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!