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

Letter #5

Hi family. I sure do love being a missionary. It is the greatest blessing in the whole wide world. How is everyone doin?? How's the summer? Been boatin lately?
Hows all the fam? Any news?? he he
Things are good here in Elizabethton. We are working our rears off. Last week we tracted for 18 hours and 30 mins!! haha.. I sweat like 24/7 .. seems like I'm always wet.. haha.. This is kinda what I say when I go to a door... Hi how are you? We are representatives of Jesus Christ and we are sharing a beautiful message about our savior and we would love to share it with you..... That is kinda what I've been sayin.. I am learnin from my trainer a lot.. There are so many baptists here.. WOW! Everyone is like well I've already been saved and I don't need you.. hhaha.. It's quite an experience here in the south. A church on every single corner. It's so pretty and green here. Ya'll would LOVE IT.. I am meeting so many people and so many great members here in Elizabethton. It's real small and a lot of financial difficulty. We are working with the Walsh and Burns Family. For the Walsh family the dad named Rick is a big time smoker. We took his cigs the other day and he sorta freaked out. We taught him this real neat lesson on how he could stop smokin in 7 DAYS!! We keep praying and praying he will do it. We go visit him about everyday to follow up on how he's doin. His house smells horrible. I come home smelling like a ash tray. haha. He is the COOLEST GUY. He believes int he B of M and joseph smith and everything else. He just wants to quit smokin so he can be baptized and be reborn again. We are trying so hard to help him We are also working with this Lady named Joyce Burns and her 2 daughters. She works at arby's and she is real busy. She is a single mom and has been through a way ROUGH LIFE! Her ex hubby was real horrible to her. She hasn't recieved an answer if the B of M is true but she believes in Jospeh Smith. She has some
issues she has to work out as well. AND she is addicted to smoking. I LOVE her so much. She totally makes my dad everytime we go see her. We also started teaching her friend Evette. She has no teeth! haha.. She is super sweet. We have just taught her the message of the restoration. She works at subway and couple days ago we went and had dinner and tried to talk to her but she was pretty busy makin them sandwiches.. haha
We have al ot of potential investigators as well.. but hopefully they will want to learn more about this beautiful gospel!! It is AMAZING. I don't know where I'd be without it.
DAd I can totally see you being a mission president. You remind me of President Griffin. I bet you'll get called to like CALI or somethin after Tate graduates..
haha.. WOOT WOOT!! Sister Griffin is such a sweetie. She told me she left all her quilting fabric in Arkansas, but there is nothin greater than being with missionaries. You and mom would be great mission presidents.Every monday we go to the rec center in Johnson City and we play some BALL. I LOVE IT. WE play with all the elders in our district and it's a BLAST. The elders are so weird but so funny... Sister Allen doesn't like to play ball so I just play wit the Elders and she watches..
Well it's sure great to hear from everyone and hear how everyone is doing. I talk about ya'll ALL THE TIME! haha.. I love you all so much. Hope all is well!!!

Love,
Sister Furniss

Sister Furniss Collage

Well I, (Sister Jill) made this cute collage for my sister!

Letter #4

Hello family!!!!!!!!!!! This is a frequent sayin here in TN.. I am serving in a small town called Elizabethton... It is really really small and way southern. I love it. I am sorry I started crying on the phone when I was talkin to you.. I wouldn't have even called, but like the elders made me.. HAHA.. I think that was the hardest thing of the mission.. I am so so focused and it's hard to think about home. ya know what i'm sayin??

Well I got to TN monday night and President Griffin and Sister were there to great us. Sister Griffin was taking pics up the ying yang and then the 3 AP's were there too. Then After we left the air port all the elders and president went in a big van and I went with Sister Griffin in her grandma car. We just chatted and stuff and she reminds me of grandma p!! Whenever I see her I have to have a hug because it just makes you feel good. President has a lil bit of an accent, but she has none at all.

I then met my COMP.. Her name is Sister Allen and she is perfect. She is the best teacher sister missionary I've ever met. I think she has a very high IQ cuz she is like very intelligent and brillant minded. She looks like Jan Brady. haha.. She has taught me SOOOOO much. She told me that she doesn't wannan talk about family or any thing outside of missionary work cuz it distracts her.. So I was like okay I'm cool wit tha.. but a week later I was like.. "OKAY SISTER I do u ever laugh?? cuz I feel like I haven't laughed in a week.. so that kinda broke the ice and I talk about my family all the time ! haha... Cuz that is what the gospel is to me.. the gospel has blessed me wit a great family..So even if she doesn't talk I sure do... That is what keeps me happy an alive.. I try and tell her bout all my weird dates and goof around and tease.. but she doesn't like it.. hahaha...OH WELL..haha... I know that we were put together for a reason and that together we can teach by the spirit and do some great work in Elizabethton and thats why I'm here on a mission...So the lord had truely blessed me.. Good thing I have the elders.. haha.. They keep me laughing that is for sure and keep things goin... We met these 2 girls Emma and Megan and they pretty much thought were were like members of a cult or something.. They thought we were weird.. haha.. They kept asking these questions that were weird.. They kept asking Sister Allen if she had been on a date cuz it looked like to them that she
hadn't.. Megan was like "I don't like looking at your friend.. she freaks me out cuz she looks like too perfect and she doesn't wear makeup".. I was like Oh i'm sory I think it would be great to not have to wear makeup like her.. and she was like "well i'm gonna just look at you and listen to yuo"... I waslike OH MY GOSH how rude.. I thought my companion sister allen was gonna cry.. but luckilyl she is pretty confident about herself and the gospel.. haha..

So we have knocked on a lt of doors and it's so hard but yet really rewarding.. I knocked on this lady's door and she had a freakin mustash!!! HAHA!! I was like wow this is the south.. She didn't wanna talk to us though.. it was pretty funny. I laughed but sister allen didn't.. haha.. We've also knocked on a lot of old men's door who wear no shirts and overalls... (THIS IS THE SOUTH).. they sure do like girls (us) who know abaout the gospel... haha jk.... We had this investigator named charlie and he kept telling me how he has asburgers disease and that's why he is so intelligent.. his main concern was that he didn't believe that it was right that all the people baptizied before the restoration that it didn't count.. we wree like WELL we go to the temple and do their work.. cuz those who haven't had the chance to hear the gospel will still be able to through temple work and stuff.. he still didn't get it.. he then started to get RUDe.. he kept asking me if I dated and if I wanted to.. I was like wel yeah I date.. but on my mission I just teach and I don't date cuz it's distracting..
and i told him after my mission I wanted a family and kids. . but now I'm dedicated to the lord.. It was creepy!!! haha.. Sister allen was like bashing with him and so I was like well let's pray and leave.. cuz this is weird (i thought in my head).... so we dropped him cuz he didn't see the point of us..
I thought I had a testimony before I left on my mission but now I really have a testimony of this restored gospel. I have seen it here in this little town. We have this really cool investigator named Rick and he wants to clean up his life and be baptized!! He has commited to stop smoking by june 28th and be baptized on july 11th... What a stud!! We pray and pray for him.. He has no money and is trying to get on disability and he will lose his trailor next week. cuz he hurt his back and can't work.. He got a suit for church and he came yesterday. He loved it!! he has 2 girls too and they are pretty wild.. but we are trying to work with them too.. I tihnk about that family all day everyday. I love them so much... I think to myself why am i so blessed?? He can't buy his girls a new dress for church, where my dad can buy me one.. I often have wondered why in the world was I blessed so much?? Why can't Rick and his girls have what I have had???? I asked Sister Allen if the ward could help him and
provide the money or something.. But then she gave me this big long lecture of
how this town is really struggling economically and no one has the money to support him in the ward. That really breaks your heart. I know like it says in PMG.. the GOSPEL blesses families!!! I'll keep you updated on his family...
I'm trying to adjust to being a missioanry and its so HARD!! I pray and pray all day that I can have the courage an strength to be BOLD... I'm not homesick and I don't think about my boyfriend (HAHA).. it's just like I don't know what I'm doing.. but I know that it will come with time and I will soon figure it all out.. I have a great teacher (Sister ALlen)... Faith without works is dead.. that is definately a true statement.. haha..

My apt is pretty nice and we have a car.. but seriously I don't even have time to pick my nose we are so very busy and somedays we don't even eat dinner.. we are working working working.. which is GREAt!! My faith is defaintely increased... The south is so funny.. People are so niec.. It is kinda hard cuz Sister ALlen had been here for like 7 months.. and here comes the red-headed step child into the southern family.. So it is hard to just jump in like that.. but I am trying so hard to meet everyone and be welcomed into the southern family here.. haha

I love you all so much and I look forward to hearing form you all!! It's what keeps me goin and putting my whole self in heavenly fathers hands. I will get used to being a missioary in time.. haha.. I am readying the b of M again and i think i get it better each time I read it... I also think as a missinoary I have a better capacity to learn and I actually get things in church and stuff.. haha.. weird huh.. Well I gotta go cuz we are goin to the rex center to play ball wit the Elders.. I am ready to BALL IT UP cuz I need to like do something to relax.. haha... Love ya all!!

Can u send me a pic of the family in mail?? like send it to the post office
mail???? I post pics all around and it drives Sista ALlen nuts.. HAHA!! oh well.. : )

Luv
Sister Furniss

Letter #3

Sister Chelsey Furniss wrote,

"Hey all!! How is little Livvie Meg???? Thats her name right??? She is a cutie and she looks like ALLI!! HAHA... Awwww I am so happy that she is finally here.. Send me lots of pics ok? How was Fathers day? It sounds like everyone is super busy this summertime. That is good news. It has been a great but really hard hard week. Probably the hardest yet of the mission.. But I am loving every minute of being a missionary. It is the best job. This week has been very crazy that is for sure. The news that we
were staying for an extra 2 weeks really hit hard for a lot of missionaries in my district. Sister Barton started packing her bags... again... and guess who had to go talk to her?? yep me.. but this time I was really bold and I like really gave her the 411... She actually was just yelling at me so I told her all this stuff about why she should stay and she stayed.. She told me that I am her best friend because I can tell her how it is.. haha.. whatever.. I also have a nother sister in my district who is depressed. On tuesday we had to make her go to the doctor and get some meds because she
never sleeps.. So one day she just didn't get out of bed.. but the next day she was fine.. She also never eats either.. I pray for her a lot.. I really just study all day long wit my district... We only have real class like 2 hours a day and the rest of the days it is up to us. So I decided to read the book of Mormon and I'm gonna be finished by the time I leave for TN.. OH by the way I leave JUNE 15th.. So I will probably be calling around like 5 AM.. haha...
Yesterday was Fast and testimony meeting and I was the only sister that bore my testimony.. but it was like so amazing feeling.. I actually felt like I was speaking with conviction and from the heart. It was AMAZING.. I really felt the spirit overcome me and I was able to just spill out all these words.. HOW AMAZING!!!! It was incredible... This week I will be reading all of preach my gospel and the B of M.. and just get ready for TN!! I am so trunky its not even funny.. It is really packed here at the mtc too.. like SOOOO many missionaries left and right... you can only imagine the bodily functions comin out.. HAHA... I am just so happy to be a missionary and I think that I am finally getting comfortable with the Idea.. I LOVE teaching.. Yesterday I went on an exchange w sister barton cuz her comp was in (bed).. and we taught this actor guy named bobby........ we committed him to read the b of M... and he LOVED US SISTERS... he wanted us to come back too.. like it was so amazing.. I loveteaching the gospeL.. Do they let sisters go on 2 year missions???? HAHA...
Maybe i'll try and convince my president cuz I am just getting started...
haha..
Well I love you all so much and I am working the hardest I've ever worked in my life.. My teacher told my class that if your desire to serve the lord goes down to study the atonement and it will go back up.. I testify that is TRUE!!! My desire is soaring through the rooof.. I am definitely having a countdown until I leave the MTC.... Luv u all!!"

Sister Furniss

I have a reason for no update!

As you may know I, Jill... Chelsey's sister is updating this blog! HOWEVER, just recently we have added a new little one to our family. Chelsey is a proud new aunt of a baby girl. Her name is Livvie Meg. She only weighed 5 pounds and 13 ounces. She was a little thing. We are sad that Chelsey won't be able to meet her for another 18 months, but Livvie understands.




Also, Chelsey is getting ready to leave the MTC. She had a little delay due to the Swine Flu, but is ready to go to Knoxville! I will update more when I get a letter!