Sister Emily Potts: Week 10- So I've changed missions....

Well we got an email the other day, and apparently when our mission combines with the Utica mission next week (July 1) we will be in the NEW YORK SYRACUSE MISSION! It's kind of weird because they kept telling us it would still be the Rochester mission and so we are all having an identity crisis--LOL.

My comp and I, Sister Hatfield!

My new companion is Sister Hatfield and she's super fun. She has actually lived in Japan for the last year and a half before her mission because her dad's in the Air Force so they're still living there. All the other companionships that are living with us at our house are super fun, two are from Brazil!

Some of the Sisters we serve with at the Grandin Press Bldg!

We've had some really neat tours this week. There's a guy we've ran into 3 TIMES at the sites this week. He's from China and he's taking the lessons in the Rochester Young Adult ward and so we talked to him for a couple hours and we got to bear our testimonies of why we are here on missions and the spirit was SO STRONG. It's also amazing when people just want to talk to you and they share their testimonies and their conversion stories. It's a little slower because everybody's waiting to come in July for the pageant.

Playing with the Smith Family props (shhhh)

This week I've been doing studies in 2 Nephi, and it has so many prophesies of the last days! I love all that it talks about the Book of Mormon and the gospel of Jesus Christ. In 2 Nephi 31 vs 12-15 and talks about WHY being baptized and becoming a member of the Church are so important. It is SO CLEAR that that is the only way through which we can be saved and come to live with God again having eternal happiness. We've talked to a couple people this week who have come through that don't understand that and it's really sad. I'm grateful that we have this beautiful knowledge and that all will be given a chance to be taught it eventually.

Palmyra temple! This is the closest we've been to it so far.
We see it at a distance all the time, but we only get to go about every 6 months (if that).
We're crossing our fingers we get to go next Monday on our P-Day (and yes, it's open on Mondays here).

Other things that happened this week: We had to say goodbye to our Mission president, President Zach Evans, and his wife which was sad, and I saw fireflies for the first time!!!! Also I wrote a 5 verse song, one verse for each of the sites, and we performed it this morning for site meeting. (see lyrics below)

Have a great week everyone!

Love, Sister Potts

FUN FACTS:

1. The Eerie canal made the printing of the Book of Mormon possible, because it brought the printing press it was printed on!

2. Joseph and Emma were married by Zachariah Tarble in his home because they had to elope.

3. Emma accompanied Joseph to the Hill Cumorah when he got the plates but stayed in the wagon.

4. After Joseph got the plates he hid them in a hollowed out rotten log until he brought them home.

5. After Joseph got the plates he went to work in a nearby town of Macedon and Father Smith overheard people saying they had sent for a sorcerer to find the plates, so Emma rode a stray horse over to Joseph to bring him back.

Song Lyrics I wrote (to the tune of Battle Hymn of the Republic):

Joseph Smith was only fourteen when he knelt in fervent prayer;

God the Father and his Son appeared to show the world they care.

The Church of God was lost from earth and this glad truth they shared:

The Gospel will be restored!