June 13, 2011 Letter 19

Well hello.

I just checked my blog. I am up to 869 views- can you believe it? It truly is my highlight in life here. I am doing pretty good, except I am still a little bit sick. I did find some top brand Claritin for 3 bucks that has helped a ton.

We have had yet another week of fun. My emails are going to start being the same because I am at the sites 4 to 5 times a week. We worked at the all of them this week but the PWF. I know it's missionary work but in my mind its more like work and fun.

So when summer is over it is going to be VERY hard for me to go back to "real missionary" work like tracking and things like that. We only have 22 more days and I might be training. I hope, I feel like nothing is that hard and I have no responsibility and that my trainer treats me like a child. So it will be nice, to not be a newbie and to be a complete half of a companionship.

I do love driving, because I am like captain now so I don't have to be in back either which is super nice.

Some highlights to tours this week:

Sis. Corriea told us this one I about died laughing.

She was giving a tour to about 19 people and she had a Chinese man in hers. As she was walking to the Frame home, she was pointing out the Alvin Tree which was buried in 1823 when Alvin, Joseph's older brother, died. It was customary to plant a tree when someone died. p.s he died on Max's birthday. So this Chinese man RUNS PAST HER. Her first thought was that he was going to run out into the road and get hit by the cars going by. To her surprise, it was UP the Alvin tree.

He started to take the flowers off of it and eat them. She was shocked. Visitors are not suppose to touch the trees let alone eat them. She just kept saying "But that's the Alvin tree!" hahahahahha! SO he continued to grab more and more he filled his entire shirt with them and then came down and explained that they were totally edible. She was freaking out, because he started given them to the other tour members and they were eating them. He got everyone
to try some and was shoving it in Sis. Corriea's face and she just kept saying, "That's the ALVIN TREE!!" After that she was sending them into the grove and she had to add to the rules: do not eat ANYTHING from the Sacred Grove- even if it's edible. After they left she went and picked up all of the stems and took them to Bob the grove whisperer to make sure they were edible. Bob didn't know and all he said is, "Well, we will find out in a little bit i guess." And he is a serious dude. haha....

So our two new rules are no eating things from the grove and no smoking them. Fletch swears he found weed and was trying to take some..we reminded him of the Word of Wisdom... haha.

My tours- I got to take an elder just coming home from Philadelphia and also Texas. It is always fun to take missionaries. I let them give most of the tour and testify so they can show everyone how much they have grown. Whenever my last transfer is.... Still might be May or June (neat fact: site sisters only serve about 16 months missions in NY) I will get to take you on a sweet tour and give you ALL Of the information. We can only give tours while we are missionaries towards the end....

I got the clear on Staci! All president said was as long as I don't get homesick then it's okay and does not interfere with my work. So I will have to figure out my schedule first. So I will hopefully know soonish. It's hard because transfers are two days before pageant.

As for my rap and cards. I think I might record my rap and do it for music hahaha and then yes my cards I just give out on tours and I give out to people on the streets.

Some lady just wrote me and said it's changing her life and she gave it to her whole relief society! Sweet!!!!

I LOVE BLOGGING.

We had the best dinner last night. STEAK. It was a brand new couple in our ward with two kids. They met on their mission in Fresno, CA. And her uncle was President Gammit- mine from the MTC. Small world.

CLARE

May 30, 2011 #18

Hey Girl-

Ouch, I wont come home unless I get really sick....Or get eaten by a tornado. We had another warning last night. We had lightening hitting our front lawn..It was insane. It went on from about 10 till 11:30. We couldn't sleep because it would light up the entire house. I honestly thought I was going to die. The RAIN never STOPS here. Seriously. It will be so nice and then BAM the world is ending. I kind of like it though. My hair is starting
to get curlier with the humidity. I am already pretty tan too.

I got your package! It was great thank you so much. I needed a chocolate pick me up so it was perfect that day at site. And the Bath and Body Works was great, Thank you! I loved it. I love B &B and I have been using my nail thing you gave me for Christmas like crazy- I LOVE IT. I have a new obsession with painting my nails. I have accumulated a few O.P.I. nail polishes. Its a good thing to do with all the young Arabic girls here that don't get God that much. We are building relationships right now mainly. So, I survived my first real NY transfer.

We had to turn our car in and so we stayed with the Brighton sisters. I went to USU with one of them before- small world. My old relief society president, Sister Michelle Hill is also in my mission. We worked at the Hill until 8:30 and had site meeting during it. We got pageant material, things are starting to pick up. I have given a total of 197 people tours now.

Thursday we went to Bativa for specialized training on Internet proselyting. We were given some more rules about it, my family can be my friends, and I can email occasionally but I cant really write on walls..But we have moved up to 3 hours of that a week. My blog has taken off well, I'm trying to beat the sister with 17,000 hits. Most people are about 500 and have been doing it for months, and I have just started and I am at about 400 hits. With my new schnazzy business cards, I will have 1500 more! I LOVE blogging, and please note the comment that I brought that man to tears. Ha! I love LOVE blogging. We are the ONLY mission in the world to have every one doing it...sweet eh? And Facebook has been so nice. Renee, my freshman roommate has been asking questions about church through it- who would have known? Its a big secret but we might be getting Ipads next transfer...we are a pilot mission. Crazy fun! Also for driving we need GPS. I am starting to drive this transfer but my companion has one. When she leaves I will most likely need one since I will be training. What would you like me to do for that? NY is crazy Mom!

Friday we worked at the JSF. That is my favorite by far. I gave quite a few good tours! Then we ate at Brother Kie's with the assistants. We taught Chuck Tiva and Sami. I am going back to paint Sami's nails lime green for the dance on Thursday. She is the one who tried to kill herself because the sister missionaries stopped coming.......

SO this week we start going to the sites 4 times a week.

Mon- prep day

Tuesday-Grandin

Wednesday-hill

Thursday- Cameron community service

Friday- JSF

Saturday- Grandin

SO much driving and work! I love it though and it is such a nice break up to have different people around. It's like we have 4 companions and I absolutely adore my senior couples that we are with a lot! Really neat people: FBI, retired cops, farmers, and veterans. I have been learning some sign language, and it is really easy for me to pick up on it now its crazy, After Albanian nothing can be hard. I had a full conversation with a deaf man today!

I'm trying to think of anything new...

random fact: New York people do not have lights on their ceilings- most use lamps.

Okay, if I think of anything else I will email back. I have to email Max!

I'm glad every one is doing well, and I have the sweetest card for Emily but i don't want it to get lost... Maybe you should go to Mt Rushmore! I'm glad to hear Kayla is good, and Crystal.

You're the best and don't worry I am doing well, loving it, (well when we are with a group of people 'cause our Elders are amazing!
Have a good week. Maybe the garden will come through, and please push my blog to everyone you know especially non members! Referrals can come through Facebook!

Okay Mom and Dad!

I love you and you are stallions!

Sister Vati's 17th Letter! May 23, 2011

We were out of town so this is last week's:

Ckemi!

I hope that you are having fun in the New O! Welcome to my life now. So much humidity!


We are emailing so late BECAUSE, we went to the funeral of Sandy today. It was crazy, it has been a LONG week. Turns out she walked out of the building and died. We were the last two people to talk to her on this earth. And she had just bore her testimony for us for our tour. It was a good last day. The funeral was ALL non Mormons. She had 11 children. We had it at the LDS Palmyra ward building. President Lenker and President Christianson talked. Pretty much gave the plan of Salvation. We showed up and ended up singing Amazing Grace with 6 other sister missionaries. It was very nice. So we had half a prep day.

After that we headed down to the Subways again and played some Subway golf. Totally my idea. About 30 people showed up. It was pretty sick. Pictures to come. It was Elder Wilcox's birthday so we went to Dinosaur BBQ for dinner. I had a FRIED GREEN TOMATO...I did it just because of the movie for Mom and Emily. I also ate at People's Choice Kitchen
PCK. We had Jamaican Jerk. An entire butt load of chicken for 5 bucks.

We went with all of the Elders around before Fletch's baptism. It was a sweet one. We then went and ate lunch with him on Sunday after Stake Conference. Fletch does not cook so the elders brought noodles and cooked for us all. It was really fun. Fletch is an interesting man for sure, he is one of my faves.

Highlights: "Sister Vaterlaus, do you watch Cougar Town...? Maybe you should to prepare..."

He seriously has a 70's den I will send pictures....

We went and tracked in Myrtle Wood on Saturday for a few hours. I came out with about 13 new best friends that were maybe 16. We have found 5 Arabic families to teach. We are waiting until our Arabic sister from Imad Jordan to get transferred into our area.

We found my new favorite lady this week- her name is LISA. She has triplets for grandsons. Since Sister Wilkinson has been upset about Sandy, I have been throwing down lessons left and right for a few days. I committed a life long smoker to stop smoking, and then Sis. Compton, a life long coffee drinker to quite in one week...I guess I am doing well.. ha!


We worked at Cameron again this week. It is so funny, because we treat everyone else like they are white people from the west, but when I come in my friends Archie, Mike, and John seriously start secret hand shakes with me, beat boxing and then they Dougie. I love being one of them, because they treat me that way and it makes it so we can teach them. I love the CITY. We have spent most of week in the city or at the sites.

Oh yah! I forgot. I went my first day at the Grandin, and it was okay except Sandy died. We gave a few tours, still not my favorite site.

Then Friday we left to the Peter Whitmer Farm. That one was pretty good. Still not my favorite. But good. I have given over 100 people tours now! That one's fun because not alot of people come because its so far out of the way.

So we went on a few adventures. My trainer made me climb to the top of the church. How legal it was I have no idea. but I asked and she said no one has ever said anything....Then we sat with a retired FBI agent named James Wright. He wrote a book. He told me some SWEET stories. He worked on the Patty Hearst kidnapping, Una-bomber, and Temple Mass Suicide? His book is FBI.. He made me want to join way bad... He also sang to us all the way home. It's crazy how much we interact with them through out the week. We really get to know them and I love them!


Currently we have an animal of some kind in my wall by my bed. It has kept me up the past week....We finally called maintenance. I am hoping it just died or something. It is so loud. I can feel my body getting tireder and tireder for real. I think I even pulled a muscle when we were doing service in my chest. I have had bad chest pain again, but don't worry. No doctors or EKG's. I thought you would like that though. I wont go until January. I promise... ha


I am glad to hear you are all doing well in and so busy with Rotary. When is dad going to be released as SP? Any big news in life? The mission life is going well.... Loving it most of the time, and it is hard but it is fun. We are turning our car in for 3 days this week so we are going to live in Brighton and Palmyra for the week. Then we start at the sites for the entire summer of a commute of two hours total a day..fun... ha I would except burnt copies of scriptures or CD's with music.....


I am excited for my package! YAY!!
I love it. Dad, thanks for my letter and thank Mitch. My letters will be scattered this week but they will come. I promise...


Okay I better go... your all the best thanks for the support and prayers.
love CLARE

Letter 16 May 16, 2011

Hey Girl,

On My Mission-

So this week has been action packed.

After I emailed last week we went down to the abandoned subways. It was so sick. I loved it. There was so much graffiti it was honestly beautiful. We played capture the flag, it was pretty sketchy, there were some homeless men hiding, we invited them to play though, and some did. Haha. It was so much fun! I love New York!


Tuesday we drove up early to Palmyra (about an hour) for Zone Conference. We started out in the Sacred Grove, and it was beautiful. It had rained pretty much the whole week, but to our surprise it was nice and sunny! We talked a lot about our own true conversions on a mission. We focused on the talks from conference, desires and also the one about men and women a few from that. President got up and gave a great speech, it was surreal to have a ZC where God the Father and His Son really appeared, and it made it so the spirit was strong! After about three hours there, we went to walk through the Grove he gave us more of a tour, and we saw the Witness Trees. It is beautiful now because its all GREEN! I got some good shots I will send. Then we went to the Stake Center and did training there until 5. We watched Elder Hollands talk from the MTC which was great. Overall it was a fun day!

Wednesday we worked at the JSF, and it was super sunny. One of my Elders from Albania wanted me to count how many people I took on tours in 18 months. I am up to 97. It was another super sunny day, thank heavens! I am getting really tan, so that's hot!

That night we had a site meeting. It was another LONG LONG one. We didn't get home until about 10:30, and when we did my companion ended up having a companionship inventory until 11:15. I was done by then, and went to bed. Don't worry it got worked out....

Thursday we went to Cameron's again and we built some portfolios, served some food and met some more great people. My new friend Jamal, he had gotten shot about 4 times, don't worry- he showed me the bullet holes. Haha....

Friday we went and taught a lot of people. We don't have any with baptismal dates really, but some are progressing. We don't have enough time to teach because we are at the sites alot know. They actually might shut this area down for the summer and move us to Palmyra...IDK how I would feel about 14 girls in one house for a summer with 2 bathrooms..... we will see...

We were invited over on Friday night to the Sneeden's for dinner. She grew up in Mexico and now lives a great life with her husband. She had invited her Chinese neighbors over for dinner and another member family. We were able to teach them about God. They had never heard of Him before. The grandma had come too but she did not speak any English. I was able to connect with Rou long or something, because he is a computer programmer. They loved it, and even better we were able to give them two Chinese book of Mormons. You should have seen their eyes light up. They were pretty excited. It was good to, and they made homemade shrimp Chinese dumplings like sushi. Dad would have LOVED IT. They were pretty good.


The next day we taught a lady named Shunthina, and we are going back. It was good! Then we met about 3 more families from Iraq, that we are trying to teach. The parents are really into it but the 10 year old girl is not. She told me I looked like Hannah Montana and that I need to cover up my hair because I have no pride. It was pretty cute about how passionate she was about being Muslim. I wasn't even mad, because I was very impressed with her knowledge of it and loved her!


Saturday we went to a Baptism for member in the ward. We go to these to because its pretty much a huge success if an 8 year old gets baptized here. It's almost like a convert....

We went to Brother Kie's after for dinner. We eat at his house every week because he loves the sisters. The AP's live in his house, so its fun to eat with them once a week too. One of them is a BYU football player (Peck) and the other is a stallion from Seattle (Cook). I really like them a lot, they both do a fantastic job. Usually a lady named Sara and her family comes, she is a less active and we teach her but she did not come this week.

Most of the time I can't eat the food, so I hurt some feelings, but President has asked me to do that instead of getting sick. I really enjoy him though, he runs the Family History Center and is a veteran!

Sunday was good. We went to the Sneedkers for the 2nd time this week. She is so cute, and Emily would love her! She is really into juicing so we juiced with her, and then she fed us home made pizza made from vegetable bread or something. Tell Emily to add Carrie Sneedeker as a friend. Trust me. They would be best friends because she's like Lori L.

We also had a pretty good Gospel Princples. Our anti lady showed up. She is insane. She gets up every 2 minutes during sacrament and any meeting and switches seats. She whispers in people's ears about how the church is bad, especially investigators. We have do what we call Debbi repellent sandwich. We have to block our investigators from her. It is quite entertaining for sure....

Anyways today we are doing half prep day and going to the Lilac Festival, helping someone move in, and then on Wednesday we are taking a GROVE TOUR that's four hours long with Bob Parret in the Sacred Grove, it should be pretty neat. I hear its indescribable....

Well check out my blog SisterVaterlaus.blogspot.com the more hits the better! They are talking about having us blog and Facebook an hour a day now..... we will see. I would love it!

okay I love you all, and thank you for the support!
-Sister Vaterlaus!

May 9, 2011 Letter 15

Well it was so good to talk to you yesterday and the whole family! I love nothing more.

I don't have TOO to much to say today...

Yesterday at church we had the Fletch man come, aka Brother Fletcher. He is straight from the 70's. He is getting baptized soon though, and he likes to wear short shorts and 70s clothes. He doesn't own a phone, and he lives in his moms house and never buys anything unless its for that meal. He rides his bike the store EVERY single day. It's pretty funny. He talks really loud, and wanted to keep asking me about Boise State football. I get asked about it a lot, so maybe I do need a shirt for it! Ha ha.

I am glad to hear everyone is doing so well though. I put some letters in the mail today so you will get them.
I pretty much told you everything that went on this week though..... I am trying to think of things to tell you....

Oh YA! We are having Zone Conference tomorrow in the Sacred Grove. Weird, eh? Its from 9 to 5. I think you should buy some of President Christianson's books, because I hear that they are amazing. We are watching a famous Elder Holland thing and then isn't that neat we are meeting in the sacred grove? Isn't it unfathomable?

I just received a Facebook message from another Albanian who wants to meet. I am stoked. I heard from Elder Merritt again, and they had to find a new house because there was so much mold. Funny eh?

We are still teaching quite a few people, but it will start slowing down now that we have sites. More about that, so we don't have a script necessarily we have key points that we must hit. There's about 6 at each site. In the summer we have to give 20 min tours or less. A regular tour last about 45 minutes to an hour if it's good. We are supposed to teach completely by the Spirit but only using facts, which is hard for me. Haha but I do it. I have realized something about me. I am really good at doing things even if i don't want to because I know I need to. So see I am about 98% obedient.

My favorite part of the week is still working at Cameron! I just love people and can not get enough of them. We were there this week and a lady and her 5 kids came in and started talking to us. She was like, "Oh ya. I got baptized into your church 10 years ago, I have been looking for you again." So 5 unbaptized kids. A few years ago the church redid it self and moved and so a lot of people were lost, so now we have to find them. A lot of work but fun!

Don't worry. I am doing great, loving it, we are playing capture the flag in abandoned subways today in RC. Stoked!

Okay, remember you're hot :)
Love you mom and dad!~!!!!

14th Letter May 2, 2011

On my Mission-

So this week has been crazy!

Last Tuesday we decided to go and check on some former investigators in what is called Myrtle Wood which is government housing. They were investigators from 2008, so we kind of knew that we would meet all new people, and we did.

My first one I totally thought that they were Albanians, they weren't but close. They were Russian. They kicked us out pretty fast! The next house we went to was a Man named Marcus, and he said he didn't have time but he set up an appointment for tomorrow, so my first investigator.

After that it got even better, because we met Emad and his family, and they are from Iraq. We taught him a first lesson and he asked us to come back in a week and set up an appointment, so two investigators my first REAL day in the area.

Then we went to Jose's house who was an investigator. His mom answered the door, and YELLED, "It's the Mormons! COME IN and teach me." However she only spoke Spanish, some English, I tried my Albanian on her it didn't work..ha ha...So we popped in the Restoration video in Spanish and watched it with her. She was tearing up. Right when it was about to do the first vision her cell phone started playing some big booty song and it was right by me, so me being the cunning person I am, hurried and hid it under the pillow next to me and sat on it so she couldn't hear it...She may have missed a call but she felt the spirit for sure!

Haha, after that she said, "I have one question. Do you let dark skin people into your church?" We were shocked, and said YES and replied with a good scripture. After that I just blurted out before I could stop myself, "BAPTISIMO????" and she said, "YES YES YES YES YES please." So we have May 28 set for her but she left to Puerto Rico? for ten days...so it might be pushed back....funny though, it was a little unreal.

Then we drove over to Karen's, who was a former as well and taught her a first lesson and she said she loved it because she could see the pureness in our eyes, it was sad- she really had red eyes....She set up appointment for last night, but called and cancelled. SO four investigators and a baptism commitment on my first day is not bad.....

On Wednesday we had to go get all 4 brakes in our car fixed, then we went to Cameron and did our service and hung out with my hood friends. We cleaned up their huge freezer. We are doing a HUGE service project with them this Saturday with the whole ward, we are painting so it should be fun. I love the hood...Wednesday night the RAIN RAGED and there was a tornado warning, the sky was green, and it's so weird that almost every day there is HUGE dark cloud of Rochester, you can tell it's a little evil...

A man from the Bronx who grew up in the streets of NY city said Rochester is more dangerous then that ever for sure. We ended up going to the RS activity with our investigator Hu Yen (we taught them this week to and her husband Alex). I was soaked from HEAD to TOE. I almost blew away and the umbrella was seriously flying out of my hands. It rains A LOT here. I have only had one day with out rain. It was a good activity though, it's gardening for city girls, I am sending you the papers in your mothers day box...


Thursday we went to Palmyra for our site meeting and training ALL DAY. I am part of a trying thing, so I will be with my trainer for 12 weeks and then I will train on my third transfer. The site meeting was cool, and I think it's a secret they are announcing it on my 15 i think, but they are opening up another HUGE VC in Harmony PA (SCRANTON)!!!.

It is going to be HUGE. Our groundskeeper BOB PARRET? whose not a member but knows everything and is so good about it. He is heading up the project so he came and gave a presentation. It was sweeet! I thought mom would like this because there are archelologist right now digging to find information.

Saturday we worked at the Joseph Smith Farm and on my third time I gave my first SOLO tour to three future missionaries (with calls), two parents, and a person with a baptisim date. It was sweet. SO for the sites we have three site manuals. One for the Grandin (BOMPS) where the BOM was bound and sold, the Joseph Smith farm (JSF) and the the Whitmer farm (WF). Then the Hill Cummoarh (HC) is self explanatory. We have try to do about 5 hours of studying a day. 1 personal 1 and 1'2 of companionship, then 1 hour of sites, then i try to get in as much Albanian as i can!. It is a long time to study. Me being the huge history buff that i am, not, am learning ALOT about early church history. Elder Lenker wants us to read JS history at least once a week as well...Our entire mission. It should increase our testimonies and improve our language and thoughts. It has!

Sunday was great. Some random girl, Senytra, showed up with her son Trinity and said she wants in. The ward was great this week. We had like 3 member dinners this week, one took us to fast food. I was sick for maybe 4 days... I have lost all 12 pounds I gained. Yay!

Anyways things are great in Henrietta and the Hood. The sites are so fun, I have only worked the HC and JSF and I get to do the Grandin this week. But because its an hour drive its long.......

well, love you all you're hot!
Sista V

April 25, 2011 Letter 13

"On my Mission"
WOW, this week has come and gone. It was a pretty long week for sure. Apparently I came at the beginning of the busy time of the year.

I was put in Henrietta? My Trainer is Sister Wilkinson, and she will go home in July. We live in the nicest apartment, so we are the lucky ones but we are so far away from everyone! Our President has us living outside our actual area. This mission is very unique because we are proselyting and site sisters.

So, as what is called "pageant month" comes we leave our areas for two weeks and all of the sisters move into one home ( well at least 14) of us and we will work from like 6:30 in the morning till midnight... That's coming up in July, something to look forward to.

Yesterday (my first time in NY church) a man walked up to me and said, "I don't care if you are obedient at all on your mission, except those two weeks in the summer." He said, "That alone will get you to heaven." Pretty funny.

So we do A LOT of driving- almost 90 to 100 miles a day going from our area to the sites, which is kind of a bummer because I get car sick....Other than that i have been UBER healthy for some reason. Maybe it was just the MTC. I am healthy, still tired all of the time, but good!

We had our first baptism and it was great, not a lot of people showed up which is sad but it was Easter, I guess.

Yesterday at church was different. Lets just say it is NOTHING like a ward you would find out west at all. It is kind of sad, but there is a lot of work to do. We have been doing a lot of inactive work, member work, and not too much with nonmembers yet because they were all out of town for spring break. So this week is jam packed with lessons, service and working at the sites.

Working at the sites is very different. It is like a JOB that you need to show up for. Its super nice, but just a different then what I have expected.

I love reading the scriptures here though because this is were it all started.

It is HARD work, and sometimes not very fun, but I am doing well and trying my best. I miss you all and love you all! Write me at my new "New York" address!!!!!
-Sister/Motra Vaterlaus