okay so i dont have much time... 

the only thing i have to say is im moving!!!! tomorrow. send everything to the mission office... i will be going back to my last zone.. covering two wards... im really not excited... but at least it wont be as cold!!!

All is well!!! I love you all!!!

Happy thanksgiving!!!!! dont eat too much!! 

Happy Birthday Kayla!!!!

Sister Yates 

so my stress levels are down!!! so thats good! all is well! life is good! Its  super cold though! like the high yesterday was only 46... not cool!!! Oh well im glad i have tights, boots, and sweaters! I am doing okay! 

So not too much has happened since wednesday!!! but the Phoenix temple was dedicated yesterday! so that was cool! my second dedication this year!! It is a pretty temple!

so the big conflict of the week is my snow suit. i want it soooo bad!!!! but i might be transferred(most-likely to the valley) and i dont have room for it. i want, but i dont want to deal with it!!!!

so I still love Payson! I am sad that i might be moved, but  its okay, nothing is set yet! i will let you know when i know. the next transfer is on the 9th of dec! 

I love you all and hope you are all doing well. be safe and warm! 

I have officially begun working on family history. right now i am just proving the links of out families! its so fun! make sure you are getting all the work done! there is work to be done on both sides of my family! so we all have work to do!!! we need to get it done! It really is fun!

hope you know that is am doing well! I love you!!!

Sister Yates

so sorry i didnt write monday!!! we were in the valley at a mission leadership meeting with elder Lawrence of the seventy. it was really a stressful meeting!!! but oh well we lived.

all is well in Payson! just cold. i really dont like the winter... well the cold. its just dumb.

so we had some music changes made... only mormon tabernacle choir hymns... the reason is we are trying to be more exactly obedient... i like the rule and think it will help.. but it makes me a little excited to be home. i am excited for the change though! it will bring blessings. 

so i really dont know what to do with my life after my mission and my head hurts to much to think about any of it. so im sorry i have ne answers on what i will do when i get home. i wish Heavenly father would just tell me whre to go to school,what to major in, and who to marry... because i really dont like that i have to figure that out... maybe ill do none and become a crazy dog lady... yep lets go with that!!!  again i dont know what i will do for school. thinking about it stresses me out way to much. the thought of going back to school is frustrating and the thought of dating and getting married is just really stupid and frustrating so im just going to stay out here on a mission forever so i dont have to do either... that is my plan!!!

Life is stressful. but its fun. i like payson a lot and i really love my companion! 

President and Sister Sweeney are my favorite people!!!! well kind of!1! they are my favorite mission people! they are such a blessing in my life! they really try to help in anyway they can and i love them!!!! 

really not much has happened since last week, just lots of meetings. our eternigators are not really progressing. but we have some less active members who are so thats good!!!

well i love you all so much! i hope your week is great! be safe and have fun! enjoy church and life!!! i love you!

Sister yates

Hello family!

So i the blood work was normal. But i have migraines... so that sucks... so i am getting a prescription for imitrex... it should help clear it up... but that is the latest... 

Also it is getting very cold... so warm stuff would be nice! not too much but warm stuff... 

Also on halloween we got to go to the temple!!! it was so cool!!!! I got to do a session and initiatory.. it was so cool!!!! we got to the temple at 3 and left at almost 9!!! it was amazing!!! 

so the work is moving on. we have been meeting so many people!!! it the best! I love my companion a lot! we are the same person. only she is tall and has very curly hair. i love her though!!!

I really dont have much to say! I have had a headache for three weeks and it is messing with my mind!!! Its no fun! but we are working on it! i wish i could say more, but my darn head hurts!!!

I love you all though! and hope you are all working toward the temple!!!!

Have a great week! be safe! 

Sister Yates  

Happy birthday Everett, Claire, and Ed!!!!

ok so i am officially moved into our new place! so send all mail to 801 E Frontier St.  #29  Payson, AZ 85541. 

I should be sending a package home soon so mom be on the look out!!! 

Transfer news. i am still stl but my comp is Sister tippery. she is from portland, i love her! 

so everyone i dont remember if i said this already, but dont sennd me real letters after January 19th... i love you, but i dont want you to send a letter and me not get it!!! 

Im feeling better than last week, but still my one hundred percent... hopefully we figure this out soon, but im not too worried... so mom dont be too worried either! 

our area if okay. we are really trying to focus on less actives. most of them are not very willing to have us over, but we will go to those who will,. we are inviting them to return or go to the temple. not just come back to church, but to make further covenants with Heavenly Father... 

Im really glad we have a lot of service here. its so fun and i love helping others out. i really do want to do humanitarian stuff when i get home, maybe not in africa because i dont want ebola, but somewhere!!! 

oh i have a memory card to send home dad. its not full but its old so here you go!!!

 I love all of you so much! i just want you to know that!

okay so i went and had some blood work done... now mom can testify that i hate needles and that my blood hates leaving my body. but the needle didnt even phase me this time and i filled the two viles  of blood in like two seconds. it was a blessing! Now to wait for the results!! ill keep you posted..

so everyone here has cancer... its really sad!!! no more cancer!!!!! I hate cancer!!! 

So i am doing well! my health is fine! just the usual unanswerable stuff, but that is nothing new for me:) someday i will have a perfect body;)

I love you all and hope youare all doing wel!!!

Sister Yates

hello family

so im sick... again... thankfully the stake president up here is a dr and he is going to look into figuring out what is going on. so tomorrow i am off to get some blood work done... 

dont panic though. im not dying or anything( well as far as i know). they just want to rule some things out and try to figure this out. i havent been healthy since april...  that is a problem. 

Okay so i am not being transferred as far as i know. but i am moving! the apartment we are in is not safe so we are moving to a better place! the new address is 801 E Frontier St. #29. the rest is the same. so there is that!

okay you might have noticed some changes on my facebook. no we dont have it yet. but we were asked to get it ready. i cant talk to you unless you have a referral for me. but dont be worried if you see im on!!! 

Things are going pretty well here. we went to the Phoenix temple open house with an investigator. It is a very pretty temple. the baptistery is my new favorite!!!! It is super pretty! go look at pictures!!! 

well i really dont have much to report since ive been sick... but is am alive and well!!!

I love you all!!! choose the right! and be happy!

Sister Yates!   

well i am still alive... i dont know why i wouldnt be alive, but just so you know i am alive! 

I got the package from dad.. it was great! thank you! the socks are great and i love the music. 

Grandma Judy and Poppy i hope you have great birthdays!! Poppy I hope you are feeling better!!! i LOVE YOU TWO!

so i have a question... who sang the devil went down to Georgia? like the good version from stone mountain? 

so this week we were doing a service activity and a pole fell and hit my arm!!! i have a supe cool bruise from it and it really hurts, but it looks awesome! 

really not much happened this week. our appointments all feel through... we spent a lot of time driving from heber to payson... i had to drive at night, in the rain and fog, while having to watch for elk and deer... on mountain roads... dumb!!! but we lived... 

### transfers are on the 28 of this month, so like two weeks. so keep that in mind. 

Also after january 19th dont send me letters or anything! mom and dad you can, but everyone else no! i am not telling you when i am getting home and i dont want you to send me a letter that is will never get! so i love you all, but ill just wait to talk to you when i get home!!

so life is great! fall is weird here. its cool, but there isnt much color change. i live in the pines... lame... oh well. you enjoy it for me! 

I really dont have much to say. it was a pretty uneventful week! and this week is looking to be the same. it is fall break here so everyone is out of town... so work will be slow for a few days... 

Well I love yall! I hope you are all loving the blessings of the temple! because i know you are all going as much as you can!!! enjoy it! I wish i could go to the temple more! but someday i can! 

HAve a great week! be safe and healthy! I love you so much!!!

Sister Yates

hello everyone!

well J and K are baptized!!!! I got to go down for the baptism!!!! It was so wonderful! they are both so happy! and it was great to see the ward!! The drive down and back was horrible, but everything else was amazing!!!!

the drive down is an hour and a half of curvy, hilly mountain roads!!! I hate it! but im getting better at driving those roads.. so that is good. this week I have to drive on similar roads 3times!!!!! shoot me!! but oh well. had to learn someday!! it would be nice is we could disapperate like in Harry Potter...

so Meet the Mormons is my new favorite movie!! go see it and tell everyone you know to go see it too! to see where it is showing go to meetthemormons.com. It is soooo good!!!!

HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY CAROL!!!!!!!! sorry I miss it!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROOKE!!!!!! have a great birthday!

mom and dad. I have not yet received your package... but it could come today!!!

I think I want to get into kickboxing when I get home... ive always wanted to but never told anyone. I also want to go shooting and get a carrying license!!!! so that is some new things id like to do!!!

I really think I will go to school in Utah! lets get real there is a much better selection of man in Utah and I don't feel like byui is where I should go!

conference was amazing!! I loved it! I loved Elder Scotts talk! but I really loved all of it!

so we had mlc( the mission leadership meeting) and as part of it we went to the temple and they showed the old old video!!!!!! like the one from the 70s!!!!! awww I am not a fan... but it was cool going to the temple!!! I love the temple and am so excited to get to go more when  I get home! and to continue to make and keep sacred covenants!!!!!!! GO TO THE TEMPLE OFTEN!!!!! IT IS THE BEST PLACE ON EARTH!!!!!!

Life is great! Arizona is great! it is really cooling down. I need warm clothes! my only hesitation is that if I get transferred back to the valley I wont really need super warm clothes like I need already up here! when we were in the valley is was over 100 outside! up here it only gets to the low 80s and that is the heat of the day. mornings and evenings are cold!!!! I don't know what to do, but will need to figure out soon!!!

well time is up!!! I love you all so much! I hope you all have a great week! go to church, read the scriptures and pray as much as you can!!!!!

LOVE YALL!!!

Sister Yates

hello Familia!

It has been a good week!!! it has been really stormy though.. i love storms! but not driving in them... i dont like being in a car when there is lightning! I really dont like driving the car when it is stormy!!!

so mom asked me about what i do as an STL.. I go on exchanges where i learn so much from the amazing Sister is am serving with and hope that they learn something from me! I help them with anything i can! they can come to me with anything they want to! I do an evaluation of them. just how they are applying the training we get in meetings. I give correction if needed. I go to Mission Leadership Counsil once a month, we just learn how to be better missionaries them we share what we learn in zone meetings and district meetings. I love being a STL!!! I love helping people!!! 

 I hope that answers some questions of what i do!  i am a female zone leader if that helps any of you RMs.

Today we get to watch the new church produced movie" Meet the Mormons" I am so excited! I dont know if it is showing in any theaters in GA. but it will be on netflix, youtube,and iTunes after its time in theaters! 

So the Women's Conference was great! makes me even more excited to continue to go to the temple!!! I hope you all feel that way! i am excited to get to go to t he temple whenever i want when i get home!!! who wants to join me?!?!?

so our district has done a lot of service lately! and not just weeding!!! mom i know you love it!!!! but im tired of it!!! it makes my hands gross!!! but we have been helping people move a lot! one sister and i completely cleared out a big  uhal with help from others, but mostly us!!! we were so hot, sweaty, and tired after we finished!!! i have not produced that much sweat in a long time!!! but i got some sweet scrubs from it!!!! 

so it is getting cold here... im not totally okay with that! but i cant stop that! so clothes would be nice, or money!!! 

well i am well!!! i am healthy as far as i know. I am loving life! 

Go to the temple! read the Book of Mormon! Pray! go to church!!!! 

I Love you!!!

Sister yates

Meeting an Apostle!

There is no fire anywhere, but the fire alarm at the church building keeps going off. It happened yesterday right before we started the administration of the sacrament!!! It was funny, and here today it went off right as we were starting emails!!! I hope they figure out whats wrong with the system!

Mom and Dad, this past week I spent a lot of money. I got sick and needed meds. It's nice at home where meds and everything are always just there! Having to be a grown up and buy stuff is stupid. Sorry for the expensive week!!! I should be good for a while though, and no, I am not seriously ill. I'm still alive!

Elder Nelson is so funny! I got to  shake his hand which was cool! He is the second general authority I have meet. The other was Elder Teh of the 70. Still cool, but one of the 12 is pretty stinkin awesome!!! Anyways, he is so funny!!! Who knew!!! He gave us more marriage tips than anything, but that is really quite helpful considering that time of life is coming fast! Well kind of, but it was so cool to hear his testimony! And for him to promise us blessings! It was so cool!

Best advise of the day was don't marry someone unless he or she loves the Lord first. If he loves the Lord and is willing to serve Him first then you know he or she will love and serve you. Cool.

He also said people would rather see a sermon than hear one, in other words, practice what you preach and lead by example.

I was just a great meeting! 

I love President and Sister Sweeney!!! They are so fun! They are a really great example of a happy eternal couple!!! Their examples to their missionaries is great! Everyone loves them!!! I will be sad when I leave them, but at the same time I will be excited to see all of you!

I have to go, but before I do I thought you might like to hear a miracle we had. We have been teaching an investigator for a while, but she won't commit to a baptismal date until she knows all the rules and has had all the lessons. She doesn't want to commit to something she won't stick with. We taught her tithing and she had a lot of concerns!!! We were really worried to teach her the Word of Wisdom because we knew she had problems with coffee, beer, and smoking, but of course we had to teach it! Well, she studied it before we went over and she had no concerns! In fact, her response was good! She bought some cokes to help with the coffee, the beer isn't a problem, and the smoking is well... she said that one will be really hard and she will really need help!!! But she is willing to do it! We are so excited!!! She just needs to keep learning!

I love you all!!! Have a great week!!!

Sister Yates!

Go to the Temple, get an eternal family.

So, there is this hurricane, it has been rainy. I'm tired of the rain! I don't like driving in the rain!!! Atleast I'm not in the valley where it is flooding :) Even though that would be very very fun!! It's also cooling down a lot!!! 

I am staying up in Payson, but I am a Sister Training Leader again. I'm excited! 

On Saturday we are going to  the valley for a special mission conference because Elder Russell M. Nelson is coming to talk to us!!! I am so excited!!! It is our mission and the Mesa mission :) I will get to shake his hand!!! 

Two investigators from my last ward are getting married on Friday and then baptized on the 4th of October!!! I get to go down for the baptism!!! I am so excited to go down!!! Best thing ever!!! I love when people are baptized!!! We are hoping to have some of our investigators up here get baptized!!!  

I have had the request to give more detail of my day to day life. Really we just spend the day trying to visit referrals, contacts less actives, and find new people to teach. We also do a lot of service! Mostly pulling weeds, but sometimes painting houses or moving people. I am not a good painter, but I am good at pulling weeds and moving things. They have a community garden here that is super cool! We go and help there at least once  a week! I have planted 6 salad bowl gardens in the past six weeks and they are growing very well. They have harvested 40 pounds already! We still mostly weed there, but we also lay paving bricks, harvest veggies, and do whatever they need done! It's fun and my farmers tan is sick!!! (I put sunscreen on my face, don't worry! I should put it everywhere, but I don't). 

We have an investigator who is really wanting to learn more about the church and believes almost everything we teach, but she comes up with a concern for everything!!! There is always a reason why she can't come to church or baptisms. We are trying to help her. She says that after she learns all the rules she will think about being baptized. 

The less actives are mostly just less active because they are old and not super healthy.. Most of them could still come, but don't. I've decided that I am NEVER getting old! 

Sad news, we have had two deaths in the ward in the past two or three weeks. One was an older gentleman who had health issues that he didn't properly take care of and the other was a maybe 50 year old woman who had beat breast cancer three times before but finally it took her life. She was a great woman! Very cool story! She died a few weeks after welcoming her first grand-baby into the world. She has a son who is still in high school. She really wanted to see him graduate, but Heavenly Father had a different plan in mind. She is finally out of pain. Its a blessing, but the whole ward is mourning her loss. Sister Isert and I are really trying to serve these mourning members as much as we can!!!

When was the last time you went to the temple. Has it been a while? Why? Why has it been a while? The temple should be a priority in our lives. If it isn't there is something wrong!!! 

This week do some self-evaluation. Figure out what matters most in life. Everyone will gain immortality in the next life, not everyone will gain eternal life. What is the difference you might ask? The difference is this. Immortality is just living forever. Eternal life is living FOREVER WITH HEAVENLY FATHER AND YOUR FAMILY!!! Eternal life is what you want. You want to be with your family forever. Make it happen.

I love you all soo much! I look forward to seeing you soon!!! Have a great week!!

Sister Yates

Transfers are on the 16th. We find out news this Saturday. I think I'm staying, but if you send me anything send it to the mission office.

Things are going pretty good here. Working with old people is really, really sad. In the time I have been up here there have been 6 deaths in the stake!!! If people aren't old they have cancer, have had a stroke, or are crazy. This is a weird place! Beautiful, but weird! 

Big news of the area, the elementary school are having a lice epidemic, and everyone is freaking out. Really, this happens every year at every elementary school in the country. Yes it is gross, but it happens. The parents are all freaking out at the schools and asking what the school is doing about it. Really parents, tell your kids to stop sharing EVERYTHING, and check your own dang kids heads! Its pretty funny! Oh well!  

I don't really have much to tell this week!! It was a good week! I did have to go to the Dr... but that wasn't too bad! We did lots of service, which I loved! 

I am going to give an early Happy Birthday to Riley Roo!!! I can't believe how old he is!!!

What are his birthday plans? 

I hope you all have a great week!!! Go and do good things! I love you all so much!!!

Sister Yates

Things are going well here! We have zone conference on Tuesday :) I love zone conference! President and Sister Sweeney will be up here and it will be so nice to see them. Did I tell you that I got to do baptisms when we went to the temple. The endowment session was full so some of us had to do other things. I haven't done baptisms since fall of 2012!!! It was weird being in water, but it was amazing and we still got to sit in the Celestial Room!!! It was great! The drive was amazing!!!!

I cant believe it is already September. This year is going so fast!

Tomorrow is my year mark for being in the mission field, weird. 

Funny fact, my fingers have gotten skinnier so my CTR ring is too small for my right ring   finger. I had to move it to my left hand finger, well it kind of looks like I'm engaged now, I'm not though!!!!

Sorry this is so short and choppy but I had a lot to do on the computer today! Sorry!!!!

I love you all!!! Have a great week!!!

Sister Yates

Things are going pretty well here in Payson! I live in the pine trees. We have amazing views as we drive. It is just beautiful up here.

I don't have to much to say from this week. We just visited people. I have been studying faith lately! Faith is a powerful thing, if you doubt that just pick up the Book of Mormon and open it to a random page. I like studying the scriptures! It is a good thing to do!

On saturday we got to go to the Mesa temple because a use -to-be-less-active woman went through for her endowment. It was great.  I am glad we got to go to the temple!!! 

The drive to Phoenix is beautiful!!! It is just scary!!! I do not like driving down steep mountain curvy roads!!! It is scary and I don't like it!!! I do like the drive though.

We get to go to the Snowflake temple tomorrow :) I am very excited for that!!! It's such a cute little temple!

I can't believe how fast this transfer and month have gone by!!! Why is time going so fast!

Getting old is no fun!!! The area I am in is all old people. Its like 65% retired, and they all have health issues. I am not going to get old!!! The only good sounding thing about it is getting to spend more time with my eternal companion! The rest of it just seems dumb.

So far I have only heard two guesses on my new release date. I want to hear more!

I have been thinking about just surprising everyone and just showing up, but I don't know. I want to have airport memories. I think I will tell you all in a few transfers, but you should all still just guess. Maybe I will just tell mom and dad, who will tell Brooke, Brad, and Britta. Then I will just show up at Grandma's house and surprise the rest of the family. I think that sounds good, but can my family keep it a secret... we shall see. what are your thoughts? I like it. I want to surprise someone!!!

I think my back is broken. It hurts so bad unless I am laying down. Mom, as soon as you know my release date will you get me in with the chiropractor. I'll pay for the x-rays. I will unfortunately need a hair cut. I have only had one trim in over a year!!! My hair has grown over 6 inches. I am planning on getting it trimmed soon, but I wont get it cut until I get home!!!  I just dont want anyone out here messing it up. I like the guy I was going to!!!

Also my bottom teeth are not as straight as they were before, so ortho. And of course I would love to go see Brother Prestwich, and my glasses give me a headache the second I put them on so eye Dr would be nice. I will also need contacts. They die quickly out here...

I think I don't want to race back to BYU-I or school in general. I think I want to just start back to school in the fall of 2015. I do think I want to go to school in Idaho or Utah, but that is just because I want a wider variety of mormon guys, and Georgia just doesn't have the same variety, but all of this is still far off, but all things to think about!!!

Well, I love you all and hope you have great weeks!!!!

Sister Yates  

Things are going well up here! I love Payson!!!! Anyone who loves being in the mountains would love it up here!!! The only weird thing about Payson is it is a retirement destination, so everyone is old. I love old people, but they are stubborn!!! oh well.

Not much happened this week. 

I have decided that I want people to guess when I will get home and whoever is closest will maybe get a prize or something. I don't know if this will work but maybe I'll just wait and tell you at christmas, unless people give me ideas. I like the guessing thing. Dad has already made a guess... so everyone guess!!! 

Mom or Dad, if you wanted to throw a walkman into my box that would be okay with me!! I have lots of CDs that I want to listen to. You don't have to but you can! 

One thing that has become incredibly clear to me on my mission is marrying some one who has the same beliefs as you. Marriages are happier when the parents have the same beliefs. The part member families just aren't as happy. It is really sad to see. Marry with in the faith, life is easier!!! Unless they get baptized before, it is just too much of  a gamble!!! Just saying!

We get to go the the temple soon!!! Im excited!!! It will be the Snowflake temple. I love that temple! It is tiny! 

All is well in Arizona! I love my area! I love my mission! I miss all of you so much, but i am still needed out here! 

I hope you all have amazing weeks!! I love you!!!

Sister Yates

Big News!

Last week I asked President Sweeney about extending my mission. He said "I'd love to have you extend." I don't know if I am quite ready to tell you when my new release date will be, but don't plan on coming to get me from the airport January 19th. I'm not sure how I want to break the news of my release date to you, but I will think about it. Honestly, I probably will just tell you because I am not a good secret keeper when it comes to myself!!!

My new address is: 

203 E Forest Dr. #7    

Payson, AZ the zip code is either 85541 or 85441 

I am having my dad find out for sure. I have seen it both ways and still received letters, but just in case Dad will find out! I love letters!!!!

President Sweeney also said I might be up here for the rest of my mission! Here is his exact wording "As Ammon said, so say I to you, 'perhaps until the day I die' is how long you should plan for being in Payson. Truly, longer terms are better than shorter!" I love him! I would love to stay here! It would mean that I would be here in the cold again. I will need warm clothes!!! I know I sent a lot of my warm stuff home, but I might need it again. Or I will need money to buy new warm things, or both. really I am more concerned about driving up here on the ice and snow!!! Yesterday was my first day driving in the rain, snow and ice are way different!!! I hope I don't die!!!!

I have been named one of the best budgeters in the mission. I have used my mission money very well! Sister Sweeney is pleased with me :) I hope I can always have that skill!!! I think I will. It feels good knowing that I have money in case of an emergency!!! One of my tricks is I pretend like I don't have any money :)

It is a super small town up here! Everyone knows everyone. Its not as small as my first area, but it is still small. I am still getting use to the slow pace!! Now it is weird not seeing BMWs and other nice cars everywhere. Again the main shopping center is a Wal-mart, its strange!!!  But we have some of the best mountain views ever!!! It is so beautiful up here!!! The weather is perfect! At night I almost need a jacket!!! I like it! I hate the cold, but I am liking the cool!!! The best temperatures are between 70 and 89, that is what I spend my day in!!!

That is my life in a nut shell! I saw my first baby scorpion, those ones are actually scary! I would hate to be stung by a baby!!! We also saw a tarantula crossing the road! It was huge! They aren't too scary, just gross. Rattle snakes and baby scorpions are the only scary things to come across. Oh and javelins. They are aggressive! Dogs are also scary! I am in the area where one of the sisters was attacked by dogs. So anytime we see big dogs we are cautious. Everyone here has pit-bulls or boxers. Two of my least favorites. I'll try not to get eaten! Thankfully Sister Isert has pepper spray!!!

I love you all!!! I hope you have an amazing week! I love you! I miss you!!! I will think about how I want to tell you about my release date, but really you should just tell me how you think it would be cool to tell you...

Read and pray! Go to the temple!

Sister Yates 

New Area!

I am back in the mountains!! It is much cooler up here!!! Its sad. Last might it was in the 80's and I was cold. Dang valley thinned my blood!!! Oh well!! It is beautiful up here!!! I love it! I am white-washing again!!! so that is fun. I love and hate white-washing! \

I don't know how the mail stuff works here yet, so just send any letters to the mission office!!

Colin happy birthday!!! I hope you have a great birthday!

It is weird how much things change in a year! Its also weird the think that this time last year I was still in the MTC... missions are weird! Good weird, but weird! The people you meet and the fun you have is unlike anything else. I love it! I don't ever want it to end!! Of course I miss home, but I love it here!

My last area really became like home because I was there for so long! I was there for over 7 months and the members there became like family! Even though the work was slow, I loved it! I'm excited to go back and visit after my mission!

I am in Payson. I am covering one ward. We live with other sisters, which really isn't my favorite, but oh well at least the place is nice-ish! I drive a Chevy Cruise, which i hate!!! the 2014 Cruise and Jetta are poop!!! The acceleration and braking are so dumb!!!! I hope and pray I don't get in to an accident!!! As I'm sure everyone does, but yeah don't get those cars unless you enjoy life or death thrills. The drive up here is so beautiful! A little scary for a pretty unexperienced driver, but we made it alive! They are just curvy roads on mountains, so they go up and down!!! Not my favorite, but it could be worse! It is very slow pace up here. The speed limit doesn't go above 35 mph up here which is not what I am use to at all!!! The valley is all fast pace!!! Payson looks kind of like home the valley acts kind of like home! Arizona drivers are terrible though!!! Like Utah drivers, if not worse, because they all have nice cars (in the valley at least). I am in a little bit of culture shock!!! Small town is weird again! I was use to it when I was up here before, but I forgot how slow it really is!! I like it though! We heard that they have some awesome hikes in the area! So that is exciting!!!!

My new comp is Sister Isert (like insert but without the n, kind of) she is sweet! I like her!

That is pretty much it for me! Lots of new things happening in life, I am excited to be up here again! I'm excited to go to the temple again soon!

What is new at home? I would love to see more pictures of everyone! Just through email if that is easier. I hear a lot about Riley, which I love, but I have a big family and a few friends... So how is life?

Are you going to the temple? Are you helping your missionaries? Are you doing family history work? If yes, good. If not get started! You all have a family history consultant!!!

I hope you all have a great week! I love you and pray for you all!!! Be safe!

Love

Sister Yates

I will be getting transferred so don't send anything to me unless you send it to the mission office. I don't know where I'm going I just know I'm leaving.

Do I need special stamps to send to Austin? If so can you send me some. Normal stamps would be great too!!!

Mom and dad, I have had to pay a few medical bills, so can you look on my card and figure that out. I know I paid $10 one time in cash but like 30 another time on my card. Medical stuff is easier when you two handle it!!!!

Dad, can you send me another memory card so i have 3.

Happy birthday Tyler Moss and Mia!!!!! I love you two and hope you have amazing birthdays!!!!

I'll let you all know where I am transferred to next Wednesday because that is next week's p-day. That should be fun! President said probably somewhere in Scottsdale, but we will see. It shouldn't be a biking area, but if it is I will just borrow a bike I am NOT buying a bike!!! Not with 6 months left!!! but I will let you know what is going on!

I hope you are doing well!! I love you all so much! Keep looking for missionary moments! Have a great week:)

Sorry this was so short! Time flies!!! Especially on p-day!!

Love you all!!!!

Sister Yates

okay so we got extra time, because we didn't get our whole hour and a half.

Crazy story of the week:

 

We were driving around a neighborhood looking for a member's house and we see this guy sitting in a parked truck. We usually don't talk to people in cars because they are usually leaving, but we all felt that we needed to stop and talk to this guy. I felt like we shouldn't turn around, but that we should just park around the corner and walk back to him. So we did. As we got closer, we realized that something was not right! The guy looked like he was dead!!! He was very skinny, and not moving at all! His eyes were totally glazed over and he was very pale! I THOUGHT HE WAS DEAD!!! We got up to the car and found out that he was not dead, but he wasn't far from it! We started talking to him because we wanted to make sure he stayed with us!! Next thing you know his girlfriend is out with us telling us that he just got out of the hospital after overdosing on heroin!!!! She asked if we could walk him away from her house so her parents didn't see him. We walked him to our car around the corner and sat with him. She had to get her kid in bed so two hours later she came back and took him, but while we were just sitting there with him we were able to talk to him. People are nuts when they are on drugs!!! This guy was almost 6 feet tall and probably weighed 100 pounds. He looked like a holocaust survivor. We talked about the gospel. He was receptive, but most high people we run into are. The best part was him rapping. At one point he got up and just started doing the craziest rap I've ever heard!!! And he danced!!! It was so funny!!!! Don't do drugs people!!! Honestly it was scary! We had no idea who he was, Sister b knows about heroin because she knows an addict, but all I really know is it is one the worst you can be addicted to!!! I was so worried that he would pass out or just die right there!!! I was just really glad we didn't have to call 911 or do mouth to mouth or anything!! I'm also glad he didn't puke in the car!!! That would have been bad!!! But that situation reminded me why I would love to be a nurse. No, I have no idea if I will but I would enjoy it!!! Helping people is my favorite! We are hoping he is okay and that he gets cleaned up!

 

 

That was the big story of the week!!! I'm excited for this transfer. I'm a little sad because I've been here over 7 months, but I like change!!! Its exciting!!! I'll miss the people here and my companions and this zone, but that's okay!! This is actually a big change for the whole mission!! Like everyone is moving! There are a lot of missionaries going home this transfer, next transfer, and then again in December between this transfer and next transfer we lose 20-30 missionaries!!!!!

 

I am considering extending. It isn't totally my choice, but we will see. Nothing set yet and I haven't talked to President Sweeney about it but I will!! President Sweeney is fine if Billy took a video of my statement for the dumb wreck stuff. So just keep me posted!

 

 

Did I mention that I'll probably be sending a box home soon? Nothing too exciting, but just stuff I don't need! Just stick it with the rest of my stuff at moms house! I'll go through it after. I will have a lot to go through when I get home but I can tell you all stories about the stuff I've collected!!! I've got some cool stuff :) well now I am really done!!

 

I love you all so much! Go to the temple often! Read and pray! Talk to people about the gospel, it doesn't have to be an awkward thing!!! Make it normal!!!

 

I love you!!!

 

ps: I'm thinking about getting a hair cut! Just a trim, but when I get home I think I might change it up!!! My hair is super long!!!! Mermaid hair all the way!!! Only problem is my hair has thinned out a lot in the valley! Maybe something about the heat!!! My skin is finally clearing up!!!

the time we ALMOST got in an accident...

... obviously we didn't die or even get hurt, but it was close... Now that you have had a heart attack here is the story... 

We were on our way home one night and had to stop at a red light. Pretty normal thing. Our light turns green and I look both ways to make sure no dingbats are going to run their red light. Everyone is nice and stopped so I start to go through the intersection. The road a head of me merges into a two lane road pretty fast and I see that a car is coming up behind me so I don't accelerate very fast so this other car can get in front of me. Really as it turns out the other car turned right and wasn't going to be needing to get in front of me. I start going faster and all of the sudden there is a car in front of our car!!! Some dumb butt ran through the red light and we almost hit him!!! Not only did he run the red but he was flying!!! And he went into the right turn lane to get through!!!! Thankfully, I wasn't going any faster and was paying attention!!! It was SO SCARY!!!!!! If we had gone any faster we would have hit, if he was going any slower we would have hit. So scary!!! Thankfully nothing happened!!!

 

We actually found out the next day that 4 sisters were in a terrible accident the same day. They are all okay, but still its scary stuff...

 

I bought a Walkman so I could listen to my CDs while I am in the apartment but the one I bought is junk and doesn't work at all!!! So dumb. I'm returning it today, but wont have a Walkman to listen from. First world problems!!! If you wanted to send mine from home out you could, if not its okay.

 

I'm trying to think of other cool things that have been happening. We have been meeting so many very prepared people lately, but none of them are actually in our area. Oh well, we are happy to send in referrals! Hopefully we will get some referrals soon!!!

 

Transfers are on the 5th of August. So keep that in mind. I actually think I might move! I'm fine if I stay here for the rest of my mission, but I think I'll move!! I'm really fine with anything! I just don't want a bike!!!

 

My health has been okay the past few days.With the weather change my arthritis is acting up, but like I told President Sweeney this past week in interviews, pain is pain.

 

I will need an orthodontist appointment shortly after getting home and a chiropractor appt!!! Really, I just need to go to all of my doctors right when I get home!!! So mom or dad if you want to get those figured out that would be great! I am totally fine if it is the day after I get home if that is doable!! I guess first we need to make sure my release date is the 19th. I have also been thinking about extending, but I haven't thought too much about it. I still have 6 months before we really need to worry about any of this, but be prepared for lots of doctor appointments!!!! oh and hair appointment will be needed too!!!

 

Funny story: We go to get our  car washed at the same place every Monday and we decided we needed to invite the car wash guys to learn more. We didn't really have time to talk so we just gave them our card with our number on it. So like 30 seconds after giving it to them we get a call and they say, "hey you told us to call you" and then they hung up. We were still at the car wash and the guys started acting really weird. They started texting us and eventually the guy asked if we gave him our number because he wanted to take us on a date!!! We were dying!!! We tried to explain that we didn't want a date we wanted to talk about God!!! He didn't get it!!! He was such a creeper!!! We just hope it isn't too weird when we go to get our car washed!!! We shall see!!!

 

We were out street contacting and walked by these two punk looking guys who were out smoking. We said hi but we all just thought that they would not be interested and just give us a hard time. We just kept going. We all felt bad so went back to talk. One of the guys was so interested!!! The other knew several members and wasn't interested, but was still very nice! The interested guy doesn't live in our area, but is dating a member so can learn more very easily!!! It was so cool and just goes to show that we really don't know who is prepared!!! we need to invite EVERYONE!!!!

 

 

Well i hope you have a great week!!! I love you all so much!! Be safe and pray for miracles!!!

 

Sister Yates