Officially One Month!

I've been out for one month! Crazy!

This week was great and an adventure! Missionary work is going good! The members here are awesome and the more i'm here the more i'm adjusting and the easier it gets(: We haven't had as many lessons as we would like but the trainings from ZTM (zone training meeting) and President and Sister Samuelian's "farewell" meeting were AMAZING! You feel the spirit so powerful and I absolutely love being around other missionaries. Missionary work is definitely not easy but there are times where you see it is worth it! The people here love the missionaries and do a lot for us! We've gotten so MANY berries from members - like everyday this week we've come home with some kind of fruit!

Looking forward to another week!

(hope you got the other email of pictures from sis mickelson's ipad with president and sister samuelian, our homeade pancake dinner with all the fruit, us in a "field of white (wheat))

Love you!

Love, Sister Warburton

 

(Here are the pictures)

 

Hello Oregon!

I've made it to Oregon! and it is stunning! I love and miss beautiful Utah but Oregon has taken my breath away! There are so many trees and it's SO green! I love it(: 

The first day here was amazing! We met the mission president - President Samuelian and Sister Samuelian, two of their grandkids, and also their niece. The Samuelians are seriously amazing but we don't get them for very much longer! This thursday they're going around and saying goodbyes before they leave next week and we get a new mission president. President Samuelian made our first day here in Oregon perfect! After they picked us up at the airport they took us to the Portland Temple!! It's beautiful! and was very special for us to walk around the temple and talk about the covenants we've made. We also went into the visitors center right next to the temple and talk a little about families (thats a little mean of them to do;) but it was really great! 

So one thing I didn't expect we'd get to do (especially on the first day) is to see the coast, but guess what! We took a nice 1.5 hr drive to the Oregon Coast after the temple! The drive was beautiful and the coast was amazing! We got to get out and set up chairs on the sand close by the "haystack" or "seastack" rock that signifies the theme of the Oregon Salem Mission. Helaman 5:12 and D&C 6:34 "build upon my rock". It was incredible to be there and have President and Sister Samuelian talk to us and was really just a special moment and spirit! They also gave us some time to go off on our own near the water and to "think". It was truly the best beginning to being here!

The next day I met my amazing trainer - Sister Mickelson! I love her so much and she is really just a great teacher and missionary!(: I already love my area and the ward and people! Still getting used to being out in the field and being a "real missionary" (; but I'm doing good and I love this gospel!

I hope you all have a great week! I love you!!

Love Sister Warburton

 

Mom's note: On Friday, a member sent me some pictures of her and her companion!  I loved them!!!

From the Mission President

I got a phone call last night from Marie's mission president saying she made it there safe and sound!  YEAH!!!!  I got to talk to her a little, also!  Tonight, I got an email with pictures from the mission president!!!

                                              At the Portland Temple

More pictures from the MTC!

District with Sister Greer



                                               With Sister Barney!

                             Sisters of 43B

                                 District

                                    Zone

                            With Sister Hart

Love from the MTC :)

I leave for Oregon tomorrow morning!! It's so exciting and I'm so anxious but it'll all be great! Yesterday we said goodbye to my companion since the beginning - Sister Roberts - she's going home for medical reasons but she's been so strong and an inspiration for our district! We love her and her laugh (she has the best laugh ever and one of the main reasons we laughed so much;) This morning me and Sister Hart woke up super early to see Sister Tayco and Sister Wynder off. I love them so much! They're going to Federal Way, Washington and they are both so great it's impossible to describe how much I miss them already! We also saw all the Elders in our district off too - again it's impossible to describe how much I love and miss them all already! Elder Cardin is going to Federal Way, Washington too. Then Elder Tetreault, Elder Fuiava, and Elder Alba are going to Nampa, Idaho. They left about 30 minutes after the Sister and Elder Cardin and even in the last goodbyes/Handhugs we were all laughing;) Now its just me and Sister Hart (she's the best) waiting to leave to Oregon tomorrow(:

(Picure: left to right: Elder Tetreault, Elder Fuiava, Our Teacher brother Carver (he's the coolest!), (in the back) Sister Hart, Sister Wynder, Sister Tayco, Elder Alba, Then me in the front with Sister Roberts, and Elder Cardin

Everyone! I wish I could be there in person and tell you how amazing this gospel is!! The love I have for people, myself, and Christ has grown soo much! My knowledge and testimony continues to increase. The power of being a missionary is so amazing its beyond words. My MTC memories will be something I treasure forever! It's hard to pick and choose what to share each week because there's so much. We have all grown so much! The last night we (our district) were all together (sunday night) we went around and told something we've learned in the MTC, answered a question from each person, said what we would miss about each person, and shared our testimonies. I love these Elders and Sisters!

Ill send more pictures later!

Elder Bednar is the BEST!

This was the best time to be at the MTC- we had Elder Bednar come talk to us here at the Provo MTC and broadcast to other MTCs and guess what!  We all joined the choir and got to sing a song that Elder Bednar wrote the words to!  It was AMAZING!  The song is called "One by One" and will be in the New Era next month!  But seriously, his talk was so powerful and he spoke on when Christ came to the Americas after his resurrection and he had everyone feel the prints on his hands-one by one (3 Ne. 11:15).  We are each the "one" that he loves and cares for.  It was such a powerful talk and the song was absolutely beautiful!  I loved being able to sing it with hundreds of other missionaries- to be in such a spirit filled place! =)
My testimony continues to grow!  Confession time: Before coming here I wasn't confident in my knowledge about the Book of Mormon.  I had a testimony on it but didn't know how to really apply it to my life or even how I could teach others that they need it.  I felt it was one of my weakest points in the Gospel and prayed that while here I would know how to use it.  Just these past two weeks of dedicating myself to missionary work and reading the Book of Mormon a ton have made me an expert (well mostly) on it.  I am finding scripture answers for everything and know exactly where to find them [Seminary played a huge part in this! ;)]  I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God!  Don't forget to read it! =)
I also leave next Wednesday for Oregon!  Don't ask me how I feel about it cause I'm not sure!  I know I'm going to miss my teachers here (they're the best!) and my district and companions!  We've become a family here at the MTC!  HaHa The Elders like to act like our over-protective brothers.  We are not  allowed to talk to other Elders and it's so funny to see their reactions when we do.  Like I said last week (I think) there are so many stories and funny moments I wish I could write!
The MTC has been an amazing experience and I'm happy to be here!
Everyone have a great week!
Love, Sister Warburton

        class with companions: Sister Roberts (by door) and Sister Hart (in corner)

                               With Sister Wynder and Sister Roberts

                                                  MTC district

1st Week

I finally got a letter from Marie.  :)

Hey Everyone!
Sorry I thought I would have more time Tuesday to email but it was a pretty crazy day (pretty much like everyday here ;)  But in a good way!) and still trying to figure things out. =)
This first week here has been Amazing!  I really do love it here and still can't believe I'm a missionary!  A few times I've seen two Elders or two Sisters walking by wearing their tags & I would get excited like "hey! missionaries!" (like when I saw them at home) it would make me happy then I'd remember I'm a missionary too!  I love it! =)
I'll admit the first 24 hours is not the easiest and I wonder why I am doing this but, oh my, we learn so much, feel so much, grow so much!  One day of learning feels like weeks of lessons and experiences but what we are taught and what we are teaching is amazing!  I am way out of my comfort zone and feel so inadequate but I am seriously loving the learning and growing!  This gospel is amazing and true!  There is so much I want to write and so many stories I want to tell!
So my companions are Sister Roberts and Sister Hart (we are a threesome!  both are from Arizona) and I love them! =)  There are five of us living in one room-the other companionship is Sister Tayco and Sister Wynder (both from Utah) and all of these sisters are the absolute best!  My district has us: 5 sisters and 4 Elders and just like I wrote in my journal after the 2-3rd day "My love for Christ keeps me here and my district keeps me laughing."  We laugh A LOT!  We have that one Elder who is just a goofball and somehow comes up with these perfectly timed cheesy jokes and puns.  Another has the best facial expressions and we're all just so funny! ;)  We are also all learning and growing from each other-sharing thoughts and impressions- it is so incredible!
Again, so many stories I wish I had time to write but I will give you a little of what I have loved. =)
First day with my district we talked a little bit about "desire" and I found this scripture- Alma 32:27 "Exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words."  It's so simple and beautiful!  You let this good desire take place in you and use it to motivate you.  A quote by Elder Bennett of the Seventy who spoke at our Tuesday night devotional said something like: "As your knowledge about the atonement grows, your desire to teach it increases."  This is me!
I've loved learning about the gospel and the atonement and feeling an excitement to teach it!! It brings knowledge and HOPE!
I love you all!
Sister Warburton
PS  (hint, hint)  Dear Elder (Dearelder.com?) is a great place to send letters (and donuts ;)).  The letters are sent here and printed out for free and I get them the next day. =)  Also hopefully I can send pictures next week!  We have lots of pictures from one of the Elders (who is district photographer).  I just need to send them. =)