Merry Christmas! 12/22/14

Merry Christmas everyone!

Wow I can't believe it is already the week of Christmas! This last week went pretty crazy! I was able to send off Sister Smith back to good old Rexburg, Idaho. It was bitter sweet, but I was happy for her. She will be the second comp I have sent home and somehow I survived through it haha. My new comp is pretty awesome. Sister Wood is from Ogden, Utah and is a year younger than me. She has been out for 10 months and is a super good missionary. We have had lots of fun so far for the 6 days that I have been with her. We have been able to go around a lot this week and have her meet a lot of the members and less actives. She is so pumped to serve here and knows there are going to be lots of miracles here. We get along pretty well. Guess who finally gets to drive!? Thats right this girl does :) It has been a pretty good and busy week. 

Last night we decided to go contact a former that I have never met before and it turns out she is totally golden! Sarah is ready to be baptized and on board with everything. The only thing that is holding everything back is that her work won't let her take Sundays off so we are going to work through that and pray a lot so we can get her baptized! She really loves sisters and told us we can stop by anytime. 

I am so excited to be able to talk to my family on Christmas! I can't believe how quick it all came up! I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and remember to #Sharethegift. Also, if you haven't seen it yet, go watch the Piano Guys latest video on YouTube about Sharing the Gift! We got to see that video and I thought it was so cool. I am sure you all have probably heard about it since it was filmed in Provo, Utah, but go watch it again because David Archuleta is in it! 

We have a few families we will be going over to for Christmas Eve and Christmas. Please pray that we will be able to fill our day up more. We are kind of struggling with that. Merry Christmas everyone and I will see you on Thursday! Love you all

Love Sister Emily Sarah Eaton

Lake Geneva... One of my favorite towns

Sister Smith and I before she headed home!

Oliver Cowdry's brothers grave in Elkhorn

New Comp. Sister Wood from Ogden UT

8 MONTHS DOWN

15 months down for Elder Taylor

Christmas! 12/15/14

Hello Family and Friends!

Christmas is sure sneaking up on us fast isn't it?! I can't believe it is already the Christmas season. A year ago, I was anxiously waiting for my mission call to come and it has already been a whole year! ha I remember running up to the mailbox and having my brother, Aaron, film me as I open the mailbox and me hysterically laughing that it wasn't in there...it ended up coming the next day which was December 19th 2013...I am weird how I remember this stuff haha 

But that day was a really cool day. I remember bringing it inside and it was all wet because that week it had snowed really heavy. As I came in with the big envelope, i just stared at it. I was home alone and didn't know what to do with myself. I left it on the counter and went to watch a movie on Netflix to distract myself. Ha I was too anxious to focus on a movie. My mom came through the front door with some groceries and I ran up to her with the envelope. We were both so excited. I texted all the party that would be coming over that night and let them know the party was on. I remember my mom had seen the garbage man outside gathering the garbage. She felt she needed to make them some hot chocolate and thank them for their service on this awful snowy day. I had never seen anyone make hot chocolate faster. She quickly ran out side and used all her awesome skills to not slip while making it to their window before they left our street. Well she made it and there was no slips involved. I just kind of stood there in aw as my mom had shown this amazing Christlike act. If I had blinked I would have missed it! 

Now a year has gone by and look where we all are now! I am on this crazy and amazing mission and I have been able to teach so many people about this message that is more than just a couple of pamphlets and a book. It is the key to everyone's salvation. I heard a quote a long time ago somewhere...."If you had the cure to Cancer would you keep it to yourself?" Absolutely NOT! That is what I feel this Gospel holds. It is the answer to all our questions. It is the key to happiness. It is the only way to be with our families for eternity. I am just so grateful for the spot I am in my life right now. I am grateful for the friendships I have and have been able to make stronger. I love my family and I love that we are so close now. People have been asking me lately who my favorite sibling is and who I get a long with the most. I honestly can't pick just one. I have been able to become close with all of them before my mission so I can't say I have a favorite. I am close to them all, but in different ways. I just think it is kind of crazy how it all happened. The one thing I never thought would happen would be Matt and I to become best friends haha I still laugh at everything we did as little ones...I am so grateful that we finally matured..somewhat :) I guess this email is just me saying that I love you guys so much! I am so excited to talk with you on Christmas and I am so happy that Jon and Clarissa get to come home for Christmas as well. 

As I am preparing for a new comp this Wednesday, things are becoming crazy. A typical last few weeks before a missionary leaves for home is quite crazy. We have been running around everywhere so Sister Smith can say goodbye to everyone and get pictures with them. It is really cool to see though. The members adore her and some even weep...a lot. At this time it is still hard for me to understand why they all have a hard time when everyone has Facebook nowadays and that the moment she leaves they will all be able to talk with her an hour later, but at this time I am really learning how to endure to the end. I know I won't quite understand until I get there, but I really do hope that I will be able to have a wonderful friendship with the ward that I will leave. It is so cool to watch. I hope to become that wonderful example that the members look up to. Well, guess I will talk to you all on Christmas! I will get you the details soon!

love you all

Love Sister Emily Sarah Eaton

Share the gift 12/08/14

Hello Family and Friends!

This week was pretty good. We went on exchanges again with the Sister Training Leaders and that went really well. I was able to be with Sister Silcox again and we had a lot of fun. She is super nice and really listens to me. She will be going home December 18th just like Sister Smith so I will miss her as well, but I was grateful to be able to serve with her for a little while as well. 

On Wednesday, Sister Silcox and I had an awesome lesson with an investigator, Vicki. She lives in Lake Geneva. We asked her what holds her back from reading the Book of Mormon and she had told us that she just can't really get into it. I had a thought for us to read about when Christ came to the Americas after his Crucifixion. So we ended up reading that and she really loved it! She told us that now because of that story she wants to know more and read it! Yay! I didn't think I was very good at listening to the spirit in these kind of situations, but this helped confirm to me! We will be going back over there this week so I am excited to find out how her reading is going. 

On Friday we went to Burlington and tried this new way to find people to teach...It is like a survey of some sort and instead of tracting that no one likes, we have this paper that had 10 questions on it about people's beliefs and stuff. (it is kind of hard to explain sorry. I will try my best though). So we just go door to door or we can street contact as well and we ask people these 10 harmless questions. it is pretty cool and because of it, we were able to meet a 95 year old lady. she was so healthy and still up and active! it was crazy. but sadly she didn't care to learn more about our church. she was really nice though. 

Overall it was a pretty ok week. nothing too exciting..yet haha

hope you all have a wonderful week!

remember to #sharethegift :)

love you all

Love Sister Emily Sarah Eaton

Happy Thanksgiving! Hello December! 12/01/14

Hey everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving :) We were able to have 3 Thanksgivings...haha not exactly what I was hoping for since my stomach isn't that big! haha but it went well.

The first family we went to are the Hellers. They are a part member family. The parents are members and the step kids are not. They struggle a lot but we are continuing to build them up and help them know their Savior. The food was delicious of course. We shared with them a cool little Thanksgiving Mormon message and they all loved it. We all went around the room and asked them what they are thankful for and every time someone said "Family" all the kids would go up and hug that person. It began to be very cute to watch and the spirit became so strong. It was awesome to see this because there has been a lot of contention in their home between everyone. We were so happy to bring love and the spirit of Christ into their home. They made a Turkey cake out of Twinkies so we grabbed a Twinkie and were off to our next ward family home.

Tim and Joleen Carson are recent converts to the church. I think She joined about a year ago and he joined maybe 6 months ago. They opened up their house to us and the elders. Their dinner looked delicious, but sadly I was coming down with a migraine so I laid down on their couch while they ate dinner. But it was good to see them and Joleen is very nice. She knows like everything from candle making to beekeeping! haha

We had a dinner with a Hispanic family in the ward, but my migraine was not going away sadly so we went home and I went to bed. I felt bad for Sister Smith for ruining her Thanksgiving, but she said it wasn't a problem.

Yesterday at church for 5th Sunday, us missionaries and the ward missionaries gave a lesson about member missionary work. It went really well. I wasn't too excited to be talking in front of everyone though. I was super nervous and I didn't know what to say. When I got up there I ended up sharing about why I decided to go on a mission. I told about how I prayed about what to do and that I got a great confirmation to serve a mission. It went really well and I ended up becoming really confident later in my story. It brought back a lot of good feelings and helped me to stay motivated. It felt really good to share that and a lot of the adults came up to me later and thanked me for sharing. 

I hope this week goes well for you all! I love you guys!

This bird came and sat by me during my studies!

Love Sister Emily Sarah Eaton

My first Baptism 11/24/14

Hello Family and Friends,

Well I officially have a baptism on my mission and it only took 7 1/2 months! haha But that is ok. Sorry if the picture isn't a good one. I could barely see if that was the one where we weren't closing our eyes lol

The people from left to right are Tim Crager (a member that became really good friends with Eric), Eric Bain (the new member! ), Christine Bain (Eric's sister..not a member..yet), Sister Smith, and me. After the baptism we had an awesome after-party at Eric's house with Pumpkin pie and the famous Cheeseburger soup! Its a rave here in Elkhorn, everyone loves Cheeseburger soup made by The Eric Bain. It was a good time and then he got confirmed Sunday by Tim. 

The baptism was a great spiritual experience! His family was there and they said they loved it afterward. We hope that will spark their interest to start taking the lessons as well since they have been able to see the joy that it has brought Eric. While Eric was changing we shared 2 videos to everyone and it made the spirit so strong. They are a couple of my favorite videos. Go watch them when you get the chance! If you have already seen them...watch them again!

http://easter.mormon.org/ and https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-11-018-a-book-of-mormon-story?lang=eng

I am excited to go baptize more! Love you all!

Love Sister Emily Sarah Eaton

I love the Temple! 11/21/14

Hello Family and Friends!

I know its Friday and I am emailing..weird huh?! :) Well today Sister Smith and I had the opportunity to go to the Chicago Temple with some members and it was a blast! We actually just got back from it all and it was all so renewing and wonderful. Sadly, I forgot my camera cord today so no pictures will be sent out today :( mybad.

The experience was so amazing though and Sister Smith and I stayed in the Celestial room for the longest time. We were trying to soak all we could in before we went back out into the world. It was so wonderful to be able to sit in peace and quiet and just listen to the spirit. Inside the temple was beautiful and we could have stared at the chandelier forever. The Chicago temple is pretty small. It is about the size as a Utah stake center, but it still holds up to its beauty. Although it isn't my favorite temple, I still will have a special place for it in my heart as our experience was so renewing. I truly needed it on my mission. I am so grateful for the opportunity we had to go and it was a wonderful and beautiful day to go as well. We also got to stop at a place called the Oasis which had a bunch of fast food places that are inside a bridge over the freeway. I was able to get Panda Express which I have been craving since I left home...That was the last meal I had at home for breakfast haha Thanks Natalie :)

Tomorrow is going to be a wonderful day as well. My first baptism and I am so excited! Eric is 22 and he is the first one to be baptized in his family. We hope to start teaching his family too very soon. He is so prepared to be baptized and he has such a great testimony. Pictures will be included on Monday :) I know I have already said it before, but gosh I just love this gospel! It is sad when people don't accept it because there are so many things they have no idea about that they are missing out on. I want to help those people to be able to open their eyes and see that things can be better even in this evil world. I know I am on a mission to do that and I am so grateful to be here. I love you all!

Love Sister Emily Sarah Eaton :)

 

Week 30 Baptism and the Temple! 11/10/14

Hello Family and Friends!

It was such an amazing week and Sister Smith and I are both so excited for our baptism coming up this next Monday or Saturday the 22nd...we still need to figure some stuff out, but that's beside the point! It will be my first baptism!!! geez only took 7 months! Which reminds me! I hit my 7 month mark yesterday and it was awesome! 7 month still is kind of little compared to those 14 month people haha but I am growing so much and I love it :) Also President Cutler thought it was funny to give me another companion that would be going home....So I get to send Sister Smith home Dec 18...its not that it is bad, but my trainer was going home as well and it just makes things 10 times more hard, but this time I know how to be stronger. Sister Smith isn't too trunky anyways though so I guess it could be worse. I know everything will go well though and we can't wait for Eric's baptism. Also we are most likely going to the Chicago temple Nov 21 with an awesome member, Vicki Crager ( by the way Mom, I have found more Star Valley people that you might know! I will get the info and get back to you). The plans aren't finalized yet, but if we do go it will take out our pday..I don't really know how all that works yet though. But I am excited because I really miss the temple!

On Tuesday and Wednesday I went on exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders and it really went so well! I was able to invite a family in Kenosha to baptism and I didn't mess up! Sister Smith stayed in Elkhorn with Sister Reed and I went to Kenosha with Sister Silcox. I feel like I really was able to grow a lot more and Sister Silcox and I really hit it off. She is going into Fashion as well and she has a missionary in Mexico! It was so awesome to be able to relate to her. I asked her where in Utah she found a fashion program and she said she was doing a program though Utah State that lets you kind of create your own major and then she is able to finish up her fashion classes at Salt Lake Community College with a Bachelors in Fashion. I was so speechless when I hear all about this...I had no idea that there were schools that offered this...I am going to still think about it and when I get home I still want to research out other things too, but I want to look into it. But besides all that...My testimony strengthened so much on this exchange. I was able to experience being a true BOLD missionary. I have always struggled with being outgoing and such, but I really saw the change in me this time. I felt like this was really a successful exchange and I have been trying better at being that same awesome missionary in Elkhorn. I am excited to be here and work. Elkhorn is such a great place and there are so many people that are ready here. It also is such a small world here where everyone knows everyone so we find ways to teach more people that way and soon this whole town will be Mormon! :)

This weekend was also Stake Conference for the Milwaukee Stakes and it was so good. I love the way they do the talks now. (Maybe they have always done them this way and I never paid attention though :/) The recent converts will always speak in both sessions and it is so awesome for our investigators and us to hear their strong testimonies. I have just noticed that doing this really strengthens and builds everyone's testimony even more. We were able to hear so many strong testimonies that haven't even been in the church a year.

 

I know this church is TRUE! I really can't imagine not having the gospel in my life, probably because I have always been in it, but seriously I wouldn't be able to stand on my own two feet if it weren't for Jesus Christ and what he did for each and everyone of us. I really love this gospel! It is truly the key to happiness in this life and even after that. I hope my family knows that I really have a firm belief in this church. I want them to know that I really love them and I know that this whole "eternity" thing is real. I want to see them all in that Celestial Kingdom :)

Thank you everyone for the support and love you have given to me! This mission is so amazing and it is just what I need. I love you all and hope you all have a great week!

Love Sister Emily Sarah Eaton :)

 

My district 

Sister Eaton on far right and comp. Sister Smith next to her 

7 months down for Sister Eaton

 14 months for Elder Taylor