Mission Log: July 1, 2013

In the car going to JC

 Me really excited to be in Jersey City, Sister Steven...not so excited

 My favorite district. We were all in the same ward. We saw miracles all the time. The ward members were phenomenal. It was awesome. Yay Brunswick.

 Annalee, remember that one time you went to newsies without me? Yeah, me too!

 So I look exhausted, but look! I live/work at Jersey Shore.

  Walking to the temple

My District at the temple

 My companion is a beauty queen. For real.

 I have a weird bruise and everything thinks there is something seirously wrong with me. I just think I look like something off of alice in wonderland in this picture.

 Exchange with Sister Clark in the rain

I was in Jersey City all day today. It is weird to think that I was just there, but that it was a year ago. That area is so special to me. It’s where I learned to be a missionary. Being there today reminded me of all the hopes I had for myself when I started and I felt so excited to continue to work hard and grow and become a new creature in Christ. I’m still very much Jari, but a better version. I love repentance. I love change. I love letting go of bad habits and developing good ones. I love learning. I love the good examples of my friends. I love the good examples in the scriptures. I love incorporating what I learn from them in my own life. With all the joy I have felt on my mission there is no question in my mind that our Heavenly Father’s ultimate goal is to make us as happy as He is, but in order to accomplish that we must learn to enjoy the things that He enjoys. We must learn to love and serve and be obedient. We must learn patience. We must learn to enjoy hard work. We must learn to enjoy learning and expanding our capabilities. So much to experience, right?! I love it!

Mission Log: June 24, 2013

like I said, I spend a lot of time with the sisters.

 

We look cool, right?

I'm on a bike!

 

So, ignore the part where I look like a whal

e, more pictures, yay!

So every once in a while things happen and I think to myself, “is this real life?” Mostly they’re the moments that make me laugh the most. Like when we’re trying to find someone named Guadalupe but I say the name Carlos instead and my companions and I spend the next hour tracking down a man named Carlos who doesn’t actually exist.  Or when I get put in a makeshift trio for a day with two other sisters I’ve never served with, we find a stray dog, get bitten, and then finally find a nice Kenyan man who knows Mormons and is really grateful that we brought his dog back.

This week I rode a bike for the first time on my mission. It was so cool! I am the happiest when I am outside and being on a bike just made it that much better, aside from the part where I tried to talk on the phone at the same time and biffed it, but all is well!

This area is so different than anywhere else I have ever served. There are so many trees, and random critters everywhere, and lots of people let us help with yard work. I just feel happy all the time. The sun is out, the scenery is gorgeous, all the people are really nice. Actually, I just realized that I live around a lot of older people…I probably like it so much because it reminds me of home. I guess that’s what happens when you grow up in the retirement capital of the US. I can’t wait to be a little old, white-haired retired woman. I’m going to make lemonade, sit outside and tell my life stories to random passersby.

Anyway, all is well in Jersey. If you didn’t have a chance to watch “the work of salvation” then you should check it out! (http://www.lds.org/training/wwlt/2013/hastening/special-broadcast) And if you did watch it, you should think of cool ways that you will apply what you learned. I love having a living prophet to help us apply the teachings of the gospel for our specific time. What a blessing!