Elmwood Ward Week 2

HELLO!!!!!
I love being a missionary :) It really is so so great!! This week has
been incredible! I'll start by answering some of your questions!
So every year there is something they call the gingerbread festival!
People from all over omaha make INCREDIBLE gingerbread houses and
bring them in! And like over 2000 people came in last year to see
them! They are just in the basement of they trail center! So most of
them come up and get a tour after! It really is such a great
missionary tool. A lot of members will bring their nonmember friends
and it is so great!! I'll send some pictures of some of the houses...
some people are just so creative!!! It just blows my mind!! It lasts
until december 31 so the trail center will just be hoppin until then.

The trail center training every saturday morning is just what it
sounds like! All the Sisters and senior couples have an hour long
training! Either President Gardner or Elder Crandall will give the
training! All the new sisters bore our testimonies and sang a musical
number! ANNNND it was on our month mark so like goals ya know? hahah

We live with the Ski's! They are a cute older couple in our ward! I am
in the Elmwood Ward! There arent a ton of people, but the area is
huuuge. okay not that big, but coming from provo its pretty big. hahah
I went to our ward for the first time yesterday and everyone is so
sweet and so nice! We get fed a lot so i am excited to get to know
everyone better and be able to put a name with a face :) We bore our
testimonies! That was a good surprise! It was good for everyone to see
our faces and hopefully to get them more excited about missionary
work!

Our weekly schedule changes so much! hahah We are scheduled in the
trail center 2-5 times a week! Depending on demand. whiiiich during
gingerbread is kind of a lot! When we arent on shift at the trail
center we are in our area! DOIN WORK!!! Haha i'm not exactly sure your
question.... hahah

This week has been INCREDIBLE!! We had zone conference! Elder Martino
from the 70 actually came! Out of EVERY thing he talked about, the
only thing he really talked about was the importance of members in our
work. THEY TRULY MAKE OR BREAK IT. He stressed the importance of using
members homes for lessons. Having a great enviroment to start out in!
As well has having members in EVERY lesson. When a member of the
church bares their testimony to the investigator, that is honestly
when the spirit is the strongest. I have seen that! It is so important
to be involved!!!

We had our investigator come to the trail center for a tour! IT WAS SO
SO GREAT!!! The spirit here is already so strong and we were so
excited! We wanted Matt to FINALLY commit to be baptized. But Satan is
just working SO HARD ON HIM and he still hasnt answered.... but this
is gonna be the week! We're gonna help him and he's gonnna commit!

We also had the chance to give on one of the best tours yet!!! The
elders from the Lincoln YSA ward brought an investigator and some
members. You could tell throughout the whole tour she was just so
engaged and was so eager to keep feeling the spirit! After the tour
was over, she pulled sister hyde and i over to the side and said, "I
havent told anyone this yet, but i really have felt the spirit so
strong today. and I really want to be baptized." LIKE WHAT WE WERE
FREAKING OUT!!! Her name is Kenna and she is 18, she is the cutest!!
She is running cross country at school! She is going home for
thanksgiving and telling her mom and dad this week that she wants to
be baptized and is SO NERVOUS! But how cool!! She got my email and is
going to keep me updated, we really connected. That is what i love so
much about being here at the trail center. The chance to meet and
connect with so many different people! It was so great!!

Saturday was my month mark..... what? honestly i cant believe it! Time
is flying!!! Sister Hyde and i got donuts to celebrate that and kami's
birthday. hahah Oh on thanksgiving we are going over to the bishops
and then to the trail center for a partyyyyy wooot wooootttt! So fun!!
Okay well time just FLIES OUT HERE and i gotta go... OH BUT FIRST
SHOUT OUT TO ABBEY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW.

I love you all so much!!!!! Until next week,
Sister Orton