Work Is Fun (I Can't Believe I Just Said That!)

There is no group email from Emily this week, just this one she sent to her family. While we were talking with her another sister walked by and said hello to us, told us how much she loves Emily, and how Emily is the hardest working missionary on Temple Square. So her second paragraph about working hard is totally true. She didn't mention this in her email, but our friends the Wilkes were in Salt Lake on Memorial Day and were able to go on a tour with Emily. Knowing that people care enough about Em to find her at Temple Square really means a lot to us. Thank you Wilkes family!

Okay mom and dad here is the scoop. 

Like I said on the phone: seven peeps on date but only like two or three will talk to us which is only slightly awkward. Spanish people are prepared but they also have no problems ghosting you which is pretty sad. 

This week we have been working hard hard hard. We have like no free time. The queue is still on FIRE and so there is no shortage of things to do in the Teaching Center. We exceeded our goal of lessons for the transfer which is legit. I love being on temple square because we actually teach like crazy. There are no shortages of opportunities to teach and testify and invite. 

A British flag nametag for every day wear...

This week we were in guest services (this place where people can call in and schedule tours) and we had this guy call and I was like hey thanks for calling what can I do for you and then he was like "I want to join your church, did I call the right place" and he did not because our job there was the schedule tours but you know I was like "YES YOU DID FOR SURE TELL ME MORE" and so I got the info and said I would call soon and see up the locals and everything. So, I called him yesterday and he picked up the phone and I didn't even say anything and he was like "I don't feel like talking right now" except he yelled that and then hung up. So I texted him and said I was sorry but when could I call back that would work better for him. Kind of a short-lived miracle if I do say so myself. 

Also, we had a really bad day last Wednesday. It was raining first of all and then no one on TC would pick up the phone and the people that did were rude and would hang up on me and I was struggling hardcore and then we were running late to our flagpole tour and when we got there our zone leaders were there in normal clothes and I was like crap they had to choose today for a pass off tour?? In case you don't know what that is, a pass off tour is when you are in your first transfer (aka Sister Costilla my trainee) the zone leaders come and do a big elaborate role play and they go on a tour. Usually they tell you but apparently, they wanted it to be a surprise sooooo yeah. It was the worst tour of my life. Sister Costilla literally forgot how to speak English (her words not mine) and everywhere we went was loud with either kids screaming or with organists playing loud songs right as you start to testify and I was like for reals?! And it was just a crazy mess. Our zone leaders said they would call us to evaluate and I was like oh don't bother and they haven't called yet so hopefully they forget forever. Mark my words our tours are usually the BEST EVER like so so good but we were just off our groove that day. Then we did more TC and more people hung up on me and I was just having a hard time keeping it together. So, we went to go get a pretzel from the mall because ya girl was craving one and also I had had a hard day so we were going to eat our sorrows and then the pretzel guy gave me my pretzel for free. I was like what?? And he was like please no worries and I was like wait why no I'll pay and he was just like nope it's on me. And then I almost cried because wow, what a beautiful blessing. I had been praying for comfort all day and I hadn't found any, but then this beautiful man gave me a beautiful pretzel for free and man God is just so good and He will always comfort us. Even if it is with something as small as a pretzel... even though this pretzel was anything but small. It was actually massive. 

This week we put Taijah our one referral from Conference that was working on date!!! I am so excited for her. She knows she wants to be baptized but she is just so scared of her family so if you could pray for her that would be greatly appreciated because I think she could use it. 

Also, I don't know if you heard this mom, but I passed off in German this week!! I gave Sister Metzner the tour and she said it was good! I actually thought that it was the worst, but I mean she is the German person so I guess if she thinks that I can give a good enough German tour to bring people closer to Christ then I should have more faith. I know that God won't let me screw up and I'll just keep studying and learning more and then I will be able to give tours even better in the future! 

 and a German flag nametag just for fun!

Also, we went to this hole in the wall pizza place today and it made me think of dad! It was like hidden and underground and their pizza was RIDICULOUS good and I'm pretty sure I gained like 12 pounds from my two slices. Anyways dad, the next time that you are in Salt Lake City, you should go because you would love it! 

For memorial day weekend, my roommates and I built a fort in the living room and we all moved our mattresses in there and we had a sleepover from Friday to Monday and it was so fun! It was a great way to make a dent in my box of sugar and diabetes from the Thetford Ward Relief Society. Plus, it was just fun to be there and all laughing and talking and having a fort and doing a sleepover. And it made me love my roommates more. Not gonna lie, it made me realize that they are not super obedient and usually I would have a hard time liking them let alone loving them (because it isn't that hard to be obedient and I tend to get mad when I see people not being obedient and following the rules) but I think that I am starting to grow because I can still love them even when they are disobedient because that is their choice, I just need to worry about me and do my best. Their best is different from mine and that goes for all areas of the work. Lots of people have seen more success and are better than me at lots of things here, but I don't have to worry about that and it doesn't mean I'm not good just because I haven't had as many baptisms. Okay, that was a weird tangent but oh well. 

For Memorial Day, an American flag nametag!

This morning we gave a tour to the two Polish ladies and they were Catholic and they were just like dumbfounded and kept saying "You guys aren't that different from us like it is way more similar than we thought" and we were like yeah I mean there are some differences but yeah not that many and then we were straight TESTIFYING about the Book of Mormon and about Jesus Christ up at the Christus and I know that they were feeling it and we were like "We would love for you to have a copy" and they were like yeah we were going to ask where we could buy one and we were like "Oh no we have them for free and we have them in Polish even!" And so they took and they took an extra for their mom (or grandma for the daughter one) and we got their emails and they were like "Can we get a picture?" and we were like yeah for sure and they were so cool. What a miracle! Hopefully, they actually read and respond to our emails and we can't start teaching them. They really liked everything we talked about so I think that we could make something happen. Well not us but you know God could, working through us. 

Sorry about all the pictures lately, we are trying to take one a day but sometimes the lighting is so good that we just take a million, you know how it can be sometimes. Anyways, I think that is all I have for you. It has been a great week full of work and hopefully this coming week we will have even more work to do. I love being a missionary. And even though I miss you both and everyone so so much I don't ever want to go home. I don't know if that makes sense. Like I want to go home but at the same time, I never want to go home. Think what you will about that. 

Emily and Sister Costilla take LOTS of photos. Every morning I check my google photos account and there's usually a new photo shoot waiting for me :) 

I love and miss you both SO MUCH and just getting to talk you was really nice. Don't get me wrong I love my sisters but it is nice to just talk to you two. Have an amazing week and I'll talk to you next Tuesday!!!!! 

Love 

Em 

We're Going to Convert Melania Trump

Emily's emails this week were so happy! It's good to hear how much joy she's finding in her service. She seems to be settling into her new companionship with Sister Costilla and her role as a trainer. And even though she didn't mention it, I know she's happy that the weather is warming up and her freckles are coming back out :) 

Hey everyone! 

This week hasn't been too eventful so hopefully, this email doesn't bore you to death. 

We now have five people on date and only one of them speaks English. I guess Spanish people are just like super ridiculous prepared. The good news is that I am starting to like teaching in Spanish and the translating and everything is going really well. Sister Costilla helped me learn my testimony in Spanish and I even got to share it with one of the people we are teaching, Sergio (from Columbia)! I think it went well, even if Sister Costilla was laughing at my pronunciation the whole time but whatever, Sergio was very kind and grateful. 

We have taken a bunch of tours this week and they are probably some of the best tours I have ever given. We have been able to teach the whole restoration throughout the tours and it is so cool to be able to tell people more about the church and how learning more will change their lives! We get to take a few Spanish tours as well and I think they are so funny because they always hug me and kiss me on the cheek at the end... I think it is because I literally have no idea what I'm doing or what anybody is saying half the time and they can tell and they feel bad. But whatever, I appreciate these Spanish ladies and their kindness. 

So, about converting the first lady: we had a lady come into the North Visitor's Center today and she is going to meet the Trumps for some award and she wants to give Melania a Book of Mormon in her native language and so, of course, we all that were there wrote our testimonies about it in the book. I don't have a way of following up but still, that's pretty cool. 

That's all I have for this week. Love and miss you all! 

Sister Moran 

***************************

Hey parents! I'm glad that we got to talk for more than seven minutes this week. It sounds like you're having so much fun in Germany!! 

This week was full of EARLY EARLY MORNINGS!!! We had missionary department training on how to be good online missionaries. The big focus was on how we could give them a spiritual experience and meet their needs. We learned a lot about how to avoid hang up calls and how we could ask good inspired questions to get them talking and how we take the answers to those questions and then tailor the Bible to their needs and then we in time as we developed a trust in the first few minutes let us know if we should bring up the Book of Mormon. I have used the techniques they showed us the past few days and WOW I have seen way more success. With the two people that picked up the phone in my hour of teaching center today, they both accepted the Book of Mormon and missionaries and I set up return appointments because I was able to talk about their needs and address them. When I did that it was easy for the spirit to tell me a verse in the Book of Mormon that could relate to their life. Then I would ask to share and they would say yes and I would share and we would discuss and I would testify. Then I'd offer to have missionaries bring a free copy of the Bible and the Book of Mormon and share more about how they could find answers and it was so good and I got return appointments! So even though we had to be at the Square at 7:30 for three days it's all good because it made me a much more effective missionary. 

Zone conference was this week and man oh man was it good. My main takeaway was that I need to be better. And it isn't that I'm not working hard because I am, but I could be doing more. So there you go, I'm going to do more. It was kind of like a spiritual slap in the face but in a loving way so I was okay with it. Also, President Fisher said something that I think you might like, mom! I know that you're having a hard time with Abby and to be honest so am I. But he said that we need to put it in the Lord's hands. Just say that you've done everything you can and it is now up to Him and He will take care of it, we just need to show Him that we trust Him. All we do after that is just continue to love. Hopefully, that will comfort you like it comforted me. 

We've been able to teach like crazy this week. Because we have both the Spanish and the English queue we just have a lot to do in the Teaching Center which is nice. When I first came here to the mission the Square was dead and the queue was dead but now both are POPPIN so there is usually always something to do. There are literally like 700 Bible requests that we can just grab and start calling. That is what I'm talking about. 

Like I mentioned earlier we have five people on a baptismal date which is awesome but it's hard to get them into the water. Out of the five, I would guess 2 to 3 will actually make it. I will be praying for these people so hopefully they can all make it. 

This week we got to take a lot of tours and they have been super good. With Sister Broadbent, I feel like every time we gave the same exact tour but now we change it up and we make it much more spiritual. We do the entire restoration throughout the tour. I remember when I recommended we do that with Sister Broadbent she was like, "How are we supposed to do that on a tour?" And I was like ???? So we ended up never doing it. But with Sister Costilla, it is awesome because she isn't stuck in her ways so it's super easy to do a new route and tour every time! We took two standouts this week. The first one had two people from India, two from Ethiopia, and one from Kenya. I was the only white person which was cool. We did the whole thing and recited the First Vision and taught about prophets and how this is Jesus Christ's church and we gave them all Books of Mormon. The ones from Ethiopia wanted one in Amharic so that was pretty cool that she spoke that but even cooler is that we had it. Anyways, they took our phone number at the end and said they would call and text because they didn't want to give us their numbers and we haven't heard from them but still it was a bomb tour. The other was one that we covered today. We had a bunch of Australians, two from Germany, and two from Belgium. We ended up giving the Australians an English Book of Mormon, the Germans one auf Deutsch, and the Belgians one in Danish. We also told the Germans and the Belgians about the temple and explained the temple model because they were curious and the Australians weren't. We tried to get contact but one straight up shook his head no and backed away so that was cool. But it was still cool because these people knew like almost nothing about the church and now they know so much!! I love to give tours because it really is just a lesson in a bunch of old buildings with some history mixed in so they don't get mad and think we're just preaching to them. 

I love being a missionary. Not going to lie, sometimes I get pretty down in the dumps and homesick and I just think that I want to go home. Both Sister Costilla and I were talking about how we felt that way this week but I know that this is the place for me. It's such a blessing to get to teach people from every continent! For reals though, I have taught someone from every continent of the world so far! I've even been able to teach people from China because they spoke English!! I mean, I haven't done Antarctica or anything like that, but I don't think anyone here has done that. Plus, it's cool to be here where we have all of these resources to teach people and where they are curious and WANT to know more. What a blessing. 

I love you and I miss both of you so much!!! Have a great rest of your week in Germany and eat lots of German food! Also, have safe travels home. I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU SO MUCH 

Love, 

Em 

Look at That Little White Girl!

A full week after receiving them, I'm finally posting Emily's emails from last week. She as Sister Costilla and getting more used to working together and she continues to be excited about being a missionary and sharing the gospel. Enjoy!

Hey Everyone! 

This week was a week full of hard work and miracles. 

We have been on square the past few days from 7:30am to 9pm and we are just in constant motion. It has been a little crazy but we have seen some awesome things happen because of it. 

One of those things is that we have not one, not two, but THREE PEOPLE ON DATE!!!!! And somehow, all three of them are people we have met on square... that never happens. One is named Richard and he came into the SVC and was like "when is the soonest that I can be baptized?" And we were like well we have to teach you a few things but then you're good to go! So we had the first lesson with him and he will be getting baptized on June 15! The other two are some Spanish ladies named Julliana and Mari and they came into the SVC and Sister Costilla explained the temple model to them and then invited them to be baptized because they were REALLY feeling it. They are on date for June 1 and hopefully, they stay that way! 

Sometimes it can be hard to be with someone that speaks Spanish because teaching together is hard and then we are still working on the whole I need to be a part of the teaching and the tours and it feels like I am doing nothing half the time which really frustrates me but I know that this is just a learning experience and that I am with her for a reason! 

Also, we took a Spanish tour of a half member half nonmember family and when they first saw us and asked for a tour the mom apparently said something along the lines of wow look at that little white girl (she was talking about me in case you didn't guess that already). Sister Costilla said that it does mean anything bad so I'm going to roll with it and consider it a compliment. 

Love and miss you all and I hope you all have a great week! 

Sister Moran 

*********************

Mom and Dad,

Things are great. Sister Costilla and I get along really well and we have fun together. The language barrier is killing me though. I have to repeat everything like 12 times. It is a struggle. But Sister Costilla is easy to train. She is obedient and she is hardworking and kind and helpful and a million more amazing things. Despite all that, I just don't like training. It isn't fun for me it is just stressful. Hopefully, because she served two transfers in Mexico she can just have one transfer of training and then go be someone else's companion and be a normal missionary. Please. 

The best part about being a missionary is getting to eat sleep and breathe the gospel. It is so nice to not focus on anything else but Christ and I feel like I've learned a lot while I've been out here. And I haven't even been out very long! Just four months! 

For Temple Square, I like that people are coming to us. Like I taught someone the restoration the other day at the temple model and all I had to do was ask if they had questions and twenty minutes later they left with a Book of Mormon. It is so cool because they just come in curious and wanting to know more... well most of them. What's hard is if you don't get contact information then you are done with their journey. It makes me have a lot of faith so that I can know that I just started them on their path:) 

We had our zone activity today and we went to the fun zone. It has like a bouncy area and roller skating and missionaries go free because the owner is a member and all of his kids served. He even got us free pizza and drinks. Say what you will about serving in Utah, but we get a lot of free stuff. 

Taijah has a lesson tomorrow and she is just scared of what her family will say if she gets baptized so we are trying to work past that. Andrew hasn't talked to us in over a week even though he said he would text us every day about reading and praying. Oh, Andrew. I think we might need to drop him because he won't keep commitments and he isn't progressing anymore. It breaks my heart but unless something changes quickly then oh well. 

Some other stuff that happened. I saw three apostles in two days!!!! I saw Elder Cook Thursday afternoon in the tunnels and Elder Soares in between the Tabernacle and the Assembly Hall. He was filming something with the President of the Seventy for almost two hours. That was around the time where we gave this super powerful tour and we only got one person's contact information but it was still really really good. And then Elder Rasband right before the tour started (the same really good tour) he walks around Temple Square pretty often and he was just going into the baptism entrance to the Temple by the giant flagpole and compass on the ground where dad proposed! Cool right?? I had to point them all out to Sister Costilla and our tour group. 

I started off today super healthy and now I am eating ice cream, I've had pizza twice, soda, pretzels, Twizzlers, and cookies and chocolate. I know. I'm super healthy. 

Are things with Abby improving? (yes and no) Are you excited for Germany next week? (100% yes! When will dad find out if he wins? (Sometime in the second half of June) Any fun plans for the summer? (Not really, just hoping to catch a Space A flight to the States) Where is Abby thinking of for college? (She has no clue yet...) Anyways, I love you! I wish we could call and I could just talk to you but I'll just see you next week. LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU SO MUCH!!! Have an amazing week:) 

Love 

Em 

I'm a Mexican Now

Hola Everyone! 

As you might notice from my new ability to speak not one, but TWO languages, I have indeed been transferred. My new companion/trainee is Sister Costilla and she is from Monterey Mexico! She is probably the cutest person I have ever met, no joke. 

On Wednesday I did no missionary work because I was in a room all day eating Panda Express and waiting for President to dramatically reveal who I would be training. It was a good time. Oh my goodness Thursday and all the rest of the days have been slightly crazy. On Thursday, aka Sister Costilla's first day on the square, we had not one, but TWO TOURS and that was a little bit scary because she doesn't know anything because it is her second day. Somehow, we survived it with me just spouting out like all the information about buildings/history/beliefs and her adding a sentence testimony at the end, which is the most important part anyway. 

Honestly, this whole training thing isn't super my jam. It makes me realize how much I don't know. There have been a few calls to District Leaders and trusty old Sister Broadbent for some help and I'm grateful for them supporting me. Hopefully, Sister Costilla can't tell that I am just winging it like 92% of the time. 

One fun thing is that at least once a day, Sister Costilla will tell me "You're a Mexican now" and then will offer to get me a passport. So watch out world, ya girl is now Mexican..... a very white Mexican but still. 

Have a great week! 

Sister Moran 

***************************

okay my people, here it goes. 

Wednesday was just the worst. I was only the one from my MTC District that was training and I had no idea who all the rest of the trainers were so basically I was just sitting there feeling awkward and then feeling sad because I don't want to train. I'm a week in and I wish that I would just get transferred because training is the worst. Like, I have to explain everything and I'm dying out here. It is especially hard because English is Sister Costilla's second language so she is super self-conscious and she won't talk at all because she is scared. We can't really do missionary work if she won't open her mouth. It makes tours especially hard because I have to do all of the talking. 

She doesn't always really understand what people are saying. Like, I have to talk really, really slowly and simply and then she can usually pick it up and see what I mean. But there are still a lot of misunderstandings and that can be a little frustrating when you are in the middle of the tour and telling a story and then look to her and she goes on a weird tangent and it doesn't make sense. A lot of this is just newness and I know that it'll get better but it is just a little hard right now. Sister Costilla served 2 transfers in Mexico City waiting for a visa so she literally knows how to be a missionary she is just learning how to give tours and do it at a visitors center. She does things in a very particular way. Like if I start helping make the meal, she is just like, "no no no, I'll do it" because she doesn't like the way I am doing it. It is kinda funny because I feel like no matter what way you scramble eggs it's fine but it is not fine to her. 

Also, I am the most awkward person ever. idk if it is the language barrier or what but I just have no idea how to be her friend. I am trying so hard and all the other trainers seem to get along and are really good friends with their companions and I feel like I am not quite there yet. Idk I'm working on it and I know I shouldn't compare myself to them but it is hard sometimes. Also, we had plans to do something fun this pday and but we ended up canceling because she was tired. NEXT WEEK THOUGH! We are going to go out and have fun and do lots of things. 

I love how brave Sister Costilla is. She asks like every single person we meet if we can share this message with them because she knows that it will bless their lives. So far, we've only had one taker and they speak Spanish but ya know, that is okay. I am taking notes on being bold and getting contact information because yes we can bring people closer to Christ when we only talk for a little bit but like if we don't get their info, how are we going to fulfill our WHOLE missionary purpose. We need to help them get to baptism and Sister Costilla is really good at getting that first step when I would normally just say like okay it was great to talk with you. 

Okay, basically the bottom line is that I don't want to be training because I am direly unprepared but I love Sister Costilla even though it is a little bit hard sometimes. 

Anyways, we've kept pretty busy. The past two transfers I have been on early schedule which means we get to the square at 9:00 a.m. and then go home at 5:30 p.m. and do studies in the evening. Now, we are late schedule and we do studies in the morning and then get home at 9:00 p.m. I like early wayyyyy better. Because when you get home you don't have to go back out you just can put on PJs and study. Oh well. The good news is that they are changing it to where we will have the early schedule half of the week and the late schedule the other half and that starts tomorrow. It is because so many people in the mission aren't following all the rules about the schedule so I think President is hoping this will help. I hope so too because I see so much disobedience and it drives me up the wall and it is hard to feel the spirit when I am mad that the sisters around me are being disobedient so I think that this will help me keep my chill a little bit more. 

I should hopefully pass off German in the next few weeks! Sister Metzner says that I am ready! I don't feel ready tbh, but they need the help for the summer and so that is gonna be me I guess because German people need to be saved too. Idk if I told you but a few weeks back I had a whole convo in German and then gave them two Books of Mormon. That was cool. Anyways, back to the week. The people we are teaching are progressing and that is good. We are going to start having a bunch of Spanish lessons which makes me nervous because I want to feel involved but Sister Costilla is supposed to translate as we go and ya know, that is a lot happening to listen and then translate simultaneously when English is your second language. I will be praying for the gift of tongues and hopefully as time goes on, I will just understand it a little bit better. 

I love you and I miss you! Have a great week! I didn't fast for Abby but I did fast for Sister Costilla because she is having a hard time with everything (she cried to me one day during comp study) but no worries I will a different day this week! LOVE YOU SO SO MUCH AND I MISS YOU! 

Love 

Em

This is Like an Extreme Sport

This week we heard a lot about how Emily's feeling as transfers approach and she prepares to say goodbye to Sister Broadbent and to begin her new assignment as a trainer. She's feeling inadequate and nervous and would really appreciate any prayers of support you can send her way. 

Hey everyone! 

This week was so full of MIRACLES! 

First of all, one of our referrals from General Conference is WORKING! Her name is Taijah and she is like the cutest person ever. She doesn't even really know who Jesus Christ is and so we have really had to start from the beginning and get her relationship with Him growing. We have been able to teach her pretty often because we teach her over the phone so it is way easy to make an appointment! She has already been to church twice and my favorite thing with her is hearing her say how she feels relaxed and good and peaceful when she prays and goes to church. Ahh, I love her. 

Another person I love is my man ANDREW! We finally set up an appointment with him and we were able to talk! Turns out he has been really busy with finals (blah blah excuses) but it was good to talk to him again finally. Also another big miracle: Andrew hasn't been able to meet with the locals yet but he really needs to but somehow the locals just SAW him walking around and finally were able to meet him. What a miracle! And we have another lesson with him on Friday! 

Another cool thing that is apparently going to unfortunately happen is that I will be training. That means I will get a brand new missionary and will help them learn how to be a missionary. I really didn't want to do this ever but I'm both very excited and very scared about this new adventure that will start tomorrow! 

Unfortunately, because I'm training it means Sister Broadbent and I will be split up:( I decided that I should leave her better than I found her so I taught her how to curl her hair!) This woman somehow lived for almost 20 years and never learned how to do it. According to her, curling hair is an extreme sport. Man, I'm gonna miss her. 

Love and miss you all and I hope you have a great week! 

Sister Moran 

**************************************

So in addition to the things I said in my group email here are some juicy details for just you two! 

Remember how some of Sister Broadbent's extended family came to visit? This is all like Sister Broadbent's cousins and everything and extended family and we ended up taking them on a tour of the tabernacle. She had this old uncle who is like a church history expert so we had to be very careful with the information we said. It was kinda funny because I actually tripped him up on something tabernacle choir related so JOKES AND TAKE THAT. 

The day after that we saw some of them again when we were in the west gate and she left me all alone in there and like no joke both phones started ringing and she just like ignored me and our missionary work and then just left me stranded in there. I was pretty mad and then we went to the south visitors center and then even though I didn't deserve it because I was murmuring in my head, I was able to teach the restoration to two people at the temple model, gave them both Books of Mormon, and then got their contact information all in the course of an hour. I then apologized to Sister Broadbent for maybe seeming irritable and told her why and that I knew she was excited to see her family but I really needed her help and that missionary work was more important at that moment. She apologized as well and said it wouldn't happen again. But then it did. This time, it was today when we were taking her sisters on a tour and they were late and we had a lesson at 10:30 but then she literally texted and canceled on our lesson so we could still take the sisters on a tour. Maybe I would feel less annoyed if the situation was reversed but I still think missionary work is more important. Oh well. She is taking the guy that we were supposed to teach today anyways. If it was me taking them after the transfer I wouldn't have let her cancel. 

Also, when I heard about Abby on Wednesday or whatever I really died. I was sobbing and snot and tears and wow it was a sight. The good news is that I have a cool companion and some cool roommates and we all ate breakfast burritos at like 9:30 at night and then said a prayer together and it made me feel so much better. I wish my roomies were staying another transfer but I will be the only one of us four still in this room. My new roommate will be this girl named Sister Forbush and whoever she is training. 

I'm gonna die I'm so nervous about training. I don't want to screw it up. I want her to love me and more importantly I want to love her and teach her to be obedient and hard working. It is kind of a high-pressure situation. Also, all of these girls coming in are all SO BEAUTIFUL and I am acne ridden so that is a little bit intimidating not gonna lie. But you know I'm sure that this will be really good even if I feel like I'm gonna die and every time I think about training I want to cry. Everything is fine! 

It is bittersweet leaving Sister Broadbent. I have really come to love her a lot. Do you remember when I thought I was gonna die if I stayed with her another week? Now I think I'm gonna die not being with her for a week! Just kidding about that one but I do love her and I'm grateful for all that I learned from being with her. 

In terms of Abby, I am just sad like all the time but I have faith that she will come around. Sorry that she is making life so hard for your two.  I'll keep praying for her and you guys! 

Love you both and miss you so much! This week is going to be better I PROMISE! 

love

Em 

That last pic is us in one of the displays in the south visitors center.