Thanksgiving was a blast! I had a lot of fun. I missed a lot of things that we normally do at home but it was a really fun Thanksgiving. It was weird to think back on my last Thanksgiving and realize that it was in the MTC. We had Elder Oaks come and talk to us that week in the MTC. This year we had lunch with my old district and my new district. We ate: chicken, jello, mashed potatoes, Sister Christensen’s mini made Dolma, Elder Tuhlen is Swedish and made Swedish meet balls (which were freaking good!), and we also had some of the senior couples they made apple and pumpkin pie!!! High light of the day was that pumpkin pie.
I had to go to the dentist and have they re-treated my tooth. It got really bad last week where I couldn’t close my mouth but they fixed it Thanksgiving morning bad timing but whatever it was worth it. The on call doctor did it because the Doctors Mom died so they won’t be able to finish doing the root canal till next week some time when he gets back. I’ll be grateful to have my normal dentist comes back the on call doctor didn’t wait for the numbing to start before he did… freak that hurt! Thanksgiving dinner was harder to eat all numb but it ended up working out ok.
We played games that I had never played before. I some how won and that made me happy lol. We also play skip-bo and watched Uncle Ben and The Gift we ran out of time or we would have watched Johnny Lingo (the old one). It was a really good day. I spent it with really good ppl. One thing I’m so grateful for is that this is a really small mission; ya really get to know the ppl around you. (Ex. My queer and I can name all the Elders and Sisters full names if not at lest first name and where they are from.) It felt just like I was with family it was a really good feeling and we has a good time.
So my ward has been telling me how beautiful I have gotten since coming to Shengavite LOL my first Sunday here was right after my oral surgery and I had a black eye and was swollen like you would no believe!!! I would hope I look a little better now.
Well I’m going to head off to go up to the office to say goodbye to one of my old comps Sister Christensen she goes home this week; she is the one that I served with for 5 months. I’m going to miss her like crazy but she will be moving to Highland soon so that will be way cool.
Hey well this week we had a lot of things going on. Monday we had an extra Zone Conference so that’s why I had to write to you on Tuesday because of the changes with Zone Conference and Thanksgiving. We had our P-day on Thursday last week. But it will still be on Monday’s normally. That’s probably why no one wrote me this week. Hope to hear from some one next week.
Fergie
Love you all so much have a rocking week!!!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
11/23/2010 Happy Thanksgiving
Hope your thanksgiving is good! You’ll have to tell me all about it and also your black Friday shopping. Good luck!
Well this week was good we were able to pick up some new investigators!!!!!!!!!! This area has been a butt to try to get new investigators but alas it’s starting to look up. We found them in kharbert like a hr. or so away from our house. We found a random store out there that sells smores!!! They don’t have marshmallows here so it’s a big deal that they had that. Well this girl thought that we needed help getting stuff from the store so she was trying to translate for us. She spoke really good English but we also speak Armenian so it was a nice effort. When ppl try to help us we just let them and talk to them in English and then switch it to Armenian. She had left and came back a few minutes later to ask us if she could show us a pick of an American friend she had and see if we knew him… heck I don’t care what gets me into the house I’ll look of pictures of fence post and tell her if I know where it is in America!
We went over this last week. It went really well we picked up her, her mom and her mom’s friend. Funny moments from this meeting; first we meet her and the friend at the store so they could show us where they live. The girl Anna says I need to tell you two things before we go, we have dogs and we have no lights (it was 7:30pm and very dark). I really don’t care if there are no lights; we carry flashlights because surprisingly that happens a lot. Ok so when she said she had dogs what she meant was I’m going to take you into doggie Heaven! Well to be fair it was doggie heaven for me, my comp on the other hand was not as happy as I was. We went into this basement thing and I kid you not 7 dogs 2 cats and 2 rats all living in there one bedroom basement. Dad you would have died they were all over the bed all over the couch. The living room is also the bedroom, that’s how it is in all the houses here more often than not. There was an old Grandma in the bed. When I walked past her, she scared the crap out of me when she moved (I didn’t know she was in there). As I walked past the bed I picked up a puppy and took it to my chair with me. Later that puppy went to town on my bag and now looks a little weathered but it took it well. It was a good meeting; the mom is Russian and learned Armenian here in Gyumri that was my first area here. Well up there they speak a different dialect we call it “barbar”. This lady speaks Russian/barbar. It’s really really really hard to understand! Anna was translating the mom’s Armenian into normal Armenian or English if she knew it. There was one whole thought that the mom said that I didn’t understand a word not a single word!! The daughter looked at me and laughed as she said “I didn’t even understand that one”.
We had Elder Manzons from the 3rd corium of the 70 come to Armenia this week. One of the members here Eric (he’s the one that served with Joe Carbine) translated for him. So crazy during the conference Eric had to go from Russian to English, Russian to Armenian, English to Russian, Armenian to Russian all three languages were being thrown around and he had to help us understand the 70 and the 70 to understand us. Crazy crazy.
Well my teeth should be normal before Christmas. Tomorrow I’ll finish getting the root canal done. It will be nice to eat normal foods again so far I’ve gotten really good at making mashed potatoes. This week I learned how to make Apple sauce, it was so good. I’ve really enjoyed learning how to do random things on my mission. Did I ever tell you that I can bind books now? They look sweet and are really easy to make.
Well got to get going love you all hope to hear from you soon if you don’t know my email address its lisa.ferguson@myldsmail.net
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Fergie
Well this week was good we were able to pick up some new investigators!!!!!!!!!! This area has been a butt to try to get new investigators but alas it’s starting to look up. We found them in kharbert like a hr. or so away from our house. We found a random store out there that sells smores!!! They don’t have marshmallows here so it’s a big deal that they had that. Well this girl thought that we needed help getting stuff from the store so she was trying to translate for us. She spoke really good English but we also speak Armenian so it was a nice effort. When ppl try to help us we just let them and talk to them in English and then switch it to Armenian. She had left and came back a few minutes later to ask us if she could show us a pick of an American friend she had and see if we knew him… heck I don’t care what gets me into the house I’ll look of pictures of fence post and tell her if I know where it is in America!
We went over this last week. It went really well we picked up her, her mom and her mom’s friend. Funny moments from this meeting; first we meet her and the friend at the store so they could show us where they live. The girl Anna says I need to tell you two things before we go, we have dogs and we have no lights (it was 7:30pm and very dark). I really don’t care if there are no lights; we carry flashlights because surprisingly that happens a lot. Ok so when she said she had dogs what she meant was I’m going to take you into doggie Heaven! Well to be fair it was doggie heaven for me, my comp on the other hand was not as happy as I was. We went into this basement thing and I kid you not 7 dogs 2 cats and 2 rats all living in there one bedroom basement. Dad you would have died they were all over the bed all over the couch. The living room is also the bedroom, that’s how it is in all the houses here more often than not. There was an old Grandma in the bed. When I walked past her, she scared the crap out of me when she moved (I didn’t know she was in there). As I walked past the bed I picked up a puppy and took it to my chair with me. Later that puppy went to town on my bag and now looks a little weathered but it took it well. It was a good meeting; the mom is Russian and learned Armenian here in Gyumri that was my first area here. Well up there they speak a different dialect we call it “barbar”. This lady speaks Russian/barbar. It’s really really really hard to understand! Anna was translating the mom’s Armenian into normal Armenian or English if she knew it. There was one whole thought that the mom said that I didn’t understand a word not a single word!! The daughter looked at me and laughed as she said “I didn’t even understand that one”.
We had Elder Manzons from the 3rd corium of the 70 come to Armenia this week. One of the members here Eric (he’s the one that served with Joe Carbine) translated for him. So crazy during the conference Eric had to go from Russian to English, Russian to Armenian, English to Russian, Armenian to Russian all three languages were being thrown around and he had to help us understand the 70 and the 70 to understand us. Crazy crazy.
Well my teeth should be normal before Christmas. Tomorrow I’ll finish getting the root canal done. It will be nice to eat normal foods again so far I’ve gotten really good at making mashed potatoes. This week I learned how to make Apple sauce, it was so good. I’ve really enjoyed learning how to do random things on my mission. Did I ever tell you that I can bind books now? They look sweet and are really easy to make.
Well got to get going love you all hope to hear from you soon if you don’t know my email address its lisa.ferguson@myldsmail.net
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Fergie
Monday, November 15, 2010
11/15/2010 ... what day is it???? holy were in November? Was I sleeping?
Dear Fam,
Well this week has been another fun week in the mission. I think we have gotten to the point of my mission that I have run out of things to tell you… so now you get random ramblings sorry next week will be better I’m so tired and it sadly shows in this letter.
Well I went to the dentist and they gave me a 4 day series of antibiotic shots in my mouth. After the bump came back with any hope I won’t have to have oral surgery again. But oddly enough the day after the 4 days of shots I woke up with a black eye. How does one dentist give someone a black eye by just giving a shot??? Really a black eye I don’t even have a good story for it. I did tell one of the girls in my branch that Sister Deaver beats me. She might have believed me but she just said “good someone needs to”. The whole week I’ve been swollen but didn’t really care until I sported the black eye for church, and then the special fireside with Sister Dib. LOL LOL She had to have thought that was odd that a Sister missionary had a black eye… hope that doesn’t get back to her Dad.
The fireside with sister Dib was way good!!! My comp and I are a little too alike for our own good. So part of the way through the fireside I looked at my companion’s notes and she too had a crying counter. LOL first speaker 6 times and Sister Dib once but she also made her translator cry. At that point the cry is deemed legal. Then Elder Minasyan talked he is the first 70 from Armenia and a stud of a man! We went over to his house last week and he was so cool!!! He really is a man of God talking to him was like have another session of General Conference. When we saw him last night it made me laugh that he didn’t remember my queer but he did remember me also don’t know how that works but still made me happy… in the non selfish kind of way…
Well sorry this is so odd I’m really tired and it shows in email.
OH one thing I thought was really cool. On Sunday we had prepared a lesson for the 2nd hr of church because the teacher when inactive. But this week for the first time in 5 weeks he came and gave a lesson on the same topic that we were going to do ours on. I really thought it was cool.
Hey next week I’ll be writing to you on Tuesday or Wednesday they have to move around our p-day just for that week so I won’t be there Monday.
Everything is going good love you all have a good week.
Well this week has been another fun week in the mission. I think we have gotten to the point of my mission that I have run out of things to tell you… so now you get random ramblings sorry next week will be better I’m so tired and it sadly shows in this letter.
Well I went to the dentist and they gave me a 4 day series of antibiotic shots in my mouth. After the bump came back with any hope I won’t have to have oral surgery again. But oddly enough the day after the 4 days of shots I woke up with a black eye. How does one dentist give someone a black eye by just giving a shot??? Really a black eye I don’t even have a good story for it. I did tell one of the girls in my branch that Sister Deaver beats me. She might have believed me but she just said “good someone needs to”. The whole week I’ve been swollen but didn’t really care until I sported the black eye for church, and then the special fireside with Sister Dib. LOL LOL She had to have thought that was odd that a Sister missionary had a black eye… hope that doesn’t get back to her Dad.
The fireside with sister Dib was way good!!! My comp and I are a little too alike for our own good. So part of the way through the fireside I looked at my companion’s notes and she too had a crying counter. LOL first speaker 6 times and Sister Dib once but she also made her translator cry. At that point the cry is deemed legal. Then Elder Minasyan talked he is the first 70 from Armenia and a stud of a man! We went over to his house last week and he was so cool!!! He really is a man of God talking to him was like have another session of General Conference. When we saw him last night it made me laugh that he didn’t remember my queer but he did remember me also don’t know how that works but still made me happy… in the non selfish kind of way…
Well sorry this is so odd I’m really tired and it shows in email.
OH one thing I thought was really cool. On Sunday we had prepared a lesson for the 2nd hr of church because the teacher when inactive. But this week for the first time in 5 weeks he came and gave a lesson on the same topic that we were going to do ours on. I really thought it was cool.
Hey next week I’ll be writing to you on Tuesday or Wednesday they have to move around our p-day just for that week so I won’t be there Monday.
Everything is going good love you all have a good week.
Monday, November 8, 2010
11/08/2010
Got the package with the wedding pictures in it!!! So cute, looks like it was a wonderful day. The package was heaven sent! The flavored water packets are so good. We have to drink a lot of water and having a flavor in it every now and again is so wonderful! Thank you!!!
Monday was good we ended up not doing archery but we had a fun lunch with our Elders. Then we walked around for the rest of the night.
Tuesday we normally have District meeting but our Land Lord come and fixed our heater!!! Yay were not going to die this winter! Man it’s cold here! I have to break out my long Johns soon I’m so cold! We had FHE and a meeting with our investigator we took her to watch this girl open her mission call. The girl is going to Temple Square. This will make two girls going there from here one in March and one on April 27th. There is one already there now.
Wednesday we were able to meet with our investigator Margareta and for the rest of the day we did as primary children. (Walked and walked and walked and walked….)
Thursday we plan for our week. Theses mornings are a little hard 3 hrs. of study followed by 3 hrs. of planning the week and goal setting. After we got all that done no meetings sad day . We had planned up with some ppl that didn’t work so we walked. We took part of our lunch and practiced our song for Zone Conference. I sang “I know my redeemer lives” as a solo. It was a lot of fun to sing again but I was way scared to be singing for ppl. I really wanted Natalie to help me with the song. Lol
Friday Zone conference! We found out a lot of new things and a lot of rules changed. Like we can no longer teach an English Class. This was sad for me because I really like my English class it’s a group of 3 to 5 Persians and we just sit in a room and talk English for an Hr. They took it well and asked if they could still come and see us every now and then just to see how were doing. We’re not allowed to teach Persians the Gospel but we can stay friends with them. The part that was really hard was we found out that we could no longer have Maids. I haven’t had a maid for most of my mission but we have a really good one here in Shengavite and I didn’t want to have to fire her. My Comp and I took turns playing Russian roulette I would call and she wouldn’t answer so a few minutes later my Queer would call and she still didn’t answer. But we both knew that sooner or later she would pick up and we just hoped that it wasn’t on our turn. I won it was on Sister Deaver’s turn. Not a good night.
Josh. 1: 9
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
This is what I have to remember to be of good courage. My mission President has given us a challenge to raise our numbers as a mission. Up in Vanadzor this would have been no big deal but here in Shengavite were going to have to work our butts off! Step #1 get the members to let us visit them……. This is a big step, our mission president told us to look to the members for referrals. Well I haven’t been able to meet with a member in a long time. All we really do these days is go to what we think will be a meeting to have them call us 5 min before were supposed to be there and tell us there not home and that they’ll give us a call when its good. And then once more like a dream that never stops going we walk till it gets dark and we can’t be out any more then we go home and make calls trying to get something to do for the next day.
Saturday dentist…. So I may or may not have a chipped tooth… I went to the Dentist that is closer to my house and … well I’m going to go to the one that’s a little further away. No worries they have better dental care here than I thought but I’m going to see if they can fix it to last me till I get home.
Sunday I made one of the box cakes you sent HOLY Cow that was really good cake. I don’t know how to make frosting so I blended up some sugar for powder sugar. After that I looked in the cook book I have from home and found the peanut butter frosting it was so good on the cake!
Sunday at church was so much fun we had some ppl from SLC at our Branch. They are here to check out the work that some of the senior couples are doing here. One asked me what I was going to do after my mission and where I lived. I told him that I live in Lehi and that I’m going to go to USU after my mission to be a Veterinarian. Well one of his friends over heard that. He come and introduced himself to me asked the same questions and gave me his card. Dr. Lyle G McNeal the head Professor over the Animal, Diary and Veterinary Sciences Department at USU!!!! Told me that when I’m done here to give him a call and he’ll help me get set up. (I don’t know if you ever have seen a sister missionary do a happy dance at church… but when no one was looking I might have let one slip.)
After that we went to Gospel Principals and only English speakers came. So weird but the lesion was in English. I had forgotten how good it feels to sit and really learn and be spiritually fed. I’m so used to being the one giving not really understanding when it’s in Armenian. It was nice to sit relax and not have to correct faults doctrine it was just so refreshing.
Margarita is a cute but funny girl she loves to meet with us and says some of the most beautiful prayers ever. She knows the church is the true church but says she doesn’t know about baptism and won’t come to church. I’m afraid that were going to have to stop teaching her. I really don’t want to. Right now she’s the only one that will meet with us. Hopefully I’ll have better news about her next week.
Well I want to tell you all I love you and that I really am so happy to be here! Sorry my letter is a little down but that’s just how it goes here ya have one good week, one bad week. One thing that always makes me feel good inside is that I know it doesn’t matter if I don’t see and anything good come from my work. I’m just so glad to be here on the Lords agenda. I can’t even tell you how wonderful it feels when I meet someone on the street and I just know that I can help them. Then when we start teaching them and seeing how they change their lives. Seeing them remember that love they have for the Savior. There really is nothing like it! I have seen so many ways that my life has become better. I have really found who I am and who I need to be. The thing I have learned the most on my mission is that I really know nothing lol as funny as that sounds I see how much there is about this Gospel and the Atonement that I didn’t even know I didn’t know.
Monday was good we ended up not doing archery but we had a fun lunch with our Elders. Then we walked around for the rest of the night.
Tuesday we normally have District meeting but our Land Lord come and fixed our heater!!! Yay were not going to die this winter! Man it’s cold here! I have to break out my long Johns soon I’m so cold! We had FHE and a meeting with our investigator we took her to watch this girl open her mission call. The girl is going to Temple Square. This will make two girls going there from here one in March and one on April 27th. There is one already there now.
Wednesday we were able to meet with our investigator Margareta and for the rest of the day we did as primary children. (Walked and walked and walked and walked….)
Thursday we plan for our week. Theses mornings are a little hard 3 hrs. of study followed by 3 hrs. of planning the week and goal setting. After we got all that done no meetings sad day . We had planned up with some ppl that didn’t work so we walked. We took part of our lunch and practiced our song for Zone Conference. I sang “I know my redeemer lives” as a solo. It was a lot of fun to sing again but I was way scared to be singing for ppl. I really wanted Natalie to help me with the song. Lol
Friday Zone conference! We found out a lot of new things and a lot of rules changed. Like we can no longer teach an English Class. This was sad for me because I really like my English class it’s a group of 3 to 5 Persians and we just sit in a room and talk English for an Hr. They took it well and asked if they could still come and see us every now and then just to see how were doing. We’re not allowed to teach Persians the Gospel but we can stay friends with them. The part that was really hard was we found out that we could no longer have Maids. I haven’t had a maid for most of my mission but we have a really good one here in Shengavite and I didn’t want to have to fire her. My Comp and I took turns playing Russian roulette I would call and she wouldn’t answer so a few minutes later my Queer would call and she still didn’t answer. But we both knew that sooner or later she would pick up and we just hoped that it wasn’t on our turn. I won it was on Sister Deaver’s turn. Not a good night.
Josh. 1: 9
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
This is what I have to remember to be of good courage. My mission President has given us a challenge to raise our numbers as a mission. Up in Vanadzor this would have been no big deal but here in Shengavite were going to have to work our butts off! Step #1 get the members to let us visit them……. This is a big step, our mission president told us to look to the members for referrals. Well I haven’t been able to meet with a member in a long time. All we really do these days is go to what we think will be a meeting to have them call us 5 min before were supposed to be there and tell us there not home and that they’ll give us a call when its good. And then once more like a dream that never stops going we walk till it gets dark and we can’t be out any more then we go home and make calls trying to get something to do for the next day.
Saturday dentist…. So I may or may not have a chipped tooth… I went to the Dentist that is closer to my house and … well I’m going to go to the one that’s a little further away. No worries they have better dental care here than I thought but I’m going to see if they can fix it to last me till I get home.
Sunday I made one of the box cakes you sent HOLY Cow that was really good cake. I don’t know how to make frosting so I blended up some sugar for powder sugar. After that I looked in the cook book I have from home and found the peanut butter frosting it was so good on the cake!
Sunday at church was so much fun we had some ppl from SLC at our Branch. They are here to check out the work that some of the senior couples are doing here. One asked me what I was going to do after my mission and where I lived. I told him that I live in Lehi and that I’m going to go to USU after my mission to be a Veterinarian. Well one of his friends over heard that. He come and introduced himself to me asked the same questions and gave me his card. Dr. Lyle G McNeal the head Professor over the Animal, Diary and Veterinary Sciences Department at USU!!!! Told me that when I’m done here to give him a call and he’ll help me get set up. (I don’t know if you ever have seen a sister missionary do a happy dance at church… but when no one was looking I might have let one slip.)
After that we went to Gospel Principals and only English speakers came. So weird but the lesion was in English. I had forgotten how good it feels to sit and really learn and be spiritually fed. I’m so used to being the one giving not really understanding when it’s in Armenian. It was nice to sit relax and not have to correct faults doctrine it was just so refreshing.
Margarita is a cute but funny girl she loves to meet with us and says some of the most beautiful prayers ever. She knows the church is the true church but says she doesn’t know about baptism and won’t come to church. I’m afraid that were going to have to stop teaching her. I really don’t want to. Right now she’s the only one that will meet with us. Hopefully I’ll have better news about her next week.
Well I want to tell you all I love you and that I really am so happy to be here! Sorry my letter is a little down but that’s just how it goes here ya have one good week, one bad week. One thing that always makes me feel good inside is that I know it doesn’t matter if I don’t see and anything good come from my work. I’m just so glad to be here on the Lords agenda. I can’t even tell you how wonderful it feels when I meet someone on the street and I just know that I can help them. Then when we start teaching them and seeing how they change their lives. Seeing them remember that love they have for the Savior. There really is nothing like it! I have seen so many ways that my life has become better. I have really found who I am and who I need to be. The thing I have learned the most on my mission is that I really know nothing lol as funny as that sounds I see how much there is about this Gospel and the Atonement that I didn’t even know I didn’t know.
Monday, November 1, 2010
11/1/1010
11/1/1010
I’ll tell you about my week end… well Thursday through Sunday.
Thursday was such a wonderful day! We plan for the next week on Thursday s, Sister Deaver and I know enough about the area now to plan out better days and that is a really good thing. After planning we went out to walk around at 4:00 till our meeting … at 7:30. It was looking to be a really long day! We started walking down a road that we haven’t gone to yet and we found this lady with her granddaughter The Grandma was so excited she gave us her address and phone number and asked if we could wait a day or two then come over. As we were walking we found this school that has an Archery place THAT’S WHAT WE GET TO DO TODAY!! They liked us and said that we could come and practice for free. We left that feeling really go we talked to all the ppl there about the Gospel. We started to make our way to our next appointment. We use the metro for that. I saw that we only had a few more swipes left on our card so we stopped by to get some more and the workers were so excited that these two American girls could speak Armenian that they took us to the back room and we explained about our Church and they gave us there number and said if we ever need anything to give them a call. They said that if our rent is too high they will find us a good house nearby for cheap. It was way cool that they were so excited to talk to us. Later that night I was talking to one of the Elders in Vanadzor and he said that 4 of the investigators that Sister Cornwell and I found and were teaching are getting baptized this week! How wonderful is that 3 of them are in this part member family and that there Dad got clean and is coming to church strong, he’s going to do the baptism. The other one is this girl Melina that we found she is so cute! She was the one that gave herself the baptismal date. Right after that we had a man call us that we meet on the metro and he wants to start meeting with us. What wonderful ppl we have here.
Friday started out hard I was way sick in the morning but go well enough to go to English class. We had a girl come to our church house during our English Class. She said that she had an appointment to meet with the Sisters to watch a movie. We had never seen her before, we called the Queers serving in Yerevan and none of them had ever heard of her before. We don’t know if she has met with Sisters maybe from another church here we still don’t know. We told her that she could come back the next day and we could show her the movie. She came back and it went so well we showed her Finding Faith in Christ. The spirit was pounding we bore testimony and we were all crying, it was go good. Ashken was like “I’ve seen a lot of movies about Christ but never one like this”.
It makes me feel good when I get to have meeting like this. It reminds me why I’m here and how much I really just love to be a missionary!
We are doing a nativity for Christmas here and we’ve been trying to start teaching the kids the parts. Well we ran into a bump in the road. We went to the primary of 3 girls and one baby boy (too big to be the baby in the nativity.) We asked them if they wanted to do the nativity they were like whatever. We asked them what they knew about Christ’s birth. “chem haskanoom” = “I don’t understand”. … Poo so we said it again finally we get to the understanding that it’s not the language that they didn’t understand it was that they didn’t know about the story. LOL it was funny the one girl was like I don’t know about that but Adam and Eve and proceeded to tell us the whole story of Adam and Eve. One of the other girls told us that there was a big rock that told everyone that Christ had come. We were like no it was a star. She really didn’t care, she kept going with a new version of the Nativity I think we may go with her telling of it, it was way funnier. LOL just kidding so were going to have to teach the kids the story and then we can teach the songs and stuff. I think it will be cute but wish me luck!
Sunday night some girls in my ward did wanted to do mine and Deavers make up. It was fun but our stomachs were hurting from the Lunch we had made..(ya got our self’s sick lol) And they brushed our hair and they made us use there mascara.... ya we were at serious risk of waking up with pink eye, lice, and food poisoning this morning. But no fear we are well and healthy!
Well got to get going love you all have a good week.
Dad get better fast!!! Love love Fergie
I’ll tell you about my week end… well Thursday through Sunday.
Thursday was such a wonderful day! We plan for the next week on Thursday s, Sister Deaver and I know enough about the area now to plan out better days and that is a really good thing. After planning we went out to walk around at 4:00 till our meeting … at 7:30. It was looking to be a really long day! We started walking down a road that we haven’t gone to yet and we found this lady with her granddaughter The Grandma was so excited she gave us her address and phone number and asked if we could wait a day or two then come over. As we were walking we found this school that has an Archery place THAT’S WHAT WE GET TO DO TODAY!! They liked us and said that we could come and practice for free. We left that feeling really go we talked to all the ppl there about the Gospel. We started to make our way to our next appointment. We use the metro for that. I saw that we only had a few more swipes left on our card so we stopped by to get some more and the workers were so excited that these two American girls could speak Armenian that they took us to the back room and we explained about our Church and they gave us there number and said if we ever need anything to give them a call. They said that if our rent is too high they will find us a good house nearby for cheap. It was way cool that they were so excited to talk to us. Later that night I was talking to one of the Elders in Vanadzor and he said that 4 of the investigators that Sister Cornwell and I found and were teaching are getting baptized this week! How wonderful is that 3 of them are in this part member family and that there Dad got clean and is coming to church strong, he’s going to do the baptism. The other one is this girl Melina that we found she is so cute! She was the one that gave herself the baptismal date. Right after that we had a man call us that we meet on the metro and he wants to start meeting with us. What wonderful ppl we have here.
Friday started out hard I was way sick in the morning but go well enough to go to English class. We had a girl come to our church house during our English Class. She said that she had an appointment to meet with the Sisters to watch a movie. We had never seen her before, we called the Queers serving in Yerevan and none of them had ever heard of her before. We don’t know if she has met with Sisters maybe from another church here we still don’t know. We told her that she could come back the next day and we could show her the movie. She came back and it went so well we showed her Finding Faith in Christ. The spirit was pounding we bore testimony and we were all crying, it was go good. Ashken was like “I’ve seen a lot of movies about Christ but never one like this”.
It makes me feel good when I get to have meeting like this. It reminds me why I’m here and how much I really just love to be a missionary!
We are doing a nativity for Christmas here and we’ve been trying to start teaching the kids the parts. Well we ran into a bump in the road. We went to the primary of 3 girls and one baby boy (too big to be the baby in the nativity.) We asked them if they wanted to do the nativity they were like whatever. We asked them what they knew about Christ’s birth. “chem haskanoom” = “I don’t understand”. … Poo so we said it again finally we get to the understanding that it’s not the language that they didn’t understand it was that they didn’t know about the story. LOL it was funny the one girl was like I don’t know about that but Adam and Eve and proceeded to tell us the whole story of Adam and Eve. One of the other girls told us that there was a big rock that told everyone that Christ had come. We were like no it was a star. She really didn’t care, she kept going with a new version of the Nativity I think we may go with her telling of it, it was way funnier. LOL just kidding so were going to have to teach the kids the story and then we can teach the songs and stuff. I think it will be cute but wish me luck!
Sunday night some girls in my ward did wanted to do mine and Deavers make up. It was fun but our stomachs were hurting from the Lunch we had made..(ya got our self’s sick lol) And they brushed our hair and they made us use there mascara.... ya we were at serious risk of waking up with pink eye, lice, and food poisoning this morning. But no fear we are well and healthy!
Well got to get going love you all have a good week.
Dad get better fast!!! Love love Fergie
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
I'll start out with questions from my comp... She's from Southern California and wants to know Eileen's Wedding colors. You know how they can be... LOL LOL LOL no she's so cool no joke. She really has gotten after me for not knowing anything about the wedding. Sorry that it took my Comp hounding me to ask about it. I just figured I would get the invitation in the mail and the pics by email and I would see that colors that way. She was not happy with this plan... Hey Barker got married on the 21st I'm so excited for that boy. We had a wonderful week this week I can really testify that God is in this work and I'm really just sitting in for the ride. We have a baptism this Friday Naiver he is the 10 year old boy that I'm completely in love with! We met this lady and her Daughter at one of our new members house. There names are Valentina and Malena in one week they met with us 3 times in our last lesion we were going to teach them the 2nd and they decided that they wanted to talk about baptism so we did. Valentina the mom told us that her Daughter had not been baptised and needed to be. We taught about the Priesthood and that we all need to be baptised with the right power. The mom looked at us and said "oh then I need to be baptised again." I could have cried I've never seen anyone except the Gospel as well as thees two. They are getting harassed by there Neighbours for talking to us and yet they don't care. There neighbours say that were bad ppl and that were up to no good but Malena had a dream about us and in her Dream God tolled here to keep meeting with us and that we would show her the right path to take. That was all they needed they picked out a baptismal date for October and want to know all that they have to do to get baptised its really fun to see ppl that just get it so fast and love it. Ya know one thing that make a mission a little easier is the Elders here they remind me of my Dad sometimes. They are spiracle power houses and really just know the meaning of work and would do anything for a sister missionary. We had to have the Elders here walk us home last night, we didn't have a big problem we just ran into a creeper. It had gotten dark faster then it normally does and we got back later then we normally do. We had fun taking the long way home with the Elders. Showing all the neighborhood boys that the cute American girls have BIG American boys that watch out for them. Ok so it was funny picture this Elder Larson and Elder Chaney are 6`3 and 6`2 Chaney is 24 years old and Larson would have been a pro Hockey player if his lung wouldn't have given him problems... I don't think well have any problems here :) Sister Cornwell and I had fun watching the Elders puff up as we would walk past anyone. I have never seen Elders get so big as when they get to protect a Sister. (Dad Elder Chaney- his mom was in the 2nd ward in Lehi for a long time. I think his Grandma is still in that ward. His mom's last name is Gray she remembers Sherry and Anni) Well I'm excited for this week to come. This last week has not slowed down at all but it has gotten colder. I'm in a sweater today and who knows I'll probably in a short sleeve tomorrow burning up. I love the weather here its just like Utah. Dad you asked what kind of service do you do? If you have regular Church houses? We have Church house's ... they are different but still good. There good Church houses but nothing here is like it is in America. As for the service that we do, we pick up allot of trash!!! Every area I've served in has had something different. In Gyumri we chopped wood allot, in Nork we read to old ppl. Here in Vanadzor we pick up trash and pull weeds. We are trying to find a farmer to let us cut hay! they use a knife and gather it by hand and My Comp and I want to so bad!!!!!!! But one thing I've found here is that they are really far behind on what Women can do. They thought I was crazy when I started chopping wood tolled me its wasn't Woman's work... that didn't go over so well. I don't take ppl telling me I cant do something because I'm a girl well. It may have something to do with the Worlds best Dad teaching me that I (can/ is my job) to do things most the world thinks can only be done by men. Well I'm loving it here! I haven't gotten sick in a long time and that feels wonderful!!! thanks for all your prayers and letters they help a ton!! Pat your self's on the back for a job well done you all rock!!! LOVE LOVE Queer Fergie
Weeks go by so fast when you run from one to another.
Why hello how is every one doing? Things here have been crazy we are so busy. I had no idea how much work there is to do. We have been picking up investigators like crazy the past few weeks the problem is that now we have them we need to figure out which ones really want the Gospel. Its funny some days we don't have time to take a lunch and are just running all over the place. Then we have some days that we try 5 investigators in a row and no one is home we couldn't pay for a meeting.
Well Mher is still doing really good he and his sister are really loving the lessons and are reading really well. We gave them a BOM and they really were excited for it. We have another lady Nadiea she is so cute. When we gave a BOM she was like oh I have to pay you for this. When we told here that we don't charge for the book she was dead set on after she's done reading it she wants to give it back... We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Until then I'll just be happy with her reading. We are teaching Navar a 10 year old boy who is so cute! the Elders have fallen in love with this kid and keep trying to steal our investigator. We may have the Elders help us a little on this one because its a two way bromance. We have a Sports night every Friday at 5:30 where all the kids in our branch brings there friends and we all play sports. We played Football this last time and we'll play Basketball this next time. Navar really bonded with Elder Larson and tries to sit by him at church every week. Its so cute!!! This kid is a really good player he kept the Elders running and was still showing them up. But he was running with his hands in his pocket all funny like. Well he fell and his phone, sunglasses, and a bunch of sunflower seeds come flying out of his pockets. lol. it was so funny.
My friend Ani, she will be here till the end of the month which is really cool because now there family will be able to watch the temple dedication. BY THE WAY I'm so excited to be here on my mission for the first Easter Europe Temple dedication I have one of the tickets that are yellow and let you into the dedication. Best part its in Armenian how wonderful is that. We will be watching the broadcast in our church. I just cant even tell you how excited I am for that!
We played Volleyball last p-day it was really fun. Were going to get some fishing poles and go fishing some time soon. I cant think about it to much or I get to the point I cant sleep, I want to go fishing so bad!
Did I tell you that they came out with new rules for Sisters all over the world. We can now wear sandals. We didn't have to in this mission but pantyhose have also become world wide "not needed". So beautiful!!! So my comp and I are going to try to find new shoes.
Oh yesterday in church a lady had a stroke. Everyone had no idea what to do for here or what it was. This is what they told here was wrong.
1. She was just having a headache
2. She was having a migraine
3. She wasn't feeling good because there was a swazneake in the room (a cross breeze) Armenians are terrified of this! if wind hits there back they will go into a terrified frenzy shutting all the windows and doors till there is no air flow. Even if the temperature is over 100 makes no difference.
4. She was feeling like this because she had gotten mad that morning.
This is so funny that they all feel this way.
well thats all thats going on in my life. Have a good week love love
Well Mher is still doing really good he and his sister are really loving the lessons and are reading really well. We gave them a BOM and they really were excited for it. We have another lady Nadiea she is so cute. When we gave a BOM she was like oh I have to pay you for this. When we told here that we don't charge for the book she was dead set on after she's done reading it she wants to give it back... We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Until then I'll just be happy with her reading. We are teaching Navar a 10 year old boy who is so cute! the Elders have fallen in love with this kid and keep trying to steal our investigator. We may have the Elders help us a little on this one because its a two way bromance. We have a Sports night every Friday at 5:30 where all the kids in our branch brings there friends and we all play sports. We played Football this last time and we'll play Basketball this next time. Navar really bonded with Elder Larson and tries to sit by him at church every week. Its so cute!!! This kid is a really good player he kept the Elders running and was still showing them up. But he was running with his hands in his pocket all funny like. Well he fell and his phone, sunglasses, and a bunch of sunflower seeds come flying out of his pockets. lol. it was so funny.
My friend Ani, she will be here till the end of the month which is really cool because now there family will be able to watch the temple dedication. BY THE WAY I'm so excited to be here on my mission for the first Easter Europe Temple dedication I have one of the tickets that are yellow and let you into the dedication. Best part its in Armenian how wonderful is that. We will be watching the broadcast in our church. I just cant even tell you how excited I am for that!
We played Volleyball last p-day it was really fun. Were going to get some fishing poles and go fishing some time soon. I cant think about it to much or I get to the point I cant sleep, I want to go fishing so bad!
Did I tell you that they came out with new rules for Sisters all over the world. We can now wear sandals. We didn't have to in this mission but pantyhose have also become world wide "not needed". So beautiful!!! So my comp and I are going to try to find new shoes.
Oh yesterday in church a lady had a stroke. Everyone had no idea what to do for here or what it was. This is what they told here was wrong.
1. She was just having a headache
2. She was having a migraine
3. She wasn't feeling good because there was a swazneake in the room (a cross breeze) Armenians are terrified of this! if wind hits there back they will go into a terrified frenzy shutting all the windows and doors till there is no air flow. Even if the temperature is over 100 makes no difference.
4. She was feeling like this because she had gotten mad that morning.
This is so funny that they all feel this way.
well thats all thats going on in my life. Have a good week love love
things I myself didn't know I could do.
Accomplishments that your missionary has done this week.
Sunday To start out my week I realized that one of the best friends that I have ever had or hope to have is and 18 teen year old Armenian named Ani. I've only known her for a month but she has taught me more about missionary work and how to really serve ppl than any one elts ever could. Then I cried when she said. That she will be moving to Russia this month.
By Sunday night I realized that I have become an Olympic level in the sport of "Bucket Flushing"
Monday Went to Lake Sevan got burnt with SPF 100 didn't know that could happen. (3 hr in the car for this one)
Fell deeply in love with my foot I have enough different colors on my foot to make a state flag!
Tuesday Went up to Alivardi for District meeting road a lift that takes you strait up the mountain! (Swiss made) was the only way I would get in it. (2 hrs in the car for this)
Made homemade Peanut butter!!! Tastes so good better than the stuff in America... just saying :)
Wednesday Made no bake cookies that were to die for. Said good bye to Elder Simonson and Elder Stephenson. Simonson is going to America and Stephenson is the new Assistant to the President.
Thursday got my mail... got pranked by mail lol lol lol
Friday Ran around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to show the two Elders that just got white washed into an area around. I myself was white washed into this area only a month ago.
Had a teaching appointment that was out in the middle of nowhere took a taxi there walked part way home realized we would never make it and took a Van home. (walked about 3 hrs trying to get home.)
Saturday left my apartment at 7:30 am and didn't get home till 10:00pm. We went all the way up to Georgia and back this would be like going to St. George from SLC for a 3 hr training meeting and McDonald's. I'm now the 5th Sister Missionary to go up to Georgia. Even got stuck at the border for 3 or 4 hrs. (11 hrs in the car for this one)
To top off this week of about 20hrs in a car (didn't fall asleep once). There is a 2-in-1 shampoo that the Elders left us when they gave us there apartment. I use it but can never stand it up right. So Saturday night after all day of traveling I looked like death. Took a shower used the last of it as was thinking to myself good now I won’t have to hassle with this anymore. It slipped fell and landed perfectly in the corner...
I can’t even tell you how wonderful it is to serve a mission it’s hard and not always fun. But theres nothing that could make me leave here.
Christina and Julia (their names look so normal but they are so not! Julia is said like "you le a"). They are all doing really good, and are going to come to church all together as a family this week I'm so excited. Julia hasn’t been coming because she watches Christina’s kid while Christina goes to church. Ani the 7 year old daughter is special needs and they feel funny taking her to church. We have been working with them and they have become friends with enough of our members that they agreed to try it for a week!
We are also starting to teach this man Maher good luck on that name. He has a wife and two girls he is a good guy. So far he just likes that were American but he really has good questions about our church and keeps wanting to learn more about it. So random how we found him. We were trying to find one of the contacts that the Elders left for us this lady named Alisa they had met with her once. While we were trying to find her we get a call from her that she's in a village and won’t be home. We debited and decited to keep trying to find her house so that when we go back we can find it fast. We met this lady Marlanea, turns out she's friends with Alisa so she takes us all the way to her door it was awkward to say the least praying that Alisa really wasn't home! She wasn't!
Marlanea invited us to her house but we didn’t have time so a week or so later we went to her house. She had shown us her building but its Armenia still hard to find where they live. This man Maher was trying to help us but kept taking us to the wrong houses finally he asks what’s her name… we told him he looked at us and said “oh that’s my Mom”. I was like well of course it would be.
Well love you all thanks for all you do!
Fergie ferg.
Well ... ummm. ya that's about it.
Hello how are you all doing this week? Things here are going really well. I'm sad to tell you that your missionary is a dork and is getting dorkier by the day. If any of you still want to be my friend when I get home... your a better person than I am. To add to my unlimited supply of dork I have discovered that if you need a good movie and are on a mission you can find all you need in the Scriptures lol. Need a good romance go so Shara at the well or many other stores in the Old Testament, If war is what you need, I'm in Alma and cant put it down I just want to find out how Amalickah kills the king and how will they finally get him dethroned. And really hope he doesn't drink Moroni's blood because EWWW really why would you do that?
So I do have to say that I'm ready for a computer with no virus no random pop ups and where all the keys work ... that may be what I miss most about America! I'm so not in love with the computers here. I spend more time "trying" to email you then I spend "emailing"
But oh well crying about it wont make it better. I really do love Armenia even if they are a little behind.
I'm really lucky to be serving in a town called Vanadzor, the ppl here are so nice and so friendly they all want to talk to us and the members all help up out so much. This week has been really fun I feel like I've gotten to know the area better. I can get us around well and I've never been able to do that before; (before and during the mission). It really amazes me how God bless me when the need arises. I've never been left alone, I've always been able to see him guiding me along and I'm so grateful for that. Really you all remember why Santa got me a GPS he could see from the North Poll that I was in NEED of some help.
I'm also really lucky to be up in the MT's because its gets really hot over here. Yerevan is 110 on a normal day. The Elders in Gorga and in the south are joyed by the 125 degree weather they are having! Poor boys I on the other hand feel SO lucky, I'm up in the Mt's and had to brake out a sweater for church yesterday because we have had a cold spell brought on by the 2 days of non stop rain. I've never been so grateful for rain in my life!!!
My companion is just the best! I love her so much. Its fun serving with her. I love how hard she works. I learn new things from her every day, about the Gospel and how to be a better person. I love our investigators they are so cool one is Christyna she is about 30 with a 7 year old daughter Ani who is the cutest girl alive! She was picked up by the Elders that used to serve here and now were teaching them. The Spirit is so strong in the meetings I love it. I really feel like I'm doing good here. I feel more like a missionary than I ever have. Its crazy in the lessons with them. They ask really hard questions that I would have never thought of asking and have no idea how I'm going to answer (in English then try to translate it into Armenian) But random things pop in my head like a story of when I was 5 so I tell them this random story and some how there question is answered. No idea how that works but its like all the life lessons that I've learned little by little I can tell them about what I've seen in my life and they get it. God really does work with the weak things of the world because some days I cant even tell ppl where our church is and other times I'm describing a Bible story and they understand every thing that I'm saying. No idea how that works but I know it is only done by the mercies of God.
Well I should get going, were going to play Volleyball, Were also going to get some fishing polls :) we can fish up here!!!! I love it here!
Hey favor to ask, Rebecca just got back from EFY what are the chances of getting a copy of her CD they gave her this year and last year if she still has it. Not that you need to feel obligated but if you put in the Wicked sound track you would win the heart of a missionary and her companions for time and all eternity... Just say'n
Love you Mom thanks for all you do!!! Have a good week every body until next week.
So I do have to say that I'm ready for a computer with no virus no random pop ups and where all the keys work ... that may be what I miss most about America! I'm so not in love with the computers here. I spend more time "trying" to email you then I spend "emailing"
But oh well crying about it wont make it better. I really do love Armenia even if they are a little behind.
I'm really lucky to be serving in a town called Vanadzor, the ppl here are so nice and so friendly they all want to talk to us and the members all help up out so much. This week has been really fun I feel like I've gotten to know the area better. I can get us around well and I've never been able to do that before; (before and during the mission). It really amazes me how God bless me when the need arises. I've never been left alone, I've always been able to see him guiding me along and I'm so grateful for that. Really you all remember why Santa got me a GPS he could see from the North Poll that I was in NEED of some help.
I'm also really lucky to be up in the MT's because its gets really hot over here. Yerevan is 110 on a normal day. The Elders in Gorga and in the south are joyed by the 125 degree weather they are having! Poor boys I on the other hand feel SO lucky, I'm up in the Mt's and had to brake out a sweater for church yesterday because we have had a cold spell brought on by the 2 days of non stop rain. I've never been so grateful for rain in my life!!!
My companion is just the best! I love her so much. Its fun serving with her. I love how hard she works. I learn new things from her every day, about the Gospel and how to be a better person. I love our investigators they are so cool one is Christyna she is about 30 with a 7 year old daughter Ani who is the cutest girl alive! She was picked up by the Elders that used to serve here and now were teaching them. The Spirit is so strong in the meetings I love it. I really feel like I'm doing good here. I feel more like a missionary than I ever have. Its crazy in the lessons with them. They ask really hard questions that I would have never thought of asking and have no idea how I'm going to answer (in English then try to translate it into Armenian) But random things pop in my head like a story of when I was 5 so I tell them this random story and some how there question is answered. No idea how that works but its like all the life lessons that I've learned little by little I can tell them about what I've seen in my life and they get it. God really does work with the weak things of the world because some days I cant even tell ppl where our church is and other times I'm describing a Bible story and they understand every thing that I'm saying. No idea how that works but I know it is only done by the mercies of God.
Well I should get going, were going to play Volleyball, Were also going to get some fishing polls :) we can fish up here!!!! I love it here!
Hey favor to ask, Rebecca just got back from EFY what are the chances of getting a copy of her CD they gave her this year and last year if she still has it. Not that you need to feel obligated but if you put in the Wicked sound track you would win the heart of a missionary and her companions for time and all eternity... Just say'n
Love you Mom thanks for all you do!!! Have a good week every body until next week.