Gators Errrvy Wuurrrr

Email received from Sister Hart June 24, 2013 -- privacy edits by her mom.

St. Cloud Sunset -  my first area

Got to see Hermana Hawkins at the airport.  Yeah!

Okay so gators seriously all over!!!!!!


Okay not really just a bunch of lizards, sandhill cranes, storks, and other small crane like birds.. as well as seriously the ugliest ducks i have ever seen. Like wild turkey gross head and they are significantly large - goose size but they are ducks...gross. Everyone has a southern drall except for those families in my ward who have come to the GROVE!
Great people! Seriously the ward here is SOOO RAD!!! Also my first area is called St Cloud - 30 minutes away from ORLandoooo and more of a small town feel - like Upland in the 90s - still populated and popular but not as HUGE as like Pasadena or even Rancho Cucamonga - not comparable to Utah.. But it does have a lot of pastures and farm land though so a little like Utah once you leave the town.

BEST THING WAS DAY ONE: I got picked up, briefly settled in and went tracting. AND met an old lady, turning 90 in december and having a huge party, who wants to know more!!! I got my first new GATOR, as they say down here...fitting.

Then i met with a PI (progressing gator).  We taught him at a neighbors home on Mormon row (not the actual street name but fitting because literally everyone except our PI and another man  are mormon on that street.) It was the CXXXXX's home.. They are the cutest couple - big family but empty nesters now.. they have a beautiful lake front house - think like golf course neighborhood houses like by Cascade and that would give you a general idea... and they have a beautiful dock. uh prime.
Anyway the lesson went well and cannot wait to see the progress he makes to come closer to the Savior.

Day two was not so great... I finally realized-got slapped in the face- of what the real mission life was like- imagine this:
Wake up study and are soo stoked for the day and all that will happen. Then go tracting to this area that you and your trainer have never been to and you get to even ride your bike (in 106* weather;)) YES! then after 4 hours of knocking on doors and riding bikes you realize that your new favorite thing is having the door slammed in your face. NOT. It was HARD work. seriously though. Our dinner apt was with an RM who served with one of our ward members.  Her little brother is trying to get his gf to join so we met with her.. She is 16 and ultra shy... cool . tried our best to get through to her but hopefully we helped her feel the spirit as we and becca testified of Gods love for us because the spirit was so strong at that point i could have eaten it like the air outside. (im full of similes these days,,, can't ya tell)

Other days have all kinda meshed together for the most part. I loved getting the week 2 envi. It was great - nice fact xan.. ha! oh it was cool to meet with another PI we have--she has had a ROUGH ROUGH horrible past full of abuse from her ex husband whom she loved and a lot of that. My comp and her trainer really had to build up this PI's self confidence and tell her she was of great worth to God. She is great! Her kids are adorable and she came to church on Sunday!!! rad! i loved it! She is progressing and has such a great spirit but she needs help from not only us but a counselor as well-conveniently our bishop works for lds family services - coincidence i thnk not!
After that we went to dinner at a members (i am literally fed every single night by members - no trial to find food..score) They live on the opposite side of down in more of a doublewide kind of house (very popular down here - like all over) they own like 10 daushund(weiner dogs) crazy. anyway they work for disney as like entertainment help or something - setting up stages and driving boats - but they said out of all the people they have met Donny O. was the most impressive because instead of taking the private car he rode with the workers on the bus to the stage and such - i guess they were impressed that he was genuinely a good guy. cool.

Wellp i have to go for now. I love it down here. It seriously is so great! I saw my first gator today...sick!
Well love you and love the Lord. And all he has done for me here already - i know all i have to do is put my faith and trust in Him and let Him to the work. Be a member missionary in anyway you can!
Thank you so much for seriously everything you have and do for me - I am forever grateful! This week I realized how hard it was to leave our Father in Heaven because of how hard it was to leave my father here - as I serve I continue to learn more and I am soo grateful - continue to read and pray. as you do you will be blessed
I love you all sooo much its ridiculous!!!!
XOXO\
ZOZO

Happy Father's Day

Week 2 at the MTC

received from Sister Zoë Hart June 14, 2013

okay sorry if this is brief

 

First off - wow thanks for the packages mom - loved it. And thanks to whoever sent me cakebites - that was great!!!!! and third thanks to ash trus, kar and marie, and adam for the letters(or emails) and dad too! loved them all!

 

Okay everything has been great! I love the MTC and my companion and district think i know everyone...could be true.

-DEVO on sunday was rad - the speaker was the brother Heaton of the MTC and he talked to us about how to be on the same plane as your investigators...ultra helpful for the upcoming lessons i had this week with investigators.

 

-DEVO on tuesday was the best though

IN THE MARRIOTT CENTER which is basically a second home! ahh loved it

i sang in the choir under the direction of brother eggett - bummer of knowing the director is being asked to say the closing prayer in front of 1500 missionaries.... 

also elder arnolds talk was great he gave us 6 tips to be successful

-understand who you are

-You have been given specific gifts and talents...use them

-understand the sacredness of your calland the coveenants you commited to. pg 137of pmg explains

-understand and observe the law of obedience

-understand your purpose pg 1 of pmg (invite others to come unto christ 3 nephi 11:21)

"always be like christ on your mission" Im working on that!

-he didnt give us the 6th

 

it was great to hear this again because im pretty sure i was told these things before but it was just nice to hear it again!

My teacher sis hawkes also shared with us ALma 26:12,15-16,26-31 and 35! its a lot but i felt kind of discouraged because our investigators were crazy rejecting and didnty want to listen and i wasw just feeling sort of down - satans work i know haha - but this made me realize to rejoice in our lord for the small work of even one soul!!!

 

also my other teacher brother lyons answered a question about how jacob 1:19 says that we will have their blood on our garments if we basically fail to invite them. so we asked if that was true and if it was truely our personal fault for not giving it our all for every investigator - i had already felt horrible for doing this to our trc inv. He said - No! because you have not let the lord down! Just have faith and repent. he just wants to see you learn and grow from the experience,.

 

brody i want you to read alma 48;17. be that kind of young man! you and dad should do comp study together just like me

 

write me im out of time!

i love you all!

i leave on monday morning!

 

BYE

i love the lord!

ZOë

First Week

received from Sister Zoë Hart on Friday, June 7, 2013 7:49 am

HELLO HELLO HOWDY HOW HOW!!! HOLA!

uh first off - I freakin LOVE the MTC!! WOW! so FUN! It is basically like living in the dorms again because literally everyone I know is here!! Dorm life - OOO OOO!!!! ( i go into the cafeteria and see everyone and just think of the cannon all over again - i want to pull a Marie Santore and Chlow cause I just want to socialize the whole time - but i have no time) My companion and everyone in my district is wondering if I will ever go somewhere and not see people I know... i guess it could be a little annoying... haha~! i dont care I LOVE IT!!(cause im a 90s chick - ahh cant help it)

Also FACT: no one told me i would need a notebook on day 1 - wow. but good. got lots in my knowledge now. well more at least haha.

I cannot explain how close I have gotten to our Lord and Savior. WOW. seriously. I'm just so freakin excited to see what happens when im here longer! Seriously the first day so many tender mercies and little blessings happened it was unreal. And it just keeps getting better. In our first meeting with the MTC Pres and homies - just from singing called to serve with everyone was crazy spirit filled. I was so overcome with the spirit. It is honestly almost better than the feelings I have gotten from going to the temple just because I have never approached any of the normal things we do here with such an open heart before - even though I may have thought I had.

Yesterday we had a workshop and so much classroom work based on how we need to keep our investigators at the center of our focus - I have constantly been trying to keep mine in the back of my mind so I can better help them come to the gospel. It's way rad sitting in class and just seeing the spirit speak through alll these amazing people in my district.

Also my district is rad - really hilarious - well in different ways... nothing like Ashlyn T though but funny.

My teacher reminds me of Gary Christiansen.. cool kid. ha!

Uh oh I sent you an actual letter but i dont know if you got it yet. I have a couple things I need

-an elastic bound moleskin(perforated pages?)

-an opaque backstrap laundry bag*(like a sling bag)

-and your prayers

seriously I have never felt so vulnerable and yet so comfortable in my entire life... But i am constantly growing.. I have never EVER been so close to my savior and father in heaven and I know that although this is hard it is only but a moment... that may keep getting harder but if it isnt hard I am not growing. 

yeah so that is basically what is going down. Ill try to make my next letter more organized but live with this for now.

i love you and love the lord! I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to serve and to share my light with others who do not have it. I have been so humbled already and know that i will only be humbled even more! I am so happy that I am coming closer to christ and so much happier that I will only be getting closer.

WRITE ME REAL LETTERS!!!!

PRAY for the MISSIONARIES!

I LOVE YOU WITH ALL OF MY HART!!

xoxo:

sis <3

Zoë Hart <zoe.hart@myldsmail.net>