#considertheworkhastened

we are officially ipad missionaries now! it's funny to see all the missionaries walking around with them. last night we had an event at the visitors center and afterwards all the missionaries were walking around trying to get their area books synced and whatnot. we were originally told that we could keep them afterwards, but that has been decided against. it makes more sense that they keep the ipads for the mission - that would be A LOT of ipad purchases if every missionary got to keep theirs after they serve. we were also told that they will be doing a trial run with instagram. i would die if i got to be one of the missionaries who gets to do that (it will only be a select few). all time favorite app! but we will see - it's up to the lord. we were also told that we can now skype home and you guys can be a part of our lessons!!!! you can share your testimony with the people that we are teaching here. i think some of the elders have already done it, and i know some of the elders have already skyped some investigators to have a lesson. #considertheworkhastened.
i got to have a little chat with the eyrings the other day. they are the sweetest people and i love working with them at the VC. we talked about home and they got to know me a little better - that's how i found out they're U of U fans. i forget when they go home, but it's just a little before me and they live in holliday so we've already planned things out. they want you (mom, dad, taylor) to come to their homecoming and then they will come to mine and we can all go to dinner some time! you will LOVE them so much!
we got a DVD of our christmas eve concert, so i plan on sending that home to you for safekeeping and so you can also watch it!
we had a miracle FHE last monday!!!! my very first sunday here was the very first sunday the YSA group met together. the FHEs have been rather small in the past but last week we had 25+ people there!!!! so many less actives and even tobie & gabriel were there! it was absolutely amazing. i couldn't stop smiling and i was just so proud of all the work the YSAs had done to get people there! they have really been stepping it up lately, doing so great at reaching out and fellowshipping. "where much is given, much is required" - i think it works the other way too - where much is required, much is given. heavenly father is asking a lot of these YSAs right now, and as they continue to reach out and build his kingdom he will bless them with so much!
we have eaten at cafe rio more times than i ever ate at home. for reals though. our YSAs love that place. #notcomplaining. we're going again today for dinner with nicole & her sister before FHE. also, since cafe rio isn't as popular out here as it is in utah, they have days where they do $5 meals and they even had $1 burrito day. one dollar! let's just say, pretty much every missionary that has a cafe rio in their area went. cheap food is a missionaries best friend. leftovers too (remember how much i hated leftovers before?).
as we were driving the other day we found a license plate that said the following: "god is in control. let go, and let god". i think that might be the hardest part of missionary work, it's really hard to let god have all the control. i'm learning a lot, and sometimes i'm learning the hard way, but i'm learning that heavenly father loves me and only wants what's best for me. that's my new motto, let go and let god.
i don't hate the calling room anymore at the VC! i've actually had some really good experiences in there this transfer. i had an inbound call once (emmanuel) and he wanted to order a bible so i offered to have missionaries drop it by and share a message with him and he was super open to letting them do that. i called him back and he's now been reading the BOM and plans on going to church and is meeting with missionaries! all because i offered! i do make a difference! even though i'm not the one specifically teaching him, i helped that happen! he is the nicest guy and when i called him the other day he told me that he loved me for what i've done for him and that he really appreciated me calling him and seeing how he's doing. he said he prays for me and asked that i continue to pray for him. what a privilege it is to pray for someone like that, someone i've never met and may not ever meet until after this life.
i also got to teach a man named livou ("leave-you") at the VC he is from russion descent but he grew up in NY. we got to teach him about temples and talk about the restoration when he was visiting that day. he wasn't interested in missionaries at the time, but i did get his number so i could follow up with him. he said he has a mormon co-worker and that he would talk to him. guess what, people actually do what they say they will! he talked to his co-worker! his co-worker told him about the Pennsylvania temple and invited him to go through before they dedicate it, livou was super interested in doing that. he was also invited to attend church one of these upcoming sundays and he also said he would try that out! he is the nicest guy and just like emmanuel, he expressed his appreciation for calling him and following up with him. i matter! people actually appreciate the phone calls we make!
what a blessing it is to be serving here in maryland as a VC sister and an online proselyting missionary. this is exactly as president cooke always says, "the best mission in the history of the world".
love you so much and appreciate all that you do for me! your prayers and letters mean the world to me so thank you!