Letter #26

Greetings from the KentuCkee.. How ya'll doin? Hows the snow? Let me tell u that I am sure glad there is no snow on the ground right now. It is about 45 degrees right now. So I got Jller's package. I LOVE LOVE LOVED IT!I will have to write her and thank her. I showed my comp all the videos.. Man everyone is changing a lot. LIke a lot. I can't believe it. Everyone looks so different and happy. (ESPECIALLY EASTON AND TATE and LIVVIE).... they all have prolly grown the most. Tate is huge. He doesn't have a man voice though. Thats good. HAHA.
Training is goin well. I am just training while I am with Sister Bean. After we aren't companions I won't be her trainer. You are only a trainer to people who are new to the mission. If God calls me to be a trainer to another sister than I will be. I notice that I DO NOT train like I was trained. I try and be more personal. Believe it or not I am a chatter BOX. I get my comp to talk and talk and tell me everything about her. I noticed that has helped her not be so homesick. One thing That I wear myself out doin is boosting her confidence. (in a good way).. I have noticed that I get a lot of companions with no inner confidence in themselves. I don't know why Heavenly Father trusts me with that kinda responsibility, but its kinda fun.
The hard thing about training is you have to do a lot of the work.. cuz your companion just doesn't know cuz she has never done it before. It can be very mentally exhausting.. but really rewarding.
Sorry my email was so short.. I been thinkin about it.. I REALLy just have no desire to write letters anymore. Only to my family and stuff... I don't know why.. but It just doesn't amuse me anymore. I think I am gettin really used to being a missionary. I notice I can't remember the movie stars or the teams I used to like or even the music. I dunno I am just gettin WEIRD. ITs even weird to sit down at a table with 2 Elders. (one of them bein 70 year old).. HAHA.. I think man I can't sit by boys this is weird.....LOL.. OH joys... This week was good. The sun didn't shine for a BLASTED WEEK!! That was kinda put a damper on your tracting. It is just really rainy here and the roads make ya car sick.. HAHA.. But I do love it. I have been here for 5 months. Its really a great place to be a missionary. Kyle's baptism went really well. When he got in the water he looked up to his mom and just smiled and grinned ear to ear. I almost shed a tear it was so cute. (his parents aren't members)... When he first got there he says "Sister furniss are they gonna fill the font to the top?" LOL.. I was like OH NO NONO kyle... haha.. (He was a lil nervous)....
So did ya'll get tickets to come to TN for Thanksgivin???? wink wink wink....
Mom do u ever see anyone of my married friends?? Yes all of them are married.. I
guess that happens.. ha ha..
It was so good to see some of alvin and tate playin ball.. I showed some Elders
who play ball.. I was like oh wait my sister is 16.. and u just turned how
OLD???? HAHAHA..
Today we are goin to wally world cuz I gotta get some more thy meds. and I might
go get a trim on my hair cuz its just gettin to long...
I love you all so much and I can feel your prayers. Thanks for always writing me
really good letters and emails. THey sure do help me out a lot.

Love u all!!!!
chelz

Letter #25

Hey Family! hows it be? wut has been happenin lateLy? I miss you all much and much. Things are goin pretty good. I am definately in a learning experience.. ha ha It has started to warm up tremendously. Its like way warm. We can tract in our sweaters now.
Hows the FamiLY? Hows tate and Alivin? I wrote them letters but ya know I never
did hear back. Things are good here. I am learning to just work and not think about where I am at.
We commited Mikey Bryant to be baptized last night. I bascially just flat out asked the kid and I picked a date off the cell phone calendar. He is Rhondas son. He is 11 years old. We asked him to be baptized on Feb 20th. He said yes. Now his whole family will be members of the church. We are busy getting ready for Kyle Jones baptism this wed. He is so CUTE! He is smart and so ready and when he says the prayer he has a big southern accent. Its way cute.
So I found out that I can't remember any songs or movies I used to like. I guess that is what happens when you haven't thought about them for 8 months. My companion talks about all these movies and songs she listened to before she came on her mission in DEc. and I"m just like... well I don't remember a darn one. HA HA.... My comp was like.. Thats good cuz that means you are way into the work.lol... I dunno I think I just am gettin weird. I will have to figure out what kinda things I like again when I get home from the mish. It's kidna funny.
...
So Livvie is almost 8 months OLD? Whoa I can't believe it. Easty is lookin big too. I can't believe how grown up he is. I don't think I'll recognize any of ya.Today we are gonna be tracting and then teaching apts tonighT. I am tryin not to get too overwhelmed and stressed out with being a trainer and all. I know that times is gonna fly right on by and oct will be here before I KNOW IT.. so crazy
Love ya'll!!!

Sister Furniss

Letter #24

Hi Fam. WutSss up? Notta lot here.. It's like snowin a bit.. .It looks like a big fluffy snow bAll here. Its FREEZING!!! So we tracted in like 10 degree weather the other day and I almost cried cuz I felt like I had the frost bite.. BUT I kept goin and I felt fine after I said myself a lil prayer.. haha so I am training a Sister named Amanda Bean.. and guess where she is from MONTANTA.. She is doin great. I don't think she is homesick.. BUT MAN when we first got together I was so like stressed out and overwhelmed.. I got these really big headaches and I felt so emotional and mentally overwhelmed.. Cuz I was doing EVERYTHING.. I mean teachin the whole lesson and all that and It kinda overwhelmed me. I am not so stressed out now. She is talkin a lot more at doorsteps and stuff and I am teachin her how to communicate with people. She told me she was homeshooled the past 5 years and has never had to talk to anyone
(literally).. So I am teaching her everything.. from how to talk on the phone to how to buy groceries and how to manage her money. She never went to college and stayed home taking care of her brothers while her mom worked. She is doin GREAT though. She is really progressing everyday. She is getting over here fear of people.
The other day she was like "sister furniss I want to be just like you.. how do u get so confident in yourself.. "... lol.. I was like I didn't know I was! ha ha.. I guess the mission sure does change you and your perspectives... I guess I am a lot more confident in communicating with people. I hate awkward silence when first meeting someone.. I think I prolly talk a lil too much! HA HA... The other day I told her she better talk to me. HAHA.. so now we justu chat and chat all days long... We have a senior couple here with us named Elder and Sister Black. They are from New york. I am basically training the senior couple and Sister Bean. I am tryin not to carry too much burden on me.. but oh its hard.. ha ha
We didn't do anything on New years. We basically just went to bed.. haha.. On new years Day we went to a members and had lunch with her and her family. It was pretty fun. She is hilarious..I am doin PReTTy GOOD though. I am tryin to just work my lil butt off.. HOw did ya'll like those pics from my sim card???? Do u have any questions? ha ha.. How are easty and livvie doin?? What fun things are they doin nowadays??? Time sure does fly. I will be home in like 9 months almost..AH! ha ha
WeLL I hope all is well. I love you guys so much.. Keep on Keepin DA fAIth..
Luv
SistER Furniss

Letter #23

HeAY yaaaa.. Wuts up?? Welll not a lot here really. We are just at the Lib doin some emailin.. HEY JILLER - did you get my SIM CARD?? Yeah I sent you guys all my pics from my whole mission as of yet. I hope all ya'll got them. You can post some on my blog or somethin like tha.
How has basketball been goin??? OH HOW I miss goin to games.. I will next year at this time for surely. I just tell myself I don't gotta experiene a Christmas away from home EVa EVA agAIn! That is just good news.. So yesterday was my 7th month birthday. I can't believe how fast I am growin up. Already 7 months oLDS. Man time flies.
This week has been goin good. We got another baptismal commitment with a man named Steven. He is Herbert and Teresa's son. He just got outa jail. Like no joke on Wed. So he was like well I wanna be baptized.. Then I told him what he needed to do and I was like well when do ya wanna??? and he said as soon as possible. COOL HUh????
Our neighbor Dan died on Thursday. He was a dear dear friend. He just suddenly
died. I saw him walk out to the ambulance cuz he was complanin of pain and then
the next day he was dead. He got pancreantitis and it shut down all of his organs. It was a very sad SUDDEN thing. Dan always brought us dinners like 3 times a week. He was a professional Chef. We went to his funeral yesterday after church and it was SO SAD. Dan lived with his son patrick who was a lil slow. and It was sad to see patrick just crying.
We plan to go tell him about the plan of salvation this week. good idea eh? I been workin like a mad DOG. we had a really good week this past week. We get 3 new sisters in on DEC 30th. I think that me or my comopanion will train. I dunno though. I keep ya'll posted.
SO how is everyone DOIN???? fill me in on all the details PUhhhLEASE! Hows everyone and their husbands and children. I hope good. You're right about Whitley mom. It is CRAZY.. But man If I get pulled outa here I will cry. This is like my home now.
This Christmas day we are goin over to some friends named Jay and Freeda. No they aren't members,... but they are the only ones that invited us. We have no plans for christmas eve either. We work all day christmas eve and Christmas day is our "Pday".. So it should be great. (I HOPE).....I got your package mom. I already started the days. It was awesome!! I lOVED IT!!
Well I better get. But I love you all so much!!! Keep the FAiTH!!
Luv
chelZ