11-25-13

clean up everywhere

talk about amazing!!  There is destruction EVERYWHERE.  On Tuesday we went to Washington to help clean up from the destruction. It was incredible. we went to a neighborhood and you could just see for ever just piles and piles of debris and house and stuff. everywhere.  and you think that is all there is. and then you go 5 blocks and another neighborhood is the same. and you go another 5 blocks and is is the same. it is just heart breaking.

And then all of the big harvesting fields are completely covered with debris. and any open space. it is just amazing what a tornado can really do. I never thought it was this bad.

So for the last 5 days (tuesday - saturday) we have been out in washington helping people. the first couple of days we were working with people at their houses to find their memorabilia and stuff.  It would be so hard to loose your house. It was a great testimony building experience to be there as these people expressed their concern and desire to just have pictures of their loved ones and gifts from their children.  just shows you what is really important in our lives and that when things like this happen we are grateful for the lives that we have. and the people we have to love and share this life with. 

Then one day we passed out papers to every car at all of the police check points. it was info about the scheduling and all the details that people have questions about. so we were helping people to have an idea of what was going on. and then on Saturday we spent the WHOLE DAY with our district and zone cleaning a golf course.  It was amazing how much debris was on that course.  We helped to pile it all up and load it into trucks so that it could all get cleaned up.  I think the most impressive thing i saw was a full piece of plywood that had been thrown into the grass and the wind was so strong that only a small part of it was sticking out of the grass.  - i dont know if you can understand that but the wind was so strong. just amazing the things we saw.  - a car upside down in a basement.

this one ladys house half of it was completely ripped off and the other was totally fine. we were helping to pack up her kitchen and she said that only one things moved in that room. and it was this light weight paper star thing. and then you walked 3 steps and the house was torn to bits.  crazy!!

so from being outside on the golf course and just outside all week. i have an extremely wind chapped face. and I am sick.  I have a really bad head cold.  So ive been better but it was all worth it."when ye are in the service of your fellow being ye are only in the service of your God."  Being on the golf course was probably the coldest i have EVER been.  I didnt realize just how cold i was until i went to the bath room and i couldnt feel my legs.  - a strange phenomena. hahahaha!!

On Friday we got our iPad minis! what an honor. similar feelings came again that i already told you about.  We watched  a video from Elder Perry - him talking at the world wide broadcast <which i was there for:) > but he said that this time in history is equally as important as the first vision and the restoration of the priesthood.  WHAT AN HONOR to be a missionary.  I kid you not, never in a million years did i think i would have an iPad as a missionary. or be on facebook or anything!! this is amazing!  makes me wonder - What is missionary work going to be like 10 years from now?  or 20 years when my kids go on missions?! crazy! #privileged!

I am very grateful to be a missionary. I am grateful for all of the wonderful things our heavenly father has given us.  I am grateful for all of you and the love and support you give me. I love you.

may we each express thankfulness to the Lord for all of the wonderful things he has given us.

I LOVE thanksgiving!! I hope all of you have a wonderful turkey day! and eat lots of food! - because that is what we do! :) hahaha

The church is true! Endure to the End!!

love love love!

Sister O'Neil

11/18/13

TWISTER:   not the game .. An actual twister! like a tornado in the green sky with wind rain and all i could really say was WHAT THE HAIL!!?   :)

It all started in Sacrament meeting yesterday.  It was High council sunday so everyone was half asleep or not paying attention.- haha typical - anyways.  we are sitting there and you could hear the wind flowing through the building. almost to the point that you felt like you were being pushed as well. - remember this is a sound building - built to withstand up to a category 4 tornado.  And then I guess the Lord really wanted us to wake up and listen because a lot of cell phones went off with warnings.  and the church building was equipped with a warning system so this loud alarm went off as well. ( at this point i was kind of freaking out a little inside but still some what calm.)  then a sister in the ward jumped up and showed the bishop on her phone the weather update and his face said it all.  mean while the speaker is still going trying to act like nothing is wrong- no one was listening. everyone was confused/ worried/anxcious/ hyperventilating etc etc..  

THEN a couple of brothers went out of the chapel to check on things and they came back and things did Not get better.   and the crowning event of my fright. was when the tornado sirens went off.  -  I was always told since i got here that they only go off if there is actually a tornado.  so that just freaked me out.  I felt like i was in a movie and i had to keep reminding my self- this is real life!! THIS IS REAL LIFE!  

I still think it is funny that the speaker was still going. -seriously no one was listening at this point. haha  

anyways then bishop stood up and told us that after the prayer we would be going into the hall way (it was away from all the outside walls and windows etc.) so we all went out and stood out there for the next 30 or so minutes. not really knowing what was happening or what to do.

haha i wasnt sure if our mission president was aware of the situation or not so i texted him while we were waiting there and i told him " we are in a tornado. we are with our ward family. we love you :) tell our parents we love them"  hahaha all he responded was "make sure you are safe" and we were in the church.  grateful for his concern. I love him so much! 

after it all blew away> we surveyed the damage.  this was the first time in 30+ years that a tornado ever touched down in Pekin itself.  half of the town is still out of power and to our knowledge none of the members in our ward were affected.- except for the power thing.    I was so touched by the love and hospitality that the bishop and his family showed to us.  we were told (as missionaries) to stay at the church building. rather than going home and mostly everyone had left. some were still at church because the roads were closed and what not. but the bishop after all of the stress and concern i am sure he had he took us to his home and we had lunch with their family. it was a sure way to calm and heal and turn off all the alarms and red flags going off inside and just get back into the "im safe" mindset. I am grateful for them. ( just think. we are pretty much strangers > another reason i know the church is true! I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY! )    

But within  our district it is a sad state.  our district makes up the pekin ward and the morton ward. and Washington IL is where over 50% of the morton ward members live.  Washington is where it is the disaster status is and so we are hopefully going to get to go there today to serve and help in anyway.  The sisters in that ward are safe and doing well -  they have a loss of power to their apartment.  please keep Elders Payne and Blackner in your prayers.  their apartment was hit by the tornado.  they are living at thier bishops house for the time being and i cant imagine how they are feeling right now. ( i am sure they  are fine, but if it was me i would prob. be pretty sad.)  

President Fenn, our Stake president and their bishop are working with the red cross and other organizations to try and get them to allow 20 missionaries to come in and help today.  so when we get the call is when we will go.  we cant just go because now it is all organized because Fema is there to help and etc.etc.  - its a sticky situation... 

The whole time i was in the church i kept thinking about the movie twister and at the end when they have to tie them selves down to and hold on so they dont fly away. and then i would start thinking > am i ready to die? what do i need to repent of? haha it was funny. and then It was " wait! i cant die! i have things to do! people to see! a life to live .. the Lord wont take me away." so i was fine after that.  oh also as a district we decided to fast for our investigators yesterday and as soon as we heard the sirens i thought " AND THIS is why we are fasting today" hahaha

It was an exciting time and experience. never to be forgotten.  I will write you next week about how service goes and all we come in contact with.      Friday we will be receiving our iPad minis!!  pretty exciting! 

I am grateful for these type of experiences.  they bring a lot of perspective and help you feel alive - i dont say this meaning i am happy this happened. but I know that "nothing shall be done save it shall be for our benefit and good"  so there is good in all things. we just have to look for it.  HOTRO(ptimistic)CKS! - right!   

hope i explained everything well. ask me questions if you dont get it :) anyways. love you all

all is well. 

i am safe. :) love    Sister O'Neil 

11/11/13

BIG NEWS

Where do i even begin...  

this week: we have 5 new investigators!!  - that is a huge deal fro Pekin! you have no idea! i am so excited! all 5 of these individuals are going to make EXCELLENT members of the church! it is amazing!  

Parents: last week we went shopping for Coats, and i got two coats and a pair of boots for $160.00 i thought it was a pretty good deal, so i did it.  and one of the them was a Steve Madden coat, and it is SO cute!   

I am privileged to announce that I am officially an Online missionary.  This means that I am on Facebook, email, mormon.org, skype and blogging.  

We are the 10th mission in the world to implement this program and there will only be 30 missions to pilot the program out of 405! 

I can not tell you how privileged i feel right now.  Elder Martino from the second quarm of the 70 told us that we were one of the most obedient missions he had ever seen, and that he was very impressed with us.  The truth is, president Fenn told us later that he only said that we were one of the most  he had seen, because he didnt want us to get big heads.  But he told President Fenn in his office that the first presidency believes that we are the most obedient mission in the world right now.  and they base that off of anonymous surveys that we filled out and that 98%of our mission rates them selves as being exactly obedient.  Also that 95% of the mission gets up every morning by 6:30.  anyways. i cant tell you how privileged, excited, anxious, honored and special i feel to be a member of this mission, and a missionary serving under President Fenn.  He truly is an inspired man and I am SO grateful for him.  I am excited to be a part of this pilot program, but i feel like a huge weight has been placed on our shoulders.  This is a HUGE opportunity and we get to pave the way for future missionary work.  It is amazing to think that in 10 years from now even 5 years from now how different missionary work will be.  ITs just like when those missionaries frist got the "preach my gospel" program, and think about how that has changed our membership since then.  AHH! it is just AMAZING to think about! it is so cool!! 

WE have been on Facebook every day for at least an hour since thursday and will be from now on.  WE are allowed to be friends with friends and family, but this will not replace weekly communications. it would be for the sole purpose that you could observe who i am teaching and what i am teaching and that you could refer me to your friend s and family so that we might be able to start teaching them via, Facebook and Skype.  I can teach anyone in the world!! it is amazing to think of.  

Being on FAcebook is the most draining thing ever!  everytime i get on i feel like i am breaking Every commandment ever given.  it is so hard. i just feel so drained after we get on and that i have SO much repenting to do. its not funny. haha  but i just have to keep telling my self that i am allowed to be on. hahah its really hard.  so lots of changes, they are hard, but they are good. 

OK!! the big news!!  

WE will be the first mission in the world to recieve 32 GB iPad minis.  wait for it... EVERY MISSIONARY will have their own!! -- WIKA WHAT?!?!? this is CrAZY!!  and SO exciting! THis is going to change our teaching, communication, scheduling. EVERYTHING!!  !! its so cool.  

our area books, planners, etc, will all become digitalized and be on our iPads.  When we get transfered President just goes -whaa la and we get our new area book.  Its just so cool! 

SO PRIVILEGED!  no joke!    anyways! now you know. Its pretty exciting! - oh I am not being transferred, neither is Sister Payne.  so another 5 weeks together.  should be great! 

hope i got all the important details in there. oh we will get the iPads around the 20th of November.  

its all just So exciting! :)  

So are all the CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!!!  - it makes me so happy people are putting them up already! every time we pass a house that has them i freak out!  YAY CHRISTMAS!!

I love you all!  - keep the faith! 

Love love love!

Sister O'Neil 

11/4/13

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!  

You guessed it. I dressed up as a missionary for Halloween. it was super fun.  On Monday we had a really fun Zone activity with our zone. and we met at the Normal Bulding in Bloomington/Normal, IL  It was fun and we had a great time. we played SO many sports. And It was just fun to be there as missionaries all together. It was my first Zone activity on the mission. and the Hermanas brought this super yummy fruit salsa that they made. so yum!  then on Tuesday- it was Up early sitting all day again.  we were up at 4:00 to get ready and meet other missionaries by 5:30 at the Morton Ward to catch a ride to the  Joliet Stake center for a meeting that started at 8:00.  It was worth it. because let me tell you. The meeting we had was one of the best ones i have ever been to.  It was right up there with General conference status! i mean AMAZING!!  Elder and Sister Martino from the Area 70 came and spoke to us. And i learned so MUCH  and i have copious notes to prove. in addition I think the best purchase i have made to date would have to be a recorder. I bought it when i was with Sister Pankretz and I have recorded so many great talks! I love it. so i have been listening to the best parts of the discussion and relearning and learning more! it is wonderful!

Thursday was HAlloween - as we all know. we had to be in by 4:00 so we were but before then we tracted in the morning. and walked over to a street from our house and guess what we saw/heard!?  we knocked on a door, and then there was this voice talking. it was like "doorbell, HELLO!! get the door!  Hello! welcome!" and neither of us could figure out what it was and then as we were about to leave we passed their big window again and inside was a talking Parrot!! ok i thought those were only in the movies! haha it was so AWESOME!  i wanted to knock on their door again just so we could hear the parrot talk. haha it was awesome. 

We got permission to hand out candy - because we live with a member , on the busiest street > they BUS the kids in to trick or treat on this street. it is awesome.  - felt at home with it all.  and i was amazed at how many people we did have because it was raining buckets!  and windy and just cold.  so sister Payne and I got some blankets and our sweatshirts on and sat outside on the porch handing out candy. and guess what we  did!  for all of the adults who would come up with their babies in strollers - who looked too young to eat candy anyway - we gave them Mormon.org cards! haha we put a whole bunch of cards in our candy bowl and let people pick. and a few times people picked the card! it was awesome! so hopefully something will come from that.  "beggars cant be choosers" right?!!?

On Friday we had a great experience. we met Cali a young mom with a new baby (7 weeks old). and she just let us right in when we knocked on her door. I could already feel the peaceful spirit in their home. and she was SO receptive to the gospel. this lady is going to be a great relief society president someday!  We have been praying for miracles this week and this was one! it was great! we are going back on Thursday to meet her husband! and teach them both. we are so excited!  It was so weird because the next like 3 houses we knocked on after hers all had babies in the last 3 months. - Talk about baby central!  

Yesterday  was sunday- my favorite day of the week. - yet another reason i am grateful for you parents teaching me to accept callings/ assignments when you are asked - and with a smile on!  10 min before church started we were asked to teach the gospel doctrine class for all the adults. SCARY! so all during sacrament we were reading the lesson and preparing. and praying!  It was a pretty easy lesson and its great the church prepares so much material so no one is ever left in the dark. I think it went pretty well. it was a good discussion and it was perfect because a couple of people in that class had shared their testimonies in Sacrament on prophets. so it fit with our lesson. It was great! 

We are teaching the young Women on Wednesday night all about missionary work. to help them finish some of their personal progress. I love personal Progress. I am so grateful to have participated in it. and for all the things i have learned from it. I think i will make it a goal to do it again when i get home. It is an awesome program!  love it!   

This thursday we are having a training meeting about online proselyting. I am So excited/nervous/anxious!  This is a whole new world to be an online missionary. I am privileged but scared for what is to come.  - just being pushed out of my comfort zone again.  There are just SO many distractions on the internet. so i am excited for the things we will be trained on and the ways in which we can use this tool and still stay focused. 

Friday we are helping some members clean their house. Remember "Rat town 2009"(i think it was 2009) when our house had Tons of rats? well they have the same problem. but their mice and rats live in their tupperwear. SOO we are going to help them clean out their kitchen.  dosent surprise me. they are pretty messy people. BUT... It will be fun. sounds like a slightly scary adventure. hahah hopefully i dont get bit!  

and then Saturday. the fateful day.  Transfer calls.  I will let you all know next monday what is going on. Cant believe that 5 weeks have already passed by.  the MONTHS are like half days. but the days are SO extremely long.  

ok well i am running out of time. I LOVE being a missionary. SO much.  I have learned so much about the gospel and my purpose here, that i know i could have never learned anywhere else. I am just so grateful that i answered the call to come on a mission.  

the church is true!

Love, Sister O'Neil

ps. thank you Chris and Nicole for the halloween pictures! Lisa, Megan, Jill> where yours at? did your kids dress up? haha jk

Happy birthday little Everett! -yay! for being 1!