Okay, so we flew here, our mission president, President Porter, picked up us up at the airport, all 39 of us. Yep, 39. One more time now, there were THIRTY NINE new missionaries in this area. And this is a new mission, created in July, so hot dog for our President! Ha. Then he took us all to the mission home, where we all got pictures with him and his wife. Then we learned more about our mission and the Great Ohio Cincinnati mission. Yes, I don't know if you know this, but D&C 39 talks about being sent on a mission to the Ohio. So whoopdidoo that's me! I'm doing it! (: Then we all spent the night at the mission home and then got up early to head to transfers! Can I just tell you I was so nervous out of my mind for this! This is where I'd get a companion, who'd I'd be with for the next 12 weeks (cause training is 12 weeks and you're usually with them the whole training), it all boiled down to this! Well we got there, I almost peed my pants, but I didn't! And I received my companion, Sister Clawson. And guess what?! She's awesome! I love her! She's awkward and goofy like I am so we've been having a blast! We seriously laugh a lot. It's so much fun! I love her! (: And she gives the best prayers ever! She's so thankful, so awesome on her! We were doubled into the area of Miamisburg. Prounounced like Miami's burg. And being doubled in means that we were both brand new to the area and had no clue what was happening. But something fun is that there are elders in this area as well, so we were doubled in and they were already in. So it's us four assigned to one ward. And it's been SO CONFUSING! Mainly because the area book and all the investigators are with the elders cause they've been here. We were just dropped into this area, so we're starting fresh! But because we're new, that means that we don't have an apartment.. or anything.. So we're bunking with the Middletown sisters, who are 25 minutes from our area, so thankfully we have a car (that'd be a heck of a long bike ride!), and so we have to drive for like 25 minutes to even get to our area.. So that uses a lot of our miles. So, lucky me, I've been sleeping on the floor for the past nights and living out of my suitcase... So fun! Adventure! Sister Clawson and I make it fun (: Now, because we're new and are starting fresh and have no investigators, we get to do the hard work of finding people. And how do we do that?! Not by referralls because for some reason no one wants to do that.. But by tracting! Yay! Woo hoo! My second day with Sister Clawson, we tracted for 3 hours. Then on Saturday we tracted for 5 hours. Yep. FIVE hours straight! Then on Sunday we tracted for 2. I told Syd, tracting equals my job at the calling center + when we delivered phone books + the Spirit. So thank heavens we have the Spirit or this would be a suck job! Hahah (: But through ALL that hard work, we got 2 return appointments! And I handed out my first Book of Mormon to a man, who we're gonna go check up on because he was awesome! Anywho.. Missionary work is hard. And starting at the bottom is super hard, but it'll pay off. And it was bound to happen sometime that I had to tract (: Our Ward Mission Leader is AWESOME! Seriously! He was there at transfers, he took us and the elders out to lunch at Chipotle (first real food outside of the MTC! It was delicious!), and has been calling and helping us through everything. So grateful for him! But anywho, church was great. We all had to bear our testimonies in sacrament, so that was scary. But then after sacrament I cannot tell you the happiness we experienced. Seriously everyone got up out of their seats and flocked at us! It was great! They were SO excited to have sister misisonaries in the ward! They were offering us furniture, and rides, and to come teach with us, some lady handed each of us a card, and people were making dibs over who got to feed us first! It was awesome! I felt so loved! The ward is awesome! They're gonna be great and help a lot with this. I'm so grateful for them. There are some sisters here leaving for their missions soon, so they want to come out and teach with us, so that'll be fun. I honestly love it out here. Being in the field is amazing! And being with a companion who is awesome makes things all the more better! I honestly love her. She's already my best friend. I look forward to being with her during the day, and that's the way it should be. We can laugh and joke around but still be able to share the gospel. And we get into good conversations about anything, I love her. It makes a big difference.
Oh, fun fact, our area is HUGE! Seriously. It covers 7 cities! SEVEN! We gotta get going so that they have to make 7 different wards! It's a huge area, but that just means all the more people to teach!
There are bugs everywhere! I hate bugs. They have those freaky tree bugs that make the loud sounds. I think they're called sekada.. I can't spell. But they're freaky! My companion just said, "Of course you're writing about the bugs. Haha." Seriously, they're every where, and I freak out! I hate bugs. Everyone has screen doors too. It's weird. We don't have those. So it's awkward to like open a door only to knock on a door.. Weird. And it's weird talking to people through glass or screen. It just cuts us off from each other. Oh! And don't worry, I cried during my first contact. Ha! She was awesome, and seemed interested, and she started tearing up and then I cried, and then we left cause she wasn't interested. But yep, that's me! Crying on my first door contact. Ha!
It's flat out here. I can see out for forever on the horizon. I hate it. I think it's plain and awkward. I miss mountains. However, there are a lot of trees here, so I am so grateful for that! But they're kinda like foliage forests of bushel messes.. Oregon's forests are pretty and like organized. Out here it's a mess! And there are just random patches of thick forestry in the middle of places. It's awkward. But I suppose I like it. Rather that than deserts! I'm excited for fall, I think it'll be beautiful!
Also! There are water towers for every city! I think it's hilarious! What are water towers even for?! I like calling them out on our commute to our area, Sister Clawson just thinks I'm a goof (: Ha.
MOM! I know it's a couple days early, but HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I've been thinking about you all week and how it's coming up! I'm so excited for you! It's a big one (: I love you so much. And I am so blessed that you are my mother. Honestly. I love you more than anything, and I miss you like crazy. You're incredible. I hope your special day is incredible. Just know that I'm thinking about you and that I'll eat something special on that day and say it's cause it's your birthday (: I love you lots Mom!
Well, I better get going. It's 4 o'clock and we have a dinner appointment at 5, and we gotta drive out there. We were so lucky and got someone to feed us everyday up to Sunday! Yay! That is so nice! I'm sick of peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches! No, that's false, I love those (: It'll just be nice to have variety. Ha!
I love you all so much. I'm so glad I got to talk to you while in the airport. Really. That was the happiest thing ever! It really lifted me up. So thank you! Also, Dad, that book you're reading, our ward has been talking about it a lot! It's popular! We got a copy of it, but I'm not sure I can read it.. It's not on the list of things we can read. But someday. It sounds like an awesome book! Anywho, I just want you to know, that this is really hard work, I've never worked so hard in my life, but I love it! Really. I have never been so happy. The field is amazing! The Lord really does bless me and helps me through all of this. I have never been so happy all the time! When we're running for early morning exercise, or tracting on 50 doors, or studying the scriptures. Honestly. I love it! And this area is great! And Sister Clawson and I are gonna work super hard to show Miamisburg what we got! (:
I love you all so much!
Sister Dunn!
P.S. Since I don't have an apartment yet, just send everything to the Mission Office so they can forward it to me. And then once we get our apartment I'll let you know that address! (: I love you all so much. And miss you lots!
P.P.S. Our mission President has challenged us to read the Book of Mormon by Thanksgiving. That's super quick, and I'm already behind, but if you'd like to start doing that, that'd be fun! LOVE YOU!
Pictures:
Ohio Cincinnati Mission!
Two missions! Cincinnati and Curitiba and Clara!
At the airport before we all split! Elder Willliams, me, Elder Millsap, Elder Nickell and Elder Shirtz.
My mission President and his wife! President and Sister Porter (:
The back yard of the mission home. It was beautiful! It's so flat, and I hate it, but it's pretty cause it has trees (:
Love you lots! (:
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