Week 22: We're not in Tacoma anymore Toto

 Shelton first is the exact opposite of Lincoln Ward, Tacoma, it literally could not get any more different. In Lincoln there were people to talk to we averaged about 175 street contacts a week. This week we got 7, no that is not a typo. Seven people for the entire week! This is a very different place than I have been in really ever. My area covers a huge chunk of the mission geographically, but a very small amount population-wise. The minute we drove into the area it hit me hard, I'm most certainly not in Tacoma anymore! It is crazy to see the differences only a few miles can make!

    I can't honestly tell you much more about my life right now, my new companion, Sister Philippi, has been sick since Wednesday. I have memorized every nook and crany of my little house, watched every movie in the apartment, read 140 pages of Jesus the Christ, and colored several complex pages in my coloring book. Essentially I am BORED out of my mind. Hopefully this next week will bring more missionary work and less twiddling my thumbs trying to figure out how to fill my time.

All my love,

Sister Megan Monson

Leaving Tacoma for the unknown

Driving toward Shelton Washington

Sister Hyde

Goodbye Sister Webb, wonderful companion

Barb

Bisop and Sister Anderson

The Scott's

Sister Lee

Week 21: Better Promises

The other day I heard a song on my USB that I hadn't heard ever before, which is really too bad because it basically describes my time in Lincoln. It's called "Better Promises" by Hillary Weeks, and you should all listen to it because it so perfectly describes life. As I was listening to it the chorus really struck me,

"You gave me bread

But I thought it was a stone,

And before you could tell me yes,

You had to tell me no.

If you had given me what I wanted,

I would not have seen

That you had better promises for me."

I won't even lie, six weeks ago I was a brat, I did not want to stay in Lincoln and I fought against it so hard. But I didn't get my wish. I got what Heavenly Father wanted for me and I am so grateful that He knows so much better than I do. I have been so blessed to have the opportunity to stay in this amazing place for four months of my mission. I have made friendships that will last for eternity and I have learned to rely on my Savior more than I ever have before. And now, I am leaving.

     Saturday afternoon we got a call that said "Sister Monson you will be transferring to the Shelton first ward. And Sister Webb will be staying." I didn't expect to be so sad! So this week has been full of good-byes and tears! So not fair that they leave you until you love it so much that you never want to leave and then they make you go!

    The miracle of this week was the Keesee family. On Sister Johansen's (one of my roommates) last week I got to go knocking with her, and if you ever have the chance to go knocking with a missionary on their last week, you do it. So we prayed about it and we chose to knock a street that I have now knocked three times. And as we knocked we came to a door that I had little hope for, having been turned down both times before. But this time someone else answered the door, and they were interested and their whole family is now on date to be baptized! I never expected to find anyone on that street, who knew we would find the most ready family? Man, I love missionary work!

I love you all!

Sister Megan Monson

Ben, Chantell and Becky

The Braggs family-goodbye

The Bakers

Ben and Chantelle, Sis Monson, Becky and Sis Webb

the dog Bently

Sis McConnell and Bently

Sis McConnell goodbye

The Bakers-goodbye

Lincoln city streets

adorable sisters

Sis Webb and Sis Monson

investigators at church

Sister Guinup goodbye

Sis Hatch goodbye

new little house

Week 20: Just a Spoonful of Sugar

   

adorable missionaries

Or maybe a *little* bit more... Apparently no one wants their leftover Halloween candy, which naturally means that the missionaries do. Every house we go to holds out a bowl full of cavity-makers. I mean, it's a nice gesture, but I think I will die if I eat another bite of some sugary substance! We have a big container in our car right now where all the candy goes for later and it is constantly full, I am probably going to have to run TWO miles every morning instead of just one!

   This week a miracle happened, no small feat mind you. Since I got to Lincoln I have been doing service for a less active named Barb. And to be honest, sometimes Barb uses us as unpaid gardeners. I have literally weeded the same strip of yard five or six times. And I was starting to worry that it would all come to naught. But this week after we did service for Barb she told us that she was seriously thinking about coming to church on Sunday, my natural response was to flippantly think that she was just getting our hopes up. But then we got talking and she admitted that she just really needed someone who cared enough to even just save her a seat. Knowing that the seat next to me and Sister Webb would likely be empty, I promised Barb that she would always have a seat right next to us. So I got crafty, which if you know me is very unlike me, and I made a little sign that says "For Barb." (I wish I had taken a picture!) And the most miraculous thing that happened was... She came. After Sacrament she told us that she had been told by multiple people to "stand up for what she believes in" and, with tears in her eyes, told us that it clicked in her head that she needed to stand up for the church too. Barb came and stayed all three hours, and she promised to come back again and again. It is sometimes so HARD to do what is right, I can see that! I have a book of rules that I agreed to follow and sometimes I don't want to! But I know, I know, That as we do what is right we will be blessed!

Have a great week!

As they say in Washington "Stay dry!"

trying to stay dry...

Sister Megan Monson

(Editor: As I read this letter I cried! Miracles happen, prayers really are answered an hard work, even weeding, brings about blessings)

yuck! bad spider

snail

District pic

dinner!

dinner with the Hatch family

Week 19: Good things and Bad things

What do missionaries do on Halloween night? Watch a movie at the church and go home early...

Halloween Night

Halloween Night activity

 Once in a while a week just kind of isn't good, it isn't bad, it just... is. That was this week, it wasn't predominantly anything, it was an equal parts mixture of good and bad things. Matt Smith describes it perfectly:

“The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don’t always spoil the good things and make them unimportant.”

    Often enough you run into people who have preconceived notions about you, before you even talk with them they decide they do not like you and don't want anything to do with what you have to say. We ran into a lot of those kinds of people this week. People who will yell at you for an hour straight, telling you that you are wrong, that the testimony that you have means nothing, and that hurts. People, even members, tend to forget that missionaries are still people too, that we live and breathe and that we feel the pain that comes with being rejected over and over and over again.

    When Joseph Smith was in Liberty Jail (what a great oxymoron they named a jail after a word that means to be free) he cried out to his Father in Heaven and was comforted with "My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thing afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high." 

     Sometimes it's hard to be told "no" at every door, by every person. But sometimes someone says yes, once in a while people will say, "Come in!" and they will tell you that they don't normally answer the door, or that they are usually the mean person who tells the missionaries to go away. Except today they decided not to, today they decided that they wanted to learn. That doesn't mean that something will come of it, but even if nothing happens, at least I gained more teaching experience. At this point I am a pro at teaching lesson one!

   I pray that you may all have more good things than bad things, and that you will laugh more than you cry!

All my love to you,

Sister Megan Monson

Zone Pday last week-Bowling!

see Sis Monson right in the middle