A final goodbye, and a mission completed

I remember coming home from the MTC and finding writing to be a huge stress reliever for me. I don't know why I haven't yet adopted that habit this time around, but hey. I'm here now. 

So, overall.. This email is mostly for me to feel and experience some much needed closure after completing my mission in the greatest area in the entire world, The Pennsylvania "State College" Mission. Oh how I miss that place. How I miss the people and the euphoria of witnessing miracles take place every day. 

My last picture with President Bednar the day I came home

Let's be honest Brothers and Sisters. This bites. 

Three weeks ago, I was still there. And I think that reoccurring thought alone is enough to fill my spirit and mind with every feeling of doubt, regret, and distaste for myself as a daughter of a loving God. I know it doesn't make sense, I'm still trying to figure it out myself, but that has been the shocking reality of this situation. 

As many of you know, I am very honest by nature. When something is harboring a place in my mind, causing me harm in any way, I am not one to be silent. I am not one to complain, but I am also not one that enjoys the sensation of having my emotions all bottled up. Trial and error has proved to me that the latter option causes more harm than it does good, hence this email. 

So, I apologize in advance if I am very blunt about this experience. I apologize in advance if I don't tie to the end of this email a big red ribbon, completing it knowing FULLY that all will be well. Because, brothers and sisters, I DON'T know that. But I DO know, that for some reason.. this is where I am meant to be. But again, that doesn't mean I like it at all. It doesn't mean I came home smiling and excited and ready to tackle the next hurdle. I wish with my whole heart that I was THAT returned missionary. HAHAHAHA, wow brothers and sisters that missionary doesn't exist and never has existed! 

Let me paint a picture for you. 

I want you to visualize a missionary that gets sucker punched in the stomach, bent over, gasping for air the second she sees her father in the Pittsburgh airport. I want you to imagine a sister missionary that uses her father as a human tissue box, wiping tears, snot, spit, and who knows what else onto his shirt during a two hour layover. I want you to imagine weeping and wailing and whatever form of gnashing of teeth you prefer to visualize as she runs to see her four younger sisters and mother at 1am in the Eugene airport. 

My dad had to come pick me up as I was too sick to fly alone

Returning home from a mission, whether it be after completing a full 18 to 24 months, or whether it be after only 3, is NOT pretty. The following weeks are far from easy either. I will spare you the detailed description of that experience thus far. No need to thank me. But, you're welcome anyways. 

To anyone that doesn't know why I came home, I hope you simply know that it was a choice that the Lord and I had to make. I don't regret that choice. But it was, and still is, a choice that I struggle with. It was a choice that I am still so doubtful of. It is a choice that I often second guess.. But it is not a choice I regret. The Lord made his answer to those long prayers very clear. 

I struggled with anxiety my entire mission. It was a disorder that I never knew I had until I tried with all of my heart to serve him as a set-apart missionary. I am open with this because it was very real. I used to think having anxiety just meant you got nervous more often. You were scared. It was something you just needed to mentally handle. Yup, I give you complete permission to judge me and think I am a terrible person. But God had his own way of doing that for you, so don't strain yourselves. 

Anxiety is feeling nothing but your heart beating out of your chest. It is trying to calm down your breathing because hyperventilating causes severe dizziness. It is wanting to simply pass out already. It is having a breakdown because you don't know what it is you're so scared of. It is tunnel vision, only seeing all of the worst possible outcomes of the given situation. 

Anxiety strikes hard as you are saying goodbye to a stranger that you met three months earlier. It reminds you of every memory you've had together in the quickest slideshow it can possibly create. It places tears in your eyes, a lump in your throat, and a hole in your heart that no one else could ever fill because it wants this to hurt you. You desperately try to take control by looking at your companion in the eyes, begging her to get in that car and to not look back. 

But anxiety doesn't want you to feel as though you've won. 

Anxiety forces you to hold in a mental breakdown as she closes the car door, leaving you in a parking lot with 4 sisters who look to you to guide them throughout that day. 

Anxiety asks you to never let them see you cry. It tells you that they can't see how weak you are. It tells you that broken is not beautiful. How easily I was convinced of that simple statement after spending months testifying to others that the opposite was true. 

Anxiety tells you to separate yourself from anyone that might ask you if you're doing okay. It screams at them to stay away because anxiety knows that talking to someone is EXACTLY what you need right now. Anxiety doesn't give you what you want. Anxiety doesn't care. 

Anxiety convinces you that you will only get through the rest of transfers if you promise to go home after the day is over. Not to the apartment. Home. 

Telling yourself that going home isn't enough though, because anxiety asks more of you. Anxiety doesn't care if you get through a whole day, the battle becomes getting through one hour. 20 minutes...  5.. 

Anxiety wishes you were dead because anxiety can't function within a body that is too broken to handle it. Anxiety does a really good job of convincing you that it must be the only way. '

My Dear friends, Anxiety is real. I was too naive to realize before now that there is a lot more to a disorder than just weakness. Whether that be physical, mental, emotional, or even spiritual weaknesses, remember that the voice you are hearing, it is not of God. 

God speaks through the spirit. 

And the spirit is a voice of peace. It is a voice of assurance. It is a voice of love, forgiveness, devotion, courage, and gentleness. 

It is my prayer that we don't let the adversary confuse us with other voices in our mind. Or rather, it is my prayer that we find the strength to discern between the two. 

Now, I dont know why the Lord has asked me to serve a mission such as the one I have served.. I don't know why he asked me to fight for that nametag for five months.. I don't know why he needed me to serve for three so he could bring me back.. but Ive learned that I don't need to care anymore about the things I don't know. Because the only knowledge that really matters, is that I trust him. 

Let me tell you why. 

I trust him because he is the reason I received a mission call last year. 

I trust him because he sent me to the MTC with the greatest district I could have ever asked for. 

I Trust Him because he gave me a family who welcomed me home with open arms after only three weeks of being gone. 

I Trust Him because he taught me about who he created me to be during my five month mission of fighting. 

I trust him because I received a letter in the mail informing me that I had finally been reinstated as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 

I Trust him because no matter how many flights I missed on April 25th to get there, I Still landed in Pittsburgh that evening. 

I Trust Him because he assigned me to the greatest trainer in the world. I Trust him because she and I are best friends. I trust him because I never would have met her had I not trusted in him before. 

I trust him because he assigned me to serve in State College with the greatest people I've ever met. 

I Trust Him because he keeps his promises. He sent me Sister Green. He sent me Sister Smoot and Sister Sage. He Sent me Sister Jeffery. He sent me Sister Nilsson and the hilarious Elder Lu and Elder Wang. 

I Trust him because he let me teach what I loved. I trust him because he is the one that taught me to love what I taught. 

I trust him because on the evening of April 25th, in the mission home, he told me that my mission was elsewhere. 

I Trust him because as I waited to leave, he made the next three months the greatest three months of my life. 

I Trust him because He has given me everything. He helped me to believe in seemingly impossible things.

I can now say that I believe in watermelon and in quarters. I believe in clothespins and pennies. 

I believe that my "worst trainer ever," was really the best ever. 

I believe that Delta must be the coolest destination in the State of Utah. 

I believe that using a walker around the apartment is better than being carried, haha. 

I believe that buses are miracle vehicles. 

I believe that running down the street in the torrential rain to catch the bus is really flattering. 

I believe that crockpots were made to be broken. Especially if you put one in front of two missionaries that clearly don't know it is made of glass and shouldn't go on the stove..

I believe in Frozen hot chocolate and peaches with ice cream. 

I believe in quoting veggietales, studio C, Brian Reagan, and Kid History. 

I believe in eating Chinese food in the ER. 

I believe that the fitted sheet life CHOSE me. 

I believe in singing the Lamb of God with my companion every P day. 

I believe in attempting to sing hymns by the bus stop to talk to people downtown. 

I believe in ripped skirts and in mosquito bites.. I suppose I also believe in benadryl.. 

I believe in toy Frogs and screaming companions. 

I believe in the importance of backing your car and of good drivers. 

I believe in sunglasses and a seeing eye companion to guide you through the wilderness of state College while blind. 

I believe in getting hit on by strangers that sit by us on buses..

I believe in lightning bugs and sparklers. 

I believe in humidity, heat, torrential rain, and wind storms all taking place in the course of one day. 

I believe in whipped cream, egg roulette, sleeping bag races, and spicy peppers. 

I believe in sushi burritos and chopsticks. 

I believe in the little notes my companion would hide for me. Many of which I wouldn't discover until after she was gone. 

I believe in miraculous lessons with recent converts. 

I believe in faith building experiences with those we were teaching. 

I believe in obedience and blessings. 

I believe in inspiration and miracles. 

I believe in witnessing the unexplainable. 

I believe in the power of music and in the power of prayer. 

I believe in sacred ordinances and making covenants with a loving Father in Heaven. 

I believe in the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 

I know that my Redeemer lives. 

 

I believe that every day the Lord gave me something else to believe in. 

I Believe in all that my mission was. I believe in all that it will become. 

So, I said that there wouldn't be a big shiny bow to end this email, hahaha.. But who am I kidding. When you are talking about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, there is NOTHING that cannot be remedied by TRUSTING and TURNING to our savior. Maybe this is why the Lord knew I needed to write again. He knew that I needed to be reminded of all that he has done. Of all that he WILL do. 

I solemnly testify before all of you, and to all of the world if I may, that I know that the Church that Jesus Christ once established long ago, has now been restored. And it is right here in front of all of us. 

I declare that the evidence of this truth, is the PHYSICAL evidence that we all desire to have. You can see it with your eyes, hold it in your hands, and study it until you have dissected every inch. This evidence of which I speak is "The Book of Mormon." Read it, I pray.. Thumb through every page, asking questions, seeking answers, and praying for personal revelation. I can promise with all energy of my heart that if you will turn to this book, the hidden mysteries of the Lord's kingdom WILL be opened unto you. I only promise this because I have experienced the sincerity of the Lord's word for myself. 

I testify that Joseph Smith, was a prophet of God. He sacrificed eveything, because he knew that giving everything he had, could never be enough. How grateful I am for his devotion to God's kingdom. 

I testify that the Lord loves you. He loves you because he understands you. He loves you because you are one of his precious and priceless children. I testify that we can talk to God through prayer, I testify that he answers us through scripture. 

It is my pleasure to proclaim that Jesus is the Christ. 

If nothing else, I can promise you with more sincerity, with more devotion, and with more love than I have ever expressed in my entire life, that he LIVES. 

I know this because I have SEEN him. I have seen his gentle smile with my mortal eyes. I can prove this to you because I have witnessed people change because of his love. Do you not see the light of Christ within the eyes of one who has given their burdens to him? Have you not seen his smile though the relief of one who has found saving? Have you been looking for that which you desire to SEE? His warm smile is what lights the sky every day. His love is what forms the smiles in all those who seek him. 

I have touched his scarred hands with my unworthy and infirm frame. I have turned to scripture to know him and to understand why it is that he suffered for me. I have felt the pages turn beneath my fingers and I have felt the very nearness of those hands reaching out to me through words of the prophets of old. Have you touched his hands? Have you felt the wounds in his feet? If not, I give unto you the promise that this desire is fulfilled miraculously as we heed the words of those he has called to proclaim his gospel. We feel his hands, by being touched by his words. We can feel of the piercing in his feet by allowing the spirit to peirce our hearts with truth. We witness this by abiding by the precepts found in the Book of Mormon. 

I have felt his literal arms around me. I have cried at his feet. 

It is easy for me to say that all you have to do is Repent and turn to the Lord. Endure to the end, make covenants through saving ordinances, be saved. 

Brothers and Sisters, there is nothing in this world that I could use as a comparison to apply to my experience with Jesus Christ, the Son of God. All I can tell you, is this. 

Trust him. 

I can promise that if you will do this.. You will also feel his loving arms around you. You will feel his pierced hands wipe the tears from your face. 

You were worth it to him when he gave his life for you on the cross and in Gethsemane. 

As a returned missionary and representative of our Elder Brother, Jesus Christ,  it is my prayer that we make HIM worth it to us. 

"Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel." -  Alma 26:16

"Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast; for this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo." - Alma 26: 36

Ammon's words are my words. I cannot say the smallest part which I feel.. 

But I trust that he already knows the words that I can't begin to speak. And he makes those words my reality. 

"I'll sing Gloria, for MY Savior Lives" 

Sister Charlotte Westover

A testimony of tears

Hi everyone! It has been an insane week here in State College, Mount Nittany, Bellefonte, basically all of the above, haha. 

We have been so busy and I don't have much time to write a weekly email, so I will make this nice and short. If that's even possible, haha. I like writing a lot. 

Being a missionary is hard! No need to sugarcoat it and pretend it's  fairytale, because it isnt. There are MANY moments that easily make up for all of the difficult times, but that doesn't mean that those difficulties never happened. 

This weekend we got our transfer boards. It was so nerve-wracking to wait and wait to see where we would all be going or who we would be with!

Insert drumroll here, haha. 

So, Sister Jeffery is staying in her area of Bellefonte and she will be training a brand new Sister Missionary! I am so excited for her she is such an incredible missionay. I hope her new companion realizes how blessed she is to be trained by someone who embodies all that Jesus Christ is. I love Sister Jeffery so very much and I cannot express my gratitude that Heavenly Father allowed us to be companions even if just for two weeks. I have so many things I wish I could say about her, But words just can't even describe all that she is to me. I love Sister Jeffery.

Sister Cutler, otherwise known as Human Sunshine, My widdle Watermelon, and my fabulous trainer is being transferred to Franklin, PA. She is going to be an STL and I am so happy for her. 

Before I left on my mission, I remember people telling me that I would learn to love the people, the area, and my companions in a way that I never had experienced before. I would say, "Oh yeah, I know, I'm so excited," but clearly I had no idea that my heart could feel so heavy with love for someone who, 12 weeks ago, was a complete stranger to me. 

Sister Cutler is MY trainer and I wouldn't have it any other way. Sister Cutler is one of the greatest missionaries I have ever met and I have learned more about who Christ was over these past three months through her example, than I have learned in my lifetime. 

How grateful I am to experience even a portion of what the Savior felt in Gethsemane as he willingly felt all sadness and all joy for each of us. I love these two missionaries with all of my heart and it hurts more than I thought possible to see them go.. But the savior understands. And I have a testimony that we can do anything through Christ if we will but turn to him. 

As for me, I will be staying here in State College! My new companion is Sister Nilsson and she is from Sweden! I am excited to meet her and to love her as much as I have loved all of my companions thus far. 

This week, there was an event downtown on campus called, ArtFest. It was PACKED with families everywhere. Again, a GREAT finding opportunity.   On our way back to the branch, we saw this sweet lady named Maria on a bench by the bus stop.. We asked how she was doing today and she just sighed and shook her head. She looked exhausted. We then asked if there was anything that we could do for her and she just said, "No, I just need a drink of water. What I really need to do is to get myself a water bottle from somewhere like you ladies have so that I don't have keep asking strangers for a drink."  My heart sunk. This poor thing was so dehydrated that she was begging for water from people walking around ArtsFest. Sister Cutler grabbed her water bottle and unscrewed the lid. She handed it to her and Maria drank as much of it as she could. 

We started to talk to her more and to introduce her to the Book of Mormon. She wasn't really interested in our faith, but she was so grateful for the example we were to her.   We started to walk away and talked to other people when I remember thinking, "She needs your waterbottle much more than you do."   That thought ate me alive for the next ten minutes. We were stopped just a few feet away from her, talking to a few other people and I knew I had to go back and give her my waterbottle. I started getting dizzier and dizzier and I just wanted to sit down. I saw her out of the corner of my eye. She walked into the bus station building and I thought I may have lost my opportunity to follow that prompting. 

I then started to convince myself that I didn't need to do it. My waterbottle isn't clean, it is half full, has scuffs all over it, Jessica tied a blue string around it at one point.. It wasn't pretty.   As soon as we finished talking to the other people at the bus station, Maria came back out of the building. Sister Cutler and Sister Jeffery started walking the opposite direction and I finally convinced myself that I would feel more guilty if I didn't at least try.. So I told the sisters that we needed to go back. 

I handed her my waterbottle and told her that I wanted to give it to her. I told her that she needed it more than I did and that I hope it helps even just a little bit. She was so thankful and wanted to find a way to repay me. We just asked her to start reading and praying about the Book of Mormon. 

Later, she sent this text message to us: 

"Hello sister, it was truly a blessing to meet you yesterday and receive your gift of water. I did not think to bring, but you came back! And gave me this wonderful water I will now use. The water was so cold and refreshing. It was very certainly a good deed at the right moment and while your faith is confusing to me, the best thing was to be reminded there is good out there it was a gift to witness it."

There were many other things that happened this week, but due to our lack of time, I just wanted to express my sincere love for each of you. 

I have a testimony of God's plan. I know that every companion he puts me with is MY companion for a reason. There are so many things I have yet to learn. Isn't it amazing that those things can be taught to us through others? What an incredible expression of the love of God. We are created uniquely. Because our unique personalities are what help others to come closer to Christ. 

I love this gospel. I know it is true. 

Talk to you all next week. 

Sister Westover 

10 Vairo Blvd #32B

State College, PA 16803 

And Then There were 3

Hello all!

It's so good to get a chance to talk to you all once again from the perspective of a missionary! 

This week was CRAZY. So many things happened and I don't really know where to begin. 

First of all, I am now in a trio with Sister Cutler and Sister Jeffery. WHAT HAPPENED TO SISTER GREEN? Glad you asked. 

She stole the millennium falcon, ran into some bad guys and she teamed up with Kylo Ren. They're good buddies now. He's a nice guy. 

(I mainly wrote that because I know she will read this email. Hi Sister Green. I love you, haha.)

In all seriousness though, Sister Green did make quite the journey this week. On Thursday, she and I were in our apartment, just chilling out you know, as we do.. And she got a phone call from her Mom. We learned that she was going to head home to get medical care and that she would fly out on Friday. 

It was a really difficult day in all honesty. I remember feeling very similar things back in December when I was sent home early.

So here's to an amazing Sister Missionary who never failed to make me crack up. She is an aura of light and I have been blessed beyond belief to have gotten to be her companion this past week. I love you so much, Tweedle Blind!! Beware of the Gorillas! Chocolate milk forever!! 

Alright alright, enough with the inside jokes, I apologize. No I don't actually. Just trying to keep things interesting. 

I hope you all had an incredible fourth of July! My fourth of July was spent in the apartment with my buddy Sister Green. It was so cool though because Sister Greens mother has a friend in Pennsylvania right now, and that friend came to our apartment to drop off some fun things for the day. 

She dropped off a puzzle! It was of the picture that my family loves! It's of Jesus Christ reaching into the water to lift us up when we feel like we are drowning. Sister Green did the ENTIRE THING, haha. 

We also got LEGOS. I was so excited. Sister Green got a CARS set and I, of course, got a FROZEN one! It was such a great thing!!

Speaking of health, I am doing super great. Back on my feet and doing well. Thank you so much for all of your prayers! They were felt every single day.  After Sister Green went home, we became a trio and we are covering the Bellefonte, Mount Nittany, and State College areas. Man, we have been busier than ever. 

I've learned a lot this week though.. Specifically about promises. 

Brothers and Sisters, God never breaks his promises. NEVER. I was sent home early back in December and I had a really difficult time with that. I was angry and impatient. I made a deal with God. I remember getting on my knees one evening and I just cried and cried. I didn't know if I was going to go back at all and if I did, when it would be. I told Heavenly Father that I didn't even know if it was worth it to try anymore. But I decided to test him.. Not my proudest moment, but I was so angry. I told him, "Heavenly Father, I don't want to do this. I don't want to be here. BUT, if you need me to get back out on my mission, I won't stop fighting. I will get to that point. All I ask is that you allow me to be companions with Sister Green." 

I know that Heavenly Father keeps his promises. I remember feeling immense peace that night and I knew that we would be companions. If I hadn't gone home the first time, I most definitely wouldn't have been assigned to State College at THIS time. Sister Green and I wouldn't have been in the same exact district THIS transfer. We both wouldn't have gotten sick at the same time.. We wouldn't have been apartment bound together. We wouldn't have been made companions if even for a week and a half. 

I am a witness of a loving Father in Heaven who knows each of us individually. I am a witness of the reality of promised blessings. 

It is my prayer that as we strive to more fully trust in the lord, we will understand that he will provide for our every need. He loves each of you so very much. He ALWAYS keeps his promises. 

Brothers and Sisters, I look forward to talking to you again next week. I'll be sure to let you know how transfers go! 

Love you all!

Sister Westover 

Our Friendly Neighborhood district leader!

Hello everyone! 

It's been another wonderful week here in State College, Pennsylvania! 

We certainly got a lot done, that's for sure, haha. We had transfers this week which was super duper wonderful! I spent the day with Sister Draper while she waited to meet her new companion. I got to lead out for that whole day and it was so good for me. Leading out basically means that I took charge for the day. Scheduled where we went, how we would get there, and other things. It was super great! Sister Draper is so sweet and I love her a lot. 

I got to see Sister Hill, Sister Willes, Sister Peterson, and Sister Green this transfer! Sister Green is in my district now I will get to see her a whole lot more often and I am so pumped! I still have yet to see my sweet MTC companion Sister Skinner, but the day will come. It will indeed!

Also, Oregon has failed me when it comes to pumping gas.. Jessica made me pump gas in her car this week because she thought it would be hilarious. Well, it most definitely was. I am super pathetic, haha! 

We had our last district meeting of the transfer with Elder Wang as our district leader on Wednesday. Elder Wang wanted to have a bit of a party so he asked us all to bring food for lunch AND to dress up. Like, cosplay? Yes, like cosplay. 

So, Sister Cutler and I did what is called, "Disney bounding." Basically, we dressed up a like Elsa and Rapunzel (casually and in a mission appropriate way) and took pictures. 

Elder Wang had another plan though. He wanted to go all out. So, he dressed up In a full on Spiderman suit. YUP. He brought his costume with him out on his mission! He wore it underneath his missionary attire, but after the meeting was over, he took his mission attire off and BECAME Spiderman. We got some great pictures, I'll make sure to attach one. 

I've learned a lot this week. 

I think often we set a pretty high bar for ourselves, both as missionaries and as children of God. I found this week that I was slipping into old habits of expecting so much of myself that I simply cannot EVER succeed. When the bar is too high, you'll never reach it. Therefore, in my mind, I failed a lot this week. 

It's important to remember that we are not called because we are qualified. We become qualified through our callings. If God only called the qualified to complete his tasks, the unqualified would never learn, grow, or experience the opposition necessary to bring us joy. 

So, my weekly goal is to rejoice when I fail. To be proud of my insecurities. I have a lot of them, but if I dwell on all that I lack, I will never be effective. We should think God every day that he gives us weaknesses. 

Ether 12:27 is a popular verse in the Book of Mormon, and for good reason. We are given weakness for specific purposes. 

May we be humble and accepting of the refining that is taking place when we make mistakes. 

I love you all so very much. 

Talk to you next week! (Thanks for the love and the emails!)

Sister Westover 

10 Vairo Blvd #32B

State College, PA 16803

 

The Good, The Bad and the Spicy

Okay so... 

I already composed a really detailed weekly email for all of you and somehow it deleted I think. I hit send, double checked that it did send, and now it is nowhere to be found. So, if it did send. Great!

Otherwise, here is a short concise version because I'm lazy..

Happy Monday!!

We had a wonderful week this week. So many amazing things happened and we are so blessed to be here in this area at this time! Missionary work isn't easy at all, but there were so many moments this week that makes it all worth it. 

One of our investigators is getting baptized!! We are so so excited for her! 

We also had our branch activity this saturday! 

 We have been planning this event for over a month now and as missionaries, we really wanted to get as many investigators there as possible. 

Our event was called, "The battle at Cumorah, " haha. It was a series of competitions and games split between two different teams.  The Sisters had a team, and the Elders had a team as well. We had so many awesome activities. 

We got so many phone calls this morning from members that had to cancel on us and couldn't come. The YSA branch is super tiny anyways so if too many people said they couldn't make it, no one was going to be there. Almost all of our investigators told us they couldn't come which was really worrisome. After having put in so much effort and time into this project, it would be really difficult if the turnout wasn't very good. 

We got there and it was a really small group. It was a little disappointing at first but, we started to play the games and everyone had a blast. The games were hilarious. We played a game called Egg roulette ( taking turns smashing hard boiled eggs on your opponents head until one person smashes the only egg that isn't hard boiled, LOL ), Wiggle worm racing ( inching across a field being encased in a sleeping bag, So funny!), Balloon hugging relay ( popping a certain number of balloons with your teammates by hugging people with the Ballon in between you ), Spicy pepper eating contest (Elder Lu, Elder Wang, Ethan, and Christine volunteered. Every participant was in tears by the end of this one. The peppers were so hot they were all sobbing hysterically...like, rolling around on the ground. It was SOOO funny.  The last game was finding a quarter in a pie tin filled with whipped cream using only your face ( This one is self explanatory. I was nominated for this one, simply because I am the recipient of the quarter curse and the whole branch knows it. As I was doing this one, Jessica kept adding quarters to my pie tin! What a mess it was. Got some good pictures though, haha)

It was a really wonderful evening. We had so much fun!

I know this is a short email, but again, I already typed one up and I really want to take a nap, HAHA. Napping on a mission?? Who does that? 

.. I do. 

I love you all so very very much!

Send me emails! I love hearing from you!

The gospel Is true brothers and Sisters. I LOVE my savior so much. God is so good to all of us. What miracles have you seen today?

Sister Westover 

Never leave your apartment unlocked....

Hi everyone! It's hot hot hot here in State College, but we are somehow still alive! Seriously, humidity is not my thing. 90 degrees outside with 100% humidity is really just not a great combo. BUT, our sunburns will surely heal. And then we will get new sunburns. 

This week has been crazy!!!! 

First of all, I managed to get a sty in my eyelid. OOUCHHHHH. It's a whole lot better now, but for a while there I was walking around blind! I also looked like I had been punched in the face. My eyelid was so swollen. So so fun.

 

Sister Cutler and I went and exercised one morning and we always leave our apartment unlocked for those short 25 minutes and, Jessica, who always comes to work out with us, wasn't there today. She texted us and told us she was going to the temple, but when we got back to the apartment, there were quarters EVERYWHERE. The curse rages on!!! 

She put 10 dollars worth of quarters in our apartment and we have only found 7.25 so far. There were quarters in the shower, the fridge, in my dress pockets, in my bed, pillowcase, scriptures, and in my shoes. we are still finding quarters everywhere. I'm truly amazed. 

This week, we experienced a pretty amazing miracle! Sister Cutler knew more about it because she was the one who could see, so I will include her journal excerpt with her permission. So much fun! 

She says, "We had a lesson scheduled with an investigator named Chris who lives in an apartment complex down the street from ours, but he wasn't responding to our texts or calls, so we decided to walk over anyway and pray we find him. Before we left, I was filling my bag with copies of the Book of Mormon. I felt like I should take the last copy of El Libro de Mormón in our apartment that I had miraculously noticed half hidden on the bottom shelf of one of the bookshelves in our study room earlier that morning. I thought that idea was odd since-- if I was going to bring something besides English--it would make more sense to take a Chinese Book of Mormon, but I grabbed it anyway. 

We prayed we would be led to find him and headed out! Poor Sister Westover had a sty on her eyelid and couldn't see anything because it hurt to open her eyes. She was wearing sunglasses so it wouldn't look too weird, and I led the way (only once I forgot to warn her about a low hanging branch, haha. Other than that it was fine). When we reached the complex, I was hoping and praying Heavenly Father would lead me, even though I couldn't feel anything. I remembered an experience my friend I met in the branch who is now at BYU told me about her mission. She'd been led to a house with someone who was just waiting for the missionaries, but she felt like she had been wandering completely aimlessly the whole time! I trusted that was what would happen to me.

We had the hope he would be out walking his dog, so I decided to look for big fields (even though he chose his apartment before he got his dog, so that didn't really indiate anything). I saw one field, and thought, "Perfect!" Then the words of our wise prophet came into my head, that "inspiration is based off of good information," which made me pause and look around, where I saw a better looking field. Both sides of the field had dog bag dispensers (another thing I decided would be an indicator), but one side was crowded by a tennis court, so I chose the other side.

We got to the bag dispenser and looked at all the apartments surrounding the field. I had a good feeling about the biggest one right in front of me, but I didn't know if that was too obvious. I asked Sister Westover if she had any good feelings about any of the apartment buildings. Just now as I write this again, her predicament reminds me of the (my favorite) part in "Rogue One" when the blind guy responds to having a bag put over his head, "Are you kidding me? I'm blind!" Since she couldn't see anything, I decided yes, let's just go to the big one in the center because, "Why not?" We'll just knock some doors either way.

On the first floor, we knocked on a door and no one answered. We walked away, and Sister Westover heard the door open! She must have had a heightened sense of hearing compensating for her lack of sight, I'm sure. We hopped back around the corner and talked to the student who opened the door to get the card after we left. He wasn't interested, but he was nice. We went across to his neighbor, and a lady from Venezuela who was only there for 5 days answered! 

I really love the question, ¿Habla español?

As I was giving her el Libro de Mormón I felt prompted to bring, wouldn't you know it, Chris walked down the stairs with his dog to take him on a walk! We were able to meet with him after all. :) He said he was surprised to see us but half expected it to happen somehow, haha."

Such an amazing miracle!! During the lesson, it was really awkward because I couldn't look Chris in the eyes and I didn't want to be rude and leave my sunglasses on! But also, I couldn't take them off because one, I couldn't see, and two, I looked gross and very contagious! I just very quickly explained and he hadn't even noticed, haha. Go figure. 

Otherwise, this week was pretty normal! I love the gospel so very much. There were a lot of really funny things that happened this week and Sister Cutler did a really good job of documenting them so I will again, copy and paste her notes, haha. Glad she wrote them down. 

FUNNY THINGS FROM SISTER CUTLER 

Sister Westover wasn't holding a Book of Mormon at forums because we didn't want to contaminate it with her eye. Elder Lu noticed her empty hands.

"What are you doing? Sister Cutler, tell your trainee to pick up a Book of Mormon! (back to Sis W) I'm not paying you to watch!"

The brother who drives one of the busses drove by us at forums. He honked and yelled out his window, "FIND A JOB!"

Zone Leader giving a training: "It would be pretty discouraging to be cast into prison as a missionary! Elder Lu could probably handle it." 

Elder Lu: "Yeah, well, that's life."

Elder Lu giving a training: "List five things you are grateful for, like my mother, my mother, my mother. My mother. . .and my mother."

Sister Westover wants to learn Chinese, and Elder Lu was showing her something and she asked if it was like the Alphabet. He said, "Yeah, you use it to kill the white person accent."

Our branch mission leader borrowed his pen, which is blue but writes black. He was confused and asked Elder Lu why it did that and without missing a beat Elder Lu goes, 

"Because I am a liar!"

He also has been calling me a jellyfish because they don't have brains. "Golden haired... jelly fish...95% water..."

Our Brazilian mission leader tried to make it better by reminding me that jellyfish are very graceful and they create their own light! Sister Westover contributed that they're painful to be around, hahaha.

Elder Wang reminded me that the first characteristic of charity is that charity "suffereth long". "So you're on your way, Sister Cutler!"

Because we sometimes have funny moments that don't involve Elder Lu:

Wondering about the reccomended lifespan of a toothbrush, I asked Sister Westover,

"How long should you use a toothbrush for?"

Her response: "Well, I heard from someone who thinks they know that you should use it for 2 minutes."

". . .What??"

Clearly there was a misinterpretation of the question asked, hahaha.

"I thought I realized something, but I didn't." --Sister Westover

Sis W: Question for you.

Sis Me: Sure!

Sis W: Are your eyes connected to the rest of your face?

Sis Me: . . .

Sis Me: What??

Sis W: Wait--that's not how I meant to ask it!

Brothers and Sisters, I love you!!! I know that God lives and loves you so much. 

I know that this work is so important and I know that the Book of Mormon is true. 

Sister Westover