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Before I answer all your questions I wanted to tell you about what's going on right now. Theresa almost turned us out saying that she didn't want to talk to us anymore because she was getting confused after we left. (We think she is confused because she knows what we're telling her is right and she doesn't really want to change). Thankfully we had a young man with us who just got off his mission to Brazil, so he began speaking to her in Portuguese and she loved it! (she's originally from Portugal) She actually asked us later if we were married - we told her no, then she asked if Jace (the young man) was going to marry one of us. I think Sis. Cluff blushed. We all told her no, that we couldn't get married. She was shocked bc she didn't think we could get married at all! So we told her we'd get married in a few years. She is super sweet and she has practically adopted us as daughters, even though she's in her 70's. We love her.
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As for Bro. Thomas (I don't know if I told you about him yet), His wife is a member and her son happens to be Jace! (we love their family immensely) He is not a member and tons of missionaries have been working with him. We taught him a lesson this week about the Atonement and I know Heavenly Father was guiding that lesson - I went in there not knowing what to say and left thinking that everything that needed to be said, was said and at the perfect time too. I know it is His work and I'm so grateful to be a part of it! Bro. Thomas is more open to baptism now, we're still working with him though. And actually the Thomas's helped us get another investigator, Dove, to church this past Sunday. He's in a wheel chair and can't really walk so they helped him into their van and got him to church! It was a miracle as we didn't know how to get him there. The Thomas's are AMAZING! :)
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Last investigator I'll tell you about it Alex. He's 30 and we actually met him when we were doing our laundry last week. He told us that he was looking around at churchs and we asked if he had tried ours yet, he hadn't so we gave him a book of mormon, asked him to come to church and left. He didn't show up. :( But yesterday, when we couldn't get anything to work out well, we tried calling him. He picked up, asked to meet us right then, so we drove to the church and talked to him! Sis. Thomas was with us and we sat in the Chapel and taught the restoration. The spirit was really strong! I've found out that one of the gifts I've been blessed with is asking the right question at the right time. I know it's not me, but I get an idea, ask a question and with two or three of our investigators, they have told us that we answered their question, or they tell us something that they haven't shared with anyone else and they are then humbled. Well that happened with Alex and as soon as that happened, we bore testimony after testimony, he knew what we were telling him was true, and just kept agreeing to it all. He said he'd read, pray and come to Book of Mormon study tonight!!! He left and Sis. Cluff and I were pretty much bouncing off the walls! (Side note- right before we called Alex, Sis. Cluff pretty much openly asked God to give us a golden investigator because we were having a hard day. I guess he answers us immediately too. ;) )
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Oh yeah, so that Book of Mormon study thing I mentioned, it is the most amazing thing ever! You should start one in our ward. Pretty much anyone's invited, members, recent converts, less actives, investigators, etc. The missionaries head it and we go through and read one or two chapters a night. It's at a members home, so everyone is close and cosy, we read, the missionaries lead discussions, people can ask questions about what they read, etc. We begin with a prayer and song, end with a prayer and have refreshments after - homemade bread in our case. It's amazing and we had a great turn-out last week. It's every Tuesday night and I know I learned a lot last time! You should do it.
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Today I went to the San Diego Temple for the first time! It is absolutely breath-taking! I loved it!!! It really feels like a castle! We can only go 4 times a year, once every quarter. So I'm pretty much going 6 times while I'm out here, and I've seriously considered getting married in this Temple. It's beautiful! :)
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We're also considering an Easter Egg Hunt in our ward so that we can get the neighborhood involved and do some missionary work! Bishop's okayed it so if you have any thoughts on how to organize it Please let us know! :)
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Last thought.... I'm tired. We are on daylight savings now so I'm on the same time as you, but we lost an hour of sleep. :P I officially Don't like daylight savings.... not that I ever did of course. ;) But now I'm even more tired then ever before. We pretty much drop in our beds and go right to sleep. No joke. But I love it, I'd rather be tired than restless at night. OH yeah! So our Bishop, of the 12th ward in Clairemont, he has 6 kids. Forrest (17), Kira (15) Emma (10), Olivia (8), Abby (4), and Asher (1). I thought it was cool they coincided in age and a few names. Haha and last night we visited them and they totally know Kid History and quote it word for word. Poor Sis. Hamrick had to listen to me rattle off with her children pretty much all three episodes. :) They love me. Haha
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OK! Answers: We wake up at 6:30 - excersize for about 20 min's, lately we've been running every morning and my legs wanted to kill me the first week, but I'm doing better now. From 7-8 we get ready for the day. Then at 8 we have personal study, 9 companionship study/practice for 2 whole hours! (it's part of the pilot program). Then we eat lunch and get out and work for the rest of the day. We eat dinner whenever it is convenient and we have to be back to do daily planning for the next day at 9. We update the area book, get ready for bed and go to sleep! We try to have appointments all day long, if we don't though we contact the referrals we receive from this amazing future missionary in our ward. His name is Wesley and he's 17 and known as the mormon kid at school. We're pretty proud of him. :)
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We write a letter to our mission president, and every other month we either have Zone Conference or MTE's (also part of the pilot program). We also have a mission president's fireside every month. Sis. Cluff and I are going to sind a duet at the next one. They're pretty cool! So I've seen my district from the MTC a few times bc of pilot program stuff. Our mission is the only mission that is fully activated in the pilot program although lots of other missions have missionaries who studied it at the MTC. Pres. and Sis. Donaldson are amazing! I love them. The members are awesome because so many of them want to be involved in missionary work! They are fabulous! The first week was weird being in a new family ward but now that I know a lot of the members I love them so much! Most of them aren't judgemental and they're alright at being open with everyone, I think they're slightly shy though. Good thing I'm not right?....
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I eat food. Pretty much I've had squid now :p and I've had Tai food already, and this last Sunday we had roast. :) It's not as good as yours mom. The members spoil us and want to feed us every other day. So we're kept well fed, I have yet to make an actual meal. We've done a little bit of finding but really not much, it's all member missionary work here - which I absolutely Love! Clothes are good, just wish I had more of a variety. The skirt is alright right now, I've learned how to sit with it. If you want to search for more shirts that go with that all brown skirt, maybe another white shirt, that'd be nice. Thank you for praying for me, my companions and our investigators. I know we have all been blessed because of those prayers.
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It sounds like you are all busy but enjoying your time! I'm so happy for all of you and love hearing about what is going on and the cool things you are all doing. Tell Erin not to worry, she will love Premiere and get into Chorale next year! I'm so glad Maddy's enjoying the music program and she better write me soon! So should Erin! I love Emmy and Olivia's letters, they make my day! I just got the bread package today! Thank you so much! We're so excited to eat it! And Olivia's picture of us being missionaries, that's totally going to happen some day. I'd love to have her as a companion. :) Tell everyone I love them, tell them to write soon, I'm so grateful for this gospel and for the blessings of the Temple. I'm so happy for you and dad, that is a really great goal. I'm glad I was able to go every week before leaving. That was a blessing in my life for sure. I'm so excited for you all. You're letter made me smile! I know that the more we put the Lord ahead of ourselves the more we will be blessed and the greater our lives will be.
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I have about an hour to write now, so i'll try to write as much as possible each week! Amy actually wrote me so I pretty much have every address. Oh and I'd love pictures of my room and you are allowed to send me pictures of you all Before I left. I'm waiting a year and a half to see how much you've grown and changed... that's crazy. Well time is flying, sorta. This last week was short anyway, probably because we kept ourselves busy. It's amazing that we can receive revelation for these people while on our missions and the only other people who recieve revelation for others is the Apostles and Prophet! So I want to make the best out of this mission, and out of the time I have here. I am so blessed, I don't know why Heavenly Father blessed me SO much, but I am very grateful for it. I thought coming here and giving a year and a half of my life would make it more equal... but He keeps blessing me more and more. I love this gospel. I love you all! I pray for you all, And I think all of my sisters should serve a mission, it will bless you more than you know! Well I gotta go now, talk to you next week!
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P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW MOM!!!! I'm sending a letter but it will be late, so I hope it is FANTASTIC! ;)
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Love, Sister Maureen Davis
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