Ava's Mission

I just wanted to send you an email because I know that today is probably a little hard for you. I remember one time when I drove with you to Uncle George's on his birthday you broke down and let me have a little insight into how hard it still is for you to not have your mom here with you. I can only imagine.... Last year, grandma Ellen's birthday was one of my favorite most miracle filled days of my misison. I truly feel her specifically out here working with me! I have no doubt that today will be the same and that there are miracles in store! I will work extra hard for her tonight!! I found it really cool in my studies this week that often times, the way that the children of God and His prophets dealt with their trials is exactly what caused people to identify them as children of God. And mom, the way that you have dealt with all the trials that God has given you causes everyone to see Christ through you, and that is why everyone recognizes you as the valiant, courageous, l...

Monday I got a call saying that they were trying to fit my bike into a box to ship home with me. Tuesday we got the beautiful news that all international missionaries will be staying. #prayerworks. Wednesday we had a mission wide online conference where President Collins called a mid-transfer transfer and told everybody who was switching to be ready in the morning. Thursday I taught the most spirit-filled lessons online to multiple complete strangers who referred themselves because of the fright of this time. Friday we got a call saying that my best friend sister Sisto and all other European missionaries had to pack their bags and leave for home in a few hours. (This was the saddest day and we were all a wreck.) Saturday we were in a trio covering 7 wards. Sunday I got to take the sacrament and feel the calm in the storm. I may be bold in saying this but there is no reason for any of us to be bored right now, especially us missionaries! There are so many character building things to d...

I thought I would share with you my email to President this week! Just so you could have more of the inside scoop! He always wants us to format our emails according to the FACTSS. Family, Area, Transfer goal, Spiritual experience, struggles. Here it is: Family, great. Anxious but they aren't pulling me home in the slightest. I asked them to stop sending me updates from the world so I can keep my one track mind. They are so supportive and don't ever tell me they want me home, even though I know they might. I have the best family in the world. Area, I refuse to let what we've started here die! Currently we have ward members dropping the book of Mormon tabs off at people's houses and then we video call them and explain how to do it and boldly invite them to put it together for a specific person that they will give it to. Our bishops ordered some themselves because we arent getting enough fast enough. So that project was inspired and is keeping the work alive over here...

When I was little, and something sad or hard happened, my mom would comfort us by singing "The sun will come out tomorrow." As we got older, that line became more and more meaningful and after long hard days we all would say to each other "It's going to be okay, the sun will come out tomorrow." That hope for a brighter and better tomorrow and those words have come to my mind time and time again over the past week as it has been rainy and wet and dark, and as we have had to change up the way we work while in isolation and as a lot of my best friends and teammates out here have had to have their missions cut short and return home. But the other day when I was reading my scriptures the line came to my mind again, only this time with a slight word change. "The SON will come out tomorrow." I was overcome with emotion almost to the point of tears as I thought of my Savior and all the faithful saints around the world who wait cheerfully and anxiously for the ...

Family and friends hey! This is going to be a long one. But if there is any email I hope reaches everyone it is this one. Let's just get this part out of the way. My mission is one of the least affected by COVID-19. It was weird not having a day full of meetings yesterday, but it gave us enough time to find 2 people to teach! Tim and DeeDee are the reason church needed to be canceled for us, and if they were the only two to receive the gospel through this whole thing, then it would be worth it. But I know they aren't, and I know that every missionary out there anywhere feels the same way as I do. WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE AND TO BE A MISSIONARY. At the beginning of this week, President Collins had a mission wide zoom call where he gave us every update that we've missed and told us what we were to do. He has got us very prepared and we went out early this morning to get food storage, aren't visiting the Elderly, and are washing our hands religiously. Hand shakes turned t...

I would like to start this email of by sharing with you all the names I have been called over the past week by missionaries and people we meet on the street: - "an entirely different breed of missionary" (my district leader) - "manly hands" (my roommate sister Hansen.) - "wow, she's a pitbull ain't she" (Mike who we met on a doorstep on exchanges.) - "the longest thing I've ever seen" (Carmela, the Italian woman we are teaching. Afterwards she pulled out a tape measure and literally measured me.) - "you look like E.T from the movie E.T." (Also sister Hansen my roomate) - "do you think anyone will ever love you?" (Mom you love me, right?... Don't worry, the girl who said this was 3 yrs old. She did tell me that Jesus loved me, so that was nice.) We got transfer news and were screaming and jumping up and down on the bed afterwards because SISTER DUCKWORTH AND I ARE STAYING HERE AND TOGETHER! I'm so happy. I...

For the record I had a plan to keep this short, but then I thought of 3 really cool experiences that I can't not share. But I really want to write a letter for my Dad because his birthday was last week and I'm already late so I don't have much time to respond today! First of all, I got to go on an exchange with my "daughter" (I hate mission lingo) SISTER FAIRBANKS and after a year of not seeing each other let me tell you that was the best day of both of our lives. We went to visit a returning member in a care facility and as soon as the door opened the woman who ran the facility said "do you have a book for me?" ... we pulled out the Book of Mormon and she said "yeah that one!" Apparently she has been watching this returning member read it all day every day and seen first hand how it has changed both his attitude and personality for the better. Coolest thing though is that she is from JAMAICA and when she was growing up over there they were t...