Thursday, July 29, 2010

yipppeee skipppeee...it's P-day !!!

ha ha hiiiiiieeeee!!! question 1... what do we eat for dinner? we can't go to members houses for dinners (except sunday) it was the old mission presidents rule and we haven't heard any different yet... so we usually eat something quick... pb&j, bean and cheese burrito's, salad... anything that takes less then 15 minutes to make and eat lol... but we've had some really good meals at members homes or less-active members homes... burgers, steak (yessss) potatoes, salads, casseroles (typical mormon dishes) you know... the normal stuff. but usually, it's granola bars, string cheese, and pb&j type stuff... fun huh? :)

brother condon is doing a lot better. we found out that he's had seizures before and has medication for it, but wasn't taking it! but he's got it and he's taking it, so he's fine now. and as for our neighbors... well, we moved. we're temporarily staying at sister bushee's house... yea, the member that just got baptized. "hi, welcome to the church... wanna get baptized? um... can we live with you?" yea, that's pretty much how it went... no, she offered to have us stay there for a few weeks until we find an apartment.. but we're in a teeny tiny attic ha ha... but it works and it's a lot safer then where we were at. the neighbor that survived the fight actually turned out to be a suspect for his brother's death... so we got out of there and everything is good now! so... when you write or whatever, just send them to the mission home address until i can get sister bushee's address.

oh! i totally forgot... i'm going to be with a different companion for a few days... sister nelson is going to a leadership training thing in new hampshire for 3 days so i'm going to be with sister steinbeigle in plymouth, vermont for the next 3 days... we leave tonight and stay in burlington, vermont with sister petersen and sister agle and then tomorrow morning i'm off to plymouth... it's going to be interesting having 2 greenies in an area... i'm really nervous. ah! so pray for me! ha!

and... last thing and i'll quit rambling... president and sister wilkey are so so so amazing... we had our zone interviews on thursday... i had a long talk with both him and sister wilkey... i'm so excited to have them here. i know that they have truly been called of God to be here in this mission and i know they are going to do amazing things here.

but i gotta go! our time is almost up! but i love you and i miss you! until next week... smile :) :) :) xo- me



Tuesday, July 20, 2010

the life and...WHAT A WEEK...for Sister Tresner

hi mom :) and rolly :) and baby smeedie and miss and "little"... wow sounds like you had a busy week! we did too... we have been busy running around teaching people! we are teaching some really amazing people here... we were referred to a man named john about a week ago... he's really interested and has lots of questions... AND... we started teaching one of our neighbors too... a fifteen year old boy named andrew... he is amazing! we set a date for him to be baptized on august 28th... sister nelson and i have been praying to be able to teach someone who will someday go on a mission... and he's already been talking about a mission... asking us all sorts of questions about it... he's so eager to learn... he's amazing!

we also had some really sad things happen this week... we teach a book of mormon study group every tuesday night... and one of our recent converts, brother condon was there... he's 70 years old but he's probably my favorite member in our branch... anyway, he got real quiet toward the end of the lesson and at the end of the lesson, he couldn't get up from the chair... he was completely non-responsive... we thought it was from his diabetes, that his blood sugar was low... so we got home some food to eat... and while is was eating, he started having a seizure and passed out. sister nelson and i caught him and had to hold him there until the ambulance came. long story short, he is okay... he had a gran mal (spelling?) seizure... it was super sad... but we're all glad he's okay. and the other thing that happened was... we got some new neighbors a few weeks ago... justin and josh who are brothers and then their girlfriends... we had only met them a few times but yesterday we heard that someone got ran over and killed in the middle of the night... turns out, it was justin, our neighbor... him and his brother were out drinking and ended up getting into a fight so justin left and was walking on the road... someone hit him and then he got ran over 2 more times before someone noticed him in the road. and the same night his brother, josh, ended up getting beat up somewhere and was beat up so bad that he was put into a coma. it's super sad and this town is so small that everyone either knows them, or was related to them...

anyway, yes we're still trying to move... no news yet but they're working on it. but i have to go... i got my "breakfast" package today... thanks :) you're the best! i love you and i'll try to write you today if i have time... miss you :) love-me :)














Monday, July 12, 2010

...it's Ashley's P-day !!

yes, i live above the catch penny thrift store... top floor! and... if you haven't noticed, there is a bar right under us too... fabulous. we are actually trying to move out...our neighbors are... umm... not so safe? i'll keep you updated though... we keep our door locked!
our week has been really good! we have 4 potential investigators that are set to be baptized the end of the month! and... this last thursday we got to meet our new mission president and his wife... president and sister wilkey. they are really amazing... sister wilkey is a convert to the church and president wilkey actually served his mission here! they both have such strong testimonies and seem really down to earth... AND... no more nylons!! only to church, baptisms and meetings! yay! AND... even better... our skirts don't have to be "mid-calf length" yesssss! just over the knee when we sit down... ha ha... now i have all these frumpy skirts :( oh well... better for winter!

p-day... our p-day is nuts... we literally are running around all day... we have to drive at least 30 minutes to the nearest wal-mart in a town called ticonderoga, ny for groceries and to do our laundry and wash the car... so we don't have time to do anything fun really... it's kind of a bummer. not that there is a whole lot to do here anyway... ah! i did eat at mcdonalds today! first time since i've been gone! ha ha... sad, isn't it? peanut butter and jelly have become one of my best friends. oh and i tried maple drops! the maple syrup in the snow stuff... it's just like a maple syrup candy... it's pretty yummy :)

poor smeedie... tell her i miss her... and i'd take her if i could :) it was definitely hot here this week... like 105 plus 90% humidity... blast. it was awful... i have bug bites all over my legs... and one on my foot that is making my whole foot swell and all tingly... i can't even fit it in my shoe :( if it doesn't go down by tomorrow, i'm going to have to call sister wilkey and get to a doctor :(

but... i do have to go... only 30 minutes goes by really quick. i haven't really taken many pictures here yet... so once i take more i'll send you some... but i love you and i'll talk to you next week! miss you miss you! love- me :)

Thursday, July 8, 2010

...where...? Port Henry, New York

Ahhh...Port Henry, New York

Our teeny, tiny branch building

my 1st baptism on the mission!
Sister PJ Bushee-baptized 6-30-10
Elder & Sister Smith
Sister Nelson & I



Sister Tresner & Sister Nelson-4th of July


We had a baptism this week! Yay! It was really cool...we also have 4 more coming up...2 this month and 2 in August! We did some service this week for a less active member in our branch...pulling weeds! ha-ha! Bet you never thought you'd hear that I was pulling weeds out on the mission! It was quite the experience! It was super hot that day too...Actually it has been super hot outside everyday, into the 90's, muggy and humid. Yuck! We sweat all day and come home and sweat some more...yea, no air conditioner! Gotta go and wash my face...again! Bye :) 

Saturday, July 3, 2010

first stop...Port Henry, New York...

 yea!! p-day for you means p-day for me!!

hiiiieeeeeeee :) AH!!! you spoke in conference!!! i love it! and i love you! so so exciting! :) i have so much to tell you!! okay... so i guess you already know, i'm in ny... mom, you would die living here!!! it's hot... humid... okay, super humid... there are flies everywhere... and speaking of fies, they're not only outside, but inside as well... yep, all over our apartment. disgusting. they crowd the windows in our bathroom... it's lovely to shower with about 100 flies. but it's getting better... we got a fly catcher thing so hopefully it helps. it's super green here... we live right on a lake that actually separates new york from vermont... called lake champlain. we have to take a ferry boat to get here. people here don't have a lot of money here either... most people live in either tiny little shacks or trailers. and the insides of them are even worse... it's actually really sad. i'll write you a letter and tell you more about it. the people here are super humble though... most people reject you right off the bat... which is really discouraging, but the people that let you talk are so nice and so sweet... and... we actually have a baptism on wednesday!! my first one on the mission! she is amazing... her name is pj bushee... i'll have to send pictures... so we had church yesterday... the church is so small here that they don't even have a ward... it's just a branch... we have maybe 50 people at church yesterday... they don't even have a chapel. just a primary room and a relief society room... i'll have to send a picture of that too... it looks like a pizza hut with a steeple. only the steeple is on the ground ha ha. it's super cute and all the members are amazing. ah i'm still so so so proud of you for speaking in conference! i'm sure you did absolutely amazing! i don't have time to read it on here so hopefully you sent me a copy :) oh and tell rolly that we had dinner at a members house the other night... and he made potato salad... so i ate it... blah. i miss rolly's :( nothing will ever compare. and mom, you would be so proud of me... i've been brushing my teeth twice, sometimes three times a day... AND... flossing!!! ha... no one here takes care of their teeth and it was so disgusting to me that i'm OCD about it now... oh and i've been wearing my retainer every night too :) i deserve a candy bar for that! oh! i almost forgot to introduce you to my companion... sister nelson. she is from vernal, utah and goes home in october... she is super cute and really fun. i like her a lot... i'll have to tell you more about her in my letter. but i have to go! tell everyone that i can't email anyone but family... so they'll just have to wait for my letters... tell everyone i love them :) i love you so much and i wish i could tell you everything... but i'm so proud of you and i miss you guys!! talk to you next p-day! :) love you! -me

Thursday, July 1, 2010

leaving on a jet plane...

and after 2 days of flying, a few phone calls home :), and a overnight stay in Chicago...
    she made it all the way to NEW HAMPSHIRE!


week 3...it's all about the MTC...

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  



...to New Hampshire I go!




my MTC companion...Sister Rust



the Sisters in my District, all going to New Hampshire
Sister Steinbeigle, me, Sister Petersen and Sister Rust



we've got the 'Spirit'...
 

our District

top left to right     Elder Lowe, Elder Crowther, Elder Nicholes, Elder Nyman,
Elder Bennett (going to India), me, Sister Petersen, Sister Rust

         bottom left to right      Elder Pope (going to India), Elder Cash,
                                      Elder Charters and Sister Steinbeigle