October 29, 2012

From: Jade Swayne <jade.swayne@myldsmail.net>
Subject: Re: Fw: Pitstop
To: "Penny Paxman" <paxmanp@yahoo.com>
Date: Monday, October 29, 2012, 2:25 PM

Hey Mom :)

 

Happy Monday. I hope things are well out there. I hear that it's snowing?! It's crazy to think that it's that time again. I did recieve my winter clothes and the Driving record. Thank you thank you! It came just in time because the weather has just decided to get cold. Sister Stewart and I are snake children together which basically means that we are always cold! Our apartment is warm and we also have this little space heater that keeps our toesie warm while we do our 3 hour study session each morning.

 

Which reminds me! I never gave you a run down on what it is that Sister Stewart and I do each day. Well, shame on me! let's change that :)

 

This is our Sista Missionary schedule

 

6:00 am Rise and shine. We get up every morning and go to the track at Miymura High school. it's about 5 minutes away from our place

7:00 am come home. Sister Stewart showers while I eat breakfast and do my personal study for an hour. Then when she is ready at 8 I get in the shower while she eats and does personal study.

9:00 am We say a prayer to open up our companionship study. In which study, we read from the little white handbook (3 pages a day) then we discuse what we did in personal study. Our mission president has asked us to read the B.O.M 30 mintues each day. and as a companionship we have decided to study Preach my Gospel each day. After discussing our study we talk about our plans for the day, which we have previously scheduled on planning day (every Friday we plan out our lessons for the week. this takes about 4 hours)

10:00 we do the 12-week trainning program. Since Sister Stewart is my trainner we have to do this trainning program each day. I actually like it :)

11:00 we finish studying. and hit the streets because it's time to teach! We go out a either find people to teach, teach less active members, teach recent converts or investigators.

1 pm Lunch time. Then more teaching/finding/service until dinner

5 or 6 Dinner time

7pm back to teaching

9 or 9:30 We have to be back to the apartment.

9:30-10 We review our daily goals and record whether we meet them or not. Write down the progress of those we teach in our record book. Plan our schedule for the next day

10:00 get ready for bed. pray. write in journal.

10:30 Lights out!

 

 

Man, that's even exhausting to write haha. It's a long day but wow...they fly by so fast!

 

We had alot of our investigators come to church these past rwo weeks and we hope to find more people to teach because our pool is very limited right now and we are having a hard time scheduling appointments. So please keep us in your prayers with hopes that we will find people that are ready for the Gospel.

 

There are alot of great people out here in Gallup. They have alot of struggles ranging from intense poverty, abuse, alcholism, drug abuse, lack of education, depression ( this is probably the saddest place I have ever been...it is really important that you have a stock supply of internal happiness because the stories we hear and the faces we see are all very depressing), and the common idea that nobody needs the Gospel in their lives. It's so different here...but I am glad to know that Heavenly Father believed/ believes in me enough to send me to such a sad sad place with the idea that I can do some good here.

 

So no doubt, this is a tough tough mission area. But I have hope..The Gospel will be the beez-kneez of Gallup someday :) just wait and see.

 

 

I love all of you! and appreciate your letters more than you will ever know. Gallup is a deppressing place, but your letters are like little packets of sunshine that keep me above all of the sadness that cankers this land so heavily. So again, thank you thank you! Keep in touch and stay safe.

 

God lives, I know this without a doubt.His work is alive and well out here in Gallup. And I pray that you will all allow His work to be alive in your hearts as well.

 Love Sister Swayne