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Saturday, June 29, 2013
Friday, June 28, 2013
Our first letter from Sister Tait in the mission field...
Hello everyone...here is the letter Chelsey sent for a blog update. She is having a great experience, learning, growing, teaching, walking, studying, serving and loving her first area and her companion. More news later but here you go :)
Here's what I wrote in my journal the first night... "Ummm I'm here! I'm in New Hampshire and I love it already!! But I have to admit I'm a little scared out of my mind! Haha but it's gonna be good! The Wilkeys are amazing! I wish they were staying longer! My interview with President Wilkey was so great! I felt the spirit so strong! I knew right then that even though I was so scared and nervous that this was where I needed to be! I felt so much peace, comfort and joy! It was so great to get to the mission home and see a letter on the frige for ME! Thanks Tina!! :) It made me SO happy :) oh my goodness this is just so crazy! Tomorrow I find out my trainer and area!! AHH! Well...here it goes! Can't believe I'm really here!!
Haha, so basically that's what I was thinking the first night...it was a crazy day/night!! We woke up and went running...it's so pretty here! I just stood there looking at all the trees surrounding me...just waiting for Sasquatch to jump out...he didn't, but we did see a deer! Haha! Tuesday morning we drove to the church and we go our trainers! It was so weird to leave all the people I'd met in the MTC! I love them all so much after 12 days and that was hard to leave...oh great, transfers are gonna be way hard! Haha good thing I don't say goodbye...just see ya later! :)
So my trainer/new companion is Sister Sowards! She's 20 and from Provo. She's really nice and fun and super smart and amazing! I love her! She teaches me so much! Our are is Topsham...we live in Brunswick, Maine! It's great! We had a member drive us to our apartment and she needed to get some driftwood for a craft so we stopped by the beach on the way home! It was awesome! So lucky! The first thing I did was go to the beach! :) so you got that picture that Sister Smith took. I'm so glad! :) It was nice to have a few relaxing minutes at the beach because ever since then it's been CRAZY busy!
Haha, we got to the apartment, set my stuff down, had a gourmet dinner - hot pockets...then went out to find people! Haha no time to sit and adjust...off we went! :) We were just walking down main street...saying hi to everyone we passed but no one will really talk to uss...then we walk by these two ladies...they're holding beer, cigarettes and flowers...like that they just picked from a pot in front of a store...they had dirt all over them and they were just so drunk. It was really funny...so they stop us and say they love my hair and they're going on about how I should never cut it...then they ask if we wanted some flowers and gave us each one. It's taped in my journal now...haha. They asked if we wanted to go to their house and drink...we said we couldn't cuz we're missionaries...haha then they started telling us how much they needed us and they needed the church in their lives...haha so we talked a little about it...have them a pass along card, got their number and then left! Haha it was a good first experience! We were laughing so hard! Probably they won't remember any of that...we've tried calling them but they won't answer...haha but hey we planted that seed.
Then we didn't know what to do...just kept walking then some members called and invited us over for pizza! ;) one of our less actives came with us os that was awesome! Wednesday we had district mtg...it's just us, then 2 sets of elders... (we share the car with some of the elders so they came and picked us up..) After that we went and visited Brother Eldridge who is a less active...hasn't been to chuch in 30 years!! And he comitted to come, so yesterday he came!! for the first time in 30 years! How awesome is that?! Pretty freakin awesome!! Then we ran to the store and got me some food since I had none...haha. Don't worry we have apples, chocolate almond milk, mac and cheese and otter pops! Oh and ice cream of course! Haha so no worries :)
Thursday was a good day. We rode the bus to the hospital to do service...we just made these volunteer books...fun stuff. Then a sister in the ward picked us up and took us home. We also went to the library and got to watch mormon.org videos...awesome! Then later we went and saw a few less actives. Friday was a crazy day. We had to leave at 7:30 and drive to Salo...pick up 3 sisters then drive to Manchester for training meeting! We got there at 10:45 then had a long day of training...it was so great though cuz I got to see all my old friends again :) and President and Sister Wilkey! That's when we said see ya later to them! Then we had a long drive back home! We stopped at Wendy's for dinner...got frostys :) delicious! It was such a long drive! We thought about playing I spy...but you know on Brother Bear when they do that..."I spy something green...tree...yup. Ok this time...brown...vertical...log...treee next, guess tree..." Haha yup that's how it went...trees everywhere! Seriously we are swallowed in trees haha so no I spy...we just told funny stories on the way home. Finally made it back at 10:20! We were so exhausted we came in and went right to bed!
Saturday we had lots to do since Friday we were gone! So we went and saw lots of people! Mostly less actives/recent converts...I still don't know what I'm doing...haha. I never know what to say...but hey fake it till you make it right?!? That's what I'm going with...haha. I'm slowly getting it.
Yesterday...my first day at church here of course was a good day. I love going to church because no matter where you are it's still the same! In Utah & Maine...and everywhere else! Same gospel, same great hymns, sacrament, screaming kids, making the new missionaries get up and bare testimony (is it bare or bear? haha) and the same spirit! I felt so at home! Even though I'm so far away! It was so great! The musical number was so pretty...it was the same duet that me and Lindsey have played before. I know Heavenly Father Loves Me (or My Heavenly Father loves me...whichever it is). It made me want to cry! Anyways...I know Heavenly Father loves ME because he's called me to serve in such a beautiful place! With such great people! And he's blessed me with the most amazing family! Ah! I'm just feeling so blessed!! We also had a potential investigator come to sacrament mtg with us! Ah! All this my first week! Too great :) She said she really liked it and wants to come back! But she won't let us teach her...yet...hahah Heavenly Father has a timetable for everyone! I know it will all work out in His timing! It ws weird to go to Sunday School and Relief Society...haha in Sunday School they were talking about gifts of the spirit which is the last primary lesson I taught...I was just waiting for him to bring out the crayons and paper so we could draw presents then write down oall the gifts..haha, it didn't happen...I miss primary! But Relief Society was good. They gave us brownines and cookies! Oh yes! haha and it was a good lesson too! We talked about temples and famimlies and President Packer's last conference talk.
After church we went to lunch at a member's house! It was so delicious! BBQ chicken and potaties...then brownies and ice cream! We taught them a short lesson about temples then came home and studied...then had a nap :) then at 6:00 we went to the church to watch the worldwide broadcast. How awesome was that?! Did you all watch it?! If you didn't It was amazing! I'm so happy to be a part of this...70,000 plus missionaries!! Ah!! So cool! I love being a missionary! It is so exciting! Super busy and crazy but I'm learning so much! I hope you all are having an awesome summer! It's super warm here! 90's and humid! I think the humidity is really getting to me...or it's just really bad hafever...haha yup it's the humidity...all the water in the air...it's coming out of my eyes like crazy! Like really, what the heck is this!? Haha, I kinda miss you freaks!! :)
Well, I made it to P-day! It has been a really good day! They're telling me I'm done with the hardest part...so hopefully it just gets better from here! :) I know that it will! Today we had to go get the car fixed...we had a lot of fun talking to the guys working there! It was funny because while we were waiting we sat and wrote letters...they watched us writing and writing and were laughing. They didn't understand what we were doing...we told them it was our only time to write family and friends...they asked "well where are they?" We said in Utah! They didn't even know what missions were! So we talked a little about missions and the church and stuff...one guy was pretty interested...I gave him one of the mormon.org cards and he said he'd check it out! He said one of his friends in Georgia went to our chuch and once he went when they were doing some geneology activity so we told him they do that at our church building in Topsham...he didn't even know we had a church in this town! It was funny. He was talking about the ocean and asked if we'd been swimming yet...we said we couldn't. He thought we'd never been swimming! Don't worry, we clarified...Mormon's can go swimming! We just can't while on our missions! Haha!
Just remember there are missionary opportunities everywhere! We are all missionaries! Every member a missionary!! :) Just always be a good example and remember others are always watching! Heavenly Father places certain people in certain places at certain times for certain purposes. He know everything! Have faith and trust in Him! That's what I'm working on...not only more confidence in myself but more importantly in Christ. I just love this gospel! Ah! It's really been an awesome day!
So then we went to Walmart, got some groceries, dropped off our laundry at a member's house, came home and cleaned, went to the library and had time to email! AHH! So great to talk to you guys!! And then we came home...wrote letters...the Raineys (members in the ward) came and picked us up, gave us our laundry - all sorted & folded! Oh my goodness, I love them! They're so amazing! Then we had dinner at their house...then I was in charge of the lesson...AH! Thanks to the spirit it went pretty well... :) I just talked about the commandments and focused on studying the scriptures...2Nephi 32:3-5, 1 Nephi 19:23 sere some of the great scriptures I shared - and then D&C 20:7 - commandments. Look at the footnotes for that one...it says divine guidance...thought that was pretty cool...commandments are diving guidance. :) So it was a good lesson. I know we can get so much more from the scriptures if we really study them...don't just read them...do like it says and FEAST upon the words of Christ! Ahh! Okay I'm going to end this novel now...haha. I could probably go on forever but I don't have time! I LOVE you all so much!! Thanks for all you do for me, for all your love and support! Have a great week!!! :)
Love,
Sister Chelsey Tait
Monday, June 24, 2013
Another great Missionary Monday - love hearing from Sister Tait!!!
Yay! We got to email with Sister Tait this afternoon. She is still doing great! Adjusting to missionary life - maybe a little homesick but she didn't say that :) Loves getting letters and any kind of mail of course and working hard. We asked her lots of questions...here are a few of the questions and answers from our brief emailing back and forth. And also some pictures from the MTC and from New Hampshire. It was so wonderful to hear from her. Go ahead and catch up on how she's doing. Have a great day!!
Sheri
hello family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's finally p-day!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHH!! I made it!!!!!! Right now i'm sitting in the library....trying to catch up on all these emails!!
I can get letters anytime but i'm only supposed to communicate with family/friends on Mondays so this is the only day i can send stuff!
How is everything? How's your companion? How's your apartment? How was your flight?
it is so hard! but good!!! Sister Sowards is my companion. She's from provo she's been out here 6 weeks and is already training...haha crazy right?! Our apartment is pretty nice! The flight was good.... I felt like mia on princess diaries when we were flying here...you know the part at the end when she's flying over Genovia and she's writing in her journal talking about her new home and saying how she's now Amelia Renaldi Thermopolis...Princess of Genovia.... hahha well that's what i was thinking as we were flying over New Hampshire.... flying over my new home...writing in my journal and I am now Sister Chelsey Tait... missionary of the new hampshire manchester mission... haha :)
it is so hard! but good!!! Sister Sowards is my companion. She's from provo she's been out here 6 weeks and is already training...haha crazy right?! Our apartment is pretty nice! The flight was good.... I felt like mia on princess diaries when we were flying here...you know the part at the end when she's flying over Genovia and she's writing in her journal talking about her new home and saying how she's now Amelia Renaldi Thermopolis...Princess of Genovia.... hahha well that's what i was thinking as we were flying over New Hampshire.... flying over my new home...writing in my journal and I am now Sister Chelsey Tait... missionary of the new hampshire manchester mission... haha :)
How are you doing? Is your companion nice? Are you happy? What are you eating?
my companion is really nice! I am doing well....there is so much to learn and do all the time though! it's crazy! I get so tired! but yes i am happy! I bought apples and chocolate almond milk and cornflakes...and stuff to make mac and cheese... and we have lots of chocolate and otter pops and ice cream!! So all is well :)
so here's some pictures of my district, my companions, me with elder tait and me with all my packages!!!
Did you get to watch the broadcast yesterday?
Yes! wasn't it awesome!! We got to go to the church and watch it there! It was so great! We're excited about the facebook...Sister Sowards my companion said that her brother was a trial facebook missionary and he could be friends with all his family and friends but just could post scriptures and stuff...so that will be so cool if i get to do that soon!! So you know how i was in the choir..well we all practiced the songs together but we were so sad we didn't actually get to be in it! I wish I could've been in the MTC for that! haha but it was still so awesome to be part of it all and to be a misisonary at this time!! Craziness! :)
How's everything going?
Sister Sowards knows way more than i do so hopefully i can learn lots from her... i've been kinda quiet in the lessons so far cuz i don't know the people...it's hard cuz i'm used to just teaching the lessons but all the people we've been teaching are just less actives so we're not really teaching the main lessons to them we just talk about whatever they need or read scriptures and I don't know what i'm doing! haha but i'm getting better i guess... it's so hard!
TJ wants to know what you do on p-day? What do you do every day? Do you eat at your apartment or at members houses?
we get up exercise, personal study, comp study, then we had a little time to write letters then we went and got our car blinker fixed then did our laundry at a members house then picked up the elders they live like ten minutes away from us...we share a car. we get it friday-monday i think? haha so today we picked them up...went to walmart then came to the library! so here i am! usually we eat at our apartment... gourmet meals...frozen pizza, hot pockets, peanut butter sandwiches, apples, chicken nuggest... the first day we were just walking around and then some awesome members called us and asked if we wanted to come over for pizza!! So we went over to the Mullin's and they fed us pizza and they invited over one of the less actives that we're working with so it was a win win! We're only supposed to have 3 meals a week at members houses...yesterday after church we went to a members house and they fed us lunch... it was really good they made bbq chicken and potatoes and salad and fruit and then brownies and ice cream! AHH! so i haven't had to eat anything gross yet... :) our district is us and then two sets of elders... it's so small especially compared to the mtc... it's kinda lonely haha but i'll get used to it! the sister that was here before was named sister waite... she must have been super amazing because everywhere we go everyone is like where's sister waite!?!?!? and then we say she got transfered and they're all sad but they'll just have to learn to love me! haha
Can you only read your mail on p-day or every day?
we look in the mail box everyday....so i can read my letters anytime...! i can only write and send them on p-day though...ughh! that's the hardest part! after this i'll we'll go back to our aprtment...eat some dinner.... p-day ends at 6! so then we'll go teach some people!!
Here are some more pictures of the last days at the mtc and then the airport here! with President and Sister Wilkey and at the beach when we stopped with Sister Smith on our way to our apartment :D
okay i have to go...they're waiting for me...hahhaa but I LOVE YOU ALL!!! i'll send letters today :) BYE! :)
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Chelsey's New Address
We got a letter from the mission president telling us that Chelsey got there safely and is off and ready to serve the Lord. Here is part of the letter and the address where you can write to her.
Sister Chelsey Lynn Tait
1 Cedar St. Apt 8
Brunswick ME 04011-2317
I know she will be anxiously awaiting letters if you ever have time to write :) Still so excited to hear how she's doing and how everything is going. More news on Pday hopefully!!
Dear Brother and Sister Tait,
It is a pleasure to report that your missionary daughter, Sister Chelsey Lynn Tait, has arrived safely in the New Hampshire Manchester Mission. Although she was tired due to a full day of travel, she is in fine spirits. I have interviewed her and found her ready and willing to serve the Lord.
We know you join with us in desiring that Sister Tait be a successful and devoted missionary. Your weekly letters of encouragement and love are essential elements in her development. You may write directly to her personal address or you may send letters to the mission office address. You may also communicate with your missionary by e-mail. Our missionaries are allowed to send and receive e-mails to and from family and friends only on their Monday preparation day.
We thank you for the opportunity to share this marvelous time with your daughter. We rejoice in the great blessings that will come to many wonderful people here in New England because of Sister Tait's devotion to the work of the Lord.
With Best Regards,
David L. Wilkey
President, New Hampshire Manchester Mission
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