It's a Good Life

Hey there!

Wednesday we had i-Pad training! Whoop whoop! Elder Schwitzer, one of the 70, came in and trained us on how to use those magic boxes.

"When you go home, you can tell everyone you worked from B.C. to A.D. (Before Computers to After Digital)."

Good news, I can eat my sweets again! Bad news, I'm gonna gain a million pounds! But I do exercise in the mornings, so it'll probably only be about a thousand.

Yesterday, Sister P--- and I gave talks in Sacrament meeting. I spoke on how we can receive the light of Christ, and how I decided I was going on a mission. Now I've inspired all of the YSA to go on missions, if they haven't already...right? Right.

Last night, was kind of a scary moment. We ran across a busy road, trying to get to our car from a member's home, and right in the middle of the street, I lost my shoe. I tried to pick up my shoe several times, but it kept escaping my hands. This kind of stuff only happens in the movies! But where is the man who's supposed to save me? Of course a man isn't going to save you, you're a missionary! I almost just left it there because traffic was coming close, but luckily I was able to finally grab a hold of it, and got out of the way just in time. Wheww!

We're teaching a young girl and she is the cutest redhead. :) We've been teaching her since the beginning of the transfer, and she's been reading the Book of Mormon everyday! Every week, she goes to school, works at, volunteers at three different hospitals, and yet, still manages to meet with us once a week, and reads from the Book of Mormon everyday! She can already see the blessings that come from reading it. It's also super good because her fiance comes to all the lessons. Oh yeah, and she wants to be baptized by the end of this month. :)

I heard what happened to our beloved apostle, Elder L. Tom Perry. He was filled with so much love and passion for the gospel, you just knew his whole heart was in it. Thank you for your bright, energetic spirit, and all the years you have served the Lord. There is a special place in Heaven for you. I know, on the other side, you will continue to serve Him.

Lots of people always thank me for serving a mission because they know it's hard. Sure it's hard, and I have to make a lot of sacrifices, but like I said before, it's worth it! I have the opportunity to meet lots of different people, and knowing some of them, makes my life seem like a piece of cake, even on the mission. I feel so blessed to have friends and family who love me. I feel so blessed to be serving a mission. And I feel so blessed to have the knowledge of the gospel. 

It's a good life.

Sister Emily KaeLynn Sommers

[I guess California is serious about conserving the water.]

It's a Small Mormon World, After All

Greetings, everyone!

One of the perks to serving in a YSA ward is we get to go to the temple every week and give tours on the temple grounds! HOLLA! Sorry, Disney, you're only the second happiest place on earth. After we were done giving a tour Wednesday evening, a lady came over and tapped Sister Porter from behind. Turns out she was from her home ward! Right after she and her family left, another family came through and asked if I could take their picture in front of the temple.

"Thank you so much! Where are you from?" the oldest daughter asked.

"Akron, Ohio."

"That's where my husband served his mission!"

"No way! What was his name?"

"Elder Prince."

"I know Elder Prince! He didn't serve in my ward, but I remember meeting him."

Hey guys, guess what! I accomplished something pretty big this week! I CAN TOUCH MY TOES!!! I know what you're thinking, "Wow, Sister Sommers, that's a pretty amazing trick." But for reals, I have never, in my life, been able to touch both of my feet without bending my knees. It hurts like no other, but I can do it! WOOHOO!! It's those stretches I do every morning. And all that water I drink...right mom? ;)

Saturday, I was able to attend the baptism of one of Sister Porter's past investigators. I didn't even know him, but it was the most spiritual baptism I have ever been to. This kid has turned his life completely around. He had to wait a year and a half before he could get baptized because he had to take care of certain things, but he did it. The second he came out of the water, you knew he was one of the happiest people in the world. I don't remember everything about my own baptism because I was only eight, but I do remember the thoughts and feelings I had that day. My life would never be the same. My sins were washed away, and I was able to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

I have felt the presence of the Holy Ghost countless times in my life, but coming out on my mission has definitely helped me stay more in tune with the spirit. I can feel it when it prompts me to talk to a certain person, and I can feel it when it gives me warning signs, telling me we shouldn't be in a certain area. And that is a HUGE blessing because San Bernardino isn't the safest place in the world. I won't lie, it's pretty ghetto. I am so grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost. It is one of the most precious gifts our Father in Heaven can give us while we are here on this earth.

Being on my mission is one of the greatest decisions I have ever made. It's awesome, but I won't lie about this either; missions are HARD. They are hard, but they are so worth it!

Stay amazing, my friends. Watch out for a miracle.

Sister Sommers 

Jacaranda Tree

Me, Sister Porter, Michael, James (investigator), Lorenzo (the most awesome Ward Mission Leader)

Clumsy Feet

Part of the Ashland Young Women Care Package

It's Raining Monster Snails!!!

Welcome to my next blog post!

Let's see what happened this week...

Oh yeah! It was Elder Trevar Wayne Dahl's birthday this week! Happy Birthday, you krazy kid! Sorry you can't be a teen no mo.

So, at the beginning of the week, we decided it was about time to dedicate our area. We walked into the church building, and opened the doors to the sacrament room. When I flipped the light switch, I was so startled to see a kid about our age sleeping on the nearest bench. He woke up and gathered his things real quick.

"Oh...I'm sorry...I was just...trying to get some rest before my next class."

Before we could say anything, he walked right out. Sister Porter and I stood there and looked at each other. We laughed for a good few minutes. :) Poor kid. He just wanted his sleep.

It was Sister Porter's 1-year mark on Thursday, so we celebrated with huge, delicious gourmet hot dogs and smoothies! I hear after you've been out a year, the time is all downhill from there. Hold on!

Saturday, we spent a few hours cleaning a park with a bunch of "...rocks...thorns...glass...not cool, Robert Frost!" (It's ok if you don't get it. Just watch Kid President.)

Snailing . . . it's a thing.

Teeth Chattering

I am seriously not getting this weather! It's been cold and rainy again, but now it comes with these HUGE snails! I think I've only ever seen the dime-sized ones, but these are like the size of my fist! GROSS! So now I'm always watching where I walk so I don't step on one.

Guess what! iPads are coming! Woohoo! We have a training coming up next week. No more carrying a million books and binders everywhere we go! AND we get to show people videos the church has created right on spot! Is technology awesome or what! The only thing is I haven't used any of those magic boxes in forever, so it might be a while until I finally get my technological smarts back. Heavenly Father is really hastening His Work. As long as we properly use these devices in the way we're supposed to, I know the work will become faster and more successful.

California State

Last week, President Van Cott told all of us that he and his wife would be going to SLC for a few days for a training on iPads. When other mission presidents found out he had told all of his missionaries that he would be gone for a few days, they couldn't believe it. A lot of them said if they had told their missionaries they would be leaving the mission, it would just be chaos. That just shows how much our mission president trusts us. Gaining the trust of President Van Cott is HUGE! He strictly keeps us in line, but loves us unconditionally. It's because of him, we're one of the most obedient missions. Not to boast or brag, or anything, but we're pretty dang awesome.

Keep it real, everyone.

Sister Sommers

Jeremy, Daisy and Sister Rai

Weekly Planning

Celebrating 1-year for Sister Porter

In-and-Out Burger with the Rails.

HEY YOU! YEAH YOU. YOU SHOULD READ THIS!

So...not too much happened this week, other than I got to SKYPE MY FAMILY!!! I will admit, after not seeing my family for so long, they sometimes kind of seem like a figment of my imagination. It's comforting to know that they are real human beings that love me. Sure, it's super duper nice to get emails from them every week, but it's great when I can speak directly to them. Ya'll looked real cute on screen!

It's so funny that my mom thought it was Mother's Day yesterday. Everyone knows she became a mom on January 25th!

...just kidding! 

Happy Mother's Day to all of you wonderful mommy's out there, especially my own! She does SOOO much for me, and without her, I would not be the person I am today. I don't say it nearly as often as I should, but I truly mean it! My mom is #thebomb.com! Hope you all were able to talk to your mom's this week! If not, write them a letter. And if that's not possible, pray for them. Also, remember that even if you don't have kids, it doesn't make you any less of a mom if you love and care for those who look up to you. #superheros 

I remembered the other thing I was going to say from yesterday! A while back, I had a dream that Sarah came to California and walked straight into our apartment.

"Sarah! What are you doing here?"

"I had to come see you so I could tell you that I'm engaged!"

"WHAT?!"

She took me to the parking-lot, and led me to an old rusty pick-up truck. There inside, with his thick black glasses was her half white, half Asian fiance.

Watch out, Sarah. He might be comin' for ya.

Speaking of marriage, my cute ma and pops will have been married for twenty-one years, this Thursday! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!! They're gettin' up there with age, so just thought I'd send a friendly reminder. :)

So tell me what's wrong with this picture. It's warm, sunny, and 95 degrees out in Ohio. It rained three days straight, this week in Cali, and the temperatures dropped down to the 60's. Thumbs-up to Mother Nature!

This week, I have thought about some of the small trials I've had to deal with in my life. Not to feel bad for myself, but because coming out on my mission has made me truly grateful for those trials. I think they have really taught me how to love, and how to have sympathy for those who may have been dealt similar cards. Life can be hard, but because of what our Savior did for us, our burdens can be made light. It's been fun seeing some of my trials become blessings in disguise. Compared to lots of people, I think I've had it pretty easy for the last twenty years. I truly believe the gospel plays the biggest part in that.

Thanks for reading yet another week in the missionary life!

Love and miss you all!

Sister Emily KaeLynn Sommers

They say the longer you live with each other, the more you start to look like one another...Nahh!

Great First Impressions...

Hola everyone!

I'm finally here in San Bernardino with my new companion! Her name is Sister Porter, and she is just the cutest thing! Our personalities are quite similar, so I'm pretty happy about that. I'm just the crazier one. :) She was roommates with Mary Jo Talley at BYU, and she also knows that one kid, Trevar Dahl! The Mormon world is so small. Sister Porter is from Houston, Texas, so whenever people ask both of us where we're from, they always respond, "Neither of you are from Utah?!?!"

Our area is huge! We cover about seven cities, so whitewashing has been quite interesting. The last Elders serving here didn't even bother making any whitewash notes, so that's a little frustrating. I guess they're both pretty lucky because one went home, and the other went to Brazil; they won't have to experience the wrath of Sister Sommers. It's fun serving here, though! San B has the very first original McDonalds, we live right next to Mt Arrowhead (the one on the water bottles), and Twin Peaks is in our area! Anyone ever see that show? Don't worry, I found out it's a different Twin Peaks. Also, Mormons founded San B, so GO US!

Our second day in the apartment, we could NOT figure out how to turn on the air conditioning. We spent that whole day unpacking, and tried our best to weekly plan. The heat was so nasty, I started feeling sick. I tried stepping out onto our balcony, but this is So Cal, you can't really escape the heat. Still not feeling too hot (not literally), we went to Bishop Rohm's house for dinner. I thought maybe I was just hungry, so I slowly sat there and ate Sister Rohm's spaghetti and asparagus. After declining chocolate cake, I soon found out that hunger was not the issue. I was probably making the ugliest faces, and all I could think was, "Oh no, Bishop hates me." Bishop loves to talk, so it felt like I was sitting there forever, hoping and praying I wouldn't throw up all over the dinner table. The good news is, I did not throw up on the dinner table. The bad news is...I did on the way out. Right in their front yard. We were real quick to fix that air conditioner.

The Northpark Ward is pretty small, but we're 'bout to change that real soon! It's weird serving with a bunch of kids; I'm so used to being with families. All of them are so dang nice, and some of them are just hilarious! Everyone said it was going to be a blast serving here, and I think they're right! They have activities planned for the ward every single day! How do they do it? I have no clue, but it sounds pretty awesome to me! Don't worry, if it all just sounds like fun and games, it really isn't. One of the best parts is we get to give tours at the temple every Wednesday! We will also be setting up some booths on campus, so those will be perfect missionary opportunities. 

The month of May has come. You know what that means? No sweets or junk for me! It's gonna be a long transfer because there is ALWAYS food at the YSA ward. I'm praying for strength to resist temptation. Sister Porter is doing it with me too, so that helps!

You know what the month of May also means? I GET TO SKYPE MY FAMILY NEXT WEEK!!! WOOHOO!!! :) Haven't seen y'all in forever and a day!

Hope all is well with all of you in the world! Have a great week!

Oh yeah...and May the 4th be with you

Sister Sommers  

TRANSFERS, AND REPTILES, AND BREAK-IN'S...OH MY!

Hey everyone! Crazy week!

So this week is transfer week...and guess what...I'm being transferred! AHHHH! I don't know how I feel about this! I can't leave La Quinta! It's like leaving home all over again! :( But I have a good feeling about this one. I'm now going to be serving in the Northpark YSA ward in San Bernardino. Everyone was so jealous that I'm being sent to a YSA ward. I hear it's a lot of fun working with them. So that's exciting! Another plus is my new companion is Sister Porter. I've never met her, but all I hear is good things about her. I can't even tell you how much of a relief that is. The only part I'm nervous about is we're whitewashing the area! [This means that both of the missionaries are new to the area. They usually have one that's been there a while.] Maybe we could use some prayers. Maybe the La Quinta Elders too; we're not being replaced by any other missionaries. 

We went to the Stake President, Pres. Morris's house on Monday, and made a new scaly friend. President's 11-year-old son, Noah LOVES reptiles! That's all he and I ever talk about. After dinner, Noah showed us the rattlesnake he caught! My first rattlesnake! It was so cool...and actually kind of scary. His rattle was louder than I thought it would be, and he tried striking at us multiple times through the cage. I'll be listening to those rattlers as I walk around.

On Saturday, all four of us got locked out of our apartment. Hahaha! We were stuck outside for an hour until the Elders came to our rescue. There was no way we could have broken in through the door, so the Elders had to break the latch of our tiny window to open it. Sister Wagner crawled right through it and let us back in. Hahaha! We were secretly all hoping we would have to sleep in the chairs by the pool.

Today is P Day, so our Ward Mission Leader's wife, Sister Agherbi, took the four of us to the zoo! Yay!! It was the first time Sister Yeager has ever gone! So much fun!

 
I'm going to miss La Quinta, Sister Wagner, and our roommates SO MUCH, but I know I have finished my work here, and the Lord has other plans in store for me in San Bernardino.

Until next week,
Sista EmSom

Roomies

We found our Parking Spot!

Bishop Jones and Family

Sister Jordan (Can you believe she's 75?!?!)

Sister Riding

The Cute Agherbi Family

Bishop Jones and Family 

Sister Jordan (Can you believe she's 75?!?!)

Sister Riding

The Cute Agherbi Family

Breaking in

Zach is 8-years old and a child of record, but we've been teaching him because he hasn't grown up in the church. He's gonna be baptized!! 😊

Cuz You Gotta Have Faith

Hey everyone!

So, this week was unfortunately not as exciting as we were planning it to be. Pauline decided not to be baptized this week. It broke our hearts. If only people could see the good that comes from being baptized and following Heavenly Father's plan. We'll just keep loving her, and keep helping her build her faith.

We did a ton of service on Thursday! We helped Sister Anderson sand a dresser, helped a potential clean out her garden, worked on a some dishes, and then helped make dinner. We slept pretty good that night.

Last week the Elders were planning a surprise party for Elder Villegas, and invited us. Sister Wagner and I went to the store early that morning to buy him a a cake, some ice cream soda, and pretty much everything else you can think of. Then the ZL's found out and told us that Elders and Sisters probably shouldn't throw a party together. Dang! I've never been uninvited to a birthday party before! The Elders felt so bad, they saved the last box of pizza for us. Ahhh thanks Elders! :) We tease them about it all the time.

"Remember that one time we were uninvited to a birthday party?"

I found out something cool this week I thought I would share with you all. Jesus's half-brother, James, was known to always have calloused knees because he was always praying on his knees. How fitting it is that he talks so much about prayer in the Bible. 

"If any of ye lack wisdom, let him ask of God..." - James 1:5

It's interesting to know that was the scripture Joseph Smith read that inspired him to kneel down and ask Heavenly Father which of all the church's were true. It was because of this, the Church of Jesus Christ was restored back to the earth.

I just love how Heavenly Father connects everything. The church is so true!

Missions for sure have their ups and downs, and sometimes I miss home a lot, but there is, honestly, no place I'd rather be.

"Called to serve Him, Heavenly king of glory, chosen heirs to witness for His name..."

Keep on keepin' on!

Sister Sommers

Ain't no mountain high enough

We're Supers

Yvette and Morteza ❤

Being the conservative sister that I am

Gracie Miller