(maine)iac is BACK!

Sister Watson has been transferred back to Maine!!  I'm serving in the Oxford ward but I'm living in Bethel, Maine which is an hour away from the ward building. Yeah, an HOUR away! This is nothing like Utah. You could drive one hour in Utah and pass 100 church buildings -.- but the area is beautiful (of course) and I forgot how much I miss Maine. I'm also a little over an hour away from my first area in Bath! Home sweet home! My new companion is Sister Cox and she's from Saratoga Springs, Utah. She's been out for one transfer more than me so we are both still figuring things out together haha :)

Also...I got to see SISTER CROOK at transfer meeting! We probably made a fool of ourselves as we sprinted towards each other and cried as we hugged for like 5 minutes. I have missed her more than words can describe but she's been transferred to New Hampshire as a sister training leader! As scary  as that calling is, I'm sure she will do excellent at it. Guess who else was at transfer meeting? BROTHER SYPHER! He drove all the way to manchester to surprise sister crook and I :))))) it was such a joyous reunion and I was so overwhelmingly happy in that moment. Then I had to say goodbye again which is a whole different story.............

But guess who else was at transfer meeting as well? Sister smith! She's from the Topsham ward from when I served in Bath. Remember brother smith who was my ward mission leader and would give us ice cream all the time? Yeah, it's his wife. It was so good to see her :) what makes it even better was that she was my ride home! I got to drive with her and catch up with her and talk about the ward for a while! 

When she heard where I was going, she told me it's a perfect area for me because "this ward needs some pizzazz". Apparently I have pizzazz haha :) She then surprised me by stopping by Brother Smith's work to say hi to him! he was SO excited to see me! Since we couldn't hug, he just shook/held my hand until it was time to leave. He is so excited that I'm only serving about an hour away from him now because "now he can come visit me" :) sister smith has a stake calling that takes her to different wards so I'll be seeing them often! #blessed

I met a big part of the ward on Wednesday since they all had young men's and women's and activity days all at the same time. I feel so welcomed and so loved and I really feel like I'm meant to be here. I met a recent convert named Michael who's probably in his 50's and as I was introducing myself/shaking his hand, he was just staring at me and eventually he blurts out "holy smokes....you look like a movie star!!!!" I definitely was not expecting that but it made my day nonetheless :) 

That same night Sister Cox and I were asked to share a lesson on family history for the young women's! I thought it was going to be terrifying because there are only 3 young women in the ward and it was my first day but it turned out great. It was fun to read the stories in the family history app under my great grandparents and learn more about them. We also talked to them about journaling and the importance of it. I didn't learn that for myself until I came on this mission..writing in my journal is probably the best part of the day and I can't wait to share it with my children and their children etc.

I don't know why, but ever since I've been here I've been so much more outgoing with everyone and it's been so easy for me to talk to people and start lessons which is something I've always struggled with. I feel like I've been myself and it's making this so much more fun. Sister Cox even brought that up to me...she said that I'm very outgoing and I'm a blessing to her because she's very shy and this is her first time being senior companion so it's good that I'm taking lead and helping her out. I hate to say it...but I truly was meant to be transferred out of my beloved south royalton at this time. There's work that needs to be done here and maybe by the time I do all i can here, I can be transferred back to SoRo..who knows?

Our apartment is literally in the middle of the woods in the northern Maine. We live above a garage which is a part of a huge house, but it's being remodeled so we're living above the garage :') Again...I'm in the forest. Im in a northern part of Maine. East coast. Winter is coming. DEATH. The people here are warning us and preparing us for the worst. We are going to get so much snow!!!! Don't be alarmed if you don't hear from me one week. The plan of salvation is a real thing and I'll eventually see you all again...ha...hahaha...haha.

Thanksgiving is this week! (And my moms birthday) you all better spoil her like crazy! She deserves it. Don't worry about me on thanksgiving...there are about 3 different families planning on feeding us...*gains 64 pounds* IM SO EXCITED. Here's my advice for you.... 2 Nephi 9:51 (last 6 words)

We are also putting our Christmas tree up today in our apartment and I'm so excited for that too. Last night we went over to the bishop's house to help his wife wrap Christmas presents. We were her little elves and it was so much fun! They are such a cute family...definitely in the "utah family" category. They have three sons and they're all the cutest little things :) they're the ones having us over on Christmas to eat and to skype our families. 

Okay I love you all and I hope you stuff yourselves to death this week. Also, HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY MOMMA. 

Love, Sister Watson

P.s I wish you all understood how many Sherlock Holmes jokes I've heard since I've left home...It's ridiculous

Tracting....

My view as I'm driving to church!

Out the window of our apartment :)

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Bye South Royalton :(

Well. I haven't stopped crying since Saturday night....sister daughter and I are both being transferred out of South Royalton. My heart is broken. Im going to remain junior companion in my new area and I'm absolutely devastated and completely in shock. I have fallen in love with this place and every single person here...now I'm having to leave them all RIGHT before the holidays. The Lord better have something good in the plans for me because I'm not very happy right now.

Apparently they're having to move in two sisters with amazing singing voices to serve at the Joseph smith memorial for Christmas. Maybe I'll be transferred back here once Christmas is over....who knows. But even over the phone, President Stoker apologized directly to me because he "knew I loved this place and I was very happy here". Ugh. Goodbyes are the absolute worst..it was like leaving home all over again. I didn't even realize how attached I got to some people until it was the time to tell them I'm leaving and we are both in tears. This place is truly special..

Besides all that, the past week has been completely insane. We had the social media splits so if you put #socialmediasplits or #lds into facebook you might be able to see me in action! It was super stressful to set up specific appointments and align our schedules up with member's schedules but we did it.

I had my second lobster experience the other night which was....yeah. I'm still not a fan. She also gave us big artichokes where we had to peel off the leaves and slide them against our teeth to get the layer of skin off. Ummm...

Our investigator Jay is really good at reading people and basically seeing into their soul. Every time we visit him (oh my gosh I'm going to miss him too) he tells me more about myself and the walls I have and all that strange stuff. He predicted a lot of different things about me and he was very right about all of it. Creepy. He also knows I struggle with homesickness so he said he's going to give me a small box that he has where I can write out my thoughts or prayers or whatever I want to put in there and lock it up until the end of my mission. I thought it was very nice of him!

A guy that came home from his mission about a month ago is working at the JSM and I guess he overheard one of the senior missionary couples talking about my homesickness (why does everyone know/talk about this?!) at the memorial so he came up to me the other day and gave me advice. He told me to HAVE FUN and to make everyone laugh and to make every experience or appointment fun somehow. See what I'm having to leave?!

Believe me, I didn't let Heavenly Father get away too easy with all of this though. I had a lengthy lecture with him after I got the call about the transfer letting Him know I was not happy with Him. He kindly put into my head the talk "Grateful in Any Circumstance" by President Uchtdorf that we've been sharing with members for the past week. It's about being thankful in the midst of trial. Point taken Heavenly Father.....woops.

Sorry this email isn't long...I don't know what else to say. I hope everyone had a great week, I'll let you know where I'm at in the world next Monday.

Our last weekly planning...

Brother Sypher knows I don't like vegetables so he surprised me with putting all fruits into my salad instead I'm going to miss him so much it's ridiculous :'(

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Novem...brrr???

**Last weeks email wasn't posted until today. Sorry :) Here's last week's email**

Sometimes I'm surprised by how blessed i really am. I'm serving in the literal promised land and I have more support than I know what to do with at home and even out here in this ward. Ever since my testimony last Sunday, people from the ward make the extra effort to ask how I'm doing and they give me a hug and they do whatever they can to make me feel better. This past week has been one of the best so far when I thought it was going to be the worst...such a miracle! We've had so much success with investigators and lessons and service opportunities.

I also received 3 packages and a letter in the mail every day from my family since they left me to go on a cruise..... and let us not forget the fact that it was in the 70's and sunny this week here..it was beautiful!!!!! I probably got a sun tan as I was hanging Christmas lights at the JSM. heck yeah.

On Saturday we had zone conference with half of our mission at the JSM. Elder Nielson from the Seventy and his wife came to speak to us and holy cow...the spiritual upliftment was real. It was basically 7 straight hours of being soaked in the spirit. I learned so much and I received all sorts of revelation and I was just spiritually edified. He taught a lot about the redeeming power of the atonement in comparison to the enabling power of the atonement. We will ALL go through trials and challenges and we will ALL need help from the savior to get through certain ones. Personally, I believe there is no possible way I would be able to serve this mission alone. I have found strength through the enabling power of Jesus Christ. I do all that I possibly can, and He fills in the rest. How lucky are we?!

His wife talked to all the sisters about marriage (ow) and our purpose as sister missionaries and just so many other things that I needed to hear. I wish that zone conference could have lasted forever. Sister Farr and Sister Edwards left for home yesterday... :( I'm going to miss them! In case you didn't know, they were the senior sisters living in the Bath, Maine apartment when sister crook and I came into that area. They served there before us for about 9 months!

While I was serving at the JSM this last Thursday, sister Farr came up to me and showed me an email she received from the relief society president in that ward in Maine. It gave a list of sisters in the ward that are going to the temple at the end of this month and in that list were many sisters that we worked with while there. There were sisters that thought they would never make it to the temple and I just cried as I saw the work and the prayers given in their behalf by us are now going to the temple this month. This is such a huge step for them and I'm overwhelmed with joy at the thought of them being able to experience it!

Last Tuesday we had a lesson with Stuart about tithing (which he was more than happy to pay thank goodness) but after the lesson we started walking back to the park where our car was and as we were passing one of the houses, some guy yelled at us from his porch something about how nice the weather was. So we went up and talked to him (Jessie) and found out he had just moved in two days prior. He's religious as far as going to any church he can that's around wherever he lives...so of course we invited him to our church before he commits to anything else while he's just barely moving in. He's from a town close by so he knew where our church was. "Is it the huge white one with the lights at Christmas time?" Yes jessie...yes it is. So we committed him to come to church and he was more than willing to! We then gave him our number and we walked back to our car. Before we even got there, he was already texting us and asking us about our missions and stuff. Since then, he's been texting us every day! We now know he's 24 and he's been guessing our names which has been a complete fail on his part..I don't know why everyone wants to know our first names so bad. Hopefully we can get the "weather dude on the porch" baptized somewhere in the near future! *fingers crossed*

We stacked wood for an elderly man and his wife that just got home from the hospital due to health problems which was fun! They have NINE border collies and they're just about the cutest things ever. I'm 100% going to own one of those some day.  Haha and one of the elders I used to serve with in Maine found out that I was going to be at the same zone conference with him so he surprised me with a loaf of his famous banana bread that I LOVE. So so so so so happy :D

Oh yeah...we were supposed to have 4 investigators at church yesterday and only 1 showed up which was Stuart. That was actually a very very sad time to stand there in confidence that those people will come only to see that they never do. :( I hate people and their stinkin agency!

Yesterday we went with my ward mission leader and his wife to some people in further cities in our area where we can't usually go because of our miles. But we went to two different less active members houses and BOTH were home, BOTH let us in, and BOTH were willing to have us come back another time. That n e v e r happens in one day! We were very lucky and I can't wait to visit them again.

THIS IS THE LAST WEEK OF THE TRANSFER. WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT. That means I've been in south royalton for almost 6 weeks. Are you serious...that went by so fast! Sister Daughety and I have a feeling that she's going to be the one getting transferred out which is awful. I'll be so sad :'( I'll let y'all know what happens though! I hope I stay here for at least 9 more transfers then I'll be going home. Thanks president stoker you're the best. OH and within the next transfer are thanksgiving and christmas so I'll be able to talk to my family by the time that transfer ends. YESSSSSS. :) I hope everyone had a great week! Love y'all bunches

New calling in life or what?

If my husband doesn't propose to me here under this bridge I'm actually going to be very upset. #jsm

Sneak peak of one of the Joseph smith tour rooms

They had the JSM lights on for the missionaries on Saturday night since our zone conference was held there. Blesseddddddd

The g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g THE GRINCH. (all the missionaries were doing it...peer pressure was real) ((sorry))

S W A G

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Deep Clean Halloween ☠‏

Such...a...long...week. But to start off, I would like to proudly say that I beat ALL the elders at basketball. Yep, all of them. We had district P-Day last monday and one of the activities we did was basketball and I whooped them all at lightning. My dad would be so proud :')

We were able to teach Stewart and his wife/ex wife (Valerie) the plan of salvation this week! Since we are completely out of miles, we couldn't make it to Randolph where he lives so we called him up and offered to give him the lesson over the phone. He doesn't have his license so he relies on Valerie to drive him around but she wasn't supposed to be home that day to drive him anywhere. When we called him and told him about having the lesson over the phone, he said that Valerie's plans fell through so she would be able to drive him to the church building which is just a few minutes away from us. MIRACLE. 

That just shows how devoted he is to learning about the gospel. He easily could have accepted the lesson simply over the phone but he grabbed Valerie and drove the 30 minutes to the church building just to hear our lesson. A few days earlier at church we gave him a triple combination so that he could read the Doctrine & Covenants. When we met with him for our lesson he had all sorts of bookmarks in there and he was so excited to tell us what he's learned. And you should've seen him when he talked about the Articles of Faith! It was like he found some sort of hidden treasure or something..he just couldn't believe it. But he's still on for his baptismal date of November 28th and he's still saying sober. 

Sister daughtey and I were asked to speak at young women's about missionary work which was quite intimidating but it turned out to be a lot of fun :) we started off telling them about what we do and how we decided to serve a mission. I also told them about my first couple of weeks and months and how incredibly difficult they were emotionally, spiritually, physically, and mentally. 

In my set-apart blessing, it talks about the power that prayer has on the difficult days of my mission. "Those days that are difficult for you, and those days that you miss those you love, you will kneel in prayer. The Lord blesses you that you will be able to know and feel the prayers from those you love so very much. In those moments you will arise and go about the work with increased light and understanding that prayers really do make all the difference. You will then be able to teach others about the power of prayer." 

I shared that with them after telling them the experience I had in Maine when I was having SUCH a hard time. I remember just thinking about people at home and how much more difficult a mission is than I had thought. Then a thought came to my mind to read my set-apart blessing and that's the section of the blessing my eyes went to first. I immediately got down on my knees and prayed. I prayed so hard to have the strength and focus to continue this mission the best that I can and I instantly was comforted. I felt so strongly all those prayers that are being said in my behalf at home. 

I remember my mind erasing all those thoughts about home and the people at home I was having and they were replaced with the love of the people here in New England and for the missionary work I have to look forward to. Priesthood blessings are such an incredible gift to us and I'm so thankful for all the blessings I've received because they ALL make such a difference. After I cried through that story, they started asking us questions about funny stories, awkward stories, etc. that we've encountered since being out here which was super fun :)

I've been putting Christmas lights up at the JSM!!!! It's going to look SO GOOD when it's all done. Hopefully I stay here another transfer so I can see the annual light presentation the day after thanksgiving. They have a live nativity and everything...I don't remember if I mentioned that in a past email so I'm sorry if I have. I'm so excited for it!

We were able to go to a relief society activity this past week too which was great. I love the women in this ward! The theme was South Royalton Airlines so we all had our boarding passes (they passed them out at church the Sunday prior) and we sat in the set-up of an airplane. There were supposed to be 3 stewardesses but one decided not to show up....guess who had to take her place? ME *screams* so I had to go around and be a part of the presentation or whatever it was. Maybe I found my true calling in life, who knows!

The whole theme was about visiting teaching and the importance of it...so I hope all y'all have been keeping up with that! Great blessings come from faithful diligence. Just saying'. We serve at the Red Door Church in our area every week which is pretty interesting..they really love us for some reason although they've tried inviting us to anti-mormon programs and stuff. We talked to President Stoker about it but he said as long as they love us and accept our service, it's okay for us to be there because we are positively representing our religion. We help them make dinner and serve it to the people that come to their Community Dinner every Friday night. It's different, but it's a cool experience.

My whole family is on a cruise this week. Ha. Hahaha. Haha. *tries not to think about it*

"DEEP CLEAN HALLOWEEN! DEEP CLEAN HALLOWEEN! DEEP CLEAN HALLOWEEN!" Sister daughtey and sister watson chant as they spend their entire Halloween trapped in their apartment cleaning. We aren't allowed out past 5:00 on Halloween night so they have all the missionaries deep clean their entire apartments all day. hope everyone had fun though! I miss haunted houses and scary movies and trick or treating...#mishprobs 

I hit my four month mark yesterday! It's crazy to think that 4 months ago I was in the MTC being whiplashed by the spirit and now here I am in my second area with my second companion having the time of my life. I'm so lucky and I'm so blessed and I'm so happy and I'm so excited for what the next year will bring! 

Another personal spiritual experience happened yesterday too. I bore my testimony on my knowledge of Heavenly Father knowing each and every one of us personally and individually. The night before, I was having a rough night and the negatives of everything were weighing out more than the positives. I decided to pick up a paperback Book of Mormon that was laying around in our apartment and I tried to do the "flip to a random page/verse and have a life changing experience" kind of thing. I prayed so hard that I'd flip to a page that would make me feel better. 

The verse I turned to was 3 Nephi 12:12 which says, "For ye shall have great joy and be exceedingly glad, for great shall be your reward in heaven.." It doesn't sound very profound, but it hit me so hard in that moment. I needed to BE HAPPY. I needed to be exceedingly glad and I needed to find that great joy that is in missionary work. Then, the next day I'm sitting in fast/testimony meeting and every...single....testimony was focused on missionary work and the joys of it and the blessings from it. All of them. So as I sat there crying in my seat, I was overwhelmed with the feeling of love coming directly from God. He knew I was struggling and He knew what I needed to hear. 

So I got up to the front and faced my fear of crying and speaking at the same time. It was tragic but after sacrament meeting I had all the moms in the ward coming up to me comforting me giving me "mom hugs" because they said I pulled out their motherly instincts as they sat watching me cry up there. So mom, I'm being taken care of...don't worry ;) it was so sweet...I had two senior missionaries that were old women come up to me crying because they were so thankful for my testimony and how they know what I'm going through etc. I felt so much love from every single person that day. I LOVE THIS WARD. 

Anyway, I hope that everyone had a faaaantastic week!

Rainstorms!

I was designated the Photographer for brother sypher at a dinner party for his son. Soooo this is what happened when he gave me his phone to use :)

Our Halloween costumes #deepcleanhalloween #fierce

Went on splits again this week but this time it was with sister Farr. She goes back home to centerville this week! I'm gonna miss her and sister edwards SO MUCH.

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