First Week In Chicago Land (Nov.14-21)

This is not the Chicago West Mission. I've discovered my mission covers northern Illinois and not even really a block of the good old Chi. The place I serve in, Schuamburg, is the second to closest area that it comes to being near Chicago. I'm in Chicago land. But I don't mind, I know I'm meant to be here and I love it. It took my whole first week to get over all of the squirrels and geese here! It was a serious but hilarious distraction for me and I swear there's more squirrels than people here. It's cold, but it hasn't snowed yet, and I've got a great coat that keeps me warm and I don't look like the kid in Christmas Story who can't move his arms.... yet.

My first week was extremely frustrating but great! I'll have to say more about it later since I'm already running out of time writing, but don't worry, I'll fill you all in it later. 😊

My companion, Sister Jardine, is a beautiful and looks like Blake Lively. No joke. She has a hardcore work ethic, and is fearless until it comes to any kind of bug which I discovered today when she sicked me to kill a spider whilst screaming. I love her and she's a fantastic missionary trainer! This is her first time being one, and she's only been a missionary for four months but she's amazing.

Last Monday me and Sister Jardine along with a member named Ethan met with an investigator, Kay, at the Elgin Library. I was anxious waiting but also excited to meet with Kay for the first time.We waited in a conference room for him and were excited when he came. This was my first real lesson with an investigator one week in my mission. A lot of the work I've been doing so far has been strengthening our small YSA branch with drop-by's and doing some classic tracking.
 Kay is a very abnormal investigator. He was the one who approached a pair of Sister's now transferred out of this area after they gave a lesson to someone the library, recognizing them. He said how he really appreciated our health code, The Word of Wisdom, and is interested in the church. He has a history of being a apiscaplaeion (I'm sorry, I really don't how to spell that) and taking some teachings from Buddhism and I think Hinduism, and has read some other holy scriptures. 

Kay has a very, very busy work schedule so no one has ever really met him. The Sister's only met and taught him once, and the Elder's after them were only able to do some lessons through long phone calls. Me and Sister Jardine were the second ones who's ever met him in the six months he's been an investigator. 

It was amazing to finally meet with him. He's very smart and has researched quite a bit about the church. When we taught him we had a hard time since he's such an intelligent thinker for him to learn with the Spirit,and him not learning about the gospel with his head but with his heart. But already just days later he's progressing fast, and we think the next time we meet with him we will invite him to baptism.

There are a lot of other things that have been happening, but again, I'll fill you all in later. I've still have had a difficult time being patient with myself. I've been trying to learn more about the Atonement and how to utilize it, and yesterday I think I made my first real step towards that during 12 Week. I shared my frustrations with Sister Jardine about how I really want to learn more about the Atonement, and she testified what the Atonement was to her. She than asked what it meant to me. I began to explain what it was to me and it ended up being a testimony of it, and helped me realize I know more about the Atonement than I think. 

I'm still struggling in some ways, but I'm growing stronger, and I'm excited for the work and being a missionary.

-Sister Petty

Last Days at the MTC (Nov 3-Nov 10)

The first week at the MTC was so long. But these past two weeks have gone by like a whirlwind and I have a hard time believing I'll be leaving to Chicago Monday morning.

I've bumped into even more familiar faces- four from school, two sisters from my old lacrosse team (Sister Luke and Sister Kohert) and Elder Fitzgerald! It's been fun. I did have to say good-bye and see the other Sister Petty off, my sister, on Tuesday but I spent a good amount of time being with her while here so I'm happy. I"m so excited for her and the great things she'll do.

Me and my companion Sister Fugal were called to be the music coordinators in our branch. We had to choose hymns that as a district we'll sing on Sunday for our Sacrament meeting, and the musical number that the departing missionaries will sing (including us). Not only did our one district come into the branch with all the other new missionaries but another district came in the same time as we did. So It'll be one huge group singing and a small listening audience of 12.

We'll be singing an arrangement of "If You Could Hie To Kolob/Come Thou Font". Sister Colborne has basically took over our rehearsals because she knows more about music than the both of us, and she was the one who provided the sheet music for it.

I'm so excited to sing it! The entirety of my MTC stay it's been constantly on the lips of everyone in my district, almost our main theme songs. So when me and Sister Fugal were deciding on what to choose for the musical number and I mentioned those hymns, Sister Colborne happended to be in the room and immediately whipped out the sheet music. I don't think any of that was a concidence. I love the Lord and Sister Colborne.

I've learned so much while being here, but there's been three main things.The first and one of the most vital things is the outline purpose for being a missionary, (which we all memorize):

"Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement,repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end."

The most precious part to me is to invite others to come unto Christ. In the end it is the investigators own choice on whether or not they want to draw closer to him.

Second is the principle of "Teach People Not Lessons". This means to not be caught up in teaching just the lesson instead of addressing the person's questions and needs.

The third and last thing is that I've been really humbled. My mission is all about the investigator. It's all about Christ. It's great that I'm confident in myself, but it's more important to be bold and confident in Christ and to always focus on him.

Write you next time in the Chi,

-Sister Petty

First Week at the MTC (Oct 26- Nov 3)

Surprise! I forgot to press send so I was unaware until today (11/10) that none of you have heard from me yet! Here's my first letter:

So far here at the MTC I've eaten mystery cafeteria food and have felt the spirit here.

Okay actually the food here is pretty great, but anyways.

The MTC has been a difficult but rewarding experience so far including seeing old friends. I was able to see one of my best friends, Elder Diniz, at the MTC (Missionary Training Center) before he left to the Texas Fortworth Mission! There's a policy for the Elders and Sisters here not to hug each other to help keep the relationships here completely platonic since we are just preparing to serve the Lord. When he called out my name and when I turned around and he was right there I impulsively yelled out "NO HUGS!" It was more to remind myself-he already had his hand extended to shake mine. I definitely made people jump within 200 yards of me.

I've also seen my actual wonderful sister, Sister Jane Petty at the MTC. She is also preparing to serve a mission and came to the MTC a week earlier than I did. As me and my Dad pulled in front of the MTC, I spotted her immediately walking around campus. The car windows were down,and I accidently hollered " OH MY HECK!"A lot looks were shot my way from many people. I obviously have problems yelling.

The District that I'm assigned in, which is the set amount of Elders and Sisters (Elders are the titles given to male missionaries, Sister is the female missionaries) I study with daily are phenomenal! I only have time to write about some of them, so I'll share more about them later.

There's Sister Colborne from Scotland Ayr. She's funny, beautiful, has a lovely thick accent, and a beautiful laugh that she gives freely. Sometimes when she uses some of her UK slang and others don't understand her I usually do.This is because I've grown up hearing my Dad use similar slang since he's from New Zealand. (Thanks Dad!)

My companion, Sister Fugal is amazing! For those who don't know what a "companion" is, it's a sister who is assigned to stay by my side and I hers the whole time we're at the MTC and later on the mission field. It's for safety, more growth for the both of us when we learn together, and having more strength for when we teach. She's extremely kind and Christ like, and I feel so blessed for her to be my companion. She's actually from Pleasant Grove too but we only briefly met before we got here and we barely recognized each other. She's actually going to the same mission as me, the Chicago West Mission! When you're assigned a companion they don't have to be going to the same mission as you. I'm happy I'll be able to see her around in the future even after this.

After a week of lessons and other activities for us to grow close to Christ and how to help others learn about him, an amazing thing happened! On Tuesday night, Russell M. Nelson, President of the twelve apostles, came and spake to the 1,000 missionaries  here at the Provo MTC.

Every Sunday and Tuesday we have devotionals, and usually on Tuesday's we have guest speakers like general authorities and such. Every once in a while we're lucky enough to hear from an apostle.

We knew that our upcoming guest speaker would be an apostle or someone else huge once we heard we'd be bringing out the big guns by singing "Praise To The Man" in the MTC choir.

Me and my whole district decided to join the MTC choir. Basically everyone in the MTC is invited to join the choir, and a lot do, but it's been special because everyone of us is doing it, and as far as I can tell other districts don't do that.

The Spirit was so strong as we sang- but that wasn't a big surprise to me because for every time we sang it in rehearsals, even just for a measure, and than stopped I felt the Spirit ring through my whole body.

The whole thing was broadcast live to MTC's around the world, so there were camera shots of the choir, us, singing. We were told not to look up at the screens, so the broadcast wouldn't be missionaries gawking at themselves. I still saw some dumbstruck faces though 😅

I would steal quick glances and proudly see my lovely fellow district Elders and Sisters, and my beautiful sister Jane throughout the crowd.

The talk Russell M. Nelson gave was short, only 20 minutes long, but it was beautiful with it's simplicity. I feel so blessed to have heard his words, and to live in such a time as this. I work around and with hundreds of other missionaries who all have personal testimonies of Christ.

I testify that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true church of Christ. i'm grateful to be here and am grateful for all of your support.

-Sister Petty