What do you mean Halloween isn't on Halloween???

Seriously, Ohio is so weird. We had Halloween on Sat and yesterday.. Now that there's a huge storm coming idk if we'll actually have Halloween on Halloween this year. Sooooo weird. Especially tracting  with all of the trick or treaters.. Everybody is all cheerful until they know why we're there. Gahhhh. and we don't even get candy out of it!!!!! Probably a good thing. 

We had a gator, R, at church on sun! It was sweet. He had a good time :]  we're meeting with Z and F and they are doing awesome!! They even had a friend come to one of our lessons and he said he would be baptized!!!!! We're looking forward to meeting with him.  We are in major finding mode so hopefully we get some new potentials/gators here soon :] 

The Johnson Farm has been amazing. Ahhhhh I love serving there so much. We took this family on tour and they had grandchildren from NP! The Cameron's. I don't know them but I think I've heard of them. It was a sweet tour. They were so prepared to feel the spirit and we all had tears in our eyes at the end as we were bearing our testimonies of the plan of salvation. I LOVE HISTORIC SITES!!!!!!!! 

And I totes love all of you.. 

Sister Maynard. 

BIRTHDAY!!!!

IT'S MY BIRTHDAYYYY!!!!!!!!! I'm so excited :] I don't really want to be older but I love birthdays so it's fine.

 

This past week has been awesome. Z and F came to church again and had a great experience! It seemed like everything that was talked about in church was totally applicable to them and they love it so much. They're really excited to be baptized. We taught them the plan of salvation last night at the S's and as we taught about the spirit world, F said that a huge burden had been lifted that she had been carrying for a few years now. She told us how her mom was in a coma and the preacher came and told her that her mom was saved but it didn't sit well with her. She didn't understand how someone who was unconscious could make that decision for themselves. When we told her that after we die and our spirits go to the spirit world and they have an opportunity to learn about Christ there and accept His gospel she felt so much peace and knew that her mom would have that opportunity. And it's so true!!!!! I love feeling the spirit in lessons because it not only confirms to them that these things are true but it confirms it to me as well. My testimony has been strengthened more than I thought possible out here. I am learning so much and meeting some of the most amazing people.

 

The Lord blesses us so much when we try our hardest. We have been praying and praying to find someone who's prepared to accept our message. We had an appointment with these two 17 year old boys, D and R, who we've been trying to meet with for a while now but we keep missing each other. So we go to meet them at the library and one of the guys was there but the other guy was new. I was a little nervous at first because I didn't know why he was there! Turns out he's D's uncle and new to the whole religion thing and just searching for truth.. He was so excited to read the Book of Mormon and we had an awesome lesson with them. D is a little hesitant about religion but we know Heavenly Father is going to bless him so much. I have never promised so many blessings before than to D and R. We ran into them last week at Subway and sat with them and read the intro with them and I just promised them over and over again that this will change their lives and make them so much happier. At first they weren't serious and had no interest but by the end they both took a copy and said they would read it. Missionary work is the best.

 

And so many people are preparing/going on missions right now!!!!!! I can't even believe how much the missionary world is booming. It's crazy! EVERYBODY needs to go on a mission. There are things you learn on a mission that you can't learn anywhere else. It's awesome :]

 

I love this gospel so much. It really does bring so much happiness and I can promise that!!!!! Heavenly Father loves us. I hope you have a great week!!!

Sister Maynard.

I love Tender Mercies

Johnson Farm was awesome. It was actually really hard. I've never looked at the guide book before and I had only been on 2 tours before so I didn't know a lot of the information. But we ended up taking like 10 tours that day!!!!!! So by the end I was kind of getting the hang of it. It's an amazing place.. So sacred. That's where Joseph was tarred and feathered and also where D&C 76 was received all about the after life. People didn't like that very much so that's why he was tarred and feathered. Hopefully I can get a guide book tomorrow so I don't have to stumble through anymore. 

I'm so excited that younger girls are taking this serious and deciding to go on missions. This is something you can't experience anywhere else and I'm learning so much from being out here. It's something that I wouldn't trade for anything.

We have these 2 gators, right?? Well, they were really excited to come to church yesterday and we found them a ride and everything was going perfect. But of course nothing can be perfect so the ride got lost and couldn't find them. So church has started and we get a call from the guy and he just said he was really looking forward to coming but the ride never showed up but they were sitting there waiting. To add to it, they don't have a phone so when we called the number back it was the neighbor and the guy had already left. I started crying because I'm dramatic like that and a member came up to us and asked us what was going on. We explained the situation and he asked where the gators lived and said he could go pick them up really quick. It felt like eternity sitting there waiting for them but they eventually made it!!! Sacrament was over but they got to hear all of the testimonies and by the end of church they just loved it so much!!! They're looking forward to coming next week and they have a date set for Dec 1 :] YAYYYYY! We're so excited. We have a lot of work to do before then but we know that Heavenly Father will make it happen. It's always in His hands.

 

We also had a really amazing lesson with these members last night. We taught them about the Restoration and the spirit was so strong! We just all bore our testimonies of how much Heavenly Father loves us and by the end we all had tears in our eyes. I don't have a lot of lessons like that but last night's lesson is something I'll never forget.

 

I love missionary work. I love feeling the spirit and helping others feel the spirit as well. There's nothing like having the spirit speak through you to others. It's the most amazing feeling in the world. I know that this gospel is true.. I learn that more and more everyday as I'm out here and it really does bring peace and happiness as promised in the Book of Mormon. I love it so much!!!!!

 

And I love you.

Sister Maynard.

Ravenna

HOW AMAZING WAS CONFERENCE?! Ohhhhhhhh my gosh. My mind is blown. Girls can go on missions at 19 and boys can go at 18 now?! WHAT THE HECK!!!!!!!!! It's so exciting! But no temple in NE Ohio yet.. I'm still working on that. Ravenna is an awesome area and I love my companion so much. Tracting is like actually fun... Hahaha  We're just trying to find people to teach but it's not really working yet. I don't understand why people don't want to hear our message of peace and happiness but they don't.. It's fine though. We'll find someone who's prepared eventually. I wish I had more to update on but I really don't. Oh, except only the coolest thing ever! So you know how I serve at the Kirtland sites?? Well, there's two sister's areas that serve at the Johnson Home in Hiram: Hiram and Ravenna. It's my dream to work at the Johnson home but they don't have sisters working there until May because it's so slow.. Which means I won't be able to serve there because I leave in April and I missed it by a transfer. So now that I'm here I can't even serve there.. Except! We're getting a new senior couple and some tour buses here soon so we get to go in next Saturday and give tours to help out!!!!!!!!! My dream is coming true! Man, it's the coolest thing ever. I love this gospel so much. It's so true.

Love you all!
Sister Maynard.

Youngstown

I am so excited. Want to know why?? Well, because I got put into the best area with the best companion. I'm in Ravenna and my comp is Sister P. She is so amazing and I love her so much. She's from Provo and she's so cool. You'll def meet her sometime, I'm sure.

 

This area is so ready to be harvested. Seriously! I just need to do my part and not get in the way haha. Then everybody will be baptized. But seriously. Coming in they had a few gators who had been super prepared. One of them is B. He's an older gentleman and he knows everything we teach him is true. He just hasn't made the connection that that means baptism now. We're working on it :] And everybody else is so amazing!

 

We are having such a great time and just be prepared to hear about the miracles. We're working so hard. And the funny thing is... Nobody here thought we would ever be companions. We kept telling people it would happen but they all just laughed at us (Because we wanted it so bad..) and in transfers when they called our names everybody was pretty shocked. I don't understand because this is the best thing ever. But whatever. We just have to work hard and it's going to be amazing. AND Sister L is in Kent which is the other area in our ward so we get to see them ALL THE TIME! Man, Rootstown Ward is going to explode.

 

Oh, so I am in Youngstown Zone now! We went to Youngstown for the RS General Broadcast and it was so cool! I mean, it was dark so I couldn't really take it in but it's so neat to think my ancestor's were here. You'll have to tell me more about them and get more specific places. I'm excited about this. I'm looking forward to conference and working as hard as I can here.

 

This week has been so crazy that I don't know what to say about it but it's been great. I love my mission so much. And I still get to go to sites. It's a dream come true.

 

Love you all!

Sister Maynard.