Letter #38

Hey yall. Sounds like Livvie's Birthday was fun. She looks a lot like Jill hen she was a baby doesn't she? Does Easton ever answer the phone and talk to people? I bet he does. ha ha. I was thinkin I haven't rode the weener in 2 years! and it will be 3 before I can Ride it again. Crazy! Ya'll better ride that weener and not pop it so I can ride it next year.: )
Things are goin good. We had 3 of our solid investigators tell us they don't want to meet with us anymore. That was kinda a bummer. We found some more people to teach though. We found 5 new investigators on Saturday in the 90 degree weather. We were wet but so wanting to find more people to teach.
I noticed that I have been dreaming about teaching the discussions like 3 times a week. I will just wake up and catch myself promising blessings or bearing my testimony and I'm like oh snap. I have been havin dreams about our investigators too. It's pretty funny if ya ask me.
We met a lady who spoke in toungues to us. She was condeming us and then spoke in this "O roo ya ha booga bogga boo" and told us that we have a major problem as mormons. We were just tracting too. It really scared the poo outa me. She made us read her a scripture out of the "mormon bible".. too. We read the one where it says "We talk to christ, we rejoice in christ and we write according to our prophecies that our children may know to which source they look for a remission of their sins"..... She was like okay good day and left. It was so weird.
There is a lot of persecution in the south. There is this family in the ward that really has somethin against us. I don't know if they have had a bad experience with the missionaries or what. They just will NOT go out with us on team ups. They are a really great spiritual family as well. It's like man we get enough persecution and rejection we sure don't need it from any members. I was reading a talk that one of the general authorities said that happiness doesn't come from your circumstance. It comes from your faith is Jesus Christ. So I just try and remember that when that time comes where I feel like I am the most hated person in the world.
I really do love my companion Sister Nygren. She keeps me goin. We are a lot a like. She has such a love for people and really wants to work hard. We get along great. Sometimes we work so hard that we forget that we are even companions. We than have to stop and be like "oh hey!".. ha ha..
Today Courtney is gonna take us to Norris Lake to look at and then we are gonna go to "Delias" in the west town mall. Sister Nygren wants to buy a new outfit for Elder Ballard. He he... Mom do u remember that Magazine Delias???? I think I might buy a new somethin somethin too. Elder Ballard is the only man I'll dress up for here in TN!! Oh and of course President. ha ha...
Well family I love you. I don't hear from any of you very much. But I know that it doesn't matter. I know I'll be home in like 5 months.. BUT I still need encouragment! The last months of your mission are the hardest. But if you don't want to write you don't have 2. : )
well talk to ya later

Love
chelz

Letter #37

HEy FamiLY. hOW ya all doin? Sounds like you had a blast @ the cabin. I loved the Pictures you all sent. That was sweet. Easty looks way grown up and Livvie is gettin big too. So she can walk? Thats cooL. You'll have to send me some pics. Did you all go Boating yesterday?
All the libraries were closed yesterday because of memorial day so we didn't get a change to e-mail. We went to the mall.. HAha.. My first time in a year. I couldn't believe that I was actually in a mall. I saw real people and I was a real person too. ha ha.. I felt like a sinner when I tried on a shirt in hollister. I never felt so weird in all my life. My companion felt weird too. HAHa. We felt like even a bigger sinner when we went into Victoria Secrets to smell the perfume. We ran out real fast. LOLL.. But ya I just felt weird bein around people and when the worker guy got me a room to try on this shirt I was like oh my gosh I can't be in here!!! funny eh?
We then went to Bishop Dixons house and had a bbq. I had a dog on a bun. Then we went to wally world and bought some groceries. and came home and took a nap. What a great PDAY HUh.
So When I was training sister bean we were tracting and it was freezing and we came across this house that was full of poop. Their front porch was there litter box. I wouldn't even go up and knock on the door. I was like "OH MY GOSH I CAN"T HANDLE THIS and I ran.." But it was quite funny. Sister Bean and I called it the house of poop. BUT I mention this cuz last week Sister Nygren and I were tracting and I was gettin ready to knock on this door.. and I smelt poop.. I was like oh NOT AGAIN.. I then look down at my shoe and I stepped in POOPY! I screamed and then did the truffle all down the lawn.. The things we go through as a missionary. HA HA..
Well the bugs are out so I bought me some bug spray to prevent against West Nile. I also got me some sun screen and my spanish is gettin really good dad. I can like understand people por quito. (a little bit)..... I LOVE SPANISH PEOPLE. My next mission I am goin to pureto rico. I play in the branch and I can now understand when it's my turn to play.. cuz I hear HErmana Furniss.. HAHA.
I am pretty excited for Elder Ballarad. President Griffin told me that the best thing I can do 2 prepare for his visit is to baptize. So all be darn Im gonna do it. I miss Kentucky so badly, but I am tryin to just live in the moment in Grove park.
We are commiting 2 young girls for baptism this week. So keep them in your prayers. One new thing that I started doin.. I dunno if I told ya'll.. BUT I got a copy of the Book of Mormon and I put like my life in there. I take it tracting and I mark it up like a journal. So when I am teachin people on the streets I just look at my copy of the book of mormon and it is so HELPFUL. I keep quotes and stuff and put sticky notes in it.. It is so marked up. I carry it in my hand everywhere I go. President Griffin has asked us to carry a copy with us everywhere in public. He wants it noticable and so I even carry it to the bano with me. Thats how much I love the Book of Mormon. When cars pass us we wave it in the air so they know we are LDS missionaries. Oh its great fun. I am gonna keep it with me for the rest if my life. And after the mish I will carry it in my purse everywhere I go. COOL hUH?? Ya'll should try it. You never know when someone is gonna ask you about the church.. You can just look in your purse and pull out your Book of Mormon and then share some of your fav scriptures..
I"LL BE DARN. I can't believe it's already June and Livvie will be 1 on friday. My companion asks me what I was doin 1 year from now.. And on June 4th I was like.. Well I got a letter from my Dad that my neice was born.. I went into the bathroom in the MTC and cried.. and then went back to class like nothin ever happened and haven't cried about it since.. ha ha.. June 2nd was the day I was suppose to fly to TN.. BUT COULDN"T cuz of the piggy flu.. Then June 15th was the day I arrived into the field and greeted my Trainer Sister Allen. I then asked my trainer why there were smoke comin outa the mountains.. She was like "SISTER FURNISS ITS CALLED THE SMOKEY MOUNTAINS"... HAHAHA That tells ya how smArt I am!
Well there is a tid bit from the journal for all ya'll..
THIS YEAr on June 15th we are havin a baptism.. SO what a great way to celebrate my 1 year in the field anniversary.
Well today we are goin tracting and goin to 2 appointments.. and then we are gonna go eat dinner at a house at 7:30. They have a lot of animals... : /
Well hope yall have a great week I'll takl to ya next monday
Love chelz

Letter #36

Hey family. HOws it goin? ? ? Things are goin good here. I am lovin the TN weather. Where you're always hotter than a fart. How was Shrek? I didn't even know there was a 3rd one till we walked passed a Mcdonalds and it said it on a poster. ha ha. Easty likes to sit still now?? Whoa he is growin up fast. So I guess I will just mention this right now and then I'll never again. Mom and dad you can pick me up on Dec 1st at 11:00 AM (TN time) in Farragut, TN at the church house we have our meetings in. I can get released on the phone or whatever and then we can go to nashville and travel around. I will still wear my tag of course. ha ha. THen we can still have everyone at the air port when I get home right??? ALRIGHTY!!!
This week has been good. It has been rough, but very rewarding. Thanks for the package mOMM!! I realized when I got it that bein gone for 1 year.. I really do miss my family... Then I realized that I really do love my mission....I am gonna finish these 6 months out really strong wit NO distractions!!! WHoeeeee I also noticed that I am just gettin tired of begging people and members to come with us or just tryin to be the happy one all the time. : ) It sure has blessed me though and it will continue to bless me as I forget about my problems and get 2 work.
I played the piano at a baptism for the spanish Elders and Sister GRiffin and PResident Griffin were there. They told me that Elder Russel M. Ballard is comin to nashville to speak to the missionaries in the Nashville mission and they invited all the missionaries from the knoxville mission to go. So June 10th all us missionaries are goin to NASHVILLE!!! OH I am totally excited. They don't know if we are gonna take a bus or have members go wit us. So it should be rather excitin. I will fill you all in on the details as I get them.
Yesterday at church we had a couple of members bring some friends and they were all interested in learning more!!! OH the blessing of member missionary work!! We had 3 people at church yesterday and it was great. I am startin to really love it here in grove park. I am finally gettin comfortable. I hope I can spend my last 4 transfers here. That would be great.
I am have had a lot of companions that were really concerned about their weight. It can be such a distraction 2 the work. It's kinda like havin a girlfriend or boyfriend waitin at home for some missionaries.. It kinda bugs me. You can really tell who is focused and who is distracted when u look at missionaries. I aint sayin I am always focused. But even when were teachin.. I can tell when my words get all jumbled and I cant hear what the spirit wants me to say... That is when I know there are some distractions in my life.. I then gotta re-evaluate myself and think of what I need to get rid of out of my brain..... I can also tell in my companions when somethin is on their mind or they are worried about somethin within themselves (like appearance)........ I try and just be confident.. but then I think well I gotta be ware of pride.. so then I am like okay be where is my humility... Ha ha
I really do love it here in TN. I told myself I love the west.. But now that I am almost done wit my mission I think I'll probably be back quite frequently. I think we should all come back next summer and go to the TN and KY state FAIRS!! Then we can go to a KY and TN basketball game. I dont' know if I could live here either... cuz the youth have it very hard here.. The persecution that goes on here agains the mormons is very totally un - real. I think it would be hard to raise a family here. I totally am blessed and had it easy had a youngen.
THings are goin good. I am still wearin a big braid and my hair is gettin down right long. My correspondance with the out side world has basically stopped.. (besides you guys).
Well I hope all is well wit ya'll.. I will talk to ya'll next week..
LAterz

CHELz

Letter #35

HeY FAmiLY. Wuz up? not much here. Sounds like you'll had a greeat week. I had a good one too. We have been busy knockin and talkin. We walked for 18 hours and my feet got lil swollen. HAHA... Today the weather is pretty rainy and we just washed our car. GO FIGURe. We just got done bowling with the Elders. I sent you guys some pics. The one is of the car is where the Elders pranked us and the other one is at bowling today. It was pretty fun. This week should be pretty good too. We should be havin a blasty.
We are workin hard to build this area. It is comin up strong. We found a couple of great people tracting and one guy even came to church. He is a big smoker and when he came in and sat down a member started to cough really loud and walked out. I then saw him walk to another seat. I think it was cuz the smell of smoke from this guy was so strong. lol.. I don't think John (the investigator) noticed too much. We are teachin machines here.
Hows the FAM doin? Do ya'll have plans for the summer time? It's really hot here. I forgot how hot summers were here in TN till this weekend. Whooo eee I got hot. I was just so wet all day saturday. It was fun.
I had an experience with some recent converts in our ward. It really pushed my buttons. I really love them though. One of them started to talk about President Griffin and how he wasn't very friendly person. I really stood up for President. I really love him and I won't sit there and listen to gossip. I kindly just said I love President Griffin and he is a man of god and I respect him fully. We then just changed the subject. I think it really shocked the lady I said this though. I know she will respect me though for it.
We taught a neat lady named Paula yesterday. She is really prepared. She is reading from the Book of Mormon and everything. She just hasn't been passed her front bush in like 10 years. (She is very un sociaL). We told her that if she reads from the Bookf of Mormon than it will help her get over her anxiety. She was thrilled. She wants to overcome this really badly.
Tonight we have an appointment with a lady named Hailie. She is a younger gal and she has like 1 lil baby. She says she really wants to get into church so we will see how it goes.
I loved Alvin's pics. They were so HOT! An elder walked by my comp while I was lookin at them and he was like.. "wow"... HAHA.. Alvin u got the looks!!
You guys can write me some snail mail. I need some. But things are just goin great here in Grove Park. I hope you'll have a great WEEK!!!! Talk to ya'll soon.

Love
chelz

Letter #34

Hey Ya'LL.. How u doin??? No flooding here yet..... We had our ward go do baptisms for the dead in Nashville.. and they didn't get home till way late cuz of all the flooding.. It was bad.. It has killed 9 people in Nasvhille.. Nashville is about 2 1/2 hours away from me here in Knoxville. We have been gettin some rain but not like bad. Our AC is broke....So I been just one sticky mess wit my hair in a bun. Its startin to get really humid here. Sister Bernard is gettin transferred and Sister Nygren and I will be here in Grove Park for 6 more weeks. Sister Bernard was pretty upset about it. She cried all during church. I felt really bad for her cuz I know how it is to be transferred and have to pack your bags. It stinks.
I found out that another guy I taught in Kentucky just got baptized. His name is Mike and he is 18 years old. Cool huh?? I jumped for joy when I found out. He was referred to us by a member. Members sure are the KEY! Courtney Stirling is getting baptized on May 7th here in Grove Park. She is almost 18 years old. She gave her testimony in sacrament yesterday and it was awesome. She has a reallly great conversion story. She has some really good fellowshippers too. Her boyfriend is on a mission in Argentina.....
My shoes are gettin worn out.. so that is a good sign huh???? This has been the fastest year of my life... I have learned so many things I never could have in Idaho. Its pretty amazin...I really am just gonna live every day up... We went on an exchange on tuesday with the Sister from West Knoxville area. That was pretty fun. The sister I was with used to date Kendall Horman... She says that his mullet was so sexy.. sick!
Poor Easty still has the mud butt. I know how he feels. I never been so sick than I have on the mission with that kinda stuff. Some food is just gross... I try and stay with fresh fruits and vegetables.. cuz thats all I can handle.
We were at some Recent converts house yetserday and they are a great couple that was baptized in Feb. The lady reminds me of Grandma PUPHAL. She is so funny and loving. She was havin a really hard time. Cuz she went to the nashville temple for the first time and wanted to have this big spiritual experience and she didn't feel nothin. She was very sad. She thought she wasn't worthy enough to go to the temple. We had to really help her and read scriptures with her to lift her back up. We then watched the movie Legacy with her and she was so much better after that. PS - How is grandma Puphal doin??
So yes... U will u guys write me some snail mail??? I sure need some this last part of the mish... I been thinkin a lot what I was doin at this time last year.. and I was PACKED and ready to Go!!! crazy huh?? President won't let me extend for 2 years.. so that is outa the question... I have been tryin to ponder and write down all the things I have learned over this past year.. I have been writin down all the lessons I've learned... I will send ya'll a copy of my thoughts... Did u get the post card I sent you guys????
So yesterday we were teachin these 21 year old guys.. and there stupid cat kept comin over and meowin at me.. and I got so scared.... I kept tryin to push it with my scriptures.. and finally the guy was like are u alergic to cats I can get him out???....> So of course I tell people I am allergic to cats...It works everytime.. So I honestly one time told a family I was diabetic.. cuz they kept offering and pushin me to eat a brownie and ice cream!!!! LOL.. I repented after that.. Members sure do push you 2 do things.. hHAHA.. jk...
Well I'll talk to ya'll sunday!!!!! Tell the apontes to be there.. I gotta talk to easty too!!

Love
CHelz

Letter #33

(PLEASE FORGIVE MY {SISTER} FOR NOT UPDATING RECENTLY... I {sister} will Repent)

Hey Fam. How is goin? It good here. I am jus sittin here in the Lib writin online. This week has been a good one. I have had to learn how to be patient with my comp, I learned a lot though. Somedays I feel like a mommy makin her do things. BUT when its got to get done its GOT 2 get DONE. I hope Easty's mud butt is doin better. I tend to get it a lot down here in the south where they cook that southern cookin. bLAH! : ) One year from yesterday I gave my farwell talk. Crazy huh?? It went by super fast. I was so different back then. ha ha.. We had interviews with President this las week. He made me feel so good. The first thing he told me was how proud he was of me and how highly he thought of me and he said that I was doing great things. He said that I should never worry about what he thought of me cuz it was always great. I sure do love President Griffin. He is a little intimating @ first, but such a great man.
We tracted a lot, had a lot of doors slammed. It wasn't too bad. Whenever I get rejected I tell myself "YOU ARE A SEXY BEAST"........ that boosts my confidence a lot . ya know? I noticed that we were never praying and asking Heavenly Father where we should go tracting. So I thought that maybe we weren't tracting where he wanted us to and thats why we weren't enjoying the tracting. So we started to pray where to go and it was so much more happenin. Yesterday we talked to a couple of people and I met 2 people who said they reminded me of their grandaughter. LOL. . My companions are very discouraged with the work. I tell myself to NOT get discouraged cuz that will break you as a missionary. I have 2 tell my one companion to do things like (add up mileage, call people, what to say in lessons, what we're gonna teach, and who to talk to at church)....cuz she just thinks she can't and won't do it unless I push her.... She got way mad at me yesterday for tellin her that she needed to get the job done cuz we receive blessings as we are obedient even in the little things (like keeping track of our miles) . . . ..It is weird, but hey I love her.
I been havin like a 1 year crisis or somethin. HAHA.... I noticed I set all these goals ya know at the begginning of my mission and I was like CRAP what if I don't accomplish these and reach my fullest potential... THen I told myself these goals I set are LIFE LONG GOALS.. and even though I won't have a tag in 7 months.. I will still be a member missionary. THAT MADE ME FEEL BETTER.. I then ya know hear all these missionaries saying how they are goin to this college and that college and seeing all there friends again... I kinda think man.. all my friends are not even there when I get home and they all are poppin out babies... and I have to go be a grown-up.... I just try not to talk about it.. haha...lol..
THings are REALLY REALLY good though. Man I am just so comfortable with bein a missionary. I felt like this is what I have been born to do. ha ha. The people here live in these huge million dollar houses. They are like really lonely though so thats good. We met a lady named Margie that loves Glen Beck and Mitt Romney. She thinks she is already a mormon. She is a hypocondrach though and she is on pills. She lives in a way HUGE HUGE house that is super nice... She lives a lone so when we go talk to her at her house she just TALKS UP A STORM. She says thats what happens when u live a lone.. u want to talk a lot. lol..... she read us this really nasty letter about me and my companions that her sister wrote her. It was about how we are a cult and not true christians. I about cried. I couldn't believe she read it to us... I then just bore my testimony that we are not a cult and that we are christains.
There are so many stupid mis conceptions about our church. Members here in the south have it ROUGH...
Well fam I hope that that one BYUI teachers husband is doin good. What a tragedy. I am glad that I don't hear about these tragedys on a missions. I feel like I in a nother WORLD.. lol....LOVE IT...
Well have a great week. I'll talk to all ya'll on mothers day. That is the last time I will ahve to talk to ya'll on the phone.. then You'll JUSt see me!whoa
Love
chelz

Letter #32

Hey Family. How ya all doin? It sounds like you all had a good time in sin City. I should have had u meet one of my companions who lives in Vegas. Her name is Sara Hales. She lives right by the Temple. She got home in January. I wished I could have gone to vegas, but I'm glad I am in TN. Were ya'll there for a Basketball Tournament right? I couldn't quite remember.
Well I am serving in Knoxville (the city). I am in the Grove Park Ward. It is the biggest ward I have been in as of yet on my mission. It isn't quite as big as Labelle 1st ward. I am in a 3-some. We sleep in a little room with 3 beds crammed in it. It gets a little muggy, but usually I am so tired I just hit the bed and don't wake up intil 6:30 AM. I have almost been out for 11 months!
I feel like I am gettin more more confident with bein a missionary and the routine. I LOVED training and that was where I learned to be happy on the mission. That really boosted the confidence, cuz I had to be the big girl.
It is already in the 80's here and I am sweatin 24/7. We get a lot of good member referrals here in the Grove Park Ward. We knocked doors for 18 hours and 30 minutes this las week. I got a little dehydrated (you know what that means). I was on the golden throne for a couple days. I am kinda over that sickness though. I have been tryin to drink more water cuz I hear u can get kidney stones if u dont drink enough water. We tracted in a ghetto trailor park and there was some guys playin some bball so I told the comps that we should play with them.. We played a game of lightenin with them and then said they had to come to church with us. They rejected. It was funny cuz they all had ciggarettes in their mouths while they were playin basketball with us.. HA HA. No wonder they suck cuz they can't BREATHe!
We had a man that was commited for baptism, but now he is not. His girlfriend got really mad at us for teaching him. One day she stormed in the room while we were teachin him and oh my goodness guess what lesson we were teachin LAW OF CHASTITY. She was very upset at me.. LOL... She thought that I was tellin her boyfried that if he slept with girls before marriage that he wasn't worthy to be with god.. (she was just pickin at everythin)... We tried to meet all her concerns. She was fumin though. LOL... The next week we went back to continue to make daily contact with this man who was commited and we showed up at his house and he was drunk. It was horrible. I knew being the senior companion that we shouldn't be there, so I told him that the only way to be happy is to stop drinking and smoking and then I told him when he wants to be baptized to call us. He then called us when we left and I said to him "Don't call us ever again if you're drunk, we are here to help you draw closer to christ, but you won't learn by the spirit if you're drunk"... He said okay and said I won't call u when I'm drunk anymore. We haven't heard from him since.
We also met a guy named CARLOS tracting!! He needs a good member to fellowship him that speaks spanish. He is so awesome. He comes from El Salvador and he wants to know christ better. He has a big accent, but he still speaks english. He is gonna be baptized soon.
I found out from the Blacks (whitley city senior couple).. that 2 people that I taught in Whitley City are commited to be baptized the end of this month! WOOT!!! I really miss my home in Kentucky and it's been hard to be away cuz we had to much success there. I know that more success is to come here though.
I love ya'll so much. I get to talk to ya'll in 1 month! Then after that I'll see ya'll in person! No more phone calls.. woot woot... How is kass doin?? I know since she has a boyfriend her emailing me will probably stop. Keep writin me and emailin me! I promise I will write back. My correspondance with the outside world has basically stopped.. lol.. I don't even write my friends at home anymore. I write my friends on the mission. lol
Well I'll talk to ya'll soon! I love you all so much

Chelz