Driving on the edge

Hi everyone!

This week was great! It went by so fast!  I can hardly believe that its Monday once again!  My mission is going to fast. It needs to slow down! This week is transfers again! I don't think I'm going to be leaving, but you never know.  I sure hope I don't go anywhere. I love it here!  But I will be going into my 4th transfer and I only go through 13. So crazy!

Well, lately it has been GORGEOUS here!  The leaves are changing and driving around is the best.  I just love it!  I try to take pictures of it, but the camera can't capture it.  You just have to see it in person.  I could live here just for the fall, but I'm sure winter will be very cold.

This week was Sister Styler's birthday! We decorated the house and then went out to lunch. We went to this little Mexican Restaurant called Don Pepes.  It was So good! they have this white sauce here and it's the best thing ever. You dip chips into it and I have no idea whats in it, but I am addicted.

We also had zone conference this week. So we drove down to Richmond and had training's from President and Sister Wilson. It was so good.  I say this a lot, but I just love them. I have the best mission president. We also got these black boxes installed in our cars.  Each time you get in the car you have to log in and then it like tracts your driving.  If you speed, or don't wear a seat belt, or accelerate too fast, or take a turn to hard, it beeps at you and sends a report to Salt Lake and if you receive too many driving violations then you can't drive the rest of your mission. Haha so that's fun.... we haven't set ours off yet and I currently am not driving, so I don't have to worry about it now.  It's to keep us safe, but it gives me stress.  Every time we hit a pot hole we are like "please don't go off" haha but we're good.  Haven't had any problems.  

This week we also found some new people to teach and had great lessons!  Our most progressing investigator is Patricia.  She is just my favorite person.  She had us over for dinner the other day and keeps telling us how we were an answer to her prayers.  We had a great lesson with her and the Spirit was definitely there.  She does all that we ask, but she won't come to church! Ah! No one ever comes to church.  That is the hardest thing to get people to do I've found.  Since coming to Swift Creek I haven't had one investigator come to church.  It's frustrating and makes Sundays sad.  But this week is our ward Halloween party and everyone says that they are coming to that and once you get them to the church for an event its easier to get them to come back for church so this week should be a good one!  I'm really excited!

I love you all so much!!  Have a great week!  

Love,

Sister Lawson

P.S. Thanks to Mom and Dad for the package, Grandma and Grandpa for the card, the Westridge Ward primary for all the letters, and Tyler, Graham, Josh, Alec, Tanner, Drew, and Mike for the card!

Zone Conference.  Everyone wore pink because Sister Wilson 

was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.

Don Pepes

So in our area we work in neighborhoods with beautiful HUGE I mean
HUGE houses and then we also have two trailer parks.  What's so funny
is we spend most of our time in the trailer parks because people are
just nicer and more willing to accept the gospel there.  It all comes
down to humility. But what's so funny is we went to find a house the
other day, but they had moved. Hahaha literally took up their house
and moved. We were dying it was so funny.

Sister Styler's birthday!

Livin' Large

Hi everyone!

Birthday shout out to Dad! Hope you had a good one! 

So this week really nothing happened. haha I honestly have nothing to report on.  Sister Styler and I both got sick so we spent a couple of days just resting.  We really didn't teach many lessons and we werent able to go out much. It was a slow, boring week.  We are both all better now though and are excited for a new week! 

This week was my 4 month anniversary! Can you believe it?!?!  I sure can't!  Once the holidays are over I'll only have a year left which is really crazy! I'll be home in no time!  

Today we had sisters P-day and we went to Maymont Park.  It was SO pretty!! It's this big mansion and estate with all these animals and gardens.  We walked around and just got to see everything and had a little picnic. It was seriously so gorgeous there.  The leaves are starting to change and I love it!  I wish I lived in the 1800s on an estate. haha These people must have been so rich once upon a time.  It would be cool to be in that era... but only if I was rich. haha. Otherwise it would stink. It was a Downton Abbey type place.  Very cool.  But that's about it.  I have lots of pictures that I will attach.  

Well, I honestly can't think of anything else to say. Sorry for the boring email. Next week will be better I promise!  Oh! I finally saw my little cat buddy.  No worries he survived the storm. Well, until next week!! 

Love you all!!!

Sister Lawson

P.S. Thanks to.... no letters this week. I guess it takes 4 months to be forgotten. Hahaha just kidding I love you guys!

The first few pics are of the grounds at Maymont Park:

Sister's selfie!!

Four months up, fourteen down?

Yo no hablo espanol

Hi everyone!

Another week down. I can't believe it! This week just flew by! I really don't even know what I did this week. We really spent this week trying a bunch of potential people, but no one really answered the door. It's hard here because everything is so far away so it takes like 15 minutes to get anywhere. We spend a lot of time in the car which is a bummer, but we have fun with it.

Anyway, this week I got to be a Hermana for the day! Haha it was So fun! I think that I am actually supposed to be a Spanish sister. It was way cool! So we had exchanges with the sister training leaders this week. Well in this area the STLs are Spanish sisters and they are in a trio. So two stayed in their area and I joined them, and one came here to be with Sister Styler for the day. Anyway it was such a fun day. I didn't know what was going on all day. Haha. We went to this place called La Mancha by the locals which in Spanish means "The Stain." It's literally the most ghetto apartment complex ever. I wish I took a picture of it, but I didn't want to pull out my camera... Hahaha. Don't worry mom we were safe! There were three of us and we brought a man from the ward with us. So all is well! But anyway we talked... Well, they talked to lots of people there and I would just smile and stand next to them. I could pick up on some words here and there, but I honestly had no idea what was going on like all day. During lessons I would sing a hymn in Spanish with them, I was really more humming the tune because I kept pronouncing the words wrong, and then I would sit there and listen. It was so cool to hear them talk. Then at the end of the lesson the Hermanas would turn to me and ask me to bear my testimony and then they translated it. It was just so cool because even though I didn't speak Spanish and I had no idea what they were talking about I was still able to bear powerful testimonies. I really just felt the spirit working through me and it was just so cool!! I loved it! I loved practicing my Spanish the whole day too. It's so cool how much you can remember when you are completely immersed in a language. It was like everything I have learned how to say from Spanish class was coming back to me. I really wish that I was fluent. It would have been cool to learn a language on my mission, but it's probably the best that I'm not an Hermana. I don't think I could spend everyday in La Moncha. Haha but it was just such a great day.

That was kind of my highlight of the week. Honestly not much happened. We had zone workshops so we met as a zone and President and Sister Wilson came and talked to us. That was fun. I really just love them so much! This week I also learned how to crochet from this lady and realized that I'm becoming a crazy old cat lady! Haha I love to crochet and have been doing it during lunch times and at night before bed and I always want to help the stray cats that are around. Hahaha my little black cat I still haven't seen since the storm and I'm very sad about it. Poor little guy. But yeah..I'm going to be crazy when I'm old. You better all watch out! haha.

Well I love you all! Have a great week! 

Love,

Sister Lawson

P.S. Thanks to dad, grandma and grandpa for the cards!

Me crocheting with my long hair! Time really is going! 

My hair was at my chin when I left and now it's to my shoulders!

The book is blue, the church is true.

Hi everyone!

I have survived hurricane Joaquin! Haha it didn't even hit us. All week everyone has been freaking out over this hurricane. We obviously can't watch the news so we just had to rely on others to tell us what was happening. Everyone was saying it was going to be so bad and that our power would go out and all this stuff, but all it did was be cold and rain a lot. Haha so either the news was way off, or people were exaggerating and I'm assuming both was happening. But hey. I survived. We have had so much rain though. Literally I think I've seen more rain fall this week than I've seen in my whole life. Our parking lot was like flooding. I see why everyone was so scared of the hurricane because with all this rain the ground is so mushy and you add some winds and there will be trees falling everywhere and that's scary. But it's all good and I'm safe :)

Anyway this week we read the Whole Book of Mormon! All 531 pages with its two columns on each page and tiny print. It was actually the perfect week for it. We had to stay inside and read and I was fine with that because I had no desire to go out in the rain. But that's really all I did this week. It was so cool to read the Book of Mormon straight through though because it made so much more sense and it was just great to stay really focused and follow the story. I just love this book so much and I know it is so true. It really is another testament of Jesus Christ. We read the Book of Mormon to prepare for General conference and that was really good too. It's so great that we can listen to the leaders of our church twice a year and that they can give us such great revelation from God.

Well that was my week. Not a whole ton to report on. It was a good week though. Oh! I have a new pet!  It's this little black cat that lives outside. When we go workout in the morning (usually just running in the parking lot) he runs with us.  He is my buddy.  I haven't seen him since the rain though and I'm a little worried. Poor little guy.  I'll attach a pic of me with him.  Haha But anyway that's what's been happening with me! Now it's time to get back to regular missionary work! Here we go! Love you all and miss you!!

Love,

Sister Lawson

P.s Thanks to grandma and grandpa, Dylan, Zhenya, and the Tenney girls for the letters!

Olive oil tasting last week for Sister's p-day.

I'm scared he has flees so I don't touch him. His name is Eric

because we were teaching this guy named Eric and then the cat walked

out and the guy started freaking out because he is scared of black

cats. Haha

Lunch with the sisters in my zone - much smaller group here!

Rain, rain, go away!

Hi everyone!

So I am no longer in Woodbridge! I am in the countryside that is Chester, Virginia! It is way different here. In Woodbridge there was always traffic, there were always people out and about, and stuff was just happening. Here there is no one. Haha it's more country. There are lots of just little roads and railroad tracks and the houses are farther apart. There is no library in the area so I can't send home pics from my camera :( I have to email on my iPad, but I'll try to figure out somewhere else that has computers. Our ward boundaries are HUGE! I'm in the Swift Creek ward and my area is two counties. Chester and Colonial Heights. The area I'm in is how I pictured Virginia though. More country and way more peaceful and calm. I like it! 

But this week was full of excitements! On Monday we had sisters Pday and we went to this little waterfront restaurant. Not sure what river we were by, but it was pretty there. It was a little town and we went olive oil tasting and got fudge. It was a good day. Then Tuesday was transfer meeting and I packed up and headed down south. My companion's name is Sister Styler and she is from Delta, Utah. We came out together actually so it's too newbies running the place. Haha we don't know what we are supposed to be doing sometimes. It's funny, but we are figuring it out together. I'm just happy to finally be done with training! I hated 12 week! (That's the training program here.) It's just weird here because we are the only English sisters in this whole area. In my zone there is a set of Hermanas and then our Sister Training Leaders are also Hermanas. It's just crazy because in Woodbridge there were 14 sisters and here there are 7 ( one set is a trio). Much smaller group, but I'm loving the country. 

When I got to this area we had a baptism right away. That was pretty cool! The guy that got baptized is so awesome and I'm so happy that I get to work with him as a new member. This week I have really just been trying to get to know the area. It's so much more confusing, but I'm doing my best. I feel like I am starting over. I just figured out Woodbridge and now I'm lost again. Haha I don't know the people or where I am, but I'm a fast learner. I'll get it. This week has also been crazy rainy and cloudy. I haven't seen the sun in a week and I miss it. It has just been raining constantly. But that's ok maybe the sun will come out this week! Here's to hoping!

This week we are starting a Book of Mormon read-a-thon. We have to finish the whole Book of Mormon before conference on Saturday. So I hope the sun comes out so we can read outside. I'm excited to do this though and I invite everyone to read from the Book of Mormon this week. It should be good!

Well I'm doing great in my new area and I love and miss you all!! Please send me letters to my new address! It's:  3855 Creek Way Chester, VA 23831

Love, 

Sister Lawson

 

P.S. Thanks to Amanda Outlaw, the Scott family, and the Evans family for the birthday cards! 

Transfer day!

Waterfront restaurant.

Baptism for Brother Jackson.

We've been out for 100 days now!

Selfie on our first day together.

20-teen...wait... no teen anymore!!

Hi everyone!!

What a Crazy week! So much happened! I have lots of pictures so be sure to check out my blog where my mom will post all of them!

So as most of you know Thursday was my birthday!!! I'm 20!!! So crazy. No longer a teenager. I really can't believe it. My birthday was also my three month mark! So it was a full on celebration day. Time is just going so fast. It needs to slow down. I'm not ready to be an adult. Haha but anyway my birthday was a pretty normal day. Birthdays on the mission aren't too exciting. In the morning I got to open all my presents and cards. Thank you to everyone who sent me something! It was so fun getting all those cards and just hearing from home. I miss you all! Then we spent the whole day tracting. Haha it was a long day. But we gave out three Book of Mormons and had lots of lessons on doorsteps so I say my birthday was a pretty successful day. We went to dinner that night at my ward mission leader's house and they had bought me a cake. It was so nice. The day before my birthday I had another birthday dinner. Every week we eat with a sister in the ward, Sister Gauch, and she is the sweetest lady ever! She made me an eclair cake. Yeah it was like a giant eclair.  The frosting was whipped cream. Most delicious thing I have ever eaten. Then on Saturday I got to go out to dinner with Aunt Sarah and Uncle John! They live here in Virginia and President Wilson gave them permission to take me out for my birthday! We got to go to the Cheesecake Factory. It was so fun to see family. I'm so happy that I got to do that. I'm so blessed to be in the states and close to loved ones. So I got three birthday cakes this year which was awesome. :) So there you have it. That was my birthday celebration!

This week was also fun because we had sisters meeting! So sisters meeting is where all the sisters in the mission (there are just over 100 of us) come together and we have little classes and we do a clothing exchange and it's a lot of fun. All the classes this time were on different Christ-like attributes. That seems to be a theme as I've been on my mission. I think the Lord is trying to tell me something. Haha but I really am doing my best to develop these attributes. I really want to be more Christ-like. It's something that I can work on my whole mission and I know I can develop these attributes. At sisters meeting I also got to see Sister Kellogg again! She taught one of the classes. It's always fun to see her. She will always be my mission mom :)

Well now time for the other big news of the week....I'm getting transferred!! I don't know where I'm going yet, but today is my last day in Woodbridge. Tomorrow I go to transfer meeting and will find out where in Virginia I am headed to and who my new companion is. It's been sad saying goodbye to everyone I've met here, and packing has been the biggest struggle of my life, but I'm excited! I can't wait to see another part of Virginia. I'm excited for a change.

I love you all! I miss you and hope you all have a great week!!

Love,

Sister Lawson 

P.s. Thanks to Mom and Dad, Tyler, Grandma and Grandpa, Papooh, Aunt Dee and the Rubster, Aunt Sarah and Uncle John, the Jessen family, the Lawson girls, the Plumb family, the Hamilton family, the Bright family, Mealii, and Mrs. Houghland for the cards and gifts!! And thanks to everyone else who sent me a birthday email! Loved hearing from all of you! I love you all!!

Sisters meeting.

Clothing exchange. (Abby's 3rd in on the right.)  

She ended up getting 2 skirts, 2 shirts, and a scarf.  Such a great idea!

Sisters training meeting.  Abby is on the left, 3 tables back, kind of under the basketball hoop.

Sister Kellogg, Sister Nagosha, Sister Lawson

Birthday cake #1 - Eclair cake!!

Abby and sister Gauch (Eclair cake maker).

Birthday dinner at Ward Mission Leader's house:  Brother and Sister Bringhurst.

Birthday cake #2

Decorated bathroom.

Happy Birthday AND 3 month mark!  (She left June 17th, birthday is September 17th.)

So many cards and gifts!

Aunt Sarah and Uncle John!

Birthday dinner #2 - Cheesecake Factory!

Birthday cake #3 - Chocolate Peanut butter cup cheesecake!

Time to say goodbye to Woodbridge.

Goodbye to Brother and Sister Bringhurst.

More Fit for the Kingdom.

Hi everyone!

This week... I'm trying to remember what we did this week. Last Monday was zone Pday and we played oompa again. I guess that's the only thing we ever do for zone Pdays. Haha but that's ok. Oompa is fun. I made a...basket..? Don't know what to call it. But I shot the football into the basketball hoop and made a point. It was so cool because I shot it from the three point and really didn't think it would go in, but it did. What can I say. I'm an oompa star. Haha

Anyway this week we spent a lot of time tracting. We had lots of doors slammed in our face, but we found four new investigators! It's so awesome to have people to teach again! I'm most excited for a women named Leny. We ran into her on the street and asked if she wanted to hear our message. Usually when we ask that people will just listen on the doorstep, but she invited us in and we sat down and had a whole lesson. It was so cool. We've seen her a few times this week and she is just so prepared. She reads and does everything we ask. It's really cool to see how the Lord prepares people for you to find.

So on Saturday we helped with this big event put on by the church. It's called Gifts of the Heart and it's basically like a giant free yard sale. People from the community donated tons of stuff Friday night. then on Saturday the doors are open for the whole community to just come in and take whatever they want. It's crazy! But really helps the community. There were 45 tables stacked with clothes of all sizes and there was a whole room that was just filled with shoes and another room that was filled with toys and it's all free. SO many people came. It was just a really cool event and I'm happy that I got to help out and be a part of it.

So today I ran a 5k. Our mission is having this "More Fit for the Kingdom" 5k competition. All the zones in the mission (I think there are 8 zones. I'm in the Woodbridge zone.) are competing against each other for best time. So this morning we had our race. It was painful. I would tell you my time... But I don't want to. Haha I was the 4th fastest sister though. There are 14 sisters in my zone so I beat 10 of them. Haha not really an accomplishment, but hey, I survived the 5k!

Well I'm tired and sore.  This is my last week of being a teenager! crazy!!! Love you all!! Miss you!!

Love,

Sister Lawson

P.S. Thanks to Dad and Grandma for the letters this week!

Flyer for the race.

Entire Woodbridge Zone at the 5K

4th Sister to finish!

Cool place we went to for dinner.  It was like whole foods, but better.

Me waiting in the rain for Gifts of the Heart to start.

All the clothes.  Each balloon is another table full of clothes!