Letter #12

Hey Everyone! How are you all doin? How was all ya'll's week? Ya all been doin well? Sounds like Tater and Alvin are tearin it up in sports. and it sounds like Livvie and Easty are as cute as ever ever. Kass is movin? Where to in Provo? That is exciting she's gonna LOVE it. When does BYU-IdAhO start? I miss you all so much. I guess you know when you're kinda homesick is when you dream about your family and you have conversations with them in your dreams.. Then you wake up and you're like.. Oh that was just a dream. haha. Yep I totally had one of those last week. It was not good. : )
Things are good here in Kentucky. Sorry I couldn't email yesterday cuz of Labor Day. The Library here was closed. Yesterday we went to Cumberland Falls and walked around there. It is like a big tourist attraction. We went with a Recent Convert named Trina. She is pretty funny. WE then went to our investiagor Joe's house and had dinner with him and his family and played games and then played pool. It was pretty fun.
This week has kinda been weird. I just don't feel like I'm workin hard enough. Am I WEIRD or WHA? I tell my comp that and she thinks I'm a weirdo. MAybe I'm a workaholic. I notice that when I'm not workin hard enough I just feel like crap all day long. Ya gotta stick to the Missinoary schedule or else you will not succeed I've noticed. Sister Hales and I are havin trouble findin people to teach. With my last companion we were finding people left and right and havin a lot of success. I dunno I think it just takes time. But i know it's cuz we're not sticking to the schedule that we should be doin. Ya know wut I mean?I just wanna work work and work and not have any regrets and of course I wanna BAPTIZE and tell everyone I know about this restored gospeL. Being a missionary is such an amazing thing.
We had zone conference on Friday and we role-played with President on how to ask better questions when we're teaching. It was pretty fun and I learned so much. We were actually an 1 hour late cuz we thought it started at 10 instead of 9. Oops.
Sister Griffin told me that we are getting 6 new sisters here in our mission in November. So do you know what that means??? I might get to TRAIN!! WooT WooT! I
really would love to experience that. I bet it's probably way hard, but I think that would be cool. Thanks for all your e0mails and letters. I had no idea how important they are to missionaries until I became one. They sure are great.
I hope all is well and everyone is doin good. I'm praying for you all. Talk to ya next Monday
Luv,
Sister Furniss

Letter #11

hEY fAM..You guessed it. I am in a new area and I have a new companion and I couldn't be happier. I am in a VERY VERY small area way out in the country of Kentucky. My new companion is Sister Hales and she is from Vegas and she only has about 4 months left. We have instantly clicked. She is very loud and very talkative and very dedicated to the gospel. Our area borders the TN and Kentucky state Line. So we go to TN and Kentucky. I am serving in a branch with about 20 people. YES TWENTY PEOPLE! There are 200 members and only like 20 people come. THAT is so why I'm here. I'm bringin back KENTUCKY! This area is really dead. The last sisters had like no investigators and so we are workin real hard to get more people to teach. This area is just like totally dry and dead. I told sister hales that we are Bringin it back and by the time I leave it's gonna be hoppin. So we live in a little apartment right by a train station. YES all night trains go by and it totally shakes our apt. It's like I'm livin in a train station. Easty and Tate would absolutely LOVE it. I will record a video of what it's
like. The first night I was here I couldn't sleep a wink. But now I'm used to it and the trains just put me to sleep. The first night I thought oh my gosh if a train wrecks we are DEAD. haha..I am the piano player for the branch. They gave me a list of songs and everything. haha. We have a lot of part member families and less activies and Sister Hales and I are gonna tackle them with full force.. BEfore I came to the area they had NO CAR.. crazy huh.. as soon as I got here President called us and was like Okay sisters you need a car. I think it's cuz he knows Sister Hales and I have a lot of work to do and we can do it. Our area is so spread out. Kentucky reminds me of Island Park. (well the area I'm in)... I hope I get to serve in every state (georgia, virginia) that would be cooL... Some people we are working with here are pretty awesome. We are working with a less active and her Sister who isn't a member. They are named the Slavens. They really like us a lot. All 3 sister live together and they are pretty heavily obese. I love goin and chattin with them. They fixed us dinner and they were like "sister furniss are you a veggitarian?? HAHA.. I was like no why.. they're
like well you look like it. haha.. It was funny..
I know I tell you all this every week but I really do love being a missionary. I love being able to see people and smile at them and share with them something I love which is the gospeL. One ffunny thing is here they aren't as friendly as in Elizabethton. We met a preachers wife the other day and she started yelling at us and telling us we are so very fallen from jesus christ and that we were going to hell.. Like she was flat out yelling at us. I am getting to be real bold cuz I was just like sayin listen lady and telling her what we believe in. then we just smiled and I shook her hand and we walked off and told her to have a great day. We were real nice to her. .. It was a funny experience.. I have also met a lot of anti- mormon people here. Like the tell me that I need to ditch the bbook of mormon and how I am just so fallen. I am so glad I have a strong testimony and it makes me feel so sad for those people who say that. I just pray and pray for them that their hearts will be soften and they'll want to hear the message of the restored gospl...
We also had a army dude answer his door in his underwear... He was like "Listen ladies I don't think it's very right of you to walk around sharing religion when people are in their underwear." ... I was like "Well sir I don't think it's really right to answer the door in YOUR underwear".. I then laughed and said May I share a card with you? and we gave him a passs along card. It was pretty funny... Just funny things like that happen every single day..I love you all SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCh!!!!! Thanks for supporting me to go on a mission. It really has been the best thing I have ever done with my life. I mean it has been the HARDEST thing too. I have never cried so much,.... but I have never felt so close to my savior jesus christ before and that makes it very much worth it. I know that serving a mission has changed my life.. I can't even IMAGINE how I would be if I wouldn't have decided to serve a mission. i don't even want to think about it.. Well I love you all so much. Today is P day and we
probably are just gonna go shoppin and then back to our apt. We don't live close to any Elders or anything we live very much up in the boonies.. So it's basically me and sister hales all the time. It's okay though because we love eachother.. We figure we will be together for 2 transfers.. and then it will be THANKSGIVING.. crazy huh.. and then I would have been out on my missino for 6 months....Have a good week family. I'll talk to you next Monday...
Luv,
Sister Furniss

Letter #10

Hi Family! How ya'll doin? Sounds like you'ins all had a great time in SLC. and sounds like Dad is stayin busy wit all those sports. I am sure proud of TATEr for goin shoppin and bein wit the women. I bet that was fun. haha.. How's the weather in Ideeho. haha I bet it's pretty nice huh?
Well sorry this email is a little later in the day. Me, Sister Allen, Elder Bingham, and Elder Bennett all went hiking today in the beautiful mountains of TN. We hiked LAurel Falls and it was so pretty. I took lots of pics. I am getting ready to send my sim card to ya'll. I have been making a lot of videos so I can't wait for you all to see them. I think you'll laugh.
So transfers are this wednesday and I have the great priveledge of going to a new area!! I am so excited! I hope I get to go to a new area every transfer. I love meeting so many people and teaching them. I just hope I get to travel a lot
on my mission to different areas. I want to experience it ALL! So funny thing
Sister Allen thought that SHE would be the one leaving and not me. (they don't
tell ya who's leaving until the sunday before)... So Saturday Sister ALlen packed all her things and said her goodbyes to all and then sunday night we got a call from our District leader saying .. I WOULD be the one leaving. Sister ALlen then had an emotional breakdown and was up like all night. She really doesn't wanna stay here in Elizabethton at all. She has been here for like 8 months and she's tracted every street in this area. I felt really bad for her, but told her that heavenly father knows what he's doin. There are only like 6 "sister areas" here in our mission. I could be goin to Kentucky, georgia, chatanooga, or some other places. Anyone wanna take a guess??? haha.. I will find out Wednesday and also get a new companion. : )
So today and tomorrow I will be saying goodbye to all of my beautiful friends I've made here in Elizabethton. I know that David is gonna FLIp!! I hope he does alright though. He is still goin strong and comin to church every week. He just hasn't been able to quit smokin.
We tract like everyday in the 90 degree weather. It is pretty tough, but also pretty rewarding. M. Russel Ballard has a talk that talks about how tracting should be "theuraputic".. it really is!! You think about just life and stuff and it's pretty relaxing.. (then you have a dog attack you).. haha.. But pretty much it's what we do as missionarios. Knock doors.
We had 3 really great families that we were teaching invite us over and tell us that they prayed about it and learning about the mormon church was not the answer they got. All three of the families told us that they needed to go in "another direction". It was so devestating!! It just breaks your heart to hear people say that they have decided to not meet with us anymore. It was crazy cuz all this happened last week. I am so glad we have the restored gospel in the church of jesus christ on the earth today and we are all part of it. We are so blessed.
I totally show the Elders up at BALL.. hehe jk.. There is an Elder who had like a basektball scholarship to BYU and stuff and he's waiting to go after his mish. There are some Elders that are way good. and they're always like .. "alright sister MJ you're on our team".. haha.. It's pretty funny. Basketball is a REAL sport. ; ) wink wink
Tate you're gonna have to send me some pics of you cuz I hear you are growin up real big. You are probably a TEENAGER NOW.. OH my goodness that's sad to think. haha.. I love pictures so if you want to you can send them to me.
I can't believe how bold I am getting family!! Seriously some of the
stuff that comes outa my mouth. I'm like WHOA.. I know it's the spirit talking through me. I only have the spirit when I am exactly obedient,,... when i'm not the spirit isn't there at all. My new favorite book besides the book of mormon is .. PReach my GOsPeL. It's just like the best book ever. I also LOVE meeting new people SOOO much! I have made a goal to show more love towards the investigators and everyone I meet. I am trying so very hard to smile and say hi to everyone I see. Even if it's just in wally world. I have met some AMAZING people. I can't wait for you all to see my book I'm making about all the people i've met and the area's i'm serving in. IT"S SO AWESOME.
Tonight we are teaching Holly Jackson about the gospel of Jesus Christ and then We are teaching a lady named Helen. (her trailor is the sickest thing i've ever seen.. I totally have to spray for fleas when I go there).... Helen is suffereing from severe depression. She cries the whole time whenever we go, but asks the best questions. Last time we were teaching her about the restoration and then she just started to cry and tell us how everyday she just feels confused. We then sang her a hymn and her face just lit up! She just started smiling and was happier. Music can be so powerful. Whenever we meet a widow we always sing her a hymn. I have never sang so much in my life and My companion was like you have such a great voice will you sing in sacrament?? i was like umm NOOO! haha. I only play da piANo.
I was scheduled to talk this sunday in sacrament, but since I'm going to be transferred to a new area I think sister Allen will be. he he.. Sister Allen was like.. "sister furniss, i know when you get to a new area and a new companion you are just gonna have so much success and be such a great missinoary cuz you have that natural ability to lead." When she said that I was like.. umm ME?? haha Ya I didn't know I was like that. But I guess being on a mission changes you.
Well FamiLy I love you all so much and I can't believe I've been out for almost 4 months. It has been the longest months of my life, but yet I have learned more than I ever could in my life. You just have these experiences every single day that strengthen you. As I make goals to strengthen my teaching and also areas I want to improve on as a person, It makes me so happy! ! I evaluate myself every month and make new goals for myself. Like attributes I want to work on, or just like learning more doctrine. It's so awesome! I so challenge you all to evaulate youself more and make goals for youself so you can become the best you can be! : )
I recently ready a book called... Our search for Happiness by M. Russel Ballard. It's such a good book! It ever you are bored and need a book to read you should read it. It totally expalins our church and it will strengthen your testimony.
I so have the best family in the WORLD! Mom and dad I hope you are both preparing to move to be mission president somewhere. he he.. wink.. I can totally see Dad doing what President Griffin does. President totally reminds me of DAD!! So whenever I go have interviews with him I totally look forward to it cuz it reminds me of Dad. President Griffin LOVES interacting with the Elders and Sisters... I hope me and my husband can be mission presidents somewhere.. and then Sister Griffin is such a down to earth lady like mom. haha
Well it's 3:49 PM and I need to go finish packing and then shower for the day so we can get to work at 6 PM to 9 PM.. Last night I was so sick. I had the worst stomach crap and we had to go home early cuz I couldn't even tract and I went straight to bed. I feel so much better today. I think it was cuz Saturday we went to a less active named Peggy Stewart and helped her cock her baseboards and then she fed us these peanut butter sandwiches and they were nasty. It totally made me sick. I ate it anway though. HAHA.. bLAH!!
Well I must go but I love you all so mucho.
Talk to u
laters......
LOVE
Sister Furniss

Letter #9

Hey Family!!! I miss ya'll much. I love being able to be a representative
for the lord. It's such a great blessing and an honor...

Alright this week was full of hard work and dedication. We tracted a lot and we met some funny people. We are still teaching David. He is still tryin to stop the smokes. It's so hard!! He had a hard week. He told a little lie to us last week. and he felt so bad that he didn't even come to church. Yesterday we told us the lie and we just smiled and said it's okay David. I LOVE being able to make people smile and touch their lives. It's such a great feeling huh? I'm so grateful I'm in a church that has the fullness of the one true gospel here on earth. MY how we're so blessed. : ) Last tuesday we tracted this trailor park and I went up to a trailor and was getting ready to knock on the door and I saw this 300 pound man sitting on his couch NAKED!! AHh!!! Totally scarred me for life. I was in totally schock. His wife hurried and threw a blanket over him and she ran to the door. She had the blackest teeth I'd ever seen. She has been chewin tobacco and it was comin outa her mouth. We hurried and shared a card with her and left. haha
I play the piano sometimes like at district meetings and zone conferences. I lead a lot too. Like all the time. We have to be within sight or sound of our companion so it's kinda crazy! : )
We found 15 new investigators last week. I had to beg and beg my companion to let me teach more. She doesn't let me that often. I totally have learned to stand up for myself and be bold. Sometimes I look at myself and think.. DID I just sAY THA? Man I'm bold.... One thing I thought was interesting was David Craig the investiagtor we're
teachin told me he got outa Jail March 12th of tihs year. That is the same day I got my mission call!!! I just know that I got it on that day so I could teach David. He was prepared and we were able to find him and this exact time. It's crazy how Heavenly father has this plan for everything. I love it.
I just love this gospel so much. I am so grateful for prayer. I know wihtout a doubt that this is the true church and that Heavenly Father loves me so much. He knows what I need to suceed and to grow spiritually. That's such a great feeling. I know that through the atonement I'm able to overcome all my trials I have. I know that the things I'm goin through right now on my mission are nothing compared to what our savior went through. I am so BLESSEd! I can be with my family forever someday. I am so grateful for the pLan of Salvation that allows it. Everyday peoeple tell us missionaries that the they don't believe in the book of mormon. I just think well you wouldn't know because you have never read it and prayed about it. Then we invite them
to and it's so wonderful.

Hey mom if you're in SLC and you find some cute shirts (without a collar... no more of those pUHLEASE)... you could send them down to TN. : ).. There is no where to go shopping here. Also if ya wanna send some more panti hoes and maybe some bug spray or somethin. HAHAHA.. Love ya mom..
I love you all so much family. You have no idea how much I am grateful for you all. I hope you all have a great week and keep smiling cuz life is good.:)
Luv,
Sister Furniss

Letter #8

Hey FamiLy~!! Dude how come Dad didn't email me this WEeK?? ha ha. HELLO?? It's so good to hear from everyone every week. It totally makes my day and my week and the next 15 monThs! : ).. This week has been pretty good. Sister Allen got a ticket cuz she ran a red light. She was sooo freaking out cuz she has never even got pulled over before. (go figure).. they gave her a 125 dollar fine. So I made her call President and she told him she ran it cuz I was talking to her.. HA!! I set her straight after I heard that. So now I am the driver and Sister Allen is the co- pilot. I feel like such a big girl now driving. ha ha. I feel like I got some responsibility now.
How are the Apontes doin? Sounds like you all are having a blast hangin out
and partyin. I was wonderin if you were in SLC or something shoppin for some clothes. Aww.. We helped Edith Pitts paint her basement on tuesday and then on Saturday we helped a less active Peggy cock her baseboards (what an odd job)... We have really been working on getting peggy weggy back to church and she just called us like 10 mins ago and said she would COME!! go figure! Service brings so many blessings. If you want to touch someones heart .. SERVE THEM..
So remember Rick? Yeah well he hasn't been progressing at all and he's still smoking and President told us to drop him so we are just meeting with him once a week. He had a baptismal date and everything but now we're just waiting for him cuz we've taught him everythin. Kinda a bummer. David is doin good. He still can't lay off the smokes and so he set himself his own baptisimal date of Aug 22. Last week we went with Elder Allridge and Elder Thomas and we taught David 15 steps to stop smoking and David kinda got defensive and thought we were pushin him. It was odd. But David is still goin strong and comin to church and everything. Me and him are way tight. He tells me
things and is like DON"T TELL SISTER ALLEN. HA hA.. I'll send you some pics. I recorded some videos on my sim card and I'll send it and you guys can put it in
Kassie's MAC and watch it. Then can you guys record videos for me on Kassies computer and send the card back??? YAY! that would be awesome.
Everyday is just kinda funny. We are teaching a lady who lives in Elizabethton and her name is Tina Turner. Who would have thought I would be teaching someone famous?? HA HA! She is about 80 years old and white and southern. Sister Allen had no idea who Tina Turner was, but I just started laughin so hard.Last night we went to this Tabernacle of God. We thought it would be Penacostal so we went to attend their service. It was the Lamest thing I'd ever been to. There were only 8 PEOPLE in attendance and the preacher wore jeans. He was really mean too. He was like telling the whole congragation how we were sinners if we look at hollywood. WEIRD!! I am not gonna lie I was laughing cuz at the begginning we sang like 5 songs and you could only hear sister Allen and I. Sister Allen was like shhhh.. haha. It was funny. Ya know you just gotta laugh everyday cuz life is fun and exciting ya knoW?
What day does school start for Tater and AlVin? I will take more pics. It has been sorta hard cuz like Sister Allen won't take out her camera for nothin. So I feel kinda weird doin it. Ha HA
Yes mom there are some cute Elders, well mainly the assistants to the president. HA! Some Elders are way friendly and love talking to sisters. But then you get those who think it's a sin to talk to the Sisters or something. It's kinda odd. Today we are going bowling in Bristol TN with our whole zone. Woot WooT! We are also going to get our hair cut at some ghetto place on the corner.. Wish me LUCK.
This week it was my goal to really concentrate on feeling the spirit and following the promptings. I am almost done with the b of M and I've marked the whole thing. I marked anything that referenced anything towards Jesus Christ. IT WAS AWESOME. I just like gained a better testimony of the B of M. President also counceled us to have our own "Sacred Grove" time every morning. (Look in this months Ensign) and I pray out loud and really concentrate on feeling the spirit and then I study and it is BEAUTIFUL! Man I would encourage all ya'll to do that cuz it works and is powerful.
OH YES! I dunno if I told you all but I have fleas. Yep Fleas. These panti hoe's attract flees and my legs are like all bitten. I had to go buy some bug spray and I spray everytime we leave the house. Cuz we track around some pretty ghetoo and gross places and not really clean either. I just thought I'd tell ya'll that. haha.. Gotta love the panti hoes. One day I was walkin and for some reason I didn't notice but my panti ho (knee high) had fallen to my ankle. so I had like an akle sock. HAHA.. My companion was like Sister Furniss what is wrong with your knee high. HAHAHA. That was pretty funny. I guess I was just concentrating on other things>?
Well I love you all so so so so so so so so mUCH! Things are getting better and I'm getting more into the missionary mode and spirit. I like it cuz it makes me not think of other things except being a missionary. I hope you are all doing good and having fun and reading you scriptures and sharing the GOSPEL!!! Hope ya'll have a great week.
Talk to ya next monday
Sister Furniss

Letter #7

Hey FAMiLy!! Another great week in Elizabethton. I have been DYING to email you guys and tell you the good news. WE GOT ANOTHER BAPTISM COMIN UP!! His name is David Craig and me and Sister Allen Found him on July 3rd. He has commited to be baptized on August 1st. He is 45 years old and single and has spent many years in the slammer. He just wants to get to heaven! haha. He loves the b of M and he has a very strong testimony. I told him that he has to meet my family when ya'll come to TN and he was so excited. I was like you would really like my dad. David really needs a friend and he was so grateful when us the sisters knocked on his door. SO that means we have 2 baptisms this month! I got to call the assistants and tell them the good news and they wree like "goodness Sister furniss, 2 baptisms and it's only your 1st transfer!!" haha. I was like well "I have been a very blessed little missionary". Rick is the other guy who has commited to be baptized august 1st as well. He is still tryin to quit the smokes. He has some issues w the Law of Chastity. It was kinda awkward cuz he was tellin us some pretty weird things about his sexuality. AH!! We were like okay Rick that's enough. haha
Sounds like everyone is keepin busy! Thats good to hear. I got Tate, alvins and Easty's letter in the mail! THANK YOU SO MUCHo!! I luved the letters and I hung
the pics of Easty and Livvie right above my bed. haha. Livvie looks SO much like
JILLER! and whoa easty is getting big and he is so so so dark. he must be out
suntannin a lot.
So funny story we eat out at members like I wiould say once a week or somethin and last week we ate at this members home and it was real nice, but weird. This family is the biggest red-neck hill billy fam I've ever seen! They were like burpin at the table and eatin off the table w/ no plate and yellin and screamin at eachother. I was like WHOA! haha.. Don't get me wrong they are the nicest people ever and very strong in the church, but MAN! I am sure glad my parents taught me which way to pass the food and how to act when missionaries/company is over. I was just very weirded out by it. They didn't have a lot of manners. haha.. They are a funny family though. I think the south just has different ways of doin things.
Thats crazy that all the boatin crew has a missionary out!
So a family in my ward is on their way to rexburg RIGHT NOW! They are an older couple and their names are the Hoods. They have a son who lives right by the Rexburg temple. I was gonna tell them to stop by our house, but i forgot. haha.There is also a girl in our ward named Keristen Jones and she is the cutest girl ever and she's goin to BYUI in august. I am gonna tell her to go to our house so she can meet ya'll. Her and her sisters remind me of MY sissys. They all share clothes and stuff and she is such a cutie. She goes on splits w/ us all the time.
My comp is doin well. I'll be honest wit ya, we aren't BFF's and we don't really
socialize (cuz we're so different, she is a genious at playing chess)... but goodness we sure do teach well together and as missionaries we can work wonders. I know thats why we're together! We got 2 baptisms! woot woot... The end of the transfer is this WED and so we'l definately be together another 6 weeks. I have a feeling I'll be in Elizabethton for awhile. : )... The days go by so slow, but the weeks are FLYIN BY. I can't believe i've already been out 2 months. Thas CrAZy! I'm learnin SOooooo much. It's glorious. It's way humid here like my hair goes into lil curlies all the time. haha..
Thanks for callin DR. BAker. Thas good to know. I've felt greAT! What did President say in his letter to ya? I think send packages still to the mission home in knoxville then they forward it to me in elizabethton (which is 2 1/2 hours away).. If you find any brown flats to wear to church you can send them. : )..
Tell everyone hi for Me and keep me updated on everyones life. I love readying about your weeks and stuff. This week will be a great week full of knockin doors and teachin the restoration. haha.. GoD BLESS!
Luv,

Sister Furniss

Letter #6

Hi Family. How was the 4th of JULLY?? Sounds like you all had fun at the cabin and riding the weener. How is mitz and jodi and their families doin?? Elizabethton TN is doin great. We tracted for 5 hours on the 4th of July and no one was home! haha. We taught some weird lessons. Like we knocked on one lady's door and she was like "oh ya come on in".. and we walked in and she was in her UNDIES! HAHA... she was like oh hold on I just got outa the tub. Sister and ALlen were like ummm.. I started laughin and Sister allen was just kinda confused. It was pretty funny. The biggest issue with the people we teach is the W OF WISDOM.. Man everyone smokes. I need to pull out my health teaching skills and keep people of drug eh? he he..
We commited our friend RICK to be BAPTIZED!! He is gonna be baptized on July 25th if he can continue to lay of the smokes. He needs to stop lightin his Loli POP.. HE is the coolest guy ever.. We are teaching his girls too.. THIS is so the bible belt. OH My goodness. Everyone is either Free-will baptist, southern baptist.. or just baptist or they can't remember what they are but they read the bible. Sometimes Sister ALlen gets into these deep bible discussions and I'm just kinda like ummmm.. It's kinda overwhelming, but I am starting to read the bible. cuz honestly I never have before. So that is a bit of a struggle for me.
We are also teaching the Burn's family and we keep inviting them to church like every single day and they won't ever come but for some reason they really like us. So I bought these "walmart special" shoes like a month ago and they are sure weird lookin but I wear them anways... but I gave them to our friend LISA! She said she wouldn't go to church unless she had some shoes to go wit her skirt. So I gave her my ones I got at wally world. and she was so gosh darn happy. I'll have to send you pics of her and me. She is 16 years old. She hasn't been to church yet.. but hopefully now she has some
shoes she'll wear them. She comes from a really hard life. She lived in a group home for like 3 years cuz her dad sexually abused her and her mom couldn't take care of her.. but now her mom got her back and she lives wit her mom and sister. It was really cool to see her face light up.. SO I live in a apt in Elizabethton and it's just like a little town house. It's pretty old, but I have my own bed and we have AC and the laundry room smells like poop. haha. But hey it works so its all good. My bed is kinda
lumpy and it sinks in the middle. haha. But I sleep so good on it for some reason cuz I think i'm just so gosh dead tired at nights I just crash. haha...
I am ready to not be a trainee and be a regular missionary. haha. I'm tired of having a mom (sister allen) tell me wut to do. I"m learning a lot from her though, but oh boy i'm ready to not be a trainee..I would lOVE to be able to be a trainer later in my mission. I think I would do it a lot different than my trainer did, but just cuz thats me. So GUESS WHA!! I made Sister Allen take me to a baptist church and we went last night. I figured I need to go to one cuz I've never been.. and everyone we meet are BAPTIST.. so I needed to see it for myself. It was so weird! It was real nice chappel and everyone was so friendly and nice people, but the spirit was NOT there. We went to the Valley Forge Free-Will Baptist Church. The preacher was just a screamin and he kept talkin about the blood of christ and how he thinks we need to talk more about the blood and not shy away from it. It felt more like a production than church. He had a big southern accent too. Everyone here has some kinda southern accent and somtimes I can't understand them. lol.. I have to be like.. "Sister Allen what did they say"?? I'm go glad I belong to the church of latter day saints. It is the only true church on this earth.
The roads here are so windy and we tract out in the boonies. I get so car sick. haha. Weird I know. We have tracted into some crazy southerners. They seriously make me laugh so much. I am takin pics left and right. SO I'll send some. I am making so many friends in Elizabethton. THAT is what keeps
me going and being a missinoary of course. My testimony is just growing rapidly and I have wrote in my journal every single day of the experiences I have. Cuz EVERY single day I have some kinda super special experience.
We have a car, but we walk so much and just park our car. The other day we almost got attacked by a dog. I was swingin my bag around like a maniac. HAHA. I am so weird. Somethin must be wrong wit me, cuz we were talking to some less actives and I let this little ugly dog crawl all over me.. AH! I dunno why either. It was kinda fun. haha. We are teaching this lady named Ana May and she has like 5 big fat CATS!! We teach her outside, but if she EVer asks us to go in, i'll be like umm no thank you. hehe. She is such a sweet lady.
Yesterday we went and had lunch with President Porter and his wife and 2 other Elders in our ward. Pres Porter is Pres Griffin's councelor. and he does exactly what YOU DO dad. He is a retired insurance salesman and he lives on a golf course in this mansion old country house. It was fun.
Well sorry this letter is so like random, but I think i'm getting to be a random person. haha. I LOVE being a missionary and this has been the experience of a lifetime. I have grown closer to my savior in so many ways, it has changed my perspective on life and increased my purpose. I decided that after the mish I want to hurry and have them babies and get married so I can go on a mission wit my hubby as soon as the kids are gone. Hhaa! I love you all so much! and I'm working my lil behind off and lovnig every single minute. Even though every single day is so very HARd and satan works hard to discourge me, I come home kneeling in prayer thanking heavenly
father for those hard hours I had.
LUV YOU ALL! MWAH!!

PS - write me a letter or somethin. ; P
Thanks for all the emails and letters, it serouisly makes me so happy and
brightens up my dad to hear from everyone! Livvie is so cute!!!

TATE are you still alive????? JILL? KASS? ALVIN? YO
Luv,

Sister Furniss