One down...17 to go!!! ;D

This was a crazy week! I've been a missionary for a month sense Saturday... crazy! Also another mile stone: I have a watch tan line for the first time in my life! On that note, we put Tyler on date for July 11!!! He's been coming to church sense he started scouts but his parents didn't want him to get baptized. Well.. he turned 18 last week so it's time! And a not so happy note two of our investigators dropped us. I was super bumbed but I knew Heavenly Father has a plan for both of them (they're friends) and in His time they will be ready. On our way home from teaching them we rode past this lady that looked/sounded like she was going to die because she was breathing so heavy and so we stopped and asked if she needed any water. We gave her what we had and asked if she needed anything else.. she said ice water. So we rode to a jack in the box to get 2 large ice waters and it was going to be $3 but the guy gave them to us for free! I don't know if he thought we looked like we needed to large free ice waters or what but he will be blessed for it! So after all this we're on our way back to the lady, who decided she could move again and walk to the jack in the box herself, and she said she didn't want them. Funny how life works sometimes.

Earlier this week I was reading in 2 Nephi 9 and it's crazy how quickly God answers my prayers! Just the day before I could not comprehend, for the life of me, how much Heavenly Father loves me that He would send His only Begotten son to die for me so that I can be saved. As I was reading I came across vs. 45-53 (the whole chapter is amazing!) and it was so plain to me when I read them! I know, without a doubt, that my Heavenly Father loves me. He loves all His children and He wants us to come unto Him. He loves us so much that it doesn't matter we aren't perfect. That is why His plan is perfect because of the Atonement. I love being a representative of Jesus Christ! I'm learning so much every single day, I love it out here! Thank you so much for all the love and support! 

Love, Sister Eaton

True Arizonian...1st Week in the Field

This week has been crazy!!! So I left the MTC early Tuesday morning and finally got to Tempe! I flew in with my comp from the MTC, two elders from my district, and then two sisters that were coming from temple square for their outbound. We all stayed at our Mission President's home. I love President and Sister Toone SO much! They have welcomed us with open arms and he has huge arms seeing how he's 7' tall!! We went and did a session at the Mesa temple and it is so beautiful! It was built back in the 20's so it's very unique. We stopped by the visitor center to see what resources we had as missionaries that we could use to teach our investigators. Thursday morning was transfers and my trainer is Sister Clemens. She is the best companion ever! She's from Kentucky and is the oldest of 9! We're serving in Chandler and she's been here for 4 months! We have two wards we're assigned to which is a bit overwhelming but more to learn, right? We were able to watch Elder Perry's funeral and it was a beautiful service. I don't know if you noticed but apostles said both the opening and closing prayers! You never get to hear them pray so that was very special. This week we had a referral of this 80 year old women. We talked for a bit and then offered to vacuum her house. THREE cockroaches!!!! I was too paranoid to stay much longer after that. Lastly, I'm officially a Arizonian because I saw a scorpion! We were coming out of our neighbors house last night and there it was... just hanging out on the porch and I almost had a heart attack! But obviously I lived to tell about it so it's all good. Thank you for all the support and love over the past few weeks! It makes all the difference to missionaries! Love you all!

Love, Sister Eaton

Missionary Moment: I was biking... in my skirt... with my helmet... in the rain... I felt like a true blue Sister missionary!

Last Week in the MTC

I'm going Spanish speaking!!! Okay not really... So I logged onto my missionary portal and everything was in Spanish! Ironically enough I was talking of how badly I want to learn Spanish and boom! So as of right now I'm not speaking Spanish but you never know! 

They have the BEST devotionals here at the MTC!!! Last Tuesday Elder Jeffery R. Holland came!!!! A few thoughts from his talk:

-When a man works by thoughts, he works by words.

-Measure the success of my mission by how much I talk. Satin can't kill us but he can bind our tongue. (Joseph Smith's first vision) "Don't you dare go into the mission field and volunteer to keep your mouth shut!"

-Turn outward like Christ and not inward like the natural man. 

Why we're here in the MTC we're given real investigators. They're paid to come and let us teach them. My investigator was Leah White. She's been here for two years and she taught me how to love a perfect stranger unconditionally. She's a Christian and it's safe to say that she hated (past tense) the Mormons. Through a series of events she decided it would be best to face the Mormons instead of move away from them. I don't know if Leah will ever allow God to love her or forgive herself but I know God loves her regardless and He's just waiting for her to ask for help! 

We were able to go to the temple today! I was so grateful because we didn't get a chance to go last week because it was Memorial Day. The best thing happened when I was there.. A little old lady came up and said, "Do you need a hug from your mom?" So of course I couldn't say no to that! Every time I go to the temple my testimony grows in some way, it's amazing! 

I've loved my time here at the MTC but I couldn't be more excited to get out into the field and get to work! I'm so excited to meet President Toone and his wife. I've heard great things! Thank you for all the love and support, it means the world to me! Have a great week! I'll be enjoying the hot sun of Arizona!

Love, 

Sister Eaton

MTC- Week 1

Pre-MTC

First Week in the MTC!! :D

I can't believe I am in the MTC writing you! It seems so surreal but I have loved it so much! It's amazing how quickly the Lord teaches His missionaries. So much has happened and I don't even know what to say! So my comp. is from ENGLAND!!! It was just the best thing ever seeing how Al is going there soon! We get along great  and I love her so much even though our interests  aren't very similar. I seriously have the best zone but an even better district! The sisters in my district and I get along so well! It's been the greatest thing to room with such wonderful sisters! Besides my comp. there's Sister Derrick, Simpson, and Lassen. It amazed me how quickly you grow to love strangers when you have one purpose. So this week was what they called a "red letter" event. Which means you write the important events on your calendar in red when everything else is written in black. So the big new was that there were more sisters in the MTC than elders which has never happened before!!! We have played volleyball for gym two days this week and I love it so much! It's probably the only time that you can miss the ball and people are still telling you how great you are! I'll enjoy that while I can for the next 18 months. So we teach "investigators" which are really teachers acting as the investigators but the spirit is still so strong in the lessons! They do not brake character at all and my comp. and I treat it as if they are a real investigator. [Side note: Because my comp. is a international missionary she had the opportunity to go downtown and do a session at the SL temple and visit the conference center, tabernacle, and the statue of Christ. So I had a temporary companion Sister Simpson and she is the sweetest!] So Sis. Simpson and I were teaching Kirstie and and it was amazing how the spirit works and Kirstie was understanding the restoration. We invited her to read the BOM and to be baptized both of which she agreed to do! It was amazing to have an idea both of what happens in the field but also the happiness you get from doing the Lord's work! I'm grateful that I have this opportunity to give myself 100% to the Lord for the next 18 months. I love you so much and I'm so grateful for all the support I've received so far! We went for a temple walk yesterday and I dropped my camera... so it's temporarily out of business but I'll see if I can get a hold of some pictures and send them your way! Love you all!!!

Love, Sister Eaton