Catching M&Ms from a spoon with Sister Poulson

San Angelo sun

hey kiddos.

Another week has come and gonnnne... Its been a good one, hot. Sometimes I feel like my hair is baking. Standing outside in 100+ degrees heats up dark hair really quickly.

We have been visiting the members more often than we used to and trying get our investigators from referrals rather than just knocking doors. It's something that President Augustin has emphasized. Its been cool to see how much more solid they are due to the fact that they have member friends and already know some of the basics. Five out of our six new 'gators are friends of branch members!! It's been fun. I love teaching with friends of our investigators. Rachel, a military member in our branch, introduced us to Andrew. I have never met someone more willing to experiment on the word. We extend commitments and he eats them up!! The sisters and I met with him last night and have another meeting with him on Friday.

Before I forget, transfers are next Wednesday, so don't send any snail mail letters after Saturday. I may or may not be here!! By the sounds of it, there are no sisters leaving and none coming into the mission so they might just keep things as they are. I have a hunch I won't be here...... whatever that means. I guess we will see! I don't think i am ready to leave momma Tall. Well, correction. I think I would be just fine to transfer, I just love serving with her!

Update on a young mother we are teaching. Last time we saw her, we taught her how to pray out loud. She hesitated and said it wasn't her thing. She often expresses how she wants what is best for her baby to the point of only playing certain types of music genres for him, reading the Book of Mormon to him and praying for him. To help her understand the power of vocal prayer, I told her how much I loved hearing my name in the family prayers my mom offered. There is something special about hearing a parent pray for their child individually. Those prayers gave me strength, a spiritual foundation, and validation from my mom. The mom we're teaching loves talking about families. After that, she had no reservations and offered our closing prayer. I couldn't help but open my eyes and watch her carefully pick her sincere words as her baby slept on her chest. I know I am a sap, but I love it. The spirit was strong. Investigators like these make the rough lessons and awkward moments worth it. :) It's exciting to plan lessons for her family specifically.

Everyone is leaving out branch!! We are coming to the end of the summer and most of our young member missionaries are leaving for college, missions, another military base or what have you. I guess their lives don't revolve around helping the missionaries. Odd.

We get to go to institute weekly if we bring an investigator. Brother Jeppson is AMAZING. His lessons are so simple, yet so powerful. He's hilarious yet so close to the spirit. Its definitely a highlight. As of last night, after months of pulling teeth(not literally), the military relations missionaries have organized an institute class on the Goodfellow institute base. So far we have 6 students, but many potentials. Its difficult for members to get on and off base due to transportation and schedule so this will ensure that they are able to attend institute. An on base institute class is kind of a break through! Brother and Sister fields are great teachers and we already have three 'gators who said they will attend next week.

I made bread this morning for breakfast. A cinnamon loaf and an Italian loaf. One looks like bread, the other like.... no bread. But they both taste great!

We are back to running in the a.m. 3 days of the week and the other 3 we play basketball. That's right, Sister Orr is playing basketball. I have NEVER liked the sport but after being forced to join by sister Wilson, I am not too shabby. Funny how that works.

that's the update!!!! If you want to know about anything else, let me know. questions? comments? concerns? heh.

love you all

sister Orr.

Quote of the week: "Ecclesiastes sounds like little nasties." -Sis. Wilson, haha

PS!

went to my firts mariachi band concert!! it was awesome!

Lord Love Texas!

Hello.

Zone conference over the last two days was awesome. I had no idea how much a spiritual boost was needed. We had interviews with president on Wednesday and went out on spilts that evening. I knocked doors with Sis. Gibson, the Sr comp for the Abilene sisters. I learned alot from how she teaches. Its almost like adding more tools to the missionary toolbox. :) I used to hate knocking doors, but as of late it has become fun. Talking to people about Christ really softens the wall strangers put up. By the end of the doorstep lesson, whether or not they accept a return visit, their very disposition has changed.

I love serving in texas because religion is real. Its not just, "Hey sweet! Church!" Its a relationship with our Creator. Everything we teach revolves around Christ and adds to their foundation in Him they've already started to form. Love love love it.

I feel like I don't write home enough about spiritual experiences. Partially because it is hard for me to capture them in the format of an email without down playing them, also because its not uncommon to sit by someone in the library who is listening to metal music too loud for their earphones. Super bugs. Kills the spirit.

Last week, the sisters and I had some extra time after a district meeting and decided to knock some apartments before our next appointment. The very first door we knocked was answered by a young mom with her 5 week old baby. Cutest little guy EVVVER (besides nephew North, of course). She was so open and didn't have that hesitation that most people do when three overdressed people randomly show up on their front step.

Over the course of the conversation, we learned that she makes her choices based on how she feels after she prays about things and has some hesitations about the church she is attending. When we asked if she has been baptized, she told us that she hasn't because she is still looking for the right person to do it. "Just because you are clergy doesn't mean you can baptize someone..." Every once in a blue moon, we come across people like her who are LOOKING for the truth and are beyond ready to receive it. Sometimes we even become a little stumbled because they take it in faster than we can teach them about it.

On our second appointment, we taught her about how through Jesus Christ her family can be together forever- the Plan of Salvation. I love teaching that lesson. God is so mindful of where we are in life as individuals. By the end of the lesson, sister Tall gave me the look that I know all too well. So, I looked at the young mom and asked her if she would pray to know if what we had taught her is true and if she would be be baptized by someone who does have that authority from God. She said yes!!!!! She proceeded to tell us that we were answer to prayer and that she and her husband have started reading the Book of Mormon nightly. I cried, she cried, Sister Wilson cried, and Sister Tall smiled. Because she has more control than the rest of us. After the lesson, I learned something. My comps were telling me how well i taught and how powerful the invite was, but I didn't want to accept it. It wasn't ME! The words were given to me by the spirit and that is how this young mom learned it. It would be taking taking the glory for myself to say that my teaching simply came from intelligence or experience of my own. We aren't here on our own errand, its the Lord's and I love it. We are so excited to keep teaching her. She is so sweet.

So, I went over to Harbor Freight last week and bought dental tools for $5 and some latex gloves. It's a nerdy dream come true. I miss dental work!!!! But I got my fix cleaning Sister Tall's and Wilson's teeth the other day. A win-win, if you will.

love you all.

Outta time.

peace like a river *ppssssssst*

sister orr

:)

Hey family!!

This week has been really awesome. Most of our appointments were kept and we have had lots of members to come teach and knock doors with us. I ADORE the members in our branch!! it is so fun to take 18-20 year olds out with us. Some of them are preparing to go on missions and others college so we can really relate with them.

It is going to be hard when the day comes for me to leave this area. It makes me miss hope and jill, because they are about the same age of our adopted jr companions. This week has gone by faster than expected. i really can't believe it's p-day already. OH! Before I forget, next week we are traveling to Abeline for a two day zone conference so p-day will be on Friday instead. Just a heads up.

I have been meaning to tell you about our friend Betty, a woman Sister T and I met a week or two after we moved here.

During one of our first p-days, we found ourselves in a cute antique store. This isn't your average damaged-furniture-old-smelly-stuff antique store.

"Antiques And" (odd name, i know), is nestled between thrift stores and abandoned buildings in the center of historic San Angelo. Inside, wall to wall shelves are chromatically adorned with trinkets of the past and paper thin china garnished with artwork outlived by their illustrators. Though it looks like a humble shop from the street, further investigation proves otherwise. Though moderate in width, this store runs deep and has high celines. Like a foundry building full of displayed treasures disguised as nothing but a walkin shop.

We could have perused for hours, but we were distracted by an abrupt greeting from the owner. Betty refers to herself as "THE Betty Brown".

She is in her late 70's and has more stories and experiences than probably her whole antique collection combined. Mrs. Brown pointed to our black tags and said "You! I need to talk to you two!" I honesty thought it would lead to a doctrinal conversation. We sat down with her and she told us about a Mormon man she had known 40 years ago in San Angelo who she wanted to contact. "You Mormons are better networked than anyone. Can you find him for me? He changed my life and I need to thank him." All she had to assist us in our search was his full name and the last year he lived here. We took the info and started on our search. While we were brainstorming how we would start such an investigating, I recalled someone who we had visited not 3 days prior who claimed to have lived here since she was baptized back in the 1960's. We called her, and to our astonishment found out that her family is close to that of this man and that she has just got off the phone with exactly who Betty has been searching for. We were able to gather contact information and bring it back to Betty the following p-day.

Over the last 2 months, we have become good friend. Though we have referred her over to the elders that are over the area in which she lives, the sisters and I try to visit her weekly. Just yesterday we helped her clean her shop and do tasks that are physically difficult for her. She is so sweet. Betty gives us water whenever we pop in for a quick Hello and introduces us to all of her customers as her "Nice Mormon friends." :) We have been able to share the gospel with her during our short visits and helping her with whatever she needs. She reminds me of Jean. Full of life and stories. Sometimes her husband will come in the shop and honk the horn on his walker so we will go talk to him. It's easier to be away from home when you begin to really love the people you work with.

The Warren Jeffs court case has been a big deal here.

I guess he has been saying things that really ruffle the feathers of local religious folk. We have had difficulty teaching people about a modern day prophet because Jeffs is the first reference they think about. Satan is really working to destroy the work by confusing the doctrine.

We have to clear up misconceptions about Mormons ("we aren't THOSE Mormons, there are different kinds. We are not affiliated.... polygamy?? No! No we don't...") I don't mind teaching and explaining it. It is just really frustrating when they aren't willing to hear the truth because of what they have heard. Its really sad. But I have strengthened my own testimony in even the harshest conversations just from testifying. We just hope that the spirit penetrate the hearts of those we share it with. Satan sucks. No joke. Sometimes missionary work really feels like a battle.

As initial for little sister Wilson, I called an Indian wrestle match last night after planning.

It was AWESOME! There was even war paint involved. I will email a picture or two. :) Sister Wilson is awesome.

She has a set of lungs! Sometimes when she sings in the shower, i try to harmonize from the other room where no one can hear.

We like to have her sing after some of our lessons. So talented.

Outta time. I love the work!! Thank you for your prayers. What do you want to hear about? Questions i should answer in my next email?

loooveeee you all

sister orr

From the Great Brown South to the Great White North!

How is Canada?? Can't be nearly as fun as teaching people in 110 degrees here in beautiful dusty Texas, eh? hahah. Take pictures please :)

Last week was the cleansing week all in preparation for this week.

We have found several people who have been looking for something more AND our progressing investigators are moving a mile a minute. The guy i mentioned last week, who basically read the whole Book of Mormon in 2 weeks, is still a joy to work with. Sometimes I have to refrain from throwing too much on him. "This talk I just read! He needs to read it!!!!!" "Great ah-ha moment, we should tell him about it!!!!" "Think he would read Jesus the Christ if we gave it to him??" The gospel is true and the spirit drives us to share it with others... within reason. Trying not to smother the poor guy. We did watch Elder Holland's "Safety for the Soul" talk online with him. THAT was powerful. I am convinced Elder Holland shook the powers of Hell with that majestic address. Simple, bold and ever so determined. The spirit is key.

While knocking we met a devout catholic woman who majors in history. As we spoke with her about her beliefs, we discovered that she has never read the bible (she hasn't even OPENED IT to read a passage) nor ever plans to.

This was unreal. How can you claim to be devout if you refuse to read God's word? And she was a history major...

Not only is the Bible the most influential book known to the human race, but NATIONS are founded on this ancient script!!! Come on, if not for religious purposes, at least make it part of your curriculum in the name of your major! Baaaaaah! People have so much within their reach that they wont take advantage of. We tried to teach her the importance of scriptures. Sometimes it is hit and miss.

I was part of my first Bible bash the other day. My thoughts? Counterproductive and wrong. Nick was a nice guy, majoring in Music, who we found while knocking and invited us to come back the next day. Luckily we didn't go on splits and brought the great wise sister tall with us. He asked us to sit down and offered us drinks, which we kindly refused. It looked as if we has walked into a great teaching setting. FALSE. He pulled out the Book of Mormon we gave him and proceeded to tell us why Joseph smith was this and that, and all the fallacies in the Book of Mormon that he came across while reading it. It was obvious that he didn't read it, he just looked up the references he came across on an anti site. Growl. He even went to the extent to create a false history major degree and frame it. It was obviously printed and we all laugh about it now. It wasn't 15 minutes before sister tall interrupted and told him kindly that we would not teach someone who insists on attacking rather than asking and we left. He kept talking and telling us to come back and watch some video of his until the moment i closed the door behind us. It was flustering.

I love this work. I really do.

One of our new investigators asked us if he could have his own Book of Mormon during the first lesson and is excited to come to church with us this Sunday. He has been studying to become a youth minister and knows the bible really well. Those lessons are the BEST, because everything we believe is in the bible also.

I have never loved the good book as much as I do now. Its awesome to see how the Book of Mormon and the Bible work together so well.

out of time!!!

love you all. I look forward to the mailed letters :)

Sister rachel

Quotes of the week:

"This here state is fixin' to burn up right quick!!"

"I would never smoke. I can't stand things around met hat smell... Heck, I can't even paint my own toenails!!"

Boys and girls, Scouts and scouters.....

Family mail... famil e-mail. Famile-mail?

Okay. so.... i left myself 10 minutes to write this email after writing personal emails. hahaha. So its gonna be SHORT and SWEET!!

This has been the week of cleansing, which is a positive way to say that we have had to drop some investigators and... we have been dropped by a few also. The few that we are really progressing continue to, but those who are on the fence quickly dissipate. High turn over in student communities.

We stopped in on our favorite investigator to see how his reading has been going.

The previous week we challenged him to start from the beginning of the Book of Mormon. When we asked how far he had read he said, "I'm almost done with Ether..." WHAAAT??? I sang the song... "first and second books of nephi, Jacob Enos Jarom omni..... ALL of those??" Yupp. I wasn't sure if I should be astounded or set that as the new expectation. It just didn't seem fit to say "Great. Thats what we expected..." because it was miles farther. So exciting.

I learned yesterday what a "do-rag" is. And got severely made fun of for it. So what if I grew up as a majority???? SO much to learn.....

Sister Wilson is awesome.

She is SO powerful in her teaching. She has a thick laugh that keeps the rest of us happy. Its not very common to have a missionary be able to teach that boldly when they are greenie. Its been really fun. We do splits sometimes and let sister tall take a member so she and I can knock doors together.

We have been growing avocado pits. Well, we think they are growing. Apparently it takes a while? Their names are Mrs. Renfro and Verde, named after the salsa jars in which they currently reside. Endearing, really. Mr. Butterworths, our pinapple, got tossed this morning. Instead of sprouting it molded. Nast. Super nast.

Being in a trio is cool, but it has its challenges. It really forces you to choose your words wisely because you don't get a whole lot of time to talk. hahah. I am learning to testify simply and powerfully; and sometimes just keep my mouth shut.

We got to make the sacrament bread a few weeks ago! Its a cool way to serve.

There is a new trend here in Texas that is...... interesting.

Please tell me it isn't flooding Utah also. Hair feathers? Like, goin' to a salon to get an actually shower-washable, 6 weeks lasting FEATHER weaved into your hair? Don't partake. Puleeeze.

anways, i love you all. I have more stories. We have become really good Friends with an antique store owner and bake for her often. Warren Jeffs is going to stand trial in our fair city, San Ang! Something happened to the waterlines so we cant even brush our teeth in city water. Spend Saturday night in the E.R. unexpectedly; its a good story and i have scars to prove it. How are those cliffhangers???

until next week!

rachel

Walked way from transfers with a treat and a little Sister.

Olah kids.

I didn't really keep a running list of what to write about this week... so it may be shorter and less entertaining than the norm.

Last Thursday we had a zone conference in Abilene.

Prior to traveling there, we were notified that we would be trading our clean low mileage sister car for a dirty high mileage elder car. Gross. Don't get me wrong, Elders are great and not all created equal, but nevertheless they are still young men with better things to do than keep their vehicle clean. When we told our district elders the arrangement, they all started laughing and proceeded to tell us how bad our future car smelled. Needless to say, Sister T and I almost wrote our own Riot Act. There is a gas card assigned to each mission car. Instead of putting it in its proper place, we decided to hide it and make a scavenger hunt for the Elders we traded cars with. It was pretty much an innocent knee jerk reaction to bad news that we found more humorous than guilt provoking. Each place they looked, there was a clue for them to check a different location in the car. When all was said and done, it lead them back to where the card was kept but taped near it. We threw in a coupon from Albertans as a consolation prize.

The car didn't smell that bad. Keeping the windows cracked kept us from being asphyxiated by the "Brand new car" scent they used to cover up..... whatever it smelled like.

Before we left, Sister Tall and I tried to get "transfer doctrine" our of the zone leaders. They refused, until one of them had a classic 20-year-old-elder idea; if one of us ate a cricket, he would tell us if either of us were being transfered and where to.

My comp is a vegetarian. I guess that includes bugs? My curiosity trumped my sense of ethics and propriety, and I ate the cricket. It was dead, thank goodness. But had to chew it; it didn't taste like much. I wouldn't recommend it. And the news? Sister T and I are still in San Ang! Relieving. I am not ready to leave this place yet!

They gypped us and left out part of transfer doctrine, which justified our gas card scavenger hunt. Saturday night we got a call from President Augustin (who we met and is really great, BTW) and this transfer we got another SISTER!!!!! That's right folks, we are a tri-panionship (i really hate that phrase. It sounds treky). Her name is Sister Wilson and she is from Escondido, Cali! Where Christian served!!!!!!! She said he looked familiar when i showed her his picture. Funny, eh? She is awesome. Super athletic and personable. Right from the bat she started talking with us and comes across as a go getter. I am really excited for the change. Tonight we are going on splits. Sister T and Wilson will go teach someone and I will go teach with one of the pre-missionaries from the branch. Kinda scary! But i am excited to learn from it. It's all about getting out of the comfort zone.

Our lessons have been going really well with our progressing investigators. It's so fun to see how the gospel is already blessing the lives of those that are living it as an experiment.

Lately I have loved teaching the Word of Wisdom.

Initially, it was the one that scared me the most.

"What if they ask about caffeine??"

"Will they really give up partying??" But I have such a testimony of it that its easy to teach. Interestingly enough, everyone that we have taught it to already kinda knows that these substances are bad for the bod, so the WofW is not a complete shock to them. As soon as they kick the habits, they will be able to feel the spirit even stronger when we teach. Your body is a temple. Keep it healthy and clean or the spirit can't reside there. Dey ya go.

We have been tons knocking doors lately and yesterday I had an ah-ha moment. Often, we meet people who really don't like us from the start. Before we even talk, they say "No thank you, I have a religion." Sister Tall is the QUEEEN of this situation. Naturally I want to give them a card and keep going. But no, she replies with "Thanks so great!!! How has your faith in Jesus Christ helped you in your life already?" and then she testifies of Him.

Even the hardest hearts can be softened by the gospel. We had this same experience yesterday. Sharon was not interested and really didn't want to talk to us PERIOD. But after 5 minutes, a forced conversation became a sincere discussion about Christ.

Her whole disposition changed from a rough, course woman to a sweet woman who adored Jesus Christ. People aren't comfortable with us as missionaries until they see that we know Him.

The work is awesome. that's all for today. :)

heart you mucho

SISTER ORR

Quotes of the week: "Me, Christian?? No way, girl. I am CATHOLIC! What's ya'lls believe of UFOs?"

"Today I have seen a cat eat a bird and a bird eat a squirrel. We live in such a terrestrial world." - Sister T.

"I know dat Joseph Smith seen what he said he seen he saw!"