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