WEEK 6 Farmland & Pumpkins

This week was so awesome. We have 5 investigators on date. And we got 8 people to come with us to church yesterday :) So that was pretty awesome. :) We have been trying to contact less actives because our  ward boundaries just changed so we have been doing a lot of that this week as well. On Wednesday we went and helped make freezer meals for a sister in our ward that is having surgery. That was super fun. We also had a member present lesson with Sister Brugger and were able to get 2 people on date from that. It was such an awesome lesson I loved it and she did too. :) On Saturday we had breakfast at our ward mission leader’s home. Then we went and saw Abigale her kids are so cute I just love them to pieces. :) They love playing with my hair it is so funny! :) I am like we kinda have the same hair don't we? haha. :) Last night we went and carved pumpkins. I loved it. :) The Bruggers are my favorite. :) Today we have an all day Pday since it is Halloween so it should be super fun. :) We are going to the Hunts for dinner tonight and I am  excited she is such a good cook. :) It has been raining quite a bit here the thunderstorms are crazy they woke me up the other night. Man is the thunder and lightning loud here. Also 50 here is so pretty cold cause of the humidity so we just have to dress super super warm. :) Well Love you all. Have a Happy Halloween. :) Keep reading the Book of Mormon. And also the power of everyday missionaries is great too it’s a free download on deseret book :) Love you. Love Sister Gittins :)

WEEK 5 Western Michigan University

Well here is week 5 in the books

I was able to email back and forth a bit with her.  She is enjoying a new cultural experience.  The population is largely African American.  She has loved getting to know many new friends.

She said that the rain there is in sheets not drops.  She had spaghettios, eggs and toast for Sunday dinner, because they don’t have dinner appts. as much on Sundays. She said she gets to teach Gospel Principles on Sunday and she seemed happy about that.  

So here is her email….

Hey thanks for the package I loved it. :) Also all of the letters I am slowly trying to find time to respond to all of them. This week has been pretty crazy but fun. :) On Monday we went to the mall and I got a coat it’s super warm and cute. We then went to dinner at the Stevens house. Tuesday we went to loaves and fishes and then went and saw some investigators.  Sister Blanco took us to her Restaurant to eat El Gallo Blanco is so good :)  We also went and saw Sister Neeley she is probably my favorite lady ever. She is so so so funny.  :) Wednesday we had zone training and then we went to visit some less active members and  went door knocking so that was good. Then Sister Hunt took us out to Red Robin it was so yummy. We went to Addiction Recovery class with one of our less active members that was good. Thursday we went door knocking again that was interesting haha then we went to dinner at the Siebers and traded off so we switched comps and I went and slept over at the WMU Sister apartment so that was exciting. Then Friday me and Sister Anderson went to campus and talked to people. We also taught a lesson and that was so awesome. The spirit was so strong. :)  Then we went and got pumpkin steamers to celebrate my one month mission mark :) Then we went and played ultimate frisbee for FHE so that was fun. And I got to tour that cool white church :) Then we traded back companions.  Saturday we had super saturday so that was fun, after we went and taught an active member lesson at a members house. We are teaching this lady named Abigale and her 2 kids. Their baptismal date is on the 3 of Dec.  She has thee cutest kids ever. She has 4 children.  Then we had dinner at the Bruggers they feed us a lot. Most of the people in our ward are here going to medical school.

Sunday was good we had church and Abigale and 2 of her kids came :) then we went to Ward Choir and  had lunch and call ins it’s weird we don't get a lot of dinner appointments on Sundays but during the week we have tons. Then we went to mission prep it was so awesome I learned a ton. :)  this week has been pretty great while we were on campus Sister Anderson stopped a guy and I was like why is she stopping him cause he was behind us and going a different way. But we got talking to him and he said oh yeah i have been to your church a few times with my cousin in Jamaica and I love it. So we invited him to church and he said he would come. :) Sister Anderson said she didn't even know why she stopped him. She just felt like she needed to.

1 more from MTC

Week 4 Kalamazoo

Hello Everyone,

Michigan is pretty neat.The flight from Lansing to Detroit was beautiful we were on a super small plane. But I had a window seat so I got to see a lot. And believe me when they say there are a ton of lakes in Michigan they mean it!!!  There are many Catholics here,  we went door knocking yesterday and 95% of everyone we talked to were Catholic.   Also Lots of people here already have some religion and are stuck in their ways so they aren't very interested in learning about ours. But that is okay we will find people! :) We already have 1 investigator with a baptismal date she is so sweet. I am so excited to teach her more. Its hard to find time to teach her because she works 80 hours a week and is a single mom to 4 kids. I have been having a ton of fun so far! We are emailing from a public library right now in Kalamazoo. Hope you are all doing well? Our apartment is pretty nice. I love my new companion she is a sweetheart her name is Sister Merriman. She is such a great trainer I am just hoping I can catch on to everything fast. So pray for me :)  Door knocking is kinda stressing me out but I am getting better every day! :)  

Funny story-so we usually have dinner with our district cause there are only four of us me and Sister M and Elder Johnson and Graves, they are awesome. Anyways my first night here we went to dinner at a members house it was really good. But they thought it would be funny to convince me that they were polygamists. So they totally acted like they were the whole time! And even asked me if there were very many polygamists in Logan. haha it was so akward! I almost died! haha :) I was like where have they sent me!!! We had a ward party on Saturday and had a ton of fun! There was food, games, hay rides, a bonfire, and even a maze. It was so cool. I love the members in our ward they are so sweet and feed us a lot. Yesterday we had dinner at these older members home who had that morning been asked and set apart as a bishopric member. They were super sweet! We go to the Nursing home once or twice a week and read the Book of Mormon with a 100 year old lady. Which is such an awesome experience, we went in her room and were looking at some of her pictures and there was a picture of Stone Hunt and his family. So I asked her about it and she was like thats my great grandson. Then I found out that his grandparents are also in our ward. When I told them at the ward party that I knew there grandson they were so excited. haha It's such a small world! 

We volunteer twice a week at loaves and fishes and I love doing that it is so fun! We mostly sort and box up food. The mission home is old but super nice. I don't think I have ever slept as good as I did when I was there. I love our Mission Presidents they are so sweet and super awesome! :) I am not sure where most of the other girls are I know that Sister Bayles is in Battle Creek and Sister MacArthur is in Grand Rapids. I have been sleeping pretty great by the end of the night I am exhausted so its nice to sleep. And my bed is super comfy so that's good! :) Love you all! 

Love Sister Gittins

 Still at the MTC with
First Companion Sister
MacArthur

First day in Michigan!

President and Sister Jacobsen with 

Sister Gittins

 L to R - President Jacobsen, Elder Guerrero, Sister Mathis, Sister Jacobsen, Elder Andreasen, Sister Bates, Sister Tyler, 
Sister Newby, Sister Cottle, Sister Bernhardt, Sister Bayles, 
Sister Hooper, Sister Viehweg, Sister MacArthur, Sister Gittins, Sister Woffinden, Elder Smith, and Elder H.Johnson

Hayli has been assigned to the Kalamazoo area!

She always said "That's a cool name I want to go there!"

Hayli and I visit taught a sweet lady in our ward Sally Lou who was born in Kalamazoo Michigan and converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  She told us all about Michigan and said she had a niece near Kalamazoo that Hayli could visit IF... she ever went to that area.  Sisters only serve in an average of 4 areas, so I thought her going here first was so fun! So Sally Lou from Kalamazoo will be cheering her on no doubt! Sally has such a great testimony of this gospel because of some Michigan Missionaries many years ago, and I am so grateful that Hayli and I got to visit her.

Week 3 First Flight

We got to talk to Hayli for a few minutes from the Salt Lake airport.  It was so good to hear her voice but it was short because she was worried about the other Sisters getting time to call.  She loved having Elder Bednar come and speak to them at the MTC.  She was excited to get to Michigan and she seemed so happy.

                                   

                                                                                   

I am so grateful to the stranger that sent this picture below from the airport in SLC it made my day!  She left SLC at about 10:00am and landed in Detroit around 3:00 Eastern time! 

         Sister Bayles, Sister Hooper,
                               Sister Gittins.                                                                          

In Detroit another kind stranger let Hayli use her phone to call me and say that she had landed and then took this picture of  Sister Gittins and Sister Tyler (from Smithfield)   The text read "Congratulations on raising a Wonderful Daughter!"
This made me cry!  I am so grateful for Hayli and all that she does to share the light of goodness. I know she will be a great witness for Christ! She was missing the mountains a bit, but said there were lots of beautiful trees! 

Week 2 email

Hayli is sounding so great!  She really loved conference and has had a much better week so that made her Mama very happy! 

She said in a letter that there are 9 Sisters and 1 Elder flying to Michigan with her and she is so excited. She has not enjoyed MTC food but LOVES the temple Cafeteria. Her foot is doing so great!  She has even been running a bit.  WHICH THIS MAMA ISNT QUITE SURE OF.

A Naughty relative that shall remain nameless mailed her some DR. PEPPER! DONT JUDGE! She screamed so loud when she opened it that her companion jumped! She isn't a heavy drinker so refrain from praying for help for her addiction but  She may be related to her FATHER! And 94 year old Grandmother who has loved pop every day of her life! Okay rant over! Now to Hayli's email!

Hey I am doing good and have had a way better week! Conference was SO SO SO AMAZING! I loved every minute of it! :) It was actually the first relaxing Sunday we have had so far. So that was super nice! :) We have a devotional every Sunday and Tuesday which I Love! On Sunday they figured we were sick of hearing people speak so BYU vocal point came and sang to us! And then told us stories from their missions which was so neat!  :) It was so so so awesome! :) Then on Tuesday Sister Burton came and spoke to us about conference and missionary work! Which was cool her Granddaughter is here so they had her come up too. :) We went to the temple today. And we ate there again. Sister Bayles and Sister Newby were so proud cause I was "actually eating" and then after my companion got kinda sick so I have been with her in our room for a while. I wrote some letters and just mailed them so hopefully they arrive soon. Then we went and played 4 square my district are the 4 square champs. :) Now I am doing laundry and emailing. :) haha Thanks for the Packages I got the one with thermals in it today :) it was so awesome. :) Then I got a package from the Morrells :) They got me treats. Only a couple min I have to go to dinner soon.  Flying to Michigan Wednesday, I am excited too! It will be so awesome! :)  I cant believe its been 2 weeks either. it’s so crazy. :)  I will probably call around 6 or 7 am on Wednesday  Love, Sister Gittins

SHE SAID THERE ARE 2100 MISSIONARIES AT THE MTC WITH

 700 LEAVING THIS WEEK!