Week 9: 1st week as a trainer!

Hi everyone! I hope you guys are doing absolutely amazing and loving life. After all, what is there not to love? there are only a million reasons to be happy!!

All right so this week was so hard! Training a new missionary is a lot of work. It really is. Oh my gosh but holy cow I can't believe how much I've learned and grown in just this week alone! Being a trainer forces you to take the lead in everything and to really do everything right. So I've opened my mouth so much this week, holy cow! I had no choice haha but really and I've also learned to love and serve and show compassion so much more. We've seen a lot of success this week too! Sister York is super sweet and things are going great!
Some highlights this week:
We got to go to the temple this week and that was awesome! It's such a peaceful and happy place! I love it so much! And I got to see my old companion and my "family" aka everyone who was trained by my trainer and what not so that was super awesome. They're all spanish missionaries but hey I'm carrying on the family legacy into english!
Our ward got elders! So now there are sisters and elders in the ward and that's pretty sweet! It makes things interesting but its nice!
We got 4 new investigators this week!! It was insane but we were so happy!! We're really seeing that as we are obedient and work hard, we'll see the blessings!
Also, I had 2 dinners in one night last week...I'm gonna get so fat. not really but kinda. we went and ate at a member's house and then we had an appointment with a part member family and they brought out dinner and I was like oh crap, i'm so full. but i was like awesome thanks so much! and shoveled so much food in my mouth and then they were like do you want seconds? and i was like, i'm okay. And then they were like you don't like the cooking then? and i was like oh my gosh so I ate it and I was so so so full oh my gosh but hey Heavenly Father made it so I could eat it!!
Cool experience this week:
I went tracting (knocking on doors to share message) and in the past I HATED it. It's so awkward. but then this week, I was forced to do it and take the lead. And after we tracted a whole street, I was like woah man, I wasn't even scared. Like that wasn't a big deal! And I knew it was Heavenly Father helping me learn and grow so much so that I can be a trainer! #blessed
all right, so people. quote of the week. "in your relationships with others, look to the Savior as your example. Strive to love as He loves with unfailing compassion, patience, and mercy."
so there's what you should do this week! emulate the Savior and love others! you'll be so #blessed

love you all!!
sister tracy

Sister Tracy and her current companion, Sister York

Week 8: BIG NEWS BIG NEWS BIG NEWS

PEOPLE I AM TRAINING A BRAND NEW MISSIONARY FRESH FROM THE MTC THIS TRANSFER. what the heck???? As a new missionary, there's a 12 week program you go through and get trained! And then after, you have a possibility of training a newbie. BUT NO ONE HAS EVER TRAINED AFTER ONLY 6 WEEKS. WHAT THE HECK. The assistants to the president called me friday night and was like we'd like to ask sister tracy to train a new missionary! And I just sat down on the ground and was like WHAT?? It was insane. So I picked her up yesterday and now we're here! I'm staying in the same ward and all but holy cow I don't even know how to do this???
Whatever, I'm putting my trust in Heavenly Father and having faith that He will help me do this!! I mean I guess He trusts me if this is where I am!! But holy cow. Her name is Sister York and she's from Las Vegas! She's really sweet and we'll see how it goes. Stay tuned.

This week was THE BEST. I'm so sad Hermana King left, she's going back to spanish, but we had such a great transfer together and I know she's going to do some amazing things in spanish!!
This week was super great. We got to teach some really great investigators and some really great less actives! We're seeing some good things happening up in here and I love all these people so I'm glad I get to be here for another transfer!!
We went and talked to randos in the park this week and it was cool because I really felt prompted to talk to this guy and I did and it went really well and we should be able to go teach him this week! It was the first time I'd really felt prompted by the spirit to talk to someone and it worked out really well!!
Also, funny story of the week. If this isn't classic sister tracy, I don't know what is.
I was sitting in a lesson and I went and reached into my pocket of my skirt and somehow just pulled it and ripped open the zipper of my skirt. #blessed. I was like dying inside of laughter. I PROMISE ITS NOT BECAUSE I'VE GOTTEN FAT BECAUSE I HAVEN'T OKAY? anyway, but the lesson ended and I was just like okay and I took my time standing up and I'm just holding my skirt closed and trying not to make it obvious and I just run outside and bust out laughing and the member we took with us is like what is happening? and i was just like nothing and I was just dying oh my gosh. no worries, I fixed the skirt. but really my life is hilarious as per usual.
Anyways, I'm learning this week that we really need to trust in our Heavenly Father! He has so much of a greater plan for us than we could ever have for ourselves! So trust in Him!

ps we did face masks this week #gems and here's us with on of our favorite families ever and then me and hermana king's last picture together :(, and then my new companion!

okay, have a great week! much love to you all!!
sister tracy

Week 7: last week of the transfer!

What is up everyone? I feel like I always start my emails the same but get over it. I don't have much time to think and be creative. I hope you guys are having the best week of your lives! Also, sorry, yesterday was labor day so the library was closed so we email today!

Well things are the best, as per usual. Not too much exciting this week. 
I went on exchanges in a spanish area again and that was fun! I actually said some spanish of my own free will without any help and even prayed in spanish so basically I'm a professional. sike, I'm glad I'm in english haha but we found this huge wooden winney the pooh statue in someone's front yard so obviously we took a picture
We had zone p day last monday and that was SO FUN. We went bowling and it was seriously so great! We did lots of fun things and it was so great! And then we played some chair soccer in the church so that was awesome and I have a pretty great zone!
And lets see, we also had another zone p day with another zone yesterday because hermana king is over 2 zones so we are technically part of both. We went and played baseball but with a tennis racket and tennis balls and had a BBQ but it started raining like crazy and pouring in the middle of it but we kept playing and stuck it out because that's the kind of missionaries we are haha but it was super fun and I was so glad that I was wearing a white shirt #blessed
And I got to go to MLCs this week which is mission leadership conference so its the president and his wife and the assistants to the president and then the zone leaders and the sister training leaders. they invited me to go as hermana king's companion and it was pretty cool to see how it all works! we got to have counsels and learn how to be better leaders and what not so that was super cool! And then at one point, they started calling on people to bear testimonies and of course, they asked me to and I was TERRIFIED in front of all these old missionaries but the Spirit took over and I could really feel the Spirit so strongly so that was pretty awesome. The Spirit is the true teacher, lets be real. 

Anyways, I've been reading on the Atonement this week, and holy cow, it is amazing. I found this quote that I just love:
"Every challenge you face, every hard thing you confront, every bad thing that happens to you, every unfairness, every sadness, tragedy, every disappointment and heartache, every temptation and every opposition happens for one purpose only: to give you opportunity to respond by applying in your life the teachings of Jesus. As you do so, you are changed to become more like Him."
So the true question is: how are you going to respond?

ps, I also got a nice picture of me preaching to the squirrels this week hahahahaha I had to take that one guy's advice.

I love you all!

Sister Tracy

also there's a picture of my zone with elder zwick from last week!

Week 6: general authorities and a baptism #blessed

HELLO TO EVERYONE! I can't believe everyone has basically started school again! That's CRAZY. It's hard to believe that there is actually a regular life going on outside of this haha but I hope everyone is doing so super amazing in school! Keep at it.

Well this week was great! We definitely had some struggles and some really hard times but we also saw so many miracles and I really felt my testimony strengthened so much. Well for one, we had a general authority come to our mission!!! His name is Elder Zwick and he's a member of the 70. Go read his talk, "The Lord thy God Will Hold thy Hand" because it is the best. Anyways, he was literally the best and I learned so so much and he really strengthened my testimony and gave me a new resolve to work harder and be better. This quote was the best from his 5 year old grandkid: "if you stay close to Jesus, Jesus will stay close to you." it's like boom yeah that's right. Everyone remember that. And Elder Zwick talked about establishing a sure foundation, one built on Christ (helaman 5:12-SCRIPTURE MASTERY) and that we can't get complacent, we have to keep moving forward and getting better and trying to get better! How awesome is that??
In other news, I went on exchanges in a spanish area and that was interesting hahah those 2 years of spanish in high school paid off because I could at least understand what they were saying but in no way could I actually speak a word of it so I just sat there like a white girl all day hahha it was hilarious but a really great learning experience and its cool because I could still feel the Spirit really strongly even though I had no idea what was going on haha I feel for all you missionaries speaking another language
Also, WE HAD ANOTHER BAPTISM! #BLESSED His name is John and he's literally the cutest old man. I love him so much. It was such a spiritual baptism and he's just the best. I know he'll be such a great addition to this ward and the church! And our recent convert Felicia who was baptized 3 weeks ago gave a killer talk at the baptism and I was just like #crying basically because I was so happy for how much the gospel has blessed her life, even in the past 3 weeks!! enjoy the awkward picture of us since we can't actually stand close to him because you know, rules and all.
Also, Felicia our recent convert cut our hair, so enjoy a picture of me and hermana king post hair cut looking presh as per usual.
Y'all, God knows your name! He knows what you're going through and everything you need help with and He will be there for you! That's something I for sure learned this week so just remember that and remember to have a 24 hour smile! Love you all!

Sister Tracy
~~~~~~~~~
Allison references a talk by W. Craig Zwick.  If you would like to read it, it can be found here:   https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2003/10/the-lord-thy-god-will-hold-thy-hand?lang=eng

Week 5: can't stop laughing or teaching

Hello everyone!! I hope you guys are doing well and that school and everything is going great!!!

Happy monday!! this week has been the greatest! I know I always say that, but this was definitely the best week of my mission thus far!! I had so many good times, saw so many miracles, and learned so so much. I've never worked harder or had more faith. I'm a totally different missionary this week than I was a week ago and its so much for the better!

A couple highlights!
1. We got to go to the temple! We go once a month and we got to go this week! It was the greatest and I could really feel the Spirit and I feel like I had so much more of a different and more meaningful and spiritual experience this time! It truly is the house of the Lord and it brings me so much strength.
2. We got to do service at a food bank! It was really really fun and I loved it! Service is the best.
3. We got 2 new investigators this week!! It was really amazing! Hermana King made me talk at one of the doors and then she let us in and we taught the whole restoration and we're going back next week! It was such a miracle!
4. I went on 3 exchanges this week! I feel like I'm never home haha I'm always in other peoples areas but its okay because I get the chance to learn so much from other people and how they teach and to get to know other people and their areas! I've been so blessed this week!
5. Our investigator, John passed his baptismal interview so he's going to be baptized this saturday!!! We're so excited for him and he is such a great example to me. that's the picture where we're doing the peace sign but it's actually an number 2 for baptism number 2!
6. We worked so so hard this week. We planned really effectively and we worked so hard and prayed so much for chances to teach this week! And it paid off! As we put our faith in God and really gave it our all, our teaching almost doubled and we saw so much success! And it was all thanks to Heavenly Father providing us with those opportunities. It was so amazing! Obedience and giving your all to God really really pays off. It was so great and God is so great!

OKAY PEOPLE THE FUNNIEST THING EVER HAPPENED THIS WEEK.
So we went to a member's house for dinner and after dinner we shared a message about missionary work because hello, we're missionaries. So then I was like what does missionary work mean to you? and he was like well you know it means to me that you share the gospel with everyone! And that I also believe that like in the book of Mark, it says the gospel should be preached to every creature. So he proceeds to tell us that a squirrel came onto the front porch so he started preaching the gospel to it and then it jumped into his hands and he let it come live with him. And he read the Book of Mormon to it and it would listen. And then it lived with him for 6 months. He told us he would show us pictures next time, so I'm really looking forward to that. It took everything for me not to bust out laughing in the middle of the lesson. But I mean, hey, we should strive to be good missionaries I suppose! It was just very amusing.

okay so some spiritual thoughts so you can be enriched by these lovely emails.
I was reading about charity this week! Go read 1 Corinthians 13. It's so good. this quote from true to the faith is so great: "In your relationships with others, look to the Savior as your example. Strive to love as He loves, with unfailing tender compassion, patience, and mercy." Charity is the pure love of Christ and it never faileth. so my challenge for you guys this week is to try to develop more charity! Allow the pure love of Christ to influence your life and others' lives!

love you all!!

Sister Tracy

Week 4: how is time flying so fast??

Hello everyone! I hope y'all are doing super amazing!

I feel like I just emailed you guys yesterday but apparently it was a week ago...time seriously flies here!! I'll hit my month mark this coming week!! How does that happen?? I can't believe how fast time goes.
So this week was super great! I mean we definitely had a lot of hard moments but we also had some pretty amazing things happen. Being on a mission is seriously the happiest thing in the world and I love it so much!!

Tuesday was Hermana King's birthday so we got to go eat at applebees with some other sisters and it was so so fun! I made her a cake and we partied...sort of haha there's not much partying on the mission but who am I kidding, the work itself is a party enough haha I love Hermana King so much! She's seriously the greatest.
Also Colorado has the most beautiful sunsets and skies and lightning storms and it is seriously the greatest. And I saw a whole field full of prairie dogs and it was the coolest thing ever! This place is beautiful!!
We had a trainer/trainee meeting on saturday with the mission president and it was super good but it was nice because I got to see all the people I was in the MTC with!! So that's the picture of the girl, Sister Dennis, with brown hair that's not my companion haha
And then we also went on exchanges on saturday! So I got to go with the sweetest girl, Sister Netherton, the blonde girl in the picture. So it was cool to teach with another missionary and to be in her area to switch things up! Everyone here is just the sweetest and I love them all!!

So our investigators are doing super well!
One named John came to church again and he's getting ready to be baptized on the 29th! So he's the cutest old man and I love teaching him! He really has a good testimony and loves talking about the gospel and I just love him!
Another is named Julie and she is so sweet! She has a 6 year old boy and a less active husband. But they finally came to church this week!!!! And I was so so happy because I think they could really feel the Spirit. She's set to be baptized in September and I am just so happy for her and her family. You can really tell that the gospel is making a huge difference in their family and I just love seeing that difference.
We're also teaching a sweet lady named Mabel and you can tell she's finally starting to get it and I know she's feeling the Spirit so I really hope she continues to progress. I just love all of them so much! We also get to teach a lot of less actives and I really love going and visiting them and helping them feel the Spirit again and hopefully helping them to have that desire to come back to church.

Okay people, I just wanted to point out that this week, I've seen time and time again how aware God is of each and every one of us! He knows what we're going through and what we need and He is always there for us. Just remember that.
Also, this week, we learned how important obedience is. We were put in a situation where we could have been super disobedient but we chose not to be even though it was super awk but I'm so glad we were obedient. We could definitely see the blessings from it. I learned the importance of making the decision beforehand to be obedient so that way when you're put in a situation where you could do the wrong thing, you don't have to debate what you're going to do. You just do the right thing. So that's my challenge this week! Decide now to do what's right and you'll be so blessed!!

Keep being good! I love you all!!

Sister Tracy

Celebrating Hermana King's birthday

Sister Dennis, friend from the MTC

Going on splits with Sister Netherton 

Sister Tracy and Hermama King

Week 3: too many miracles #blessed

Hello to everyone! I hope you guys are seriously all doing amazing because you all are the best.

So this week has been AMAZING. Seriously so many miracles this week. First full week in the field and it has gone really really well! I haven't even freaked out or cried or anything haha I cried in the MTC but I'm happy to say that I haven't cried the whole time I've been out here hahaha mostly probably because of my super awesome companion Hermana King. She seriously takes such good care of me and helps me so much and we get along really well and have a lot of fun together.

Denver is so so pretty! I love the mountains and just everything about it! I'm really enjoying my time here! It's so amazing how much I've been blessed this week and this work really just does bring so so much happiness. It's such a blessing to be able to give my whole life to this work and to really see how much God blesses me and those around me.

So some highlights from this week:

1. We committed an investigator to baptism on September 12th!! Her name is Julie and she is seriously the sweetest. Her husband is a less active member and she's never been a member and she's so receptive and you can tell she really feels the Spirit. So we'll keep teaching her and hope all goes well there! We also have another older man named John on baptismal date for August 29th so I really hope all goes through there too!! This work is so great

2. We had a baptism on Saturday! It was for this amazing girl named Felicia. She has 2 little kids and she's seriously so great. We only got to teach her the last couple lessons this week but you can see how much she has changed and what a difference the gospel has made in her life and I love her so much! It's such a beautiful thing to see that change and happiness in her life that comes from the gospel

3. We have like 800+ people on our ward roster and only 120 members so there is A TON of work to do haha so we've had some amazing times this week visiting less actives. There were a couple that we would just randomly pick to go visit and they would be like so grateful and talking about how much they needed us that day and each time, it was just such a testimony to me how much God prepares people and how we can be an answer to someone's prayer

4. Since my companion is a Sister Training Leader, she had a bunch of meetings on Friday so we went on exchanges and I went with a girl who came out the same time as me so they sent off 2 greenies on their own haha I was nervous but we actually got to teach a ton of lessons and every time I opened my mouth, it was always filled. That is such an amazing feeling and I love it and I'm so grateful for the Spirit

5. Okay this will be the last one so this isn't too long haha sorry...me and my companion realized we were wearing almost the exact same skirt on sunday and she looked at the shirt I was wearing and was like I have a shirt just like that! So she put it on and then we were matching and it was super cute haha all the members at church thought it was just so presh and lets be real, it was. But then we went tracting and after that, it didn't seem like such a good idea haha I felt like all the people whose doors we knocked on were like what the heck is with these weirdo matching mormons? haha we didn't have that much success that day but that's okay haha it was hilarious so we took a picture on our digital camera self timer hahhahaah so cool


okay one last thought to be sort of spiritual. so this cute 3 year old boy from one of the members dinner appointments, as we were leaving he yelled to us: "BE SAFE! BE GOOD!" and for some reason it really struck me! That's what I want to leave with y'all today! As you do your best to be good, God will truly bless you so much and your life will be so much happier! So that's my challenge this week: be safe and be good!

I LOVE YOU ALL

Sister Tracy