I Used A Bidet For the First Time In My Life!!!

I have reached the conclusion that I will have bidets installed on every toilet in my future house. If you don't know what a bidet is look it up and bask in its glory.

I had this really nice email typed up and ready to send out but my iPad deleted it without me knowing and I don't remember any of what I typed and I'm super ticked so here is a condensed version of my week.

I hate technology.

We saw a lot of less actives this week and one of the people we saw was named Dorothy. She just got rid of cancer for the second time and we got to talk to her a couple days after that happened, which was neat. She lost her husband a year and a half ago to a heart attack, so we talked about the plan of salvation I felt impressed to share that my grandpa had passed away last month and that it was super hard for me to be here and not be home, but I know I'll see him again. I felt the spirit strongly, so I know she felt something too.

I was sad about Richard G. Scott passing, I wasn't really expecting that. He was my favorite speaker and apostle. Some of his talks really helped me to come closer to Christ. I am so excited to meet him one day. He's a huge hero of mine. I know he is with his wife who he loved so much and that makes me happy. I love knowing what happens after we die.

I got to watch the General Women's Broadcast at our stake center, and it was marvelous. President Utchdorf spoke, and he said something that has helped me out these last few days. He said, "God did it create us to be sad. He created us to have joy." That one line helped me to instantly feel better. Cause yeah I am sad. I'm sad I'm left out and ignored. I'm sad I'm not with my family at this time of my grandpas passing. I'm sad about a lot of things. But I need to start having joy in what I am doing here in California. It's easy to be sad, but it's greater and far more rewarding to have joy in life.

I have had a better week. I can promise you all that I will not ever leave anyone out. Missionaries should feel like other missionaries are their family. I don't feel that. How annoying is that? I have always tried to include everyone I come in contact with throughout my life.

No reason why I should stop now. Even if I'm the only one doing it, I don't care.

Thursday I had lunch with the Beach's they are super close with my family and lived in North Carolina. They love in the Sacramento area.

What a small world. It was so nice to be able to talk to someone about nc and know what I was talking about. They are a great couple.

Everyone here knows about Utah, but no one knows about North Carolina.

I had a really good Sabbath. I am trying to make the sacrament more meaningful to me personally by imagining the savior at Gethsemane. It helps me to feel the spirit more as I picture him bleeding from every pore for every single one of my pains and sins. The atonement is real.

I feel such peace to know that. I have learned a lot, and I am already thinking of ways I can make my future home and family Christ centered.

My family in North Carolina is my eternal family and I would not have it any other way. I hope I can try to be a tool in the Fathers hands and help other people become eternal families. That's my biggest goal.

Families bring people together. It's something that unifies the world.

So real quick Saturday night sister hodge and I were praying and suddenly this huge helicopter with a big searchlight starts circling this house a few streets behind us and this guy starts telling into a megaphone "COME OUT OF YOUR HOUSE WITH YOUR HANDS UP". Every five minutes someone would say that. Sister Hodge started freaking out, but I was excited. Then someone yells out for everyone in the area to stay indoors because apparently this guy they had surrounded was crazy and had a gun. Sister Hodge thought we were gonna die and I was loving the whole atmosphere. We have such a stark contrast in our personalities, it's quite hilarious. So that was fun. I fell asleep to people yelling and sister hodge couldn't sleep at all.

Anyway I love you all. I pray for you all every single day. You are all my family in one way or another and I love you so freaking much.

Til next week,

Sister Caroline Ginn

Caroline with Wanda and Stewart Beach

Night of fugitive on the loose!!!!

California sunset

Don't Stop Believing in Jesus

Sometimes I seriously miss my rock music. It's a physical pain in my heart to not have Van Halen or Elvis playing when I've had a tough day. Hard life.

Ok so this email is gonna be short because to be honest I had a not so good week, mentally anyway. I was super homesick this week and it wasn't fun. I did get a blessing from my bishop which helped. People say that the members and missionaries you serve with become your family. Ok well that hasn't happened for me yet and I really need it to happen soon because I am already tired of being ignored all the time since I'm new.

Anyway let's focus on something positive. We helped a 94 year old woman clean her backyard on Tuesday. She fed us breakfast and we listened to all her stories she has. I absolutely adore senior citizens. Quite frankly, I get along with older people than I do with young adults my own age. They are so interesting, older folks, and most 19-21 year olds are so boring and immature. The spirit this woman had was incredible. I don't know how much longer she has here on earth, but I am so glad to have met her. When I see her again in the eternities I will hug her until her eyes bulge out. Her name is Leah Gesek. Ah, old people are my favorite. <3 p="">

We still have not been able to get new investigators, but we are working our tails off with less actives. It's just as important, and it's actually easier to teach less actives. We have one less active who we have been able to get to church for sacrament, which is great considering she hasn't been to church in years.

I hugged a 96 year old man. I went to give home a handshake but he said no, he's old enough to be my great grandfather, and he made me hug him. It was adorable, not gonna lie.

Sister Hodge's iPad broke this week, so I decided to get her a new one. She was super upset about hers not working but I managed to cheer her up. (Pictures below) I am so freaking creative oh my gosh.

Saturday was an emotional day. It was the month mark since my grandpa passed away. I got up and I was already done with the day. I didn't want to do anything. I didn't want to talk to anyone. I was so homesick that day, and I wanted to cry all day. I see the missionaries I serve with a lot, but I really don't feel included with them. I don't feel accepted. They have all served for so long already, and I kind of just sit and listen while they all carry on about where they have served together. I got tired of being ignored. I missed home. I miss my grandpa. So I kind of broke down in the middle of an elders birthday party. Sister Hodge was super understanding and helped me to feel better about my situation. I feel better today. I get better every day. I hope I am with sister hodge until she goes home in November.

You cry a lot on your mission. If you don't you must not have tear ducts.

I have come to understand the atonement better this week. Jesus Christ died for me personally. He suffered for everything I have been through. Because of what he did, I am atoned for. I can repent. I can retain a remission for my sins. There was never a greater sacrifice made for the people of this world. It's amazing to know this and to apply it in my life. I repent every day, and as I do that I feel closer to my father in heaven. I want to change for the better. I want to be a better person and missionary. I am doing my best, and I know that the lord knows this. He loves me for me no matter what. I am never alone though sometimes I feel like it. I love my Father in Heaven. I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I would not trade my relationship with them for anything in the world. The sacrament is so meaningful to me, I am working to make it the highlight of my week.

I love you all so much. The only reason I am still here is because of all of you. I am doing this for my God, myself, and for all of you.

Thank you for all the prayers on my behalf. I would never get anywhere without my friends and family. You are all my family. I love you. I will see you again before we even know it.

 

Caroline made Sister Hodge a new I Pad because her other one was broken.

Love,

Sister Caroline Ginn

I May Be Emotional Sometimes But I Am Having Fun!

I honestly don't remember what I did this week so here's the basic highlights.

On Thursday was a trainers/trainee meeting, and I got to see everyone who came out with me in the mtc. I got to see my mtc companion Sister Singer again, and all the elders and sisters who were on the plane with me when we got here back in July. It was so refreshing to be in a room with people all at the same time of their missions as me.

We scared the absolute heck out of more elders this week. They are all plotting together now to scare the crap out of us and we are so paranoid. We'll get them before they get us. It's the greatest thing ever. I love scaring people. It makes me feel so alive.

I know most of you are probably waiting to hear about some great, spiritual lesson I had with an investigator. Or maybe a story about how I met some random person who was instantly interested in the gospel. I'm sorry, but I haven't had one of those yet. The people in my area are not interested. Period. We meet with so many less actives who simply refuse to come back to church. And that is just fine. We love them so much as people of God. Our purpose is not to force them or anyone to come to church. Our purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ. So if these emails don't have enough spiritual experiences for you involving converting people, go read another missionary email who can fulfill your needs.

We meet people every day. There's lists of less actives and inactives we go through each week. Most of these people don't want us to come back. And that is alright. I don't really get discouraged. Right now, I am working on loving the mission and loving my companion and loving the other missionaries I am serving with. My zone leaders I have are the best I've ever had. Granted they are the only ones I've had, but still. Elder Shepherd and Elder Jensen are awesome. They are my favorites. They are so accepting of everyone and especially Sister Hodge and I. They are the pair of elders we keep scaring so badly and they take it like champs. They teach me so much about how to be better as a person, not just as a missionary.

That's what I am learning. God is teaching me to be humble, and to be patient right now. This area is the hardest in the mission because it has been pounded to death with missionaries since it's so small. I'm okay with that. I'm happy talking to all these people. I don't care that I'm not having lessons all the time. Some days are rough. I am learning to rely on the lord in all things.

I am reading the Book of Mormon again and my favorite chapter in it is

3 Nephi 11. It talks about Christ appearing to the Nephites. I love it because it expresses the love he has for all of them. He loves us all so much, and we only need to reach out to Him through sincere prayer.

The Atonement happened for us. Jesus' blood was spilt for us. We need to use the Atonement and repent. He knows exactly how and what we feel at all hours of the day. What a comfort and a blessing. I know that it is true. I am so grateful to be able to repent. I love this gospel and everything in it. I know there is a God who loves us eternally. He will never stop loving us, even if we stop loving him. All will be well if we put our trust in God.

Saturday was the one day I do remember. We did service for two hours and walked a bunch of subdivisions giving out flyers for a food drive one of the wards is doing. We gave our over 200 flyers to doorsteps and people. Later on we were able to see people and talk to people we have been trying to reach forever. It is such a breath of fresh air to talk to an actual human being. We share small testimonies, sometimes of prayer, sometimes of families. I'm learning how to do share one minute gospel messages. I am learning how to do many things in this area that will prepare me for my next one. Sister Hodge and I literally have nothing in common but we get along so well and we love each other and serve each other. We love to do spontaneous things for other missionaries to make their days better. I am having fun. I am still super emotional sometimes but I am having fun.

I love you all. There isn't one person who is reading that isn't important to me. You have each helped me at some point in my life and I will do my best to live up to your trust in me. I will not let any of you down. I promise.

Til next Monday.

With eternal love,

Sister Ginn

See if you can find me!

                                                   

These are MTC buddies I haven't seen since leaving the MTC!

I Bought a Coloring Book and I Regret Nothing

To relieve stress I color. It brings me much joy.

Sister Hodge and I finally scared the crap out of the other sisters in our zone. We hid in uncomfortable positions on their bunk beds for like 30 minutes until they came home BUT IT WAS SO WORTH IT, THEIR REACTIONS WERE HYSTERICAL

This week our two new investigators we found last week were not home every time we tried to contact them, which was a bummer. We will keep trying though, we stop by at all hours of the day and so far it has been unsuccessful. We did make contact with a less active who we have been trying forever to see. Her name is Candice and she is so sweet.

She specifically said "You guys are welcome in my home" which is fabulous to hear from someone, it makes us feel like we matter ha.

We went to the temple Friday with a sister in our ward, Sister McQuagg. She is such a sweetheart, she's been a member for only 2 years. She took us and the Citrus Heights sisters, who are the other sisters in our zone, and we had a wonderful time. In the Sacramento temple, they used mahogany wood on the inside and it looks gorgeous.

It's bigger then the Raleigh temple but still kind of small. The celestial room was beautiful. I am so grateful to be worthy to enter the temple at all. If at any point I am not worthy to attend the temple, I need to reevaluate my life.

Saturday was kind of a discouraging day. We were doing fine until we went to go see this woman who is inactive. We've been trying to go see her forever and she finally let us in, only to tell us she is not coming back to church because every time she does bad things happen.

She is now going to Jehovah's Witness. They are huge out here. We weren't expecting that, and I felt really sad surprisingly.  I realized that I loved this woman as a daughter of God and that she had just chosen to ignore and make up excuses for why she couldn't come to church. She just gave away the opportunity to go to the temple and be sealed to her family. When you work with these people and love them and see them do something like this, you feel sad for them because you love them. Yes they have their agency. But you still feel sad, you want them to be happy and you know the gospel of Jesus Christ will help them to be happy. It's a tiny bit of how Heavenly Father feels when His children choose things that are not the best for them. I was able to play the piano at two 8 year old baptisms after that which considerably lifted my spirits. Playing the piano for people always lifts my spirits.

Okay so on the third of September was my best friend Jefferson Brimhall's year mark. He's been serving in the Philippines for a year.

That is a huge accomplishment so please go email him and congratulate him on all he has been doing. He's my hero.

I have learned much already about the doctrines of the gospel, but the biggest thing I have learned is that I am different. I am unique.

Missionary work to me is different than it is to someone else, and that is how it is supposed to be. As long as we are obedient to the rules, we all work together with our own perspectives. Missionary work is simply not tracting. It's so much more than that. Every time you share the gospel you are doing missionary work. Every time you share the light of Christ that is inside every human being, you are doing missionary work. When you raise your children to come closer to Christ, you are doing missionary work. That is the biggest thing I am coming to understand. I have been called as a disciple of Christ, and I will be doing that 24/7 for the next 16 months. Yep, I have 16 months left. So I might as well make the best of my time here.

I love you all and I want you to know that I appreciate you. I appreciate everything you do. I appreciate you being alive. Yes you reading this. You are a child of our Eternal Heavenly Father. You belong and you matter. You matter to me. I can't wait to see you all again.

Love,

Sister Caroline Elizabeth Ginn