesday we had service at Sweet Designs (the bakery) and it was so fun!!!! We lined cupcake pans and just got to know the lady that owns it and then we got to glaze sugar cookies!!! Cookies look so pretty when they are glazed and I know how to do it now - it's super easy!!! That night we had dinner and a lesson with the Eastons!!!!   They are the family where there son got baptized in February and now they want to learn about the church.  Anyway, they have been reading the Book of Mormon and they believe everything and they tell us like over and over "it's not a matter of IF we get baptized it's just WHEN at this point." AMAZING, AM I RIGHT?????? So the husband is Scott and the wife is Teri and Scott is an FBI agent and coaches basketball.  He's like 6'10" if not taller.  We asked them if they would be baptized and they said they will. 

Thursday we had district meeting and then we had service at the old folks home and we had Bible study and just Marion came again and we taught her how to pray! She didn't feel like she knew how because she always gets distracted so we talked to her about saying her prayers out loud and she said she would try that.  Then, we had a lesson with Ananyanee again!! I LOVE HER!!!!! We literally spent over an hour JUST talking about who Jesus is and what the priesthood is and it's still not completely clear, but she gets the basics!!! Did I mention I LOVE TEACHING HER??? She is so cute and so willing to learn and it's just really cool to see her remember things we talked about from Tuesday and she liked having a list of definitions to refer to. Also, shout out to the achievement day girls!!!! I got their sweet notes on Wednesday and it was so fun to hear from all of them!!! It was seriously so cute. 

Friday Sister Johnson was sick.

Sunday we had ward council, church, and then we visited the Bates and had dinner there.  (Jennifer Taylor's sister). 

So guess what??!!! I finished the Book of Mormon this week!!!! So now I'm starting it again!! Also, I have been reading the "Power of Everyday Missionaries" (thanks, mom) and it is SOOO GOOD!!!!! Like literally I think it should be a required reading for every member of the church.  It is so awesome!!! I only read a little bit a day so I'm only like half way done but it's so good.  

I got your package this week!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!! So that towel thing for your head is so awesome - it's like a miracle.  And Alyssa and Braden.... you're adorable... and everyone else looks so good in them too!!!!!!!!! You guys are just soo cauuuttee!!!!! Thanks for sending more pictures - I love getting pictures.  And the envelopes are perfect and just everything was so great - thank you so much!!! OHHH and I got the cami things this week and they are AWESOME, they are just what I need!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!

Welp, I think that's about it!!! Once again, thank you so much for your emails and letters, they mean more to me than you know.  I hope you all have an awesome week and a fabulous day.  I miss you SOOOOOO much!!!! Be safe and healthy!!! I LOVE YOU BUNCHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love,

Taylor

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

P.S. I hear you're having dinner with the Christensens on the 23rd??? Are you going to have them swim too because I think her kids really want to!!! I hope you have a great time with them!!! I wish I could be there!!!!!!!!          


From left to right it's Sister Johnson, Sister Hobson, Sister Bode, Me, Sister Christensen.  This is us after lunch in Arthur today!!! 

Happy 4th of July!! (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Hey Family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

     So this week was pretty great!!! GORDY GOT BAPTIIIIZED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks so much for your emails - I love reading them sooo much!! So I will just go through my week!

Last Monday we went with Sister Christensen and got pedicures and it was so fun.  We love hanging out with her and it's fun because she likes being with us too!! We also found this really yummy taco place right next door to where we got pedicures and I think we are going to go there every p day now!

Tuesday was my 6 MONTH MARK!!!! It's so crazy to me that I've been out for 6 months! 

  

Wednesday we got to meet out new mission president!!!!! Him, his wife, and their daughter who is a senior in high school this year all came.  I LOVE THEM!!!! They are seriously so cute.  President Morgan owns Morgan Asphalt in Utah and his wife is so adorable and their daughter is super cute also and plays tennis! I'm so excited to have them.  Sis. Morgan is so excited to have sisters and it was just really great to be able to meet them!! That night we had a lesson with Gordy and it went really well! Then we had dinner at the Bednars.  They are such a cute family.  You can tell they teach their kids so well about the gospel.  They are having a Bednar family reunion in North Carolina this week (Elder Bednar will be there) so if you wanted to plan a last minute vacation -  that's the place to go!! Haha SIs. Bednar said that the first year they went there, she wasn't sure how to dress for the beach but then there was Elder Bednar in his swim suit.  But anyway, every night at their family reunion, they have a gospel discussion around the fire.  Wouldn't that be so cool to just sit around a fire for a week and ask any question you have to Elder Bednar??

 Thursday was the 4th of July!!!!! We had a 'normal day' until 4 and then from 4-10:30 we got to have a pday!! Yep we got an exctended curfew haha.  But basically the whole day felt like a pday anyway!!!! Here's basically how our day went:

10:30 - district meeting

12:00 - ward BBQ

1:30 - we were invited to a BBQ of a less active in our ward

3:00 - we were invited to go to a petting zoo with some members and went with our zone leaders

4:00 - PDAY!!!

So as you can see our day was pretty great!! There was another ward BBQ at 6 at the bishops house that they do every year because you can see the fireworks from his back yard really well.  So we did that!! Riley Bode and Adrian Shaumann are a couple of miamaids that we have become really good friends with and they hung out with us for the majority of the night at the bishops! Then we got to do some sparklers and I love sparklers!!! And then... hahaha by 9:30 (our normal curfew) we were sooo tired so we went home anyway!! Yep we were losers!!! But we were just so tired!!! 

Saturday was Gordy's baptism!!!! Everything went so perfectly.  It was a really great baptism!!! I am so happy for him and I am so glad that I got to teach him.  It was just so cool to see him progress and then get baptized and knowing that he made the choice all on his own.  The spirit was so strong there!!! Saturday morning we had a lesson with one of our new investigators.  She is 65 and lives alone and her husband died a few years ago.  She had been Catholic all her life but disagrees with it now and is really interested in learning more!!! She is such a sweetheart and she said I look just like her granddaughter haha.  Also, she's friends with Jim (another person we are teaching).  Jim lives in our apartment complex and is old and always sits on his picnic table all day long and we talk to him and always wave at him.  Haha he told us that if he were younger he would ask us out and that we were as pretty as the devil hahahaha.  

Bro. Kline is from Colorado and met his wife who is from Thailand online.  Anyway, she made us Thai food which was soo good and now we are going to start teaching her because she isn't a member!!! It's kinda hard to communicate with her because she doesn't speak super great english and doesn't understand it all the time but we will see!!!! After dinner, we visited a less active member, and she was so funny though and all we did was invite her to church and then guess what??? Yesterday.... SHE CAME!!!!! It still blows my mind how a simple invite does the trick sometimes. 

Yesterday we had church and then we had a dinner with the Whitmers, Sarah and Gordy, and Sarah's family.  It was so fun!! Sis. Christensen taught the lesson in Relief Society and had Sis. Johnson and I come up and talk about how we can overcome fears of being missionaries and I shared some stuff from the book you sent me Mom!!! Sis. Christensen wants to read it now.  

Okay, anyway, I think that is all now!!!!  It sounds like Park City was so much fun!!!! I laughed so hard picturing Alyssa run over the squirrel and then Braden seeing it after that!!! It's funny just cause you are all alone when you are going down the slides and no one is even there to watch it happen.  But that was so hilarious!!!! I hope you all have an awesome week and a fabulous day and are SAFE AND HEALTHY!!!!!!! I miss you like crazy and I LOVE YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love,

Taylor

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO