Finally in Ohio!!!!

Tori finally made it to Ohio! We were able to talk to her the day she left from the MTC on Tues., June 8th!!! She is doing great and we finally got an email from her today so that she could let us know how her first week went. We also received some pictures from her at the MTC so pictures will be coming soon.


Letter from Tori:

Hi family!

Oh how I've been waiting for this day to come!!! I miss you guys so much. It made me so happy to talk to all of you (minus Chase but he better say hi when I call next time)! It sounds like all of you are doing great! Well where do i even start....this week has been quite the experience. To be honest it's been going by so slow and the first couple of day's were tough for me to get through. It's been overwhelming and i miss home so much but alot of things have happened that have reminded me why I made the decision to be here in the first place.

On my flight to Cleveland, we sat next to a lady named Jessica who was visiting a clinic in Ohio. She's been suffering from alot of medical issues and was going to get checked out. She was young, maybe a little older than Shalyse and had a husband and two little kids back home in Washington state. She wasn't a member but she was asking us a little about who we were and what we do. She was the sweetest lady. She kept talking alot about how much she loved her family and wanted so badly to get better so she could be the best mom to here kids. All throughout the flight I kept thinking that I should do something for her but being the big chicken I am I just kept the thought to my self. FINALLY after a while, I told Sis. Hill who was sitting next to me and she said she had a Book of Mormon so we decided to mark a few verses and then give her a pass along card. I was in the middle of writing my testimony in the front of the Book of Mormon when Jessica tapped on my arm and asked me why I think God is making her go through all of this. I had no idea what to say but I shared my testimony with her and gave her the Book of Mormon promising her if she read it and turned to God through these trials she would be given the strength to get through them. By the end of the flight she was in tears and so was I. This experience made me realize more fully how the Lord works with us as missionaries. He really does place these people in our paths and we need to listen to the promptings of the Spirit and act on them. So that was my first missionary experience!!

After the flight our mission president and his wife met us at the airport. We drove to the mission home and spend all day doing interviews, orientations, dinner and pictures. Wednesday we woke up bright and early to head to Kirtland where we took a short tour at the Kirtland Temple, went back to the visitor center to watch the Kirtland video and then off we went to meet our trainers. Sister Stewart is from Ceder, Uath. She is number 9 out of 14 kids!! Crazy! She's great though, really nice. As a visitor center sister I am called to serve, as they say "half and half", so half the day I'm at the sites giving tours and the rest I'm out in my area, Willowick, tracting or giving lessons. Tours have been going go. I have so much to learn and no time to study but I know the Lord will help me if I just do my best! Yesterday me and Sis. Stewart took a family from Salt Lake out on tour. The mom was telling me she had a son serving a mission in the Ukraine and if I wanted she could text you mom and say hello! I was so tempted to tell her yes but then I chickened out! I didn't know if it was against the rules!! After I told her no I was so sad so next time someone offers I will jump on the chance! So prewarning you if you get a random text message from someone don't be alarmed hee hee!!

Ok so tracting is the scariest thing ever!!! I went for the first time on Thursday and Sis. Stewart made me do all the talking for a few of them!! We went again yesterday and yup its still scary!! It went better though, no one wanted to listen but we didn't let it discourage us.

Friday we traveled two and a half hours to mission conference where we spent all day. Elder Foster of the seventy was there. He spoke in this last conference. He actually talked at a devotional in the MTC before I left so it was awesome to here him speak again. I've been feeling discourage and have been praying really hard for help. I went to the conference with a prayer in my heart hoping that Heavenly Father would help me to want to do this and want to be here. Everything that was said was exactly what I needed. I know what I need to do and why I am here. I made a covenant with the Lord to do this and I will do it! I'm setting lots of goals and working my bum off! I'm so excited to met people who are ready to hear this amazing gospel! We are so blessed to have it in our lives. I know our Heavenly Father knows us as individuals and hears our prayers!

I love you all so much!


PS here is my address please write i haven't heard from you guys in over a week!!!! I better get on this week our I will kick your butts!

7800 Kirtland Chardon Rd
Kirtland, OH 44094