Email from 9/25/07

This week has been a long one. I feel like it has been a month since I wrote you last. I'm glad you all enjoyed the ice cream extravaganza! We got a kick out of it. I feel like I am blanking on what I need to tell you. Kelsey's baptism is still a go! She is so wonderful! I was reading D&C 25 about what it takes to be an elect woman and I thought of her. She is truly one of the Lord's elect daughters. I can't believe how much he loves me to let me be a part of her life. I used to laugh at the cheesy mormon folk stories about "I'll find you my friend..." I never realized how true it is. I knew Kelsey before we came to earth. I don't know if we promised each other anything or what, but I know that this friendship was started a long long time ago. She is so precious to the Lord. I am so excited to see her baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! WOO HOO!!! And then after her baptism, there is women's conference!! What a great weekend! I am so excited. My companions and I are totally stoked for conference. I realized that Conference is like the Oscars/tonys for missionaries! I am so excited!

OH and on the 30th, we get to go back to WV to teach Gallan again. Hopefully the trees will start to turn by then. There are some red leaves here and there but nothing picture worthy yet. I will hopefully be able to send baptism pics with scenic pics in the next week or so. As for this last week. We had some great meetings. I think we are all still trying to get a little acclamated without Sis. Thomas. She knew everything, and we just had to follow. Now we are all trudging through new waters. Plus they cut our miles, so we are stretching to try to get everywhere we need to be without going over.

I am so excited to hear about the miracle with Meg's shoulder. It's funny...I was a little stressed about it. I was praying so hard for so long for so many days. Then the morning of the surgery, I woke up and didn't even remember about it. It wasn't until about 9am that I realized what day it was. The Lord truly shows us that this is all in His hands. My prayers continue to be with the all of you as you work through this. Meg--be patient!!! The Lord already provided a miracle, so let you body do the healing it needs to before you jump back to work. I love you and pray for you daily. I never realized how much you truly have been through until I listen to women and men poor out the anguish in their souls. I look at them and can promise them blessings of comfort, peace, and joy in their lives. I then have the privilege of telling parts of your story. They look at me with awe and disbelief. I am then able to share with them that I know that my sister has been blessed because she is one of the most faithful, obedient women I know. You are touching lives in Virginia...and you are soooo much a part of my mission. Thank you! Thank you for always setting an example of obedience and strength. I know that you will be blessed throughout all of the eternities for your faithfulness through trials!

I'm glad to hear that the wedding went well. I loved the pictures, especially the one with Josh and the girls. Dyan truly was beautiful!! Josh, you truly are a lucky one. Also, I know what you mean about missing the desert. I'm not homesick, but thank you for sharing your experience. I feel at home here in the mountains. It is amazing!

Sara, I'm glad that you are doing well! New York will be amazing! Just follow the rules ok?! New York is fun, but it can also be scary. As I reflect back I realize how stupid I was and how much the Lord protected me. Dad will be scared for you to go, but just stay with the group and don't do anything stupid! I love you! Have fun at the dances. I think we should make guesses as to whether or not there will be a dance that you don't get asked to multiple ones! Is Cam going to Homecoming?! He is a Pirate you know?! We pirates stick together!!!

Oh, mom, thanks for the update on the Mercury!! WOOO HOOOOO!!!!!Just one more thing that I can add to the list of things that I missed while on my mission! How great that I can always remember when the Mercury won their first title!!!!!

I know that this is really not that long, but I am still in a buzz... we had a long week. I usually make a list of things to tell you and I didn't have time this morning. I am sure I will tell you all about the Baptism next week. Oh, and I get to give a talk on the Holy Ghost. I am a little nervous but oh so excited! I get to speak at Kelsey's baptism!!! Woo hoo!!!!

I can't believe that Jackie is getting deployed! That is so exciting. I realized this morning that it is as if she has been in the MTC for 3 years and is finally getting to put her training to good use!!!! Rock on!!! I don't know if Jabuti knows what's coming it's way! Jacks, you are always in my prayers. I know that they Lord will protect you as long as you are doing what he has asked of you! You are going to do great!! I also lost your address...the e-mail purged itself.

Ok, well I better run! The gospel is amazing!!!!! Keep pass along cards in your purses and pockets!! Never feel bad about giving them to waiters/cashiers/friends!!! This is eternal life!!! If they don't understand how important it is, you do! So share it with them!!! I love you all and am so glad to hear that you are doing well.

Oh, before I go I have to tell you about a little package that I got last night. It was from Larry Bowman! I was rather excited especially when I opened it and saw that it was the most amazing letter ever!!!!! I don't know if I can describe it fully but he sent me a verification letter allowing me to spread the gospel in the state of VA. I wish I could remember what it was called, but everything was to the nines. I also received a letter that looked like it was from the 1800s. It had a wax seal and everything!!!! Plus some copies of stamps from that era! How cool is that!!!! Oh, and he enclosed a pic of him in his uniform. What an amazing man!!! I will have to give him a call when I come back to visit to see if he will come. I keep him in my prayers. His spirits are high and I know that the Lord will bless him. I am still in awe! He is so great! Plus both of my comps got packages from their families last night too. It was like Christmas!!!

I love you!!
Sister Abbott

Email 9/18/07 excerpts

I am glad to hear that you survived the (wedding) weekend!! I was a little worried but I prayed extra hard, so it was ok! I figured it would be a rough day. In my morning prayers I pleaded with the Lord to make it a busy and productive day so that I could keep my mind on the work and not on the fact that I was missing my brother's wedding. Well... Heavenly Father definately has a sense of humor! In the prayer I also asked that we would be home in time for us to celebrate with ice cream and an EFY music dance party. He is so funny! Well, we actually had a lunch and a dinner appointment (that has never happened...we hardly ever even have dinner appointments). But we were excited. This wonderful old woman fed us lunch and we started her on a program called "We are a missionary minded family". I'm planning on mailing you a copy dad. It's great and I am excited to see the miracles that will happen because of it. Anyway... after lunch she gave us a big bowl of ice cream! We were so full but we ate it anyway to appease Sis. Johnson. As we left I told my companions about my prayer that morning and we laughed. Heavenly Father definately had a good little chuckle about it I'm sure. Well, we tracted a lot that day. We met a lot of hispanics and I was surprised at how much of the language I could understand from my limited high school studies...it must have been the help from the Lord. Then we went country tracting! I love that! People are interesting, but the scenery is AMAZING!!! Then we went to our dinner appointment. Mom, you will be proud. I ate squash! Yuk! But I did it. And I ate this thing with raisins! Yuk! But the woman was wonderful and her husband is less active. For desert she fed us what I thought was like a apple crisp with a bottom crust. But then she told us it was CUCUMBERS!!!! I was in awe! I got the recipe and will send it to you as well. Oh and on top of it was ICE CREAM! We were all holding in the laughter!! It was great!! Then we went tracting for a little bit. Oh, we tracted this dead end street called "Hope Cir.". Well, a less active family that we are working with lives there. They are great, and they really keep you on your toes. I love working with them because everytime we go over there I feel as if he forces us to testify of how and why we know it is true! Anyway, they are definately characters. Sis. Moldenhauer hadn't met them yet, so we decided to let her tract into them. Hehe. We came to the door and they yelled at us to go away! Sis. Moldenhauer's face was PRICELESS. I smiled and said, "go ahead". As Sis. D came to the door she invited us in and Sis. M. gave me quite the glare. We all had quite the laugh and Sister Moldenhauer is a great sport. Anyway, after that we went to 2nd ward cooralation meeting. We have it on Sat. Evenings because of the overlap of ward times, so we can't have it on Sundays. Anywho, after that meeting, he dished us up some...that's right...ICE CREAM!!!! All of us were laughing soooo hard it wasn't even funny. So when we got home that night, we realized that we had done enough celebrating. So we took it easy. Heavenly Father is so funny. Just another way that we see that he will poor out blessings that there will not be room enough to receive it...litterally!!

So I am sure you are wondering about my new companion!!! I have to admit that I was extremely nervous about meeting her. I knew nothing about her. On Wed. we drove to Richmond, dropped off Sis. Thomas, and then tracted around the church for the rest of the day until the transfer van came back with our comps. As soon as I met Sis. Moldenhauer, my fears fled away. SHE IS AMAZING!!!!! Think of what you envision about the epidome of a missionary...that's her. She is sooooo fun and such a powerful missionary. I am in constant awe of her ability to follow the Spirit. I am so excited for this transfer!!! We keep kidding about her staying here until the end of her mission (April), and us being able to be comps that whole time. She is from Soda Springs, ID. She reminds me of a more spunkier Lorin Payne. Speaking of Lorin...what's going on with her?! You should tell her to write me! What happened with Justin?! Anywho...Sis. Moldenhauer is AMAZING!!! We are quickly becoming great friends. I never knew missionary work could be so much fun!!! She is a hoot! I definatly have a lot to learn from her.

Well, I love you all SOOOOO much. But Virginia's too amazing to miss AZ!! Oh, and fall is most definately upon us. It's chilly and the trees are almost ready to start turning!!!!! I'll take tons of pictures for you mom!

Love, Sister Abbott

Here are some excerpts from Sister Abbott's email on 9/11/07.

"I'M STAYING IN HARRISONBURG!!!!!!! Not only did I survive my first transfer, but I get to stay in H-Burg!!!! I can't even tell you how excited I am! The only sad part about transfers is that Sis. Thomas is leaving. :( I am really sad, but excited about the change. This will truly be an adventure. She is going all the way to the other side of the mission, so I won't see her unless one of us gets transfered before she goes home in Feb. I have really begun to feel like she is my mom, so it's really hard to see her go. In so many ways, she is the missionary that I hope to be. But I figured we are far too alike to stay together for too long. Oh well, change is good right...Who moved my cheese?!......

Next... good luck with the wedding. Thursday is officially marked in my calendar as "Chicken Stuffing night". I didn't realize how homesick I would feel this week, but I keep pressing forward. I figure I'll have a decent cry on Sat. and move on. Sis. Bergren promised that we can eat a bowl of ice cream and rock out to EFY music......

Oh, before I forget, my new companion's name is Sis. Moldenhauer. I don't know if that's how it's spelled, but she is coming up here and both she and Sis. Bergren are going to be the Sr. Companions. I'm excited but a little apprehensive. Trios are either really good or really trying. I'm hoping this is another case of the former.

This week was a little crazy. Instead of a normal transfer week... Transfer calls on Monday, P-day on Tuesday, and Transfers on Wed. We had transfer calls on Saturday, P-day on Monday, a mission conference this morning where Elder Dunn of the 70 spoke to us, and transfers tomorrow. It's very weird. They cut an hour off of p-day yesterday and told us to e-mail today. Sis. Thomas says this is very weird, but when does missionary work actually work out the way it's "supposed to". I wonder when we will finally catch the idea that this is the Lord's work...not ours!"

August Pictures from Virginia

Sister Abbott is standing in front of the Mission Home in Virginia.

Her first companions (whom she loved), Sister Thomas (left) and Sister Bergren (right)

A giant bug on the sisters' licence plate.

Sister Abbott's first baptism (August 11, 2007) Gallan Malcolm.

Driving from Virginia to West Virginia, they pass through this stretch of road called "The Canopy."