Subject: great state of iowa
Hello hello!! Sounds like everyone is doin fantastic!! Mom I got your package and I LOVE all the pictures! Steph,vita and jess were smokin!!! Trav and Brandon looked so handsome!! Blake looks soo good, soo happy and ive never seen bigger smiles on dennas faces before!! Brandons goin to chile!! That’s awesome! Im pretty sure that’s the same mission that rye is in right now. Give daddy a kiss for me and he’ll be all better. J
Well here in the great state of iowa lets see whats been goin on this week…… so we’ve been teaching george a lot this week. He has the craziest most energetic dog (stella) ever and shes so distracting when we’re trying to teach so Tuesday we decided to go to the dog park and teach him there so stella could run around and bug someone else. It was an awesome lesson, we taught the word of wisdom and we’ve gotten george from 5-8 cups of coffee a day down the 2 since Tuesday. he’s so funny, he loves us. I cant wait for you guys to meet him someday.
We had zone conference on Thursday and I loved it. I usually hate role playing and practice teaching cuz I get super nervous doing it in front of other people but sister shields and I did it and it was awesome! We got a ton of awesome training and conference this week. Saturday sister shields and I went to help with the primary activity that was about missionary work. It made me realize how much I miss my primary kids! My primary kids are way better behaved then the kids here though. There might be somethin in the corn out here. Lol.
So sister shields and I and a set of elders serve in the 4th ward and the university ward. Oh my gosh, every single person in the ward is in their 20’s, married and either pregnant or just had a baby….thats just mean to put missionaries in there Lol. Its pretty funny though.
So iowa city is pretty ghetto I’ve found out. We’ve had a couple of our investigator get arrested this week for having about 2 pounds of marijuana in their apartments or cars needless to say we dropped them. Lol. We’ve had a couple of our investigators drop us this week so we’ll be spending a lot of time finding new ones this week.
I’ve been reading and studying a lot more lately and I LOVE learning more about the gospel. I cant get enough of it. I did not want to go to sleep last night I just wanted to read. Im trying to get through jesus the Christ right now. In my blessing when I was set apart it told me to read it 3 times on my mission so that’s what im tryin to do. It might take me forever but im doin it.
Well that’s about it for this week. Thank you everyone for your prayers and you’re always in mine! I love you all!! Have a super duper awesome week!!!!
Till next time
Sister C
Courtney's favorite scripture: I know that which the Lord hath commmanded me,and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy. Alma 29:9
Heaven on earth
Monday, May 24, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Week 17 05/17/2010
Hello everyone!!! As usual I hope everyone had an awesome week!! the shop sounds like its comin along famously. im excited to hear where brandons going on his mission!!
Well sister shields and I hardly have anytime to sit and think except for when we’re driving from one appointment to the other. We’re soo busy all day everyday and I love it!! We have about 30 people that we are teaching right now and about 15 of those are progressing. Its awesome! We’ve been teaching so much this week. sister shields is such an amazing missionary. she’s such a good teacher and helps me so much with learning the doctrine so well so that I can teach it simply. We both feel like we’ve been with eachother so much longer than a week and a half. Lol. I love her!!!
We set a baptismal date with george this last week. He’s so smart and totally understands the things that we teach and wants it so bad. He loved church yesterday! And im soo excited for him. we’ve been meeting with this girl named sarah (shes 26) that is a member but she hasn’t been active since she was in high school. Her brother cory lives with her and is also a member but inactive and her husband brian is not a member and is in the army. They’re so awesome! Sarahs wanted to go back to church for awhile but was to nervous or something. So we finally got her and her little girl Aja (4) to come to church yesterday. After sacrament sarah was exhausted so she wanted to go home but aja wouldn’t let her and she said “mom, I have to go to Sunday school”. she’s never been to any church before but she was soo excited for primary and once she was in there she LOVED it. She wouldn’t let go of her book of mormon and sarah started crying because she said that’s all she wants is for brian to not be deployed to iraq, have their family together and be a part of the church. After church aja showed me her picture she drew that had a little girl and her daddy giving her a blessing!! Oh my gosh it was the cutest thing ever! That little girl is totally going to be what gets her dad into the church. She makes brian watch the movies about jesus that we give her with her. I cant wait!
There is soooooooooo much that goes on during the week that when it comes to emailing on Monday I cant write it all down. A mission is the best kept secret because there really is no way to describe the experiences that you have out here. Ive never been happier in my life than when im constantly going and going all day long doing the lords work. When I was talking to the fagerstens before I left cedar falls we were talking about at home I really do love my family and my friends with all my heart and out here I feel the same exact way but its different out here. Theres something that makes it soo easy to love…everyone! People that I meet and talk to for maybe 10 minutes and I walk away just completely loving that person and wanting so badly for them to let us teach them. And people that you might have never really given them a chance become some of your closest friends because of the connection and love you have with them because of the gospel. I cant explain it but its awesome!! oh yeah, so yesterday sister shields and i went tracting and met this guy named jason, super attractive (but that doesnt mean anything cuz im a missionary. lol) but we talked to him for a bit and he took a book of mormon and wasnt to interested but he had a randy couture shirt on so i told him i liked his shirt and he said he's been fighting mma for 8 years and then we ended up talking about ufc for 20 minutes and then he said we could come back!! sa-weet!!! flirt to convert right....thats the advice preston gave me at least. or i guess its talk about ufc to convert. lol. and he's moving to sacramento next summer to train at urijahs gym hopefully!!!! it was awesome!!!!!
Well I love you all and I hope you have an awesome week!! write me!!
I cant believe blakes going to be home tonight!! Have fun!!
Till next time!
Sister C
Well sister shields and I hardly have anytime to sit and think except for when we’re driving from one appointment to the other. We’re soo busy all day everyday and I love it!! We have about 30 people that we are teaching right now and about 15 of those are progressing. Its awesome! We’ve been teaching so much this week. sister shields is such an amazing missionary. she’s such a good teacher and helps me so much with learning the doctrine so well so that I can teach it simply. We both feel like we’ve been with eachother so much longer than a week and a half. Lol. I love her!!!
We set a baptismal date with george this last week. He’s so smart and totally understands the things that we teach and wants it so bad. He loved church yesterday! And im soo excited for him. we’ve been meeting with this girl named sarah (shes 26) that is a member but she hasn’t been active since she was in high school. Her brother cory lives with her and is also a member but inactive and her husband brian is not a member and is in the army. They’re so awesome! Sarahs wanted to go back to church for awhile but was to nervous or something. So we finally got her and her little girl Aja (4) to come to church yesterday. After sacrament sarah was exhausted so she wanted to go home but aja wouldn’t let her and she said “mom, I have to go to Sunday school”. she’s never been to any church before but she was soo excited for primary and once she was in there she LOVED it. She wouldn’t let go of her book of mormon and sarah started crying because she said that’s all she wants is for brian to not be deployed to iraq, have their family together and be a part of the church. After church aja showed me her picture she drew that had a little girl and her daddy giving her a blessing!! Oh my gosh it was the cutest thing ever! That little girl is totally going to be what gets her dad into the church. She makes brian watch the movies about jesus that we give her with her. I cant wait!
There is soooooooooo much that goes on during the week that when it comes to emailing on Monday I cant write it all down. A mission is the best kept secret because there really is no way to describe the experiences that you have out here. Ive never been happier in my life than when im constantly going and going all day long doing the lords work. When I was talking to the fagerstens before I left cedar falls we were talking about at home I really do love my family and my friends with all my heart and out here I feel the same exact way but its different out here. Theres something that makes it soo easy to love…everyone! People that I meet and talk to for maybe 10 minutes and I walk away just completely loving that person and wanting so badly for them to let us teach them. And people that you might have never really given them a chance become some of your closest friends because of the connection and love you have with them because of the gospel. I cant explain it but its awesome!! oh yeah, so yesterday sister shields and i went tracting and met this guy named jason, super attractive (but that doesnt mean anything cuz im a missionary. lol) but we talked to him for a bit and he took a book of mormon and wasnt to interested but he had a randy couture shirt on so i told him i liked his shirt and he said he's been fighting mma for 8 years and then we ended up talking about ufc for 20 minutes and then he said we could come back!! sa-weet!!! flirt to convert right....thats the advice preston gave me at least. or i guess its talk about ufc to convert. lol. and he's moving to sacramento next summer to train at urijahs gym hopefully!!!! it was awesome!!!!!
Well I love you all and I hope you have an awesome week!! write me!!
I cant believe blakes going to be home tonight!! Have fun!!
Till next time!
Sister C
Monday, May 10, 2010
Hi Everyone, I can't tell you how good it was to hear her voice! Alot of tissues were gone through but not in a bad way. She spoke to each one of us and just continued to bear her testimony of what she has come to know and of her desire to be and eternal family. If you are not familiar with the scripture she is referring to it is found in the Book of Mormon and it is Helaman chapter 5 verse 12 " And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.
Week 16 1st Transfer 05/10/2010
Subject:
hellooo iowa city!!!!
To:
macfamilyfarm@surewest.net
Hello hello everyone!!!!! I hope everyone had an awesome mothers days!! I know I did!! I cant even tell you how awesome it was to talk to my mommy and daddy, my sisters, gma, gpa, uncle ray, the dennas and aud. I love you guys soo much!! I know it was kind of a ball fest but I loved it. And I miss you all soo much!!
Well I got transferred on Thursday. Im in iowa city right now. My new companion is sister shields and she’s awesome!! I was soo nervous on my way here, what if my companion doesn’t like me….but then I found out that she begged president Talbot to serve with me because apparently all the elders kept telling her how cool I am (it just comes naturally) lol. But that’s what she said atleast..weird but acceptable. J well I was soo sad to leave cedar falls but I already LOVE iowa city!!! Its awesome. We’re living with president and sister gelder right now and they are awesome!!
So, if you’ve been reading my emails you’ve might have realized how much I hate tracting but you might not have because im good at hiding it. Lol. But tracting with sister shields is a totally different experience. She loves it and is so good at making situations not awkward. So Saturday we were trying to see some people that we are teaching but noone was home. So we sat in the car and said a prayer whether we should keep trying to see those people of if we should tract the street I chose the night before. We both felt like we should tract that street. So we went and after tracting most of the street I knocked of this one door and met this guy named nick. Started talking to him and asked him if he had ever heard of the book of mormon…and he said yeah I actually have one. He said that last Saturday he was walkin down the street at 6 in the morning and these two guys gave him one. And im pretty sure it was elder hall and elder wray that gave it to him. He said he read alittle bit of what they asked him to and liked it. He let us in his house his house smelt like a lot of “mary jane” ;) . He’s 23 and has already had a lot of crap go on in his life that he told us about,he doesn’t really know anything about god or jesus Christ other that the names. We taught him about the restoration and talked about a lot of other stuff. We read helaman 5:12 with him and I asked him what he thought of it and he said that that gave him hope for himself and made him think that he shouldn’t do what he was planning on doing that night. The spirit was soo strong while we were talking to him and he said “I NEED to read this book”. and he said that if he found out for himself that the book of mormon is true that he will be baptized!!! It was amazing!!!!! First time ive ever met this guy and I love him. I cant wait for him to learn more. He has sooooo much potential.
I don’t have much more time but I LOVE this church with all my heart. I KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that it is true. I don’t care what anyone says, no matter how how doors I get slammed in my face…the book of mormon is true, joseph smith was and is a prophet that made it possible for us to have it. Jesus Christ lives and is the savior and through Chrsit and being a member of the church of jesus Christ of latter day saints is the only way we can return to live with heavenly father and be happy. Because of Christ we can be with our families forever, even after death. And that is one of the most amazing things ever!!!! Heavenly father wants to bless us and is just waiting for us to ask and do our best to follow him.
I love you all so much and I hope you have an awesome week!!! Till next time!!!
Forever and always,
Your favorite
Sister C
hellooo iowa city!!!!
To:
macfamilyfarm@surewest.net
Hello hello everyone!!!!! I hope everyone had an awesome mothers days!! I know I did!! I cant even tell you how awesome it was to talk to my mommy and daddy, my sisters, gma, gpa, uncle ray, the dennas and aud. I love you guys soo much!! I know it was kind of a ball fest but I loved it. And I miss you all soo much!!
Well I got transferred on Thursday. Im in iowa city right now. My new companion is sister shields and she’s awesome!! I was soo nervous on my way here, what if my companion doesn’t like me….but then I found out that she begged president Talbot to serve with me because apparently all the elders kept telling her how cool I am (it just comes naturally) lol. But that’s what she said atleast..weird but acceptable. J well I was soo sad to leave cedar falls but I already LOVE iowa city!!! Its awesome. We’re living with president and sister gelder right now and they are awesome!!
So, if you’ve been reading my emails you’ve might have realized how much I hate tracting but you might not have because im good at hiding it. Lol. But tracting with sister shields is a totally different experience. She loves it and is so good at making situations not awkward. So Saturday we were trying to see some people that we are teaching but noone was home. So we sat in the car and said a prayer whether we should keep trying to see those people of if we should tract the street I chose the night before. We both felt like we should tract that street. So we went and after tracting most of the street I knocked of this one door and met this guy named nick. Started talking to him and asked him if he had ever heard of the book of mormon…and he said yeah I actually have one. He said that last Saturday he was walkin down the street at 6 in the morning and these two guys gave him one. And im pretty sure it was elder hall and elder wray that gave it to him. He said he read alittle bit of what they asked him to and liked it. He let us in his house his house smelt like a lot of “mary jane” ;) . He’s 23 and has already had a lot of crap go on in his life that he told us about,he doesn’t really know anything about god or jesus Christ other that the names. We taught him about the restoration and talked about a lot of other stuff. We read helaman 5:12 with him and I asked him what he thought of it and he said that that gave him hope for himself and made him think that he shouldn’t do what he was planning on doing that night. The spirit was soo strong while we were talking to him and he said “I NEED to read this book”. and he said that if he found out for himself that the book of mormon is true that he will be baptized!!! It was amazing!!!!! First time ive ever met this guy and I love him. I cant wait for him to learn more. He has sooooo much potential.
I don’t have much more time but I LOVE this church with all my heart. I KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that it is true. I don’t care what anyone says, no matter how how doors I get slammed in my face…the book of mormon is true, joseph smith was and is a prophet that made it possible for us to have it. Jesus Christ lives and is the savior and through Chrsit and being a member of the church of jesus Christ of latter day saints is the only way we can return to live with heavenly father and be happy. Because of Christ we can be with our families forever, even after death. And that is one of the most amazing things ever!!!! Heavenly father wants to bless us and is just waiting for us to ask and do our best to follow him.
I love you all so much and I hope you have an awesome week!!! Till next time!!!
Forever and always,
Your favorite
Sister C
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Week 15
Hi Everyone! Courtney was transfered today so if you are sending any letters please use the mission home address til we get a new one. So excited to get to talk to her Sunday. Hope everyone is happy and healthy.
Happy Mothers Day!
Anna
Mission home address: Sister Courtney Callaway
Iowa Des Moines Mission
8515 Douglas Ave. Ste 19
Urbandale, IA 50322
Date:
Wed, 5 May 2010
From: Courtney Lynn Callaway
Subject: :)
To:
macfamilyfarm@surewest.net
Hello everyone!!! I hope everyone had a good week!! craig and janayes wedding looked awesome. Janaye looked beautiful as always!! I love the pictures of steph and jess, they’re soo awesome!! And what the heck is up with those pictures of haley…stop it!! Lol. Thank you everyone for your emails!
Well this last week was pretty good. We’ve had 4 more investigators drop us this last week. We really have no investigators other than josh and Kayla right now. So sister myers and I did a decent amount of tracting but we did a lot of service this last week. So on Wednesday we went to the nursing home for bingo like usual but Wednesday night we went back there with the young women for mutual. I was talking to one of the guys that plays bingo with us every week (his names Harlan) when I was leaving I told him bye and he went to shake my hand, so I shook his hand and he pulled it closer to him and started making out with my forearm. It was the most awkward but funniest thing ever. Sister myers almost pee’d her pants or skirt whichever. Lol. We’ve done a pretty good amount of yard and house work for a couple members that really needed help with stuff the past couple days. what else…I almost got eaten by a huge dog the other day while we were tracting. That’s always exciting. Josh and Kayla are trying really hard right now to stop smoking and its really hard for them especially when their friends come over and smoke…so sister myers and I made a bunch of no smoking signs and put them up around their house. I made one that’s hanging on their front door that says: this is a no smoking zone violators will be harshly punished (a nice way of saying killed) by sister callaway. Josh loves that one!! lol
Lets see…what else…oh did I mention im getting transferred tomorrow!!!!!! Well I am. And I am soo sad!! I don’t want to leave cedar falls at all! I love it so much and im going to miss the people here like crazy!! Im going to miss josh and kaylas wedding and baptism which sucks sooo bad!! But I guess the lord wants me somewhere else now even though I want to stay. Ya gotta have the whole “I’ll go where you want me to go” attitude. And im excited for a new area no matter how much I wanna stay. Well sorry this ones kind of short. I need to go and say bye to some people and go pack. But I love you all!! You’re in my prayers. Have an awesome week!!
By the way Sunday I can call whenever I guess I just don’t know exactly since im getting transferred I don’t know whats planned for Sunday. But the evening would probably be better. Just be prepared!!
Forever and always
Sister C
Question of the day:
Why couldn’t the best locksmiths in zarahemla open kishkumens house?
Answer:
because he had a “secret combination”. haha
Happy Mothers Day!
Anna
Mission home address: Sister Courtney Callaway
Iowa Des Moines Mission
8515 Douglas Ave. Ste 19
Urbandale, IA 50322
Date:
Wed, 5 May 2010
From: Courtney Lynn Callaway
Subject: :)
To:
macfamilyfarm@surewest.net
Hello everyone!!! I hope everyone had a good week!! craig and janayes wedding looked awesome. Janaye looked beautiful as always!! I love the pictures of steph and jess, they’re soo awesome!! And what the heck is up with those pictures of haley…stop it!! Lol. Thank you everyone for your emails!
Well this last week was pretty good. We’ve had 4 more investigators drop us this last week. We really have no investigators other than josh and Kayla right now. So sister myers and I did a decent amount of tracting but we did a lot of service this last week. So on Wednesday we went to the nursing home for bingo like usual but Wednesday night we went back there with the young women for mutual. I was talking to one of the guys that plays bingo with us every week (his names Harlan) when I was leaving I told him bye and he went to shake my hand, so I shook his hand and he pulled it closer to him and started making out with my forearm. It was the most awkward but funniest thing ever. Sister myers almost pee’d her pants or skirt whichever. Lol. We’ve done a pretty good amount of yard and house work for a couple members that really needed help with stuff the past couple days. what else…I almost got eaten by a huge dog the other day while we were tracting. That’s always exciting. Josh and Kayla are trying really hard right now to stop smoking and its really hard for them especially when their friends come over and smoke…so sister myers and I made a bunch of no smoking signs and put them up around their house. I made one that’s hanging on their front door that says: this is a no smoking zone violators will be harshly punished (a nice way of saying killed) by sister callaway. Josh loves that one!! lol
Lets see…what else…oh did I mention im getting transferred tomorrow!!!!!! Well I am. And I am soo sad!! I don’t want to leave cedar falls at all! I love it so much and im going to miss the people here like crazy!! Im going to miss josh and kaylas wedding and baptism which sucks sooo bad!! But I guess the lord wants me somewhere else now even though I want to stay. Ya gotta have the whole “I’ll go where you want me to go” attitude. And im excited for a new area no matter how much I wanna stay. Well sorry this ones kind of short. I need to go and say bye to some people and go pack. But I love you all!! You’re in my prayers. Have an awesome week!!
By the way Sunday I can call whenever I guess I just don’t know exactly since im getting transferred I don’t know whats planned for Sunday. But the evening would probably be better. Just be prepared!!
Forever and always
Sister C
Question of the day:
Why couldn’t the best locksmiths in zarahemla open kishkumens house?
Answer:
because he had a “secret combination”. haha
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