Well this week was CRAZY!!!!! It was awesome though! I love being a missionary!!! We got a media referral last Tuesday and we contacted her Tuesday night. She was pretty much golden! We taught her twice before Sunday and she came to church! As we went over to her house Sunday night, we were pumped! But as we pulled up, something seemed off. She was sitting out front with her dad reading a pamphlet we had given her and smoking. She asked if we could stay outside and she then told us that she didn't want to meet with us anymore. It was pretty much the most devastating appointment of my mission. As we left, I had to hold back the tears. She had received a witness that it was true, but was choosing not to follow them. I am grateful for Preach My Gospel, as the Spirit brought many different quotes to my mind about how my responsibility is to teach clearly and powerfully and that then it is their choice to accept of reject the message. As I studied the next morning, I realized that the feelings of sorrow that I was experiencing were similar to the feelings Christ has when we reject His counsel. I am grateful for this experience because it has given me a greater desire to follow the commandments. I don't want Christ to feel that sorrow for me!

On a MUCH happier note... WE HAVE A BAPTISM TONIGHT!!!!!!! Paton Russell is getting baptized tonight! She is so funny! I love teaching little children! Teaching her has made me miss all the kids in EC that we taught and baptized! She asked me to give a talk on the Gift of the Holy Ghost at her baptism. She and I are buds! Her mom is really awesome too! Actually, she told me something really awesome! Sis. Russell joined the church about 10 years ago and the missionary who taught and baptized her was an Elder Abbott! How cool is that?! I was pretty excited!

Oh the joys of living in member's homes: The Lambournes are out of town this week so we get to feed the animals and water the plants. I have never been so grateful for sprinkler systems and desert landscape! It has been fun though. Last week was grand! On preparation day Sis. Lambourne taught us how to make bread--do I remember...no, but she taught us! It was fun! We each made dinner rolls, sweet rolls, and a loaf of bread! We gave it to a lot of different people!

The other pics are fun too! One is of Sister Millburn and I at Zone conference, Sister Moss and I at ZC, Sis. Moss kissing a giant jar of natural pb that I gave her for her b-day, and the other one is fun! There is a Phillipino family who we had dinner with last week. She told us that we were having fried fish. I thought...oh, like fish sticks...:) Nope...we had fried FISH!!! Eyeballs, head, bones, and all!!! It was pretty fun. I don't know if I'd ever eat it again, but being in VA, we don't have many opportunities to eat stuff like that! Oh, the joys of missionary work!!!

All in all, life is grand! I am really starting to feel at home here in the Salem ward! The work is starting to pick up and the members are so awesome!

Next Monday we get transfer calls. I'm pretty sure Sis. Hopoate and i will stay since we just got shotgunned in here last transfer, but you never know what the Lord has up his sleeve. I do feel a little change a brewin', but that could just be the smoke from the North Carolina fires!!!

I love ya'll! "Be good, be safe, have fun...but always in that order!"...That's a Sister Moss-ism!

Love,
Sister Abbott

Email from 6/17/08

What a wonderful week!!!!! SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many miracles...

So last Tuesday, we went for a lesson with Paton Russell, a very cute little 9 year old that we started teaching right when I got here. She has been very apprehensive about baptism and we didn't know why... until last Tuesday. We were teaching the Plan of Salvation and we had flipped to 1 corr. 15, when I randomly had a thought about Sis. Moss. I tried to brush it away, but then the thought came... "what scripture did Sis. Moss use for the Kingdoms of Glory?" I went with it and instead flipped to Dand C 76:50-51. We started talking about how the first step to live with God forever is to make the commitment of baptism. She then said, "Sisters, if I get baptized, will you stop coming over?" That is why she wasn't getting baptized...because she thought we would stop teaching her?!?!?! So we set her for baptism and she is getting baptized next Tuesday night!!!!!!!! We are pretty excited!! God answers prayers and provides a way for us to baptize monthly!!!

Another miracle happened yesterday... we got a call from a woman who wants to come to church. We tracted her street and left a card in her door. She called us and is coming to a ward picnic on Friday! That was AWESOME!!!!!!!

Probably the other HUGE highlight from this week was Zone Conference!!! The Spirit was so strong and taught me so much. But I really loved getting to see Sis. Hummel, Moss, and Sowards! I miss them so much. It is so weird seeing old comps with their new comps. Man I love those sisters! I was able to give Sis. Moss her birthday gifts. I made her a totally awesome white planner cover with green on the inside that closes with magnets. It's pretty much my greatest masterpiece yet!

Well, I better run! I loveyou!!

Love,
Sister Abbott

Hey YA'll!!!!

What a crazy week!!!!! First off...I totally ran into Brittney Bigler at church on Sunday!!!! She goes to the Singles ward that meets in the same building! Weird connection!

Well, I have been trying to attach pictures, and it took forever...so hopefully you get the pics. The first one is me wearing my wickedly awesome Bear Lake shirt. The second I think is a pic of Sis. Moss and I at transfers. And the third is a pic of Roger and Kathy when we went to say goodbye in EC. And yes that is a van down by the river!!! We couldn't pass up the photo op. :)

I love you and hopefully will be able to write more next week. I get to sing in Zone conference again. Sis. Moss called me on Sunday with special permission from the APs to ask me to sing with Sis. Sowards again. So we roped Sis.Hopoate in as well. Hopefully it will go well!

I'm about to get kicked off! I love you all!!!

Love,
Sister Abbott

Email from 6/3/08

In a lot of ways this week has been the longest of my mission! Everyday is like a new adventure...that lasts a long time. But it is always like that the first transfer in an area! Last week we set a girl for baptism in June, but then found out that she will be going up to PA a week before we had scheduled it and she doesn't know if she feels ready to be baptized that soon. We will see...I know that the Lord will take care of it though!

What else happened this week.... Oh, we went to visit a LA with a member and it turns out that he works with Bro Hoeppner...the husband in the family that we lived with in EC! How cool is that?! Oh, and I was in Relief Society this week and turned and saw a girl who was in University 5th ward with me at ASU! She was on my enrichment committee! That was fun! She is now married and her husband is working in VA Beach this summer. We also found some really great people! It is a little different finding in the city as compared to the country... it has taken some adjustments, but it's coming along!

I feel really scatter-brained today...sorry! But VA Beach is great...it's hot and HUMID but great!!!!! I am so excited to get to be here. There is something in the air that just makes me feel like something great is about to happen...I don't know what it is, but it is a good feeling. Well, I thought I brought my camera, but apparently I forgot it...sorry. I'll send pics next week!

Love,
Sis. Abbott