Performance Measured is Performance Improved!

Good morning familia!!

Thanks for the emails, I hope dads lips are ok...... send me a picture haah!! I hope y'all have a great Thanksgiving this week!! First off thanks for the amazing cinnamon rolls, they were the bomb! Thank you!!:) I'm most thankful to be on a mission right now, to meet these amazing people and to learn how awesome the gospel of Jesus Christ really is. I'm grateful for Christ's atonement that we can be redeemed and it can also enable us. I'm so so grateful for you my family for your amazing examples and support to me! Thanks a bunch!!!

I'm starting to get more used to being up here in Denton it is just so different from the south haha but I really love the missionaries here and I'm starting to love this area! So every week we go to Our Daily Bread which is a soup kitchen and we help prepare the food and serve it and clean, we served 218 plates on Wednesday! Almost all the missionaries in our zone do this and it is a lot of fun. I really love when we get to do service, I feel like before my mission I didn't probably because I was just too lazy but now I LOVE it and the people are so so grateful:) Its pretty good food too!

Also we had interviews with president this week! Yay! So we were at the church like all day and I had to give a training I was scared but it went well I think. haha We were able to clean up our area book and it was great! We are trying to help our wards come up with a ward mission goal for baptisms this year so our missions goal and the stakes goals will be the same so we can go together arm in arm because working with the members is most important! I've been learning a lot about setting goals and they are awesome and so important. I'm glad y'all taught us to always do that! Performance measured is performance improved! We also have some exciting things coming up for the holidays! We are giving Living Christmas Cards, the members write down their friends that they would like us to give this gift to, we the missionaries sing a few Christmas hymns share a few scriptures from Luke and then give them a Joy to the World DVD and leave them with a prayer! What a nice gift:) Our purpose is to bring the spirit into their homes and then the members job is to follow up and see how their friend liked it and it easily opens up a conversation to share the gospel with their friend! Brilliant! And I can't wait we will start the day after Thanksgiving! Also the church is doing the He is the Gift initiative. Have you heard of it?? Its awesome!! There is going to be a video and it is gonna be advertised everywhere even at Times Square and will be the masthead on YouTube for one day even!! In the Dec. Ensign there will be pass along cards for YOU guys to pass out and you better pass them all out!!!! So many great things comin:)

So every time we go to a members home for dinner we have a lesson with them and we are helping them to come up with a family mission plan. soooooooooo do y'all have one?? You should! I was thinking of that talk by.... I can't remember who and he said we should invite someone once a quarter to meet with the missionaries! I so slacked on that before the mish, haha but even though you are in Utah you can totallyyyyy still have a mission plan:) So many members are like I don't interact with nonmembers because all my friends are members and I'm just like well you need to get some more friends then!!! I also read that you can really tell a members level of activity in the church not by them just attending each week, but how involved in missionary work they are:) That's good!!!! Y'all will be blessed:)

On another note, at church yesterday a part member family came to church, the parents are members but haven't come in like 20 years and they brought 3 other family members and they were like we are coming back next week it feels like home here and they are very interested in learning more! Hallelujah!! It was a miracle! What a blessing! They are busy this week with Thanksgiving but I can't wait to go and teach them! Also there is a mentally disabled young women who comes to RS with her mom and she turned around during the lesson and said hi to me and then so loudly said, "she looks like Shakira" she loves Shakira apparently but it was soooooooo funny!! hahaha

Oh also super excited to go to the temple! We are going next week on Wednesday so that is when our Pday will be so I will email y'all then!!! We went on two exchanges this week with the sisters we cover and it was super fun I learned lots.  We are busy busy but we are getting better with all three of us working together but it is a challenge:) But it's all good!!

I love you all so so so so much!!!!:)

Sista Wells

I love having sisters actually close to us! partay!! and yes my MTC comp. Sis C is here:)

So Guess What? I Live In A Barn!

Heyyyo!! This has been a long week but a goodie!! I was pretty sad to leave Copperas Cove this week I probably cried just lots of times, but I know that it was time to go somewhere new! 

So it got wayyyyy cold here all of a sudden!!! Like thanks for sending the coats and boots!!! Its been like 30-40 degrees but it feels way way colder than that!!! brrrrrr!! So the morning of transfers I found out that we were going to be in a trio... its different haha! Sister Sylar leaves next transfer so I better learn the area fast, ahh I'm scared. Thanks for all your prayers. 

So guess what?! I live in a barn! Yeah this is the dream for realzzz. We live in the country and it's awesome! As we study we get to listen to the cows moo, man I know I'm gonna love it! We have one family that is investigating but that is it, so we do a lot of less active work but we need to find new!! 

I already love the people here though they are a crack up I seriously laugh so hard! Last night we had an MTC for the ladies in the ward to help them for when they come on exchange with us, so they're not scared and so they know what to do. It was way awesome. I'm learning what I need to do as a STL so that is good, we will go on exchanges like 2x a week so we will be busy busy and have lots of meetings, but I'm excited for all that I have to learn here and to help the people in Denton receive the gospel. I love you lots!!!

For Christmas can you send cinnamon rolls?  cool:) haha

Oh I'm glad y'all went to the temple thats awesome!! We are close enough to the temple that we are allowed to go so we are gonna go sometime this transfer boooyaaaaa!!!!

This zone is way smaller and no senior couples, and we had three in Killeen! Yeah it's small and lots of Spanish, and even ASL! I went to an ASL class Thursday and I memorized the alphabet!! I miss my old zone, but I'm already growing to love this place and these people! Just very different.

Here are a few of my most favorite peeps in the world!!!  Sad to say goodbye to them :(

It SNOWED last night!!!

Sorry I can't remember everything I think this is it love you lots!!!

I Did Not See That One Coming - Six Months on the 14th!

Happy happy birthday Zachy!!! Love y'all lots and lots!!

Monday: P-day was good we didn't do anything too exciting, but we did go to FHE with the YSA branch and played some volleyball, I think Sister T and I did pretty well in our dresses haha it was super fun I just laughed the whole time, we have quite a group of people in our ysa hahah I love them.

Tuesday: It rained all day. Then our car said that our tire pressure was low, let's just say we had to go to 3 different gas stations to finally get them all filled, don't ask why haha such a waste of time. Our appointments cancelled and we were just soaking wet haha and then when we finally got going, we ran out of gas. Haha it was a day.

Wednesday: We had district meeting, it was great I really love my district so so much, Sister Tuna and I are the only sisters, but we have two sets of senior missionaries so we are lucky:) And the Elders just feel like my little brothers they crack me up. So we had a missed call after the meeting so we call back and it was one of the AP's and he said that I am going to be a Sister Training Leader. I did not expect that at all!!! I did not see that one coming, I was super scared at first, but I'm good now, I know that there is a reason. I will learn a lotttt I know I will. I will be serving in Denton. I leave Wednesday mornin! I already cried lots of times to because I will leave Copperas Cove, I just love it so much here, it's like my new home and now I'm leaving on my mission all over again!!

Thursday: So I had to get up at 5 so that we could drive to the training meeting in Hurst, it was a great meeting and helped me not feel so nervous. I guess I just am because I feel like I still don't know very much and the STL's are always like the experienced sisters... I'm not haha. And we go on exchanges with sisters and stuff kind of like a district/zone leader I guess. But I just keep thinking who God calls He qualifies. Got home around 6 and went to a few appts. Sister T hung out with the hermanas all day.

Friday: Had to get up at 5 again to drive to Colleyville for the Mission Leadership Conference (this is for all the zone leaders and STL they have it once a month) That is where those pics came from that you got mama so I saw Sister T and my new comp! Its like a 5hr meeting but they bought us Chick-fil-a so we're good:) I learned a ton, and now we are supposed to help get this vision to all the other missionaries, it was really cool to be there, it's just like revelation pouring out!! Didn't get home until 10:30 at night and so I missed Meet the Mormons :( man I was so sad but Sis Tuna said it went well and we actually had a lesson with one of the members friend that he brought to the event, I hope many of the missionaries find new people to teach from it as well! The pics looked like it was good!!

Saturday: Finally got to do our regular missionary work again, those days just felt like a blur because all I did was sit in meetings and drive, all day haha.

So it was a busy week but it was great!! I love bein a missionary!!

LOVE YOU

Sista Wellzz

Member Missionary Work Makes EVERYTHING So Much Better

Morning!! Wow my friendies are so cute!!! I'm so glad that you had them over! I love everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sounds like a blast:) And mom and dad you looked fabulous for halloween!! And what the what with Zach's hair??? Its turning into Harry Styles I think haha! Oh and that text for Kelsey is hilarious hahaha!! I love looking at pictures thanks for sending them! Also thanks for the cookies, wow they were fab!! So perfect. And thanks for the coats and boots I really do appreciate it! I felt so cool having two packages waiting for me ha.

Fd was baptized and confirmed this weekend!! (he is the one by the pic) Brother Mo baptized him, apparently they don't like to smile for pictures........ I teased them about it after and they said that that is their smile..... hahah.  The Mo family have been absolutely amaaaaaaaaaazing throughout this whole process I don't know if I told y'all about our first lesson with Fred.. but Sister T and I met him when we were at the soup kitchen trying to see if we could help and do service there and Fred asked if we would do Bible study with him so we were like sure!! The next day is when Sister T came and we went with a member to see him. He doesn't have much so all three of us sat on the couch and he sat on the floor, then he like laid down and then got up to go to the kitchen like 10x we were thinking uhhhhh this is never going to work! But then he came to church 2 Sundays in a row and then we started meeting at the Mos' home and then bam everything changed!! He doesn't have much education so we have to explain things very simply for him, but he just has such a strong desire to do what is right and do what God wants him to do and so the spirit really worked through him. We are going to the family history center with him on Wednesday to get him started and get some names so that he can go to the temple!! Very excited about that:) Member missionary work makes EVERYTHING so much better. seriously! We even had to fill the font! It was my first time because usually the ward mission leader does it but he couldn't so we went 2hrs early to make sure it was filled because we didn't want to have a recap of Izzi's when our WML didn't fill all the way so they had to kneel haha! Fred is a big guy, he barely fit in the font haha!

On Halloween we went to our ward trunk or treat and chili cook off and then did our weekly planning since we weren't to be out that night. We got tons of candy from the members. I gave all of mine to Sister T who of course happily accepted it, she eats it for breakfast haha! One of our investigators came with her husband to it!! She is super awesome and she has the best name in the entire world it starts with an M and ends with Kenzie hehe. Like God has prepared her for this time for reals she hadn't prayed for years and we asked her too and she gave the most heartfelt prayer ever!! I love her!

Meet the Mormons is this week I can't wait to tell y'all about it next week! Oh and it's so funny Sister T says y'all now and it just seems so weird, like a Samoan saying y'all it cracks me up!! Well I love you all super a lot!!! Have a great week!!

Sista Wells

So Many of My Prayers Were Being Answered

I'm glad you are able to see all the pictures that they take at all our meetings!! You should send them to me so I can see them! Yes I met lots of missionaries there and I love them all! Sounds like a long fun weekend with the wedding and all the soccer! That is awesome! I hope you told everyone that I love them so so much!! I got Tanner's wedding invitation and they are the cutest!! I hope Brady's test went well! And I love that talk by Uchtdorf mom! So good, so true!!

So last week our district leader Elder J told us to think about how our prayers have been answered these last few weeks and asked if I would share at our district meeting on Wednesday, so I started trying to pay attention and woahhhh I realized so many of my prayers were being answered I just wasn't paying attention! Silly me! I guess because this transfer has been a little harder, our area had been doing really well with lots of amazing people to teach and good things happening but it's kinda not as great anymore which is normal but I was feelin bummed and really praying about what I needed to do better and trying to figure out what had changed and just stuff like that, and I've felt so stressed and so tired, but then as I started looking for answers to my prayers they just jumped out at me through scriptures I've been reading, the conferences we've been attending and stuff like that, this scripture is what really hit me in Matthew 11:

 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

In all that we need to do we need to rely on Him and put all our trust and confidence and faith in Him not ourselves cause we can't do it all! And now I'm just way more relaxed and doing so much better!! Do your duty that is best, leave unto the Lord the rest! God is always answering our prayers we just need to make sure we are pondering and looking for our answers:)

So there are these two boys who are 12 and 13 that the elders baptized last month but they are really in our ward so now we teach them the new member lessons and they have a 15 year old sister that is now listening in on the lessons and came to church last Sunday! I just have to tell you about her though because I know my siblings would die! When she came to church we go up and give her a hug and we are like we are so glad that you are here!! She says yes part of me is happy part of me is not she said that she has two personas one is a Christian and the other a satanist... and that that part of her is mad that she is at church. She is interesting to say the least, but I love her!

Also on Saturday the first ward had a trunk or treat and chili cook off so we brought Fd to it and afterwards he had his baptismal interview and so he should be getting baptized soon now!! I wish y'all could meet him he is something else, his kids were going to all the cars getting candy and it was dark and he couldn't see them so he started yelling "amber alert, amber alert!" I feel like I am his mother and always have to make him behave in our lessons and church and everywhere haha.

We went and visited Sister Nielson yesterday and she is doing well, she is sore though, she got like two big chunks cut out of her arm and under her arm they look so painful, next week they will go in again and see if they got everything. We missed her cause we tell her all our stories and she will always laugh! But she's doin good!

And mommy thank you for your letter! I loved it so much, I was so excited I finally had something in the mail!:) And yes you could send some of that stuff and that would be fab, no preference on which ones first!:) thanks youre the bomb!!!

I love you all so so much!! Have a great week!!

Sista Wells