Surprise Surprise!

Hello everyone,

Why is 'surprise surprise' my title you ask? 

Halfway through the week, and halfway through the transfer, the AP's (assistants to the President) called us and told us we are the new STL's over the St. Pete zone!!!!!! (Sister Training Leaders) If you don't know what that is, I'll try to explain it.

How the mission works: We have a President in charge, and he has two missionary assistants to help him. The mission is split into zones, or big areas, that usually covers a stake. A stake is the combination of multiple wards (or congregations of people) geographically. There are two zone leaders placed over each zone (or stake) and then the zone is split into districts, and there is a district leader. A sister training leader in the equivalent of a zone leader. We are in charge of all the sisters in the zone, the zone leader is in charge of the elders. So its a pretty hefty calling. We go on exchanges with the sisters, train at meetings, and set a perfect example of exact obedience. I am excited for this opportunity to serve those around me and nervous too to have such an important calling. But I am glad that I am with Sister Judkins because we work well together. 

That's the highlight of the week. We've been very busy with that and working with the other leaders. We are going on an exchange this week with Palm Harbor. 

We don't have any solid investigators right now, just been finding. Our date set, Gabby, was suppose to do the stop smoking program this week but never showed up. It is a program that is 100% guaranteed to work if you follow the steps with exactness. If you are interested or know someone who needs or wants to stop smoking but haven't been able to stop successfully in the past, refer them to the missionaries. We have a whole program for it and the only 'church-y' thing you have to do is pray. Don't even have to take the lessons. Very non-threatening ;). It works. 

We finished our water color paintings last Mon, if I find pics I'll send them. 

We've been going to some baseball games with an investigator. She is very catholic and doesn't want to change but she is a great missionary- introduces us to the other parents and friends at her sons' baseball games. Its fun. I want my boys to play t-ball and little league someday. 

This week had some hard times. Stephanie has officially told us that she is too busy (which she is) for church. She doesn't have her priorities very straight. But in her defense, church is something new that wasn't there before but because of that, it was the easiest option in her mind to take out. We are very sad. But I know she will come back someday because her feelings were real and we knew she was ready at the time. She just has some weeds she needs to dig out around her. We are hopefully still going to have a lesson with her tomorrow. 

On Friday our "old" STL's came and did an exchange with us. They taught us what our responsibilities as STLs are (Sis Judkins and I both have never been and STL before) and helped us know what to do on exchanges. Then we separated- Sis J went with Sis Huber, and I went with Sis Sackley. We both stayed in our area but did different finding activities and lessons. We went to find less actives, see if they still live there, and see why they stopped coming to church. I love Sis Sackley, she is a great example to me. We sat in the car for a few minutes talking about how we go home at the same time and how soon it really is. She's been in the same area for almost a year, which is crazy. She might be there the rest of her mission too. 

We had Friday fun night with the young women (see pics) and it was a good time. Our old STLs thought it was a great idea to get the youth pumped for missionary work. So did we :)

Oh, and I learned how to say how are you in Lau. Sa-by-dee. There you go :)

Love you all, 

Sister Morgan

 Watercolor paintings

 Kiana and Pua

Cary and her two boys. We have been going to their baseball games and they are the cutest things. They are a Catholic family who are just full of love :)

 Haritha and Lucki, she's a less-active we teach from India! 

She made us Indian food this week....yep. Curry and rice, spicy!

Friday fun night with the young women!

We went to Dairy Inn and .....    

.....chalked the walk!  

 A member brought us food! Now we don't have to shop for another week :)

  

 Saw 'MORGAN' on a truck

 An Oregon license plate! I was on an exchange with Sister Sackley that day 

and she's from Beaverton so we both freaked out!

These pictures are mostly for dad.

Dad, this is the condo you are going to retire to, the car you'll have, and the view. 

Right by the water. 

Sis J and I with the new 'Follow Him' Easter video pass along cards