I SERIOUSLY LOVE THE TEMPLE SO MUCH

This week I went to the temple 2 whole times! It was so great! I loved it! It's such a blessing to be able to go to the temple as a missionary. I seriously don't know what I would do if I couldn't! All you missionaries who can't or couldn't are much stronger than I am seriously!

The first time we went was with the mission. We go every quarter and it just seems to come at the perfect time! I love it so much and just the peace that it gives me. The next other time I went JUAN WENT TO DO BAPTISMS! It's the most amazing experience having an investigator go to the temple! Juan is really funny! So he was just so worried about 2 things. The first was that he would drown because he doesn't know how to swim and it looks a lot bigger than the baptismal font he got baptized in. The second is that the family of the people he's being baptized for wouldn't want them to be baptized because his family wouldn't want him to do the work for anyone in their family.

The cool thing about that is we were waiting to go do baptisms and this guy comes up and asks Juan to do his families name! I was like !!!!!!!!!!!!! That's the only way I could think of describing it!


HEAVENLY FATHER KNOWS US ALL EVERYONE! It was so cool! And he didn't drown! Whoa! So cool!

Another cool thing is we did service this past week with the young church service missionaries at a park! So I was sitting there with one of the YCSM sister Herman she's the best! And I look over and I say to everyone "that girl over there looks EXACTLY like my cousin Rachel. But I'm not sure if it's her" everyone's like how do you not know if that's your cousin and I was just like well I haven't heard of her being a church service missionary so idk. But I was like I swear she looks exactly like her! So I made sister swain go up and ask her name and lo and behold IT WAS MY COUSIN RACHEL! She's serving at the family history library in Ogden and I'm just like what! No one told me! She is literally 5 minuets away from me every day! Crazy right! So funny!

Happy Mother's Day!

I was so happy to be able to talk to my family yesterday! This past week was stressful but it's ok! At the beginning of the week sister Opeti got sick and then I got sick! So it was tough but we got through it! 

I just feel like not much happened! We did a lot of finding and a lot of talking to people! We had interviews with president this week and that was good! I love president Jaggi he just kinda gets me and I feel comfortable asking him for help. Also I found out he sees everything my family does. He asked about Kaitlin's graduation! And asked if Scott was less active. I told you you need to cut your hair Scott! He told me I was a seasoned missionary now. That was weird I still feel like a baby! We had zone training this week too from the zone leaders. That was good I just wasn't feeling very well so idk. I don't really have much else to say haha! Hopefully my email next week
is more exciting! I love you all so much! Have a great day!

Love Sister O'Connor

Toto I don't think we're in Utah anymore

So yesterday was crazy! There was a huge windstorm because of something that has to do with Wyoming or something? I don't know.. All I know is that everything is torn up! Roofs are off houses! Trees fell to the ground! Signs for buildings are down! Power is out! WIFI WAS OUT! All the missionaries were happy it was this Sunday and not next! YAY FOR MOTHERS DAY! It was seriously insane! They even canceled church or just had sacrament meeting! We were instructed that if we didn't have church to put on some pants and get to work! So that's what we did!

Sister Opeti and I went with Elder Jordan and Elder Jones to help some people! We saw that a family had tons of stuff down in their yard! It was a Hispanic family Elder Jordan knew from his Spanish program days and they had the cutest little girls we asked their names and they were like "I'm Camilla and I'm Sarah" so of course we started calling them that and then we found out Sarah's name wasn't Sarah. She has been telling everyone her name was Sarah and it's so funny her name is Allison! I about died! 

After we cleared up their yard we drove around and a HUGE tree had fallen into the road so we go and get our tools and started to chop up this tree! We got it all done and then went to sacrament meeting in pants and after went right back to work! I just kept thinking "when ye are in the service of your fellow man he are only in the service of your God" so it was a good thing to do!


The rest of the week was good we did some service earlier in the week with two other zones in central Ogden in a garden there. We found a few dangerous things, but of course it made us all laugh and go
"oh Ogden" but we were all careful! Don't worry mom! 

We had a lesson this week with Kevin and I don't know if I've told y'all about Kevin! His mom is a recent convert and he is special needs and wants to get baptized so we are going to baptize him! We are really excited for that and being able to teach him is really cool! How much he actually understands is remarkable!


Life is going great! I love being a missionary! I hate being out 9 months because everyone makes comments like "oh your on the down hill" "it's just gonna fly" "you're almost done". The elders never get these comments because when they are out more than a year they can say "oh about a year" and people think they still have a ton of time left but if I say "oh about a year" I'm going home soon no matter what. It's dumb but it's ok. I love being a missionary! I love being on campus! I was told this past week people are going to cry in YSA when I get transferred and I'm just like y'all are going home this week! It's fine! I love it here!

Everyone have a great week I love you! Read your scriptures, go to church, and pray!

Training. Again.

First off HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! 

This is probably the first birthday I haven't spent with you! But it's ok because I'm on a mission! And I'll skype you in like 3 weeks!

So as my subject tells you I am once again training! But I'm only second half training! I keep doing this! I have more step-children than real children. I told President that Sister Swain likes being an only child! What is he doing? 

So I'm training sister Opeti. She is from Oakland California and is Tongan. She's 22 and happy to be on her mission!

Ok so we are starting to teach this guy named Kevin! He's about 35 and is special needs! This all started when I had dinner at their house the spirit was like pounding me to ask if he has been baptized and thought to myself that he doesn't need to! But I did because you know Heavenly Father knows best! His mom said that the missionaries when she got baptized said he didn't have to be but then she started thinking and realized that this is something she wanted for him! That was about a month or two ago and now we have everything worked out to start teaching him!

We also are starting to teach a woman named Barbra! She has gone through a lot and first gained her testimony in a relief society in jail. And she's really excited to be able to be baptized! She's meeting with president Tuesday and we are so excited!

I'm really sad I'm not in my trio anymore it was fun! But I'm excited to see what this transfer has in store!

Also, I hit my 9 month mark and yes I took a pregnancy picture no I'm not sending it. Ok maybe I will it's funny!

Covered 26 wards this week

So it's transfers this week! have no idea what's going to happen this transfer.

This past week has been a WONDERFUL one! Sister Swains companion Sister Billings went home. Sad. So sister swain needed a place to live and some companions to be with so guess what... She lived it up in Ogden with Sister Richins and Me! And boy did we live it up!

So we had zone conference this week! Then a sisters meeting that the STLs had to give a training at but I really don't like to stand and talk AT people I like to talk TO people. So we basically had everyone say a Christlike attribute their companions have! It was really great! I loved it! 

But the day of the sisters meeting was a carnival at Weber State. I'm pretty sure y'all think I like never work, but I really do! The Institute had a booth there and so they wanted us to go! I held a really big snake! Also while I was holding a big snake one of the leadership at Weber asked me to be on the Weber State snapchat and I was like yes I will! So I was on the snapchat everyone it was the best! And we also got two referrals and a potential investigator! It was really fun! Jordan hung out with us at the carnival too! 

Thursday we had a meeting with Sister Jaggi and it started to snow and she liked how it looked with all the blossoms so she made us sing popcorn popping! And took a video! I love sister Jaggi! Also president wears Birkenstocks and it just makes me think how my mom wouldn't let me get them because I couldn't wear them on a mission.


FRIDAY JUAN HAD HIS BAPTISMAL INTERVIEW HE PASSED!
Saturday JUAN GOT BAPTIZED! 
It was so funny! He got in the font and just put himself under the water and we were like, "not yet he has to say a prayer!" He was just so excited! Juan is very expressive and after his conformation you could tell he felt the Holy Ghost! It was so cool!

Well that's about it! I love you guys you rock!

Love Sister O'Connor

So I got proposed to this week but don't worry

So this week was such a funny week! But I kinda forgot some things so just keep reading this letter is going to be interesting!


So Tuesday I was on exchanged with Sister Opeti! She's cute! She's Tongan from Oakland California. It was weird when people asked us where we were from we both said California. She's being trained so it was weird doing 12 week. Also it's weird that I haven't been in Layton for 3 months. Like I'm almost at my 9 month. It's kinda scary. I just remember when Kaitlin and Paige were out 9 month we were all what the heck and now probs y'all are like what the heck with me.

Then Wednesday we went to a zone training. It was good! But after we went on MORE exchanges. This STL stuff is tough. But this exchange was with sister swain! We went to her area this time! We went to the Syracuse farm museum and I milked a fake cow. It squirted me with its cow juice. Aka water. And we didn't have dinner so we went to Little Caesars and got bread sticks and went to this Meg Johnson thing. She's famous because she fell off a Cliff in st. George and is not paralyzed. I came to the conclusion that if you want people to listen to you stop being able to use the majority of your body. Because she was alright I guess but no one would want her to talk to them if she had full use of her body.


Thursday we went on a little bike ride. I decided I don't like bikes they hurt my bum. So we went to visit people and than had lunch and went to fiz and I didn't get anything because I gave up soda on my mission but I really wanted a Dirty Diet Coke but I didn't fall into temptation. So mom the moment I get off that plane I want a DDC in my hand. 😘 then we exchanged back, then we went to dinner at the Walkers!


I've talked about them before he's out WML and served in our ward! He said he called his old companion and asked if he knew any O'Connors from Moreno Valley and he said "yes they had the cutest baby girl" and guess what he served there in 1996 so that baby was me 💁🏼 but they have such cute girls! They have a big flaw though. They don't know who the Jonas brothers are. I about died. I really didn't think that day would come! The rest of the week we ate in that street with all their girls friends and non of them knew who the Jonas brothers were. I
seriously almost died. They now think I'm really old. We also taught Juan this week and we taught him about the priesthood and had the APs come because ya know I don't really hold the priesthood. So we were talking about it and Elder Armstrong said something like only the men hold the priesthood and Juan turns to look at me and sister Richins and raises his eyebrow and it was so funny! He was like well that's junk kind of a look! But Elder Gardner had this really cool analogy I'll tell you now "so let's say it's raining and you're walking down the street with a girl (this is to Juan) are you going to hold the umbrella or will she" obviously he would "so that's like the priesthood the man holds it but it covers both of them." I liked that!

Then Saturday was stake baptisms! We like to go because people feel the spirit and give us referrals and seeing the innocence in baptism is so great! So one of the baptisms was Spencer Sadler! His mom is the young woman's president and we would go over and teach the lessons to the kids because idk why they did it when I got here but we are done now. But so I really like their family! They are all really tall because the dad is like 6'5 and the mom is like 6'0 so the kids are totes into basketball and when Spencer was baptized without missing a beat one of his cousins goes "dunk, slam dunk" and everyone died! I loved it!

Sunday was the day I got proposed to! I know I made y'all wait for this moment! So we sit in sacrament meeting and this special needs boy sits next to me. He first asked me if I had any children and I told him no. Then he asked the man behind us if he was a sea horse! He proceeded to tell him if he was a seahorse he would be pregnant. Then he said his name was Jason I said that's my uncles name! He chatted and than leaned to his mom and said "is it to early to ask a girl you just met to marry you?" She said yes than he came to me and said "will you marry me?" I told him I can't marry anyone while I'm on a mission and he said "oh ok" and then colored and told me some jokes. It was very wonderful but I gave my heart to the Lord!


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

Love Sister O'Connor

Do I have a week for you

SO MANY THINGS HAPPENED THIS WEEK!


First TUESDAY WE GOT A NEW INVESTIGATOR! His name is Frank and he's 90!!!!!!! He's so funny and I want him to get baptized so bad! Sometimes he forgets what we say and we have to tell him again and sometimes he thinks we're done and stands up and walks away and it's funny.

Wednesday we went to district meeting and told everyone about Frank it was great! Then had a lesson with Jordan and Steph whom I love so much! It's funny because I feel like I'm going to be their friend forever! Like when Jordan gets married I'm going there is no question!

We taught them on Thursday too and gave them CONFERENCE TICKETS! It was so exciting! Friday we had a lesson with Juan and if any of you remember how we put him on date for the 17th and he thought we meant May and we were bummed well we had a super spiritual lesson with him this past weekend. Sister Richins and I both felt like he needed to get baptized sooner because he's so ready he is just afraid! Because it's scary but the best! 

Saturday we took Juan to conference and met up with Jordan and her boyfriend Connor and all sat together! That day was crazy! So we take the front runner down walk to temple square try and get something to eat at chick fil a and it was so packed (eat before you go kids) saw KARA HUNTLY a friend from my growing up who's getting married next weekend! Met her fiancé so that was cool! And listened to conference! We saw the Spanish Elders after conference and wanted to take a picture with us and Juan because they are also teaching him just couldn't get tickets to sit with us. I found out some really good friends were sitting a section away from me and didn't see them that bummed me out! 

Also so many mission friends were like "hey I met some of your friends" and sister Richins was like "how many people do you know?" I get it from my dad. But some elders said some guy named Riley who was tall with dark hair and was kinda awkward was looking for me and it racked my brain because I don't know anyone by those standards! But I figured it out! Two of my friends were here together Michael Atwood who would have been the tall one and Joseph Ridgley which is where they probably got the awkward and the Riley(elders have bad memory)! And I am sad I didn't see them because they have both come home from their missions while I've been out! But
it's ok we can wait 10 months everyone!


Then on the ride home don't freak out mom I'm ok. One of the security ladies started banging on the bathroom door telling some guy to come out. Then she told him not to get up and not to move! And if he listened she wouldn't call the police. And turns around and whispers to the people next to us "he has a knife" he comes out of the bathroom and everyone was nervous except me because I'm a missionary and the Lord is protecting me and I realize it's just an ogdenite (homeless person from Ogden who is a little off but not harmful) and this lady starts yelling at him and it was sad because you can tell he doesn't mean any harm and HE'S IN A WHEEL CHAIR FOR PETES SAKE! He's fine. Then yesterday we watched conference at the Craguns who have a daughter out on a mission. They are the sweetest family! They said the rule to watch conference at their house was to wear pajamas! We watched it at their house because it doesn't get streamed to church buildings here it's weird! So it was fun! We spent conference time at their house ate dinner with them then went out and worked! It was so great and I love
them. Sister Cragun is like a mixture between Shaila Bergquist and my mom! It's kinda funny! But I love it! Well y'all have a good day and week I love you all and am so grateful for prophets and apostles here today!

Love Sister O'Connor