Spring is here!

Last Pday we went fishing at the Lawsons! They have 3 "ponds" (they are huge for ponds) 

 Sneeky pictures, and of course had to take some selfies...

 more selfies...

 and.... I CAUGHT A FISH! my first fish I ever caught! Had to get Elder May to take it off for me... but I still caught it and held it! :) Plus I was the only one to catch anything. 

I also got a sweet tan line from my watch... We also had Zone conference this week and Sister Jex &Wadsworth decided to take some selfies

 Last picture of this district before transfers :( Sis Palmer and Elder Bowers are getting transferred. In the pic from L to R Bowers, Baker, Me, Palmer, Wadsworth, Smith. I swear sis Smith and I really do love each other.. we just never stand by each other in pictures.. haha

It is finally Spring! Humidity is gunna kill me and my hair, but the trees are SO pretty! 

These are the flowers on some trees, they are HUGE!

 

Some Silliness

Heather (a less active) insisted on doing our hair.. so a picture of me and her (you cant really see the braid...) and we were driving along and saw this sign and thought it was hilarious so of course we had to take pictures.

Sister Smith and I matching again. This happens way more often than I have pictures.

There were a lot of worms in the church parking lot, and nobody showed up for Book of Mormon class... so of course I was trying to convince the Elders to eat them. Haha Elder May almost ate one and then someone pulled up so Elder Hoyt and Elder May sat there holding worms in their pockets for an hour while the Young Mens leaders were talking to us. Still haven't eaten them cause it was getting late, but I will definitely send a video when they do. Ps their only incentive was Scooby Doo fruit snacks and a dirt cup.. (the one with oreos and pudding and gummy worms) Haha

 

Sunsets and Watermelon

 So I was driving when we saw the pretty sunset so I told sister Smith to take a picture.. this is why you dont have other people take pictures on your camera.. haha. She tells me she loves these houses EVERY time we pass them.

So we got a watermelon last week and It was the first one I ever picked and cut. Not to bad! Also GORGEOUS sunsets everywhere!!!! 

March 30, 2015

This week we got to watch the Women's conference.. SO GOOD! Its kinda weird cause we are 2 hours ahead so it started at 8 so it will be really weird with conference not starting till 12! I have been told Conference is like Christmas for missionaries.. Its definitely true, we haven't even watched it yet, but the Women's conference was super awesome! I LOVED that "The family is of God" song! I was also reminded of the importance of families and how they are CENTRAL to Gods plan. I am excited to one day have my own family, and I am so grateful for the family I have now :) Also how we are all needed in our Heavenly Fathers plan and we are all loved. I loved how President Eyring was talking about how we can help the Savior lighten the loads of others. It was all just really good!

We had a lot of fun at zone conference, and afterwards got to go on exchanges. This week has been full of a lot of learning. Sometimes it is nice to be the student rather than the teacher for a little, it helps me to gain that new motivation I need to keep working hard. At zone conference I learned a lot about how important goals really are, I have really been trying to put a lot more effort in using time wisely to reach the goals that we have set. Our mission president shared a story of a man who made a life list of things he wanted to accomplish in his life, and even though there were lots of goals about activities, or work, the most important were the ones focused on eternal progression, I have been thinking and am planning on writing one out to help me accomplish more in my life. It was also awesome to go on exchanges, I had the opportunity to stay in Wheeling with Sister Duncan. She is such an awesome missionary and I learned a lot from her about being yourself around everyone and to share more life experiences to relate that to the gospel.
This week has been kind of hard in regards to investigators. We don't have any that are progressing and we have been trying to find some more people who the Lord has prepared.

Also! There is a new Easter video that we are really pushing this week, Because He Lives. helives.mormon.org :) If you haven't seen it yet, you should WATCH IT! It is super awesome! Also SHARE IT on Facebook or twitter, or with a friend, through a text! Social media is great sometimes.. just needs to be used wisely.

But I know this church is true, I know that our Heavenly Father knows us all individually and PERFECTLY. I know that we have a very LOVING Savior, Jesus Christ, who is here for ALL of us whenever we need him. I am so grateful for this Easter season, and for the opportunity that I have to share my testimony of Jesus Christ with others. I know he lives, and because he lives I know that I can live again too, with our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and my family. happy Easter on Sunday! Remember Christ in this Easter season! #becausehelives :)

*****

Us just after exchanges :) (Left to Right: Sister Cottam, Me, Sister Smith, Sister Duncan.) Our STLS are awesome :) and I decorated my wall.. :) 

Me holding a baby chick that decided to poop on my hand, and one of the chickens decided to eat a nail.

This is also what happens when anyone gets a hold of your camera.. Elder Hoyt took some selfies.. and a pic of sister Smith. 

March Zone Conference in Cranberry

Back row:  Sisters Tolman, Wadsworth, Palmer, Cottam, Rosengren, Jex, and Duncan

Front row:  Sisters Johnson, Oliver, Mortimer, Hinkle, and Smith

March 24, 2015

Also just a reminder of the mission blog, there are a few pix of me, at transfers and at a fireside and stuff :) http://ppmmemories.blogspot.com/ 

Beautiful sunset, and rolling hills.. Ohio's not to bad! 

  There are pictures of missionaries up on our wall so I put some of sis Talbot and I, haven't gotten Sis Smith and I yet. Also we come out matching all the time.. kinda weird.

 This week was pretty good. I have definitely been able to get more comfortable with leading out the area over the last 2 weeks and I am excited to see what the Lord has in store for this area. We have been struggling quite a bit with our investigators, nobody really seems to be progressing, it is so sad to see people use their agency to reject the church when I know that it is true. We had a lady tell us that it just seems harder when she is reading the Book of Mormon, and she is comfortable with just the Bible :/ Life definitely does not necessarily get easy when you have the gospel in your life, but the gospel can definitely help through trails, knowing that we can turn to our Savior in ANYTHING we are going through. I loved stake conference that we had this past weekend and something that really stuck out to me was that we have to do everything we can the rescue the 2/3 of our Heavenly Fathers children who chose to accept him before we came to this earth. How true that is and I want to help those people we have the opportunity to meet to hear about his gospel. We are definitely praying to find those people who are ready to hear the gospel. A mission is not easy, but Christ never said it would be easy, but it will be worth it. I am so grateful to have the gospel in my life so that I can see the Lords hand in every aspect of it.

New Companion

Pictures from our trip to the mall a few Pdays ago :) We went with Maggie who was serving a mini mission with us.

 Pictures of me trying to walk through huge piles of snow, not the greatest idea I have ever had. 

last Pday we went to the Lawsons, sister Talbot and I going for a ride :) 

This is the Laweson's property!

Trying to take pictures while moving... not that easy.

 We made sushi (yup I made some and rolled it) and held their chickens.

 Sis Talbot and I with Sis Lawson, and the pot holes are terrible, even on the freeway, pretty scary to drive sometimes.

 Saying goodbye to Sister Talbot, and Hello the Sister Smith very bitter sweet day.

 I got the care package from the ward!

Also the elders had a baptism, Fernando is AWESOME!!!