I Am Not A Morning Person

I wake up at 6:30, shower, and don't talk until companion study at 9.

That's how I roll in the mornings. My speaking hours are at 9.

So hello everyone, hope you are all doing well and good. This week was really long. It was not the best of weeks, but I'll focus on positive things so you don't get depressed reading this. You're welcome.

We have a lesson every Wednesday with a girl named Lulu. She is a recent convert and she is actually shorter than me. She's 19 and hilarious. I have really gotten to know her these last couple of weeks, and we have this great friendship already. I think that's one thing I like about meeting people, is the friendship you make with them can last on earth and into the eternities.

We had our first district meeting after transfers this week, and yeah I miss the elders and sisters back in Citrus Heights, but I love my new district. There's this bond you get with other missionaries that no one can understand unless you have served a mission. It's weird. I like it.

On Friday I went with the red bluff sisters to see this 102 year old woman. She has no memory at all and kept repeating everything she had already said. She thinks she's 200 and kept telling us so. We talked to her for an hour, she'll talk your ears off with stories. I love senior citizens.

Saturday was had another zone blitz. That's where all the missionaries go work in one ward al day long trying to contact people for the missionaries over the ward to go see. It actually went really well, it was for the red bluff ward and we all went on splits with the members of the ward. I got to know a couple members really well, and I got to pet a chicken. All in a day's work.

I am playing a special musical number on the 8th of November, which I am very excited about. The ward here adores me just because I can play the piano. Guess I'll only ever be known as the sister missionary who plays the piano. That's better than not being remembered at all, right?

Also I have discovered a pet peeve. I hate it when someone just calls me "Sister." No, my name is Sister Ginn. Get it right please <3 p="">

I do have a testimony of this gospel. I also know that I am never alone. Ever. This week was hard, I felt a bunch of emotions. I've prayed so many times to feel less alone and to have the strength to keep going. I'm still here, so far it's working. The lord knows we are all trying our best. I'm doing the best I can with the circumstances I've been given. Something I have learned is to not shove anything down people's throats. You can't make anyone believe the gospel, and you are not supposed to. That is their choice. Don't take away someone's free choice just because you want them to make the right decision. It is up to them, not you. My purpose here as a missionary is simply to invite others to come unto Christ. I'm not here to baptize people. If someone wants to be baptized, I am fine with that.

I am here to help others recognize that Christ is real and that he can take upon himself all our burdens and make them lighter to carry.

I love you all. Prayers are appreciated. I am struggling a bit right now, it's not easy to live with someone who likes to control everything and anything. Thank you for all you do. You are all the best human beings on the planet.

Love,

Sister Caroline Ginn

Sister Harvey is 102 years old!

Investigators daughter!

So I am In Corning Now and It is Dry and Brown

Caroline and Sister Duncan

Beautiful but dry!

Cool Investigator

If everyone can pray to send some rain to California, it would be much
appreciated.

Because holy cow, everything is so dead.

I moved to Corning Tuesday, I got a ride from a member, and an
investigator from Corning actually took me all the way there. It's
about 2 hours and 30 minutes from Citrus Heights. I loved Citrus
Heights  So much. The Tempo Park ward was the best ward to start in. I
loved my zone, I loved the members, and I loved Sister Hodge. I cried
when I left her. Greatest 12 weeks of my life with the best trainer in
the California Roseville mission. If you think otherwise, there's the
door. I'm not great at goodbyes, but I know I'll
see her and everyone else again which made it easier to cope with.

Corning is much like Benson. There's nothing here and there's lots of
cows and horses. It's actually really pretty if you can ignore the
fact that the fields are completely void of life and have this hideous
brown and black color. I live in a house that owns a lot of land and
there's a swing set on it. You can see all the stars at night because
there are no street lights. Plus there's silence. Enough said. My new
companion is Sister Duncan, who is also from Utah. I call her Duncan
Hines. She's been out four months and I've been out three. She's
really sweet. She likes to tease me that I'm still a greenie and she
isn't since she's been out longer, and it was funny maybe the first
few times. :)


We got a referral Wednesday, and we went and followed up on it Friday.
Turns out this referral was a woman named Brianna who moved here from
Alaska. She is so  sweet oh my gosh. She wants to learn more
about the church, apparently she has had tons of contact with the
church and she wants to have a connection with Jesus. She even already
had a Book of Mormon and had started reading it. THIS NEVER HAPPENS
PEOPLE, SHE IS SO READY FOR THE GOSPEL , GOD IS GOOD. I felt
like screaming.

I've already made some really good relationships with the members
here. It's a small ward, and there's only one ward in Corning. It's an
older ward, which is great because I adore senior citizens. I dyed my
hair red a few weeks ago and everyone thinks I'm a real ginger. A lot
of the Relief Society calls me "the cute red-head." I'm not telling
anyone it's fake. Everyone is somehow related and it's hilarious, they
all fight like a giant family and they are actually a giant family.
They think it's awesome that I'm from NC and not Utah. They about had
a cow when I told them I could play the piano and the organ. Yeah I'm
gonna like it here.

There was an actual thunderstorm Sunday night and it was awesome. We
were at a members house and the heavens just exploded. Oh it was
gorgeous. I miss storms so much.

I finished the book of Mormon and can I just say, it works, when you
read it you feel so much peace. Seriously you should try it. I started
reading the New Testament just cause it's gonna be Christmas soon so
why not? Plus I want to understand the life of Christ more. He is the
reason for everything we can do. The least I can do is follow him and
learn about his life and ministry.

I love you all so much. Your prayers are felt, when I'm having a rough
day and I don't even feel like standing anymore I feel a constant
strength coming from somewhere. I know it's all of you. So thanks. I
can promise you I'm doing the best I know how. You're prayers are not
being wasted.

With as much love as my tiny body can muster,
Sister Caroline Ginn

So I Am Getting Transfered To Corning California

Transfers are this week and guess who is leaving? Me. Sister Hodge is staying but is switching to the Citrus Heights Ward instead of Tempo Park.

The absolute raw emotion that comes with this is life-destroying, let me tell you. I have spent 12 weeks of my life in Citrus Heights forcing myself out of my comfort zone to talk to people and form relationships with people. Towards my last three weeks here I've finally felt some kind of family connection with the missionaries I am serving with. Now that all of that has finally happened I am leaving.

I've loved and lived with sister Hodge for 12 weeks, 24/7' day and night, and now I'm leaving. This will be her final six weeks before she goes home to Logan Utah. The chances of me seeing her again are pretty slim. When you get too comfortable with an area you leave.

That's life and it stinks. No doubt about it.

I had to say goodbye to a lot of members on Sunday which was just sad.

I cried a lot. I didn't realize the love I had for them until I said bye. I didn't realize a lot of things until I got the call I was leaving. I am leaving Tuesday to go up north to a place called Corning, and my new companion is Sister Duncan. I know no one where I'm going so I have to start all over again. Not looking forward to that, but whatever happens happens. I don't know anything about Sister Duncan and I don't want to. I prefer to go in blind so I don't have any assumptions.

Thursday I went on exchanges and passed out my very first Book of Mormon as a missionary to one of our investigators. Her name is Dominique and she hasn't been home for a while. I had sister Harper with me, my sister training leader, and I decided to go see her. We talked to her for over an hour about the gospel and I felt prompted to give her a Book of Mormon. So I did. As she held the book she said "I feel power in this. I feel like there's a hand on my shoulder telling me to read this book." Of course I'm dying internally because that NEVER HAPPENS so I just smiled and told her how it would bless her life. That happened.

I was sick earlier in the week, throwing up sick, and I asked my zone leaders to give me a blessing. I felt so much better the next day. I love the priesthood, I know it works, and I love my zone leaders. I'm gonna miss them dearly. Elder Shepherd and Elder Jensen were my first zone leaders and I seriously doubt anyone could compare to them.

I'm done with training. Now people can stop calling me a greenie :)

I love you all dearly. These last three days have been a roller coaster of a ride. I've been angry, sad, happy, and dead inside all at one time. Most of the people in my zone now have only been out about a year, so there's a good chance I will serve around them again. That's a comforting thought. Heavenly Father has been with me this whole time holding my hand. He has never left me once. I know I'm not alone. I'm sad, but I'm not alone. That's what makes the difference. I've learned how to make relationships with people and how to be a missionary so I think I can do this who knows I'll find out Tuesday.

Ok I'm done. I don't feel like typing anymore. I love you all so much and there is no way I could do this without the constant love I feel from you. Your prayers keep me up, otherwise I'd have quit and gone home probably.

With all the love I can possibly muster, Sister Caroline Ginn

Handmade quits

First District

Love the Reed Family

Sweet Sister Gesek

I Hate Blowing My Hair Dry and Shaving My Legs

Those are the two things I despise the most in life.

This week was really fast for some reason. As I approach my three month mark things seem to be going quicker. I like it.

It's October now. My favorite month out of the year. Our ward is already planning the trunk or treat thing. They call it a harvest festival. They make it sound like some kind of formal gathering with orderves  and finger sandwiches. It makes me think of last year when I was Morticia Addams for Halloween. Best costume I ever made. Anyway.

My week was a blur. The biggest highlight was conference. I loved all four sessions. Our mission president came to one session and watched it at the stake center with us. He prefers us to watch it at the church because he thinks we should take this time for ourself and not be distracted by families or small kids. I couldn't agree more. The thing I took from conference is to be more obedient and live worthy enough for temple marriage and to be a good mom. Only with a Christ centered life can I truly reach my eternal potential so I'm shooting for that. I'm down on myself and I shouldn't be. Baby steps. I need to stop focusing on the things I can't do and do the things I can. I can't control my trainer, I can't make her be obedient and I can't control how the missionaries act or if they don't talk to me. I can however choose to be happy, be myself, smile, talk kindly to others, and be nice even if people are not nice to me. I am trying to see people as Heavenly Father sees them. That's my biggest goal right now.

Focus on the things I can do. Trust the lord in all things. I can tell you all that it will work out. That's the comfort I've received this conference. And indeed, what a great comfort.

It made me sad to see president Monson and how much he was struggling.

I love him so much. He's such an inspiration to the millions of people on this planet. The new apostles are the bomb.com.

My mom shipped me some cinnamon rolls for conference and I brought them to church and ate them with everyone. There was enough for Saturday and Sunday. Thank you mommy! I love you! Jeffery R. Holland made me cry with his talk about moms. I miss my mom so much. I make a promise to all of you reading this, especially my mom, that I'm gonna be better when this whole thing is over. Pinkie promise with a cherry on top. I am so sorry for anything I've ever done that wasn't up to par with what was expected of me. I'm sorry I'm not good enough. I promise to be worthy to see you all again and look you dead in the eyes and tell you all that I did my best and not feel a twinge of regret saying that.

This week we had a good few visits. We have been visiting people who have illnesses and limitations that makes them not able to attend church. Many of these are widowed women. They are the sweetest people I've ever met. Their testimonies are so strong and their faith is unbreaking. What examples. One lady, Sister Meyers, had a massage chair and let us try it out. Holy cow that felt so good. I need probably 5 or 6, one for each room in my house.

I have not taught any lessons this week. I've shared my testimony and shared thoughts to less actives and members. We have not found any investigators. This has stopped discouraging me because I don't have control over this situation. It's all on the lords time. 20 years from now when I come to call on this area, I know that some of these people we see in homes and on the streets will be baptized and members of the church because of the seeds I've planted here. That's what matters.

I love you all so much. I am going to let the Lord mold me into the person I need to be.

With eternal love,

~Sister Caroline Ginn

Cool Cat Shirt for Fall

Our First General Conference As A Companionship

Someone made me a Link Key chain!!

Yummy Pumpkin Pie!