This week we stopped by the famous Arsenic and Old Lace house, where all those
famous arsenic deaths occurred. Yes, the actual house. It looks like it's had some
rooms added on to it. No one was home so we didn't go inside. But when we knocked on
the door we started smelling natural gas, like there was a gas leak coming from
somewhere. So we left pretty quickly after that.
Met some really great people this week including a music therapist who works at one of the places where we are trying to volunteer. It was so fun talking with her about music therapy!
Another lady, well, we knocked on her door and she opened the door and immediately said, Come in, I know who you are, and offered to feed us! It was pretty shocking because, as you might guess, that never happens. She is not interested in taking the lessons but she has very positive feelings about the Church because a lot of
her children and grandchildren are members. And she feeds missionaries all the time. Not only that, but she defends the Church when other people say things about us. Which,sadly, happens a lot. Most people here don't know much about us at all, but the little information they have is usually wrong. Anyway, this angelic soul who let us into her house always defends the Church. The churches in town sometimes have interfaith events that she wishes we were invited to. (It probably doesn't help that our meetinghouse is located in Bloomfield, 20 minutes away, and not here in Windsor.)
We got some new investigators this week that we are REALLY excited about. Had some good first lessons. We have a new ward mission plan that we introduced this week to try and get our ward members into Preach My Gospel.
Funny stories--well, the other day we were at the home of two new members. The mom and oldest daughter in this family just got baptized and there are two younger daughters in the family, ages 7 and 5. Whenever we come to teach the new-member lessons at this home the two younger daughters do all sorts of things to try to steal away our attention from their mom and sister. It's really funny. So the 7-year-old was drawing pictures in a diary and showing them to Sister Haueter. The 5-year-old got jealous and she said, "You don't need to show people your diarrhea." Let's work on that vocabulary, kids.
Did I mention that EVERYONE HERE HAS CATS AND DOGS? I don't think it's exaggerating
too much to say that every home I've been in is a pet home. Nearly every home. I've
been really blessed as far as my cat allergies. It actually hasn't been much of a
problem. It's funny, though, being around cats. They are SO stinkin smart and they
can just sense when a person isn't comfortable around them. Cats ALWAYS know that I am allergic to them, I swear, because they always come near me when I go into someone's house.
Sister Laulu...I have no words. Except maybe "you're brave." VERY brave. Kudos
to you for having a positive attitude. I can't imagine going into an area after stuff
like that- ESPECIALLY being brand new. Way to be the amazing missionary that your pres. can trust with such a task! Hmm, well, I'm trying to compliment you and I just end up sounding negative. I'm probably not helping. Will you enlighten me in my dumbness...what does "meuli" mean? OH, and do you get to go to Graceland on your Preparation Day? I'm so jealous! I'm jealous that you're in Memphis even though it is a scary place. Well, not really jealous, I love being here but Elvis? Seriously? Go to the King's house for me! if you can. Take lots of pictures.
Love,
Sister Monson
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
March 23, 2009
Yes, that is my name. Sister Monster. Some adorable kids called me that.:)People
also confuse my name with Munson chocolates- apparently they're really big around here?
Fun fact about Windsor!!! The movie "Arsenic and Old Lace" was based on a play,which was written based on a true story of a lady who actually did kill a lot of people with arsenic when they came to her house. That lady lived in Windsor. And her house is still standing. Next month when we're not so low on miles I'm going to get Sis. Haueter to take me out there. :) Cool huh?
Besides the Arsenic and Old Lace house, there is also a historic district out here
on Palisado Drive with amazingly old houses. 1700's and Civil War-era houses. We've
driven through it a couple of times.
Funny story. Very funny story. Oh, the Church is great out here members are awesome.
Yesterday in church a lady was giving a talk on was it faith? Something like that.
Anyway, she was talking about how grateful she was that the ward members understand her and that they're patient with her when she says crazy things. Then she proceeded to tell a story of a time when she was saying the closing prayer at some activity- I think it was a Relief Society gathering- and she asked Heavenly Father to bless us as ladies of the night. Then she proceeded to explain, in great detail, what she means by that-about how she feels that mothers are ladies of the evening because they have to stay up late doing laundry, etc. after their kids have gone to bed, and how they are always doing the least favorite tasks. Then she said something like, Don't get me wrong. I'm not implying that I walk the streets of Hartford at midnight! But I feel like I am the one who always does the things no one else wants to do.
Highlight of the week- we had a double baptism on Saturday, a mom and her daughter. These baptisms were already planned when I transferred into the area, so I didn't do much other than sit there and watch my trainer finish prepping them for baptism. The event itself was absolutely crazy. I can't even tell you how many things went wrong! They were both sick. The mom was puffed up with allergies and vomiting and feverish. The mom's best friend's mother passed away about an hour before the actual baptism
occurred. She and this friend had made a pact in college that they would be there for
each other if their moms died, so she had to tell her friend, I'll be there for you
later tonight, but right now I have to go get baptized. So they got to the church late and no one brought towels, and she had to get a blessing from the elders because she was so sick, and they had to leave right after the baptism to go to New York for this friend whose mom had just died. So many other things went wrong, I haven't even told you the half of it, but they are baptized! That's the miracle of it all.
Did anyone else feel like they knew everything when they got out of the MTC? I thought I was so prepared. Lately I am realizing what a moron I am. I don't know anything. I have such a hard time teaching anything coherently, because I am still trying to break out of my shy shell. I just don't fit in here. I don't fit in with Connecticut people or with missionaries either. I'm just too new to fit in with either crowd. I know it'll come with time. I'll get more confident and be able to really teach and explain things. Just have to be patient. Do me a favor and pray that I'll be able to be confident, and NOT shy.
Okay, so pictures take about a thousand years to upload on this super-slow library
computer so I was only able to upload a few of them. More to come next week. (Aren't you excited?)
Love,
Sister Monson
also confuse my name with Munson chocolates- apparently they're really big around here?
Fun fact about Windsor!!! The movie "Arsenic and Old Lace" was based on a play,which was written based on a true story of a lady who actually did kill a lot of people with arsenic when they came to her house. That lady lived in Windsor. And her house is still standing. Next month when we're not so low on miles I'm going to get Sis. Haueter to take me out there. :) Cool huh?
Besides the Arsenic and Old Lace house, there is also a historic district out here
on Palisado Drive with amazingly old houses. 1700's and Civil War-era houses. We've
driven through it a couple of times.
Funny story. Very funny story. Oh, the Church is great out here members are awesome.
Yesterday in church a lady was giving a talk on was it faith? Something like that.
Anyway, she was talking about how grateful she was that the ward members understand her and that they're patient with her when she says crazy things. Then she proceeded to tell a story of a time when she was saying the closing prayer at some activity- I think it was a Relief Society gathering- and she asked Heavenly Father to bless us as ladies of the night. Then she proceeded to explain, in great detail, what she means by that-about how she feels that mothers are ladies of the evening because they have to stay up late doing laundry, etc. after their kids have gone to bed, and how they are always doing the least favorite tasks. Then she said something like, Don't get me wrong. I'm not implying that I walk the streets of Hartford at midnight! But I feel like I am the one who always does the things no one else wants to do.
Highlight of the week- we had a double baptism on Saturday, a mom and her daughter. These baptisms were already planned when I transferred into the area, so I didn't do much other than sit there and watch my trainer finish prepping them for baptism. The event itself was absolutely crazy. I can't even tell you how many things went wrong! They were both sick. The mom was puffed up with allergies and vomiting and feverish. The mom's best friend's mother passed away about an hour before the actual baptism
occurred. She and this friend had made a pact in college that they would be there for
each other if their moms died, so she had to tell her friend, I'll be there for you
later tonight, but right now I have to go get baptized. So they got to the church late and no one brought towels, and she had to get a blessing from the elders because she was so sick, and they had to leave right after the baptism to go to New York for this friend whose mom had just died. So many other things went wrong, I haven't even told you the half of it, but they are baptized! That's the miracle of it all.
Did anyone else feel like they knew everything when they got out of the MTC? I thought I was so prepared. Lately I am realizing what a moron I am. I don't know anything. I have such a hard time teaching anything coherently, because I am still trying to break out of my shy shell. I just don't fit in here. I don't fit in with Connecticut people or with missionaries either. I'm just too new to fit in with either crowd. I know it'll come with time. I'll get more confident and be able to really teach and explain things. Just have to be patient. Do me a favor and pray that I'll be able to be confident, and NOT shy.
Okay, so pictures take about a thousand years to upload on this super-slow library
computer so I was only able to upload a few of them. More to come next week. (Aren't you excited?)
Love,
Sister Monson
Monday, March 16, 2009
16 March 2009
(Apparently "I'm all set" is an East Coast phrase. Which I never knew because I always heard Dad say it...but it makes sense now seeing as Dad's from New Jersey...but no other missionaries out here had ever heard it before. :)
Hi everyone! Hope you are all doing well
I am enjoying mission life out here in Windsor, Connecticut. Windsor is just north of Hartford. (Sisters don't serve in Hartford, it's too ghetto.) Windsor is also apparently Connecticut's oldest town. The sisters' area just covers Windsor and also the town of Windsor Locks. So not very big, land-wise, but things are hopping out here.
I'm riding in on the coattails of some awesome sister missionaries who got the ball rolling. My companion and her previous companion already had four baptismal dates set up for this transfer when I got out here. (And for all you South American returned missionaries four baptisms in one transfer is a LOT out here. ) We got another investigator committed to baptism this past week!
My companion is Sister Haueter (rhymes with power) from Smithfield (Elder Byington, she knew you, way back when) and she rocks. Really funny and friendly and outgoing, and very FUN which balances out my intense side so that's good. We have a great time AND we work hard.
The work is interesting out here is so much different than I thought it would be. EVERYONE I have met so far, almost, has been Catholic. Apparently Connecticut has a lot of Jews also, but I have yet to meet one. I'm told Windsor is not very diverse in comparison with the rest of the state. And of course I'm in complete culture shock because anywhere is diverse compared to Utah. There are also tons of Jamaicans here. They are AWESOME people they are very big into prayer and meditation. I had this picture in my mind of a state full of Yale atheists who are all super-intellectual. But as of this week (not very much time, I realize) mostly what I have seen is people with a strong Christian faith, who struggle with the idea of priesthood authority and the proper baptism and such. There are a few investigators who get way out there into the deeper intellectual doctrines and don't focus on what really matters, and struggle because of that. But I haven't seen nearly as much of that as I thought I would.
I have already had so many funny things happen to me out here, I can't even tell you. This place is so unique and missions are so unique, funny stuff just happens all the time. A lot of people want to pronounce my name Munson because Munson Chocolates are really big out here (yeah, I never heard of them either). Last night some investigators' kids called me Sister Monster and my companion Mister Haueter. Oh, and one of those kids, a little girl, told me, I can't go to Primary because there's BOYS.
Earlier this week a member told us, You can pawk [park] out here, and my jaw dropped. I couldn't believe people REALLY talk like that, like they're not just making it up. This member is from Massachusetts, I think. She says pawk and she works at Tawget. That accent is so common out here because people from RI and Massachusetts have it and natives of CT have it, to, but to a lesser degree.
Yesterday I met a member and I got the drill (this is starting to sound so familiar already) "Now, I know you must get asked this all the time and you're probably sick of hearing people ask you about it, but, are you related to the Prophet?" Of course I said no. Normally when people get this response they say "Oh," and act disappointed, or else they try and push it, "Are you SURE? Not even distantly?" This member happened to be shaking my hand when she asked me the question, and when I said no she dropped my hand and wiped it off on her dress and looked away from me, disgusted. I was super confused for about half a second, until I realized she was messing with me. It was HILARIOUS. Guess you had to be there, maybe.
There are not very many sisters here. Really, at any given time there are about 10 sisters and 100 elders in the mission. Really. No exaggeration. That's a lot of 19-year-old boys. It can be a little overwhelming. And I haven't even seen all the missionaries together in one place yet. Get excited for mission conference this summer!
My address is 6 Heritage Drive Apt. C, Windsor, CT 06095 if you want to send me mail (HINT HINT). I like mail. A lot. Oh, and MTC District 53, hi from your sister/grandma! (Yes I am old.) I probably won't be sending you individual emails. Sorry. But I hope you are all doing well and not freezing to death in Canada/Arkansas (yes, Arkansas! I didn't think about that when I first wrote it!). Don't forget about Elder Greenwell's kitten cups. I will remember that story until the day I die.
The Church is true! Until next Monday,
Sister Monson
Hi everyone! Hope you are all doing well
I am enjoying mission life out here in Windsor, Connecticut. Windsor is just north of Hartford. (Sisters don't serve in Hartford, it's too ghetto.) Windsor is also apparently Connecticut's oldest town. The sisters' area just covers Windsor and also the town of Windsor Locks. So not very big, land-wise, but things are hopping out here.
I'm riding in on the coattails of some awesome sister missionaries who got the ball rolling. My companion and her previous companion already had four baptismal dates set up for this transfer when I got out here. (And for all you South American returned missionaries four baptisms in one transfer is a LOT out here. ) We got another investigator committed to baptism this past week!
My companion is Sister Haueter (rhymes with power) from Smithfield (Elder Byington, she knew you, way back when) and she rocks. Really funny and friendly and outgoing, and very FUN which balances out my intense side so that's good. We have a great time AND we work hard.
The work is interesting out here is so much different than I thought it would be. EVERYONE I have met so far, almost, has been Catholic. Apparently Connecticut has a lot of Jews also, but I have yet to meet one. I'm told Windsor is not very diverse in comparison with the rest of the state. And of course I'm in complete culture shock because anywhere is diverse compared to Utah. There are also tons of Jamaicans here. They are AWESOME people they are very big into prayer and meditation. I had this picture in my mind of a state full of Yale atheists who are all super-intellectual. But as of this week (not very much time, I realize) mostly what I have seen is people with a strong Christian faith, who struggle with the idea of priesthood authority and the proper baptism and such. There are a few investigators who get way out there into the deeper intellectual doctrines and don't focus on what really matters, and struggle because of that. But I haven't seen nearly as much of that as I thought I would.
I have already had so many funny things happen to me out here, I can't even tell you. This place is so unique and missions are so unique, funny stuff just happens all the time. A lot of people want to pronounce my name Munson because Munson Chocolates are really big out here (yeah, I never heard of them either). Last night some investigators' kids called me Sister Monster and my companion Mister Haueter. Oh, and one of those kids, a little girl, told me, I can't go to Primary because there's BOYS.
Earlier this week a member told us, You can pawk [park] out here, and my jaw dropped. I couldn't believe people REALLY talk like that, like they're not just making it up. This member is from Massachusetts, I think. She says pawk and she works at Tawget. That accent is so common out here because people from RI and Massachusetts have it and natives of CT have it, to, but to a lesser degree.
Yesterday I met a member and I got the drill (this is starting to sound so familiar already) "Now, I know you must get asked this all the time and you're probably sick of hearing people ask you about it, but, are you related to the Prophet?" Of course I said no. Normally when people get this response they say "Oh," and act disappointed, or else they try and push it, "Are you SURE? Not even distantly?" This member happened to be shaking my hand when she asked me the question, and when I said no she dropped my hand and wiped it off on her dress and looked away from me, disgusted. I was super confused for about half a second, until I realized she was messing with me. It was HILARIOUS. Guess you had to be there, maybe.
There are not very many sisters here. Really, at any given time there are about 10 sisters and 100 elders in the mission. Really. No exaggeration. That's a lot of 19-year-old boys. It can be a little overwhelming. And I haven't even seen all the missionaries together in one place yet. Get excited for mission conference this summer!
My address is 6 Heritage Drive Apt. C, Windsor, CT 06095 if you want to send me mail (HINT HINT). I like mail. A lot. Oh, and MTC District 53, hi from your sister/grandma! (Yes I am old.) I probably won't be sending you individual emails. Sorry. But I hope you are all doing well and not freezing to death in Canada/Arkansas (yes, Arkansas! I didn't think about that when I first wrote it!). Don't forget about Elder Greenwell's kitten cups. I will remember that story until the day I die.
The Church is true! Until next Monday,
Sister Monson
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Kaelynn's address
Hi Everyone,
Kaelynn's address is:
6 Heritage Drive Apt C
Williamsburg Apartments
Windosr, CT
06095
Kaelynn's address is:
6 Heritage Drive Apt C
Williamsburg Apartments
Windosr, CT
06095
Thursday, March 5, 2009
5 March 2009
Mom and Dad, will you post this on the blog?
Dear everyone:
Life is good, I'm feeling much more well-adjusted than the last time I wrote. I think I was a little freaked out because everyone said MTC life starts to feel normal after the first three days, and for me it didn't happen for at least a week. But now I feel really normal (well, relatively normal).
I don't think I've told you much about my companion or the people from my district, so I think I'll do that because they are really fun people. My companion is Sister Mortimer, from Holladay. She is really fun. Extremely blunt. In a good way. :) In my district there is one other companionship of sisters- Sister Jones from Sydney, Australia and Sister Laulu, who is from Hawaii. Sister Jones is going to Calgary, Canada and Sister Laulu is going to Little Rock, Arkansas. We have two other elders going to Little Rock and two other sets of elders going to Calgary. Sister Mortimer and I are the only ones going to Connecticut. As far as I know we're the only sisters at the MTC going to Connecticut right now. We've met a bunch of elders from other districts going to our mission, but no other sisters.
The first week and a half that we were here, we shared a room with four Spanish-speaking sisters who were loud and crazy. :) Now they have all left except Hermana Fifita, who is delayed because of health problems. She's one of my favorite people ever. She's Tongan and grew up in Long Beach. We call her Sister Fajita. In our room there is also Hermana Lee and two new sisters who are going to Pennsylvania. So our room is now a little less loud and crazy. I don't know how people can stay here for twelve weeks! My hat is off to them.
So, friends and roomies...I keep running into people here that I knew at USU and
Viewmont. The other day I ran into Kamille Lau from USU. Lucine Emrazian is in a
threesome with one of the sisters I share a room with. I saw Amanda Beutler twice this week- I didn't even know she was going on a mission! She's going to Germany. I've seen Steph Shoell a bunch of times here. Whitney Bills is one of my MTC teachers. I've also seen Niccol Hahn a couple of times...I swear there's more people, I'll remember them as soon as I'm done writing this.
We had a Large Group Meeting presentation on goals and key indicators and I LOVED it and it made so much sense. Maybe it was just the stats nerd in me. Somehow it just rang true. Numbers are only important insofar as they represent souls...but key indicators help you know how to improve so you can bring MORE souls!
I have found some interesting referrals in the Referral Center. But I'm a dork and
somehow I never manage to set up a time to call them back. I always just end up referring them to the missionaries in their area, when I could call them back and teach them over the phone. I worry about this because I don't think the RC referrals get taken very seriously out there. Most of the calls I have done are in the South or in New York. Lots of old ladies calling in wanting a free Bible. The other day I was talking to a Baptist lady in Louisiana and she seemed to be really enjoying talking to me until I mentioned the Book of Mormon. Then she said something like, "Well, it's been nice talking to you but I have some...uh...business I have to take care of..." I was really sad for a little while, now I'm learning to laugh at it. :) People tell me working in the Referral Center is a lot like tracting, so hopefully I can get used to the rejection part of it.
Anyway, my time is up. Love you all. I fly out Monday morning at 8 AM. I'll make sure and write on my first P-day out in the field, whenever that is. Pray for me that I don't get buried in the snow out there. :)
-Sister Monson
Dear everyone:
Life is good, I'm feeling much more well-adjusted than the last time I wrote. I think I was a little freaked out because everyone said MTC life starts to feel normal after the first three days, and for me it didn't happen for at least a week. But now I feel really normal (well, relatively normal).
I don't think I've told you much about my companion or the people from my district, so I think I'll do that because they are really fun people. My companion is Sister Mortimer, from Holladay. She is really fun. Extremely blunt. In a good way. :) In my district there is one other companionship of sisters- Sister Jones from Sydney, Australia and Sister Laulu, who is from Hawaii. Sister Jones is going to Calgary, Canada and Sister Laulu is going to Little Rock, Arkansas. We have two other elders going to Little Rock and two other sets of elders going to Calgary. Sister Mortimer and I are the only ones going to Connecticut. As far as I know we're the only sisters at the MTC going to Connecticut right now. We've met a bunch of elders from other districts going to our mission, but no other sisters.
The first week and a half that we were here, we shared a room with four Spanish-speaking sisters who were loud and crazy. :) Now they have all left except Hermana Fifita, who is delayed because of health problems. She's one of my favorite people ever. She's Tongan and grew up in Long Beach. We call her Sister Fajita. In our room there is also Hermana Lee and two new sisters who are going to Pennsylvania. So our room is now a little less loud and crazy. I don't know how people can stay here for twelve weeks! My hat is off to them.
So, friends and roomies...I keep running into people here that I knew at USU and
Viewmont. The other day I ran into Kamille Lau from USU. Lucine Emrazian is in a
threesome with one of the sisters I share a room with. I saw Amanda Beutler twice this week- I didn't even know she was going on a mission! She's going to Germany. I've seen Steph Shoell a bunch of times here. Whitney Bills is one of my MTC teachers. I've also seen Niccol Hahn a couple of times...I swear there's more people, I'll remember them as soon as I'm done writing this.
We had a Large Group Meeting presentation on goals and key indicators and I LOVED it and it made so much sense. Maybe it was just the stats nerd in me. Somehow it just rang true. Numbers are only important insofar as they represent souls...but key indicators help you know how to improve so you can bring MORE souls!
I have found some interesting referrals in the Referral Center. But I'm a dork and
somehow I never manage to set up a time to call them back. I always just end up referring them to the missionaries in their area, when I could call them back and teach them over the phone. I worry about this because I don't think the RC referrals get taken very seriously out there. Most of the calls I have done are in the South or in New York. Lots of old ladies calling in wanting a free Bible. The other day I was talking to a Baptist lady in Louisiana and she seemed to be really enjoying talking to me until I mentioned the Book of Mormon. Then she said something like, "Well, it's been nice talking to you but I have some...uh...business I have to take care of..." I was really sad for a little while, now I'm learning to laugh at it. :) People tell me working in the Referral Center is a lot like tracting, so hopefully I can get used to the rejection part of it.
Anyway, my time is up. Love you all. I fly out Monday morning at 8 AM. I'll make sure and write on my first P-day out in the field, whenever that is. Pray for me that I don't get buried in the snow out there. :)
-Sister Monson
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