HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!

 We couldn't email yesterday because it was a Holiday and the library was closed! We had a really fun day yesterday, we went for a hike and I got sun on my face and dirt in my hair and it felt so normal and good! It's been about a year since I've been that sweaty and dirty and surprisingly I was so happy about it :) I guess absence really does make the heart grow fonder :)  I took some pictures that I will send you right now so I don't forget.

I wish I could remember what the hike was called but I have no idea. It was about an hour up and 45 minutes down and my legs feel like jelly today but it feels great. We went with our district which consists of 4 Elders and 2 Sisters (us) they are very nice and it was a good p-day activity. I also had time to write a couple letters. Oh and I found shoes yesterday :) . My feet will be much happier as we walk and walk and walk and walk and walk : ) THANK YOU!

DAY Family, CONGRATULATIONS on the house :) I can't wait to see pictures. Sarah thanks for the letters this week and I wrote you back yesterday. Also if you haven't sent me the warm clothes I asked for already please don't send them. It's so much warmer here now and apparently the warm weather is much more normal.  

It feels like quite a while since I last wrote to you. This week has been great. I can't remember if I told you last time or not but we are on a car share with the Elders now so we don't have a car 2 days a week. It gives us many more opportunities to talk with people on the street and find more people to teach. Today we will be teaching one of those the people we met a couple days ago. It's so fun to just go up to random people and talk with them about the church. Being a missionary is awesome. Oh my companion is amazing by the way. I'm not sure if I told you or not but she's great and we have tons of fun together. We get on laughing stints as we walk. It's so nice having a companion you can laugh with. It is hard work being a missionary and it could be easy to get discouraged as people repeatedly reject you but it is important to have a positive attitude and smile at the little things and not dwell on the bad.

Speaking of that last district meeting I was asked to give the Spiritual thought and so I focused it on the Atonement and how we are able to use the Atonement for our mood and the choices we make in order to be happy. I had used the same idea for a Zone meeting we held before I left Temple Square so I used the condensed 5 minute version but it was a great reminder for me. Before I came on my mission I really had no idea what the Atonement could help us with. I thought it was only for sin and to be used when we make a mistake. However I've come to understand that the Atonement is so much more then that and that we can rely on the grace (look up "True to the Faith" "Grace") from our Savior for the strength we need to overcome the natural man and be a happy son or daughter of God. We will still feel sorrow but the feelings can be eased so much as we pray to access the joy the Atonement can bring into our lives. 

Oh I have to tell you about how Sister Fleming and I got to play lava monster the other day :) So we live in an apartment complex with the parking lot as our only access to the street. The other day we received a notice that the parking lot was going to get re-done and they were going to put fresh tar on top of the old parking lot to make it nicer. We disregarded the notice because we knew we didn't have a car that day that we would have to move. To our shock and surprise on Thursday morning when we stepped outside to go to District Meeting the entire parking lot was covered in sticky black tar. We looked at each other for a while and then started to think of a plan of action. First we asked for suggestions from the guys who were doing the job, they didn't speak English very well, eventually we got the point that the tar would ruin our shoes but they didn't car if we stepped on it because they could easily fix it. Well that wasn't going to work for Sister Fleming and I as we liked our shoes the color they were and didn't want them to be coated in tar and possibly stuck in the middle of the parking lot. Then came the brilliant idea of putting plastic bags over our shoes and walking across the lot that way. Unfortunately we are in California and every store we've been at only has paper bags. I wish I had a picture of what we ended up doing :) We tore pieces of paper bag and put them as stepping stones as we crossed the parking lot, placing and hoping from one piece of paper bag to the next. I'm sure to anyone we looked absolutely hilarious. It worked out well for the workers too because they just went along and blow torched the bag stepping stones :) I hope you were able to visual this wonderful and hilarious scene :) 

As you can see I'm loving my mission and enjoying every moment of it :) I love you all and you are always in my prayers. I'm out of time. 


Love Sister Turner 




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