Transfer 4 Week 1, April 19, 2010

Three emails from Angie today:

So transfers are tomorrow, and Sister Goff and I just got the news today. Sister Goff is staying in Dickson, and her companion will be me still. So far we will be each others’ longest companions. I know for me that isn't saying much, I've only been out for three [transfers], but still my other companions have been one transfer, three weeks, and one week ("Mom" Sister Blackham, Sister Sprinkle, and Sister Patterson). Dickson is a wonderful place, even with the fact I broke my wrist here. We have for sure one baptism on April 25; we might have another one on the same day but I don't know.

Not much has really gone on this week, We've had quite a few lessons. We didn't reach our goals, but we had an altogether good week. Next Monday Sister Carlson (the member we live with) wants to take us shopping, and I think it's a good thing that we're both staying here.

Oh, yesterday Sister Goff and I did some church hopping. We went to a Witnesses church. Their services are very similiar to ours, and they were very nice and welcoming to us. We also went to a nondenominational church, the Christian Fellowship Church here in Dickson. They were a lot like the other church we went to. It was awesome to do some church hopping. Sister Goff feels that we shouldn't go to other churches unless we've been invited, and I must agree with her.

Well, I don't know what else to say so I'll say goodbye for now.

love, Lizzie

Angie’s responses to Nina's email:

Angie, how are things your way? Are you feeling better? Any news about your bike?

Things here are good. We have quite a few people to teach, so all is well. I am feeling better. Since I got back in Dickson I've pretty much been running. I haven't seen my bike yet so no news on that yet.

Will you see the doctor again about your elbow and wrist any time soon?

I'll be seeing the doctor in about a month, May 10.

How’s the work progressing?

Good. Like I said before we got a lot of people to teach.

Before I forget, last week Sister Nelson said to tell you “hello.”

Tell her I say "hi" back.

What's up with the car? I know it's like what 12 years old, so is it freaking out because it's just old or what's up?

Great news about the baptisms. What are their names? And what do you do when you go church hopping? Try to find people interested in the LDS Church or just try to make some friends?

John Fuller, and Matthew something. I dunno his last name. When we go church hopping we go to their services and talk to the preacher person and ask them if they have any service they need help with. Pretty much we just go to other churches and unify our cause as Christians. So I guess to make friends.

Angie’s third email:

Before I forget, I would like it if y'all would send me a talk by someone every week if possible. I love reading talks by GAs.

Transfer 3 Week 1, 8 March 2010

Okay, so the package you sent on Friday, I hope you sent it to the mission office. If not I'll just tell the Elders who will be taking over mine and Sister Goff's area to forward it to me. So we'll just have to see.

How did the missionary work go this week? Share some details—interesting stories, stuff like that.
Missionary work is a little slow, though Sister Sprinkle and Sister Winder had a baptism on Saturday. We are "moving" to Dickson, TN which is why I wanted to know if you sent the package to the mission office or not. We'll see what Dickson will have for us. I'll tell you more next week.

Bye for now.
Love Sister Angela "Lizzie" Whitehead

Transfer 2 Week 4, 22 February 2010

Anything new happening? New investigators, new experiences?
Well, one new thing is we got Wanda Kelley back, she is still strong in her faith. I AM SOOOOOOOO HAPPY for her.

How are things going with Kewandra?
Kewandra is growing so much. She knows the BoM is true, she knows she needs to be baptized, and Joseph Smith is a prophet. She feels that she should wait until she's 14 so she'll know more. We've committed her to pick her own date to work for and showed her all the interview questions she'll be asked. We just haven't gone over the commandments with her, every thing else we taught her.

Were you and your companion teaching Linda Surfield, or was it one of the other companionships?
Both. Sister Sprinkle and Sister Taft were the first to start teaching her as far as I know. When S. Taft went back to Spanish, S. Sprinkle came with S. Blackham and I for the rest of the transfer. Sister Sprinkle and Sister Winder were the last missionaries to teach Linda.

Is tracting getting any easier? Do you spend a lot of time tracting?
Going up to people and talking to them is getting a lot easier. We spend more time contacting than tracting. Our area has been picked through with a fine tooth comb. So it's a little hard, but good.

How are the members in helping with missionary work? Any splits?
Those who go out with us are great. There's about 2-4 members who sign up and come out with us. So far, we haven't, but Sisters Sprinkle and Winder have needed to because Sister Sprinkle has gotten really sick. She was until the end of this transfer before she goes home.

What have you been doing for your service hours lately?
We've helped members out with them moving. Other than that we don't really do service hours.

Any special events or meetings coming up soon?
No, not really, or at least not that I know of.

Just tell us about what you've been doing.
Well, this week (Monday-Wednesday) I went over to McMinnville to go on exchanges with Sisters Fear and Blackham. Sister Fear came here to Cookeville and stayed with Sister Goff. I got to be with my "mommy" again. While there, someone in the McMinnville ward had passed away. It was hard, but the people there were strong. We saw an RC (recent convert) named Josh or Jacob, I don't really remember, anywho, he was really nice, and his parents were very sweet. We went over to his house to give his sister a study journal; she wasn't there though. We also went for FHE at a member’s home. It was just Sister Blackham and I and her.

Oh! We got my bike set up, I don't remember if I've told you that already or not.

I can’t think of anything else to say, so I'll be going now.
love!

Transfer 2 Week 3, 15 February 2010

Sister Goff is from San Diego. She's been out for ten months. I don't remember seeing the questions, so if you want to send them again you can. Yes, Sister Sprinkle got another companion, and yes her name is Sister Winder.

Kewandra is doing alright. We had a baptism on Saturday, her name is Linda Surfield and we brought Kewandra with us. She said she liked it so we are moving forward with her. Her grandpa sits in on the lessons and we know who his home teacher is. We had planned for him to come on an exchange with us, but due to the snow we couldn't.

It's snowed more here than I've seen in Utah. It's weird.

I feel that she's a little more comfortable with the idea of being baptized. We just gotta keep working with her.

Love!

Transfer 2 Week 2, 8 February 2010

I'll start off with my new companion, Sister Goff. She's wonderful, she's really pushing me to my limit . . . well, sometimes, it varies on the day. The first two weeks were hard because I was getting over missing Sister Blackham, the nice thing about where Sister Blackham is is that we're still in the same stake, so I get to see her at Zone Conference. Sister Goff has been out for 10 months now. Her will to serve the Lord is very strong, I hope I'm that way when I'm as old as her and even older.

It's amazing what the Lord does for his children. The baptism(s) that was/were supposed to be on the 16th of January didn't happen because they didn't feel ready. Jana (jay-na) has a goal for the 6 of March (right before Sister Sprinkle goes home). I suppose Jana just needed some incentive to get baptized, and one of her missionaries going home is a good incentive to be baptized right before they go. Sisters Sprinkle and Winder were talking about nonsense for 10 or so minutes before they went to see her a few days ago. She was thinking what they were doing at that moment when they rang the doorbell or knocked on the door. She was really happy to see them.

Sister Goff and I are teaching a 12-year-old girl name Kewandra (no, she isn't Black, she's White). The sisters before us were working with her, Sisters Goff, Blackham, and I all believe that what she needs is her grandfather to come back to church, if he were to do so she might want to be baptized. We asked her what would keep her from being baptized, she told us she was afraid of water, so we offered what could happen, it was just a smoke screen.

She wants to be baptized, but doesn't. If that makes any sense.

Oh, I did get my new camara today. I'm sending a list of who's in the pictures when I send the broken one back so you can put the pictures on the blog and put a caption underneath.

Well, I gotta run.

Love,

Angie

Transfer 1 Week 6, 28 January 2010

Note from Nina: This letter is from Angie's Bishop in Burgess Falls Ward. She gave a talk in church on Sunday. And she didn't write on Monday. I'm wondering if she got transferred. Or one of her companions.

Transfer 1 Week 5, 18 January 2010

Question to answer:
Angie, tell me the name of your second companion again, please.

Reply:
Her name is Crystal Sprinkle. It's a work in progress as everything is.

[Note from Nina: I didn't have time to write a whole lot to Angie and didn't have many questions for her. We'd had the chance to talk for awhile on Friday because her Grandpa Verl was dying. He'd had something go terribly wrong on Wednesday where is blood pressure dropped and he'd had a small heart attack. As a result, even though they were able to pull him through Wednesday, his kidneys never restarted functioning and so he passed Saturday night from kidney failure. It was a great shock to all of us and it was a very emotional phone call that I had with Angie. We will miss Grandpa Verl! We love him so much!]