Week 18 - 1/4 done!

Hey everyone! I've reached my 4 month mark, and by the way transfers are looking, I'm nearly a quarter of the way done which is crazy. It simultaneously feels like I've been here for forever and also feels like it flew.  Mission time is weird. Not much has happened this week to be honest.  It's gotten really slow here so the hardest thing is finding productive things to do that fulfill the missionary purpose. So I'll just share a spiritual thought and go from there!

I've been out 4 months!

The big excitement in the mission is a baptism we had Saturday! I talked about him in my week 10 email, but he started learning and being taught in the Rochester YSA and has come to the sites 2-3 times per week since. It's amazing to see the change and how many great questions he had with a sincere desire to learn. He's definitely going to be a leader in the church and help open up China--I just know it ;) I'll include a picture below. 

JUNDA! The most golden and prepared soul I've ever met. 

We've started up Sunday devotionals for the full-site sisters, and our Site President, President Neff, talked to us about Sheep and all the parables about sheep in the New Testament. I guess back then they would keep all the sheep in a community fold surrounded by a rock fence and one gate. The shepherd would come and call to his sheep, and the sheep in his pen that were his would recognize his voice and run to him. In the same way, Jesus Christ calls to all of his children, or sheep, but only those who have come to know him, or recognize his voice, will come. He wants us all to learn to recognize his voice so he can encircle us all in the arms of his love. How beautiful is that?

I hope everyone has a great week, do all you can to come to know the Savior!

Love, 

Sister Potts

P-day fixins w/ Sister Hatfield

Only took this long to hike 2 minutes to see Alvin's grave.....
(Emily has been wanting to visit Alvin's grave at the little cemetary behind the 4 church area of Palmyra, and they finally got to do it today on their P-Day!.  She couldn't believe it took her so long.  She said that Alvin has become one of her favorite people she has learned about.  He did so much for the Smith Family to help them financially so that they could purchase the Smith property and build the frame home.  He was building the frame home at the time of his death--for his upcoming wedding as well as to take care of his parents in their old age. All the Smith children looked up to him.  His death shook the family, and several later revelations we now find in the Doctrine & Covenants came because Joseph asked the Lord questions about his brother's welfare in the world to come.  Emily said that she has read so much about Alvin that she almost feels he's part of her own family's ancestry.  She said it felt like going to visit one of her own ancestors' graves.  Pretty special!)

FUN FACTS: 

1. A number of the trees in the Sacred Grove at the time of the First Vision were 350-400 years old.

2. The Sacred Grove had as many as 100 trees/acre.

3. There are maple, beech, nornbeam, cherry, ash, oak, hickory, and elm trees in the grove.

4. There were so many religious revivals in the area from 1816-1821 that it became known as the 'burned-over district."

5. As Joseph would be living in Palmyra, he would have encountered preaching on street corners, prayer circles, group singing, camp meetings, halls, school houses, you name it and there was a religion there trying to convince others that they were right.