April 2, 2012...a few weeks behind! Sorry!

Here is Kendall's letter from the beginning of April. I am sorry I am getting behind on posting, I promise to do better!!

 

We live with the McFadyen's in the apt above the garage. It's pretty nice...I'll take some pics if I get the chance. I haven't taken any since I've been here...whoops!!

So things are going pretty good. Just been getting to know the area and the people here. Each day is pretty similar. We get up and exercise, eat, get ready, do personal study, do companion study, then do another hour of study from the training, then we pack a lunch and head out to visit/teach. We have like 10ish investigators and some potentials and then some recent converts and less actives. We teach the sweetest old japanese lady named Hiroko and she is awesome. We got a referral just after I got here from some members and we were able to visit the family...Chirs and Olvia...and they were wanting to join a church according to Chris. I was so excited, but then when we came back the wife decided she wasn't interested and Chris felt really bad. We actually ended up talking to him outside and gave him a few things and he seems really interested especially with the youth and primary program as they have kids that age. He is going to talk to his wife again so we are praying for them. So we are also teaching a Phillipino lady named Jasmine. She is great, just has a hard time communicating as she speaks tagolog. As luck would have it, Sister Hudson in the ward speaks tagalog so that's going really well. The only bad thing is you know how Phillipino's like to give food and it's custom that we eat it all according to Sister Hudson. Sooooo, I have been lucky enough to eat some Auger Auger and Pansit...not sure how to spell, but yeah nasty. The Auger auger is like some slimy clear worms that taste like nothing with some sort of creamy stuff. NASTY. The Pansit is noodle stuff, but basically I played with my food, said I'd just eaten and we asked if we could take it with us. After my third bite of auger auger I could just see it wasn't going to work...and I was not barfing in the house of someone I'd just met haha!! She seemed happy we wanted to take it back with us so I think we are on good terms. Speaking of food, we eat at members pretty much every night. So far I am wishing we made our own food. The first night we walk into the peoples house and the lady is mixing taco salad with her bare hands. I could tell it wasn't gonna be the best experiecne. As we are eating, I notice a giant blonde hairball on the table next to me. It was about all I could take. Haha other than that it's been great. I've been somewhat impressed with my ability to eat, but I have had some great meals too. They feed us so much too. I am gonna need a more vigorous workout plan or I'll have to switch to bikes because the people feed us a lot. I feel for all the missionaries and all the food we kept giving them. There is no hope for car missionaries in the U.S. haha!! Well, it's been a good week. My favorite thing to do if you can believe it is tract. We don't get to do it a ton cuz we are teaching quite a few people, but when we do tract I actually enjoy it. Oh, my mission area is just houses. There are no shopping areas or anything like that so we can only tract and teach. We don't ever do the OYM stuff (open your mouth) so that's actually kinda nice. Well hope all is going grand. Things are great!! Miss and love you all!! =)

Sister Rupp

Sister Folwell enters the MTC!

Sister Cammi Folwell got set apart to be a missiony for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints last Saturday. She entered the MTC today at 12:40! Cammi will be a great missionary and will bless so many people!!

Sister Rupp made it safely to California yesturday. Her first area is Citrus Heights, California and as soon as I get her address I will post it!

Ready for California!!

Sister Rupp leaves for California TOMORROW morning!! It is crazy how fast the 3 weeks went by! Here is a little bit from the letter she wrote home last week:
Holy Smokes!! I don't even know where to begin!! Probably because I can't remember what I wrote last and I can't figure the difference in my days cuz everything seems to just blur together. It's madness in this place.  

I'm pretty much doing the same thing everyday. We have class twice-I enjoy it. I feel that I've learned more in the short time I've been here than I ever did in school. My brain is learning to take things in a mile a minute-its crazy stuff here!! We also do zone teaching evertyday. Last week the old disrtict taught us and this week we teach the new district. We pretend they are investigators and teach one on one so it's different but a good check on how you're doing individually. I am teaching Elder Chapman. He is so good at pretending to be an investigator. Awkward moment...in the middle of one of our lessons he (the investigator) asked me about me intentions. He said he didn't think I was making anything up and that I really did want him to have the joy of the gospel in his life, but he was concerned that I also was trying to date him. I began to laugh. Just the fact that he is an elder and the MTCand said that to me was funny. I cleared things up with the investigator and managed to make it out with some dignity still in tact. We laughed afterwards, but I still thought it was awkward haha!! We also teach in the TRC which is where we go to teach random people. we go 4 times a week. We just commited one of our investigators from the trc to baptism on Sat so that was cool. He is way too nice to us...we are realizing we have an advantage as Sisters when it comes to the elderly men haha!! I just love them!! Then there is gym. Boy do I love gym time. It is definitely keeping me sane and functional in these walls of the MTC. I feel very cooped up and I'm ready to ship outa here already!!

Sunday was great of course. I was lucky enought to be chosen (5 minutes before sacrament) as one of the speakers. I spoke on the restoration. It went well I thoughtm but I was sooooo nervous!! The snow was great as well. Maybe the last time I'll see it for 1 1/2 years!! Crazy thought!! =)

And for the best news...on Tuesday we were lucky enough to get to hear from Elder and Sister Oaks for devotional. It was really good. They spoke on teaching with the spirit and the importance of the sacrament. I really enjoyed it and got a lot out of it. Especially since that's something I've been really working on. It's hard when you know all your teaching is just pretend, but I'n working on it! I really appreeciated there talks and am very grateful I was in the MTC for it!!

There's not much more...just business as usual. I fly out on Tuesday at 8 or 8:30am. I may not have much time. My whole district flys together so that will be cool. 

Random funny story...I was doing a role play with one of the Elders in my district and teaching about tithing. I was going on about how much we have and how little we give in return. At one point I said something like "plus you don't even have to pay tithing on your friends and family!" We both just started laughing and holy cow I felt dumb. Who says that? Don't worry I spun it into a wonderful tithing commitment. He is telling everyone we see about this and I fear I won't be living it down. It's ok...we all need some laughter every now and then!!

I'm doing well and loving it here. The spirit is so strong and everyone is just so great here!! I'm excited for all the missionaries coming in. They're in for quite the treat!! I feel very blessed to be able to be here! Thanks for all the help and support!! =)

Anywho, hope all is well. I love and miss you all and can't wait to here from you!! Also remember I'm leaving Tuesday morning so all mail need to halt before that...just an fyi!! Peace and love my peeps

Love,

Sister Rupp

 

 

And Then There Were Two!!

Hi everybody. This is Cammi. I've never written in a blog before..so..ya..I feel pretty...AWESOMe!! I would like to start off by bidding you all adooue. I am soo stoked that I get to go on a mission, I pretty much can't believe it! ..I guess someone out there needs my weird spirit. :) ..The biggest thing that draws me to the gospel found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is, happiness. I know that the only way for us to be truly happy is with help from our Heavenly Father...whether it be being happy now on earth, or in heaven. I have a strong testimony that we are never alone, and that Heavenly Father is just a prayer away. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I love the Book of Mormon and the Bible!! They help answer my questions...I always used to just rely on what people told me, but everyone would have a different opinion, and I would always end up just getting confused and frustrated. So ya..I totally believe in personal revelation through the Holy Ghost. I know that we have a prophet right now who also receives revelation from God to help guide all of us. I know that after Jesus died and the true gospel was taken off the earth, that it was restored again through the prophet Joseph Smith. I know that God lives, I know Jesus lives. I know that if we live the gospel, someday we can live so happily with our Heavenly Father and our families...well, I hope that I will be a good missionary...you should probably pray for me haha...and if you ever miss me..just..listen to my music. :)

 

...now I know why shoe polish was on the list of missionary supplies. :)

-Sister Folwell