My suspicions were correct. I am getting shipped out to Torrington. Last night I had a brief temper tantrum and then I felt truly peaceful about it. I know it’s what needs to happen. Even though I feel like I’m leaving a part of my heart behind me here in Trumbull. Seven and a half months is a long time to be in one area! My new companion will be Sister Mortimer, who was my MTC companion.
I just got an email from Pres. Pehrson saying three missionaries were sent home this week. Usually when people get sent home they keep it very hush-hush, so I don’t know why we heard about it this time, but it sure breaks my heart. Especially because it’s obvious how much it breaks President’s heart when these things happen.
We’re also getting, in addition to one greenie, a sister from another mission and she is coming to Trumbull. There will be a trio here again. So we’ve been preparing for her and I spent the last two nights on a bunk bed as a result—the TOP bunk, nonetheless. That was exciting. We’ve been told to keep the beds not right next to a wall, because bedbugs sometimes come through walls. So there is a big open space between the top bunk and the wall. Might as well have a neon sign saying “toss and turn in your sleep and FALL RIGHT IN!” I have discovered I’m not the most rambunctious sleeper. I have avoided falling into that big open space so far. I was nervous because I still have vivid childhood memories of Andrea falling off the top bunk in her sleep. :) Between that and my fear of heights with which you are all well acquainted, I am very proud of myself for being SO brave as to sleep on the top bunk.
I have learned how important it is to use P-day for actual P-day things. Last Monday we helped someone move most of the day. We didn’t realize how much that would affect our energy the rest of the week. We got really drained and our motivation took a nose-dive. It was a rough week. Lesson learned! So I’m excited for the changes that are coming.
Other than that, it really hasn’t been a terribly eventful week. We’re still trying to sort our way through a bunch of member referrals, but none of them have turned into actual investigators yet. That project consumes the majority of our time.
This morning Molly, one of our favorite five-year-olds, told Sister Johnston that she (meaning Sister J) is “a teenager.” When Sister J asked for a high-five Molly said, “BORING!” She said the same thing when I asked her for a hug good-bye. Wouldn’t hug me even after I reminded her that I was moving.
Last week I called the Relief Society president’s house and her 18-year-old son answered the phone. After I asked to talk to “Sister Trump” (keep in mind missionaries are practically the only people in church who use the titles “brother” and “sister” out here, so by process of elimination it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out who we are on the phone), I heard him calling her to the phone. When she asked who it was he said, “I don’t know. A WOMAN.” I have finally graduated to the level of “A WOMAN”! Tell that to everyone else who still thinks I look like I’m sixteen. (Yes, I know, I know, I’ll be grateful for my youthful appearance when I’m forty and look thirty-five.) “Woman” sounds so old and dignified. “Who’s Sister Monson?” “Oh, she’s that WOMAN over there who’s always with that GIRL.”
Now that I have become a real WOMAN in Trumbull, it’s time for me to leave. Torrington must be in dire need of some real WOMEN. So I will take my WOMANLY self outta here to pack my bags and say goodbye to my fan club. (No, of course I’m kidding! I don’t really have a fan club. But it is nice to feel so accepted and supported by the ward.)
Love to everyone,
Sister Monson, the WOMAN
I was so distracted by my WOMANliness that I forgot to put my new address in the last email. Here it is:
227 Riverside Ave. #1
Torrington, CT
06790
Monday, March 22, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
15 March 2010
-Trumbull is home to the smallest Indian reservation in the United States? A fourth of an acre, with one house on it. And a member lives there, so we’ve been there a few times!
-There is a very rare disorder called Menke’s kinky-hair disease. At any given time there are only a handful of known cases in the United States. Trumbull has the distinction of having had a family with the disorder. Isn’t that fun?
-Easton is the birthplace of Helen Keller. (I think I may have mentioned that before.)
-Fairfield County is supposedly in the top ten wealthiest in the nation. (But as far as I understand, most of that wealth is concentrated in Stamford, Danbury, Greenwich, New Canaan, and everywhere else that is not part of the mission. I think Fairfield is as wealthy as it gets in our mission. Then again, what do I really know? Everywhere past the Fairfield town line is like a mythical land to me. Someday, in another lifetime I will see what is beyond that line!)
-I think Barnum and Bailey must have had something to do with this area because a ton of things in Bridgeport are named after Barnum. There is also a Barnum Museum in Bridgeport.
-Combined, Connecticut and Rhode Island have three stakes total. Compared to Centerville which in itself has five stakes…that would be like comparing Centerville to Connecticut/Rhode Island/Massachusetts. Utah is its own world, isn’t it?
This week we had stake conference. One of the speakers was a Brother Chatfield from the Boston temple presidency. Apparently they served a mission in Albania as well. Mom and Dad, did you know them? I didn’t get a chance to talk to them and ask them if they knew you.
We had an amazing experience last Tuesday. We tend to have not-so-positive experiences with tracting at night—pretty much anytime between 6:30 and 8 at this time of year, people are ornery or refuse to answer the door. (Tracting in general isn’t my favorite thing…there are so many other ways to do missionary work…but President asks us to tract two hours a day so that’s what we try to do.) So last Tuesday it was around 7:45 and we were in Shelton. It had been SUCH a long day and neither of us wanted to tract…we sat in the car trying to work up the willpower…and finally we said, “Okay, just three houses. We’ll do three houses.”
At the second house a mom let us right in. I was so shocked—that almost never happens—and she even let us teach her a first lesson and she said she would read and pray. She seems like a very spiritual person and she said she knew it wasn’t a coincidence that we found her—she wasn’t even supposed to be home that night but for some freakish reason she was. She said she would be willing to be baptized if she received an answer that it was true, even though she knew it would be very disruptive to her family and her lifestyle. She’s AMAZING—everyone please just pray that we can get another appointment with her. J Anyway, lesson learned: God prepares people and puts them in our path, even late at night when people aren’t supposed to answer the door and when we are tracting just to do our duty, not because we want to. J
So I’m counting my blessings. (Even though I want to whine instead, because I’m tired and we all know how the Monson women get when we are tired. J)
Love,
Kaelynn (Sister Monson)
-There is a very rare disorder called Menke’s kinky-hair disease. At any given time there are only a handful of known cases in the United States. Trumbull has the distinction of having had a family with the disorder. Isn’t that fun?
-Easton is the birthplace of Helen Keller. (I think I may have mentioned that before.)
-Fairfield County is supposedly in the top ten wealthiest in the nation. (But as far as I understand, most of that wealth is concentrated in Stamford, Danbury, Greenwich, New Canaan, and everywhere else that is not part of the mission. I think Fairfield is as wealthy as it gets in our mission. Then again, what do I really know? Everywhere past the Fairfield town line is like a mythical land to me. Someday, in another lifetime I will see what is beyond that line!)
-I think Barnum and Bailey must have had something to do with this area because a ton of things in Bridgeport are named after Barnum. There is also a Barnum Museum in Bridgeport.
-Combined, Connecticut and Rhode Island have three stakes total. Compared to Centerville which in itself has five stakes…that would be like comparing Centerville to Connecticut/Rhode Island/Massachusetts. Utah is its own world, isn’t it?
This week we had stake conference. One of the speakers was a Brother Chatfield from the Boston temple presidency. Apparently they served a mission in Albania as well. Mom and Dad, did you know them? I didn’t get a chance to talk to them and ask them if they knew you.
We had an amazing experience last Tuesday. We tend to have not-so-positive experiences with tracting at night—pretty much anytime between 6:30 and 8 at this time of year, people are ornery or refuse to answer the door. (Tracting in general isn’t my favorite thing…there are so many other ways to do missionary work…but President asks us to tract two hours a day so that’s what we try to do.) So last Tuesday it was around 7:45 and we were in Shelton. It had been SUCH a long day and neither of us wanted to tract…we sat in the car trying to work up the willpower…and finally we said, “Okay, just three houses. We’ll do three houses.”
At the second house a mom let us right in. I was so shocked—that almost never happens—and she even let us teach her a first lesson and she said she would read and pray. She seems like a very spiritual person and she said she knew it wasn’t a coincidence that we found her—she wasn’t even supposed to be home that night but for some freakish reason she was. She said she would be willing to be baptized if she received an answer that it was true, even though she knew it would be very disruptive to her family and her lifestyle. She’s AMAZING—everyone please just pray that we can get another appointment with her. J Anyway, lesson learned: God prepares people and puts them in our path, even late at night when people aren’t supposed to answer the door and when we are tracting just to do our duty, not because we want to. J
So I’m counting my blessings. (Even though I want to whine instead, because I’m tired and we all know how the Monson women get when we are tired. J)
Love,
Kaelynn (Sister Monson)
Monday, March 1, 2010
1 March 2010
Well, even though half my high-school graduating class got married while I was on my mission (at least that's what it feels like), at least I got to attend one wedding while ON my mission. One of our recent converts, and her fiancée who is working his way toward being baptized, were married by the bishop. It was a very simple but sweet ceremony. Sis. Johnston overheard one of the nonmember guests say that they felt the Spirit. Here are a few pictures:
1- The bride and groom from behind a tall person
2- We appreciated the support of many of the ward members, including the family of these two, Ben and Max (Ben is the one who was baptized a few weeks ago that I told you about). Do you think he can finish that whole IBC root beer by himself? Neither did I. (I don’t think he did, I wasn’t there long enough to find out.) Max told me all about how he wanted the root beer to explode and go up to the ceiling and through the roof. Don't you love five-year-old boys? :)
3- Aww, how cute. All married and such.
4- Check out those cakes. Someone in the ward made the guitar cake. Isn’t that amazing?
We're so, so happy for them and so excited for them to work toward a temple sealing. They really want it. I hope I can be there when it happens.
This week we had a zone conference with Elder Richards from the Seventy. It was incredible. I'll have to write more details next week when I have my notes with me.
Although we didn't pick up any new investigators this week, a less-active member asked us to teach her the missionary lessons. She has been out of the Church for over forty years. But her brother, who was called to be a mission president, challenged her to take the lessons, and she accepted. Even though she grew up in the Church she doesn't remember much at all, but she is ready to learn and wants to know it for herself. YAY!!!!
Here are a few funny quotes from another less-active member we met with this week:
"I need to come back to church and get the bishop to stamp my get-out-of-hell-free card."
"There are some people who should be alive, and some who should be dead. If you can't make the dead people come back to life, you shouldn't make the live people dead."
"Oh yes, I'm watching what I eat. I watch it very carefully as it comes off the plate toward my mouth."
Well, guess what everyone? The Church is true...still true...the fact that every missionary says that in every single letter they write makes it even more true!
Love,
Sister Monson
1- The bride and groom from behind a tall person
2- We appreciated the support of many of the ward members, including the family of these two, Ben and Max (Ben is the one who was baptized a few weeks ago that I told you about). Do you think he can finish that whole IBC root beer by himself? Neither did I. (I don’t think he did, I wasn’t there long enough to find out.) Max told me all about how he wanted the root beer to explode and go up to the ceiling and through the roof. Don't you love five-year-old boys? :)
3- Aww, how cute. All married and such.
4- Check out those cakes. Someone in the ward made the guitar cake. Isn’t that amazing?
We're so, so happy for them and so excited for them to work toward a temple sealing. They really want it. I hope I can be there when it happens.
This week we had a zone conference with Elder Richards from the Seventy. It was incredible. I'll have to write more details next week when I have my notes with me.
Although we didn't pick up any new investigators this week, a less-active member asked us to teach her the missionary lessons. She has been out of the Church for over forty years. But her brother, who was called to be a mission president, challenged her to take the lessons, and she accepted. Even though she grew up in the Church she doesn't remember much at all, but she is ready to learn and wants to know it for herself. YAY!!!!
Here are a few funny quotes from another less-active member we met with this week:
"I need to come back to church and get the bishop to stamp my get-out-of-hell-free card."
"There are some people who should be alive, and some who should be dead. If you can't make the dead people come back to life, you shouldn't make the live people dead."
"Oh yes, I'm watching what I eat. I watch it very carefully as it comes off the plate toward my mouth."
Well, guess what everyone? The Church is true...still true...the fact that every missionary says that in every single letter they write makes it even more true!
Love,
Sister Monson
Monday, February 22, 2010
22 Feb 2010
The most exciting thing that happened this week (other than the bubble in my eye—see previous email) was Sunday night. We were asked (on Thursday) to do a youth fireside on missionary work. It went really well- the youth enjoyed it, they asked great questions and they seemed to be paying attention (judging by the snarky comments from the deacons J ). The best part: we passed around a sheet of paper and asked the youth to write down the names of some of their friends to refer us to. We got twenty referrals out of it!!!! TWENTY!!
I remember in the Bloomfield Ward thinking that two or three member referrals a month was nothing to complain about. We got 17 last month and this month we are already up to 22. I think I will always remember this time in my mission as the area where we had gazillions of member referrals—not necessarily baptisms, but member referrals, which is great because it means the ward is excited and things will keep rolling forward. And these youth are amazing. I wish I could apologize to every missionary who ever tried to get a referral out of me back home. “Well, I live in Utah…” What an original excuse. NOT! I’m so sorry for treating those missionaries that way. I definitely learned my lesson.
Elder Kent F. Richards from the Seventy is coming to our zone conference this week. Yay!!!
In all seriousness, I was so glad we got to do the fireside—not just because we got the youth excited about missionary work, but because it was another opportunity for reflection. I am so grateful to be on a mission! Doesn’t mean every day is a party—this week we had a couple of days that seemed to be about ten years long. But it’s the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done in my life.
The Church is true! Love,
Sister Monson
I remember in the Bloomfield Ward thinking that two or three member referrals a month was nothing to complain about. We got 17 last month and this month we are already up to 22. I think I will always remember this time in my mission as the area where we had gazillions of member referrals—not necessarily baptisms, but member referrals, which is great because it means the ward is excited and things will keep rolling forward. And these youth are amazing. I wish I could apologize to every missionary who ever tried to get a referral out of me back home. “Well, I live in Utah…” What an original excuse. NOT! I’m so sorry for treating those missionaries that way. I definitely learned my lesson.
Elder Kent F. Richards from the Seventy is coming to our zone conference this week. Yay!!!
In all seriousness, I was so glad we got to do the fireside—not just because we got the youth excited about missionary work, but because it was another opportunity for reflection. I am so grateful to be on a mission! Doesn’t mean every day is a party—this week we had a couple of days that seemed to be about ten years long. But it’s the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done in my life.
The Church is true! Love,
Sister Monson
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
16 Feb 2010
Remember that Toyota recall that’s shaking up the world? Well, we had to take our Corolla in for some work. And of course the nearest Toyota dealership is clear out in Milford, and we’re going to be here at least 2 hours. They have a fancy little waiting room full of tempting forbidden things like TV’s and computers with unlimited Internet access. Time to break out the willpower guns! “Bang bang! I’ll fight you off with my white handbook and my Book of Mormon.” Who needs TV anyway?
Well, at least we can do our Internet hour today while we’re here since the libraries were closed yesterday. So get ready for a long, drawn-out novel while I struggle vainly to block out the sounds of Dr. Phil and the radio.
Unfortunately I don’t have a ton to report on about this week, because we were attacked by a flu bug and shut up in the apartment, and are just now starting to feel one hundred percent normal. Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a missionary and be stuck inside the apartment? I ALMOST LOST MY MIND, I was so bored. After I’d read through every single Ensign in the apartment, we started coming up with REALLY creative things to do, like making up word searches (when we weren’t sleeping). We learned lots of useful facts. For example, did you know CVS (it’s a pharmacy chain) makes a generic of Mucinex? They also sell orange juice there.
On Friday we helped a family in the ward with their son’s baptism. His grandparents were supposed to fly out from Texas to give talks, but they were stuck with snow in Dallas. (Snow in Dallas?) So we spoke at the baptism which turned out to be pretty entertaining.
You really have to know this kid to completely understand the humor. He is very, very smart for his age. His dad described him as having “the vocabulary of a 40-year-old without the social skills”. He takes everything very literally and wants to understand everything he is told. So, as is often done at baptisms, we addressed our talks to him and spoke mostly to him. And instead of listening and nodding, which people usually do at their own baptisms, he replied to everything we said, and asked us questions, while the congregation listened, highly entertained. Here are some examples:
M: “Ben, have you ever made a promise to someone?” (about to lead into talking about covenants)
B: “No, I haven’t. I’m not the most popular kid in school.”
M: “So you’ll keep going to church and taking the sacrament every week, just like you did before you were baptized.”
B: “I’m not baptized yet.”
M: “When you’re baptized you promise to stand as a witness of Christ and take His name upon you.”
B: “Could you translate that?”
In her talk Sister Johnston referred to the invitations Ben’s mom had made for the baptism. They had his picture on the front and a copy of the Articles of Faith on the back. Sister J. mentioned that the Articles of Faith list some of our basic beliefs. Ben said, “Is that why those are on the invitations? I thought my mom was just being cheap.”
When Sister J. stuck some visual aids on the white board to represent faith, repentance and baptism:
Ben: “Faith is crooked.”
She tried to straighten it.
“It’s still crooked.” She tried again.
“Faith is STILL crooked. Oh well. Whatever.”
Love you!
-Sister Monson
Well, at least we can do our Internet hour today while we’re here since the libraries were closed yesterday. So get ready for a long, drawn-out novel while I struggle vainly to block out the sounds of Dr. Phil and the radio.
Unfortunately I don’t have a ton to report on about this week, because we were attacked by a flu bug and shut up in the apartment, and are just now starting to feel one hundred percent normal. Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a missionary and be stuck inside the apartment? I ALMOST LOST MY MIND, I was so bored. After I’d read through every single Ensign in the apartment, we started coming up with REALLY creative things to do, like making up word searches (when we weren’t sleeping). We learned lots of useful facts. For example, did you know CVS (it’s a pharmacy chain) makes a generic of Mucinex? They also sell orange juice there.
On Friday we helped a family in the ward with their son’s baptism. His grandparents were supposed to fly out from Texas to give talks, but they were stuck with snow in Dallas. (Snow in Dallas?) So we spoke at the baptism which turned out to be pretty entertaining.
You really have to know this kid to completely understand the humor. He is very, very smart for his age. His dad described him as having “the vocabulary of a 40-year-old without the social skills”. He takes everything very literally and wants to understand everything he is told. So, as is often done at baptisms, we addressed our talks to him and spoke mostly to him. And instead of listening and nodding, which people usually do at their own baptisms, he replied to everything we said, and asked us questions, while the congregation listened, highly entertained. Here are some examples:
M: “Ben, have you ever made a promise to someone?” (about to lead into talking about covenants)
B: “No, I haven’t. I’m not the most popular kid in school.”
M: “So you’ll keep going to church and taking the sacrament every week, just like you did before you were baptized.”
B: “I’m not baptized yet.”
M: “When you’re baptized you promise to stand as a witness of Christ and take His name upon you.”
B: “Could you translate that?”
In her talk Sister Johnston referred to the invitations Ben’s mom had made for the baptism. They had his picture on the front and a copy of the Articles of Faith on the back. Sister J. mentioned that the Articles of Faith list some of our basic beliefs. Ben said, “Is that why those are on the invitations? I thought my mom was just being cheap.”
When Sister J. stuck some visual aids on the white board to represent faith, repentance and baptism:
Ben: “Faith is crooked.”
She tried to straighten it.
“It’s still crooked.” She tried again.
“Faith is STILL crooked. Oh well. Whatever.”
Love you!
-Sister Monson
Monday, February 8, 2010
8Feb2010
Sunday was the most amazing, miracle-filled day. I don’t know if I even have time to list all of the wonderful things that happened on Sunday. I’ll try to summarize a few highlights.
The recent convert’s fiancée, that just started taking the lessons, not only bore his testimony on Sunday, but announced over the pulpit that he wants to be baptized. When he said that I grabbed Sister Johnston’s arm and said, “Pinch me!” It seemed too good to be true.
One of our other recent converts, that has been struggling, came to church—but he forgot about the time change and went to the 9:30 service with the Bridgeport ward. But because the Bridgeport missionaries had called that morning and said, “Sister Monson, our pianist bailed, can you come play the piano for our sacrament meeting?!”, we were there to greet him. The person who was going to play the piano actually ended up coming. But we were there anyway, so I got to play the organ, which I loved.
A teenage convert of a few years, from a part-member family, has been struggling. We’ve been trying to work with the family. This teen got up in sacrament meeting and shared his testimony and said that he finally knew he had found the true church. AMAZING kid. Love him.
The member referral that we’ve taught a few times came to church again—AND stayed for the whole block, AND went to Gospel Principles instead of hanging out with the Young Men.
A girl we’ve been trying to teach, who has been coming to church for months (she met with the elders but for various reasons related to her family, we haven’t been able to teach her), bore her testimony for the first time and said she can’t wait to become a member of the church.
A member in the Bridgeport ward shared the following experience he had had recently: He got rear-ended which damaged his bumper and broke the window in his truck. The ward mission leader happened to be in the car with him. When the brother said he couldn’t afford to have the car fixed, the WML asked him if he had been paying his tithing. He said, “Yes, that’s the only thing I can afford to pay these days.” The WML said, “You are better off living in a cardboard box than breaking your covenants.” He continued to pay his tithing. A friend at a glass company was able to replace the window for free, and he took a sledgehammer to his bumper and fixed it that way. But he still didn’t have any money to pay his bills…until the insurance company of the person who rear-ended him dropped by his work and handed him a check with just enough to cover the bills. If that’s not a miracle I don’t know what is.
We were able to have the Bridgeport elders give one of our investigators, who was in the hospital for a heart attack, a blessing. In the blessing he was promised very specific things, e.g. that he would be able to leave the hospital within the week, and that God would give him the strength to quit smoking and other bad habits if he would make the effort. After the blessing was over the gentleman asked Elder Thiel what he had meant by a specific phrase in the blessing, and Elder Thiel said, “It wasn’t me!”
Best miracle of all…transfer calls came last night…but again, we sat by the phone and never got a call!!! I have been graced with another six weeks in Trumbull.
“Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness.” (Alma 27:18)
-Sister Monson
The recent convert’s fiancée, that just started taking the lessons, not only bore his testimony on Sunday, but announced over the pulpit that he wants to be baptized. When he said that I grabbed Sister Johnston’s arm and said, “Pinch me!” It seemed too good to be true.
One of our other recent converts, that has been struggling, came to church—but he forgot about the time change and went to the 9:30 service with the Bridgeport ward. But because the Bridgeport missionaries had called that morning and said, “Sister Monson, our pianist bailed, can you come play the piano for our sacrament meeting?!”, we were there to greet him. The person who was going to play the piano actually ended up coming. But we were there anyway, so I got to play the organ, which I loved.
A teenage convert of a few years, from a part-member family, has been struggling. We’ve been trying to work with the family. This teen got up in sacrament meeting and shared his testimony and said that he finally knew he had found the true church. AMAZING kid. Love him.
The member referral that we’ve taught a few times came to church again—AND stayed for the whole block, AND went to Gospel Principles instead of hanging out with the Young Men.
A girl we’ve been trying to teach, who has been coming to church for months (she met with the elders but for various reasons related to her family, we haven’t been able to teach her), bore her testimony for the first time and said she can’t wait to become a member of the church.
A member in the Bridgeport ward shared the following experience he had had recently: He got rear-ended which damaged his bumper and broke the window in his truck. The ward mission leader happened to be in the car with him. When the brother said he couldn’t afford to have the car fixed, the WML asked him if he had been paying his tithing. He said, “Yes, that’s the only thing I can afford to pay these days.” The WML said, “You are better off living in a cardboard box than breaking your covenants.” He continued to pay his tithing. A friend at a glass company was able to replace the window for free, and he took a sledgehammer to his bumper and fixed it that way. But he still didn’t have any money to pay his bills…until the insurance company of the person who rear-ended him dropped by his work and handed him a check with just enough to cover the bills. If that’s not a miracle I don’t know what is.
We were able to have the Bridgeport elders give one of our investigators, who was in the hospital for a heart attack, a blessing. In the blessing he was promised very specific things, e.g. that he would be able to leave the hospital within the week, and that God would give him the strength to quit smoking and other bad habits if he would make the effort. After the blessing was over the gentleman asked Elder Thiel what he had meant by a specific phrase in the blessing, and Elder Thiel said, “It wasn’t me!”
Best miracle of all…transfer calls came last night…but again, we sat by the phone and never got a call!!! I have been graced with another six weeks in Trumbull.
“Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness.” (Alma 27:18)
-Sister Monson
Monday, February 1, 2010
1Feb2010
KAELYNN'S ADDRESS IS: 6295 Main Street Trumbull Connecticut 06611
Yesterday I discovered a new delight called chicken apple sausage. The joys of sausage never cease!
Miracle for this week: a recent convert’s fiancée suddenly decided he was ready to meet with us (he had been strongly opposed to it the entire time they were dating), and he’s having some really neat experiences with reading the Book of Mormon. Truly miraculous. I love being able to witness these miracles!
Miracle number two: we have an investigator praying about being baptized in March. She’s close. Really close. She’s been taking the lessons for about two years. So excited for her!
Miracle number three: we had FOUR investigators at church yesterday. I haven't had that many for months. Yay!!!!!!!
Last Monday/Tuesday we did an exchange with the Torrington sisters, first meeting them at Yale on Monday and spending some time to walk around campus. It was rainy so there was no guided tour, and we only had a couple of hours, but it was still a lot of fun. I loved seeing Yale again. I’ll try to upload the pictures now…no promises with these finicky library computers. Oh, and I took some pictures of Torrington too while I was there. It’s a beautiful area. The area itself consists of about 13 towns (huge!) in northwestern Connecticut.
Explanation of pictures (hopefully they came in the right order):
1. The famous Munson Real Estate building. The one people always talk about when they first hear my name. There are lots of locations, this is just one of the many, on Reef Road in Fairfield.
2. Munson chocolate!! The other thing people always associate the name with. The writing on the wrapper is too small to see, but it’s a chocolate Santa that says, “Munson Chocolates, Bolton, CT.”
3. Bridgeport district picture. The flash wasn’t working for some reason, but at least you can see the pretty snow in the background.
4. With Sister Darrington in Torrington.
5. Supposedly the most frequently photographed church in Connecticut. This is in Litchfield.
6. A monument to Harriet Beecher Stowe in Litchfield, not too far from her birthplace.
My new email is kaelynn.monson@myldsmail.net.
7. A barn in Litchfield. Ain’t it quaint?
8. The Yale Musical Instruments Collection building. The building wasn’t even open! Lame.
9. Wishful thinking. J
10. The entrance to the gym. Logo look familiar to anyone? J I thought so.
11. A REAL original Gutenberg Bible. Last time it was being cleaned or something so we couldn’t see the real thing.
12. Pretty stained glass window!
13. Sister Darrington and Sister Murray on the steps of the library.
Well, hope you all are enjoying the nice dry Western winter. Love you!
-Sister Monson
Yesterday I discovered a new delight called chicken apple sausage. The joys of sausage never cease!
Miracle for this week: a recent convert’s fiancée suddenly decided he was ready to meet with us (he had been strongly opposed to it the entire time they were dating), and he’s having some really neat experiences with reading the Book of Mormon. Truly miraculous. I love being able to witness these miracles!
Miracle number two: we have an investigator praying about being baptized in March. She’s close. Really close. She’s been taking the lessons for about two years. So excited for her!
Miracle number three: we had FOUR investigators at church yesterday. I haven't had that many for months. Yay!!!!!!!
Last Monday/Tuesday we did an exchange with the Torrington sisters, first meeting them at Yale on Monday and spending some time to walk around campus. It was rainy so there was no guided tour, and we only had a couple of hours, but it was still a lot of fun. I loved seeing Yale again. I’ll try to upload the pictures now…no promises with these finicky library computers. Oh, and I took some pictures of Torrington too while I was there. It’s a beautiful area. The area itself consists of about 13 towns (huge!) in northwestern Connecticut.
Explanation of pictures (hopefully they came in the right order):
1. The famous Munson Real Estate building. The one people always talk about when they first hear my name. There are lots of locations, this is just one of the many, on Reef Road in Fairfield.
2. Munson chocolate!! The other thing people always associate the name with. The writing on the wrapper is too small to see, but it’s a chocolate Santa that says, “Munson Chocolates, Bolton, CT.”
3. Bridgeport district picture. The flash wasn’t working for some reason, but at least you can see the pretty snow in the background.
4. With Sister Darrington in Torrington.
5. Supposedly the most frequently photographed church in Connecticut. This is in Litchfield.
6. A monument to Harriet Beecher Stowe in Litchfield, not too far from her birthplace.
My new email is kaelynn.monson@myldsmail.net.
7. A barn in Litchfield. Ain’t it quaint?
8. The Yale Musical Instruments Collection building. The building wasn’t even open! Lame.
9. Wishful thinking. J
10. The entrance to the gym. Logo look familiar to anyone? J I thought so.
11. A REAL original Gutenberg Bible. Last time it was being cleaned or something so we couldn’t see the real thing.
12. Pretty stained glass window!
13. Sister Darrington and Sister Murray on the steps of the library.
Well, hope you all are enjoying the nice dry Western winter. Love you!
-Sister Monson
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