Jocelyn's email....she wants everyone to write

 I'm sorry, I had Jocelyn's email down incorrectly, here is the correct email: jocelyn.smith@myldsmail.net

email from Jocelyn 9/16/13

Hey to everyone!

 

This week was significantly better! 

 

Although, this week we had way more fun and goofed around often, which in turn meant we worked harder. On Wednesday we had the chance to set up a table at KSU and we set it up with copies of the Book of Mormon and some pamphlets and stuff. It was really fun once people started coming up to us. At first I was way stressed but then really cool experiences happened. This guy came behind the table and asked me what mission we were on and I told him and then I asked "are you a member?" To which he responded: "Meh, I was but I haven't been in a really long time." He was so chill and nonchalant about it, it was kinda cool and surprising. Well we were talking and eventually I asked him to come to church on Sunday and he said he would. We also invited him to play frisbee on Thursday. The YSA kids play frisbee with a bunch of nonmembers and the missionaries can come in pday clothes and play while contacting and doing a spiritual thought after. So he came and the people in the branch fellowshipped him really well. I'm really proud of the people in the branch, they are just so cool. So this guy came to church on Sunday and I think he got emotional during sacrament and the first talk (which was about repentance and it was actually a really good talk) and I tried not to look so as to give him privacy, but I know he felt the spirit. I asked him afterward what he thought and he said it was good and it was worth it, "I'll definitely keep coming." BAH! So happy and so proud!

 

Another guy came up to sister Madsen and sister Beck and told them he had a Book of Mormon, but he wanted to know more. So on Thursday he met up with us and we taught him the frist lesson. First off, a little bit about this guy, he goes to KSU and is majoring in History Ed. He wants to be a teacher that teaches tolerance and love, and so he's been to MANY churches and learned about them so that he can get a real understanding of different religions and their culture and beliefs. He's quite a cool individual. So we taught him and he said he's never been to a church that legitamitely emphasizes learning and understanding in order to get a testimony. He loves that we encourage him to ask God if what we were telling him is true. And he thought that the whole story of Joseph Smith made historical and spiritual sense. He said, "yeah, I mean why would God stop talking to his children jsut because it's modern?" Exactly! And the whole part about Christ appearing to the people in the Americas made sense to him too. He's an awesome investigator.

 

It's been a really good week and we had a lot of good experiences. I hope this week is good too. Oh and on Wednesday morning we did the Bishop's storehouse and after everyone had gone through the ladies told us to take whatever produce we wanted. Seriously, the Lord blessed us. I had like nothing when we left and I came home with a huge bag of grapes, broccoli, cauliflower, plums, apples, oranges and carrots. It was so nice to have food this week! Also, we found out our complex has a gym. Also, another great blessing to find that out.

 I wanted to write Jared and I realized I don't remember his email. So if you could send that so I get it next week that would be cool. Tell him I miss him and I think of him going on a mission in a couple years and it's really cool thinking of him doing that. The work is worth all the emotional drainage. I love sister Madsen, she's a bright light and way spunky and happy all the time.

 

I pray for you guys and am thankful you are my life and my family. I miss Huntington Beach, but that makes sense. And I still love the humidity here and the green. The college campus is really cool and makes me miss school, but it's not enough of a miss to distract me. 

Love you lots, think and pray about you all 

Love you all to the moon and back, 

 

Jocelyn

Pres.& Sister Wolfert with Jocelyn on arrival day in Lilburn GA

President & Sister Wolfert with our District from the MTC 32 of us.
Out front of the Mission Home in Lilburn GA Sept. 2013

Dated 9/9/13

 I'm in Georgia and it's beautiful here! The Southern homes are gorgeous!. We get to go contacting at Kennesaw State University, which is actually kind of cool and scary at the same time. Cool because people are my age and they're all religious here one way or another. And scary because they're all my age and I'm afraid to look like a dork. But it's mostly cool. I was hoping I would get here and hit the ground running, but I'm actually in an area where we're white-washing... YAY.... Not. It's slow going and I don't feel as busy as I would like to be, which was really frustrating....

I like my trainer. I was hoping for a trainer that was a giant in the gospel, who thought really deeply and was just like this wise mentor that I would forever look up to on my mission. I did not get that. I like her, but ... Again, I do like her, she's nice, ...

Anyway, if you want to send me food that would be great!! Only do first class or priority mail because otherwise it will take two to three weeks to get to me because they can't forward it.  I don't have any time to go shopping today which is really ticking me off. Supposedly I can only go grocery shopping on Pdays. And I only have oatmeal, almonds and eggs. That is literally all I have at the apartment to eat. If I dont' get to go shopping today I'm going to hurt something.

I wake up at 5:50 so I can work out by 6:00 and have 30 minutes doing as hard of stuff that I want to do. It's hard because I'm also trying to wake up at that time, but doable. Afterward we've gone running in the parking lot, my companions can only run for three minutes and they stop, so I do sprints in the parking lot. It gets the job done, but doesn't feel as fulfilling as normal workouts feel. I'm still trying to get the hang of it. I don't know how you can count twenty minutes of walking around a parking lot exercise, but they do, so I don't complain. We are not in a biking are, which kind of bums me out because I love my bike. We can ride our bikes, but Sister Beck doesn't really like doing it. Also, no one thinks I can keep my weight. Well, it's been easier, plus I'll probably lose it because for the next four weeks I can only spend $25 each week. After that I can only spend $33.75 each week. I split up the $135 so I can figure out how much I'm allowed to spend each week. Anyway, dad, if I spend a little that's on my paypal, I'm sorry. It's because we need a lot of stuff for the nasty old apartment we're in and I need food. I will try to budget as best I can.

The apartment we're in is an old elders apartment. No one has occupied it for the past transfer and there's food that was expired in 2010, there were two milk jugs in the fridge and other things. The shower had black on the bottom of it. We aren't really allowed to clean it until pday. Needless to say, it was just lovely showering in the morning. The carpet is also pretty nasty, and the kitchen is small. The other sisters in our area have a really nice and bright and clean apartment. IT's okay though, I don't really hate it. I'm not too mad or anything, it is what it is. Though it is annoying to be told all the rules by my trainer. I have a white handbook thank you very much.

Here is some really good news. On Thursday we went to KSU and contacted. While there the YSA branch was-- oh and I'm serving in a branch, I just learned what a branch is and now I know how small they are-- playing frisbee, and we stopped and talked to them, and I had seen these two guys standing a ways off and I felt like we should go talk to them. I kept watching them to make sure they didn't leave. I made many attempts at trying to say "we should just continue contacting..." as nicely as I could, with a tiny bit of sass to get my message across.  I saw the two guys sit down and was thankful for that. Finally, we had the chance to leave. We approached them and began talking to them. Lo and behold, (there was a black guy and a white guy who's actually Columbian, but looks white) and the black guy says "I have a Book of Mormon in my car." !!! What? So we ask him what he knows and he said he went to church a couple of weeks ago. We talked to them for 45 minutes!! Their names are Tolu and Chris. Tolu (the black guy) was telling Chris that he should go to church, he was like "Come on man, let's go, it's pretty cool." And Chris is this really Christian kid that loved talking about the bible and the Book of Mormon and what it means to us. They both had work on Sunday, but Tolu says that hopefully this will be the thing that gives him the courage to finally quit his job. When we explained to Chris what the Book of Mormon was about, Tolu took over and told him everything! And when Chris asked if it was the native americans and we said yes. And he's like, "didn't they worship sun gods and stuff" and I said "If you read this you'll see that there are certain groups that begin worshipping different gods and idols." And he smiled and said, "that makes sense!" Imagine my excitement. Anyway, pray that those two will be able to come. They truly were awesome and they've made my week.

Try and send only one email instead of multiple ones. There's like no time on slow computers at libraries for me to look through all the pictures, which makes me sad and I really want to, but I can't today.

Please send me food, I have nothing. Also, I sent my cookbooks to myself from the MTC, so you guys didn't get those as explained in my letter.

I really like President Wolfert and Sister Wolfert is amazing and Classy as heck!

Love you all,

Sister Jocelyn

p.s. Mail is fine to. And dad, please post my address and email on my facebook and blog so people know to write me. Aubrey wants my address and I can't rememeber it.