Letter #6 - Instead of Snow there are Lakes

January 30, 2017

Dear Friends and Family!

Another week has gone by, in two days I'll be halfway through my first transfer. People's houses and apartments here have that stucco concrete texture, except stuffed with shells. Sometimes big ones, sometimes small ones. It can in fact get cold here. A cold front came through and I was wearing my coats, BRRRRR! Luckily it didnt last long. Humidity is a real thing here. Something cool that happened was when someone who Sister Elwell and Sister Olsen previously knocked on saw us and HE ASKED US to come visit him and his family. I was just wowed that an investigator CAME TO US! Then later last week, a ward member CAME TO US and asked us when she could come out and teach an investigator with us. Its awesome to see the seeds planted before grow and we get to reap rewards from those seeds of faith.
Sister Elwell and I celebrated our late birthdays, hers was actually the day before i met her! We also celebrate me being here for two weeks haha. We made a cake and maybe ate the whole thing in 24 hours...... We love eating! Being on a mission takes a lot of energy, my bed has never felt so good at the end of a day! I got to bear my testimony at church, and everyone there kinda got to know who i am. Thats really nice. We had zone meeting and worldwide missionary training. As for the schedule Sister Kelly Prue explained in her email. My mission was already doing it when I got to my mission. We apparently do a lot of pilot testing for things like that. So cool beans for me. The new key indicators really help us focus on our purpose better. We helped one of the sisters in our ward, Nicole, move into her new apartment. I think she is awesome. The plantation of Georgia is diffferent but really neat. We went out to a pretty remote place this week but so fun to drive through a jungle! At least thats what it looked liked.
Something we are starting to encourage members to do help share the gospel is to start using skype with the missionaries and to use FB messenger. I challenge all of you to set up or get familiar with your skype account. Here is the routine for FB Messenger:
1. Start with a prayer
2. Open up FB Messenger App and scroll through your friends
3. Listen to the Holy Ghost's prompting on who to share a message with
4. Share a video, testimony, quote, invitation to the friend you chose

Those are the steps that they told us, you could also end with a pray of gratitude at the end if you wanted. Its an easy way to send that message of Joy. Its takes most people several times of hearing the restored truth to start "getting it" NO EFFORT IS WASTED!

Well, Its so interesting to be a missionary, and you learn so much. It will be crazy to see what the future holds for me. Hope you all are doing great. Let me know how your lives are. I will write letters back as well as I can.
Love, Sister Prue

Sister Jill Prue

Letter #5 - Storms in Georgia

January 23, 2017

Hello Everyone!
The last couple of days its been a bit stormy here. There have been tornado warnings and its rained and thundered and been windy. But we are safe so far. Yesterday we only had sacrament in Brunswick, and then everyone went home early. It was funny, because a lot of the less active members decicded to come that day. It rained super crazy hard in the evening. We have a lot of people to teach here, but its really hard to get a hold of them. A lot of them have multiple jobs or work many hours. A lot dont keep their appointments, so often we drop by and hope they are home. Sister Elwell and I had a LOT of lessons this week! Our district held an experiment where we didnt focus on key indicators, but on goals to help people. Anyway, one day we had 11 other lessons! thats a lot! But the spirit was stronger when we were able to focus on helping people come closer to Jesus Christ. There is so much transitioning in the mission and learning, especially since sister Elwell and I are new. We are hoping our investigator, Greyland, will be able to be baptized in a few weeks, he has such a strong faith! This week will be a world wide missionary broadcast, it will be really exciting to hear what they have to say. Its kinda hard to learn so much at once, but I've noticed ive been able to do more, little by little. Our ward mission leader told us to be proactive, not reactive. Being a proactive person means you are going to take initiative to go where you need to be. Thats really the kind of person I want to be. Sister Elwell and I both liked that a lot. We really think alike on a lot of things, and she thinks we are both practically the same person, haha. Preach My Gospel, I have found that to be an amazing resource, it has so much wisdom and so much to learn in it, you could read it all day. Something else I have been learning is that people will be interested in what you have to say, if you show them how important it is. Be upfront with the wonderful message you have to share. Below is a pic of Sister Elwell, an investigator named Brandon, and I. My favorite scripture is 2 Nephi 2:27 "Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself."
So choose what you want, and who you are going to be. You have the power of choice.
Love, Sister Prue

Letter #4 - I'm here in Brunswick, Georgia!

January 16, 2017

                                                

Hello Everyone!

I finally got out of the MTC and flew over the country to Jacksonville, Florida! My area is actually in Brunswick, Georgia though, so that's where I'm at! My new companion is Sister Elwell, we get along really nicely.  She really likes me and cares about me. It's cool because she did a year at USU as well before her mission. She has been out here for 13 weeks, and just got done with her training, so she is new as well. She is a good trainer as I learn about being a missionary. The first door we knocked on Wednesday was when we met Shakia. We taught her the Restoration lesson on her doorstep and was interested to learn more. On Saturday we met with her and her sister and her mom. We invited them to church, and her sister, Shantavia actually came! She told us that she liked our message and wanted to bring her sister and mom to church next Sunday as well. I never knew that the first door I ever knocked on could present several investigators ready to hear about the restored gospel.

I love seeing the palm trees and how warm it is here :) The humidity is actually nice right now, but Im sure my feelings about the weather will change in the next 6 months! I dont really have a lot of time to talk. We ride bikes and drive down here, but i havent ridden my bike yet since the elders forgot to pick it up on the way back to my area, but soon i will be riding it a lot. Members here are pretty cool, supposedly they are pretty good at feeding us, but we havent got the meal chart passed around yet to get fed. Something funny about the town is on one road there is a tree in the middle of the road! funny! We went bowling and the elders had a sense of humor and it was even funnier when some of the names were typed in wrong (they were Book of Mormon names) Everyone here is willing to pray on their doorstep with you and talk about Jesus. We have about 5-8 lessons a day, and sometimes it hard because so many appointments fall through, but there are always more people to visit and check up on. Popular foods here are gritz and banana pudding. We also have an island as a part of our area.
It was sad to leave the MTC, but now I'm here and whenever I'm feeling down, I think about how my MTC friends are experiencing the same thing. Also, I have been away from home for a month now, its felt like forever. I hope its a good 18 months out here, but ill be able to say more next week! Love y'all ;) 
Sister Prue

Made it to Florida

January 10, 2017

Hello mom!

I'm here safely in Jacksonville, Florida :) Everything has gone smoothly so far and I hope it's the same over there in Rexburg. I'm going to miss being with my MTC district, but I'm sure there are many wonderful adventures ahead. There have been several great miracles this past week and I'll elaborate on my next p-day. I'm doing great. even if I'm a bit nervous. Above are some pictures of us meeting Mission President Lee and his wife. Love all y'all!

Sister Prue

Letter #3 - 3rd Week at MTC

January 4, 2017

Hello Everyone!

Today as a Sister Training Leader I will be welcoming a new district of Sisters and Elders into my zone. Sister Knight and I, and the Zone Leaders Elder Gardner and Elder Willis, will orient a new group of missionaries and help them feel at home as they start their new adventure here at the MTC. We will teach them the rules and show them around the campus. Since I have been here 6 months (3 weeks actually, hahaha) But I can still remember what it felt like to walk in and feel overwhelmed by what is going on. Its important that we are an example to the new missionaries, because obedience truly brings blessings! We have to help them realize this for themselves. Tuesday night the missionaries who are going to South Carolina in my district left :( It's so sad to see part of your family leave. Now there are only the 6 of us who are going to Jacksonville, Florida for the next week. Most likely the next time I write, I'll be there! Last Sunday was a pretty good day. It was Fast Sunday, and so testimonies were shared at the pulpit and the spirit was strong. Testimony sharing seems to always be powerful here, since our purpose brings the spirit so strongly. Last thursday we went through in-field orientation, and we were taught the importance of working with the members in our area. Their support can help investigators be truly converted as they make friends with the members and see their example as a testimony they can learn from. I challenge you to ask the missionaries in your ward if there is anything you can do to help them in the work we all promised to do.

Faith is a powerful element in bringing miracles to pass. If it be Heavenly Father's will, you can move mountains with an ounce of faith. (Matthew 17:20, Book of Mormon- Moroni 7:33) Actually, just read all of Moroni 7. The Book of Mormon teaches us all we need to know in order to be saved. If we humble ourselves before God and strive more fully to follow Jesus Christ, then I promise you that you will recieve many blessings and prosper. Pay tithing, which is giving Heavenly Father 10% of your income. As you do, He will bless you so much, that you will not have room to recieve it. (3 Nephi 24:8-10)

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week. Email me and let me know how you are doing! 

Love you all!

Sister Prue

Letter #2 - Christmas at the MTC!!!

December 28, 2016

Hello everyone! It has finally been two weeks here at the MTC, but a week is like a month in MTC time, so Its felt like I've been here two months. It was so fun to wake up Christmas morning and find freshly fallen snow on the ground. Especially people who haven't seen it much before got their first white Christmas. Overall was really nice for us, Elder Oaks and his family came to share Christmas with us. His family and other missionaries played a lot of Christmas hymns for us. We listened to music and the spoken word as well. Then later that night, David Archuleta came to sing to us. When he came out, a lot of the girls  screamed, and it was followed by a shh! Because we are still supposed to be reverent and feel the spirit that we shared in that room, haha. Our sister training leaders left the MTC last night, and it was sad because they loved us so much and really served us with their hearts these last two weeks. Elder Arnold of the seventy came to speak with us last night, for Tuesday devotional, and he spoke to us with a strong spirit. Most of my district went up to shake his hand. Elder Robey got a hug from him and it totally made his day. Many of the Elders were especially touched from Elder Arnold's words to us. He taught some things to be a successful missionary, about hard work, obedience, and using the talents the Lord has given you. It has been so nice to have an amazing district, that has become my new family in only two short weeks. The elder and sisters who are going to South Carolina are going to leave next week, and those of us going to Florida will stay an extra week without them. We started teaching our "TRC" investigators a couple days ago. They are people who could actually be real investigators, or people who are role playing as real ones. Either way we teach them the same, especially since we don't know. But the spirit that is with us is real. The only way we can come to Christ is by keeping commitments that help us become more like him, and it will only bless our lives. God does not do anything, unless it helps us grow and become better. We are the ones who choose to let out lives make us better people. I hope you all have had a merry Christmas and truly felt what Christmas is all about. Act on the promise Moroni 10:3-5 and if you want some good chapters to study in the Book of Mormon, I would recommend 2 Nephi chapter 2 and chapter 9. Love you all.

Sister Prue

Letter #1 - First Week at MTC

December 21, 2016

Hello everyone! it's been an amazing experience so far here. Even though everyday we get up at 6:30 am, and then dont rest again until 10:30 pm, it really makes you grow. Our Sunday devotional, we got to have the Piano Guys come talk and play for us. We got to watch the MTC talk Elder Bednar gave called "the character of Christ" which can only be shown at the MTC. Its about turning ourselves outward instead of inward, and its really an incredible talk. They serve a variety of food at the MTC. I had a taco once that had fruit and fish in it....that was interesting, haha. I also drank the orange juice and didnt get sick, so thats a bonus because i really like orange juice. My companion, sister Knight, likes her chocolate milk, she has it AT LEAST, once a day. 

Time in the MTC does not equate to time in the rest of the world. It feels like we have been here for at least a month, but it has been a good one. So much learning is packed in a day. I love my district already, it seems like they are my family. A lot of people are getting sick, but so far Ive been pretty healthy. My district loves to have fun, we have a good time. Our favorite thing is Book of mormon group study. We are able to learn so much, and share so many insights with eachother. My companion and I teach our teachers lessons as they roleplay as investigators. We are supposed to treat them as if they are actual investigators, and when we teach, the spirit is still real and really there. I imagine that the MTC is the closest thing to experiencing spirit paradise in the spirit world, because the cares of the world are washed away here, and you feel constant peace. I hope y'all are doing well, I am having a great time here. The closer you draw yourselves to the savior, the happier you will become.

Love, Sister Prue