August 31 2015

Hello Family and Friends,

I hope this week has gone well for you all. Surprisingly, it went by pretty fast even though we had no car all week. We walked a lot! We did ok though. We are now more tough :) 

Our investigator, Autumn came to church yesterday! We were so happy. I made her pinky promise me that she would come so I think that is the trick now :p The members were wonderful though. They took her right in and her kids had lots of fun. We were able to schedule to see her 2 times a week now and we are going to invite her to have a baptismal date this week! We are shooting for October 3rd. I was laughing about how all the baptisms I have been to lately have all been on someone's birthday back home. I think that is the trick also! 

We were able to be seen by lots and lots of people this week as we walked everywhere. Sometimes when we aren't able to actually talk to people, people seeing us on the sidewalk is still a seed planted. We did have a lot of people cancel on us when we finally got to their house, that was a little frustrating. I am working on letting things go though.

Tomorrow we have a zone training meeting. It will be my last one. 

We get our car back today :) They even washed and vacuumed our car. That really made our day.

As I am nearing the end of my mission, President Cutler has asked me to write down goals and plans for 1 year after my mission. It has been pretty easy because I am a future oriented person already, but I have been thinking about specific things. I plan on continuing my good habits of scripture study that I gained on my mission. There are few times on a mission when we aren't able to do our studies in the morning and when we don't I feel like something big is missing. Praying every morning helps put on the armor of God for the day, but its that scripture study that truly helps it stay on throughout the day. I am excited to keep that habit going after my mission. 

I love you all and I hope you all have a great week! Stay safe.

Love Sister Emily Sarah Eaton

August 24 2015

Hello Family and Friends!

This week we had a great lesson with a less active that no one had been able to get in with for a while. Lorie hasn't been to church for like 20 years and she has kind of gone a little bitter. She is so sweet though and let us right in. We were able to talk to her about almost everything. We were all able to relate with having anxiety. Sister Kunz and I immediately felt God's love for her as she became open to us. We were so grateful that she wanted to talk to us and get her life back in order. It was a really good talk and the spirit was there. I was able to say things that really helped her as I tried to relate to her. I love when I can't really remember what I said in a lesson that went really well because then I know the spirit was directing it and that means I am worthy of the spirit and that means I am doing my job and fulfilling my purpose as a missionary :) That night was when a big rain storm hit so that was an adventure to drive in. Our correlation meeting got canceled so we decided to go to a less active part member home and we figured since it was pouring rain that they would have to let us in :p

He let us right in and we were able to meet his lovely wife who is not a member and is kind of stand offish with the church. She was very nice to us though and we were able to create a good relationship with her. It was a great blessing with the rain and all. We sister missionaries can be sneaky sometimes!

On Wednesday we go volunteer at an altimers? Alztimers? alzimers?(i cant spell this word for my life! you get the idea) and dementia home with one of our investigators, Autumn. We helped tie dye socks with them and it was a blast! They all wanted to use yellow so there was a dilemma with that. I can see why though. Yellow is a good color.

We had a good exchange this week with the STLs. I stayed in Sun Prairie and got to be with Sister Clark who is from the Ukraine and is out here doing her 3 months of proselyting because she is a temple square missionary. she will go back to temple square in October I think so I told her I would visit her when I got home. She is a sweetheart and is really enthusiastic about the work! She loves the idea of being OUTSIDE of the square right now. She says sometimes you want some change. We had a great time together though. Chatting about City Creek, Temple Square and dub step :p 

Sister Kunz and I were also so privileged to attend yet ANOTHER BAPTISM this Saturday :) Brother Eric Brown from Madison 4th ward was finally baptized after being taught in February. I think he went through 7 sister missionaries...? All I know is that only 3 weren't able to come because they are all home, but he was able to have most of us there. It was a blessing that I was able to come back because I am in the Madison zone. It was a great night though. Most people in 4th ward didn't remember me, ha but that's ok. It was a fun night. Well I love  you all! Have a great week! Be safe.

Love Sister Emily Sarah Eaton

August 17 2015

Hello Family and Friends!

This week has been quite a blast. We most likely spent most of our week outside of our area than in it. We had to go to Madison on Tuesday for my appointment with the therapist. That went well and I think that this is really going to help me out a lot. Although Madison traffic is much like New York traffic, but we survived. We had a great time at a member's birthday party later that night. It is always fun to go to those things and be able to bond with the members on a informal level. They seem to like you a lot more :p

We had zone conference on Wednesday. Not just any zone conference though. This was my last one! It sure did sneak up on me. So that meant that I would be one of those missionaries that would stand up and bear my testimony about my mission and be all emotional and such. It was a great zone conference though. I always love President and Sister Cutler's trainings because they always focus on eternal families. They always say, "Eternal life is Family life". 

We are in finding mode here in Sun Prairie so there isn't much flourishing going on yet. We are still both getting to know the members and help build their trust. It isn't always an easy thing. I have always struggled at trying to build it up again after some missionaries have been difficult for members to work with them. But Sister Kunz and I work well together so hopefully it will help.

On Saturday we had such a great day! We had the privilege to go BACK to Stevens Point for Mackenzie's baptism! Stephanie Jarrett from Stevens Point was SO generous to drive down from Stevens Point and pick us up from Sun Prairie to take us back up to Stevens Point for the baptism. We were so ecstatic! I really wasn't expecting to be able to go because we had to find someone to drive us because we both don't know the Sun Prairie ward very much and so the only other way would be someone from Stevens Point, but that is such a long drive. Sister Jarrett hopped in her car at 2 pm and picked us up at 4 pm and we made our mini road trip back up to Stevens Point.

When Sister Kunz and I walked in the church we both felt like we were walking into Heaven. It was such an amazing reunion with everyone.

It was such a glorious baptism! They had 3 men carry Mackenzie into the font and it all was done with ONE dunk! The spirit was so strong there and I was on the verge of crying. She was so ready and I am so excited for her to receive so many more blessings for taking that step of faith.

After she was baptized, she even bore her testimony to her friends and we were both just so astonished! She has grown so much since I left. Then Sister Smith, the RS pres, got up to welcome her to RS. She mentioned the temple and that it was Mackenzie's next step. If you remember, Mackenzie was very uneasy about the temple. That was one of her bumps in the road that was difficult for her to cross. But when Sister Smith talked about it Mackenzie cheerfully smiled and said she was so excited to prepare for the temple now. Aw that just truly melted my heart! I love this girl so much! I told her I would Skype her in October so we are both looking forward to that!

Afterwards, Sister Kunz and I had to quickly say our goodbyes. Sister Jarrett needed to drive us all the way back again! I won't say how late we got home, but we all arrived safely home :p

Sunday was such a wonderful renew as I was able to partake of the sacrament for this next week. Since I have been out on my mission and I have been able to understand the Atonement and the Sacrament more, I have really learned to love Sundays. Not that I didn't before, but the sacrament has so much more significance now. I feel so ready to start the next week.

Last night we were also able to get in contact with an investigator that has been hard to get a hold of lately. I hadn't met her yet so it was such a blessing that she was home. Iris is such a sweetheart and her and I clicked so fast! We both went on and on about interior design and Sister Kunz had to remind me that we had a curfew haha oops. We were able to set a return appointment and we made it home on time as well. I am so excited to see what this week brings. I am not to fond of exchanges this week so please pray for me with that. Thank you for all of your support. I love you all and can't wait to see you soon!

Love Sister Emily Sarah Eaton

August 3 2015

Hello Family and Friends!

Sun Prairie has been great. I have met a few members and they seem great as well. It is weird though because I am with Sister Kunz again, but I don't know the area yet so my brain is freaking out. So everything just feels like a dream right now. haha but i think that is mostly because things are coming to an end...all of you guys back home...ya you are all a dream right now :p 

Anyway, there are a lot of potential investigators we are hoping to work with soon! The mission got rid of the Sun Prairie Elders a few months ago so we have a lot of their people too. I am still getting the hang of a lot of things. Not a big fan of our apartment neighbors, but I am a big girl haha 

I am grateful for the Lord's protection though. :)

I feel terrible because I don't have much to say today. my mind is still going everywhere because of transfers. I love you all though!

Have a great week!

Love Sister Emily Sarah Eaton