Sprint to the Finish...and I Don't Even Run

My dearest friends and family,

Boy, it has been quite the week!

Hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's yesterday! Even if you're single, you still have family to celebrate with. And if you're family's not with you, you have your friends. And if you don't have friends, then just be a little more social. And if social skills aren't up your alley, you have a loving Heavenly Father who's looking out for you. And if you don't believe in God, well then, too bad because He'll be stickin' around for a while. 

Tuesday, when we were at Valley College, a kid came up to us and asked if he could interview and film us on what we do as missionaries. That's my second time being recorded in the mission. #famous - If you wanna check it out, or just miss the sound of my voice, you can find it on YouTube and just type in "SBVC Worshop Survey by Mitchell Young". He interviewed other people on campus, so we're somewhere in the middle. (3:40 at http://youtu.be/Ppu9uBjZ30o)

That same day, just a couple hours later, we looked at the phone to see we had a missed call. Sister B--- listened to the message they had left and then stared at me. "It's the mission office...they want to talk to you." Oh no. I called the mission office back and held my breath until Sister Allred picked up. "Hello, Sister Sommers! I'm just calling you about your flight information..." NOOOO!!! NOT THE TRUNKY CALL! NOT YET!

When President interviewed me last week, I was not prepared for what he was about to say. "Sister Sommers, keep working hard, but now is the time you need to start thinking about home." President, why you gotta say somethin' like that? Ugh...I feel like that is NOT going to help me be an effective missionary.

Transfers are this week. That means after this next transfer, I will only have ONE MORE TRANSFER LEFT! ONE!!! HOLY CABOOSES! They have a "Twelve Weeks" program for missionaries who are just coming in. Don't they have one of those for missionaries who are going home? Oh yeah, that's right, it's called "My Plan"...I don't even remember half of my life before the mission. How do they expect me to make a "now-that-I'm-a-somewhat-normal-human-being" plan for myself? I thought I was supposed to be a missionary forever! Anyways, I'll let you know where I end up this week!

Alright, enough with this "trunky" talk.

We were driving into town, when all of a sudden, I saw someone we hadn't seen or heard from for quite a few weeks. When we turned around to find her, she was nowhere to be seen. We figured maybe she had walked into the store I had seen her nearby, so we pulled over and walked towards the store, being totally oblivious to what store it actually was. We hadn't realized that the windows were tinted black until a guy outside the store asked, "...y'all goin' in there?" 

"Yeah...wait, what store is this?"

"That's a marijuana store."

"Oh...thank you! You have a great day, sir!

Look what I found in my studies the other day! It's all about when the saints settled San Bernardino. Pretty cool, eh? https://www.lds.org/ensign/2003/02/true-community-latter-day-saints-in-san-bernardino-18511857?lang=eng

Yesterday, we had one of the best Stake Conference's ever. It was cool because it was a live broadcast of some of the leaders of our church including Elder C. Scott Grow, Bonnie L. Oscarson, Elder James J. Hamula, and Elder Dale G. Renlund. It was pretty sweet to see Elder Hamula conduct the conference considering I had just met and shook his hand the week before. He talked about not fearing the things of the world. As long as we stand with the church and its leaders, we will not have to worry. Elder Grow talked about how we need to do more than just casually read our scriptures, pray, and go to church. We need to "feast upon the words of Christ," pray with all energy of our hearts, and keep the sacred covenants we made at baptism and in the temple. Sister Oscarson talked about "standing as a witness of God at all times, and in all things, and in all places," and Elder Renlund spoke on revelation and how true doctrine, understood, changes attitude and behavior.

Amen to all of that!

Have a phenomenal week!

Sister Sommers

Not Your Everyday California Girl

Hello ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, grandmas and grandpas, and aunts and uncles of all kind! 

Thought I'd start my letter out with a good laugh. My companion and I were taking the dolly, crate, and table out of our car to take to Valley College, when a kid asks us if he could take it down to the spot where we set up. We thanked him profusely, and he went back to his truck to put something away before we left. While we were waiting, I was trying to prop the table back up on the dolly because it had fallen and was off balance and was just being held by some bungee cords. As I tried moving the table back to its original position, one of the bungees came unhooked, swung around the table, and snapped me in the leg. With teeth clenched, I turned toward Sister B--- then let out a silent scream. Sister B---'s eyes widened and asked me if I was ok. And then this happened...she laughed at me! The nerve.

And you know how people usually discover paper cuts before getting lemon juice inthem? Yeah...not me, I guess.

The other night, we were trying to contact some potentials we haven't met yet, and we just happened to find the grandparents of the guy who wrote and directed "Meet the Mormons"! Pretty cool, eh? I guess he also wrote and directed other movies like "The Paper Brigade" (another favorite) and "Wish Upon a Star".

My heart and prayers go out to the Perkins Family. Just a couple months ago, we lost a faithful and beloved husband, father, grandfather, Stake Patriarch, and friend. I just wanted his family to know that they're still in my thoughts and prayers. A little over five years ago, I had the privilege of receiving my own patriarchal blessing from him. It was one of the most special, most spiritual experiences I have ever had. Just yesterday morning, I pulled my blessing out to read. I'm so grateful for the wonderful blessings I have been promised as I live my life worthily.

Saturday morning, we had a surprise Mission Conference because Elder Hamula, who is in the Quorum of the Seventy, wanted to visit and talk to our mission. It was one of the best Mission Conferences I've had. He talked about the doctrine of "you". He discussed who we were before we came to this earth; how we were valiant warriors who loved the gospel more than anything. He talked about who we are on this earth and who we are on our missions, and who we can become. We are representatives of Jesus Christ and we can become just as He is. "Your progression of the future depends on the decisions you make now." He also talked a lot on the atonement. There is nothing broken on this earth that is beyond the healing power of the atonement. As a representative of Jesus Christ, I know this to be true. 

Have a blessed week!

Sister Sommers

New Mission Adventures

Hello my dearies!

It's been a great week!

Monday, I had a wonderful birthday thanks to a lot of amazing people. I got so many nice prizes, and letters, along with three birthday cakes! Not to mention I was sung to at least eight different times. What can I say? My family, friends, and the YSA Ward love me. :) Sister Van Cott is so funny. She called me that evening at 10:28 p.m. to sing to me! Hahaha! (Our bedtime is 10:30pm.) And yes, I did celebrate with ice cream too.

Tuesday, we had interviews with President. My interview went really well. I was happy he was able to answer all of the questions I had. After my interview, Sister Van Cott joined us in our District Meeting and gave us all sorts of wise counsel. I just love her! After District Meeting, President had already left, so Sister Van Cott asked Sister B--- and me if we could give her a ride to the mission office. We drove extra slow so TIWI wouldn't go off on us. Haha!

I forgot to mention, we had dinner a few weeks ago with peas in it. When I received my plate, my companion stared at me as if to say, "are you really going to eat that?" I ate all around the peas...and I still managed to get a swollen lip. I can't complain much though, that was a half-hour of imitating Angelina Jolie!

Yesterday, our recent convert, E---, gave a talk in Sacrament Meeting. It was based on the talk "What Lack I Yet?" given by Elder Larry R. Lawrence in this last General Conference. I was so proud. So proud that it made me tear up. He did awesome!

Well, that's all she wrote!

Hope your week is filled with all things happy! And don't forget to smile! :)

Sister Sommers

It's My Party and I'll Wear Jeans if I Want To

WHello beautiful friends and family!

I imagine people back home are dreading today because it's Monday. Another round of school and work. For some missionaries, it's quite opposite; HOORAY FOR MONDAY'S BECAUSE IT'S P-DAY! But today I'm all like HOORAY FOR MONDAY BECAUSE IT'S P-DAY AND MY BIRTHDAY!!! [and she gets to wear jeans for Preparation Day]

Yes, today is the day I become one year older and wiser too. I am now 21-years-old! That is so weird. I feel like I JUST had my birthday, so it doesn't really feel like it's my birthday today.

Thank you for all the presents, letters, hugs, texts, emails, and phone calls! I received a special phone call from the R--- this morning with special permission from President! They were the Senior Couple Missionaries who served with me a few months back here in the YSA Ward! It was so good to hear from them! For more celebration, we will be bowling with a few other sisters today.

Wednesday was a pretty special day. That morning, we got to watch a Worldwide Mission Conference. It was pretty great and inspiring hearing from our apostles and other her church leaders. Later, we went to Cal State and found a ton of people who wanted copies of The Book of Mormon and who wanted to take the lessons. What a blessing! That evening, we gave our investigator R--- a temple tour before he moved to San Fransisco. Lastly, we got to go inside the temple to see A---, and three other recent converts perform baptisms. It was definitely one of the coolest experiences I've ever had.

Thursday evening, we had our Mormon 101 class at our Ward Mission Leader's house, and had three potentials show up! It was awesome. So happy we're finding those prepared people I always pray for.

HAVE AN AWESOME WEEK!

Sister Emily Sommers

I Will Boast of My God

Hey everyone!

Happy MLK Day! I just love that man. God is the artist of diversity, but we are all equal in His eyes.

Sister A--- had her birthday this week! She turned 85-years old! 85 and still hauling wood into the house, and still driving her tractor around. She's a total beast.

Last spring, Sister P--- and I encountered a guy on campus who all he wanted to do was bash on us. Just last Thursday, Sister B--- and I were in Wendy's, making birthday cards, (and I guess I have to admit we were eating too) when all of a sudden, the same guy walks in. He ordered his food and sat RIGHT next to us. We kept glancing at him, wondering if we should say anything. 

Sister B--- then turns to him and asks, "Hey, don't you set up a booth on campus?" I expected the worst. And well...we sure did get a piece of his mind. I don't think he was trying to be mean, but it was pretty rude. He basically told us we were going to hell because we believed in a "false Christ", Joseph Smith was an "antichrist", and the Book of Mormon was "deceiving" us. Clearly, he was concerned for our salvation. He would ramble with what seemed like no breaths in between. I just stared at him while my legs shook uncontrollably. 

I was praying the whole time that I would be able to somehow love this man, but also defend my beliefs. After about an eternity of half-listening to his preaching, I wasn't about to argue; I just simply testified that I knew that Joseph Smith was a true prophet who was called of God, that the Book of Mormon was true and has immensely blessed my life, and that I know that our Savior lives. He stared at me for a few quiet seconds, then stuttered over his argumentative comment. 

After about an hour, I was wondering if we were ever going to make it to just a nice, pleasant conversation. So I asked him about his family, work, and his hobbies. He later asked what iexactly we did as missionaries. He then asked how much we got paid for doing this. We told him that we didn't get paid anything, other than blessings. We had to pay to come here (with some helps from friends and family :)) Once he realized we didn't get paid, his expression changed dramatically. He became humbled.

I think Ammon said it best when he said, "Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever."

Well, there was a bajillion other things I wanted to share, but I'm running out of time.

Have a glorious week!

Sister Sommers

HELLO OUT THERE!!!

Ok, now that I have all of your attention, I can now tell you that I didn't get transferred like President said I was going to. President changes his mind all the time, so I'm really not surprised. But I am so happy I get to stay another six weeks and hang out with all the YSA here! This is my fifth transfer here! Man, I've been here for an eternity! That's ok, he can keep me here as long as he wants. :)

Wednesday morning, my companion and I woke up to another earthquake! We definitely didn't feel it as much as the one last week because this time, it happened in Banning. It was a 4.8 earthquake! Sister A--- told us they only get earthquakes like this once every 3-4 years! Now we've had two fairly big ones within two weeks. After that first one, I had a feeling that wasn't going to be the only one I would experience.

Tuesday, I still had an awful cold. I basically looked like a breathing corpse. And then on Saturday, I had the worst migraine in the world, and my companion spent most of her time Friday evening throwing her guts up. My goodness, we're like the next season of "The Walking Dead". But we are feeling MUCH better. Hopefully, it will stay like that for at least the rest of my mission. That would be great, thanks.

School is FINALLY in session! HALLELUJAH! That means we will find more people to teach and baptize! School breaks are no bueno for the YSA sisters. We can finally start to build our teaching pool.

So that was about my week. Hope yours is going just swimmingly!

Love you all!

Sister Sommers

Dancing With the Earth

Hello out there!

Boy, was this week filled with all sorts of excitement! Let me tell you!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! WOOHOO 2016!

The other day, we were at our Bishop's house, and we met his quite flirtatious 9-year-old nephew with some of the best pickup lines he was using on us. "Are you a racer? 'Cause you've been running through my mind all day." Or "Have you ever been to Tennessee? 'Cause you're the only ten-I-see." That kid will have you going for days! "Yeah, I had a girl once upon a time. And she was CRAZY! Get me this, buy me that. GET ME OUTTA HERE!"

HAHAHAHAHA! At least he's a little prepared for what's coming. :)

Tuesday, we were at the house, just finishing dinner, when all of a sudden, a huge giant outside picked up the house and began to shake it. Or so it was in my imagination, for a split second, before I realized what was really going on. My companion and I stared at each other, while she grabbed my hand. "IT'S AN EARTHQUAKE!" Things fell off the walls and off the shelves. We were a bit shaken up for a while. It seemed as though all of Southern California called us to make sure we were ok, afterwards. We later found out it was a 4.4 earthquake, and we were just three miles from the epicenter. A lot of people that had called us (mostly elderly people) said they had lived here their whole lives and never experienced an earthquake that dramatic. Don't think I would ever wanna do it again, but it was an adventure alright!

My companion explains that day pretty well in her epistle:

1 And behold it came to pass that on the second day of the week in the fourth week of the month in the twelfth month of the year in the year of two thousand and fifteen, while two missionaries were thus in the act of preparing for the week that was to come, behold the earth did begin to shake with great force. Yea, insomuch that the two missionaries that dwelt among those people living in the land of Devore did fear exceedingly for their lives. 

2 For behold the shaking did shake their house even so much as to make the more part of the things on the walls fall from their original places. And the shaking did continue as if to tear down every part of the house of which these two missionaries were in. And it came to pass that they did still fear. Yea, even more so than they had when the shaking had begun. 

3 But behold, they did not think to call upon the lord their God until the shaking had ceased. 

But behold, when the shaking did cease, their hearts were immediately turned to their God. And they did repent speedily of all their wrong doings and did pray fervently for fear that the shaking might return. 

4 And behold they did also rejoice greatly that the shaking had ceased. And what added more to their joy was that they were also safe and that their lives had been spared by the tender mercy and greatness of their God. 

5 And it came to pass that while they were in the act of sincere prayer and repentance, behold the spirit of the Lord came upon them and they were comforted immensely. 

Yea even so much that as the aftershocks commenced and continued on through the night and even into the next day, behold, they were comforted.

That afternoon, we were getting Subway, and a member just so happened to be there and paid for our food! Again! We should go there more often. :) Then on Thursday, while we were weekly planning, we fast-food-hopped around to four different places because they don't like you being in there for over an hour. When we got to McDonalds, the girl taking our order was a member and paid for our food, and when we went to Denny's, the lady taking our order said, "Sisters, I have wonderful news! I'm a member, so I was going to pay for your food, but this gentlemen over here is also a member, and insisted that he pay the bill!" We could not believe it. We were so blessed that week! Being in a YSA Ward has really taught me how to dislike fast food, but now I'm not so sure anymore... I know what you're all thinking, "Wow, Sister Sommers, you're gonna get fat and die of a heart attack at an early age." Calm down, if it's my decision, I hardly ever eat out. So there. Plus, we weren't feeling so hot by the end of the day, so we'll probably never do that again. 

For New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, President let us stay in the whole time so we could read the Book of Mormon cover to cover. I didn't quite make it through the whole thing, (I still had Mosiah and Alma) but I did finish it from where I was originally. That was a total of 17 hours of reading! Whew! But it was awesome. I have gained new knowledge, and a greater testimony of the Book of Mormon. I have really come to truly love it.

Yesterday, we taught Priesthood. Haha, I know, right? The Elder's Quorum President wanted us to train all the guys on how to hand out copies of The Book of Mormon. It was a pretty bomb-awesome lesson, for only knowing an hour in advance. We weren't exactly sure how well they were going to participate, but all of them were trying to be involved. We even got a few of them to do some role plays! Awesome.

Last night I went to bed and woke up so sick with this nasty cold. NOOOO! D: I've been doing so well my whole mission to avoid it! But now it's here. Sister B--- and Sister A--- have been taking care of me by giving me all sorts of oils to put on my feet, my nose, and to inhale. Don't worry, they're not drugs. (I know you were thinking that.) This morning, I thought my brain was going to ooze out of my ears and nose. Sorry. Too graphic? But I'm feeling much better now.

Transfers are this week. Ahh, yes, the "T" word that we all love. Just kidding, no one really likes transfers. A couple transfers ago, President actually told me what the rest of my mission was basically going to look like. He said I would stay here in the YSA Ward to train Sister Bates for a transfer, then he's going to send me off to a family ward and leave me there for the rest of my mission! Sometimes it's just better when you can actually know what the heck is going on. But who knows, he's always changing his mind about stuff, but only because it's inspired. He actually said I could request an area to be in. Doesn't mean it's actually going to happen, but it gives him a good idea where he wants to put me. So I expressed my love for La Quinta. :) I HAVE been known to go back to old areas. We will find out tonight, so I'll update you next week.

Later, skaters!

Sister Sommers