Has it really been a year already?

Hello,
I can’t believe it, but its been a year since I entered the MTC on February 9th. I’m not sure why, but time is definitely warped as a missionary. Some days feel like months and some months feel like days. It feels just like yesterday that I was in the MTC. I guess I can officially call myself a New Yorker. Its fun to look back and see the changes I have made and the progress I have made. It’s a bitter sweet feeling because I know I'm on that downward slope. I'm trying to live everyday to the fullest and not think so much about the future. I love being here in New York! I'm so glad that I came on a mission and that I'm serving in the cuse!
This week has been good Andrew is all set and ready for this Saturday for his baptism and we are pretty excited for him. He is getting baptized all because a member opened his mouth about the gospel. It's a great feeling when you can share the gospel with others and you may never know what may come of it. We started teaching this girl who is my age. I always love teaching people who are my age because I can relate to them so much better. I love it!
We have been struggling to find people. We were tracting and we knocked on this ladies home and lets just say she was a very strong catholic. She had some good questions and we were able to clear up some misconceptions. She did ask us how many church buildings there were in Syracuse and we said there was one. She was like “only one? We have over 100 just here in Syracuse, you should pray to your prophet for help to get more people.” I looked at her and was like “that’s why were here and that’s why we go out all day” Haha It was kind of funny! I guess she didn’t get it. She wasn’t interested, but at least we were able to clear up some misconceptions and that helps me stay positive and go on to the next door.
It’s a pretty fun year to be on a mission. Usually when we meet people they ask about the End of the World in 2012 or Mitt Romney and how he is a Mormon. The name “Mormon” is starting to get out there and more and more people are recognizing the name. This week at District meeting we talked a bit about how we can use the elections to our advantage. We're not aloud to voice our opinions, but we were practicing some door approaches how we can bring up the name Mormon, but make sure they know were not campaigning for Romney. I’m pretty excited about this and I’m going to take full advantage of it! If all that comes out of this is that we can make sure people know that we are NOT practicing polygamy then I’ll be happy with that. Haha
This week should be a great week and I'm excited for the baptism. I'm so happy that I'm here and I love every moment of my life! Nothing could be better than right now being on a mission!


Love you all! Have a Happy Valentines Day!

Love from the Cuse,
Sister Stacey
P.S. Happy Birthday to my awesome sister Maria! Love ya!

Hope you enjoy the pictures!
Pic 1 and 2: One year mark!
pic 3,4, and 5: we went to the zoo last p-day with one our favorite families in the ward. I think I love them so much because they remind me of my oldest sister and her Kids. These are the cutest little kids in all of Syracuse. we had a lot of fun at the zoo!

Transfer number nine!

Hello,
Sadly I don't have enough time today to write a long email. We have plans to go hang out with one of our favorite members and go to the zoo. We like to do fun stuff on p-day and Syracuse is the place to do it.

This week has been good. We met with Andrew in the beginning of the week and he hadn't been reading the Book of Mormon and we were sad. We were starting to think that maybe we should postpone his baptism date so that he is ready. I prayed all week that he would just start reading. When we met with him on Saturday he was really excited to tell us that he read. He even underlined verses and had lots of questions. I can't even tell you how happy I was! Prayer works! Sunday was fast and testimony meeting and he got up and bore his testimony. I was a little nervous at first wondering what he was going to say, but he did really well. I'm so proud and were excited for his baptism!

We have also been able to see Sandy a couple times this week, but she didn't come to church which was a bummer. She still wants to get baptized but she needs to show more consistency.

I'm on transfer 9 and I'm so happy to be here in Syracuse again. I'm in love and I never want to leave! Things have been going well and we have just been busy busy.
Hope you all have a great week!


Love from the Cuse,
Sister Stacey

"..be patient in long-suffering and afflictions that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee...."

"..be patient in long-suffering and afflictions that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls." Alma 17:11

This week was a good week. We had our last district meeting of the transfer and it just blows my mind how fast it has gone. Transfer calls were also this week and…..drum roll… I’M STAYING IN THE CUSE! Me and sister Horne will be together again for another transfer and I’m pretty positive this will be my last transfer here in Syracuse which I don’t like to think about. I’m so happy to be here again for 6 more weeks!

We have been meeting with a Less active member who called us a couple months ago and asked if we would come visit her. The other night we were at a members home and her name came up, it turned out that she was the less active members visiting teacher. So we were able to bring Sami the member with us and it was such a great lesson. The less active member was so excited to meet her visiting teacher and she was really excited to come to church on Sunday. Sunday came and she actually came! It was so exciting and she was making friends. It was just as exciting as an investigator coming.

This week has just been filled with a lot of teaching. Andrew and Sandy are doing well. Sandy’s 14 year old son loves coming to church and the activities. It’s been so fun to see! We started teaching this girl from China. She said she knew someone from China who was a member. We were about to start teaching the first lesson and I turn to her and I said what do you know about Jesus Christ or God? … She looks at me and kind of smiles and says…”nothing really”.. Okay.. haha so instead we were able to teach her about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. It was a really cool experience. We had to meet her on campus at the library. It was weird being on a campus again..lets just say I’m happy that I’m here. Haha

Things are going great and I’m so happy I’m here for another transfer!

Love from the Cuse,

Sister Stacey

Picture 1 and 2: Last District Meeting of the Transfer!
Picture 3, 4, and 5: Sister Horne Greeny Dinner!!!! (this one was way hard to eat! so gross! haha

"..behold, said he, I will give up all that i possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy." Alma 22:15

Hello,
This week went by really fast. I was really lucky to be able to hear from my Mission president twice this week. It’s been a great week. First I’ll talk about what’s going on with our investigators. Andrew is doing well, but we need more time to teach him all the lessons. So we're pushing back his baptism date. Sandy wasn’t able to make it to church this past Sunday because her son had to go to the hospital. We were able to go visit her in the Hospital and read from the Book of Mormon with her and that was able to give her great comfort.
On Wednesday we had our district meeting and my Mission President came. It was a great training on how to be effective planners and how it can have a huge impact on our missions and even our lives. Thankfully I was an ok planner before my mission, but I didn’t realize until my mission how much we can actually get done in one day. I had no idea we could accomplish so much in the 24 hours we are given. My mission has shown me how to be an effective planner and to use time wisely!

Also this week we had Return and Report. This is where all trainers and their trainees met back a month later. It was so great and I hadn’t been to one since my Return and Report. We all met and were able to receive some great trainings from our mission president as well as the Assistants. It was so great! Something that I love is that we always read through Alma 17-26. They are like the ultimate missionary chapters! Every time I read through them I find something different. One that I found that I liked and hadn’t seen before was from Alma 22:15. In this verse the King says that he will give up all he possess to know God. He would even give up his own kingdom. As missionaries we need to teach in a way and with the spirit so that when it comes to teaching people about the commandments they will give up anything to be baptized and follow Christ. So I’m trying to teach as Aaron did so I can have those experiences. Another one that I love is in Alma 26:9 Its talking about how if they hadn’t gone to Zarahmela, these people might be strangers to God. Who knows what would have happened if I didn’t come on a mission. Who would have been strangers to God. I’m so glad I came and I’m here!

The meeting was great another thing that I love that I forgot about until I went to this meeting again. He talks about the 4 H’s of missionary work.

1.) Honeymoon: This is when we're at the MTC and life is good. Everyone accepts our invitation to be baptized. No worries!
2.) Horror: This is the first day or transfer in the mission field. You suddenly realize this is hard work.
3.) Humor: You just have to find humor and laugh about things. When someone slams the door in our face we just need to laugh about it.
4.) Home: When we finally feel at home in the mission field

It was interesting to hear these again because the first time I heard them I was feeling the Horror stage as I just entered the mission field. When we were going over these I could honestly say that I feel at home here in New York especially here in Syracuse. This place has become my home and these people have become my family. I love them so much and I never want to leave!

Hope you have a great week!

Love from the Cuse,
Sister Stacey

Pic 1: Sister Pitts and I were in the MTC together and here we are together again at our 2nd return and report with our traniees

pic 2: Sister Horne and I at Return and Report

pic 3: All the new missionaries and their trainers!

Snow in Syracuse! Finally!

Hello,
It was another great week here in Syracuse we taught 19 lessons and again I'm always so tired! I guess it's all part of the experience. Andrew is doing really good and we are still planning his baptism for the 28th. We have been doing really well at bringing different members to his lessons so he can get to know more people. Things have been going really well!
Also this Sunday Dwight got the priesthood and we slipped into priesthood so I could hear the blessing. I feel like he is my child all grown up and moving on all on his own. haha It was really exciting to be there and he was so happy and it's just amazing to hear those blessings. I know that Heavenly Father is so aware of each and every one of us. I love the priesthood some of the stuff said in the Blessing I knew that the person giving the blessing would have not known some of the stuff Dwight has gone through. The power of the priesthood is seriously amazing! I love it so much! Dwight also started his Family History this week because he is going to the temple this weekend. I"m so excited! When I see my recent converts make it to the temple that's when its all worth it. That's when I can forget about those hard days and realize that this is what its all about. I'll never forget it.
We have been teaching Samantha the 11 year old. Her other brother is a member and she really wants to get baptized. We want to make sure she is committed. Our lessons are awesome though we try to always include a visual. Its always so fun to teach her it makes me excited to be a teacher.
It finally snowed and WOW is it cold or what. I'm not use to the humidity cold and it really gets to you. The first real snow storm, and it didn't hit till the end of January. Its kind of funny and people here are freaking out that the first storm is now.
Well I don't have too much time. Things are going well! I love being here! Sister Horne and I are doing well and teaching lots!

Love from Syracuse,

Sister Stacey

Pictures: Ice Skating again! Were obsessed!
It finally snowed, but now its really cold!

"...They had searched the scriptures diligently that they might know the word of God" Alma 17:2

Hello,
I hope everyone had a great week! Our week wasn't as amazing as last week, but we are working hard. Tuesday we only taught one lesson and we just kept trying people all day long. No one was home, but we did find some potentials. We had a great lesson with one of our investigators Andrew. He is 19 and is living at a members home right now. We were trying to figure out who to bring to the lesson and thought of Ana, this girl we meet with, she is 18 and is less active. We called her and asked if she would ever like to come teaching with us. She said she would love to. So we went and picked her up and took her to the lesson with us. I really think the spirit inspires who we should bring if we really listen to the spirit. The lesson went so perfect and Ana was able to share a really spiritual experience. It really helped our investigator. I think afterwards she was really happy she came and she had an opportunity to share her testimony which she probably doesn't get the chance to do. I like taking Less actives to lessons with me because it helps them remember why they joined the church in the first place. It was such a great experience I don't know if it was better for Ana or our investigator. haha I'm so happy we brought her.
We also had a great lesson with Sandy one of our investigators. She has piercings and stuff and we were nervous to talk to her about it. Then we went to a lesson with her and she flat out asked us "ok what can I do and what can't I do, can I have these piercings?" We explained things a little bit and she was like ok I'll take it out. Its amazing to see how faithful people are to the Lord and his commandments. It was a great experiences for Sister Horne and I.
Well from what I have heard around here Syracuse is the number one snow city in America and it has maybe snowed like 3 times. Its so strange and everyone around here keeps telling us to "just wait!" So well see if we get to see a crazy winter. Hey I'm not complaining.. snow isn't a missionaries best friend.
I have been reading in Alma and I really like the verses in chapter 17 verse 2&3. Its talking about how the sons of Mosiah and Alma study the scriptures diligently and after they study they are led by the spirit to teach people. This can apply to missionaries, but to all of you as well. If you study the Book of Mormon and know it well when you are asked questions about it the Spirit will help you answer those questions. The spirit will guide you in what you can say. This is something I have learned as a missionary. The more I'm familiar with the Book of Mormon the more I can help people and address their concerns by using the Book of Mormon. It can be so powerful!
I hope you all have a great week!
Love from Syracuse,
Sister Stacey

Picture: I know its so weird but I LOVE the grave yards here! This is a tombstone.. its so big!

"LOOK NOT BEHIND THEE" - Genesis 19:17

ITS A NEW YEAR!

I hope everyone had a great new years eve! I totally forgot it was New Years eve until one of our last appointments someone mentioned it to us. We got home that night and I was so tired I could care less about waiting up for the new year. I was sooo happy to go to bed by 10:30. (haha)
This week was so amazing! On new years day I was lucky enough to give a talk in church. I gave a talk on re-newing our faith. I think it went well and on Sunday we got 4 of our investigators at church it was amazing. It was crazy trying to get them around to classes. I'm not sure why, but we are just doing so awesome. We set two of our investigators with a baptism date this week. We had a member referral for this 19 year old boy. He had been coming to church with some members and he came up to us and asked if he could learn more. It was way exciting. The lessons have been going really good with him and he really agrees with everything. So we set him for the end of January. We also saw Sandy this week. (I think I talked about her last week.) We set her with a date and she was really excited about that. So this month is going to be crazy!
We taught 20 lessons this week and I'm exhausted, I have never been so tired in my ENTIRE LIFE! Its for a good cause though and I know the Lord is pleased. My mission president always tells us that the numbers always go down after we talk to our families. (NOT I) I wanted to prove him wrong and I think we did! haha
Training has been going great. I love Sister Horne! We get along great and she came out ready to work and she has been fitting in really well. We practice a lot and she has been doing so well in lessons. We also started teaching a members little sister. She is 11 years old so we have been working hard to make fun visuals for her lessons. (good thing I'm an elementary school major) She is really excited to learn so she might be getting baptized at the end of the month as well. Things have just been doing so well and I'm absolutely in LOVE with Syracuse and I basically never want to leave!
We heard some great talks yesterday about the starting of the New Year. I talked about Nephi and his faith and how sometimes we are more like Laman and Lemuel. We see miracles in our lives and then later on forget and lose faith. We should all try this year to have the faith of Nephi and be able to say "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded." One of my favorite videos on mormon.org is one about the story of Lot and how they were leaving the wicked city. (mormon messages) They had one rule and that was to NOT look back, but thats exactly what his wife did and she turned into a pillar of salt. Some of the things they say in the video is to not look behind us. Lot's wife didn't even consider that her future could be better than her past. To not dwell on the past, but look forward. You can't go back so you might as well live forward in the best way that you can. Anybody can choose to leave the past behind and movie forward! I hope you all have a great new year!

Love you,
Sister stacey


Pictures: I forgot to put these up over xmas time.. late pictures