Slug stompin good time

It rained again on Tues. It had stopped and dried up enough that we could go outside for gym. There were all these gross slug things on the concrete. We were playing b ball when Hna Ficklin decided she wanted to squash one. She didn't want it to get all over her shoe though. Finally Hna. Stringham squashed one for her. The guts went all over and we laughed so hard. (I think we've been with Elders for too long). Hna. Stringham quoted Harry Potter "Gross, but oddly satisfying." We went back to our game, but pretty soon we wanted to squash another one. I stomped on the next one and its guts went everywhere! They shot so far they landed on Hna. Stringham. I'm surprised she didn't scream. We were laughing so hard. Pretty sure the Elders though we were going crazy.

I've now experienced the "little kisses" of the Latin people. We were at the temple and all the workers came into the dressing room. They were hugging each other, then went cheek to cheeck and made the kissing noise. Two of them did this to us. At first I was nervous, but they don't actually kiss you on the cheek, so it was okay. It made me feel kind of special actually.Just before coming to e mail, we listened to a devo from Elder Holland, given on January 13, 2009. It was amazing. I'd encourage you all to look it up. It makes me want to work so much harder and be the best missionary I can.

It feels like we're pretending that it's Christmas. It's hard to imagine Christmas at 84 degrees away from my family. They're trying to make it really special for us here. Sunday they had a small choir come give us a concert. My two favorite songs were Carol of the Bells and Do You he...ar what I hear (both en espanol). Then one night this week, all the senior missionaries came caroling to us and brought us brownies. The senior couple that lives down the hall from us brought us several goodies. Tonight we're having a special program. The different districts are going to be singing songs and someone is going to read the Christmas story. We're having our big Christmas dinner tonight. We are singing the Primary song "Stars were gleaming" I think that's what it's called. Tomorrow they have fun stuff planned for us, but they want it to be a surprise I guess.

Sister Laurie Summers
Puerto Rico San Juan West MissionUrb. Jardines de Caparra500 Calle Marginal NorteBayamon PR 00959 Please send me letters :)
"

Melissa has been Horrible about posting Emails

Here are the last 2:

Subject: Another lovely e mail from your lovely daughter.

Mi Familia!

I just got all my travel info. I haven't had a chance to read through it all yet, but I have to report to the travel office at 3:00 AM on the 25. So early! It's so exciting in one way, but terrifying and a little sad in another way. I hear they don't speak English at all in the DR, so that will be a challenge. It will also be a little sad to leave the friends I've made here. My comps and I all have the same flight, so that will be good.

Elder Allen, our district leader, went home yesterday morning. Us hermanas didn't even know about it until our teacher started talking about it. Some of the elders took it pretty hard. Elder Brown even shed a few tears. I wanted to mother him, but I refrained. It's a little weird that he went home, but it will be the best thing.

I sat next to Elder Allen. We took out his desk and his comp joined with another comp, so the other Elders scooted over. Elder Taylor now sits next to me. It will be a lot different. He is really confident in his Spanish. I think he took two years in HS. I'm glad I'll be able to ask him questions now. He also talks a lot and I talk a lot in class, so it could be an interesting situation.

There's an Elder Davenport in my district from St. Anthony. We were coming up with ways to remember each others names and I told him my mom lived in Davenport Apts. at Ricks. Turns out his grandparents own them.

We went to the RC (referral center) this week. It's basically the church call center. When someone receives a pass along card or sees commercials on TV and wants a free bible, B of M, or movie, they call in. Missionaries also call to see if people received their free items. I had two people call in while I was there. Both of them were from the South and both of them wanted free bibles. It was terrifyingly exhilarating to work the phones. It was so exciting to talk to real people, but also terrifying because I wasn't sure what to say or how to work the computer. When you send people stuff, you're supposed to ask if they know anyone else who might want stuff too. One lady gave me her pastor's name and phone number, so someone will be calling him to see if he wants a complimentary copy of Mr. Kruegers Christmas.

We also went to the TRC (Teaching Resource Center?) and contacted people in Spanish and taught our first lesson. The Spanish contacting part was no beuno. We don't know very much Spanish yet and everything we do know is a memorized script. So the volunteers would say something and we'd have no idea what it was. It was good practice though. Definitely some motivation to learn more Spanish.

Our lesson went a lot better. We taught about God is our loving Heavenly Father, Prophets, Christ's earthly ministry, The Great Apostasy, and The Restoration. I got a little flustered during my part because the "investigator" was asking questions I wasn't sure how to answer, but my comps. helped me out a lot.

We went to the temple today. It was linda (lovely, pronounced "leenda") It was so nice to just sit somewhere and not feel rushed or pressured.

Time here is so crazy. There's something planned for every hour of the day between 6am and 10:30pm. So that's like 2 full days of work in one day. So one week seems like two. It's long, but it's good.

Lisa and I have the same meal times, so we get to see each other at least once a day. It makes me happy. Her comp. did her student teaching at Hunter the semester before I did. It's a small world after all.

Letters during the week are such a wonderful thing. I know one week doesn't seem that long for you guys, but it's kind of like two weeks for me. So I appreciated the letters between e mails.I was excited to hear that Kyle's EQP is trying to contact them. The Lord has already started pouring blessings out on our family, hasn't he?

I'm playing the piano in Sacrament meeting on Sunday. I got to practice today and it was wonderful. I enjoy the small things that make me feel more like a human being.

Now that I'm used to the schedule, it's really not bad. We've finally figured out our planning, so we're back in our apt by 9:30, so we have a little bit of time before bed to unwind. (Sorry if it sounds like I'm complaining about time. I really am loving it here. Just trying to explain it all to you.) It feels so much better having a week under my belt. I know where I'm going and what my day will be like. I feel a lot more confident.

It's been hard getting to sleep at night, but it's finally getting better. I dreamed for real last night, so I think that means I won't have any more trouble sleeping. My dreams were so crazy. I dreamt the Branch President didn't approve of our clothes, so a Hna. in our zone came and told us we had to start dressing like sisters from THe District ( a movie we watched yesterday about real missionaries.) I also dreamt that one of the elders drew pictures of us to help him study spanish and he was on his way to get them laminated. When I saw him this morning, I just started laughing.

Sorry this is all so random and not in any type of order. It's hard to think it all out.

We live on the fourth floor and have class on the fifth floor of another building. That's a lot of stairs. I think we figured just to get to from the ground floor to our classroom is 435 steps. We do that three times a day, then to our apt. at least twice a day. My legs will sure be buff by the time I leave here.

Hmm....what else...

The Elders in our district are still great. They still stand up for us every time we come into the room. The Elders in our zone still carry our trays at lunch. We usually end up sitting by elders not in our district, so they usually carry our trays. We are truly a district now. Yesterday we figured out everybody's first names. Hna. Stringham made up names for everyone last week when she was trying to sleep because the not knowing bugged her so bad.

I can now pray, bear my testimony, and have a very brief conversation with someone in Spanish. How cool is that! A week a go I sure couldn't. Learning Spanish is sure making my English terrible though!

Sundays are probably the best days of the week. We get to listen to music and the spoken word before RS. There's a fireside, then movies. We watched the Testaments last week. Who know there was a love story? There were a lot of cat calls when they kissed. At one point in the movie, the girl says "am I among the wicked?" I could see one of the elders in my district very animatedly shaking his head yes. It was so hilarious.

My time is almost up. I love you all and appreciate your support. I know the Lord is watching out for me and helping me as I prepare to each the people in Puerto Rico. I know that this is his work and that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. He truly loves us and wants us to be happy. We are happiest when we are keeping the commandments. I also know he will bless you all while I am away.

Love you much,
Laurie


Subject: Isn't it ironic, dontcha think?

Hola familia!

I'm so excited to be able to e mail you right now. Thank you for the packages. I was really excited to receive them.


The Lord works in mysterious, hilarious ways. Saturday night I was thinking how glad I was for Sunday because the days were all starting to seem the same. On Sunday, I was playing the prelude music for Sacrament meeting when Brother Warren pulled me out to speak with me. I thought perhaps he was asking me to speak (each Sunday they have to missionaries give 5 min. talks in Spanish. They don't tell you in advance, they just announce it over the pulpit.) Turns out, he wasn't giving me advance notice of speaking, he asked me to be the Coordinating Sister! The CS is kind of like the Zone Leader for the Sisters. I had to go to about a million meetings on Sunday, including Branch Council. I'm in charge of helping the older sisters leave (which I did Tuesday) and welcoming/orienting the new sisters. 5 new sisters came on Wednesday, so I helped them to their rooms and told them all the residence stuff. Thursday night I gave a lesson to the new district on MDT (Missionary Directed Time) and helped the Zone leaders take them on a tour. If any of the sisters have problems, they'll come to me and I'll report them to...someone, I don't know who really. It's crazy to think I've only been here for two weeks and I have this responsibility.


Here's another funny experience I had this week. Last night I was thinking about how I was a little sad to be going to the DR MTC. I've really enjoyed Provo. I like my companions, my district, my teachers, and my zone. I was thinking about how the Lord knows best though and that He probably has a better plan in store for me than I have for myself.

The Lord decided I really needed to learn that lesson. This morning at the temple, when we walked into the chapel, guess who my companion sat next to. My FHE brother from my second semester of college who I had a HUGE crush on. I said hi to him, but he didn't really remember me. It was so hard not to laugh, seeing him there as a missionary and him having no clue who I was. It's a very small world.

And getting smaller too. We taught at the TRC again this week. The Spanish part was no bueno. I couldn't think of anything to say, then when I did, I couldn't understand their answers. Then when we taught the "investigator," we were asking him get to know you questions. He was talking about how he was getting his masters degree in engineering when all of a sudden I was like "You went to BYU Idaho! I know you!" I think he may have been my physics tutor, or possibly even had a class with him. Teaching a lesson to someone you're not supposed to know is difficult.

Tuesday at the RC wasn't as terrifying as last week. We were there for like an hour and a half and I only ended up talking to four people. I accidently hung up on someone! I felt so bad, but I was still able to send him a free bible. All the people I spoke with were from the South. When I was asking for someone's address, I could not understand where they were from. It sounded something like Brentwood, but all muddle. I finally asked them to spell it and they said "B A T O N R O G U E!" Oh. Baton Rogue. I know that place. They probably couldn't understand me either, so I guess we're even. The rest of the time, I made calls to see if people had received their free stuff. I'm sure I must have called well over 20 people and only one person answered. It's probably that way out in the field too. Knock on a million doors and only get in to one house.

One of the elders we sit with at lunch told us of his experience in the RC and it made me feel a lot better. He was struggling with his call and his teacher was trying to help him out. The teacher kept saying "Who are you? Who are you?" Trying to get him to say he was a representative from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but instead, he said to the person on the phone "Who are you?" We laughed so hard when he told us this. We ended up putting it on our quote wall.

I wrote down several things I wanted to tell you in my planner, but I don't have my planner with me. Now I can't remember all the things I want to tell you!

Mom, I had forgotten that New Moon came out today. Is anyone going to go see it? If ou do, tell me whether or not it's any good. We thought about asking Hna. Allen to go see us and tell us about it. The Elders we sit with at meal times think we're ridicolous for liking it.

On Sunday, Kristen Oaks spoke to us in Relief Society and Sheri Dew spoke at the fireside. Tuesday night Richard Edgley, he's in the presiding Bishopric. They were all so amazing.

I'm amazed at how The Spirit works here. At fireside or in class, the people who are teaching seem to know exactly what I need to here. We start class with a scripture and it seems like every time the teachers read the scripture it's directly to me. If there's something I had a question or issue about, the scripture answers it. I wonder if it's that way for others in my district.

Lisa left on Tuesday. Monday night at dinner, she came and sat by me and we were able to talk for a while. We took our pictures at The Map and gave each other a big hug. I'm sure going to miss her. I'm grateful that I could see her while I was here though.

I developed pictures this week. Hopefully they're done. If they are, I'll mail some home.

Thanks for the pictures. I was excited to get them and my comps were excited to see them. I put the picture of Josh eating popcorn in Dad's hat in the cover of my study journal. So cute.


Dear Elder is great. Keep sending letters please. I don't know how it will be in DR, but here, we can print e mails off and read them so that it's not taking up our computer time. If that's the case in DR, feel free to e mail me. I know I said time is precious and it is, but letters from family are precious too.

Thank you for all of your love and support. I love you lots and pray that all is going well for you. Again, if you could remember to put money in my account, that would be wonderful.

Yo se que Dios vive y ama nosotros. Yo se que Jesus es neustra Salvador. Yo se que Jose Smith fue un profeta y El Libro de Mormon es verdadero. Yo se que Thomas S. Monson es el profeta en la tierra hoy. Podemos viver con sus familias para siempre. Yo se que estas cosas es verdadera. En el nombre de Jesucristo. Amen.

All my love,
Laurie

AWEE our first email!

Subject: estoy animado! (I'm so excited) You should be to! an e mail from me!

Mi familia! Oh how I love you! Time is so precious here. There is a countdown timer at the top of my screen, so I feel pressured! If this e mail doesn't make much sense or suddenly ends, it's because time is up.
So much to say! Where to begin? The Lord loves me and has blessed me so much since I have been here. My assigned companion didn't ever come, so I am with Hermana Stringham and Hermana Ficklin. They are wonderful! Thankfully, they are not athletic, so gym time is much more enjoyable. Hna. Ficklin is only 4'6. Sometimes in a sea of elders, I feel like I need to protect her so she doesn't get trampled. I probably don't, but I feel that way.

Our district (the people we're in class with all day) is absolutely amazing. You can see the Lord working through them already. These 19 year old boys have been an example to me. Some of them can already pray in Spanish. Elder Carr learned to pray in Spanish before we were even taught. When he prayed, I leaned over to Hna. Ficklin in a panic and said "When did we learn to pray? I missed that!"

They've set an example for me and make me want to be better.Another wonderful thing they do for us hermanas is take our trays at meal times. I know it probably doesn't sound like much, but it's very nice not to have to take our trays and put them on the moving rack when we're done. They also stand whenever we enter the room or sit down at meal times.

Our teachers are amazing too. Hermano (brother) Hadly teaches us in the morning. He's a grad student at BYU, going into accounting and served in Urugay. Hna. (Sister) Allen served in southern Florida. I don't know if she's going to school or not, but she also teaches a beginning English class. She is so cute and up beat. She got her haircut and when my companion complimented her, she said "Hna. Summers kind of inspired me" (Her hair is cut pretty similar to mine. Thanks Melissa for being brave enough to get your hair cut and inspire the rest of us to cut ours) She also put a lot of time into decorating our room. One wall is completely covered in pictures of Christ/other gospel concepts. On the front wall is the wonderful charts of conjugated verbs, then some profetas and their names in espanol. It must have taken her several hours to put it all up.

I saw Lisa just before coming here. She's been in quarentine and got out today. We found out we have meals at the same time and perhaps gym too. Hooray! I consider that a tender mercy. With thousands of missionaries here, I am blessed enough to be able to see her during the day.What else? We have at least three hours a day of MDT (missionary directed time). An hour is personal study, one hour of comp. study, and one hour of language study. Soon we will be teaching lessons--to other missionaries in our district and our zone (I think some of the Elders have already started this.) There's also a placed called the TRC wherer we will teach "investigators," members who have graciously agreed to volunteer and help us missionaries out.Time is a weird thing here. Days of the week mean nothing.

Oh, could you please send me a small calender. We always wonder what day of the week it is, or what day of the week our departure is. We leave for DR on November 25. Is that the Wednesday before Thanksgiving?

Gym seems to last an eternity, but the blessed minutes between 10:15 and 10:30 when I have time to myself to write in my journal go by like a blink of the eye. Meal times go by fast to. I've learned I eat super slow! My comps are always done before me and when our Elders come to take our trays, I'm never done. Perhaps I will learn to eat a little faster. Class goes by fast and slow at the same time. We've done a variety of activities (watch video clips, discuss with a companion, discuss as a district, change teachers) so that makes it nice. We've been having gym at 6:35am, but today we didn't have it until 2:05, so this day seemed to last forever.

As I mentioned earlier, we've learned how to pray in Espanol. I haven't quite memorized all the words and phrases yet, but my goal is to have that down by tomorrow. We were supposed to learn how to testify in Spanish today, but I think we sidetracked Hno. Hadly. He was teaching us how to conjugate verbs and we were so confused. He was supposed to leave at 11:30, but we kept asking him questions and he stayed until 12:00.I think my MTC mailbox # is 216. Maybe 266. I don't know. You don't really have to have it to send me stuff. Also, if you go to dearelder.com, it will almost be like e mailing me. You type your letter up on the computer, hit send, it gets printed out somewhere and mailed to me either the same day or by the next.Nine minutes left.

Yesterday we had Hno. Richardson, another teacher from our zone, come teach us for a while. He told us we have the same power and authority as Alma, Amulek, and the other great missionaries in the Book of Mormon. We can go out and astonish people just like they did. We just have to take it to the edge. He also talked about the way we teach. Some people have never heard the story of the restoration before so we shouldn't just rush through it. We need to slow it down, pause, and make it meaningful. When he taught it to us this way it was so powerful. I feel the spirit so much here. I know I'm exactly where I need to be, doing exactly what I need to be doing. The highs are high and the lows are low, but the Lord loves me and has blessed me greatly

.Oh, if you could, please pray for my health. I'm not sick, I feel fine, but I desperately DO NOT want to get sick. I don't want to be quarentined!Another tender mercy: the first day mail was delivered, I actually got two letters. I wasn't expecting to get anything here (except from Hna Green, but I have to write to her first). My math buddy Rachelle and Jesse Cottam both wrote to me. I haven't really had time to read the letters yet, but I was very excited.I have three minutes left and don't know what else to write! There is so much! I love you all and hope things are going well at home. The Lord loves me and is taking care of me as I know he is taking care of you while I am gone. Keep praying and doing all that you're supposed to and the Lord will bless you.
El verdad (the truth)
Love,Hna. Laurie Summers

My Sister The Missionary

Hello everyone. This is Melissa. My Mom and I will be updating this blog with emails, pictures, and current Addresses for the next 18 months. Please feel free to leave messages here that we can pass on to her. We will keep this blog as current as possible.

I just want to take this time to say how proud I am of Laurie and what an example she has been to me. As I was writing my thoughts about her decision to serve, a song came to my mind and I honestly think it is the best way to explain her decision and dedication to serving a mission.

AS sisters in Zion:

As sisters in Zion, we’ll all work together;
The blessings of God on our labors we’ll seek.
We’ll build up his kingdom with earnest endeavor;
We’ll comfort the weary and strengthen the weak.

The errand of angels is given to women;
And this is a gift that, as sisters, we claim:
To do whatsoever is gentle and human,
To cheer and to bless in humanity’s name.

. How vast is our purpose, how broad is our mission,
If we but fulfill it in spirit and deed.
Oh, naught but the Spirit’s divinest tuition
Can give us the wisdom to truly succeed

Called to Serve

After much waiting and anticipation, I have been called to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Puerto Rico San Juan West Mission. I received my call on July 8. I report to the Provo MTC on November 4. I will spend three weeks there, then head out to the Dominican Republic MTC for an additional six weeks.